Jonathan Papelbon posted 31 saves in 34 opportunities, a 2.94 ERA and a 4-1 record. Cheers. But the saves (and chances) were the fewest of his six-year career, and the former Mississippi State standout’s team, the Boston Red Sox, collapsed at season’s end and missed the playoffs. Boo. Seth Smith upped his average some 40 points from 2010, batting .284. The Ole Miss product also hit 15 homers, rapped 32 doubles, drove in 59 runs, scored 67 and stole 10 bases. Cheers. Yet his homer total actually slipped, despite more at-bats, from last season, and his team, the Colorado Rockies, was a disappointing also-ran in the National League West. Boo. Mitch Moreland batted .259 with 16 homers and 51 RBIs for a club, the Texas Rangers, that did make the postseason. Cheers. But the MSU alum was less productive than he was in his rookie season; his on-base percentage, slugging percentage and home runs per at-bats ratio dropped from 2010. Boo. That brings us to Cliff Lee, the former Meridian Community College ace. Lee went 17-8 with a 2.48 ERA. He posted six shutouts. He struck out 238 batters in 232 2/3 innings and walked just 42. He was the No. 2 starter on a team, the Philadelphia Phillies, that had the best record in the National League. Cheers. And more cheers: Lee is the winner of the 2011 Cool Papa Bell Award, given here to the Mississippi-connected player (native or college alum) judged to have had the best season in The Show. Chris Coghlan (Ole Miss) and Roy Oswalt (Holmes CC) won the first two Bell awards.
P.S. Papelbon heads the list of Mississippians on the free agent market. He is joined by Oswalt, MSU product Paul Maholm, Nettleton’s Bill Hall, Gulf Coast CC alum Fred Lewis and ex-Ole Miss star Matt Tolbert. Marcus Thames, out of East Central CC, who reportedly signed a minor league deal with the New York Yankees late last season, also is listed as a free agent on the mlb.com chart. Former Jackson Generals Freddy Garcia, Ramon Castro and Carlos Guillen are also looking for jobs.
