Monthly Archives: May 2012

Ups. This just in: Mitch Moreland can hit. The former Mississippi State star’s sluggish start for the Texas Rangers seems long forgotten now. He is batting .355 with three home runs and nine RBIs in his last 10 games. He hit two bombs on Thursday. He’s at .283 with six homers for the year. … Two more hits Thursday for Southern Miss product Brian Dozier, who is batting .298 for Minnesota. … Former Pillow Academy standout Louis Coleman was recalled by Kansas City on Thursday and threw a shutout inning against Baltimore. … In case you missed it, former Mississippi Braves hurler Brandon Beachy threw a five-hit shutout (first of his big league career) at Miami and now leads the majors with a 1.33 ERA. … And Mississippi Valley State, which slumped into the SWAC Tournament as a No. 4 seed with a 14-38 record, is 2-0 in the event, including a win over top-seeded host Southern University. Downs. Ole Miss product Alex Presley was sent to Triple-A by Pittsburgh; he was batting just .222 after a 3-for-38 skid. … Ex-M-Braves lefty Matt Harrison, now with the Rangers, got knocked around Thursday and saw his ERA rise to 5.21. … Chris Coghlan, the former UM star and onetime National League rookie of the year, is hitting just .246 in Triple-A since being sent down last month by the Marlins. … The state’s Big 3 Division I schools, presumably gearing up for tournament play, scored a grand total of four runs combined on Thursday. Only Mississippi State got a win, thanks largely to the pitching of Ferriss Trophy winner Chris Stratton.

It’s not all about winning in the minor leagues, we know, but the playoffs are fun for everyone involved. And, as we know also, the Mississippi Braves have not made the postseason since 2008. They really haven’t even made a serious run for a berth since winning the Southern League title in ’08, their fourth year in Pearl. Can the 2012 team break through? Well, as far as the first half is concerned, it’s time to get out the hammers. The M-Braves — home tonight to launch a five-game homestand — are 17-22, last place and 6½ games out in the SL South with 30 games to play. They need a win streak. Five or six in a row, maybe take nine of 10. That might get them going. They have the starting pitching to facilitate a roll. Zeke Spruill (3-3, 4.37) goes tonight; he can be even better than what he’s shown. Sunday’s starter, David Hale (3-2, 4.03), is coming off one of his best outings. Lefty Sean Gilmartin, the 2011 top pick, is 2-4 despite a 2.82; he goes Monday. The bats have perked up a bit, though the club is still last in the league in runs (141) and homers (12). Todd Cunningham is hitting .387 over his last 10 games and .330 overall, second in the SL. Keenan Wiley, signed in 2010 as a non-drafted free agent out of Kentucky, is at .340 in his 19 games since coming up. Evan Gattis has four homers and a .320 average in 13 games, and Andrelton Simmons is batting .293. Christian Bethancourt is fresh off the disabled list, and the big catcher’s return to the lineup might help. This homestand presents a golden opportunity. Tennessee, from the North Division, comes in with the worst record in the league at 17-23, albeit just percentage points lower than the M-Braves. P.S. Today is Cool Papa Bell’s birthday. The former Negro Leagues star, one of two Mississippi natives in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, was born today in Starkville in 1903. He died in 1991.

Mike Minor may be looking over his shoulder. Or he should be. After another in a series of rough starts — six earned runs allowed in 4 2/3 innings against Miami tonight — the former Mississippi Braves left-hander has become an obvious weak link in the Atlanta rotation. He had an 11.81 ERA in his three starts prior to tonight’s. Meanwhile, Atlanta’s No. 1 prospect, former M-Brave Julio Teheran, is flourishing at Triple-A Gwinnett. Right-hander Teheran, with his upper 90s fastball, is 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA in seven starts. He held his own in a big league trial last season. He is ready for more, and his time may be coming very soon.

Smith-Wills Stadium, site of the MHSAA state championships which begin today, could use a little spit and polish. It lacks the modern trappings you find at Trustmark Park in Pearl. But Smith-Wills is still a great venue for baseball. Built in 1975 as the home of the new Jackson Mets Double-A baseball team, it’s kind of like a time machine. Many major league stars, past and present, have played between those white lines. Lots of college and high school standouts graced the green there, as well. It is a Jackson icon, like the zoo, the planetarium, Mississippi Coliseum or The Stack. The ballpark itself, which sits at the west end of Lakeland Drive near Interstate 55, has changed only a little over the years. The outfield signage is different from what it was 36 years ago, of course. The Marlboro Man who once rose above the outfield was taken down long ago. The scoreboard was moved from right-center to left a few years back, though the 1980s-era message board remains in its original spot — and still works. The field was converted to a synthetic surface in 2004, and batting cages and a picnic area have been installed. But the stadium backdrop, the signature feature of Smith-Wills, looks virtually the same as it did in 1975. Huge pine trees, giant oaks and other types of foliage loom behind the outfield fences. That’s what captures the eye. Though the aging stadium itself could use a splash of paint here and there, the view is still fantastic, particularly on a warm spring night just before sunset. There is so much history there. Darryl Strawberry, Billy Beane and Lenny Dykstra played there for the Jackson Mets. Billy Wagner, Bobby Abreu and Lance Berkman took the field there as Jackson Generals. Davey Johnson, Sam Perlozzo and Clint Hurdle managed there. The New York Mets and Houston Astros played exhibition games at Smith-Wills, as did two U.S. Olympic teams, one that included Mark McGwire. For years, the Mayor’s Trophy game between Ole Miss and Mississippi State was a Smith-Wills staple that drew overflow crowds. Six teams won professional league championships at Smith-Wills. The pennants now hang in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum across the parking lot. After the independent Jackson Senators ceased operations in 2005, there was talk of tearing down Smith-Wills Stadium. Fortunately, that didn’t happen, and Belhaven University took it over as its home field shortly thereafter. Games will be played again at old Smith-Wills this week. Leather will be popping, fans will be yapping and familiar ballpark tunes will be blaring over the public address system. On special days like these, Smith-Wills and all its history springs to life again.

1 — National ranking of the University of Tampa, which is hosting the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament that Delta State is playing in. DSU (40-12) opens with North Alabama on Thursday at about 6:45 p.m. 1 — National ranking of LSU-Eunice, which is hosting the NJCAA Division II Region 23 Tournament that includes Hinds Community College, Itawamba and Mississippi Gulf Coast. Hinds, the MACJC champ, plays ICC on Thursday at 3; MGCCC gets LSU-E in the nightcap. 3 — Number of losses, against 21 wins, by Jackson State in SWAC play this season. The Tigers went 35-11 overall and enter today’s SWAC Tournament opener against Texas Southern (about 6 p.m. in Baton Rouge) as the top seed from the East Division. 3.08 — The regular season ERA of Delta State’s pitching staff. Aaron Newcomb (2.66), Colton Mitchell (3.03) and Josh Branstetter (3.34) are the top three starters. 7 — National ranking of ICC, which won a state-best 38 games. 9 — Number of Hinds players who notched MACJC All-State honors, including Tyler Adkins (five wins, six saves) and Beau Wallace (three homers, 36 RBIs, 39 runs), who were also All-Region 23 selections. 10 — Regional titles (and D-II College World Series appearances) by DSU, which won the 2004 national crown. 12 — Home runs by Jackson State’s Kendall Logan; the rest of the team also hit 12. 12 — The number of DSU hitters who batted .299 or better in the regular season. Michael Vinson and Jon Carnahan led the way at .347. 20 — Combined wins (of the team’s 35) by Jackson State hurlers Quintavious Drains and Desmond Russell. 694 — Career wins by DSU coach Mike Kinnison. P.S. J.J. Hoover, a member of the loaded 2011 Mississippi Braves pitching staff, made an appearance against his former organization on Tuesday, working a sharp 1-2-3 inning for Cincinnati against Atlanta. Hoover, traded in spring training for Juan Francisco, has a 1.08 ERA in eight big league games. He was the 59th M-Braves alumnus to make the majors.

The Philadelphia Phillies have played 37 games and won 18, none of the W’s going to Cliff Lee. The former Meridian Community College ace endured another hard-luck outing today, when he left after eight innings with a 3-1 lead on Houston only to see the Phils’ bullpen blow the save. (Mississippi State product Jonathan Papelbon had worked three straight days and was not available to close.) Philadelphia did win 4-3 in the 10th, but Lee was left with an 0-1 record and a 1.97 ERA through five starts. Included there is his epic battle with San Francisco’s Matt Cain on April 18 (see previous post), after which Lee spent time on the disabled list. Lee yielded five hits, struck out 10 and walked just one today, signaling that he is on form. He owns a Cy Young Award and was allmississippibaseball’s Cool Papa Bell Award winner in 2011 after going 17-8 with a 2.40 ERA and 238 K’s in 232 2/3 innings. He just needs a little more help from his Philly friends. P.S. Lee’s alma mater bowed out Sunday, playing at home, in the NJCAA Division I Region 23 Tournament. MCC finishes the season at 36-22.

Seth Smith’s start for the Oakland A’s has not been what the former Ole Miss standout would have hoped for. He is batting just .244 with three homers, including the one he smacked on Sunday against Detroit’s Justin Verlander in a 3-1 loss. Some drop-off in Smith’s production might have been expected, since he moved from a great hitter’s park in Colorado to a lousy one in Oakland. But here’s an oddity: Smith is hitting .298 with two homers and six RBIs at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, .179 with one and three on the road. … Southern Miss alum Brian Dozier’s first career homer helped Minnesota win on Sunday and finally reach the 10-win plateau. … Former Mississippi Braves star Jeff Francoeur, now with Kansas City, hit his first home run, surprisingly late in the season for a player with his punch. He told the media it feels like “a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders.” … Ex-Mississippi State standout Jonathan Papelbon is now 10-for-10 in save opportunities for Philadelphia; he has been a bright spot in a rough start for the Phillies. … Drew Pomeranz, sent down last week by Colorado to work on his mechanics, threw six shutout innings on Sunday in his first start for Triple-A Colorado Springs. Ole Miss product Pomeranz was 0-2 with a 4.70 ERA in the big leagues this season.

Great pitching matchup today at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, where former Mississippi Braves ace Tommy Hanson goes for Atlanta against Ole Miss product Lance Lynn. Hanson has been solid for Atlanta, with a 3-3 record and a 3.63 ERA. Lynn, however, has been spectacular for the Cardinals — 6-0, 1.40. Game time is 1 p.m. Tune in. … Can’t help but be impressed with ex-M-Braves star Brandon Beachy, who beat St. Louis on Saturday to run his record to 4-1. He not only has good stuff, he has such great poise on the mound. Hard to believe Beachy was signed as an undrafted free agent. He blossomed with the M-Braves in 2010. … Two other former M-Braves were on the bump Saturday: Charlie Morton won for Pittsburgh, but Matt Harrison took an L for Texas (despite another Josh Hamilton bomb). Yet another M-Braves alum, Scott Diamond, starts today for Minnesota after throwing seven shutout innings in his 2012 debut. … On the subject of debuts, Nettleton’s Bill Hall made his first appearance for the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday and hit a home run. Hall floundered in tours last season with Houston and San Francisco and was cut by the New York Yankees this spring. But he has power potential and some defensive versatility, which MLB clubs seem to like. … Jarrod Dyson, the former 50th round pick out of Southwest Mississippi Community College, had two more hits for Kansas City to lift his average to .311. With Lorenzo Cain out for an extended time with an injury, Dyson, a center fielder and leadoff man, is getting a chance to show what he can do with regular playing time. What he does best of all is run — 38 steals in Triple-A and 11 more with the Royals last season. … Former Itawamba CC standout Desmond Jennings has missed five straight starts for Tampa Bay because of what was said to be only a minor knee injury. He has been available for pinch-hit duty. P.S. Congratulations to Hinds Community College on its MACJC championship. Now, to get to the NJCAA Tournament, Sam Temple’s Eagles will have to get past No. 1 LSU-Eunice (plus Itawamba and Mississippi Gulf Coast) in the Division II Region 23 Tournament at Eunice this week. … Meridian CC resumes its quest for a D-I Region 23 title today at Scaggs Field. The Eagles, 2-0 in the event, trailed Delgado (La.) 11-0 in the sixth inning on Saturday when rain halted play. They’ll resume today. A Delgado win would force a decisive second game. The winner moves on to the South Central District Tournament.

Edwin Maysonet answered a curtain call this afternoon from a sellout crowd at Miller Park. The former Delta State standout belted a grand slam — the first of his MLB career — for Milwaukee in an 8-2 win over Chicago. The homer was the first big league shot in three years for Maysonet, who was called up when shortstop Alex Gonzalez was hurt and was called into duty at second base today as a fill-in for Rickie Weeks. Maysonet spent all of 2011 in the minors. “It’s amazing,” Maysonet told mlb.com. “You’re helping your team win, and especially in that way. It’s amazing.” He has three hits in four at-bats since his call-up. Maybe he’ll get some more.

Though neither Ole Miss nor Mississippi State has clinched a berth in the 10-team SEC Tournament, it would be a stunning development if either missed out. Both are essentially playing for seeding position in their last two league series, and the Bulldogs are looking at a much tougher road. State played its ace — Chris Stratton — on Friday and lost at Florida. Stratton, suffering his first defeat, pitched well enough (two earned runs in seven innings), but the punchless Dogs (now 12-13 in the SEC) lost 4-1. They face the very real possibility of getting swept in Gainesville. And then they get a very good Kentucky club next weekend in Starkville. Ole Miss, behind the pitching of league ERA leader Bobby Wahl, beat a scuffling Tennessee team in Oxford on Friday to get to 12-13 in league play. Next weekend, the Rebels are at Vanderbilt, another sub-.500 club. Ole Miss still needs to solve its Sunday funk, but it stands a much better chance than MSU of moving up in the tournament pecking order. … Meanwhile, Southern Miss is also playing for seeding position in the Conference USA Tournament, which again will be held at Trustmark Park in Pearl. The Eagles got a brilliant effort from Andrew Pierce (three-hitter, 11 strikeouts) to beat East Carolina 1-0 in Hattiesburg on Friday to climb to 10-9 in the league. That’s good for fourth position, behind ECU (13-8-1). Next weekend, USM travels to UAB, which is currently 7-11 in C-USA. P.S. MSU’s Stratton is projected as the No. 16 overall pick in the upcoming MLB draft by Baseball America. In a story posted on Thursday, the junior right-hander was pegged as the Washington Nationals’ top pick in a mock draft. … On the prep front, the Class 6A State championship series should be a dandy, matching Oak Grove and Madison Central. The series begins Wednesday at Smith-Wills Stadium in Jackson.