Monthly Archives: June 2016

15 Jun

big picture

The last impression of the college season in the state is of that ground ball leaking into right field at Dudy Noble. The base hit by Cesar Salazar scored the game-winning, series-clinching run for Arizona in the Super Regional in Starkville. The crowd was crushed, and so was one of the great seasons in Mississippi State’s deep history. But that final thud was preceded by a whole lot of hootin’ and hollerin’ in the Magnolia State. To wit: Jones County Junior College won 54 games and a national title. Five four-year schools won 40 games, and three won conference titles. Each of the Big 3 NCAA Division I schools played in a regional, and so did D-II Delta State and NAIA William Carey. Jackson State (34-26) and Belhaven (20-18) had winning seasons, the Blazers while making the tricky transition from NAIA to D-III. Millsaps slipped to an uncharacteristic 20-21 overall but did go 12-10 in the Southern Athletic Association. Alcorn State, under first-year coach Brett Richardson, was 16-33 but 14-13 in the SWAC. Mississippi College, still in transition from D-III to D-II, improved from 12-34 to 17-30 under first-year coach Jeremy Haworth. Blue Mountain, still building an NAIA program (and a new field for 2017), set a school record for wins in a 23-32 campaign. Only Mississippi Valley State (6-36) and Tougaloo (9-42) had truly bad years. The disappointment in Starkville — and Oxford and Hattiesburg — will diminish with time. Looking back on the 2016 season, the sad end shouldn’t wipe out the joy of the journey. P.S. Southern Miss catcher Chuckie Robinson, a 21st-round pick last week (see previous post), has signed with the Houston Astros, according to mlb.com.

14 Jun

it’s a first

Jonathan Papelbon, reported to be unavailable to close Washington’s 4-1 win against the Chicago Cubs on Monday, won’t be available for at least 15 more days. The Mississippi State product was placed on the disabled list today — for the first time in his 12 years in the big leagues – with an intercostal strain. Papelbon, 35, is 16-for-18 in save chances with a 3.28 ERA for the Nationals, who lead the National League East. In his last outing on Sunday, he yielded a go-ahead home run in the ninth against Philadelphia but got the win when the Nats scored twice in the bottom of the inning.

14 Jun

waiting for the call

In Louisville, Ky., on Monday night, Cody Reed registered his fourth win in his last five starts for the Triple-A Bats in Cincinnati’s system. The big left-hander out of Northwest Mississippi Community College allowed three hits and one run with five strikeouts in a 7-1 win against Syracuse. Reed is 6-3 with a 3.20 ERA. … In El Paso, Texas, Hunter Renfroe delivered a walk-off hit in the 13th inning as the Chihuahuas, San Diego’s Triple-A club, beat Albuquerque 2-1. Former Mississippi State star Renfroe is batting .313 with 14 home runs and 51 RBIs. P.S. Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton is eligible to come off the 7-day concussion list on Thursday for Cincinnati, but his return remains uncertain, according to reports. Hamilton was hitting .417 this month before the injury, which occurred during a slide. Also unclear is a return date for Petal High product Anthony Alford, who suffered a concussion in an on-field collision last Friday in a minor league game in Toronto’s system. … Former Ole Miss pitcher Matt Tracy, who made one appearance for the New York Yankees early last season, has been released by the club. A 24th-round pick in 2011, the lefty was 3-1, 5.11 at Double-A Trenton this year.

13 Jun

shining moment

Charlie Hayes had just three hits in 16 at-bats in the 1996 World Series, but what New York Yankees fans seem to remember is that the Hattiesburg native caught the foul pop that wrapped up the Yanks’ first championship in 18 years. The Yankees celebrated that title during their annual Old-Timer’s Game on Sunday at Yankee Stadium, and Hayes, now 51, was there with the likes of John Wetteland, Bernie Williams and Paul O’Neill, other heroes of ’96. Though Hayes played only 262 of his 1,547 career games with the Yankees, he’ll be forever linked with the boys in pinstripes thanks to that Series victory over Atlanta. In the Game 6 clincher, Mark Lemke hit the pop that settled into Hayes’ glove and sent him leaping into the air. “I think I’ve had over four million people tell me they were at the game, so, it’s kind of unique,” Hayes said in a story on mlb.com. Hayes, drafted by San Francisco out of Forrest County AHS in 1983, actually had many shining moments in a 14-year MLB career spent with five different clubs. He hit 144 homers, including 25 with Colorado in 1993, when he led the National League in doubles with 45 and batted a career-high .305.

12 Jun

draft doodles

There were 29 players picked from state schools over the three days of the MLB draft, 11 of them from Mississippi State, including the only first-rounder, right-hander Dakota Hudson. Ole Miss saw six players drafted, Southern Miss and Delta State three each. Four high school players were selected, and two junior college players, a surprisingly low number. … St. Louis, which drafted Hudson, and the Chicago Cubs picked three each from the state, and several organizations made two picks, including San Diego, which chose two of the high school players, Oxford’s Grae Kessinger and Starkville’s A.J. Brown. Both are likely to be at Ole Miss this fall, Brown to play football. … Milwaukee, whose Double-A club is in Biloxi, also picked two, including MSU lefty Daniel Brown and Pearl River Community College outfielder Zach Clark, who had great numbers this season. Atlanta, parent organization of the Mississippi Braves, didn’t chose any Magnolia Staters. … Five catchers were picked, including State’s Gavin Collins, who played mostly third base this year, by Cleveland. The Bulldogs’ Jack Kruger, who shared catching duties with freshman Elih Marrero, was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels. … USM catcher Chuckie Robinson was drafted in the 21st round, 637th overall, by Houston. He might be a player to watch. A sturdy 5 feet 11, 225 pounds, the Illinois native batted .288 with seven homers and 44 RBIs in 2016, helping the Golden Eagles win the C-USA Tournament. More good numbers: He struck out only 33 times in 208 at-bats and threw out 23 of 36 runners trying to steal. And there’s this: Robinson’s father and grandfather played pro ball.

11 Jun

stuff

Former Petal High star Anthony Alford is in a Florida hospital after suffering an apparent neck injury in an on-field collision during a minor league game Friday night. Alford, taken off on a stretcher, was talking and able to move his limbs, according to various reports, with more tests due today. Alford, a top Toronto prospect playing for Class A Dunedin, suffered a knee injury in the first game of the season and is batting .205 in 32 games. … Now that Tim Anderson has made his MLB debut, joining Chad Girodo and Chris Stratton as Mississippi-connected players reaching The Show this season, one wonders who’ll be next: Cody Reed, Hunter Renfroe, JaCoby Jones … ? … On this date 13 years ago, Holmes Community College alum Roy Oswalt and ex-Jackson Generals star Billy Wagner started and closed a six-man combo no-hitter for Houston against the New York Yankees. It was the first time the Yanks had been no-hit in 45 years. … The Cape Cod Baseball League, the best of the college summer loops, launched its season on Friday. There are 11 Mississippi State players listed on the various rosters, but, of course, they have some other matters to attend to at present. Ole Miss’ Will Golsan and Will Stokes and Southern Miss’ Kirk McCarty are on the Orleans roster, but none of the three played in the Firebirds’ opener. … Former Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College coach Cooper Farris, who had been at the helm of the Cape’s Wareham Gatemen since 2001, is not coaching the team this year. During his tenure, Wareham won three CCBL titles (2001, 2002 and 2012). … In case anyone was wondering, Jones County Junior College’s national championship in NJCAA Division II is the first by a Mississippi juco. It is the third by a college-level team from the state: William Carey won an NAIA title in 1969 and Delta State an NCAA Division II crown in 2004.

11 Jun

watch for it …

Monitoring the MLB draft online for Mississippians on Friday was a bit like watching the night sky for shooting stars. Long stretches of nothing, blurry vision, stiff neck … and then, suddenly, there they were. Rounds 3 and 4 passed with no sightings and Round 5 was almost done when St. Louis picked Walker Robbins, the first baseman from George County High, at No. 166. Round 6 was almost done when, at 191, the Los Angeles Dodgers took Ole Miss shortstop Errol Robinson, who had once been projected as a potential first-rounder. Six picks later, Ole Miss catcher Henri Lartigue went to Philadelphia. Then at 200, Mississippi State’s Reid Humphreys was tabbed by Colorado. Pick 201 was another Bulldogs star, Daniel Brown, chosen by Milwaukee. Four draftees in a span of 11 picks. Then, more waiting. At 235, in the eighth round, Detroit took State’s Jacob Robson. And 43 picks later, the New York Yankees – who could sure use a first baseman in the big leagues – drafted Southern Miss’ Tim Lynch. Seven picks from the state on Day 2. Blink, blink. Fade to black. P.S. It’s good to be a Robbins these days. Mason, Walker’s brother and an outfielder in the Chicago White Sox’s system, is playing very well in A-ball (see previous post), and another brother, Logan, went 6-0 this season for national champion Jones County Junior College.

10 Jun

debut alert

Former East Central Community College star Tim Anderson has been called up by the Chicago White Sox and likely will be in the lineup tonight against Kansas City. The highly rated shortstop prospect, 22, was batting .304 with four homers, 20 RBIs and 11 steals at Triple-A Charlotte. Anderson led ECCC to the MACJC championship in 2013 and was drafted in the first round that same year. He was a Southern League All-Star for Birmingham in 2015.

10 Jun

look who’s back

Chris Coghlan must be one happy dude. When Thursday dawned, the former Ole Miss standout was batting .146 for a last-place team. By day’s end, he was a member of the team with the best record in baseball. Coghlan, who recharged his sagging career with the Chicago Cubs in 2014-15, was reacquired by the club from Oakland, where he had been shipped in February. Injuries have struck the Cubs, and Coghlan can play a lot of positions. He wasn’t hitting much for the A’s, but perhaps he’ll recapture some magic with Chicago. He batted .250 with 16 homers and 41 RBIs last season and .283 with nine and 41 in 2014. The Cubs are in Atlanta tonight. P.S. It was, as expected, a rather quiet first day of the MLB draft for Mississippians. Mississippi State right-hander Dakota Hudson went at the end of Round 1, 34th overall, to St. Louis, and Ole Miss outfielder J.B. Woodman was picked in the second round, 57th overall, by Toronto. Things should pick up today for Magnolia State players.

09 Jun

intangible force

We compile batting average, on-base percentage, earned run average, strikeouts per nine innings, fielding percentage and all those other stats, and they tell us something, if not quite everything, about a team. There is no stat for energy level, and that might be the most telling factor in the outcome of the Super Regional in Starkville that starts Friday. Mississippi State, which fairly cruised through its regional at Dudy Noble Field, should be fully charged. Visiting Arizona, on the other hand, who knows? The Wildcats have traveled some 12,000 miles since May 19, according to a story on the school’s web site. In their regional tournament, at Lafayette, La., they fell into the loser’s bracket and had to win three games in roughly a 27-hour span to advance. Their ace, Nathan Bannister, threw a reported 198 pitches over four days to help keep the ‘Cats alive. One has to wonder if there is enough juice left for Arizona to get past Dakota Hudson, Jake Mangum, Jack Kruger, Austin Sexton and friends in a three-game series in front of the rowdy Dudy Noble throng. The Wildcats (42-21 in a “rebuilding” year) do have some arms: Bannister (11-2, 2.63), lefty J.C. Cloney (6-4, 2.86), Bobby Dalbec (9-4, 3.28, seven saves). Ryan Aguilar provides some power (seven homers, 21 doubles), and Zack Gibbons is a .380 hitter. But the Bulldogs (44-16-1) appear to have more pitching and more hitting. And even if they don’t, surely they’ve got more energy.