celebrating the seventh
The date Sept. 7 marks a special occasion for several Mississippians who have played in the major leagues down through the years. Six Magnolia State products debuted on this date between 1959 and 2010, two of them — Don Kessinger and Jarrod Dyson — going on to have outstanding careers. In 1959, Clarksdale native Fred Valentine broke in with Baltimore, going 0-for-3 in his debut. The outfielder would play parts of seven years in the big leagues, batting .247 with 36 homers. Jim Miles debuted in 1968, pitching one inning (three runs allowed but a strikeout of Mickey Mantle) for Washington. The Grenada native, who played at Northwest Mississippi Community College and Delta State, made 13 appearances for the Senators over two years. Jackson native John Scott, an outfielder, played his first game in 1974 for San Diego, going 0-for-1. He spent three seasons in The Show but played 13 years in pro ball all told, including stints in Japan and Mexico. Edwin Maysonet, a Puerto Rico native who starred at DSU, debuted in 2008 for Houston and went 0-for-1. An infielder, he played three years in MLB, batting .265. That brings us to Kessinger and Dyson. Ex-Ole Miss star Kessinger was 1-for-2 in his 1964 debut with the Chicago Cubs. The slick-fielding shortstop played 16 years in the majors, making six All-Star teams and batting .252 while banging out 1,931 hits. McComb native Dyson’s story is rather remarkable. Drafted in the 50th round out of Southwest Mississippi CC by Kansas City in 2006, the speedy outfielder made The Show in 2010. He drew a walk as a pinch hitter and scored a run in that first game. He played 12 seasons in the majors, won a ring with the 2015 Royals and stole 266 bases, third all-time among Mississippi natives. … On Sept. 7, 2011, ex-Itawamba CC standout Desmond Jennings hit the only walk-off homer of his seven-year career with Tampa Bay. Jennings — the Double-A Southern League MVP in 2009 — hit 55 career MLB homers, seven as a leadoff batter. … On a somber note, Potts Camp native Bob Boyd died on this date in 2004. Nicknamed “The Rope” for his hitting talent, Boyd batted .298 over an 11-year big league career, including two Negro League seasons.