anniversaries

Opening day last week at Trustmark Park — which finished on quite a high note for the Mississippi Braves, who won 4-3 on Concepcion Rodriguez’s RBI pinch single in the ninth inning — brought to mind two significant anniversaries of the old Jackson teams at Smith-Wills Stadium. On opening day 25 years ago, perhaps the best team the Jackson Mets or Generals ever put on the field beat Tulsa 6-0. It was the first step on an impressive march to the 1984 Texas League championship, the second in the franchise’s history. Eight future major leaguers played for the JaxMets that day, including Lenny Dykstra, Greg Olson, Mark Carreon, Jay Tibbs, Al Pedrique and Billy Beane. That team, managed by Sam Perlozzo, was a pleasure to watch. The other anniversary isn’t such a happy one. Ten years ago this month, the Jackson Generals began their final season at Smith-Wills with a humbling 9-2 loss to Arkansas. Gov. Kirk Fordice threw out the first pitch, bounced it and things went downhill from there. Rick Ankiel, then a pitching prospect, got the win for the Travelers and also hit a home run. The disappointing opener was a portent of a frustrating season, one which marked the end of 25 years of Texas League ball on Lakeland Drive. The final season ended at Smith-Wills that September. A win over Tulsa would have clinched the second-half East Division title and put the Generals in the playoffs. It was 3-3 going to the seventh, when Tulsa’s Juan Piniella hit a grand slam that was a dagger to the hearts of the some 4,400 who had turned out. The Gens, who suited up the likes of Julio Lugo and Chris Truby that night, lost 9-4. Double-A ball wouldn’t return to the Jackson area until 2005, when the M-Braves arrived at the TeePee in Pearl.
P.S. What’s in a name, take two: Mississippi College pitcher Tyler Seaman, who has thrown two — yes, two — no-hitters this season, is the son of former Jackson Met and big league pitcher Kim Seaman. The apple never falls far …