debut alert

Former Mississippi State standout Mitch Moreland was promoted to the big leagues by Texas late Wednesday. The Rangers play the Oakland A’s tonight, and Moreland reportedly is in the lineup. “Since I could walk, this is what I’ve wanted to do,” he told The Associated Press. Moreland, a first baseman, was drafted by the Rangers in the 17th round in 2007 and has zipped through their system. He was their minor league player of the year in 2009 and was hitting .289 with 12 homers at Triple-A Oklahoma City this season. MSU’s sports information office reports that Moreland will be the 46th Bulldogs alumnus to play in The Show. Moreland’s status was clouded a bit today when the Rangers traded for Florida’s Jorge Cantu, who can also play first base, a position of need in Texas.
P.S. Philadelphia’s acquisition today of former Holmes CC star Roy Oswalt was bad news for Atlanta in its quest to win the National League East. The race just got a whole lot tougher. But there is this ray of sunshine for Braves fans: Oswalt is 0-3 with a 7.58 ERA in seven career starts against the Braves.