happy trails

Clint Hurdle, fired last week by the Colorado Rockies, is remembered in Jackson as the manager of the last Jackson Mets team in 1990. That club, not packed with prospects, made the Texas League playoffs but lost in the first round. Hurdle was known even then as a fiery, outspoken manager, traits he carried with him to the big leagues. On more than one occasion at old Smith-Wills Stadium, Hurdle would sit in his office and rant about his team, loudly enough that the players in the adjoining clubhouse could hear. His tenure with the Rockies included that remarkable World Series run in 2007. But the club was also well under .500 during his time, and the slow start this year made the change seem almost inevitable. Hurdle is a good baseball guy; he’ll likely get another chance to manage in the majors.
P.S. Former Ole Miss star Matt Maloney is knocking on the door for a call-up with the Cincinnati Reds. The left-hander threw a three-hit shutout Monday for Triple-A Louisville. He is now 4-3 with a 2.00 ERA. He’s got power stuff that the Reds, hanging around in the NL Central, could surely use. Stay tuned there. … A belated high five for Edwin Maysonet, the ex-Delta State standout who had a career day last week for the Houston Astros. The second baseman went 4-for-4 with his first career home run and four RBIs as Houston snapped a seven-game losing streak on Friday. Maysonet, a native of Puerto Rico, was a 19th-round pick by the Astros in 2003 and toiled for six years in the minors before finally making his big league debut last summer. He’ll get a chance to play now with Kaz Matsui on the DL. It’ll be interesting to see how he does.