m-braves flashback

In recognition of their arrival together on the cover of the latest issue of Sports Illustrated, let’s flash back to the arrival of Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman together at Trustmark Park. It was a memorable occasion in Mississippi Braves history, to be sure. The promotion of the power-hitting pair from A-ball was announced the morning of July 4, 2009. The M-Braves already were expecting a big crowd, and the news of the newcomers didn’t hurt the draw a bit. An announced sellout of 7,036 showed up — and Jason and Freddie delivered on their scary potential. Hitting third and fourth in the order, they combined for three hits, two RBIs, two runs and two HBPs in an 8-6 win over Jacksonville, the Florida Marlins’ Double-A affiliate. In each of their first three at-bats, the left-handed hitting duo faced a lefty, Graham Taylor, who came in with a 3.56 ERA. He got them out only once, that coming on an RBI grounder by Freeman in the first inning. Heyward fell behind 1-2 in his first Double-A at-bat, but, showing his remarkable ability to stay patient, he worked a walk that loaded the bases. Freeman got ahead 3-1, then drove home the club’s first run with a ground ball to first. Heyward tripled off the right-field wall in the second inning, driving in a run. Freeman picked up his first hit in the fourth, knocking in a run with a sharp, two-out single to center. Heyward got a second hit in the sixth, an opposite-field single. For M-Braves fans, it was a glimpse of the future, a future that is now in Atlanta.