no minor feats

Three very impressive numbers were posted this season by three Mississippians in the minors. Start with the 103 checked in by Billy Hamilton. The former Taylorsville High star stole 103 bases in A-ball in the Cincinnati system. A wiry shortstop, Hamilton also batted .278 and scored 99 runs. Then there was the 32 rung up by Corey Dickerson. The Brookhaven native and ex-Meridian Community College standout blasted 32 home runs in his first full pro season playing in A-ball for Colorado. Dickerson, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound outfielder, hit .282, drove in 87 runs and scored 78. Last but not least by any means is the 1.78 registered by Drew Pomeranz. The former Ole Miss left-hander posted a 1.78 ERA at three different levels and in two different organizations, Cleveland and Colorado. He also struck out 119 in 101 innings. Then he went out and won his major league debut for the Rockies last Sunday, throwing five scoreless innings.
P.S. A not-so-hot number was logged by Rhyne Hughes, the ex-Pearl River CC standout from Picayune. MLB announced today that Hughes has been given a 50-game suspension to start next season after testing positive for a banned amphetamine. Hughes, who got some big league time with Baltimore in 2010, hit .249 with 15 homers for Triple-A Norfolk this year. It’ll be interesting to see if the Orioles keep him around.