on this date

On this date in 2017, Anthony Alford — one the best athletes Mississippi has ever produced — made his major league debut. Playing for Toronto, he went 0-for-2 against Baltimore. Alford’s MLB career never rally took off — .209 with eight homers in 220 at-bats over six years in two organizations — but that shouldn’t obscure his athletic talents. The Columbia native was the state’s Mr. Football and Baseball in 2012-13 at Petal High. Drafted in third round by the Blue Jays in 2013, he played football at both Southern Miss (quarterback) and Ole Miss (defensive back/kick returner) before turning his attention to pro baseball in 2015. He quickly became one of Toronto’s top prospects. His signature moment in The Show might have happened on Sept. 23, 2019, when he hit a walk-off bomb in the 15th inning for the Jays. It was just the second time in MLB history that a player’s first homer was also a walk-off. Alford has played in Australia, Korea and Mexico along the way and was toiling in the Mexican Pacific League this past winter. Only 30, he apparently isn’t currently active. P.S. The winner of the 2025 Ferriss Trophy will be announced today at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in Jackson. The five finalists are Southern Miss’ Nick Monistere and J.B. Middleton, Ole Miss’ Luke Hill, Mississippi State’s Ace Reese and Delta State’s Drake Fontenot. Nine of the previous winners of the award for the state’s best college player are currently in pro ball, six of them on major league rosters.