Tag Archives: Braves

05 Oct

nothing doing

There were seven no-hitters – two by Max Scherzer — in the big leagues this season, running to 294 the total number of official no-hitters since 1876. You won’t find Mississippi legends Guy Bush, Claude Passeau or Boo Ferriss on that list. Atley Donald, Joe Gibbon and Oil Can Boyd aren’t on there, either. In fact, no Mississippian (native or college alum) has thrown a complete game no-hitter in the majors. However, five players with Magnolia State connections have been involved in no-no’s. Vern Bickford, who pitched for the original Jackson Senators in the ’40s when they were a Boston Braves farm club, threw a no-hitter for Boston against Brooklyn on Aug. 11, 1950. On Sept. 25, 1986, former Jackson Mets pitcher Mike Scott tossed a no-no for Houston against San Francisco. On June 11, 2003, in one of the strangest no-hitters, Weir’s Roy Oswalt and ex-Jackson Generals star Billy Wagner pitched the first and last inning, respectively, of a six-man gem thrown by the Astros against the New York Yankees. And on Sept. 1 of last year, Mississippi State product Jonathan Papelbon got the last three outs for Philadelphia in a four-man no-hitter vs. Atlanta.

03 Oct

ups and downs

McComb’s Jarrod Dyson got two hits and scored a run and Schlater’s Louis Coleman got two outs and picked up a win as Kansas City beat Minnesota 3-1 on Friday night. While it was a good day for those two Mississippi natives, it was not so good for another involved in that game. Tupelo’s Brian Dozier went 0-for-4 for the Twins in a loss that seriously damaged their wild card chances in the American League. Ned Yost’s Royals kept pace with Toronto in the battle for the best record in the AL. Both are 93-67. John Gibbons’ Blue Jays beat Tampa Bay 8-4; Pascagoula native Joey Butler went 1-for-4 in a rare start for the Rays. Elsewhere in the mad playoff scramble, Amory’s Mitch Moreland took an 0-for-4 as his Texas Rangers fell 2-1 to the Los Angeles Angels, who kept the Rangers from clinching the AL West and stayed on the heels of Houston in the wild card race. The Astros went off for 21 runs at Arizona; so much for missing the DH. In a National League game that had nothing to do with anything, McComb’s Corey Dickerson went 2-for-4 with a homer (No. 9), a double (No. 17), two RBIs and two runs as Colorado beat San Francisco. Dickerson is batting .306 now as he tries to finish strong in an injury-marred campaign. P.S. Not to be overlooked in Atlanta’s lost season is the recent play of former Mississippi Braves standout Daniel Castro, who went 3-for-5 with his second homer of the year as the Braves whipped St. Louis 4-0. Castro, a middle infielder, is now hitting .261 in 31 games. The Mexico native batted .277 in 51 games with the M-Braves in 2014 and .389 in 23 games this year before he was moved to Triple-A Gwinnett. Maybe the Braves will keep him around. Maybe.

01 Oct

blast from past

It was an attention-grabber as the words crawled along the bottom of the TV screen on Wednesday night. “The Los Angeles Angels have selected the contract of Jo-Jo Reyes from Triple-A Salt Lake … .” Jo-Jo Reyes? Where’s he been? Left-hander Reyes, Mississippi Braves fans may recall, was an ace for the M-Braves in 2007, going 8-1 with a 3.56 ERA as the team won the first-half championship in the Southern League South. He made his MLB debut with Atlanta that same year and rattled around the big leagues for much of the next four years without great success (12-26, 6.05 ERA in 70 games). He spent all of 2012 in the minors, went to Korea for a time in 2013 and ’14 and began this year in Mexico. The Angels signed him in June and, still only 30 years old, he went 4-5, 4.76 at Salt Lake. Then came Wednesday’s call from the big league club, which is embroiled in a battle to make the postseason. “We need arms,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia told the Los Angeles Times. P.S. Reyes did not pitch on Wednesday, but seven other former M-Braves did, with Williams Perez getting a win and Arodys Vizcaino a save for Atlanta and Randall Delgado a win (his eighth) for Arizona. Charlie Morton, who was on that ’07 M-Braves club with Reyes, started for Pittsburgh in Game 2 of a twinbill and got knocked around by St. Louis in its National League Central Division-clinching victory.

29 Sep

best in show

Under the category of Best 2015 Season by a Former Mississippi Braves Hitter, there are quite a few viable candidates. Yunel Escobar is batting .318 with nine homers and 56 RBIs and has played a good third base for Washington. Once viewed as troublesome, Escobar may be the least of the Nationals’ worries. Jason Heyward has been a linchpin for playoff-bound St. Louis, hitting .289 with 12 homers and 56 RBIs and playing Gold Glove-caliber right field. In Miami, Martin Prado is at .289 with nine homers and 61 RBIs. Freddie Freeman, one of only two ex-M-Braves playing regularly in Atlanta, is hitting .280 with 18 homers and 66 RBIs, and Andrelton Simmons, the defensive whiz, checks in at .261. Evan Gattis has 27 homers and 87 RBIs for Houston, which is battling for a postseason berth, and Brian McCann has 26 bombs and 92 RBIs for the New York Yankees, who are doing the same. Gregor Blanco, not a regular in San Francisco, has hit .291 with five homers and 13 steals. And Jeff Francoeur (.260, 13 homers, 45 RBIs) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (.247, eight, 21 in 66 games) have had nice bounce-back years in Philadelphia and Arizona. P.S. Jorge Lopez, a 12-game winner for Biloxi this season, is slated to make his big league debut tonight for Milwaukee at San Diego. He will be the last of the six Shuckers called up this month to get in a game. (For the record, Tyler Wagner was the first to appear, back in May.) Lopez is the Brewers’ No. 8 prospect (by mlb.com) and was the organization’s pitcher of the year. … Shuckers shortstop Orlando Arcia, not in The Show yet, has been awarded a Rawlings Gold Glove for defensive excellence in the minors this season. Only nine Gold Gloves are given out each year for all the minor leagues. Arcia recorded a .978 fielding percentage and turned 82 double plays in 123 games for the Shuckers. And he can hit, too.

24 Sep

high praise

Austin Riley, the ex-DeSoto Central High star, was rated the No. 2 prospect in the Appalachian League by Baseball America. Riley, drafted 41st overall by Atlanta in June, batted .351 with five homers and 19 RBIs in 30 games for Danville in the rookie Appy League. He hit seven homers in 30 Gulf Coast League games before his promotion. BA’s Hudson Belinsky had a lot of good things to say about Riley in an on-line chat on the magazine’s web site. To wit: “Riley has a chance to stay in the dirt (at third base) and has a chance to be a middle-of-the-order bat. (Houston prospect Kyle) Tucker’s track record is stronger, and he surged towards the end to cement himself as the (league’s) top prospect, but Riley’s surge is real.” … Riley is on Atlanta’s Instructional League roster, along with former Murrah star Zack Bird and John Gant, both of whom pitched for the Mississippi Braves this season, and Southern Miss product Bradley Roney, who pitched in A-ball.

24 Sep

turn up the heat

As if there weren’t enough tension in the current Baltimore-Washington series, leave it to Jonathan Papelbon to inject some more on Wednesday. The Beltway rivals are hanging by a thread in their respective playoff quests, and the Orioles’ 4-3 win – which turned on a Manny Machado homer in the seventh inning – was a punch to the gut for the Nationals. In the ninth, ex-Mississippi State standout Papelbon plunked Machado and was promptly ejected. Machado was irate about getting hit, calling it “coward stuff,” among other things. Papelbon, who went up and in twice on Machado before hitting him in the shoulder, denied it was intentional. O’s manager Buck Showalter said of Papelbon, his fellow MSU alum, to The Associated Press: “He kind of reminds me of the wrestlers who pull somebody’s hair and then they throw their hands up.” Nats star Bryce Harper said he expects to get hit in today’s series finale. Stay tuned. … In other Magnolia State news, Southern Miss alum Brian Dozier hit his 28th homer – his first to the opposite field in 2015 – in Minnesota’s win. Southwest Mississippi Community College product Jarrod Dyson stole his 26th base and hit a game-tying sac fly in the ninth as Kansas City rallied to win. Former Ole Miss star Lance Lynn notched his 12th win with six shutout innings for St. Louis. Meridian CC alum Corey Dickerson had three hits, including his seventh homer, in Colorado’s loss to Pittsburgh, which clinched a playoff berth. Clint Hurdle, the former Jackson Mets skipper, has his Pirates club in the postseason for the third straight year. And former Mississippi Braves hurler Arodys Vizcaino notched his seventh save as Atlanta beat the New York Mets. In Vizcaino, who has a 1.86 ERA, the Braves may have found their closer for 2016.

16 Sep

name dropping

Another day, another big blow by Mitch Moreland. The former Mississippi State star hit a game-winning sacrifice fly in the ninth inning for Texas on Tuesday night, propelling the host Rangers past Houston 6-5 and into first place in the American League West. Moreland now has 74 RBIs on the season. The Rangers’ rally muted any celebration by Evan Gattis, who had put the Astros ahead 5-4 with a two-run single in the fourth. Gattis was one of a bundle of ex-Mississippi Braves who made their marks in Tuesday’s box scores, and some of them even play for Atlanta. To wit: Andrelton Simmons got the walk-off hit for the Braves, scoring Todd Cunningham and making a winner of Arodys Vizcaino. Julio Teheran allowed just two runs in 5 2/3 innings against heavy-hitting Toronto, Brandon Cunniff worked a scoreless inning and Daniel Castro chipped in a hit. Elsewhere, Kris Medlen (4-1, 3.92 ERA) got a win for Kansas City, David Hale got a win for Colorado (in a 14-inning affair) and Randall Delgado plucked a W (his sixth) for Arizona by getting one out. Michael Broadway got a hold for San Francisco and J.J. Hoover one for Cincinnati (his 17th, despite allowing a run). Blaine Boyer worked two scoreless innings for Minnesota, Chasen Shreve one for the New York Yankees and Luis Avilan and Ian Thomas one each for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their marathon battle with the Rockies. Jason Heyward went 3-for-4 with a homer (No. 12) as St. Louis won a big game against Milwaukee. Martin Prado had a hit, a run and an RBI as Miami stopped the New York Mets’ eight-game win streak. Tommy La Stella had a hit, a run and an RBI in the Chicago Cubs’ loss to Pittsburgh in Game 1 of a twinbill, and last but never least, Brian McCann got a knock for the Yankees.

08 Sep

first steps

Austin Riley was the first Mississippian picked in this year’s MLB draft, going higher than projected as a supplemental first-rounder to Atlanta. His performance as a rookie pro makes Braves brass look pretty sharp. The DeSoto Central High product, a third baseman, batted .304 with 12 homers and 40 RBIs over 60 games at two levels; he hit .351 with five homers at Danville. Austin’s debut was easily the best among Mississippians drafted this June. LeDarious Clark, after a spectacular start (see previous posts), faded in rookie ball for Texas. The former East Mississippi Community College standout finished at .276 with eight homers, 24 RBIs and 29 steals, still not a bad first step on what is a long road to the big leagues. Other good starts from 2015 draftees: Southern Miss alum Cody Carroll put up a 1.75 ERA with three saves in rookie ball for the New York Yankees; ex-Ole Miss star Scott Weathersby went 3-1 with a 2.48 in low Class A for Houston; and Northwest Mississippi CC product Dalton Dulin went 4-for-5 in his last game to finish at .273 with 27 runs in short season A-ball for Washington. The second Mississippian drafted, right-hander Jacob Taylor from Pearl River CC, made just one appearance in Pittsburgh’s system, then had Tommy John surgery. Among those who had a tough time on the field, Melvin Rodriguez, the SWAC player of the year from Jackson State, hit .200 with no homers in short season A-ball with Washington; ex-UM slugger Sikes Orvis hit .231 with four homers in 42 games in rookie ball with the Chicago White Sox; and former USM standout James McMahon, the 2015 Ferriss Trophy winner, had a 6.44 ERA at the rookie level for Colorado. P.S. Former Vancleave High star Colin Bray started his pro career in 2013 after Arizona made him a sixth-round pick out of an Alabama junior college. His older brother and fellow VHS alum Tyler was signed a year later by St. Louis, which drafted him in the 23rd round out of Louisiana-Monroe. The Bray brothers, whose father Scott played minor league ball, both were in the Class A Midwest League this summer and crossed paths in a series at Peoria, Ill., in late May/early June. On June 1, with family and friends in the ballpark, Tyler, a pitcher for Peoria, worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning but did not face Colin, who started in right field for Kane County. Colin, 22, had a good full season in the MWL, batting .308 with 52 RBIs, 78 runs and 27 stolen bases. Tyler, 23, had his moments, as well, going 2-2 with two saves and a 4.97 ERA in 24 games after being promoted to Peoria. Perhaps the brothers will hook up again someday, maybe in the big leagues.

06 Sep

eleven

In recognition of the Atlanta Braves’ 11 straight losses, here are some significant contributions made on Saturday by 11 former Mississippi Braves no longer playing for Atlanta:

1. Alex Wood threw seven shutout innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 2-0 win against San Diego.
2. Gregor Blanco went 2-for-4 with a home run for San Francisco in a 7-3 win over Colorado.
3. Charlie Morton allowed one earned run in six innings for Pittsburgh in a 4-1 loss to St. Louis.
4. Yunel Escobar scored one of Washington’s runs in the Nationals’ 8-2 drubbing of the Braves.
5. Chasen Shreve threw a scoreless inning for the New York Yankees.
6. Randall Delgado threw a scoreless inning for Arizona.
7. Jeff Francoeur went 1-for-4 with a run for Philadelphia.
8. Martin Prado had a hit for Miami.
9. Evan Gattis got a hit for Houston.
10. Erik Cordier worked two scoreless innings for the Marlins.
11. Jarrod Saltalamacchia went 1-for-3 for the Diamondbacks.

Note that Jason Heyward went 0-for-4 for St. Louis, which has the best record in baseball; Brian McCann went 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter for the Yankees; Jesus Sucre didn’t have a hit but was behind the plate for Felix Hernandez’s 16th win for Seattle; and J.J. Hoover, who has a 2.14 ERA for Cincinnati, allowed a run and took a loss, his first of 2015. Among those who didn’t play were Craig Kimbrel, Tommy LaStella, Sean Gilmartin, Kris Medlen, Luis Avilan, Jose Peraza and Phil Gosselin.

02 Sep

a look ahead

With the Mississippi Braves’ final homestand of 2015 concluded, and no surety that a postseason berth is forthcoming, it’s a good time to ponder what the M-Braves’ 2016 roster might look like. (Keep in mind that Atlanta GM John Hart is a constant threat to make more trades that will impact the Double-A club.) Current position players likely to return to Pearl include third baseman Rio Ruiz, outfielder Sean Godfrey and infielders Levi Hyams and Eric Garcia. Late-season roster additions Zack Bird, Mauricio Cabrera, John Gant and Lucas Sims could well be back on the pitching staff. On the high Class A Carolina roster, Connor Lien’s stats stand out. An outfielder, he was batting .286 with seven homers, 43 RBIs and 32 stolen bases through August. Other Mudcats bucking for promotion include shortstop Johan Camargo (Atlanta’s No. 22 prospect in the most recent rankings by mlb.com), third baseman Carlos Franco (nine homers), outfielder Dustin Peterson (.258, eight homers), catcher Joseph Odom (seven homers) and first baseman Jacob Schrader (268, 15 homers, 59 RBIs). Starting pitchers Brandon Barker (8-5, 3.00 ERA), Blair Walters (2.93) and Seth Webster (8-7, 2.75) have good numbers, as does reliever Justin Jackson (three wins, four saves, 2.28). The 2016 campaign, the M-Braves’ 12th in Pearl, begins on April 7, with Pensacola visiting Trustmark Park. Mississippi will host the Southern League All-Star Game for the second time on June 21. P.S. It’s not likely that outfielder Mycal Jones will be back, but who expected he’d return for a sixth tour in 2015? Jones, a fourth-round pick by Atlanta out of Miami-Dade College in 2009, has worn an M-Braves uniform for at least part of every season since 2010. He has played in 362 games for the Double-A club, with 306 hits, a .247 average, 16 homers, 121 RBIs and 144 steals. … The M-Braves averaged an announced 3,190 per game in attendance for 68 dates this season. That ranks seventh in the Southern League and is up marginally from 2014 (3,152). … Sims, Cabrera, Lien, Camargo, Odom and current M-Braves pitcher Andrew Thurman have been assigned by Atlanta to the Arizona Fall League. … Seven Biloxi Shuckers/Milwaukee prospects are headed to the AFL: pitchers Jacob Barnes, Josh Hader, Adrian Houser and Damien Magnifico, infielder Yadiel Rivera and outfielders Brett Phillips and Michael Reed.