Tag Archives: Braves

31 May

welcome to the show

On Friday, Shae Simmons was in Pearl. Today, he was in Miami. And in the eighth inning of a one-run game between Atlanta and the Marlins, the former Mississippi Braves closer was on the mound. With two men on and two out, Simmons struck out former M-Braves star Jarrod Saltalamacchia for a clutch hold in his MLB debut. In the ninth, former M-Braves closer Craig Kimbrel was summoned from the Braves’ pen with two on and one out and nailed down his team-record tying 154th career save as Atlanta won 9-5. Simmons, a hard-throwing right-hander, had 14 saves in 14 opportunities and a 0.78 ERA for the M-Braves. He is the 86th M-Braves alum to advance to the major leagues. (Wondering what the M-Braves will do for a closer now as they chase a championship in the Southern League South Division.) … Just for the record: Former M-Braves second baseman Tommy La Stella, who made his big league debut on Wednesday, scored his first run and picked up his first RBI in today’s win.

29 May

a few atta boys

Toler Robinson of Pearl delivered a walk-off RBI double in the 13th inning on Wednesday night as Hinds Community College beat Madison (Wis.) 8-7 in the NJCAA Division II World Series. Austin Sanders of Madison worked four scoreless innings for the win. The Eagles are 4-0 in the tournament and play No. 1-ranked Mesa (Ariz.) in a semifinal round game today in Enid, Okla. … Mycal Jones got three hits, scored a run and drove in one as the Mississippi Braves beat Pensacola 5-4 in 13 innings at Trustmark Park. Jones is hitting .322 for the M-Braves, now 30-22 on the campaign. … JaCoby Jones, the former Mr. Baseball from Richton, went 3-for-6 with a home run, two runs and two RBIs for Class A West Virginia (Pittsburgh Pirates). Jones is batting .270 with six homers, 23 RBIs and 32 runs. … Tommy La Stella got two hits in his first major league game for Atlanta; the second baseman is the 85th M-Braves alumnus to advance to The Show. … Former M-Braves standout Brian McCann played flawlessly in his first pro start at first base and delivered two hits in a New York Yankees victory over St. Louis. … Jarrod Dyson, the ex-Southwest Mississippi CC star, stole two bases for Kansas City to boost his season total to nine. In limited playing time, Dyson is fourth in the Mississippians in MLB Stolen Base Race, trailing Billy Hamilton (18), Brian Dozier (12) and Desmond Jennings (11). … Last but certainly not least, T.J. House, the Picayune High product, worked 6 1/3 innings, allowing just one run on five hits with eight strikeouts and a walk in his second career MLB start for Cleveland. The Indians wound up losing 3-2 to the Chicago White Sox. P.S. Ex-Ole Miss pitcher Phil Irwin has been claimed on waivers by Texas (from Pittsburgh) and assigned to Triple-A Round Rock.

10 May

scatter shots

The Mississippi Braves, starting to make a move (perhaps) in the Southern League South, settle in tonight at Trustmark Park for a 10-game homestand. The M-Braves have won 10 of 14 to climb to 17-17. Prized prospect J.R. Graham (0-1, 2.42) goes to the mound against Montgomery. Pitching has carried the club. The M-Braves rank third in the SL in ERA and fourth in WHIP. Williams Perez, 22-year-old right-hander from Venezuela, has been a rotation revelation with a 1.50 ERA (but just a 2-3 record). Aaron Northcraft is 3-1, 2.82, David Bromberg 1-2, 2.01, Jason Hursh 2-2, 3.41. Closer Shae Simmons has eight saves and 1.13 with 21 strikeouts in 16 innings. Shortstop Elmer Reyes continues to rake at .347 with 16 RBIs, and M-Braves vet Mycal Jones has three homers in 13 games since rejoining the club. … Looking for some offense, St. Louis called up Pascagoula native Joey Butler, who was batting .360 with four home runs at Triple-A Memphis. The former ’Goula High and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College standout, who debuted with Texas in 2013, didn’t play Friday. Maybe he should have: The Cardinals went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and lost to Pittsburgh 6-4. … Mississippi State product Paul Maholm fell to 1-3 in his six starts for Los Angeles as San Francisco beat the Dodgers 3-1. Maholm allowed three runs on three hits (one homer) and four walks in 5 2/3 innings. The left-hander’s ERA is now 4.71. He may not keep his spot in the rotation much longer. … Milwaukee recently re-signed Tim Dillard, the former Itawamba CC star from Saltillo. The 12-year pro, who has some big league time, is currently in Triple-A. … Good sign for Chris Coghlan? The Ole Miss alum got a ninth-inning hit off Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrel on Friday and scored the game-tying run for Chicago. Alas, the hapless Cubs lost in the 10th (on yet another clutch hit by former M-Braves star Freddie Freeman). … Ex-UM standout Seth Smith was robbed of his third homer on Friday night in San Diego, but he did get three hits in the Padres’ 10-1 win over Miami and raised his average to .309. … Belhaven University is really good at home: an eye-popping 31-4 this season. But the Blazers, hosting the NAIA’s Jackson Bracket at Smith-Wills Stadium, aren’t the top seed in the regional. That would be Oklahoma Wesleyan, which brings a 52-6 record and a No. 3 national ranking to town. Belhaven (40-19) plays Oklahoma City in Monday’s second game, after Sterling and Houston-Victoria tangle in the opener. The winner of the latter gets Oklahoma Wesleyan in Monday’s late game.

15 Apr

more lynn-sanity

Lance Lynn might not be considered the ace of the St. Louis staff — he might even be the No. 5 starter — but the Ole Miss product produced an ace-worthy performance on Monday night. Lynn threw seven shutout innings against red-hot Milwaukee as the Cardinals beat the Brewers 4-0 and halted their nine-game win streak. Lynn allowed just three hits and three walks while fanning 11. “Today was as good as I’ve seen him,” a Cards teammate told mlb.com. Lynn is now 3-0 with a 4.00 ERA this season and is an impressive 37-18 over four MLB campaigns. … Atlanta did not face Philadelphia closer and ex-Mississippi State star Jonathan Papelbon on Monday and may have benefited from it. Dan Uggla belted a ninth-inning grand slam off fill-in closer Jake Diekman in the Braves’ wild 9-6 win. Former Meridian Community College standout Cliff Lee (2-1, 5.50 ERA) is slated to start against the Braves tonight in Philly. Left-hander Lee has been prone to allowing long balls in recent years, and Atlanta hit five (two by ex-Mississippi Braves star Evan Gattis) on a windy Monday.

03 Apr

take two for hefflinger

We’d seen it before, so it was no real shock when Robby Hefflinger struggled in his first look at Double-A pitching. After batting .286 with 21 homers at Class A Lynchburg to start the 2013 season, Hefflinger batted .170 with six homers for the Double-A Mississippi Braves. He joined the likes of Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Josh Burrus, Van Pope, Brandon Hicks, Jordan Schafer and Cody Johnson as Atlanta prospects who arrived in Pearl with great expectations but failed to deliver — at least initially. Some (Salty, Schafer, Hicks) got past that wall and made the big leagues, some didn’t. Hefflinger’s second tour of Double-A starts tonight when the M-Braves open the 2014 campaign against Mobile at Trustmark Park. “He had some struggles here,” M-Braves manager Aaron Holbert said, “but he’s cleaned up some things in his swing.” Hefflinger said his swing adjustments primarily involved what he does with his hands: “I’ve tried to narrow myself.” This is a big year for the 6-foot-5, 235-pound outfielder, 24 and entering his sixth pro season. He is still on the Braves’ prospect chart. With 64 career homers, he is rated the organization’s best power hitter, though the TeePee can be tough on right-handed sluggers. Hefflinger said he didn’t feel overwhelmed by Double-A pitching last year. “It wasn’t too much different (from A-ball),” he said. “I was putting a lot of pressure on myself. There’s a lot of anticipation and expectations you’re trying to fill. I just started doing things mentally that made it tough on myself.” Hefflinger also struggled in the Arizona Fall League, where he said he felt a little worn down, and then took the winter off. His first at-bat of the spring — his first in some five months — was in a big league game, and he struck out. “I was thinking, this is going to be rough,” he said. But Hefflinger said he had some good at-bats in minor league games toward the end of camp and arrived in Mississippi swinging the bat well. Holbert isn’t going to pressure Hefflinger early on, putting him in the sixth spot in the lineup for opening day.

02 Apr

a pair of aces?

J.R. Graham is back in Mississippi today because of a setback in his career. Jason Hursh arrived in Double-A a little ahead of expectations. The Mississippi Braves — and fans of the club — may be the beneficiaries of this turn of events. Graham is Atlanta’s No. 3-rated prospect (by Baseball America) and fellow right-handed starter Hursh is No. 4. They’ll anchor the rotation for a team that’s gunning to make the Southern League postseason for a second straight year. Graham, 24, a fourth-round pick in 2011 out of Santa Clara, first arrived in Pearl in 2012. After going 9-1 with a 2.63 ERA at Class A Lynchburg to start that season, he went 3-1, 3.18 in nine starts for the M-Braves. He got a long look for the big league staff in the spring of 2013, then returned to Mississippi for some more seasoning. But his season came to an abrupt halt on May 13, when he experienced shoulder pain. He didn’t pitch again. “I feel good,” Graham said at the M-Braves’ media day on Tuesday. “It’s exciting to be back in uniform.” The 5-foot-10 Graham, who blends excellent control with an upper-90s fastball, pronounced himself “100 percent.” He said he was throwing close to his old velocity (98 at times) and had all of his pitches working this spring. “We’re totally thrilled to have J.R. back,” said M-Braves manager Aaron Holbert. “It was nice to see him working on the mound again. … He’s a guy we were really counting on last year.” Hursh, 22, was Atlanta’s first-round pick last June out of Oklahoma State. The 6-foot-3 Texan, who had Tommy John surgery in 2011, has been put on a fast track by the Braves. He was sent to low Class A Rome last summer — skipping rookie and short-season A ball — and fared well: 1-1, 0.67 ERA in nine games. He was invited to Atlanta’s big league camp this spring and pitched well enough to earn a shot at Double-A, again skipping a level, which the Braves don’t often do with their prospects. “I was a little surprised,” Hursh said. “But it’s a good spot to be in. I consider it a privilege to be here, and I think I can compete.” Holbert said there might be a “learning curve” for Hursh early on. “But it’ll be fun to see his progress,” he added.

01 Apr

we have a lineup

Mississippi Braves manager Aaron Holbert unveiled his probable opening day lineup today, and, as is typical, there are a lot of bright spots and some gray areas. Matt Lipka, rated the “best athlete” in Atlanta’s minor league system by Baseball America, will lead off and play center field in his Double-A debut. Emerson Landoni, who batted .325 in a taste of Double-A last summer, hits second and plays second base. Kyle Kubitza hits third and plays third; he has the “best infield arm” in the system and hit 12 homers at Class A Lynchburg in 2013. Organization newcomer Seth Loman, 28 and checking in at 6 feet 4, 245 pounds, bats cleanup and plays first base. He hit 14 bombs at a couple of levels last year. David Rohm (.302, 50 RBIs at Lynchburg) bats fifth and plays right field. In left and batting sixth is returnee Robby Hefflinger, the organization’s top power prospect. He hit 21 homers at Lynchburg and six for the M-Braves but batted just .170 at the Double-A level. Braeden Schlehuber (.199) returns at catcher and bats seventh, and organization newcomer Gustavo Nunez will bat eighth and play shortstop (until prospect Elmer Reyes recovers from an oblique injury). … The bench includes veteran catcher Matt Kennelly, jack-of-all-trades Barrett Kleinknecht (eight homers for Mississippi in 2013), 2012 M-Braves standout Joe Leonard (who slumped at Triple-A Gwinnett last season) and system newcomer Cedric Hunter, a 26-year-old outfielder who batted .295 with 12 homers at Double-A Akron. … The pitching staff is headed by top 10 prospects J.R. Graham and Jason Hursh (Atlanta’s top draft pick last June) in the rotation and Ryne Harper, who had six wins and 11 saves for the M-Braves last year, in the bullpen. Holbert said he likes the pitching — and pitching is always key at spacious Trustmark Park. “If we catch the ball and play defense, get some timely hitting … that’s what wins,” the third-year manager said. … Rehabbing big leaguer and former M-Brave Mike Minor is slated to start Thursday’s opener against Mobile. It has not been announced how many starts he’ll make for the M-Braves.

31 Mar

who’s next?

The rash of injuries that has struck the Atlanta Braves’ pitching staff has opened big league roster spots for three former Mississippi Braves hurlers. On the active roster for the first time are Ryan Buchter, Gus Schlosser and Ian Thomas. Buchter, a left-handed reliever, was 3-1 with four saves and a 1.31 ERA for the 2012 M-Braves. Schlosser, a right-handed starter, went 7-6 with a 2.39 for last year’s M-Braves, and lefty Thomas, also a starter in Pearl in 2013, was 7-8, 2.76. The list of former M-Braves to advance to The Show has topped 80, and one of those three figures to be next. Atlanta opens today in Milwaukee.

09 Feb

california dreamin’

The opportunity is grand. Former Mississippi State standout Paul Maholm reportedly has signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, regarded by many as a favorite to win the World Series this season. Left-hander Maholm, 31 and coming off a 10-11, 4.41 ERA campaign with Atlanta, presumably will compete with Josh Beckett (and maybe others) for the No. 5 spot in the Dodgers’ rotation. LA is stacked at the top with Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Dan Haren. Maholm’s deal was just one year for $1.5 million with possible bonuses. He’ll have to earn his spot and hold on to it, which he was unable to do with the Braves, but he could hardly have wished for a better place to land.

04 Feb

it’s about that time

With training camps already springing to life in Florida and Arizona, it’s curious that free agent Paul Maholm has yet to be signed. The Mississippi State product from Greenwood, one of those crafty left-handers, was cut loose by Atlanta after a lackluster 2013 season: 10-11, 4.41 ERA. Maholm’s career numbers aren’t great — 76-95, 4.28 — but he pitched for some bad Pittsburgh teams early in his career. He broke in in 2005, so his arm has a few miles on it, but one would think he could still be an effective back-end-of-the-rotation pitcher. Perhaps his price tag is too high. Maybe teams are waiting to see what some of the other remaining free agent pitchers get. Surely Maholm will land somewhere in the next few days. … Roy Oswalt, the veteran right-hander from Weir and Holmes Community College, is also unsigned, though it seems likely he will retire after his poor 2013 campaign with Colorado.
P.S. Here’s an early look at Mississippians already slated for big league camps:
40-man roster members
Position players
Joey Butler (Pascagoula), St. Louis; Zack Cozart (Ole Miss), Cincinnati; Brian Dozier (Southern Miss), Minnesota; Corey Dickerson (Meridian CC), Colorado; Jarrod Dyson (Southwest CC), Kansas City; Billy Hamilton (Taylorsville), Cincinnati; Desmond Jennings (Itawamba CC), Tampa Bay; Tyler Moore (Mississippi State), Washington; Mitch Moreland (MSU), Texas; Alex Presley (Ole Miss), Minnesota; Seth Smith (Ole Miss), San Diego
Pitchers
Robert Carson (Hattiesburg), Los Angeles Angels; Louis Coleman (Schlater/Pillow Academy), Kansas City; T.J. House (Picayune High) Cleveland; Phillip Irwin (Ole Miss), Pittsburgh; Cliff Lee (Meridian CC), Philadelphia; Lance Lynn (Ole Miss), St. Louis; Jonathan Papelbon (MSU), Philadelphia; Drew Pomeranz (Ole Miss), Oakland; Donnie Veal (Jackson), Chicago White Sox
Non-roster invitees
Position players
Julio Borbon (Starkville), Baltimore; Chris Coghlan (Ole Miss), Chicago Cubs; Ed Easley (MSU), St. Louis; Eli Whiteside (Delta State), Chicago Cubs; Alex Yarbrough (Ole Miss), Los Angeles Angels
Pitcher
Tony Sipp (Gulf Coast CC), San Diego