Tag Archives: Desmond Jennings

16 May

whatever happened to …

Desmond Jennings, the former Itawamba Community College star, is back in the game, playing for Monclova in the Mexican League. Jennings, who has 567 games of big league experience, was released twice by MLB teams in 2017 – Cincinnati in spring training and the New York Mets off their Triple-A roster in June. The 31-year-old outfielder still has some game, batting .339 with seven homers and 30 RBIs through 26 contests in Mexico, which is regarded as Triple-A level. Jennings, drafted by Tampa Bay in the 10th round in 2006, was a hot shot in the minors, winning Southern League MVP honors in 2009 and playing in two All-Star Futures Games. He hit .245 with 55 homers and 95 steals in his big league career; he last played in The Show with the Rays in 2016. … Alex Yarbrough, the ex-Ole Miss standout, is no longer in the game. The infielder retired quietly in February. Yarbrough, only 26, was a fourth-round pick by the Los Angeles Angels in 2012, earned Texas League player of the year honors in 2014 and reached Triple-A the next year. But that was his peak. He spent last year in the Double-A Southern League, batting .231 for Jacksonville in the Miami system.

17 Dec

speaking of …

It’s not one of the hot topics of this Hot Stove season, but Desmond Jennings’ future hasn’t gone cold. There have been reports linking the 30-year-old free agent to Detroit and Arizona, both of which are said to be looking for depth in the outfield. Jennings, the former Itawamba Community College two-sport star, had some moments but never really lived up to expectations during his tenure with Tampa Bay, which released him last summer. Injuries derailed Jennings the last two seasons, limiting him to 93 games. His career numbers are modest: .245 (.322 on-base), 55 homers, 95 steals in parts of seven MLB seasons. But he isn’t so old that he can’t still break out. He was once the Rays’ No. 1 prospect, according to Baseball America. That ranking followed his 2009 season in the Double-A Southern League, when he batted .316 with eight triples, eight homers, 45 RBIs and 37 steals for Montgomery. He goes 6 feet 2, 210 pounds and can play any of the outfield spots (.995 career fielding percentage). He’ll get a shot somewhere. He could help somebody. If he’s healthy. And that might be a big if.

09 Feb

downtime

Having chosen baseball over football as a career, ex-Itawamba Community College star Desmond Jennings has found that injuries can be a problem in the summer game, too. The Tampa Bay outfielder spent chunks of time on the disabled list in 2012 and ’13 and missed most of 2015 with knee ailments and a tooth infection. “I don’t know how much lower you can go from here. It is what it is,” Jennings, who played in just 28 games last year, told mlb.com. Jennings, an Alabama football recruit years ago, was once the heir apparent to B.J. Upton in center field for the Rays, but he was displaced there by Kevin Kiermaier. New acquisition Corey Dickerson, the Meridian CC product, is expected to start in left field, which likely puts Jennings – who recently signed a $3.3M contract for 2016 — on the bench. A trade is possible for the 29-year-old Jennings, who has a .249 career average with 48 homers and 93 steals over parts of six MLB seasons.

21 Aug

back on the beam

Quietly, Desmond Jennings is making a nice comeback with Tampa Bay. While Chris Archer’s one-hit, 11-strikeout shutout was one of the buzz-generating stories in baseball on Thursday, much less attention was devoted to the hit that drove in the only run the Rays would score in the victory over Houston. Jennings, the ex-Itawamba Community College star, delivered the big run in the fourth inning with a two-out single off Collin McHugh. Jennings is 8-for-22 (.364) with two RBIs in six games since he returned from the disabled list, where he had been stuck since late April with a nagging knee problem. Jennings, batting .253 for the year, is now playing left field with defensive stalwart Kevin Kiermaier seemingly entrenched in center. Jennings has posted double-digit homer and steal totals each of the previous four seasons, and his contributions down the stretch could be important for a Rays team that is 60-61 and lurking on the fringe of wild card contention. He is also arbitration-eligible after this season. P.S. Pascagoula’s Joey Butler, sent down by Tampa Bay when Jennings was activated, is 6-for-14 with a homer in five games at Triple-A Durham. Butler, who got an opportunity with the Rays when Jennings went out in April, batted .278 with six homers and 22 RBIs in his 74 big league games.

11 Aug

medical report

Itawamba Community College product Desmond Jennings, who last played in a big league game on April 26, might be activated by Tampa Bay for tonight’s game with Atlanta, reports say. Jennings, recovering from a knee injury, hit just .143 in 21 at-bats on a rehab assignment for Triple-A Durham. The Rays’ opening day center fielder, he batted .222 in 18 games before the injury. For his MLB career, over parts of six years, Jennings is batting .248 with 47 homers, 166 RBIs and 93 steals. … Injuries have been a big story for Mississippians in the majors in 2015. Meridian CC alum Cliff Lee (flexor tendon) hasn’t thrown a pitch for Philadelphia and may yet retire. Corey Dickerson, another MCC product, had made three trips to the disabled list, playing in just 43 games for Colorado after his breakout 2014 campaign. Ex-Ole Miss star Zack Cozart (knee) went out for the season in mid-June; he was hitting .258 with nine homers for Cincinnati. Aaron Barrett, another former Rebel, is currently on the DL (elbow), his second stint, for Washington. Picayune High alum T.J. House, who began this year in the Cleveland rotation, went on the DL in May, went to the minors and then went out in early June with a shoulder injury. He hasn’t pitched since. And former Mississippi State standout Jacob Lindgren (elbow) has been shelved since mid-June; he made his big league debut with the New York Yankees in May, was sent down and then shut down following surgery.

25 Feb

the lighter side

Desmond Jennings must be hoping that lighter will translate to better in 2015. The former Itawamba Community College star showed up for Tampa Bay’s camp noticeably thinner than last season, when he was listed at 6 feet 2, 200 pounds. “Trying to figure out a way to stay healthy and stay on the field for a full season,” Jennings told mlb.com. The veteran outfielder missed the last month of 2014 with a knee problem; his numbers — .244, 10 homers, 36 RBIs, 15 steals — were down from 2013. The onetime football standout stole 52 bases in the minors one year and got 31 bags for the Rays in 2012. P.S. Biloxi Shuckers fans should see a pretty good team take the field this season, though when the new Southern League club might actually take the field in Biloxi remains up in the air. As many as five of the Milwaukee Brewers’ top 10 prospects (as rated by mlb.com) could suit up for the Shuckers: No. 1 Tyrone Taylor, an outfielder; No. 2 Orlando Arcia, a shortstop; No. 7 Clint Coulter, a catcher; No. 9 Jorge Lopez, a right-hander; and No. 10 Victor Roache, an outfielder. Former Mississippi Braves outfielder Kyle Wren (No. 13), who batted .283 with 13 steals for the M-Braves in 2014, might also make the Biloxi roster to start this season. Ole Miss product David Goforth (No. 18) pitched for Milwaukee’s Double-A club in Huntsville in 2014 and posted 27 saves; he is likely to start in Triple-A if he doesn’t make the Brewers’ big league roster. As for the team’s schedule, the tentative plan is for the Shuckers to play the first two months on the road, including a five-game “homestand” against the M-Braves in Pearl from May 6-10, then open MGM Park on June 6. Some club officials say the stadium could be ready before that. Of course, it could also be later than that.

05 May

a just reward

He batted .355, belted three home runs, scored eight times — once from second base on a sac fly — and piled up 23 total bases. Those nifty numbers were good enough to earn Desmond Jennings the American League player of the week award, which was announced today. It’s the first time the former Itawamba Community College star, who has been with Tampa Bay since late in 2010, has won the weekly award. P.S. Former Mississippi State star Jonathan Papelbon didn’t win an award, but his numbers of late are also worth mentioning. After a sluggish start to this season, the Philadelphia closer has made 11 straight scoreless appearances during which he has yielded just six hits and two walks. He has saved nine of the Phillies’ 15 wins.

01 Apr

eye openers

Desmond Jennings went 2-for-4 with a couple of runs and made a sensational catch in center field for Tampa Bay on Monday. But the ex-Itawamba Community College standout was the exception to the rule for Mississippians in the majors on opening day for most of the clubs. Meridian CC product Cliff Lee got a win for Philadelphia – but he allowed 11 hits and eight runs in five innings. Mississippi State alum Jonathan Papelbon did pitch a clean ninth in the 14-10 win over Texas. Former Bulldogs star Mitch Moreland went 0-for-3 for the Rangers. Southern Miss product Brian Dozier was 0-for-4 leading off for Minnesota in a 5-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox. And in Cincinnati, ex-Ole Miss standout Zack Cozart was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton 0-for-4 with four K’s in his debut as the Reds’ new leadoff batter. The Reds lost to St. Louis 1-0.

24 Feb

more, more, more

Reports from Tampa Bay’s spring training camp indicate that the Rays believe former Itawamba Community College standout Desmond Jennings, who had a fine 2013 season, is capable of more. More hits. More home runs. More stolen bases. For his part, Jennings is seeking more consistency in 2014. “I just want to be consistent and hit the ball well all year,” he told mlb.com. “Get on base and steal some bags.” Jennings — All Mississippi Baseball’s Cool Papa Bell Award winner — hit .252 last season with 14 homers and 20 steals. He was especially productive in September as the Rays made their playoff push. Jennings, the Rays’ center fielder, has shown up in camp reportedly looking bigger and stronger. P.S. Jackson State is off to a 5-2 start, and Desmond Russell, the diminutive Bahamas native, has been a big factor. He is batting .368 with eight RBIs and has a 2-1 record, two saves and a 1.08 ERA in five mound appearances. … Millsaps, nationally ranked in NCAA Division III in preseason, is 6-5. The Majors are batting .297 and have a staff ERA if 3.73. But, they’ve committed 26 errors that have led to 22 unearned runs. … Jones County Junior College improved to 10-0 over the weekend by sweeping road doubleheaders against Mississippi Delta and Meridian, all four W’s coming in just a little over 24 hours.

30 Oct

the envelope please …

Evan Longoria is Tampa Bay’s star position player. Ben Zobrist does a lot of things well for the Rays, and Yunel Escobar — the former Mississippi Braves shortstop — James Loney and rookie Wil Myers had solid 2013 seasons, as well. But let’s give Desmond Jennings his due. The former Itawamba Community College standout took on B.J. Upton’s role — center fielder and sometime leadoff batter — in just his second full MLB season and wore it well. Jennings, in 139 games, batted .252 with 14 home runs, 54 RBIs, 82 runs, 31 doubles, six triples and 20 stolen bases. Over the last half of September, while battling a hamstring problem, Jennings hit .393 in his last 10 games with seven RBIs, four runs and five walks. The Rays were feverishly pursuing a playoff berth at the time, and they grabbed it, beating Texas in a one-game showdown for the second American League wild card (Jennings was 1-for-3) and then winning the Wild Card Game against Cleveland. For his efforts, Jennings, who turned 27 today, is the winner of the 2013 Cool Papa Bell Award, given here for the top performance by a Mississippian (native or college alum) in the majors. Consideration was also given to Meridian CC product Cliff Lee (14-8, 2.87 ERA), Ole Miss alum Lance Lynn (15-10, 3.97) and ex-Mississippi State star Mitch Moreland (23 homers, 60 RBIs). P.S. Congratulations go out to M-Braves product Andrelton Simmons on receiving a Gold Glove after his first full year in Atlanta. Simmons had an Ultimate Zone Rating (a defensive metric of some sort) that was reportedly nearly triple his nearest competitor at shortstop. (And he hit a little bit, too, which never hurts in the Gold Glove voting.)