Tag Archives: Marlins

04 Aug

like old times

This time a year ago, Chris Coghlan was on the disabled list with one of the many injuries that have dogged his career (see previous posts). The former Ole Miss star had to be wondering about his future with the Miami Marlins, if not his future in baseball. Flash forward to Sunday. Coghlan, playing left field for the Chicago Cubs, produced his fifth straight two-hit game, including a home run, to help the Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-3. Coghlan, a lefty hitter, batted .376 in July and is 6-for-14 so far in August. For the year, he is at .292 with six home runs, 19 RBIs and 31 runs in 73 games since the Cubs brought him to the majors in early May. Coghlan, the 2009 National League rookie of the year who is only 29, may well have played his way into the Cubs’ plans for 2015. “He really plays the game with a lot of heart,” Cubs manager Rick Renteria told mlb.com. Heart, or something like it, has carried Coghlan a long way in a year’s time. Miami let him walk after last season; he batted .215 in September and wound up at .256 with one homer in 70 games for the year. The Cubs signed him to a minor league deal in December and invited him to spring training, but Coghlan didn’t make their 25-man roster. (Considering the state of the Cubs that had to be a letdown.) An opportunity arose when Ryan Sweeney went on the disabled list a month into the season. Summoned from Triple-A Iowa, Coghlan started slowly but gradually took off, looking more and more like his 2009 self. Now if he can just stay healthy.

18 Jul

the first four

Blake Anderson, the first of the four Mississippi natives picked in the first two rounds of last month’s MLB draft, got his first professional hit on Thursday. Anderson, the former West Lauderdale catcher picked 36th overall by Miami, snapped an 0-for-21 start with a single for the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Marlins. Jacob Lindgren, from the Kiln by way of Mississippi State, has put up a 1.29 ERA in six appearances at three levels for the New York Yankees, who drafted the left-hander 55th overall. Lindgren is currently at high Class A Tampa in the Florida State League. Ti’Quan Forbes, the star shortstop from Columbia who was taken 59th overall by Texas, is batting .242 with six RBIs and 15 runs in the rookie Arizona League. And ex-Madison Central High standout Spencer Turnbull, picked 63rd out of Alabama by Detroit, has a 6.75 ERA in three starts for Connecticut in the short-season Class A New York-Penn League.

07 Jun

head of the class

There are always surprises in the MLB draft. Blake Anderson qualifies as one. The catcher from West Lauderdale High was rated No. 216 on Baseball America’s last pre-draft prospect chart. He went 36th overall, taken by Miami in the competitive balance round. As the first Mississippian picked, Anderson joins a list that includes Hunter Renfroe (2013), D.J. Davis (2012), Connor Barron (2011), Drew Pomeranz (2010) and Billy Hamilton (2009). Anderson has a chance to join another short list – the one of Mississippi-born catchers who have had success in the big leagues. The state has produced Jake Gibbs, Barry Lyons, Jerry Moses, Eli Whiteside … and, well, there aren’t many. The Marlins obviously like something about Anderson, who goes 6 feet 3, 180 pounds. Defense is said to be his forte, but he did hit .438 with eight homers this year for a perennially strong prep program that won another state title. He is a Southern Miss signee. P.S. Four Magnolia State natives were picked in the first two rounds, which is impressive. Mississippi State left-hander Jacob Lindgren, from Bay St. Louis and St. Stanislaus High, was taken 55th by the New York Yankees, who reportedly think he can rise quickly. Columbia High shortstop Ti’Quan Forbes (an Ole Miss signee) went 59th overall to Texas, and former Madison Central star Spencer Turnbull, a right-hander at Alabama, was No. 63 by Detroit. … Only one Mississippi juco player was picked in the first two days: Left-hander Lane Ratliff of Jones County JC went to Seattle in the sixth round.

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.

03 Dec

off the rails

The Miami Marlins have finally given up on Chris Coghlan, four years after the Ole Miss product won rookie of the year honors as their left fielder. Coghlan, 28, eligible for arbitration this year, was non-tendered by the Marlins on Monday and is now a free agent. The left-handed hitting Coghlan batted .321 with nine homers, 47 RBIs and 84 runs in 128 games in 2009. Plagued by injuries, he has played just 265 big league games since. He got into 70 games in 2013 and hit .256. Coghlan is a .270 career hitter (.337 on-base percentage) but isn’t really a power source (21 homers) or a speed merchant (27 steals). He has some versatility, having played second base in the minors and some third base this past season. He might fit in somewhere as a bench player, but one expects he’ll have to earn such a job on a minor league contract in spring training. P.S. Former Mississippi Braves ace Tommy Hanson, who once seemed to have such a bright future in Atlanta, was non-tendered by the Los Angeles Angels and also became a free agent. … Various reports have Miami among the teams interested in ex-M-Braves catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who had a solid 2013 season with Boston but wasn’t re-signed.