Tag Archives: Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

16 Jun

here and there

Ex-Southern Miss right-hander Christian Talley has signed as a free agent with the Colorado Rockies, the school announced today. USM had three pitchers drafted last week: Cody Carroll, Ryan Milton and Ferriss Trophy winner James McMahon, who was picked by the Rockies. … Stan Cliburn, the former Forest Hill High star from Jackson, recently notched his 1,500th win as a professional baseball manager. Cliburn’s Southern Maryland Blue Crabs are currently tied for first in the independent Atlantic League’s Freedom Division. One of his regulars is ex-big leaguer Fred Lewis, the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College product who is batting .238 with 13 RBIs and 18 runs in 44 games. Cliburn, who also played in the big leagues, managed his first team in 1988 and has been working in pro ball ever since. His twin brother Stu, also an MLB vet, is the pitching coach for Chattanooga in the Southern League. … Former Hattiesburg High standout and onetime big leaguer Robert Carson has signed with Bridgeport of the Atlantic League. The big left-hander, 26, was recently released by the Los Angeles Dodgers on the heels of a 50-game drug suspension that cost him an invite to major league spring training. … Itawamba CC alum Tim Dillard is soldiering on in his 13th pro season. The onetime big leaguer, now 31, has a 4.24 ERA in 12 games for Triple-A Colorado Springs in the Milwaukee system. Dillard recently moved into the Sky Sox starting rotation. … Here’s a young player to watch: Mason Irby. The lefty-hitting catcher, a Southeast Lauderdale High product, was a second-team NJCAA Division II All-America pick as a freshman at Jones County Junior College this past season after batting .395 with three homers and 51 RBIs. He is playing for Niagara in the New York Collegiate Baseball League and at last look was hitting .359 with five doubles and six RBIs in 11 games.

16 Jun

showing up

A Jackson Generals player from years ago made the comment when asked what it took for him to get to the big leagues: “I just kept showing up.” Joey Butler, now starring for the Tampa Bay Rays as a 29-year-old rookie, apparently has that kind of resolve. Butler played at ’Goula, Perk and UNO. He’s been through Spokane, Bakersfield, Frisco, Surprise, Round Rock, Magallanes, Mazatlan, Memphis, Orix and Durham. He got his first taste of the big leagues in 2013 with Texas, his original organization (15th round, 2008). He got 12 at-bats. St. Louis, which had taken Butler on a waiver claim, called him up last year for five at-bats. Then he went to Japan. He came back to the States this spring but didn’t make the Rays’ roster out of camp. He went to Triple-A Durham. The Rays called on May 3 when Itawamba Community College alum Desmond Jennings went on the disabled list. Finally given an opportunity to play regularly in the majors, Butler has gone off: .344, four homers, 16 RBIs, 15 runs in 37 games. The Pascagoula native and ex-Mississippi Gulf Coast CC star is also said to be a great guy in the clubhouse. “I think the entire dugout gets excited when he comes to the plate …,” Rays manager Kevin Cash told saintpetersblog.com. There is something to be said for just showing up. P.S. On this date in 1945, Boo Ferriss lost a game for the first time in his big league career. The Shaw native and former Delta State coach had begun his rookie season with eight straight victories for the Boston Red Sox before losing a 3-2 decision to the New York Yankees. Ferriss would go 21-10 that year and 25-6 in ’46 before injuries curtailed his career.

08 Jun

not in the cards

Opened a random pack of baseball cards on Sunday and got a Kendall Graveman, who just happened to be pitching for Oakland. Good omen? Yes … and no. Graveman, the former Mississippi State standout, pitched great, taking a five-hit shutout into the eighth inning against Boston at Fenway Park. He yielded a leadoff home run to Rusney Castillo, left the game and then watched the A’s bullpen give up six more runs that led to a 7-4 loss. That’s some hard luck. Graveman, who was sent to the minors in late April with an 8.27 ERA, has pitched much better since his return. Over his last four starts, the right-hander has allowed six earned runs in 24 2/3 innings (a 2.55 ERA), cutting his season ERA to 4.83. His record is 3-2, though he could easily have a couple more wins. Graveman, drafted by Toronto in 2013, blew through four levels of the minors in 2014 and got a September call-up from the Blue Jays (and his picture on a trading card). He was traded to Oakland in the off-season as part of the Brett Lawrie-Josh Donaldson deal and made the A’s rotation in spring training. Whatever led to his early season struggles, he seems to have ironed it out. P.S. Joey Butler just keeps hitting for Tampa Bay. The former Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College star from Pascagoula got a couple more hits on Sunday and is now batting .330 with four homers, 11 RBIs and 13 runs in 30 games. He is batting .357 over his last 15 games. Getting his first extended MLB playing time in his eighth pro season, the 29-year-old outfielder appears to have locked down a job with the Rays. Butler’s minor league numbers were always good (.294, 78 homers), but “to see it all come together here in the big leagues is pretty amazing,” he told mlb.com.

31 May

three stars — plus one

Three Mississippians in the majors flashed some major star power on Saturday.
1. Billy Hamilton. The ex-Taylorsville High standout went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, a run and a steal (No. 20) to help Cincinnati beat Washington 8-5. Hamilton, who has been scuffling (along with his team) and now hits ninth in the order, boosted his average to .228.
2. Joey Butler. The Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College product from Pascagoula went 2-for-3 with a home run (No. 3) as Tampa Bay topped Baltimore 3-0. Butler, getting regular playing time for the first time in his brief MLB career, is batting .309.
3. Brian Dozier. The former Southern Miss star from Tupelo (and Fulton) tripled off the glove of the right fielder, plating the go-ahead run in the seventh inning of Minnesota’s 3-2 victory over Toronto. Dozier’s 26 extra base hits (including nine homers) leads all MLB second basemen. He has 25 RBIs and 38 runs.
P.S. Williams Perez was never a ballyhooed prospect as he slowly climbed the ladder in Atlanta’s minor league system, but he certainly looked the part on Saturday night, when he threw seven shutout innings against San Francisco and notched his first big league win (beating Tim Lincecum). Perez, 24, who went 7-6 with a 2.91 ERA for the Mississippi Braves in 2014, was signed by the Braves out of Venezuela in 2009 and spent four seasons toiling in the low minors, finally reaching Class A Rome in 2013. With a 2.66 ERA over five games (three starts), he appears to have earned a spot in Atlanta’s rotation. … Perez was one of six former M-Braves to earn either a win or a save on Saturday. The others: Charlie Morton, J.J. Hoover, Chasen Shreve, Randall Delgado and Blaine Boyer (one of the original M-Braves of 2005).

28 May

some rain must fall

Tony Sipp had gone all season — 16 appearances out of the Houston bullpen — without allowing a home run before last Thursday. That’s when Detroit’s James McCann took Sipp deep for a game-winner in the bottom of the 11th inning. Sipp, a Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Moss Point High product, made his next appearance Wednesday in Baltimore. The left-hander was brought in to face lefty Chris Davis in the bottom of the eighth with the score tied. Davis hit the first pitch out, and the Orioles went on to win 5-4. “I just missed with it, just left it up, middle,” Sipp told mlb.com. Sipp hasn’t missed much this season. The 29-year-old has a 1.53 ERA with 20 strikeouts over 17 2/3 innings for the surprising Astros, who continue to lead the American League West. For his MLB career, spanning seven seasons, Sipp has a 3.64 ERA, 20 wins and six saves working mostly as a situational lefty. Not bad for a 45th-round pick (by Cleveland out of Clemson in 2004). P.S. With the Wednesday recall of Donnie Veal by Atlanta and the recent promotions of Jacob Lindgren (New York Yankees) and David Goforth (Milwaukee), there are now nine Mississippi-connected pitchers in the big leagues and two more on the disabled list. Picayune High product T.J. House, assigned to Triple-A after a recent rehab stint, could be close to returning to Cleveland. … Former Mississippi State star – and Ferriss Trophy winner — Ed Easley was recalled by St. Louis from Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday but didn’t play against Arizona. He is still seeking his first appearance in an MLB game. Catcher Easley, 29, also was on the Cardinals’ roster for three games in April.

07 May

random numbers

0.84 — ERA (to go with six saves) for Ryan Kelly, the Mississippi Braves closer who was named the team’s pitcher of the month for April.
1 – Hit (in 1 at-bat) by Adam Frazier, the Mississippi State alumnus just back from a spring training injury and playing for Altoona (Pittsburgh) in the Eastern League.
1.08 – ERA (through three starts) for Matt Maloney, the ex-Ole Miss star now with Sugarland in the independent Atlantic League.
3 – Triples by D.J. Davis, the Stone County High alum now playing for Lansing (Toronto) in the Midwest League.
3 – Home runs by Brandon Jones, the former Mississippi Braves standout now with York in the Atlantic League.
6 – Ranking for unbeaten Oxford High in Baseball America’s latest prep Top 25. (Northwest Rankin is 13th.)
7 – Stolen bases by Auston Bousfield, the Ole Miss product now with Lake Elsinore (San Diego) in the California League.
9 – Hits (all singles, in 41 at-bats) for Fred Lewis, the Mississippi Gulf Coast CC alum playing for Southern Maryland in the Atlantic League.
11 – Stolen bases by Corey Wimberly, the ex-Alcorn State star now playing for Yucatan in the Mexican League.
11 – Saves by Roy Corcoran, the former Gulf Coast CC standout with Aguascalientes in the Mexican League.
16 – Strikeouts (in 12 1/3 innings) by Jacob Lindgren, the ex-State standout now pitching for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (New York Yankees) in the International League.
18 – RBIs for JaCoby Jones, the Richton High product now with Bradenton (Pittsburgh) in the Florida State League.
7,920 – Average announced attendance (second in the nation) this year at Oxford-University Stadium, where Ole Miss hosts Mississippi State in a three-game SEC series that starts tonight.

05 May

junk and stuff

A player’s first career MLB home run will always be a delectable memory, but Joey Butler got the additional spice of hitting his over the Green Monster at Fenway Park. The former Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College standout from Pascagoula went deep Monday for Tampa Bay, belting a two-run shot off Boston’s Clay Buchholz. Butler was playing just his second game for the Rays, who called him up on Sunday. Butler, 29, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound right-handed hitter, is 6-for-23 in the big leagues, his at-bats spread over three seasons with three teams. He finished 2014 in Japan, signed with Tampa Bay in the off-season and put up good spring numbers to earn a Triple-A roster spot. … Former Ole Miss star Seth Smith hit his second homer of the year for Seattle, but his round-tripper was a bit overshadowed by teammate Nelson Cruz’s MLB-leading 14th, a 429-foot bomb. … Former Mississippi Braves went on a wild hit parade on Monday: Yunel Escobar produced five for Washington, Jeff Francoeur four for Philadelphia, Jordan Schafer three for Minnesota, Andrelton Simmons two for Atlanta, Jason Heyward two for St. Louis and Evan Gattis one (plus his 18th RBI) for Houston. … St. Louis is 19-6, the best record in baseball and the team’s best 25-game start in modern franchise history. Oddly, Ole Miss alum Lance Lynn, who has 48 wins over the previous three seasons, has contributed just one victory to the hot start. He is 1-2 with a 3.07 ERA in five outings and is scheduled to go again on Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs and Jon Lester.

07 Apr

with a bang

Seth Smith did something Monday that no Seattle player had ever done on opening day. And he did it in his Mariners debut. Before a packed house at Safeco Field, the former Hillcrest Christian and Ole Miss star delivered three extra-base hits (two doubles and a triple) to help the Mariners whip the Los Angeles Angels 4-1. “Opening day is special,” Smith, acquired by Seattle from San Diego in the off-season, told the Seattle Post Intelligencer. He has been in a different uniform for each of the last three. … Not to be overlooked, Meridian Community College product Corey Dickerson homered in his first at-bat, added a double and finished with four RBIs as Colorado routed Milwaukee 10-0. “He just swings hard in case he hits it – that’s pretty much his approach,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss told mlb.com about Dickerson, who blasted 24 homers last year. … Also of note from an action-packed opening day in MLB: Mississippi Gulf Coast CC alum Tony Sipp threw a clean eighth inning in Houston’s 2-0 shutout of Cleveland, and ex-Taylorsville High star Billy Hamilton had a hit, scored twice and stole a base in a win by Cincinnati.

29 Jan

a spring in their step

Former East Central Community College standout Tim Anderson has been rated the No. 10 shortstop prospect in the minors by mlb.com. Anderson also has received an invitation to the Chicago White Sox’s major league spring training camp next month. A first-round pick in 2013, Anderson batted .301 with nine homers and 40 RBIs in an injury-interrupted 2014, finishing the season in Double-A. He also played well in the Arizona Fall League. … Other Mississippians who have received non-roster invites to big league camps include Petal High alumnus and former Mr. Baseball Anthony Alford (Toronto), Mississippi State product Hunter Renfroe (San Diego), ex-Hattiesburg High star Robert Carson (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Mississippi Gulf Coast CC alum Joey Butler (Tampa Bay). … Also of note: Former Mississippi Braves catcher J.C. Boscan has signed a minor league deal with Kansas City and will report to the Royals’ big league camp. P.S. Hinds Community College is ranked No. 2 in the NJCAA’s preseason poll, and Jones County Junior College is slotted at No. 11. Hinds, 40-21 and a Division II World Series finalist last year, opens on Feb. 7 against Mineral Area (Mo.) in Raymond. Jones, 46-11 and MACJC state champion in 2014, starts Feb. 7 against Jeff Davis (Ala.) in Ellisville.

16 Jan

coming back

After finishing last season in Japan, Joey Butler will get another shot at sticking with an MLB club this spring. The former Pascagoula High and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College standout recently signed a minor league contract with Tampa Bay. A right-handed hitting corner outfielder, Butler, 28, has a chance to crack the Rays’ 25-man roster in the spring, some reports say. The Rays’ current projected outfield starters are former Itawamba CC star Desmond Jennings in center, veteran David DeJesus in left and newly acquired rookie Steven Souza in right. Butler, who has played just 14 MLB games (with Texas and St. Louis), is a career .293 hitter in the minors. He goes 6 feet 2, 220 pounds and has averaged almost 11 homers a year in seven minor league seasons. P.S. Props to Ole Miss alum Lance Lynn on signing a 3-year, $22 million deal with the Cardinals.