Tag Archives: MLB

28 Mar

here and there

If there were any doubts about his place in the Oakland rotation, Kendall Graveman likely quashed them on Sunday. The Mississippi State alum drew raves after a seven-inning outing against Kansas City in which he yielded just four hits and one run and fanned six. “I knew it was big,” Graveman told mlb.com. Graveman and the A’s beat the Royals 10-1, getting a home run from Ole Miss product Chris Coghlan in the process. Graveman was 6-9 with a 4.05 ERA in 21 starts as a rookie for the A’s in 2015, his first year with the club after coming in a trade with Toronto. He has 4.98 ERA this spring. Drafted in the eighth round out of MSU in 2013, the right-hander climbed through four levels of the minors in 2014 to reach the big leagues with the Blue Jays. P.S. Tyler Moore should serve as a nice insurance policy if Freddie Freeman’s wrist troubles him again. Atlanta traded for Moore, the ex-State star, on Sunday and will stash the power-hitting first baseman at Triple-A Gwinnett. … Milwaukee shipped Ole Miss product David Goforth, a bullpen candidate, to the minors on Sunday, but ex-Rebels standout Alex Presley is still hanging around in the Brewers’ outfield picture. Presley is in camp as a non-roster player. … Just when the job of first-base coach is getting some pub – see Tom Verducci’s article in the March 28 issue of Sports Illustrated – Chris Maloney moves to third base with St. Louis. Jackson native and former State star Maloney has been the Cardinals’ first-base coach since 2012. He’ll move across the diamond while Jose Oquendo recovers from knee surgery.

23 Mar

big league chew

It looks like there is just one bench job left on Washington’s 25-man roster, and ex-Mississippi State star Tyler Moore is in a group that includes Brendan Ryan, Scott Sizemore, Reed Johnson, Chris Heisey and Matt den Dekker vying for that spot as camp winds down. Moore, an outfielder/first baseman, provides right-handed power (24 homers in 601 MLB at-bats) but is just a .228 career hitter (.203 in 2015). A change of uniforms might be in store for Moore. … The frightening injury suffered by Milwaukee’s Rymer Liriano, who was hit in the face by a pitch, will open a roster spot that Ole Miss alum Alex Presley might squeeze into. The lefty-hitting outfielder, in Brewers camp as a non-roster invitee, is batting .321 with three homers (he hit one Tuesday) and nine RBIs. … Former Pillow Academy standout Louis Coleman hasn’t allowed a run in six innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers and may stick in their bullpen. Coleman, formerly with Kansas City, is out of minor league options, which could help his cause. … Cody Reed, not yet on Cincinnati’s 40-man roster, was sent to minor league camp on Tuesday despite a 3.97 ERA in four Cactus League games. The Northwest Mississippi Community College product, who hasn’t pitched above Double-A, will be back with the Reds soon enough. … A strong outing on Sunday wasn’t enough to earn T.J. House a roster spot with Cleveland, which optioned the left-hander from Picayune to Triple-A Columbus on Monday. Despite those four shutout innings against Seattle, House had a 5.59 ERA this spring in four games. After posting a 3.35 ERA in 19 games as a rookie in 2014, House’s 2015 season was wrecked by a rotator cuff issue. He was 0-4, 13.15 to open last season before being sent to the minors and ultimately shut down. “He needs to find some consistency,” manager Terry Francona told mlb.com. “(R)epetition will be really good for him.” … Ole Miss product Drew Pomeranz is slated to start today for San Diego against the Chicago White Sox in the Cactus League as he bids for a spot in the Padres’ rotation. A newly developed cutter could be the key for left-hander Pomeranz, who has been primarily a two-pitch pitcher working as a starter and reliever in the past. … Chris Coghlan has been getting time at second base in Oakland’s camp. The former Ole Miss star, traded to the A’s by the Chicago Cubs this spring, has played primarily outfield in his MLB career but has seen some duty at second and third. He is hitting just .233 this spring but did take San Francisco’s Jeff Samardzija deep on Monday.

21 Mar

watch for it

Cody Reed, the former Horn Lake High and Northwest Mississippi Community College standout, will get the start tonight for Cincinnati against San Diego in a Cactus League game to be televised live (9:10 p.m.) on MLB Network. Left-hander Reed, one of the Reds’ top prospects, has a 1.13 ERA in eight innings this spring as he bids to crack their rotation. Even if he doesn’t make the club out of spring training, it’s expected the 22-year-old will make his big league debut sometime this season. The bespectacled Reed – he has worn the black-rimmed glasses on the mound since high school – went 6-2 with a 2.17 ERA in eight starts for Double-A Pensacola in 2015 after the Reds got him from Kansas City in the Johnny Cueto trade. P.S. Corey Dickerson, from McComb and Meridian CC, and ex-Itawamba CC star Desmond Jennings are with the Tampa Bay Rays on their historic trip to Cuba. The Rays will play the Cuban national team on Tuesday at 1 p.m. on ESPN, the first time since the Baltimore Orioles played an exhibition vs. Cuba in 1999 that an MLB team is taking the field there.

17 Mar

leading the way

Brian Dozier has jokingly called himself a “Grapefruit League All-Star” for the good numbers he usually hangs up in spring training. The Southern Miss product is doing it again. Dozier went 2-for-3 and belted his second home run for Minnesota on Wednesday, boosting his Grapefruit League average to .435. Dozier was an American League All-Star in 2015 and, entering his fifth MLB season, the Tupelo native has emerged as a leader for a Twins team that many expect to contend. Dozier hit 28 homers last year but batted just .236. The average may rise in 2016. Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci recently noted that Dozier, typically a pull hitter, is one of a number of players “making swing path adjustments—the counterattack to shifts” and has been going to right field frequently this spring. P.S. Some familiar names appeared in the Toronto box score on Wednesday: Ex-Mississippi State star Chad Girodo threw 1 1/3 clean innings, D.J. Davis, the 2012 first-rounder from Stone County, got an at-bat and so did Brett Wellman, son of former Mississippi Braves manager Phillip Wellman. Girodo, bidding to make the Blue Jays’ bullpen, has not allowed a run in four appearances. Davis, a top 10 prospect in the Jays’ organization, is coming off a good 2015 season in A-ball but reportedly needs to improve in some areas. The younger Wellman, who used to serve as a bullpen catcher for the M-Braves, has been in the Toronto system for three years after playing at Auburn-Montgomery. … Detroit has given Richton’s JaCoby Jones a lot of work in big league camp. In 13 games at shortstop and third base, he is batting .231 with a homer and three RBIs. A 2013 third-round pick by Pittsburgh, Jones reached Double-A last year but will start this season on suspension for a failed drug test last fall (see previous posts).

15 Mar

taking up arms

Chris Stratton was optioned out to Triple-A Sacramento on Monday, but the right-hander from Mississippi State surely made a good impression in San Francisco’s camp. Stratton pitched five innings over two starts, yielding four hits and no runs. In his last outing last Thursday, he threw three hitless innings against Milwaukee. The Tupelo native, who went 4-5, 3.86 ERA at Sacramento in 2015, could be the first pitcher recalled if or when the Giants need another starter this season. … Cody Reed, the Northwest Mississippi Community College product, is still hanging around in Cincinnati’s camp as a non-roster pitcher. The left-hander, a highly rated prospect, has a 1.13 ERA in three games, two starts. In eight innings, he has seven strikeouts and no walks. … Ex-State star Kendall Graveman has scuffled in his two appearances for Oakland, posting a 7.20 ERA in five innings. Graveman, 6-5 with a 4.09 ERA for the A’s a year ago, is competing for a rotation spot. … Picayune High product T.J. House, a darkhorse to make Cleveland’s rotation at the start of spring, has a 9.53 ERA in three relief appearances. The left-hander is coming off an injury-wrecked 2015 season. … Drew Pomeranz, the former Ole Miss standout, has a 3.86 ERA in three appearances for San Diego, his new club. His role with the Padres hasn’t really been defined. … Southern Miss alum Scott Copeland, a non-roster invitee in Toronto’s camp, hasn’t yielded a run in three innings but is a longshot to stick with their staff. He made three starts for the Blue Jays last season. P.S. Jonathan Papelbon, the former MSU star who gets his share of bad press, received some well-deserved positive attention after attending the annual Leukemia Ball, held by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, in Washington, D.C., over the weekend. Papelbon and his wife, Ashley, reportedly donated $25,000 to the fund.

14 Mar

status update

Making strides on the comeback trail, Zack Cozart got a hit in his first game of the spring and went deep in his second game. “(T)errific to see,” Cincinnati manager Bryan Price told mlb.com. Former Ole Miss star Cozart appeared to be on course for his best season in the big leagues in 2015 when he suffered a knee injury that required surgery. In 53 games, the slick-fielding shortstop batted .258 with nine home runs. Meanwhile, also in Reds camp, Billy Hamilton, the ex-Taylorsville High star, still has played in only one game, that as a DH. Hamilton, Cincy’s center fielder, is coming back from shoulder surgery and coming off a tough year (.226). P.S. Mississippi State alum Jacob Lindgren was sent to the minor league camp by the New York Yankees. The left-hander, who made his MLB debut last season, had a 15.43 ERA in three spring appearances for a Yankees club with a deep bullpen.

10 Mar

storylines

Ex-Mississippi State standout Chad Girodo, in Toronto’s camp as a non-roster invitee, might have a legitimate chance to make the club out of spring training. “(H)e’s on the radar and you’re always looking for lefties who can get lefties out,” manager John Gibbons told mlb.com. Drafted in 2013, the 25-year-old Girodo advanced through three levels of the minors last season. He began the year in Class A Dunedin, moved to Double-A New Hampshire and then made a brief appearance with Triple-A Buffalo. He posted a combined 1.34 ERA while striking out 58 in 60 1/3 innings and also pitched well in the Arizona Fall League. He has not allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings this spring for a Blue Jays team that is a little thin in the bullpen. … Tyler Moore, another ex-Bulldogs star, hit his first home run on Wednesday for Washington. Coming off a 2015 season – his fourth in the big leagues — in which he batted .203 with six homers in 187 at-bats, Moore is just 2-for-16 this spring as he tries to win a job on the bench under new manager Dusty Baker. “It’s not an easy job at all and it’s sometimes very frustrating because you feel like you can contribute so much more than what you actually do,” Moore told federalbaseball.com about being a reserve. Moore is wearing No. 32 now, having given up his old No. 12 to Baker. That might be worth a few brownie points. … Though he isn’t expected to have an impact for Arizona this year, former Vancleave High star Colin Bray is certainly a player to keep an eye on. The switch-hitting outfielder, who got an at-bat in an MLB spring game on Tuesday, is rated the No. 24 prospect in the Diamondbacks’ organization, and the MLBPipeline report on him is fairly glowing: speed, defense, make-up. At Class A Kane County in 2015, the 6-foot-3, 197-pound Bray batted .308 with three homers, 52 RBIs and 27 steals. Bray, 22, a sixth-round pick out of Faulkner State (Ala.) Community College in 2013, could make it to Double-A Mobile in the Southern League this summer.

07 Mar

more spring things

It would appear that Seth Smith is ready for the season to start. The Ole Miss alumnus from Jackson went 2-for-3 on Sunday and is now 6-for-7 this spring for Seattle. The veteran Smith, likely the Mariners’ regular right fielder, didn’t have a great 2015 (.248, 12 homers) in his first year in Seattle. … Pascagoula native Joey Butler, battling for a starting job in Cleveland’s outfield, hit his first homer on Sunday and threw out a baserunner from left field. He is 2-for-8 this spring. … Ex-Itawamba Community College star Desmond Jennings, battling for a spot in Tampa Bay’s outfield, is 3-for-5 with three doubles. Jennings is coming off an injury-wrecked 2015. “We only saw him briefly, but when we did, he can really impact our club in a lot of positive ways,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said in a recent mlb.com article. … Meridian CC product Corey Dickerson, who homered in his first game with the Rays last week, has just one hit since. … Former Meridian CC and Mississippi State standout Tyler Moore may need a good spring to stay with Washington. He went 0-for-2 Sunday and is just 1-for-8 in four games. … Ex-State star Adam Frazier, in Pittsburgh’s camp as a non-roster invitee, is 3-for-8 in five games, playing some infield and outfield. His future may be as a utility type. … Ole Miss alum Cody Satterwhite, signed as a minor leaguer by the Los Angeles Angels a few weeks back, made his first spring appearance Sunday and worked a scoreless inning. Satterwhite had a 4.38 ERA at Triple-A Las Vegas in the New York Mets’ system last year. … Ex-Rebels standout Auston Bousfield, called over from the minor league camp, got into a San Diego split-squad game on Sunday and went 0-for-1. … Hunter Renfroe, the State product and a top-rated Padres prospect, is 3-for-8 while getting a long look as a non-roster outfielder. “Hunter’s going to get at-bats, he’s going to get an opportunity to show who he is,” Padres manager Andy Green told mlb.com. … In Cincinnati’s camp, Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton, coming off shoulder surgery, has played in just one game (as a DH) and is reported to be day-to-day. The Reds are also holding back UM product Zack Cozart, coming off knee surgery. “There’s no rush. I’m going to get my at-bats,” Cozart told mlb.com. … In Milwaukee’s camp, ex-Rebels standout Alex Presley, on a minor league contract, is 1-for-5 with a homer in three games. Fellow UM alum David Goforth, trying to stick in the bullpen, has a 3.00 ERA in three innings. Worth watching there, too, is the progress of former Biloxi Shuckers star Orlando Arcia, considered the Brewers’ shortstop of the near future. He is 2-for-8 in four games. He hit .307 with eight homers and 25 steals for the Shuckers in 2015.

01 Mar

time for march madness

They played ball in Florida and Arizona today, actual MLB Grapefruit and Cactus League games. Adam Frazier, the former Mississippi State standout, had a triple for Pittsburgh. Richton High alum JaCoby Jones, a Detroit farmhand who homered on Monday against a Florida Southern College pitcher, went 0-for-2 against pro hurlers today. Petal’s Anthony Alford, another former Mr. Baseball, was hitless in two at-bats for Toronto, while Southern Miss alum Scott Copeland pitched a clean inning for the Blue Jays. Picayune High product T.J. House got roughed up a bit (two runs in two innings) for Cleveland, and former Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College standout Joey Butler was 0-for-2 for the Indians. Mississippi Braves alums Freddie Freeman, Daniel Castro, Mallex Smith and Rio Ruiz all had hits for Atlanta. Finally, box score browsing is back in fashion.

23 Feb

going forward

If you’ve been recently to an Atlanta Braves game or a Mississippi Braves game – maybe even a Rome Braves game – you’ve seen them in the crowd. Jeff Francoeur replica jerseys. Francoeur, who starred for the M-Braves 11 years ago, last played a game for Atlanta in 2009. But his jersey had staying power — and now “Frenchy” himself is back in the fold. Signed to a minor league contract, he’ll be in the big club’s spring training camp this week. Though Francoeur’s first tour with the Braves didn’t end well, there is still a soft spot for him in the hearts of many fans, especially so in Pearl. He wasn’t the first M-Braves product to make The Show, but he created the most buzz back in 2005. The question now is, Can Francoeur, who had a good 2015 season in Philadelphia, win a job in Atlanta’s outfield? … As spring training begins to heat up, there are quite a few interesting questions surrounding Mississippians. To wit: How will Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton and Ole Miss product Zack Cozart bounce back from injuries in Cincinnati, and will they become trade bait? How will ex-Meridian Community College star Corey Dickerson, traded from Colorado to Tampa Bay, fare in a new league and new home park? What will UM alum Chris Coghlan’s role be with the Chicago Cubs, who look loaded for bear in the National League? What kind of numbers will Mississippi State product Mitch Moreland, a free agent after this season, put up for Texas, which rewarded his strong 2015 campaign with a $5.7M deal? And, while everyone is saying all the right things, is former State star Jonathan Papelbon really going to fit in with Washington?