Tag Archives: spring training

13 Feb

boys of spring

Here’s the list of Mississippians who’ll be in big league camps in Florida and Arizona this spring:

40-man roster members:
Position players
Anthony Alford (Petal), Toronto; Tim Anderson (East Central CC), Chicago White Sox; Zack Cozart (Ole Miss), Cincinnati; Brian Dozier (Southern Miss), Minnesota; Corey Dickerson (Meridian CC), Tampa Bay; Jarrod Dyson (Southwest CC), Seattle; Adam Frazier (Mississippi State), Pittsburgh; Billy Hamilton (Taylorsville), Cincinnati; JaCoby Jones (Richton), Detroit; Mitch Moreland (MSU), Boston; Hunter Renfroe (MSU), San Diego; Seth Smith (Ole Miss), Baltimore; Stuart Turner (Ole Miss), Cincinnati

Pitchers
Chad Girodo (MSU), Toronto; Kendall Graveman (MSU), Oakland; Jonathan Holder (MSU), New York Yankees; Jacob Lindgren (MSU), Atlanta/injured; Lance Lynn (Ole Miss), St. Louis; Mike Mayers (Ole Miss), St. Louis; Drew Pomeranz (Ole Miss), Boston; Cody Reed (Northwest CC), Cincinnati; Tony Sipp (Gulf Coast CC), Houston; Chris Stratton (MSU), San Francisco; Bobby Wahl (Ole Miss), Oakland

Non-roster invitees:
Position players
Chris Coghlan (Ole Miss), Philadelphia; Desmond Jennings (Itawamba CC), Cincinnati; Jack Kruger (MSU), Los Angeles Angels; Tyler Moore (MSU), Miami; Alex Presley (Ole Miss), Detroit; Kade Scivicque (Southwest CC), Atlanta

Pitchers
Louis Coleman (Greenwood/Pillow Academy), Cincinnati; Scott Copeland (USM), Miami; David Goforth (Ole Miss), Milwaukee

17 Feb

happy campers

Major league camps formally open this week. As usual, a host of Mississippi-connected players will be in Florida and Arizona, some aiming to build on big years, some attempting comebacks from down years or injuries, some just trying to make an impression and land a job. A few are in new places this year, some may be anticipating a move before opening day. Rest assured, all are happy to be in an MLB camp. Who wouldn’t be? Here’s the list:

40-man roster members
Position players
Chris Coghlan (Ole Miss), Chicago Cubs; Zack Cozart (Ole Miss), Cincinnati; Brian Dozier (Southern Miss), Minnesota; Corey Dickerson (Meridian CC), Colorado; Jarrod Dyson (Southwest CC), Kansas City; Ed Easley (Mississippi State), St. Louis; Billy Hamilton (Taylorsville), Cincinnati; Desmond Jennings (Itawamba CC), Tampa Bay; Tyler Moore (MSU), Washington; Mitch Moreland (MSU), Texas; Alex Presley (Ole Miss), Houston; Seth Smith (Ole Miss), Seattle

Pitchers
Aaron Barrett (Ole Miss), Washington; Louis Coleman (Schlater/Pillow Academy), Kansas City; David Goforth (Ole Miss), Milwaukee; Kendall Graveman (MSU), Oakland; T.J. House (Picayune High) Cleveland; Cliff Lee (Meridian CC), Philadelphia; Lance Lynn (Ole Miss), St. Louis; Jonathan Papelbon (MSU), Philadelphia; Drew Pomeranz (Ole Miss), Oakland; Tony Sipp (Gulf Coast CC), Houston

Non-roster invitees
Position players
Anthony Alford (Petal), Toronto; Tim Anderson (East Central CC), Chicago White Sox; Joey Butler (Gulf Coast CC), Tampa Bay; Hunter Renfroe (MSU), San Diego; Stuart Turner (Ole Miss), Minnesota; Alex Yarbrough (Ole Miss), Los Angeles Angels

Pitchers
Brent Leach (Delta State), Milwaukee; Jacob Lindgren (MSU), New York Yankees; Paul Maholm (MSU), Cincinnati; Cody Satterwhite (Ole Miss), New York Mets; Chris Stratton (MSU), San Francisco; Donnie Veal (Jackson), Atlanta

16 Mar

box score browsing

It’s mid-March. MLB’s Opening Day approaches. Rosters are taking shape. A little box score scanning this morning reveals that no Mississippian in the majors is hotter than Jarrod Dyson. The ex-Southwest Mississippi Community College star is hitting .364 with a home run (on Saturday) and six steals. Surely the speedy outfielder has nailed down a role with Kansas City, which is starving to make the playoffs. On the subject of speedy outfielders, Cincinnati has to be pleased with what it has seen from Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton, expected to take over as leadoff batter and center fielder this season. Hamilton is hitting .276 with seven steals and nine runs … Others enjoying a good spring to date: Meridian CC product Corey Dickerson (.371, a homer, five RBIs for Colorado); Itawamba CC alumnus Desmond Jennings (.346, a homer, five RBIs, two steals for Tampa Bay); former Mississippi State star Tyler Moore (.306, a homer, six RBIs for Washington); Ole Miss product Seth Smith (.286 for San Diego); ex-Meridian CC standout Cliff Lee (1-1, 2.63 ERA in 13 2/3 innings for Philadelphia); and Mississippi Gulf Coast CC alum Tony Sipp (0.00 ERA in seven innings for the Padres). … Also of note: Southern Miss product Brian Dozier hit his first homer on Friday and is batting .269 for Minnesota; former MSU star Mitch Moreland has six RBIs and a .250 average for Texas; Ole Miss alum Drew Pomeranz has 11 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings for Oakland; and Pascagoula native Joey Butler, a longshot to make the St. Louis club, is hitting .235 with two RBIs in 17 at-bats. Former Rebels Alex Presley (.160 for the Twins) and Chris Coghlan (.211 for the Chicago Cubs) are struggling, as is MSU product Paul Maholm (7.04 ERA for the Los Angeles Dodgers). P.S. Former Mississippi Braves shortstop Brandon Hicks is having a terrific spring as a non-roster player with San Francisco. Hicks is batting .370 with a homer and six RBIs in 27 ABs. … Generally, it was a good weekend for the state’s Big 3 college teams in their conference openers. USM and State both took two of three, with the Bulldogs halting Georgia’s 11-game win streak with a Saturday sweep, and Ole Miss handed top-ranked South Carolina its first loss on Friday, though the Rebels lost the series.

10 Mar

heat check

The Chicago Cubs’ cast of outfielders is not exactly star-studded, including the likes of Junior Lake, Justin Ruggiano, Nate Schierholtz and Ryan Sweeney. Also in the mix this spring — as a non-roster invitee — is former Ole Miss standout Chris Coghlan. The former National League rookie of the year went 1-for-3 with an RBI today, but with only two hits in 16 at-bats for the spring, he hasn’t made a great impression. Coghlan, 28, is a .270 career hitter (spent entirely with the Miami Marlins) who has had bad luck with injuries. He hit .256 in 70 games last year for the Marlins, who elected not to bring him back. Eli Whiteside, the former Delta State catcher, is also in Cubs camp as a non-roster player. Whiteside, 34, is hitless in seven at-bats this spring as he bids for the job backing up Wellington Castillo. Whiteside, a good receiver, is a .215 career hitter who spent 2013 in Triple-A with Texas and batted just .187. At this stage, it appears both Coghlan and Whiteside will be left out in the cold when Chicago sets its opening day roster.

04 Mar

taking a position

Cameron Maybin’s arm injury may mean more playing time for Seth Smith in San Diego’s outfield. Maybin, the Padres’ erstwhile center fielder, reportedly could be out until June. If Will Venable shifts from right to center, which seems likely, former Ole Miss star Smith and Chris Denorfia could form a nice lefty-righty platoon in right field. San Diego has Carlos Quentin slotted for left field, with Kyle Blanks and utilityman Alexi Amarista also vying for playing time somewhere in the outfield. Smith, acquired from Oakland in an off-season trade, batted .253 with eight homers in 2013. P.S. If a hot start in the spring is a good omen, then these guys should be smiling: Southern Miss product Brian Dozier (5-for-7 for Minnesota); Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton (3-for-9 with two steals for Cincinnati); Southwest Mississippi Community College alum Jarrod Dyson (3-for-5 with three walks for Kansas City); Ole Miss product Zack Cozart (5-for-9 for the Reds); ex-Meridian CC star Corey Dickerson (5-for-10 for Colorado); former Jackson Generals right-hander Freddy Garcia (five scoreless innings in two starts for Atlanta); future Mississippi Braves outfielder Matt Lipka (4-for-12 with four RBIs for the big Braves); and ex-M-Braves star Jeff Francoeur (2-for-3 today with two RBIs for Cleveland).

01 Mar

closing in?

Add to the list of Mississippians in big league camps the names of Aaron Barrett and David Goforth, both right-handers out of Ole Miss and both aspiring closers. Barrett, on Washington’s 40-man roster, made his spring debut on Friday, working a scoreless inning against the New York Mets. A ninth-round pick in 2010, Barrett overcame some early struggles in pro ball and put up a 2.15 ERA with 26 saves in Double-A last season. The Nationals have a strong bullpen, so Barrett’s chances of making the club out of camp this year don’t appear great. Meridian native Goforth, on the other hand, is trying to crack the roster in Milwaukee, which would seem to have openings for relievers. Goforth, drafted in the seventh round in 2011, went 11-8 with five saves with a 3.17 ERA between high Class A and Double-A in 2013. He moved to the bullpen shortly after his promotion to Huntsville in the Southern League. He posted four saves and a 3.75 ERA in 12 games in the Arizona Fall League and enters 2014 as a top 10 Brewers prospect. P.S. Mississippi’s baseball talent gets some well-deserved recognition in the Feb. 28-March 14 issue of Baseball America. Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton and Hunter Renfroe, the former Mississippi State star from Crystal Springs, are listed among the top 100 minor league prospects for 2014. Hamilton, who debuted last year with Cincinnati, is No. 43, Renfroe (San Diego) No. 80. Also mentioned as a possible top 50 prospect for 2015 is D.J. Davis, the ex-Stone County High standout now in the Toronto system. Bobby Bradley (Harrison Central first baseman) and Ti’Quan Forbes (Columbia shortstop) made BA’s high school preseason All-America chart, Bradley as a second-teamer, Forbes on the third team. And DeSoto Central, stocked with college prospects, was ranked No. 22 in the preseason poll, and Oak Grove was 31st. … BA also has a note on the retirement of David Renfroe, the former South Panola two-sport star who had been playing in the Boston system.

25 Feb

9 things …

MLB spring training games start Wednesday. We start to look at box scores, start to crunch numbers, start to wonder. Here are some Mississippi-flavored questions to ponder as the 2014 season begins to unfold:
1. Will Billy Hamilton (Taylorsville) win the center field/leadoff job with Cincinnati? After swiping 13 bases in 14 attempts (and hitting .368 to boot), he’ll get a legitimate shot at filling Shin-Soo Choo’s vacated job.
2. Can Jarrod Dyson (Southwest Mississippi CC) earn an expanded role in Kansas City’s outfield? Dyson, who would give Hamilton a darn good race, stole 34 bases in 84 games last season primarily playing behind Lorenzo Cain.
3. Can Corey Dickerson (Meridian CC) win a job in Colorado’s crowed outfield? He showed impressive left-handed power as a rookie: five homers, five triples and 13 doubles among his 51 hits.
4. How will Seth Smith (Ole Miss) adjust in San Diego? He slumped to eight home runs (from 14 in 2012) for Oakland and Petco Park is even less friendly to hitters than O.Co Coliseum.
5. What does Brian Dozier (Southern Miss) do for an encore in Minnesota? After the move to second base, Dozier played great defense and even hit a surprising 18 homers.
6. Will Drew Pomeranz (UM) finally blossom in the Oakland bullpen? The former first-round pick, already with his third club, posted a 6.23 ERA in eight games (four starts) with Colorado.
7. Where does Tyler Moore (Mississippi State) fit in Washington’s plans? He scuffled in his second MLB tour, hitting .222 with four homers, but his right-handed power potential is valuable.
8. How will Mitch Moreland (MSU) fare in a new role (DH/spare outfielder) in Texas? Moreland hit a career-high 23 homers in 2013 but batted just .232 – and there is pressure to win in Arlington this season.
9. Will Cliff Lee (Meridian CC) and/or Jonathan Papelbon (MSU) be traded if Philadelphia’s season quickly goes bad? Lee went 14-8 with a 2.87 last year and Papelbon posted 29 saves; they’d certainly have suitors if they went on the block.

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