then came swanson

Brian McCann was the first to get the call. It was June 10, 2005, but it seems like yesterday. McCann jumped from the Double-A Mississippi Braves to Atlanta. “He might be there two weeks; he might be there 20 years,” then M-Braves manager Brian Snitker said. McCann got two hits in his debut, homered in his second game and has been in the big leagues ever since. It was exciting. A similar buzz was generated when the likes of Jeff Francoeur, Martin Prado, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Andrelton Simmons and Alex Wood jumped directly from Pearl to The Show. Now it’s Dansby Swanson’s turn. The former No. 1 pick (in the 2015 draft by Arizona) is expected to make his Atlanta debut at shortstop tonight at Turner Field. If you’re a Braves fan, you’ll be watching. Swanson can play the game. As one MLB Network analyst said recently, he’s not an “aircraft carrier.” But, in the mold of a Martin Prado, he can do a lot of things to win games, something the Braves need help with. Swanson hit .261 with eight homers, 45 RBIs and six steals during his too-short time with the M-Braves. He is smooth on defense. Atlanta might be a couple of years away from contending again, but Swanson, like McCann in his day, is a key building block going forward. … Meanwhile, the team Swanson left behind starts a homestand tonight bearing down on a second-half title in the Southern League South. Swanson’s departure could be a tough break for the M-Braves, reminiscent of the time (1987) when the New York Mets took Gregg Jefferies from the Jackson club just before the Texas League postseason. But the M-Braves still have the player who might fit the bill as their “aircraft carrier.” Outfielder Dustin Peterson, who has been in Pearl all season, is a legit league MVP candidate, batting .292 (.450 slugging percentage) with 11 homers and 81 RBIs. P.S. Kade Scivicque, the ex-Southwest Mississippi Community College standout picked up by Atlanta in the Erick Aybar trade, is a nice addition to the system. A solid defensive catcher with a good bat, Scivicque was playing at high Class A Lakeland for Detroit and should be ready for Double-A soon.