totally random, vol. 2.9

Today’s subject: Bob Didier. The Hattiesburg native reached the major leagues in 1969 at the age of 20, helping the Atlanta Braves win the National League West as their regular catcher. Didier, a switch-hitter who was drafted in the fourth round by the Braves in 1967, batted .256, drove in 32 runs and scored 30 in 114 games as a rookie. But whatever he had that year, he quickly lost. He batted just .149 in 1970 and .219 in 1971 as first Hal King and then Earl Williams displaced him behind the plate. Didier wound up moving to Detroit in 1973 and then finishing his career with Boston in ’74. Final batting average: .229. He never homered in the majors. He spent many years as a manager in the minor leagues.
P.S. Tyler Pastornicky was the 58th Mississippi Braves alumnus to rise to the major leagues, though he did not play a game in Atlanta last season. He figures to be the starting shortstop on opening day, however. Who’ll be the next M-Braves alum to make The Show? Watch out for Gorkys Hernandez and Paul Clemens. Hernandez, who played a splendid center field and hit .310 for the 2009 M-Braves, is on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster and will vie for a job this spring. Clemens, among the plethora of strong arms that passed through Pearl last summer, is on Houston’s 40-man. The rebuilding Astros might have a spot for him very soon. … Two of Ole Miss’ prep recruits for 2013 made Baseball America’s preseason All-America first team: catcher Stryker Trahan from Lafayette, La., and infielder Gavin Cecchini from Lake Charles, La. A third Rebels recruit, right-hander Ty Hensley of Edmond, Okla., was a second-team pick. The only Mississippian on the chart is Petal outfielder Anthony Alford, a Southern Miss signee who made the BA third team.