MiLB.com
The Major League trade deadline saw Zack Bird change organizations, time zones and an entire Minor League classification, and in the end, he ended up at home. Literally. The Jackson, Mississippi native woke up in his own house and then stood out on the mound for his new club, not allowing a run on two hits over 5 2/3 innings in his Atlanta organization debut as Double-A Mississippi fell to visiting Montgomery, 1-0, in 10 innings on Monday.
"There's been a lot of attention paid to me coming back to the hometown team in two ways -- hometown organization with the Braves and the literal hometown team with the Double-A affiliate," Bird said. "Getting promoted with a new organization, it's a lot to try to soak in at once. I've tried my best to push it aside."
Bird had just finished pitching for Murrah High School, roughly six miles away from Trustmark Park, when the Dodgers drafted him in the ninth round of 2012. Three years later, he was part of last week's three-team trade between the Dodgers, Braves and Marlins. Bird made 19 appearances (17 starts) for Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga to start the year, going 5-7 with a 4.75 ERA. On Monday, in his first start away from the Dodgers system, he found himself in very familiar surroundings.
"I definitely didn't have to find a host family or anywhere to live," he said. "It's a lot going into it, but I think, overall, it did help me. I'm in a stadium I'm familiar with. I'm in my own bed at home with my mom cooking breakfast. It's a luxury that 99 percent of guys don't have."
With the comforts of home starting the day, Bird quickly settled in for his new club. The 21-year-old walked three and struck out only two, but faced multiple baserunners in an inning just once.
"It was a good start overall," the Braves' No. 13 prospect said. "Any time you can throw 5 2/3 zeros, it's a good start. I was a little bit erratic in the first inning. I walked two guys, but my catcher Braeden [Schlehuber] really helped me out as far as pitch selection. My infield, they really came up and made some big plays. They didn't misplay any balls.
"I wasn't able to put away a lot of guys [with strikeouts], but I was able to get early outs using my changeup and my fastball."
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TUESDAY SCHEDULE
ALL TIMES EDT
CLASS AAA
Gwinnett 5, Rochester 2
SP: Marimon 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.
WP: Da. Peterson (2-0) 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.
Mazzano (Save, 1) 0.1 IP, 0 H.
Cunningham 3-4, R, SB; M. Smith 2-4, 2B, 2 R, SB: Hunter 2-4, HR (9th), 3 RBI.
CLASS AA
Mississippi 7, Montgomery 6
SP: Janas 4 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 0 K.
Harper 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.
WP: Hursh (3-6) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.
Ruiz 2-5, RBI; Hyams 1-4, 3B, R, BB; Rohm 2-3, 2 R, 3 RBI; Landori 2-5, 2B, 2 R, RBI.
ADVANCED CLASS A
Winston-Salem 4, Carolina 2
LP: Walters (5-5) 4.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K.
Curcio 2-4, 2B, 3B, R; Lien 1-3, R, BB, SB.
CLASS A
Savannah 20, Rome 3
LP: Quintana (2-4) 1.1 IP, 7 H, 8 ER, 1 BB, 0 K.
Grosser 1 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K.
Edgerton 1-5; Baez 2-4, 2B, R; Oliver 2-4, 3B, 3 RBI.
SHORT-SEASON
Princeton 4, Danville 3
SP: Withrow 4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K.
LP: Dill (1-2) 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K.
Riley 2-3, 2 R, HR (1st), RBI, E (6th); Hoekstra 1-4, 2B, RBI; Didder 1-5, 3B, R.
Game One
GCL Braves 5, GCL Phillies 4 (8)
SP: Falcon 3 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K.
Rangel 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K.
WP: Geekie (2-0) 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.
Acuna 1-2, 2 R, HR (4th), RBI. Walkoff HR in 8th.
Salazar 2-4, 3B; Morales 1-3, HR (2nd), 2 RBI.
Game Two
GCL Phillies 3, GCL Braves 1 (7)
LP: Avalos (1-3) 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K.
Pina 3-3, 2B.
DSL Braves 9, DSL Marlins 5
SP: Jh. Diaz 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K.
WP: F. Sanchez (3-0) 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.
Taveras (Save, 5) 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K.
Ventura 2-5, R, RBI, SB; Contreras 1-3, 2B, R, 2 RBI; Michel 2-5, 2B, 2 R, RBI; Josephina 2-3, R, RBI.
Hessman Finally Ascends to Minors HR Throne
When Mike Hessman stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded in the seventh inning Monday, he wasn't thinking about changing history books. He just wanted to change the scoreboard.
"The home run was the last thing on my mind, to be honest," the Tigers farmhand said. "We were down a couple runs, so I just wanted to make sure that we got one of those runs in and help the team get closer."
Hessman accomplished both with a go-ahead grand slam to break the Minor League all-time home run record, his 433rd career blast. The California native had been hitless since tying Buzz Arlett for the record on July 29, but it wasn't due to nerves.
"I've actually been swinging the bat really well, probably the best I felt in a long time. I was hitting some balls well in Louisville, but didn't get a hit the whole series," he said. "It was weird, I think I put more pressure when I was one short. I had more pressure trying to get that one than the go-ahead one here, so I was actually a little more relaxed when this one was approaching."
His comfort at the plate showed in his first at-bat, when he led off the second with a single to left field. He went hitless in his next two at-bats. Then in the seventh, Hessman took a 2-0 offering from Dustin McGowan for a no-doubt shot over the left-center field wall and erased a 79-year-old record.
For the season, the veteran slugger leads the Mud Hens and is tied for third in the International League with 16 long balls and has produced a .217/.332/.432 slash line. Hessman's 19-year-career began when the Atlanta Braves selected him in the 15th round of the 1996 Draft. He started out in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 1996 and has logged 13 Minor League seasons with 20 or more homers.
Outside of his Minor League success, the California native has 14 homers in "The Show," having played 109 games with the Braves (2003-04), Tigers (07-08) and Mets (2010), and he slugged six roundtrippers in 2011 for the Orix Buffaloes in Japan.
Arlett played 13 of his 19 professional seasons with the Pacific Coast League's Oakland Oaks, hitting 251 homers for them. He slugged 18 for the Phillies in 1932, belted his final Minor League home run in 1936 and retired in 1937 at age 38. Next up for Hessman would be catching North American Minor League home run leader Hector Espino, who is credited with hitting 484 dingers in Mexico. Nelson Barrera (479), Andres Mora (444) and Alejandro "Alex" Ortiz (434) also are ahead of Hessman on that list.
