Have you hit 433 home runs? Well he has.....

I can still remember watching a new call up for Atlanta in 2003. A tall skinny kid named Mike Hessman. 6'5" and only 215 lbs.

I saw his first hit as a big leaguer. A pinch hit homer.

 

 

He'd play 19 games that year, and 29 the next. Blocked by a pretty good team with lots of depth, he moved on. He played another 61 big league games over the next 6 years for the Tigers and the Mets.

 

But that's not the story. Hundreds, if not thousands of players can lay claim to that story. What sets apart Mike Hessman from all of those others is what he's done elsewhere.

 

Places like Oklahoma City; Louisville, Ky.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Greenville, S.C.; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Macon, Ga.; Richmond and Danville, Va. to Aragua, Venezuela; Culiacan, Mexico; Osaka, Japan; and Beijing. Oh, and Toledo.

Toledo is where Mike, playing for the Mud Hens, hit his 433rd homer of his minor league career, breaking the record held by Buzz Arlett. Buzz held the record for over 80 years.

 

So maybe some would say that the Braves 15th round pick in 1996 didn't turn out.
Others, like me,  would say he did pretty damn good.

Congrats Mike.

Do You Follow Minor League Players?

That's the question. I'm not talking about the Strasburgs and Harpers of the world. Fox, ESPN and Topps force us to know about those guys.

I'm talking the A ball, AA ball, and AAA guys from your favourite team. Do you know who that hard hitting SS is down in High A?

I'm asking because when I was at the card shop last night, the owner handed me a gift from under his counter.

A nice, shiny card of Braves prospect Kyle Kubitza.

 An Artist's Proof card #/49. Very cool.

A buddy of mine immediately asked me if Kyle was any good. I had to admit I had no idea. He played rookie ball for our low A club in Danville last season after being drafted in the 3rd round of the 2011 draft.

Should I know this? Do you other Braves fans know of him?
Do you follow your team that closely?