Devil Rays give indication of potential call to Haines

Talley Haines is most likely going to start his sixth professional baseball season in the minor leagues, but the Central High School graduate appears to be inching closer and closer to a spot in "The Show."

Haines, a right-handed pitcher in the Tampa Bay organization, appeared in a major-league game for the first time Tuesday when the Devil Rays played a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Haines, a 1995 Central graduate who played at both Southeast Missouri State University and Freed-Hardeman in Tennessee, tossed two perfect innings and struck out two.

Selected in the 25th round of the 1998 baseball draft, Haines had suited up for a major-league spring training game on quite a few occasions over the years but never was put into the contest.

This time, however, Haines was told before the game that he was going to pitch, evidently meaning Tampa Bay officials wanted to see what he could do against the best and under pressure in case he's considered for the big-league roster at some point.

Haines, the son of longtime Southeast track coach Joey Haines, has put up solid minor-league numbers over the years, and he expects to begin his second season as a middle reliever with the Triple A Durham Bulls.

But if any of the Devil Rays' middle relievers falter during the season, it's not out of the question Haines would be among the top contenders for a call-up.

As somebody who knows Haines well and has been rooting for him since he signed his first professional contract, I'm hoping that happens.

While Haines had one of his biggest professional baseball thrills Tuesday, a day later the news was not so good for another former area diamond star.

Jeremy Johnson, an outfielder who finished his career at Southeast in 2000 as one of the program's all-time greats, was released Wednesday by the Toronto Blue Jays organization.

Johnson, a 26th-round draft pick in 2000, had a brilliant rookie pro season when he was the Pioneer League MVP. But he missed most of the last two seasons with shoulder injuries, which apparently led the Blue Jays to give up on him.

Johnson is still young enough to hook up with another organization, and hopefully he'll get that opportunity. Like Haines, Johnson is a class act, and here's wishing him the best.

Granted, the competition has not been too rugged in recent days, but Southeast's baseball team has recovered from a slow start against a brutal early schedule to compile a seven-game winning streak.

The 10-8 Indians, who swept a Saturday doubleheader from NAIA Missouri Valley College, visit Southern Illinois on Wednesday and then play their first Ohio Valley Conference series next weekend when Tennessee Tech visits Capaha Field.

As the Indians shoot for their second straight OVC regular-season and tournament titles, their biggest question mark is pitching since graduation hit last year's excellent staff hard.

Southeast's pitchers have shown marked improvement in recent weeks, and if that trend continues, the Indians should indeed have a strong chance of fulfilling their preseason status as the OVC's top squad.

Speaking of Southeast baseball, a couple of new features for home games have only added to the fun for the many fans who follow the Indians at Capaha Field.

The Diamond Dolls, a group of six attractive Southeast female students who serve as bat girls, are a great addition to the program. I'm sure that "attractive" comment qualifies me as a male chauvinist, but what the heck, sue me.

Another nice touch is organ player Jeremy Boyer, a Southeast student who performs some great tunes to get the crowd hyped.

Fans of college track and field need to mark Friday and Saturday on their calendars. That's when the 22nd annual All-Sport Classic will be held at the Abe Stuber Complex in Cape Girardeau. It's always one of the highlights of Southeast's track season.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.