BancorpSouth Increases Quarterly Dividend 21 Pct.

BancorpSouth Bank’s board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 17 cents per common share. That represents an increase of 3 cents per common share, or 21.4 percent, compared to the most recent dividend paid on July 2.

The dividend is payable Oct. 1 to shareholders at the close of business on Sept. 14.

Last week, BancorpSouth reported record financial results for Q2 2018. Net income was $54 million (or 55 cents per diluted share) and net operating income was $55.6 million (or 56 cents per diluted share).

According to Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. data, BancorpSouth is the fifth largest bank in the Memphis market based on deposits.

Headquartered in Tupelo, BancorpSouth has approximately $17 billion in assets.

It operates about 280 full-service branch locations, as well as additional mortgage, insurance and loan production offices in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas, including an insurance location in Illinois.

— Daily News staff

New Gym Opening In East Memphis

SHED Fitness has signed a lease to occupy 4,055 square feet at 1215 Ridgeway Road.

Marcus Esposito and Maureen Shorter Esposito, the local franchise owners, are currently building out their Park Place location, which is expected to open in August.

In the deal, landlord Loeb Properties Inc. was represented by vice president of brokerage Aaron Petree.

At SHED Fitness, participants are led through 3 to 5 stations of moderate to high intensity exercises for a total class time of 50 minutes. Private classes are also available.

– Patrick Lantrip

IP Beats Earnings Estimates in Q2

Memphis-based International Paper Co. reported second quarter net earnings of $405 billion, or 97 cents per diluted share Thursday, July 26. The earnings compare to $80 million in the second quarter of 2018, or 19 cents per diluted share.

The profit of $1.19 a share excluding special items was ahead of the consensus analysts’ estimate of $1.09 a share.

The company’s net sales of $5.8 billion for April - June increased 8.4 percent from a year ago, just about where analysts thought they would be. Net sales for the quarter compare to $5.4 billion in the second quarter a year ago.

IP chairman and CEO Mark Sutton called it a “very strong second quarter.”

“We had outstanding commercial performance, with sequential volume growth and price realization across our three businesses,” Sutton added.

Special items included a $12 million pre-tax charge for the costs associated with International Paper’s attempt to acquire Smurfit Kappa of Ireland. IP withdrew its proposed $10.4 billion bid in June.

– Bill Dries

Democratic Candidates For Governor at Town Hall Friday

The Shelby County Democratic Party will host a Democratic Primary Gubernatorial Town Hall Friday July 27, at 6 p.m. at Fairley High School, 4950 Fairley Road.

It will feature Democratic primary candidates for governor, Karl Dean and Craig Fitzhugh, and will be moderated by Tajuan Scott Stout Mitchell. Candidates will discuss their views on a variety of issues that affect Tennessee.

There will be a series of prepared questions as well as questions solicited from the audience. This event is free and open to the public

For more information, contact Regina Perry at 901-834-2554 or secretary@shelbydem.org.

– Daily News staff

New Choose901 Designs Debut at Pop-Up Shop

School starts back in a few weeks and Choose901 wants to make sure students are repping the Bluff City.

On Friday and Saturday, Aug. 3-4, Choose901 is setting up its annual Back 2 School Pop-Up Shop at Ballet Memphis in Overton Square, where students can shop Memphis-themed T-shirts, hats, totes, backpacks, duffle bags and patches, among other merchandise.

Kyle Taylor, who joined Choose901 and City Leadership as creative director this spring, will debut his designs at this year’s Back 2 School Pop-Up Shop.

Several guest vendors are also anticipated to be announced at a later date.

Visit choose901.com and follow Choose901 on Instagram and Facebook for design previews and additional details.

The Choose901 Back 2 School Pop-Up Shop is cash-free. It accepts payment by debit/credit cards only.

Parking will not be available in the Ballet Memphis lot. Attendees are encouraged to park in the Overton Square Parking Garage and surrounding lots and streets.

– Daily News staff

Gaming Convention Raises $2.8 Million for St. Jude

A two-day gaming convention in Tampa, Florida, raised enough money to cover the daily operating cost at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Now in its third year, GuardianCon brings fans and gaming industry professionals together for two days where they can interact among educational panels, live-streamed gaming exhibitions and industry vendors.

Leading up to the convention, organizers host a week-long, live-streamed gaming marathon with proceeds and donations benefiting St. Jude. Celebrity gamers live-stream their own fundraising broadcasts with antics such as getting tattoos or dying their hair for donations.

This year, participants exceeded a goal of raising the $2.4 million cost of operating the hospital for one day, raising more than $2.8 million to support St. Jude.

Popular streamers DrLupo and Ninja were among the gaming marathon hosts with DrLupo raising $659,300 for the event, and Ninja raising $580,800.

“We want to show the world that gaming can be a platform for doing great things,” said Ben Bowman, co-creator of GuardianCon. “Supporting St. Jude does just that.

"We wanted to support a charity that does good internationally, and St. Jude freely shares its research around the world, while also providing care to patients and families free of charge. It’s a perfect fit for us.”

Richard Shadyac Jr., president and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude, said he is thankful for the nonprofit’s relationship with GuardianCon over the past three years, which has raised $4.7 million total.

“This event has helped bridge the gap to a new industry for us, and we are excited to see the good that gaming will do to impact charitable giving in the future,” Shadyac said.

– Daily News staff

Boscos Makes Return To Germantown

After a 16-year absence, Germantown residents no longer have to leave their city to enjoy Boscos beer and pizza.

Per an agreement with the recently inked Saddle Creek Beer Garden inside the former Grimaldi’s space, customers will now be able to get a revolving door of locally brewed Boscos beers.

Boscos has also partnered with the 9 Dough 1 food truck to offer three of their pizzas, including the “Germantown Purist.”

Running through the fall, the Saddle Creek Beer Garden opens at 4 p.m. every Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sundays.

For the inaugural weekend beginning Friday, July 27, Boscos Famous Flaming Stone, Bombay IPA, and Tennessee Cream Ale will be served.

– Patrick Lantrip

Grizzlies’ Preseason Home Schedule Starts Oct. 5

The Memphis Grizzlies have announced their 2018-19 preseason schedule, featuring three home games at FedExForum. The Grizzlies will host the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, Oct. 5, the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, Oct. 6 and the Houston Rockets in the preseason finale on Friday, Oct. 12. All preseason home games will tip-off at 7 p.m.

The Grizzlies will open their preseason schedule on Tuesday, Oct. 2 at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, against the Houston Rockets at 7 p.m. Memphis also will travel to Orlando to play the Magic on Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 6 p.m., CT.

FOX Sports Southeast will televise the home preseason contests. Memphis’ preseason home games will also stream on the FOX Sports App. In addition, all five preseason games will be broadcast on 92.9 FM ESPN.

– Don Wade

U of M Begins $10.6M Upgrade to Athletic Facility

Turner Construction Co. is beginning the first phase of a $10.6 million expansion and renovation of the University of Memphis’ athletic training facility on its Park Avenue campus.

The project is the first segment of the Indoor Football Practice Facility, which will expand the Billy J. Murphy Athletic Complex by 25,000 square feet and includes the renovation of adjacent areas within the complex.

The football team and other Tigers squads use the facility for training. The project is expected to be complete in a year.

The new space will include a multipurpose room, team training room, rehab and recovery stations, hot and cold therapy pools, coaches’ locker room and equipment storage on the first floor, along with coaches’ offices, recruiting and support spaces on the second floor. Also working on the project: Fleming Architects, Burr & Cole Consulting Engineers Inc. (civil/structural) and HNA Engineering PLLC (mechanical/plumbing/electrical).

The Tigers ranked in the top 25 for the final nine weeks of the 2017 season. The team is coming off a West Division title in the American Athletic Conference and has appeared in four consecutive bowl games heading into the 2018 season.

“As Memphis Athletics continues to grow into a top-tier national sports program, we knew that we needed a facility that will enable our student-athletes to train to their highest potential,” said Tony Poteet, assistant vice president of campus planning and design for the University of Memphis.

– Don Wade

American Snuff Gives To Agape’s Homeless Ministry

The Memphis-based maker of Grizzly dipping tobacco is supporting nonprofit efforts to help families fleeing domestic violence.

American Snuff Co., a Memphis-based manufacturer of smokeless tobacco products, recently donated $10,000 to local nonprofit Agape Child & Family Services’ Families in Transition (FIT) program, which serves homeless and imminently homeless families, particularly those fleeing domestic violence.

The funds will support Agape in providing homeless families with transitional housing, counseling, life skills, parenting skills, job readiness training, education support and budgeting guidance.

“This generous support will help homeless families in Memphis on their path to self-sufficiency,” said David Jordan, president and CEO of Agape Child & Family Services. “We are honored that gifts from community partners like American Snuff Co. allow us to expand and deepen our services so that we can reach even more local families.”

In the past year, Agape has served 156 homeless and imminently homeless individuals.

The FIT program is intentionally housed in apartment communities in under-resourced areas including Frayser, Hickory Hill and Whitehaven. Of the families served by Agape’s FIT program in the past year, none of the families returned to homelessness and 100 percent of the children served by the program were promoted to the next grade level.

– Daily News staff

ServiceMaster Names American Home Shield CFO

Memphis-based ServiceMaster Global Holdings Inc. has named Brian K. Turcotte as chief financial officer of American Home Shield ahead of the spinoff of AHS.

Turcotte comes to the post from being vice president of investor relations and treasurer for ServiceMaster. He has also served as business unit chief financial officer for American Home Shield and the Franchise Services Group.

Turcotte was also heavily involved in ServiceMaster’s initial public offering in 2014.

ServiceMaster is preparing to spinoff the home warranty business .

– Bill Dries

Downtown Slider Inn Location Moves Forward

A building permit application was filed July 24 for renovations to an existing building at 363 Mulberry St. for tenant Slider Inn.

Last September, the Memphis Landmarks Commission approved plans for the restaurant in the South Main Historic Arts District.

The July 24 permit was valued at $800,000. Archimania was listed as the architect, Ybos & Sons Construction Inc. was listed as the general contractor.

The single-story building was once home to a vintage automobile storage and service garage.

– Daily News staff

$3.5M Building Permit For Former Toof Building

The Toof American Digital building on Cooper Street could be the latest vacant Midtown property to be revitalized.

Grinder Taber & Grinder Inc. has filed a $3.5 million permit to renovate the former Toof building at 670 S. Cooper St. for a new tenant.

In January, Lehman-Roberts Co., a Memphis-based highway paving company that has served the Mid-South for nearly 80 years, bought the 3.3-acre light manufacturing site for $2.3 million.

Earlier this year, Toof moved from its namesake building in Midtown to a 24,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution facility off of Lamar Avenue, as reported by The Memphis Daily News in April.

Toof’s five-year lease negotiation involved NAI Saig Co. vice president and business manager Hank Martin on behalf of landlord Net Magan, and Henry Stratton of Colliers International representing Toof.

Steve Landwehr, a principal at Fleming Architects, is listed as the architect for the renovation of the Toof building. Lehman-Roberts is listed as a client on Fleming’s website.

Across the street, Memphis-based architecture firm Archimania is renovating the former home of the Sheet Metal Workers Union’s office into a mixed-use office development.

Local creative Firm Loaded For Bear has signed a long-term lease to occupy 3,500-square-foot of an adjoining former insurance office.

Lehman-Roberts Co. employs about 350 people between its two asphalt manufacturing plants in Shelby County and six in Mississippi, and its sister company Memphis Stone & Gravel Co.’s six local sand and gravel mines.

– Daily News staff

City Council Delays Sale Of Lamar Fire Station

The Memphis City Council delayed a vote Tuesday, July 24, on the sale of a city fire station at the intersection of Lamar Avenue, Kimball and Pendleton for $307,000 to a developer who wants to build a convenience store-gas station at the site.

Council member Jamita Swearengen, whose district includes the area, said she was concerned about another convenience store with gas pumps at the intersection.

The council approved the sale of two other pieces of surplus city property including a former police horse stable on Barksdale Street near Union Avenue for $406,000 to Lexington Asset Management. The Memphis company plans to renovate the circa 1910 two-story building and use it as the company’s executive officers. The second property is the former offices of the city’s Division of Housing and Community Development at 701 N. Main St. bought by Wolf River Harbor Holdings LLC for $452,500 as part of a larger multi-family development along the eastern side of the harbor.

In other planning and development items, the council approved an 11-lot single family residential development at the northwest corner of Kirby Parkway and Sulgrave Drive, a parking area on two vacant lots on the southwest corner of Valleybrook Drive and Alladin Avenue and a six-lot single-family residential development at 5499 Park Ave.

– Bill Dries

Local Sushi Chain Renovating Old TGI Fridays

A plumbing permit has been filed to begin remodeling the closed TGI Fridays on Winchester Avenue.

The permit was filed by North Eastern Plumbing Co. LLC and did not provide additional details other than a description of “remodel restaurant.”

The property is owned by Redfish & Co. Inc., a chain of Asian and sushi restaurants owned by Shon and Dana Lin.

The Lins bought the vacated restaurant under the name Lin’s Investments LLC for $1.5 million in February. They then sold it to Redfish & Co. in May for the same price.

The Lins own Redfish Sushi & Asian Bistro locations in Memphis, Lakeland and Olive Branch, Mississippi.

The Memphis location, in the former 19th Century Club building on Union Avenue, was previously Izakaya, an upscale French-Asian concept that has since been rebranded as a Redfish.

– Daily News staff

Mueller Industries’ Profits Climb in Second Quarter

Mueller Industries Inc. recorded a second-quarter profit of $33.2 million, or 58 cents per diluted share, the Memphis-based company announced Tuesday, July 24.

Profit is up by about 20 percent compared to last year’s second quarter, when the industrial manufacturer of copper and copper alloy reported a profit of $27.6 million, or 48 cents per diluted share.

Mueller’s total sales are also up by nearly 8 percent, with second-quarter revenues reaching $662.8 million, compared with $614.3 million for the same quarter last year.

The increase in sales was impacted by higher copper prices, with the average price of Comex copper 51 cents per pound higher than during the second quarter of last year.

“Our outlook remains positive as economic conditions remain supportive of our businesses,” said Mueller CEO Greg Christopher. “As performance gradually improves in our Fulton (Mississippi) and Cedar City (Utah) copper tube mills, we continue to recover volume and share of market lost during our modernization efforts.”

Mueller has been modernizing the Fulton copper tube mill and opened the Cedar City mill in June 2017.

“We are excited about our most recent acquisition, Atco Flex,” Christopher added. “Atco is an excellent addition to our climate products portfolio and will contribute to our goal of becoming a more valuable resource to our HVAC and refrigeration customer base. Customer support of the acquisition has been extremely favorable.”

Earlier this month, Mueller announced it acquired Fort Worth, Texas-based Atco Rubber Products Inc. in a $162.8 million deal. The company manufactures and distributes insulated flexible duct systems used in heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems.

Mueller Industries consists of a network across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, South Korea, the Middle East and China. In addition to copper products, Mueller also produces goods made from aluminum, steel and plastics.

– Daily News staff

Grizzlies Make Minor Trade With Orlando Magic

The Memphis Grizzlies have traded forward Jarrell Martin, a 2015 first-round draft pick, for center Dakari Johnson and the draft rights to guard Tyler Harvey. Memphis also included cash considerations as part of the deal.

The Grizzlies had need for a backup center after previously trading Deyonta Davis to Sacramento. Johnson, a 255-pound 7-footer, played in 31 games for Oklahoma City last season and averaged 1.8 points and 1.1 rebounds in 5.2 minutes. Johnson, 22, spent three seasons playing in the Thunder’s G League team. He was the 48th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. The Magic had just acquired Johnson prior to the deal with Memphis.

Harvey competed in France last season. He was the 51st overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. He also has played in the G League.

Martin, 24, averaged 6.2 points and 4.0 rebounds in 142 games for Memphis over three seasons. He was the 25th overall pick, out of LSU, in the 2015 draft.

– Don Wade

Five Tigers Selected To AAC 5th Anniversary Team

The University of Memphis had five players named to the American Athletic Conference’s Fifth Anniversary Team, including junior All-American Tony Pollard.

Also named to the squad were Pollard’s former teammates Genard Avery, All-Americans Jake Elliott and Anthony Miller, and 2013 Ray Guy Award winner Tom Hornsey.

Avery (2014-17) graduated from the University of Memphis in December 2017 and was drafted in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns as the 150th overall pick. A two-time first team all-conference honoree, Avery set the school single season record with 22.0 tackles for loss as a senior. His 21.5 sacks are third in program history.

Elliott (2013-16) was a two-time AAC Special Teams Player of the Year, a 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-American and a 2015 USA Today first-team All-American. He led Memphis in scoring for all four seasons and broke the school’s all-time scoring record with 445 points in 2016. Drafted in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, Elliott was signed off the Bengals’ practice squad by the Philadelphia Eagles and was part of the Eagles squad that won Super Bowl LII in 2018.

Hornsey (2010-13), a punter, played one season in the AAC, but started a Memphis domination of the AAC Special Teams Player of the Year Award that has carried through the five years of the league’s existence. The Geelong, Australia, native received the 2013 Ray Guy Award after averaging 45.2 yards.

Miller (2015-17) was an NCAA Consensus All-American after last season and left Memphis with virtually every school receiving record. He set single game, single season and career marks in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown catches. He is the only player in Tiger history to have passed the 1,000-yard season receiving mark twice. Drafted in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, Miller was a two-time all-conference honoree.

Pollard is the two-time defending AAC Special Teams Player of the Year and was named a Walter Camp, Phil Steele and FWAA first team All-American as a sophomore.Last year, Pollard led the NCAA in kickoff return yards average and shared the lead with four KOR touchdowns. Also a threat at wide receiver and running back, Pollard has returned a school record six kickoffs for touchdowns and enters his junior campaign with 3,183 all-purpose yards, third in program history.

– Don Wade

Discount Home Goods Store Joins Retail Center

The first Home Centric in the market, a discount home goods store owned by Beall’s Inc., is on its way to Shops of Forest Hill in Germantown.

The 14,400-square-foot retailer will be located next to Sprouts Farmers Market in the Target-anchored shopping center at the corner of Poplar Avenue and Forest Hill-Irene Road.

Home Centric’s buyers offer an ever-changing assortment of value-priced home products, including furniture, home decor, kitchenware, linens, beauty products, luggage and electronics.

Items are discounted up to 70 percent off other stores’ prices. The store is anticipated to open in September with a grand opening event Sept. 27-30, in which the first 150 customers in line will receive a scratch-off card. One customer each day will win a $250 shopping spree.

Home Centric signed its lease with landlord and owner Epic Real Estate Partners on April 17.

The Shopping Center Group’s Robert Sloan and Dustin Jones facilitated the deal on behalf of the landlord.

With the Home Centric lease, the 348,000-square-foot Shops of Forest Hill is nearly 90 percent leased. Available space includes a 25,000-square-foot box space as well as shop space ranging from 1,200 to 5,000 square feet. Other tenants include Malco Theatres, Marshalls, Soul Fish Cafe and Cork’s Wine & Spirits.

– Daily News staff

MAAR CEO Stepping Down

Memphis Area Association of Realtors CEO Melanie Blakeney has announced she is resigning from her post effective Oct. 8.

Blakeney has been with MAAR for the past 19 years, including a stint heading up the MAAR Commercial Council. She’s served as CEO since Dec. 1, 2011.

“I have a lot of great memories working with some tremendously dedicated professionals,” Blakeney said in a statement. “It was not an easy decision to leave, but I know MAAR will continue to thrive.”

MAAR’s board of directors will start a search committee to choose the next CEO.

“Change is inevitable in every industry and we will treat this change as an opportunity for further growth in service to greater Memphis,” Lauren Wiuff, MAAR president, said.

– Patrick Lantrip

TIF Designation Could Bring Poplar Improvements

With several office, hotel and mixed-use projects planned along the Poplar Corridor, a group of property owners want a public financing subsidy to help pay for infrastructure improvements.

The Poplar Corridor Business District Association of Owners, a nonprofit formed by several Poplar Avenue property owners for the purpose of “improving the economy, aesthetics and quality of life within the Poplar Corridor Business District,” is asking the Economic Development Growth Engine for Memphis and Shelby County board to establish a tax increment financing district immediately east and west of Interstate 240, according to documents made publicly available Monday, July 23.

The nonprofit wants to facilitate several projects within the Poplar Corridor Business District, including a mixed-use development consisting of office, retail and hotel on Briarcrest Avenue; an office development on International Place; an office development at 860 Ridge Lake Blvd.; a senior living apartment development at 6300 Briarcrest Ave.; and a mixed-use development consisting of office, retail and hotel at 5900 Poplar Ave.

According to the resolution document to be considered by the EDGE board Wednesday, July 25, the projects and future development are not feasible without significant investment in new and improved infrastructure in the area, including road improvements, new pedestrian walkways, traffic signalization, utility pole replacement, street lights, gateway signage and streetscapes.

The revenues from the TIF district, which captures the property tax revenue increase after the base year of a defined set of parcels, would be used to pay for a portion of infrastructure construction and installation costs.

Wednesday’s EDGE board meeting begins at 3 p.m. at Memphis Bioworks Foundation.

The Poplar Corridor Business District Association of Owners also plans to present its proposal to the Memphis City Council and Shelby County Board of Commissioners.

– Daily News staff

Grizzlies Sign Watanabe, Waive Myke Henry

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed rookie forward Yuta Watanabe to a two-way contract.

Watanabe (6-foot-9, 205) joined the Brooklyn Nets’ summer league team after going unselected in the 2018 NBA Draft. He averaged 9.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.60 blocks in 24.0 minutes in five games (two starts) during the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2018 in Las Vegas.

A native of Kagawa, Japan, the 23-year-old came to the United States in 2013 and played four years (2014-18) at George Washington University, where he became the first Japanese-born student-athlete to earn an NCAA Division I men’s basketball scholarship.

Watanabe was named the 2017-18 Atlantic 10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year as a senior after starting all 33 games and averaging 16.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.64 blocks in 36.6 minutes.

The Grizzlies also have waived guard/forward Myke Henry. Henry, 25, came off the bench in 20 games as a rookie for the Grizzlies last season and averaged 5.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.55 steals in 18.9 minutes after being signed to a two-way contract Jan. 13.

The Grizzlies also have been talking with veteran free agent guard Shelvin Mack about a one-year deal, according to espn.com. Mack has played for five different teams in seven seasons, averaging 6.4 points, 3.1 assists and shooting 32.6 percent from 3-point range.

– Don Wade

IP, Museum Seek Junior Equal Rights Advocates

Memphis-based International Paper Co. and the National Civil Rights Museum are looking for Memphis-area teens who are demonstrating a commitment to ensuring equal rights and opportunities for all.

Applications are open for this year’s Keeper of the Dream award through Sept. 8. Now in its 16th year, the award mirrors the National Civil Rights Museum Freedom Award, which recognizes men and women for their work in the struggle for civil and human rights, but for 6th-12th grade students.

“The Keeper of the Dream award recognizes students who are role models for all of us,” said Bathsheba Sams, International Paper’s vice president of human resources and board member of the National Civil Rights Museum. “Their enthusiasm for making a difference in the community is contagious and reinforces that we can make a difference at any age.”

Each winner will receive $500, a trophy and a one-year family membership for up to five people to the National Civil Rights Museum. There will be two winners in grades 6-8 and two in grades 9-12.

The application form, requirements and other details are available on the museum’s website, civilrightsmuseum.org. Relatives of International Paper and museum employees are not eligible.

The Keeper of the Dream award will be presented at the Freedom Award Student Forum on Oct. 17, the opening event for the National Civil Rights Museum Freedom Award celebration, which honors individuals worldwide for their work in the advancement of civil and human rights.

The forum allows students and educators the opportunity to hear from trailblazers fighting for civil rights.

– Daily News staff

O’Neill Hits 3 Home Runs In Redbirds Victory

Outfielder Tyler O’Neill blasted three home runs in the Memphis Redbirds’ 7-4 win over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Brewers) Sunday afternoon, July 22, at AutoZone Park. Memphis is 64-37 on the season and in first place in its division in the Pacific Coast League.

O’Neill launched home runs in the first, third, and seventh innings in the win. In the first, Luke Voit hit a home run with one out, his eighth, before O’Neill followed suit with his 21st homer of the season. In the third inning, O’Neill came to the plate with two outs before launching his second bomb of the game. Adolis Garcia followed him two pitches later by launching his 13th homer of the season. It was the second time this season the Redbirds have gone back-to-back multiple times in one game.

The game was knotted up heading into the seventh when Memphis put it away. Patrick Wisdom led off the inning with a single, and moved to second on a sac bunt. Wisdom came around to score on Voit’s RBI single, giving the Redbirds the lead for good. O’Neill was up next, and launched a no-doubter over the left field wall to give him his first-career three home run game.

O’Neill is now one of six players in Memphis history to hit three home runs in a game. He joins Chris Haas, Bill Selby, Rick Ankiel, Josh Phelps and Jamie Romak as the only players to accomplish the feat.

O’Neill has 23 home runs with Memphis and three with St. Louis this season. He is now tied with Jabari Blash of Salt Lake for the most home runs in the PCL.

– Don Wade