29 thoughts on “Friday recap”

1. what’s with D’Arby batting 8th? marson also got off to a good start. donald could be great trade bait if he has a good year. dom brown and cardenas were nice to see. this could be a break out year for both.

   LikeLike

2. 2 scoreless innings for Savage at Reading too, inheriting runners on second and third with nobody out and leaving them stranded. Very impressive.

   – Jeff

   LikeLike

3. Some opening night observations: 1) All Carpenter does is win. He won 19 including two in the FSL playoffs last year and wins game one of 08. Carp, as Brad Harman calls him, is now 20-6 in his last 30 appearances. 2) If Savery can ever cut down on his walks he will move quickly up the organization. While he had a similar pitching line of five shutout innings against Dunedin to top rated Tiger prospect Rick Porcella making his debut pitching for Lakeland against Tampa last nightin the FSL, Joe walked 5 with 7 K’s compared to Porcella’s 2 BB and 3 K’s.
   3) The Aussie battery in Lakewood did OK in defeat but Joel Naughton stood out by throwing out two runners. 4) After going 3 for 4 at Brighthouse Field, Adrian Cardenas seems poised to have an even bigger year for the Treshers than he did last year when he hit .295 for the Blue Claws. At the pitcher’s park in Lakewood he hit around 30 points lower than he did on the road last year. 5) Jason Donald may be held back by his defense but not by his hitting as he went 2 for 5 with a double and 2 rbi. He seemed to stuggle with the quickness needed at short in major league ST games and already has made his first throwing error in Reading’s opener. 6) Can the organization find a reliable lefthanded reliever? Matt German racked up 2 strikeouts in 2/3 of an inning in relief for the Threshers and Walter Tejeda struck out two in one inning for the Blue Claws.
   After a fascinating opening night it should be an interesting season down on the farm.

   LikeLike

4. Notwithstanding the losses, is everyone pumped, or what? Minor League Box Scores. Everyday. For the next Five months!!! And some real prospects to boot!!

   LikeLike

5. Ricky, what defines a winner? Or, what allows a pitcher to do nothing but win? I feel there are a lot of factors that go into winning a ballgame that the SP has very little to do with. I hate the term “winner”, almost as much as I hate “gritty”, “determined” and “feisty”. Another question, why is it that almost all gritty, determined, feisty winners are white? Just wondering.

   LikeLike

6. Good comment on Carpenter … “All he does is win.” He pitches to the flow of the games. He’ll get nailed every 6th game or so, but pitch well in the other 5.
   An example of a guy that just wins… Curt Schilling.

   LikeLike

7. Phuture Phils,

   Is it possible to post all of the minor league box scores on the site daily? Perhaps I’m being greedy, because after reading your site for the past 8 months or so, I already know a lot more about the minor league guys.

   If not, I can check them on my own using the links that you provided, but having all of the box scores posted in one place would make this site, which is a great tool already, even better, at least IMHO.

   LikeLike

8. oh man, not the grit debate.

   phillyesq, I can post them every day.

   LikeLike

9. How does Curt Schilling just win? In his prime, he was a great pitcher with great stuff. I think everybody would agree he was an ace, and that is the reason he has won a lot of games. Also, playing for two WS winning teams doesn’t hurt the win totals. What is the difference between Schilling and Sabathia, Santana or Martinez? They all have great stuff and all have won a lot of games. This blows my mind.

   LikeLike

10. good to see D’Arby play again since his injury, I think this will be his break out year. seen him play and it looks like he has gotten faster, super fast speed defensively in the outfield and running around the bases. he brings excitement to the game.

    LikeLike

11. When I think of someone dubbed “a winner”, I think that the player does not do any one thing outstanding that would explain why he wins as often as he does. He just always seems to be on the winning side of things. So you could say a “winner” is someone with a lot of luck. All of the pitchers you named earlier, Schilling, Sabathia, Martinez, and Santana are all very good pitchers and it is obvious why they win. Santana has a great change up, Schilling had a great fast ball, etc. I don’t think Schilling qualifies as a winner by my definition, he’s just a good pitcher.

    LikeLike

12. I guess with Schilling you could argue that he had the “mental toughness” to go along with two great pitches and a third good one. But he notoriously didn’t have his act together at the start of his career–he partied and didn’t work hard. He started enjoying success when, one, he began to take better care of his body, and two, he became a student of the game–studying hitters, thinking about pitch sequences, etc.

    I don’t think that’s “grit” so much as, I dunno, professionalism.

    LikeLike

13. Schilling doesn’t qualify as a winner?? He’s just the greatest post-season pitcher of all-time. It’s an 85% chance you lose to him in October. Sorry, those other 3 pitchers don’t hold up to Schilling as a winner. Pedro and Johan can never beat the Yankees in the playoffs. Schilling relishes that. Sabathia had 2 chances last October to beat Beckett (a winner). He failed. They gave the “Cy” to the wrong guy. If it weren’t for Schilling, Pedro wouldn’t have any rings.
    Here’s a question for you to see if you understand pitching: If you could bet on any game, what pitcher would you want on the mound?

    LikeLike

14. The key to any starting pitcher winning 20 games over a 12 month period is a good bullpen and defense. Carpenter’s bullpen from Clearwater last year is now at Reading and has been perfect. Savage last night and Bear Hill and Swindle tonight have yet to give up a run in their first relief appearances. On the other hand, Lakewood lost tonight because of poor defense, a Mattair error cost two unearned runs early and relief pitching unable to hold a 4-3 late after walking in the tieing run in the 8th giving up two more runs in the 9th. Good news is that Durant drove in three runs with a double and a homer in the losing cause. The play by play guys were surprised since it is rare that anyone hits one out at night in cold weather in April at the Lakewood park.

    LikeLike

15. In today’s game, I would want Beckett, Santana, or Webb. I have no idea who I would want on the mound if I could pick from any pitcher ever to play the game. The one thing I do know, is that I would not pick Schilling. Let me ask you a question to see if you understand baseball: If you could pick the career of Schilling or the unfinished career of Santana to start a baseball team, which would you choose? Also, I think Rickey said it very well, quite the opposite of what Bowa said.

    LikeLike

16. you not following the rest of the conversation. It originally talked about Carpenter, who WINS A LOT. Some other guy called him a winner, and by winner I don’t mean an all star who always wins (i.e. santana, schilling, etc) but winner as in a guy who win’s for no one particular reason. Meaning he doesn’t not have a 95 mph fast ball that he blowing past people or a mean change up or curveball that he baffles hitters with. He just managed to end up with a lot of wins. I don’t think the word was used to literally describe someone who has won a lot, so calm down.

    As far as who would i hand the ball to? Andy Pettitte, he was arguably one of the most clutch pitchers when the Yankees were winning all on their streak of world series and has one just as many if not more big games than Schilling. Does that mean he is a better pitcher than Schilling? Of course not, because we (or at least I am) are talking about that intangible quality that labels guys as “winners” not guys that have all star arms.

    LikeLike

17. haha, that was some terrible typing there but you get what i was trying to say

    LikeLike

18. I am calm. I see your point, and I accept your point. So, I guess I see where we disagree. I don’t like qualitative labels whose meaning is derived largely from connotative interpretations such as “winner” or “gritty”. In my mind, they mean nothing. A winner, is someone who wins. Who cares whether or not their stuff isn’t as good as the next guy. Obviously, a winner with only mediocre stuff excels in other areas of the game such as studying opposing batters, command, or control. Does a winning pitcher with average pitches but good control make him “determined”, “gritty”, and the holy grail of nothingness, a “winner”? No, it makes him a pitcher with good control and one more victory to his name. In my estimation, a win is a win and in the long run, the winning pitchers in baseball will separate themselves from the pack by guess what, notching victories. So, if I am ever presented with a question asking me to choose between a pitcher with a better record over a laughably small sample size, or a pitcher who has consistently outperformed his peers, I know who I am choosing.

    LikeLike

19. [If you could pick the career of Schilling or the unfinished career of Santana to start a baseball team, which would you choose?]

    I’d take Schilling. The chances that Santana makes it to 4 World Series and wins 3 titles isn’t as good as what Schilling has already done. Just to let you know where I’m coming from, when I say pitching, I put a lot of weight into October baseball. That’s where the $ is and where reputations are made and lost. Like Curt says: Octobers separate good players from great players.

    LikeLike

20. Here’s a pitcher to check out: Allie Reynolds. He’s not in the Hall of Fame, but should be. His stats may not show a lot, but he was one of the greatest post-season pitchers ever.

    LikeLike

21. I don’t know if I’d take Schilling, but I don’t think you can hold it against Santana for not making it to 4 World Series because getting to the WS relies heavily on factors outside of that pitcher. Schilling was on some incredible teams when he made it to the World Series. I think it was two years ago when Santana didn’t lose a game after the all star break, thats pretty impressive. Schilling has 133 post-season innings pitched, while Santana only has 30. The fact that he was able to get his beleaguered twins to the playoffs says a lot about him when you consider he never once had a solid pitcher in the rotation with him, or a great offense like the Red Sox had to slug their way to the post season. (oh, and my calm down remark was not aimed at you neduol)

    So while I do agree with you that October baseball does most of the time define who a player is, I don’t think it’s fair to hold all those bad Twin’s teams against Santana, because I think we could all agree that if you put Santana on the Red Sox in those playoff series’ with beckett they probably would’ve won too.

    LikeLike

22. This is my final post on the subject, as I am sure we are all sick of talking about it. I see and understand your point of view, I guess, but I disagree with it (Bowa). You don’t pick a pitcher to start a team with based on his external credentials such as WS victories and the such, because they don’t get magically transfered to the new team. You pick the pitcher you feel is the best. Now, if you still feel that is Schilling, fine. Also, winning world series has very little to do with individual players. Lebron can carry the Cavs to the finals, and a QB or RB could potentially be the entire offense of one football team, however, baseball just doesn’t work like that (I think this is what Dkit was getting at). Finally, if Curt says anything I try to turn away, seeing as he has diarrhea of the mouth, and I would hate to get spalshed by that. I believe Curt said this rather late into his career, after he had a nice post season track record, and as we know, Curt is never one to miss an opportunity to climb mount ego.

    LikeLike

23. A couple of thoughts on this post (which is admittedly, getting a little long in the tooth).

    First, as for Allie Reynolds, I can’t believe someone mentioned him in this blog, but I think it’s great. Allie was a man who missed his era. He was a post-1975 pitcher, pitching in the 40s and 50s. My father, who a great Yankees fan and who is long since departed, used to go and on about how great Allie Reynolds was, describing, in detail how he used to come into games and just dominate for two or three innings. So, it’s really neat to hear someone mention his name.

    As for the pitchers who “just win” debate, that discussion could go on forever. Let me just offer a few thoughts. First, the primary reason Curt Schilling won was that he was, at times simply dominant and overpowered hitters. When I think of a pitcher who “just wins”, I think of a mediocre talent who simply finds a way to squeak through the tough games. That’s not Curt Schilling. All of that having been said, when you watch the game long enough, you know that there are some players who are just gamers and really do make a difference. It’s very difficult to quantify, but, in certain instances, there is something to this. It’s the reason why a Chase Utley may, statistically, be indistinguishable from a Bobby Abreu, but we all know that’s poppycock – Utley is more valuable than Abreu. And I would say this even if Utley were the right fielder and Abreu were at second. Chase Utley has drive and passion – he lives to play winning baseball. He’s the guy you want batting with the winning run on second, not Abreu. So, yeah, it makes a difference. It sure as hell isn’t everything, and guts and drive don’t replace talent, but it really, truly means something.

    LikeLike

24. How about Golson going 3 for 4 and stealing FOUR BASES tonight?

    LikeLike

25. Yeah, Golson having a nice week. As is Slayden, Donald, Cardenas and Brown. Golson had a triple in those three hits, as well, and two runs.

    LikeLike

26. It’s early yet but the Pigs… well…suck. The lineup does nothing for me. Pitching doesn’t impress me. If the Phillies have some injuries, who’d get the call.

    Reading’s been pretty darn good. I might even say awesome. Here’s where some prospects are. I would have liked to see Golson yesterday. Great day for him.

    Sampson got smacked around yesterday but I think he’ll settle in. Dom Brown looks like a man among boys. He’ll have to be moved up to Clearwater sometime during the year. Maybe move Golson up to AAA, Berry to AA and Brown to A+. Not now but after these guys have a few at bats. Someone mentioned earlier about Brown hitting leadoff. I agree that they’re trying to get him at bats. The guy can run but I think he’s going to be an RBI guy.

    LikeLike

27. Sampson has talent but has been thrown in the deep end of the pool to sink or swim. He is not from a HS baseball hotbed and didn’t get nearly as much play as the kids from Southern California, Texas, and Florida. He signed so late last season that he got only 2 IP in rookie ball. To make the jump from a cold-weather HS and 2 IP of GCL to a full-season team is a major leap.

    It is astonishing that the Allentown offense is so awful. There are a lot of AAAA players who have hit in the past. No prospects, other than Jaramillo who is a pretty weak bat for a prospect, but these minor league vets should hit.

    LikeLike

28. The Jersey paper said Sampson hit 96 once on the gun and was 92-94 most of the night. Now he’ll need a few years of development time. This one is going to be a great test case for the player development department to see if they really know what they’re doing or are all just talkers.

    LikeLike

29. Looks like Jason Donald left yesterday’s game after getting hit by a pitch. Anybody know anything more?

    LikeLike

Comments are closed.