The Mesa Solar Sox season kicked off on Tuesday with an 8-3 victory over Phoenix. John Mayberry started in RF and hit cleanup, going 0-2 before being replaced. Matt Rizotti hit in the five hole and played first base, going 2-4 with a run scored and a walk. On the hill Tyson Brummett got roughed up, going 2 innings and yielding 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out 5. Notably, former Phillie prospect Michael Taylor launched a homer off of Brummett.
Wednesday saw Mesa take one on the chin 6-3 to Phoenix with Michael Taylor crushing his second homer in as many days. He was 3-4 on the day with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI’s. The lone Phillie prospect to see action was Tim Kennelly who was behind the plate and went 1-3 with a run scored and an RBI. He also threw out Dodgers prospect Jerry Sands attempting to steal.
Josh Zeid started for Mesa on Thursday and threw well, some reports having him at 95 mph, in the 11-6 Mesa victory. He went the first three innings giving up a run on 2 hits. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out three. Zeid threw 44 pitches, an impressive 29 being for strikes. BJ Rosenberg followed up Zeid and was hit around, going 1.2 innings and giving up 3 runs on 5 hits. He walked 2 and struck out one. Rosenberg, who is coming off an injury plagued 2010 campaign, had significant control issues, throwing 46 pitches, just 23 for strikes. Matt Rizzotti played first base and hit cleanup, and again went 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI. He walked twice as well.
Look for the next update Sunday or Monday.
Phuture Phillies 
Ah, Taylor. I find myself feeling about former prospects the same way I do about ex-girlfriends. I’ve moved on, really. It was for the best, I know. I want to see him succeed, intellectually. I realize only a bad person would root for him to be anything less than a superstar. After all, everything worked out so well for us. But when he’s there with those other guys, hitting home runs, looking like he’s finally gotten over us, seeming like he might be so damn successful, well … I guess I feel a little twinge.
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I always root for our former guys…I wish them nothing but the best. There’s something special about following a guy all through the minors and seeing him do well in the Majors even if its with another team.
I hope guys like Taylor, Drabek, Donald, Marson, Carrasco all do as good as they can.
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Taylor’s a guy I root for especially because of his diabetes.
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Good to see Rizzoti continue to hit even though his path to majors is blocked in Philly. He could be a bench player or trade bait to strengthen the Phils. Glad to see Singleton playing some outfield in the FIL.
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Every hit Rizzotti gets helps out the org as it helps his trade value.
Please, please, please let Singleton become at least an average LF defensively. He doesnt need to be Carl Crawford out there…just be a young Pat Burrell. His bat is more than good enough at that point.
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Rizzotti is a AAAA player in the Phillies org. Maybe a bench player for a bad team. Get over your biases everyone. He doesnt hit enough to be a majoir league starting 1B. He has no other position.
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Agree that the Riz is only viable as a DH or 1st baseman. However, that does not mean he is valueless and only a AAAA player. ANY player that can hit with powerand a good OBP is of great value in MLB. There are as many possible DH openings now and in the immediate future as there are AL teams.
And, how many teams would welcome a 1st baseman who can hit home runs and maintain a decent OBP ? Though the talent gap might be very significant, there is a guy in Philly whose value runs along the same lines.
The question really is whether he CAN hit with a good OBA and power for HRs at the MLB level. We don’t know yet….so being dismissive now is uncalled for. Should he show those skills, he would have good value for other MLB teams.We just have to sit back and give him opportunity to flourish. Undoubtedly, he’ll go to LV after ST. From there he’ll have the chance to fulfill his goals.
But we need to give him that chance, not dismiss him out of hand. That gains nothing.
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NEPP – I don’t think people expect Singleton to be a gold glove fielder. I think everyone is excited with the prospects of him playing in Philly one day (because of his bat) and hopefully we will see that in about 3 to 4 years.
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ANSWER333, Why do you dislike this guy so much? Chill out! Right now Rizzotti is #7 in batting leaders in the AFL. He’s 4 for 8 with 3 walks with an OBP of .636. I think there are 210 players in the AFL so his AFL stats are looking pretty good to me. Maybe you know more then Donny Baseball Mattingly who I heard told Rizz was just raking the ball when he was 2 fo 4, 1 BB with bullet line drives when facing Mattingly’s team, the Dessert Dogs in at AFL opener.
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****NEPP – I don’t think people expect Singleton to be a gold glove fielder. I think everyone is excited with the prospects of him playing in Philly one day (because of his bat) and hopefully we will see that in about 3 to 4 years.****
Of course they dont…he just has to be able to handle LF at the bare minimum acceptable fielding level (basically Pat Burrell). If he can do that, he’s a Top 50 prospect overall and easily a Top 5 in our system.
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a DH????? cmon man. Do me a favor, go though all the AL teams and tell me what team that “Rizz” as his fanboys call him, could DH for. The answer is 0 my friend.
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wrong answer!
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Remember when the Phillies seemed to have a strong ROY candidate every year for about a half a decade? Those players made up the core of the 2008 WFC team. During the next few seasons, we could see a similar run, with elite talents like Brown,Singleton, Colvin, Cosart, and May. That whole 2010 Lakewood club could contain a lot of future long-time starters, or at least they’ll be used to acquire big pieces like Halladay. Imagine if one of Singleton or CCM(Colvin, Cosart & May) busts out big-time, reaches Reading by mid-season, and continues to dominate thru the end of 2011. That player would be a consensus top 10 prospect and could be a legit ROY candidate, just as Domonic Brown will be next season. The rest could follow suit every season,to make up the core of the next club, just as the last core’s contracts begin to expire
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Let Riz hit plenty of HRs w a good OBA at LV in ’11…and see how many teams come knocking at the door.
Wait and see. Is there something wrong with that? Or do you think they should just can him now?
Terrible thinking.
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TheAnswer333: well..there were only six full-time DHs in the AM this year. Rizz could have matched or beaten three of them: Matsui in LA, Damon in Detroit, and Lind in Toronto…I didn’t have time to review the part-time DHs.
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I am wondering to what question is that blogger the” ANSWER. The AFL is tough and the Riz is taking it in stride.
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I never heard Kennelly name before reading this blog. What’s the word about him? I thought we were weak in the catching dept.
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Dino, Kennelly is an Aussie who’s been around for quite a while. He’s be 24 in December. He’s been more of a utility guy. He plays C, 1B, 3B, LF and RF. The Phils have been pusing him as a catcher for 2 years or so. He hit very well 2 years ago and got as high as Reading. In 2010, they moved him back to CLW and he had a very tough time with the bat until August or so. He’s not a bad catcher. I’ve seen him twice. The last time was late in 2009. He blocked balls in the dirt and handled the staff okay. He had a tough time on foul pops behind the plate. I don’t know if he’s improved in this area.
He’s not a top 30 prospect (IMHO) but he can play quite a few positions and that could make him a utility guy. If he could put it all together, he’d be a great utility guy because he could be a 3rd catcher. Imagine being able to pinch hit a guy like Schneider in any game. I’m not saying he’s ready or ever will be ready to play in any capacity in the Show.
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Of course I dont think you bag him. And of course I think you wait and see how he does in AAA. And of course I hope he turns out to be a useful major league player. I am a Phillies fan, so of course I want the best for him and the team.
BUT, my opinion happens to be that he is an AAAA player for the Phillies, and at most a bench player for a lower division team. And I actually don’t even see that happening.
Don’t be offended because I dont have the same mancrush on him thta you guys do.
And to the guy that says “Rizz” could have matched or exceeded Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, and Adam Lind, please refrain from ever posting on here again. You have embarrassed yourself enough. You may be the only person in the world that would take Matt Rizzotti as your DH over any one of those 3 guys. Please let me know when Rizzotti has a better major league season than any one of those 3 guys. I will be waiting a long time waiting for that.
Do you think Rizzotti will really ever hit 23 HRs in a major league season like Adam Lind did this year? I know, I know, we have to wait and see. But I am asking do YOU think he will ever hit 23 HR’s in a season in the major leagues?
There’s a reason some people on here give all the “Rizz” lovers a harder time than they probably deserve. It’s becasue you make outrageous claims like “Rizz” would be a better DH rite now than Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, and Adam Lind….
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If you gave Rizzotti 650 PAs in the majors, sure he’d hit 23 home runs. Would he be productive enough in batting average, plate discipline etc. to justify the playing time? Almost certainly not. Not yet at least. But there are a ton of guys in the minors who could hit .230-.240 with 25 home runs. And that’s the biggest issue with Rizzotti’s value. Sure he can be a second division first baseman/DH, and he might be useful to a few AL teams. But there are so many of those guys that you don’t waste good resources acquiring them.
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Alan, you are telling me that Matt Rizzotti would hit 23 HRs in the majors this year if he got 650 PA’s?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Are you kidding me? First of all we are talking about a guy that put up these numbers the last few years in the minors:
2007 – 2 HR in roughly 245 PAs in Rookie Ball
2008 – 10 HR in roughly 447 PAs in Rookie Ball and Low A
2009 – 13 HR in roughly 398 PAs in A Ball
2010 – 17 HR in roughly 479 Pas in A, AA, and AAA
And now you are claiming he would have hit 23 HRs in THE MAJOR LEAGUES this year if given 650 PAs? Cmon man, you cant be serious. Do you know how hard it is to hit 23 HRs in a season in the major leagues?
Jason Heyward had 611 PAs this season int he majors and hit 18 HRs. I know this has no direct correlation to Matt Rizzotti, but its something for you to chew on.
And finally, your whole premise here is stupid, because no one is ever given 650 PAs in the major leagues. They EARN it. And I dont think he will ever earn that. Just my opinion. Please stop defending Rizz like he is your brother. You are the reason that
people like me have to be a jerk and keep it real on here. You pump the guy up unfairly and cause other people to bring you back to earth. Just give the guy a break and let his career play out. He doesnt have to be better than johnny damon or hideki matsui, or adam lind (still cant believe you compared him to those three guys hahahahahahaaha) to have a good career.
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I must admit to being flabberghasted by all of the negative Rizzotti talk on this site. Having never seen the guy play, but observing the remarkable progress he made this year, I am going to say, “Keep hitting the ball like you are and it only helps the big club.” What he is or becomes will be determined by his bat. Realistically, no one could have predicted what he did last year after showing zero signs of such prior. However, here is a guy who got into good shape and increased his strength and flexibility and did what he did. Whether we ever see him here is irrelevant. If he does just enough to make someone like him to flop prospects our way at a position we may need is what matters. It is all about developing resources. Let Rizz sort that out for us and we have a good problem.
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Oh c’mon. My expectation is that he would hit .220, and collect 20-25 home runs. That is NOT unreasonable, and that does NOT make him a good player. And I’m not the one who compared him to Johnny Damon.
And it’s one thing to have strong opinions about a player. It’s another to be a complete asshole about it.
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Thank you, Alan! Well said.
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That is unreasonable actually. The best hitting prospect in the last 5 years or so just hit 18 HRs in over 600 PAs this season.
But you think “Rizz” would hit 23 in the majors next year??? Hahahahaahahahaahahahaahahahahaahahaha.
Just because I don’t agree with you, doesnt make me an asshole. Name calling usually comes to play in an argument when soemone has been soundly beaten and has nothing else constructive to say. So I guess you are done.
And finally, none of this should be regarded as an insult to Matt Rizzotti. I am merely pointing out the unreal expectations that you guys are putting on him. In other words, I am pointing out that you guys are clowns, not him!!!!
I commend him for making it this far in his baseball career, and I respect his baseball talents. It looks like he will likely at least spend some time in the majors, and that is an amazing accomplishment in itself. If he is in fact a AAAA player, or a bench player, or even a Major League regular (which he wont!!!) that is still more than I or anyone else on this website has accomplished athletically and none of us can take that away from him.
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Just stop putting crazy expectations on him like “he would hit 23 HRs in the majors if he is given 650 PAs”. That is just uninformed and outrageous and you dont even understand that, which is the funny thing.
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I think it is reasonable to think Rizz could even be a 30 HR guy over 650 plate appearances in the majors in a couple of years. The problems for him are defense and whether the rest of his offense (average, etc.) is good enough to merit that playing time over a full season. But could he hit .240 with 30 HR and be a below average major league 1B? Sure.
Any comparisons with Heyward are ridiculous. Rizz could have an easier transition to the majors (i.e. less of a drop from AA/AAA performance to the majors) because he is older. Heyward is much younger and has been promoted much quicker, making the transition to each level more challenging for him. His offensive value is also much less centered on his power. He is a more fully rounded player with all 5 tools where Rizzotti has maybe 1.5 tools.
Besides Howard, the basic problem with Rizzotti is that he is an older prospect with little defensive value at a prime offensive position. 23 HR over 650 PA for that type of player is really not good enough. He will need to hit 30 to hold a job with an 800-850 OPS. Not sure he is quite good enough to do that. He might be more of a 750-800 OPS player that is good enough for a bench role and better suited to the AL.
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Your problem is that you’re getting flabbergasted because I think you equate home runs with pure value. What would happen if you put Rizzotti in the majors, right now? His batting average would plummett, his OBP would nosedive. 23 home runs, ok I’ll revise that down a little. I’m looking at home run hitting standards of 3-5 years ago. 15 sounds reasonable. But yelling at one line of someone’s post when they are trying to be civil is hardly a way to conduct yourself in a discussion.
But all that gets in the way with the original POINT of my comment. Which is that Rizzotti could probably match Adam Lind’s 2010 production. But you really don’t want to use Adam Lind’s 2010 as your standard of offensive production.
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Where are you guys getting this idea that he will be a power hitter in the majors? Because he hit a career high of 17 HR this year? 16 or which were in AA. And all of a sudden he could hit 30 HRs in the majors!?!?!?!?!?! I feel like I am in the Twilight Zone. Its not like he is some young guy with a projectable body and swing that will grow into his power. He is turning 25 in 2 months!!!!
On top of that andyb, my problem with Alan is that he said that “Rizz” would hit 23 HR in the majors THIS YEAR if he got 650 PAs. At least you qualify your 30 HR statement with “in a couple years”. Although I disagree with you, I have to admit that none of us can predict the future and alot can happen in a few years. Like say Rizzotti hits 30 HRs in AAA this year. Then yes, my tune will begin to change about him. BUT, I dont think he will. I actually believe he will fall back to Earth a little bit this year.
This is the fun part of following prospects though….seeing what happens from one year to the next.
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TheAnswer333, why do you care so much if people are getting fanboyish about Rizzotti?
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I certainly do not equate HRs with pure value. I value all measures of a players offensive ability…OBP, BA, OPS, WAR, Contact Rate, ISO etc.
I just happen to vehemently disagree with all of your projections of Rizz’s value at the next level. That is all. Very simple.
And your constant claims that he would match Adam Lind’s 2010 production are laughable. Sorry if that is harsh. But howe can you not laugh at that. You are saying a guy that never experienced any success above Clearwater before 2010, could have matched Adam Lind’s number this past season? Mike Rizzotti would have hit 23 HR’s and had 72 RBIs this season if he was the Blue Jays DH? I understand that Lind had a really down year, and his Avg, OBP, and OPS plummeted from the year before, which is why i am focusing soley on his power numbers. I dont know Alan, I just cant argue with you anymore if you really believe that…
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Dave, I am just engaging some healthy debate on a player that a lot of people are unfairly putting too many expectations on. Like I have said before, not every prospect can be Cole Hamels or Ryan Howard or Chase Utley. The majority of players never make it to the Bigs at all. There is nothing wrong with being the Greg Dobbs, Ross Gloads or Wilson Valdez’s of the world.
Even making it to that level is more than the avg person can even dream of. Instead of trying to tell me that Rizz is gouing to hit 30 HRs in the majors (which he isnt!!!) just let him develop and see where he ends up. I happen to think thats as a AAAA player for the Phillies or as a bench player on a lower division team.
Let me ask you a question now…why am I getting so angrily attacked for not agreeing with the Rizz Fanboys? Why do you guys take it so personally that I think he wont be a 30 HR guy or that he wouldnt have hit 23 HRs in the majors THIS YEAR(hahahaahahahahaahahahahaha sorry i cant even type it without laughing)?
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Wow – I sure don’t want to get in the cross hairs in this discussion. However, I understand a bit why people are bullish on Rizzotti and why others are incredulous that there is so much interest. The incredulous folks say, that he’s almost 25, he’s never hit 20 homers in the minors, he’s hardly a model athlete and he had a tremendous amount of luck in getting hits on balls in play – these things suggest to such people that Rizzotti, while interesting, simply is not a very good prospect.
The Rizzotti, camp, however point to other things. They note that Rizzotti hit for an extremely high average, with good plate discipline and power this past year and showed signs of a possible breakout in prior years. They likely observe that, after being promoted, he hit 16 homers and a ton doubles (along with a high average) in about a half season at Reading and that he got hurt at LhV, thereby depressing his statistics there and limiting his ABs (only 420 for the entire year). They would also point out that he is hardly a statue and is big, strong and more athletic than he appears.
What do I think? Well, I think the 2010 Rizzotti is probably a closer to what he is than the 2007 and 08 versions. But I also think that, with Howard at first and Singleton on the way, he’s a bit of a man without a country. If you told me today that in 2013 he’d hit 28 homers and .269 with the Pirates, I’d actually believe you. But that still doesn’t make him valuable to the Phillies except as a bargaining chip in a trade.
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Thanks for seeing both sides of the issue Catch22. You hit the nail on the head with your last paragraph, except, as you could probably guess, I would be surprised if he hit .269 with 28 HR in 2013. Thats a matter of opinion of course.
I also, surprise, surprise, think that 2010 is more of an indication of who he is as ballplayer than 2007-2009, but I also think he falls back to Earth a little this season.
Like I said many times I think he is a major league player, either a AAAA player for the Phillies, or a bench/role player for a lower division team. I dont see him as an everyday player in the majors. Obviously I could be wrong, but its MY OPINION.
Sorry if that offends the Rizz Fanboy club. It shouldnt because being a major league player is an accomplishment that us fans can only dream of, and every porspect that the Phillies graduate to the majors (whether it be with us or another organization) is a feather in the cap of our minor league system.
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I actually agree with your general assessment of Rizzotti. His LIKELY trajectory is as an uncomfortable tweener – a guy who becomes a possible starter, DH or expanded role player for a bad team. His downside is as a career AAA guy (or worse) and his upside is as a solid MLB first baseman with occasional very good season (basically, his upside, if everything went perfect, is something like Aubrey Huff – a nice player to be sure, but no Ryan Howard or Joey Votto).
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You might be getting so “angrily attacked” because your style of argument is somewhat abrasive. I’d say you’re giving at least as good as you’re getting.
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Answer: your take on Rizzotti is not unreasonable, it is how you present it that is, to put it charitably, artless.
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“why am I getting so angrily attacked for not agreeing with the Rizz Fanboys?”
Ummm… because of your posts in which you aggressively ridicule others for no apparent reason?
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Answer… for someone who has spent pretty much all his time the last few days doing nothing but bashing “Rizz”, you would think at some point you would learn the kid’s name. I don’t know of a Mike Rizzotti in the Phillies system??? Does anyone else?Maybe that’s the person you mean will never be a regular major leaguer? Because I know that MATT Rizzotti over the past year has done nothing but completely crush the ball! So I guess you were referring to someone else…
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Of course Riz has value, but that doesn’t mean its not a waste to spend so much time debating his merits.
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Does every thread have to become an argument about Riz? I mean honestly, it is getting so old.
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Answer333 .. the others have hit the nail on the head, you are VERY abrasive. You ridicule people for their comments, then follow with “Instead of trying to tell me that Rizz is gouing to hit 30 HRs in the majors (which he isnt!!!) ” … the conviction you speak with is only conjecture … you don’t know what he’s going to do more so than anyone else on this site.
That being said, I’m more on your side, just removing the antagonistic approach!! I just don’t believe there is enough track record to predict ANY future numbers, good or bad. He was very pedestrian early and pretty unbelievable last year. NO ONE can know what is real, until we see more from him. Quick start to AFL is great, and I’m rooting for him like everyone else.
We could have a potential big time hitter or a nobody. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I do believe some do go overboard (like the one saying he’d hit 23 HR in the majors when he’s never even hit that many in the minors!).
Just need to see more than one year of above average performance. You can’t say he’s going to be ML DH and you also can’t say he’s never going to be a productive ML player … just not enough info yet.
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Oh for goodness sake. I DID NOT MEAN TO SAY THAT RIZZOTTI WOULD HAVE BEEN A PRODUCTIVE MAJOR LEAGUE HITTER.
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How about that Julio Rodriguez???
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Thanks Bellman about Kennelley… Yeah, it would be great to have a utility man who could catch-very rare these days to find someone like that.
It’s always been my understanding that the Arizona camp was for highly regarded prospects. Are the Phillies using it for older prospects (Rizzotto, Kennelley) to showcase them or to just see if it is worth keeping them.
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I think everybody wants Rizzotti to succeed here. But I think people need to temper their expectations. Yes, he’s had a crazy year, but to say that he can go into the majors next year and hit 23 hrs is asking for a lot. He has no track record in the minors for HRs. Other than this season, you could have said he was just organizational filler. Not only that, sounds like his glove needs work. You need to have a decent glove at first unless you can mash like Howard.
I remember people saying that Domonic Brown was going to hit in the bigs and push Ibanez to the bench. And Brown has struggled a lot and he’s an elite prospect. But Rizzotti, who’s probably not even top 10 on the Phillies, can come in and hit? The odds are seriously against that.
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Well said Tom. Not enough info on Rizzotti yet.
His hitting numbers in Reading were as good as Brown but his pedigree is not. I would be making a guess like anyone else. However, it does appear that Matt did improve himself so there is a reason for him hitting better, it was not all luck. However, his .350 batting average appears unsustainable. My total guess is that he will be like a Ross Gload type. Not good enough to be a starter but better than a minor leaguer. If he can get some pinch hits he could have a decent major league career.
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For all the talk about Rizzotti, I am actually much more intrigued by Kennelly. I think the kid is exactly what every team needs. That’s if he can hit, which is still in question. But to have a guy who can play some outfield, a little infield, and catch gives a manager major flexibility. Eli Marrero comes to mind as a guy who did exactly that for a while.
Instead of having half a dozen refrigerator shaped guys who can play first and a dozen gazelles who can hit .220 and fly in the outfield, it’s actually refreshing that the Phils have Valle, who looks like a legit catching prospect, and Kennelly, who if he does become legit with the stick would fill a handful of needs on a tight roster.
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Way too much vitriol here when some posters did not understand a simple premise. Rizzotti would have a really good chance of hitting 23 HRs if someone put him out there for 650 PA. Nobody has said that the other parts of his game are proven good enough at this stage to actually merit the 650 PA. It is just a silly what if.
Power can get underrated in the Phillies system because everything below the AA level is a pitcher’s park. We could have a couple of guys with 30-40 HR potential in Valle and Singleton and that is all hidden by the park they played in last year and partially by playing time. It is not unnatural for a guy with raw power and a decent idea of the strike zone to suddenly hit many more HRs at AA and above in our system. Same thing is happening to Domonic Brown now as well.
I am not a fanboy or anything like that on Rizzotti. He is a marginal prospect at this stage even coming off his big year last year. But he has at least done enough that he should be considered a legit prospect these days even if he is a DH/1B in a non-DH league.
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what would it take to get geinke from royals??? he is up for trade two years left on contract at 13.5 a year.
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I also remember people saying that Dom Brown was going to hit in the bigs. It is too much of a struggle for him. He can not handle the majors. He has not paned out, he does not have the power in his bat to be a power hitter, his fielding is horrible, errors in the outfield, he can’t get on base and he has not shown speed. I did not see the game but I was told that he made an error in the outfield in the game that cost Halliday a no hitter. Brown needs to step back to the minors and get some needed work. I think it is time to look for someone else and you say that Rizzotti does not have the same pedigree. I think different.
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Anonymous. No insult intended, but your comment is beyond silly. Domonic Brown is a young player who has not had consistent playing time in the big leagues and, certainly has not had a statistically significant number of at bats from which to draw any conclusions about his ability.
As for your comment that he does not have enough power, it is blantantly wrong. Domonic Brown has tremendous power and clearly enough power to hit 30 home runs a year. When he makes good contact, the ball jumps off of his bat and he has and will hit many home runs and many long home runs. As for getting on base, I think you’ll see that Brown has a good eye, will get walks and will make consistently good contact once he has enough at bats. He’s not going to turn into an All-Star overnight. It’s going to take 2-3 years of consistent playing time before we see the finished product. Finally, while it is true that his fielding needs work, he is fast and athletic and has a gun for an arm. There’s no reason to think that, over time, he will not become a solid fielder and may even become a great fielder.
As for giving Rizzotti a chance over Brown, that comment makes no sense. Rizzotti is a first baseman who can hit and provides little else. Brown is an outfielder and potential five tool player. They are not similar, play different positions and are in no way interchangeable.
Please, when you post something like this, think about what you are saying.
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So far Brown does look shaky in the outfield but has power and speed, what are talking about anym
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What is the plural of Anonymous? Is it anonymoi? Anyway you never know which Anonymous you are talking too. Therefore there should be
Anonymous I and Anonymous II etc OR Anonymous A and Anonymous B etc. that might end the confusion. Or am I confused already?
LOU’S GEM: Baseball hates a script.
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Sorry that won’t work. Suppose Anonymous I wants to talk anonymously.
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a H Man. You seem to have so much love for Brown and I’m not trying to burst your bubble. Are you just a Dom Brown fan only or do you not like Rizzotti, “who can hit and provides little else”? Many infielders have had their positions changed to play the outfield.You should be happy we have others to choose from. I’m just a philly fan and want the best for our team. But Brown is just not ready. If Brown has to go and work on being an outfielder, he’s not ready and should go back to the minors until then. If Werth is leaving and rt field is open and Brown needs time to hit consistenly and his fielding is horrible then he is not ready for the move. You need atleast one of the two to be ready. If your hitting is going to take time then your outfielding should be great. You should be able to atleast play well consistenly defensively or offensively. One if not both. We’re talking about rt field in the majors.
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LOL. It cracks me up how passionately the Rizzotti fanatics defend/promote this guy. Hilarious. Now he is better than the #1 position prospect in baseball.
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You can’t write of Brown after a few at bats…he actually did have some nice swings when he got some starts in the beginning. It is hard being a pinch hitter and be succesful as a rookie. Even someone like Heyward would have issues if his main role was a pinch hitter. I think when Brown gets to play whether it is full time or in some sort of platoon role you will his numbers come through.
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heyward is shaky on his outfield play too
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Thank you Mike77.
What is so hilarious about this dialogue is that I actually like Rizzotti, but he’s so far removed in talent and ability from Brown that it borders on the ridiculous. By the way, Dom Brown is either ready majors now (I think he is) or will be ready with about a month or two of AAA and he brings speed, athleticism and power right now. Do you think Charlie Manuel, Ruben Amaro and Marty Woelover are idiots? They put Brown on the postseason roster over Dobbs, an experienced pinch hitter and infield and outfield extra. What do you think Matt Rizzotti would be doing right now if he were in the majors? Yes, he’d be a pinch hitter and extra first baseman and he wouldn’t be able to pinch run or play an important defensive position.
I don’t see why all of this is so difficult for some folks to understand. Matt Rizzotti, as a prospect, is at least two tiers removed from Dom Brown AND he’s not necessarily even as advanced of a hitter right now. Again, I like Matt Rizzotti, but this is such a silly discussion. THEY ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE.
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Defensive maturity also takes time. As far as Brown I am willing to bet that the ST Brown is better than the end of this season Brown. He will work and mature. And as far as “the Riz” can’t just have a little fun, Mike.
This isn’t brain surgery or Nuclear WAR. CHILL and get ready for Thanksgiving etc.
Suppose, just suppose the Riz improves next year as much as he did this year. Would that spoil your cranberries.
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Catch. Dobbs? He isn’t even a topic of discussion. I don’t know why he was on the roster anyway. KK for that matter. I would rather see the kid get some exposure.
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Nowheels you are missing my point. I am not promoting Dobbs. I am observing that Rizzotti couldn’t even beat out Dobbs at this precise moment for the team’s last roster spot – so how could he possibly beat out the guy who just beat out Dobbs?
Please everyone, I do like Rizzotti, but we just confuse things when we include him in a conversation with Brown. It’s apples and oranges.
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