Box Score Recap 8-12-2012

I just don’t understand who thinks it’s a good idea to pitch to Darin Ruf right now. Baffling.

LV  REA  CLR  LKW Off  WIL  GCL Off DSL Off

 

73 thoughts on “Box Score Recap 8-12-2012

  1. LV 16-0 in past 2 gms.
    Yeah – I realize Cochram / Elarton, but where is there a sign of life in their offense?

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    1. Hopefully, Mitchell can help. I hope his batting eye is better than his GCL experience indicated.

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    2. Cody Overbeck is as frustrating as any of the guys in that lineup, hot start in April and May and has completely faded. I have no idea what his issue is.

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  2. Good to see Cameron Perkins coming on strong lately. I don’t know where in the field he ends up but he looks like another guy to follow for now.

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    1. Wheels – his K-rate remains alarmingly high. I suspect he’ll be an extended spring training guy next year and start the season with the CrossCutters

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      1. Read all of his scouting reports again this weekend and he basically is performing as expected. Extremely raw with much to learn in regards to plate approach. Still love his potential and would like to see him back at shortstop next year, so maybe starting at WP wouldn’t be so bad. Pullin to Greene double play combo?

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  3. Cody Asche is catching up to AA pitching. Would be nice to see him at Lehigh Valley by mid year next year

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    1. To say the least. His last 30 games: 303/362/563(!)–folks that thought the FSL was the issue with his power are being proven correct.

      His totals for Reading will probably be down for the season because of his initial struggles, but that’s damned encouraging. Still waiting for scouts to catch up on him, I think.

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      1. At this point, his ISO and BB% are up from Clearwater. Lower batting average aside, you could say he is actually doing better at Clearwater – especially with regards to getting extra base hits. I’d say he’s done enough to warrant starting at Lehigh next spring

        – Jeff

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        1. Yes indeed, a .399 BABIP singles-parade at Clearwater wasn’t that impressive. I’m much happier with his performance at Reading.

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            1. I like the fangraphs minor league stats pages. They have BABIP and K% and BB% for hitters. You don’t get those with B-R.

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        2. I have a (very unsubstantiated) theory that, it’s not uncommon for good prospects to lose some batting average but gain some power at each rung of the progression later, including the pros. Theory is that they are (on average) facing better defense and pitchers with higher velocity. So while it’s harder to get a hit, when you do make solid contact the ball is going to travel father because the pitcher supplied more power.

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      2. Tommy Joseph doesn’t seem to have gotten the memo on how easy it is to hit HR in the Eastern League.

        What happened to the “plus-plus power”?

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          1. Has f**k all to do with “plus-plus power” or lack of it.

            Where did the power go? Injured shoulder?

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            1. Still has plus plus raw power, the question is does he make enough contact to show it, power does not always show up in games, watch BP before writing off a player’s raw power

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  4. The old stock market adage is, Sell in “May” and go away, But the other side of that is to start buying in August (sorry for the lack of rhyme). So it is with Trevor May. It doesn’t always hold true but let’s hope it works that way for the Phils.

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  5. Keivi Rojas with an impressive debut with the Threshers. Guy has been dominant all year and is still only 19.

    Ruf looking good for 30hrs this year.

    Cody Asche looking awfully comfortable the past 150 ABs or so.

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    1. He had a nice little outing to help out the over-taxed bullpen. Came in and threw strikes. Unfortunately for him he got shuttled back to the GCL today.

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  6. Biddle did not have his best stuff, but made it possible for them to win. Manaure Martinez is seeing the difference between GCL and SS — with more experienced hitters the power needs refinement. I’m sure he’ll figure it out. I wonder if Rojas can be stretched out as a starter or if they have already made the decision to keep him in relief. He is young enough to examine all possibilities.

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  7. Andrew Aiezenstadt for the Cutters keeps impressing. Has not given up a walk or a run in over 9 innings plus 12 strikeouts and only 3 hits. Should be interesting to see where he is assigned next year

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    1. I believe Aiezenstadt is an undrafted rookie from the 2012 class. I was actually looking at his player profile earlier this morning. He just turned 23 so I suspect he’ll jump to Clearwater to start 2013 if the FO thinks that he warrants a look. Hell of a start to his professional career though

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  8. May’s line was really nice until they brought him out in the 7th. Even still, it was a good outing for him. Biddle clearly wasn’t sharp but managed a QS anyway.

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  9. Biddle is reaching a career high in innings pitched, he’s probably a bit fatigued.

    Really like what Asche is doing, he’s showing some power and patience. I suspect his glove may be the thing that really needs the most work at this point.

    Anthony Hewitt with a double and a walk. There may be hope for him yet

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    1. Hewitt has the same line as last year, except fewer SBs and much worse defense. The fact that he’s doing it in Clearwater is impressive. In Reading he may have a shot at a 25HR/20SB season. If he can get the BB rate to 6% or so and cut the K% down to 25%, it would be a breakout season.

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    2. Hewitt and Myers both getting regular playing time AND getting hits is turning my world upside down. I can’t handle the absurdity. Who is playing this trick on me??

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  10. I think his BABIP results bear some discussion. A skeptic of the value of BABIP would point out that his BABIP differential was a product of making better contact in Clearwater, and might for support point to his LD% (and would be partially correct). But while it’s certainly true that his BABIP performance wasn’t just “luck,” at the same time it was absolutely going to normalize from his high Clearwater figure and from his initially very low Reading number).

    Where it ends up eventually is a still open question, but certainly not at .399 or anywhere near it.

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    1. Have seen him throw twice now in Clearwater…not buying 97 but it looks like he at least has a pretty good idea of what he’s doing on the mound.

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  11. With Asche getting comfortable at AA Reading, and possibly going to the AFL in Oct., the FO will be (already are) in a kind of dilemma. The need for a 3rd baseman in Philly is obvious and well known. With Asche seemingly very close to coming up to the bigs but maybe needing more time down below but close enough to make signing another 3b guy for several years a poor move that would block Asche and commit time and money for the sake of a one year need.

    The idea that RAJ has floated: get two outfielders who can hit some and put in a defensive 3rd baseman to begin ’13 to give Asche his more polishing AAA time in preparation for him to come up during (?) the ’13 season, is a good approach to the issue.

    As for his fielding, THAT is said to be “adequate” but polish needed there, too. He has the arm for 3rd base. A hard worker, Asche looks determined to be on the big club soon. My only misgiving is that he has yet to overcome his mediocre hitting vs. lefty pitching. Wish he was a righty hitter. With his work ethic, he is likely to improve there, too.

    Watching how the FO deals with these issues should be interesting during the next several months.

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    1. Depends on whether the Padres come down in price on Chase Headley.

      Josh Hamilton will be in the Phillies outfield next year either way.

      Next year is going to be the way it’s supposed to be with the Phillies owning the division again.

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      1. Stop with the Headley stuff. You really want to commit another Pence type trade and be stuck with the same type of player and salary situation in 2015 as you did this season with Pence?

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        1. This…10000% this. Headley will cost far more than he is worth and he wont even be that affordable salary-wise.

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        1. Hamilton will cost a lot more than that, 7yrs for $175mil would be cheap.

          The Phillies can afford anything though. They are going for the largest TV deal in MLB history and this year has hurt them badly. Hamilton will turn that around.

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          1. good lord. take this nonsense to general discussion. I love Hamilton, but he and Philly are a match made in hell

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      1. Jeff Keppinger may not be the ‘sexy’ player pople are looking for, but he would be a good ‘date’.

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    2. Polanco has a (fairly) cheap option. So could be you use him and a combination of Galvis, (maybe), and Martinez, (ugh), and Frandsen (meh) and bring in some old pro guys to camp and see which one sticks, (think Pierre vs. Podsednick). ( ).

      ( ).

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      1. is there any consideration for Frandsen. I admit I haven’t watch the phils as closely recently, but Frandsen seems to be doing well defensively at third and has at least an idea of what he’s doing at the plate. It’s not a good solution, but probably cheaper and more productive than Polly

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      2. Unfortunately, Polanco is no longer worth the option price. At this point, I think he’s barely better than Frandsen, if at all. He’s only marginally better than a AAAA player – he’s not worth $6 milion. They can better spend that money on other needs.

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      3. It’ll never happen, but how about we sign Scott Rolen, and play platoon Polly with him. One plays one day, the other plays the next.

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    1. I do not. Just saying that amongst the options available while we wait on Asche he might be in the mix.

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      1. I agree here. It’s starting to look foolish to commit prospects or money to fill 3rd when we have Asche and Franco arriving within the next couple years.

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  12. If drifting into talking about interim solutions until Cody Asche is ready, (one being Kevin Frandsen, who until 2 weeks ago was a minor leaguer), then yes. Mark me as a conspirator. It’s fringy minor league talk at best. Call it a 45.

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    1. Could anyone who is going to the game tonight please bring back a scouting report of Martin, including velocity numbers? I am hoping to see him sitting in low 90s and touching 94-95.

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  13. Just read that article on Martin. Does anyone think that that load of mediocrity called Lindblom was the “centerpiece” of the deal? Really? it’s hard to believe someone gets paid for writing that and knows so little about baseball.

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    1. A cheap, young reliever under team control for the next 5 years or so is an important piece. Lindblom is a lot more valuable to the Phillies now than Martin is.

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      1. Jon – Lindblom is a fungible mediocrity. Mediocre fastball and hangy slider. He is the quintessential mediocre middle reliever. Is that valuable? Maybe. But Martin is a high ceiling prospect in AA ball. Were I to put a value on those two players, Martin is much more valuable than Lindblom. Let’s meet here in three years and I will bet that Lindblom will be elsewhere, let go without much fanfare. And Martin will either be ready for the Bank, or will have been traded for something worthwhile.

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    1. I agree with everything you say, but Martin didn’t pitch yesterday. So again this belongs in general. There is a reason this site was nearly disbanded.

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