Box Score Recap 8-13-2012

Box Score Recap

Justin Friend’s AA ERA drops below 3 on the year.  Sorry, check that…0.3. He’s allowed 1 run in AA this year.  In 31.1 innings.  1 run.

And ICYMI, Jake Fox took the AAA spot left vacant when Hector Luna went back to the show. I guess Darin Ruf is playing out the year in AA to keep that team in the playoff hunt. Cause how hot does he have to be? Actual flames coming out of his hands? Some kind of nuclear glow?

LV  REA  CLR Off  LKW  WIL Off  GCL  DSL

186 thoughts on “Box Score Recap 8-13-2012”

    1. Yes, the three top reliever prospects lined up, Diekman, De Fratus and Aumont. They combined for 3 IP, 5 Ks, 2 BBs, 0 hits and 0 runs. Solid!

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  2. Ruf is just killing it… I know he’s old, but he’s having an MVP year, prob doesn’t translate but still cool to watch.

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    1. Let’s compare Ruf’s season with one of the all time great Reading performances: Howard in ’04. Just because.

      Howard: .297/.386/.647, 37 HR, 18 2B, 46/129 BB/K
      Ruf: .310/.402/.583, 27 HR, 29 2B, 57/87 BB/K

      Yes, Howard was two years younger, but is there that much of a difference between 24 and 26 at that level? Otherwise, Howard obviously has him beat in the HR dept., but Ruf gets on base more, strikes out less and makes up for the home runs with doubles power.

      I’m not saying that Ruf will be Ryan Howard — far from it. But I don’t think we can lump him into the Rizzotti/Overbeck category, either. Particularly if he can play a decent LF.

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      1. “is there that much of a difference between 24 and 26 at that level?”

        Yes.

        Beyond that, I agree that he shouldn’t be lumped into the Rizzotti/Overbeck category, but the key phrase here is “if he can play a decent left field.” First of all, the reports from people who have seen him don’t sound very encouraging to me. Secondly, and here is where I put some faith in the system (despite my criticisms of Amaro, at the minor league level the team usually makes good development decisions, contrary to the opinion of some fans here who seem to think the upper levels of the system are filled with potential all stars who the Phillies refuse to promote), the team, by their actions (i.e., not letting him play the OF every day), doesn’t seem to think he has a future there.

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        1. Yeah, I pretty much agree with all of this. To give Ruf a little credit, he really only started playing left field with some frequency this year because, up to this year, he was viewed as only slightly more than an organizational player.

          There are a number of things about Ruf that seem to point in his favor. First, while he is really hitting like crazy now, he has always hit. Making good contact is nothing new for him. Second, he has good plate discipline and really nice balance at the plate (I’ve seen him in person and can vouch for this). Third, he can at least field his position adequately at first and might be passable for short periods of time in the outfield. Fourth, the main issue with him as a hitter up until the last few months was whether he could develop the kind of extraordinary power that could really make him special and give him a chance to be a major leaguer. To his credit that power seems to be on its way.

          All of that being said, having spent a lot of time over the last few years watching so-called great hitters at Reading fizzle or really cool down at AAA (Rizzotti, Overbeck, Taylor), I am reserving judgment on him until he performs at Lehigh Valley. That’s where the rubber hits the road with Phillies minor league hitters, particularly the older prospects. Since Asche is much younger, I am far less concerned about this jump for him (as he is likely still developing quite a bit).

          That’s my two cents.

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        2. They’re 1 year 3 months apart, so it’s not quite as far as “2 years” would suggest. I’m generally with you on most of your post though. 1B is just close to impossible for Ruf, he’s blocked for the next 4 years and I just don’t see him starting in LF at this point. Could be wrong… but that’s really my hang up with getting too excited about him. He realllllyyy needs to play LF to be a star here in Philly.

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          1. This comment reminded me that Howard was once blocked by a “great” first basemen, and Ryan still managed to force his way into the lineup. Then I remembered Howard’s contract.

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      2. Agreed – given that Howard arguably had the best single year for a player at Reading, Ruf is certainly having an eye-popping year that at least merite comparison (purely on the statistical basis of the season – I don’t think any of us thinks that he will be the next Ryan Howard) . Remember though, Howard’s 37 homers were in a shortened season – he was promoted to AAA by August

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      3. This is Ruf’s age-25 season, so only a one-year difference in age. Also, that was both of their 4th year of professional ball out of college, so same experience level.

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      4. 2% chance he’s an above average offensive 1b, 15% above average offensive OF, 90% average defensive 1B, 80% below average LF. That’s what I think.

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      5. Mike Honcho….Actually Howard in August of that year in Reading was three months shy of his 25th birhday.

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            1. As Chad explained better, the Phillies do keep a lot of non-prospect hitters on their teams to provide some stability in the middle of lineups. Tracy and Duffy are excellent examples. Tagg Bozied is another.

              If the Phillies do see Ruf as a non-prospect, keeping him at AA to stabilize the lineup and aid in the development of Asche and others makes sense.

              I also agree that he has hit well enough to be given a shot, even if he turns into the next in the line of Rizz, Overbeck, et al.

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      6. The Phillies might see Ruf as a non-prospect to just mentor the hitters like a Tracy or a Duffy. I think he’s hitting too well for them to not give him a chance though, which is why he should be in AAA.

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      7. Howard only played 102 games at Reading as he was promoted to AAA than to the Phillies in 2004, versus 119 Games for Ruf so far. Howard’s minor league totals for 2Bs was 28 and HRs was 46 in 131 ML games in 2004, so there isn’t really that big of a gap in doubles and his HR and RBI production are far better than Ruf’s (131 RBIs to 81 RBIs).

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  3. Would love to see an Of next yr

    Ruf Lf. Gillies Cf. Brown Rf

    I betcha Cloyd is getting tired.. Pitching decent , but not lights out like he has most of the season

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      1. Someone said something similar yesterday, a the obligatory reply was “yeah, if Brown gets sent back to Lehigh”

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        1. Move over Bonds, Van Slyke, and Bonilla, here comes Ruf, Gillies, and Brown. Sounds more like a good law firm than a good OF.

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    3. There’s a good chance that you’ll see Brown in RF. Ruf, unless he starts full time in LF in the AFL and really shows something its unlikely to happen. If he spends all offseason working on LF, and looks good in spring training, he MIGHT get a shot there but I still think it’s like 50 to 1 odds. As to Gillies, no way, kids a long shot to ever be an every day CFer at the MLB level. If he never gets hurt again and never does any more dumb shit, his odds are 10 to 1 ish, and that’s lifetime odds, forget next year.

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        1. Nope, the top pick seems to be Ole Miss RHP Bobby Wahl. He is just another hard thrower, nothing more than Trevor May

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  4. I thought that BlueClaws game was gunna end a lot differently when Carver walked his first 3 at bats. At least they are still in the hunt for a post season birth and a chance at a 4 SAL League Title.

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  5. Kind of feel bad for Cloyd.. Say what you want about his stuff and how he projects but hes definitely earned a shot. 2 weeks from now when he gets his call up hes gotta be tired. AFL and a full year as a starter all in the last 12 months.

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  6. Franco having a big 2nd half.
    Asche has gotten his footing at Reading.
    LHV bullpen with three impressive, clean innings. Would love to see those three guys in PHI next year in addition to acquiring a veteran.

    it seems a lot of the draftees have cooled a bit since strong starts. That is good to enforce change going into the offseason–much like Asche last year, make the adjustments in the offseason after some struggles make them necessary.

    The addition of Martin has added some quality pitching depth. I am hopeful that he realizes his potential. His stuff is top notch.

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  7. Asche .350/.395/.600 in his past 10. He’s hit safely in nine straight. At this point, he could end the Reading season in the .270-.280 range. And the best part: During his hitting streak, more than half of his base hits have gone for extra bases (14 hits, 7 2B, 1 HR).

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    1. At this point, barring a total meltdown the next few weeks, Asche has earned a start at LHV next spring.

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      1. I think that would probably depend on how he plays in the spring/AFL. I wouldn’t mind him starting at Reading next year with a swift call up to AAA within a month or two.

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    2. I’d keep Asche in Reading just to let him consolidate what he’s done and work on all aspects of his game. I don’t know now where I would start him next year. If he works as hard as we hear, it wouldn’t surprise me if he improves a lot over the winter and is ready to start in AAA next year. I stand by my prediction that, sometime next year, he will be in the majors, but I have no idea when next year he will be called up.

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  8. Suppose a player at his age 25 season hits 31 home runs, mostly in AA. Suppose he’s promoted to AAA the next year and in 45 games, hits .409 with 17 home runs. Now in addition to 1B, this player can also fill in at LF, third and catch a little. Same age as Darin Ruf. Similar to better production, more defensive flexibility. What kind of major league success could you expect from this player?

    That player is now Darin Ruf’s Reading teammate, Jake Fox.

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    1. It’s a great point — there are many players that have seasons like the one Ruf is having. But Fox was rewarded with an extended chance to prove his worth in MLB — nearly 500 ABs over four years. Hopefully Ruf will get that chance as well.

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      1. Good call Mike, Ruff may never get 500 ABs, but it’s not hard to imagine an American League team giving him a cup’o’coffee tryout down the line if he has another year like this at AAA.

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  9. Soon I will need my readers to see Friend’s ERA….

    While I like Asche as mush as the next guy here I see him repeating AA next year or at least starting the season there. Let us not forget he was double jumped to CLW and is still only 22. If he is in LHV as a 24 Y/O that’s still good progress.

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    2. However, Friend didn’t look as good in AAA, so they will probably keep him in Reading for the balance of the season.

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        2. Wikipedia tells me of four All-Stars selected in the minor-league portions of Rule 5 drafts: John Hudek, Alexi Ogando, Scott Podsednik, and Manny Trillo. I have no idea if that’s an exhaustive list.

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  10. I think Asche has a shot to start at AAA. Factors will be how well he hits in ST and the org depth chart for 3B, whether that is the best fit. Given how he is doing, and the assumption of a hot spring, it makes sense. But so does keeping him at AA for a half season and continuing his education in the field. It will also depend on what they get for 3B in Philly, whether they need to find out more about him and have him waiting in th wings if their off-season solution is cheap and iffy.

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    1. There also isn’t a logical 3B to advance to Reading next season in his absence. I can see Zach Green to WIL, Walding to LKW, and Franco to CLW, but HMart has done nothing to indicate he’s ready for Eastern League pitching (FSL pitching, for that matter). It wouldn’t hurt Asche’s development to keep him in Reading for the beginning of the year for that reason alone.

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      1. Martinez is looking for all the world like a completely blown pick. Oh well, it happens, even in the best of drafts.

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        1. He looked to be a complete boom or bust type pick. If he busts, it isn’t the end of the world.

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      2. They won’t hold Asche back because they are worried about filling out Readings roster — they’d just move Pete Orr or sign one of the dozen or so Pete Orr clones as a minor league FA.

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      1. If he goes to AFL and holds his own, that increases his chance of starting at AAA in 2013, assuming a good spring.

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  11. Darin Ruf, Why wouldn’t they move him up to AAA? Give him a chance!! Same deal as Eric Kratz.They have nothing to lose,just because he’s a little older.For instance,suppose he turns out better than they expect,and would be a good hitting first baseman? You could trade Howard to the AL where he could DH and play first base.

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    1. It’s very likely that Ruf will be a better option than Howard over the next 5 years…versus LEFTIES.

      Ruf’s numbers vs. LHP this year in AA:
      .366 / .465 / .733

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        1. I’m not thinking a pure platoon, which I agree they would not be likely to do. But as Howard ages, they’ll probably want to sit him at least once a week to keep him fresh. And as long as you’re sitting him once a week, why not do it vs. tough lefties?

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      2. Howard really only struggles with the lefty specialist relievers. Most LH hitters have big issues with these guys — its why they have a job.

        His career slash line vs LH starting pitchers is .255/.341/.500, and I would say its far from likely Ruf will outdo him.

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        1. What’s Howard’s line against the LH specialist, which for the most part is 6th/7th inning and forward?

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          1. I’ve gotta assume based on that vs LH Starters line posted above it’s something like .100/.120/.250 oye….

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        2. Earlier in his career yes maybe, but recently Howard has been quite poor vs. LHP starters:
          2010: .232 / .306 / .423 vs LHP starters vs. .264 / .333 / .492 vs LHP overall
          2011: .224 / .325 / .388 vs. LHP starters vs. .224 / .286 / .347 vs LHP overall

          Given that we’ll have Howard at first for the next 4 years, I think Ruf could do well as a big righthand bat off the bench, who can spell Howard vs. tough lefties to give him a break as needed, and otherwise be a pinch hitter for a team with a lot of lefties. The Phils often carry someone like that (albeit usually left-handed), i.e. Ross Gload, Matt Stairs, Dobbs, etc.

          I think that’s a very realistic hope for Ruf, with an outside shot to be something more.

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    3. Howard is the greatest first baeman in Phillies history, aside form Poncho Herrera and Dick Stuart…how can you say that!

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  12. Especially since the three AAA callups are leading the Phillies surge (of sorts) I yelled my head off for Kratz at the game sunday.
    How fast is Kratz? They didn’t pinch run for him even tho Schneider was pinch hitting.

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    1. You have to love Kratz. I remember last year when we saw the numbers he was putting up, many of wondered aloud – what is wrong with this guy that he can’t get a sniff of the majors? Does he have huge holes in his swing? Does he have problems calling a game? Is he able to throw out base runners? Does he cause problems in the club house. I never got an answer from anyone who saw the Lehigh games to suggest that there was anything wrong with this guy at all. It was so obvious then and continues to be now that Kratz was and is a superior player to Brian Schneider. Now we get to see the proof.

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      1. Lest anyone forget, it took carlos ruiz until his age 30 season to have a half way decent offensive production at the MLB level. That said, his slash line in AAA was .307 .389 .505 alibet at age 27.. Goes to show, you can add +2/3 years to the standard development time frame to any catcher regarding acceptable age per level. That means Joesph has plllennnnttttyyyyy of time to get better. Ruiz spent 1 1/2 years at Reading, 2 years at LHV and that was all while being 21 in the rookie league!!!

        Kratz is walking at a 11% clip and had a 540 slugging % in AAA this year… he’s the perfect profile for a medium term (2-3 years) back-up catcher on these phillies. (While he’s still cheap)

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    2. There wasn’t anyone left on the bench was there? I mean, Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee probably could’ve pinch ran but is it really worth it at that point?

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  13. To believe that the current Phils talent scouts are great at assessing and appropriately slotting the talent they have is to overlook the experience with the oft-mentioned Eric Kratz. Quintin Berry, Ryan Vogelsong and Jason Grilli. No team is infallible but the Phils could be wrong in holding back Ruf and it wouldn’t be such an aberration if they were wrong.

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    1. Of course they aren’t perfect, but those 4 names, if that’s the best you can come up with, if anything argue that they do pretty nicely overall. Kratz is a success story, a player with some value that the Phillies picked up off the scrap heep. Berry is fading to what he really is, and nothing about his SSS “success” shows any lack of judgment on the Phillies’ part. Vogelsberg pitched less than 60 AAA innings for the Philies, poorly, after washing out with 3 other organizations. Similar story with Grilli.

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    2. And if they are “wrong” about Ruf, it wouldn’t be because they “held him back.” It will be because they were not aggressive enough in switching him to LF.

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        1. Right. The key to his future, if he has one, is learning to play LF, not seeing if he can hit AAA pitching. He’s not going to be a regular at first base, and if he can only play first, he has no shot at even a reserve role.

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          1. And why couldn’t the Phillies FO see that projectibility in Ruf two years ago! Why wait until he is 26-years old.

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            1. When he was given a quick promotion two years ago, he struggled as a 23/24 year old in A+. I’d imagine that might have been part of the reason…

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  14. Ruf has earned at chance at major league level this year. why not? The team is going nowhere and maybe he is one of the rare ones who out does,what scouts think. why would you think walding derserves to move up hondo??Based on what this kid asche is doing he deserves to go to arizona fall league and if he does well there, a invite to training camp next year.There is nothing to say a guy cant go from reading to majors. this kid is excited because so far he has shown the ability to adjust at each level.

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    1. He’s earned a shot at AAA, that’s for sure. If he does there what he did in Reading, then he’ll earn a shot at the majors.

      I like Ruf as much as anyone, but let’s see how he does in Lehigh Valley. Lots of guys have good years in Reading.

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      1. While I don’t agree with the OP, I understand the arguement… season’s basically over…

        That said, since we know the phillies won’t do that, AAA seems like a good option.

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        1. The Phils certainly have been in no hurry to promote Ruf. They left him in A+ all last year despite hitting well and repeating the level, and now they look to be leaving him in AA all this year.

          Not sure how to interpret that, but it doesn’t sound like how you treat a guy you view as a prospect.

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    1. Was scratched from his last start a few days ago. No word on the reason — we normally don’t get a lot of information from GCL/CLW with the lack of beat reporters there.

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  16. As far as Ruf goes, is it unreasonable to see him as a right handed bat off the bench with power who will draw a walk and not be a K machine. he can back up first base and make the occasional start vs a lefty, he can DH during interleage play, and he can make some spot starts in left. Kind of like a white Ricky Jordan.

    This is why he needs a chance. I don’t think anyone expects him to be a 25 HR .300 hitter full time starter in the major leagues. See what he can do at LHV and maybe he can turn into a valuable bench guy.

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    1. A bench guy is absolutely possible for Ruf. That being said, there is little reason to move him to AAA if you really believe he is a backup. Especially since the main reason he’d even be considered a backup would be his ability to also play LF — an abilitity that he doesn’t have yet, and one that would be easier for him to do in Reading than LHV.

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      1. I disagree. Part of the lithmus test is to see just how much he would hit in the big leagues. Sorry, but you are not going to learn that if you keep him in Reading. You almost have to promote him to see how his offense plays at AAA.

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        1. Its more important how his defense plays in LF, because there is close to zero chance he will hold a regular roster spot with the Phillies as merely a 1B.

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          1. The Phillies carried Jim Thome for half the year and he couldnt play the field at all… Charlie has never been a big platoon guy until this year when he had to be (and did it poorly).

            Ruf would need to be a good pitch hitter in order for it to work. Anybody know how he is coming off the bench into games?

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            1. After Ruf hits 600 major league HRs, maybe he can become a purely PH player. Generally, those spots don’t go to rookies.

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  18. About Ruf:
    “He’s had a tremendous year,” said Benny Looper. “He’s hit since we moved him up. From [Class A] to Double-A is a big jump.”

    Uh WTF Benny?

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      1. ‘……he’s hit since we moved him up. From [Class A] to Double-A is a big jump’…then why not the next jump to AAA, is it as big a jump as to AA!

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        1. Because A+ to AA is a much bigger jump than AA to AAA. In addition, fielding is also important to baseball players.

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          1. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with his fielding at 1B, and there’s no way Overbeck should be blocking him from moving up to AAA.

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            1. Nothing is wrong with his fielding at 1B, but he isn’t going to be even a platoon guy at 1B in the majors. His LF is where the interest lies…

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            2. He won’t be a platoon guy at first because, with 5 man benches, there are no platoons at first base. Now, if he could play LF, in theory he could IMO maybe be a platoon first baseman, available to come of the bench to play LF when not playing first. Of course, that just brings us back to the necessity to be able to play an adequate LF.

              In theory he could do this, again assuming an ability to also play LF. In reality, I don’t see the Phillies platooning Howard, even though I do suspect that Ruf would hit lefties better than Howard currently does.

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            3. The OP wasn’t talking about Ruf in the majors though, just AAA. I don’t see how moving to Lehigh Valley wouldn’t be positive for his development, as a hitter, even if he continues to play mostly at 1B. And i’m pretty sure he could get instruction on playing LF in AAA just as well as AA.

              The only explanations I see are that the team doesn’t want to put ”too much on his plate” or they just don’t see a future for him in the majors.

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  19. I know nothing about singleton personally. only what I read. couple of things,does the fact that the ball park he plays in is only 315 feet to right.mean anything? does his 111 strikeouts in 412 abats mean anything? does his two homeruns against lefthanders mean anything? I am quessing not. based on the way people put him in a upper class player. he has question, and he will start next year at 21 which is young. but love to see him in triple a doing well .before i compare him to votto or howard. major run produceing players.

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    1. Those aren’t bad strikeout numbers where you consider he’s had 483 PA. TL is a hitters league, but those are legit numbers he’s putting up. He’s only 20. He’s a top 25 prospect.

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    2. I saw him hit a 415+ homer on Saturday night, it was incredible no ballpark would have held it. Definite second decker at CBP. sigh

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  20. I would like to see the Phillies call up Gillies. He is the only outfielder on the 40 man roster that has not played on the Phillies roster. I realize he has a lot of baggage, but see what he can do. Can he be any worse than Michael Martinez?

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    1. He’s not ready for the major leagues, and it could hurt his development. After basically not playing for the better part of two years, he just needs to get at-bats.

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    2. Rosters expand in a few weeks. There’s a chance all the Cliff Lee 3 will make their ML debuts, though I think Aumont is the only lock. (And that’s barring any implosion on his part between now and then.)

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      1. How do September call ups impact the salary cap? I assume for every extra guy they call up over and above the 25 man limit, it will cost them 1/6th the MLB minimum. Guessing they’re far enough under that it won’t impact their decision making.

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        1. IIRC, their pro-rated MLB minimum salary goes against the cap…so basically its something like $2700 a game for each guy called up.

          The CBA is 300+ pages long though so I might be remembering that incorrectly. It is easy to google it though…Business of Baseball has a copy of it on their site.

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    3. The only way Tyson Gillies will see CBP this year is by buying a ticket. I would say he could work as a hot dog vendor or cotton candy monger, but you need strong hamstrings to go up and down those stairs.

      In a related story, am I the only one who would have rather seen any of the hot dog vendors from the Vet on the Phillies Wall of Fame over Mike Lieberthal?

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  21. Another thing with Ruf,So we decide that we don’t have room for him on our team that’s ten games below .500. What about a trade chip? You guys know how important that is to Rueben,(trades Cliff Lee away so he has trade Chips!!) I say promote him to AAA to see if he is legit and proves a lot of people wrong.If he doesn’t do well,at least we tried.I just don’t think that it is fair to brand a player as,he won’t be good enough.Also suppose he changed his batting stance or something else,that he could now be Much better than,(experts) projected?

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    1. He’d have to show that he can play LF before he’d be worth anything in a trade. It would be better for him to focus on this in REA, as he is comfortable there and wouldn’t have to learn a new league/pitchers as well as the OF.

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  22. Someone to keep an eye on Kyle Simon at Reading. He was part of the Jim Thome trade. In a year he has gone from Low A to AA. His current ERA is 0.77 as a reliever at Reading

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    1. Agreed. He’s picking up some Ks too. It seems like we have a whole slew of relief prospects at the high levels. A few of these guys have got to end up being good.

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  23. Tocci 2 hits, Pullin 2 hits and a BB, Green with 3 hits and Cozens with a BB and HR. Good day for the GCL crew.

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    1. The line-up from Tocci, through Pullin,Green, Astudillo, and Cozens is a good hitting line-up. Something to see as they grow in the organization.

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      1. If the system can produce one ML player per year, that’s a good system. Lets hope one of these guys can be a player.

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  24. Nice day for the GCL prospects, with Cozens hitting a game-winning HR in the top of the 10th. Strong games from Cozens, Green, Tocci, and Pullin. Decent start from Vargas.

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  25. Julio Rodriguez sent to the bullpen, 2 phillies big wigs in Reading tonight, trying to find out who

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    1. Interesting, wonder who they’re there to see… I presume either Ruf or Asche, who’s on the mound tonight?

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    2. Julio said he was sent to “work on some things” and said something about having a 4 inning maximum

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    3. 2 phillies “big wigs” got to see Morgan deal, Asche and Gillies play solid, and Ruf man LF and continue going crazy. Nice timing.

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  26. Hoby Milner goes tonight for Lakewood against Clayton Blackburn of the Giants org. Blackburn was one of the guys I was hoping we might get for Pence. There’s always that PTBNL coming our way. And it’s not like any of us thought Domingo Santana was going to be a PTBNL

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      1. Yes…two..one each for Vic and Joe B., or maybe one and cash for the other, or just one boat load of cash.

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        1. That’s right. Forgot about Rosin for a moment. Phils have two ‘PTNBL or cash’ scenarios with the Dodgers. One for Vic and the other for Blanton

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    2. Clayton Blackburn had Mikael Franco’s number last night. It was a struggle for the youngster with the Ks. He will get him back in a few years at the ‘Bank’ I hope.

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      1. That is to be understood. At this point, Blackburn is a much stronger prospect that Franco and guys in the minors are going to run into this from time to time.

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  27. Mike Compton is here saw him advising tommy Joseph, Ruf is playing LF tonight trying to figure out who the other Phillies coordinators are that are, there Re at least 3. Morgan gave a up a 2 run bomb in the first

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    1. Gorm Heimueller phillies minor league pitching coordinator is here as well. 3rd guy in a Philadelphia phillies uniform has fluffy grey hair and ears that stick out, pretty old.

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  28. Cody Asche keeps on raking. Morgan gave up that 2 runner but that is it. He’s got 3 k’s and 0 BB

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    1. Asche won’t be happy until he’s hitting .300 at Reading. Which at this rate is far from out of the question. What a great story he’s been for our system.

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        1. That’s my guy! But who could have predicted this kind of season from him?

          Only after the fist 6 wks at Clwtr did some of us begin to believe. It would, of course, be too much to wish for…yet it has happened before our eyes. I believe he is making the quickest deserved rise through the system in Phils’ draft history. (?)

          Now…it doesn’t seem so impossible to see him at 3rd in a Phils uni sometime in ’13.

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  29. Asche and Morgan, doing Asche and Morgan things. Any question they’re the organization MiL players of the year?

    On a personal note, I’m rooting for Asche to make it to so I can take a printed sign to CBP that says “Cody ASCII” with a Phillies cap written out with a QWERTY keyboard. I’m not the only one who’s thought about this, right?

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    1. Cloyd will contend for pitcher of the year and I’m sure Pettibone and Biddle will garner consideration. Between Asche and Ruf on the other side and I think it’s Ruf’s to lose. Nonetheless, Asche’s year has certainly been the most ‘promising’ of any position player as far as I’m concerned

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      1. Yeah, I guess I meant of guys we consider prospects. Cloyd and Ruf have had the best seasons statistically, no doubt.

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      2. Can there be co-Pitchers of the Year? Because it would be a shame if one didn’t win it, their season’s in comparison are apples to apples for the most part. I’m sure Ruf will get the award because Asche put up stellar numbers in +A and very solid numbers in AA. Ruf has put up stellar numbers all year. I hope Ruf and Cloyd are presented their trophies before a Phillies game that THEY will be playing in.

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      1. I’m not familiar with his repertoire mid 80’s change ? I’m at first base so hard to tell other than fastball curve and change. Hit 96 btw.

        Other notes Tyson hitting doing his thing, dropped a nice bunt single that tuned into double on throwing error. Looks like he’s ready to flip on the umpire, swore up a storm Ina ground out just now. Dude seems a lil on edge. A little too amped up.

        Ruf hasn’t really been challenged in left yet a couple hits his way, he got to them. Seemed to take a good route to the home run ball back in the first

        Having seen Sebastian all year and seeing joseph now more than a few times I don’t see why everyone is jumping to him as catcher of the future. Valle is much more polished

        I

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  31. Austin Wright with 6Ks through 3. I think he’s got a lot of potential too. Supposed to have more velo than Morgan.

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    1. True but recent reports on Morgan are 91-94. I like both of them and thought both were primed to rocket through the system this year.

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  32. Morgan hit 96 on 3 straight pitches, the top of the 6th just ended, impressed at the velocity this far into the game

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    1. He has two breaking pitched from what I can see one that around 84, I’m guessing a change, not special, there is a slowe pitch around 80, curve, slurve? Hard to tell from first base, that looked effective, his strike out were on that pitch or the heater

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  36. Reading’s radar gun is pointed at the catcher, not at the point of release, which is standard. When sitting behind scouts I noticed the difference was always 2 and usually 3 mph. When I asked the scout he explained how the gun is set up backwards and to add 2-3 mph to every pitch. Stadium gun is lighting up 93 for several of Morgans pitches thus he’s hitting 95 or 96. Starting the games it was more so 89-91, thus 91-94 but as the game went on the range went more so to 91-93 aka 93-96

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      1. ^HA! yeah right, it seems like everything Ruf and Cloyd has done has yet to be noticed. Maybe the Phillies brass know something that we don’t about the two.

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        1. Ugh. Cloyd has been promoted from Reading to Lehigh Valley. Ruf has been moved to left to learn a position that might help him get to the big leagues. WTF do you mean they have “yet to be noticed”?

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  39. Ruf now ranks 5th all-time among Reading HR leaders with Marlon Byrd (’01), Pat Burrell (’99), Rocky Colavito (’53), and Ozzie Virgil (’80). FWIW, all those guys played in the majors.

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    1. Is this single season or career. Ryan Howard had 37 in 2/3 of a season. Matt Rizzotti had 40 career HRs at Reading. Ruf has 28, single season and 28 career.

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