Daily Archives: May 23, 2013

So You Want a High School Pitcher

After taking a week and a half off from looking at the draft it is time to look at what high school pitchers might be available in the 1st and 2nd round this year.

Off the Board:

Kohl Stewart – RHP – Texas

Stewart might have the best raw stuff of any pitcher in the draft and has been climbing quickly up draft boards.  Stewart won’t fall out of the Top 10 but what the Astros do at #1 could affect where he will end up.  At that high a pick all of his signability concerns are irrelevent

Trey Ball – LHP – Indiana

A month ago there was a realistic chance that Ball could fall to 16 but he has shown a fastball that is 91-94 even in the cold wet whether and is now firmly in the Top 10 discussion.  He has some promise in the field do but at 6′ 6″ with great athleticism his future is on the mound. Continue reading So You Want a High School Pitcher

Phillies MiLBers Fundraising For Tornado Relief

Hey folks, just in case you haven’t seen it, here’s a link to the fund-raising page of Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs Josh Fields and his wife, with a note about their efforts and those of Reading Fightins’ Tyler Henson. Many of the Reading guys are also donating a small sum for every retweet on Twitter, so find Henson on there @Hendog4 and you can seek those guys out to retweet their messages. I think it’s Rupp, Biddle, Jim Murphy, Jay Johnson and David Buchanan, and maybe more.

Both Henson and Fields are new to the Phillies this year, and their efforts to help people in their home state of Oklahoma should be commended.

If you weren’t planning to give anything, I’d like to challenge you right now. I’m going to put up $50 myself as a matching gift for a bunch of us to give small donations through the Fields’ site or another Oklahoma Relief Charity, or to Red Cross (Text ‘redcross’ to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross at large – they’re helping in Oklahoma of course, though it’s not a targeted donation, per se). Five people giving $10 or ten giving $5 or any combination thereof. Whatever you give, I will give.

Please be honest – just comment on this page by the end of Memorial Day Weekend (extended from Friday – brad) and say how much you gave after reading this, (sign in anonymously if you don’t want to brag or whatever), and if any of you guys want to challenge others with matching goals, let me know in the comments and I will add it to the top.

Hot or Not

Who is hot, and who is not for the time period of May 16 through May 22….Some ramblings…the concern for Austin Wright grows as he comes off the DL with another troubling performance…Mitch Walding is heating up but needs to hit with some power to be considered a legit 3B prospect….Darin Ruf has been struggling and his average is down into the .260’s with alot of strikeouts….Good to see names like Rosin, Hernandez and Garner in the hot starter list…Again, why can Durbin/Aumont/Rosenberg do that Mike Stutes can’t. The Phils bullpen only becomes stronger with him in it.

Hot Hitters: Pete Orr (.500, 7R 2HR 8RBI, SB), Zach Collier (.412); Mitch Walding (.368, 4R 6RBI); Art Charles (.364, 6R); Jim Murphy (.348, 4R 2HR 5RBI); Willie Carmona (.333, 8R 1HR 4RBI); Maikel Franco (.333, 2HR); Josh Fields (316, 6R). Honorable Mention: Asche, Hewitt, Dugan Continue reading Hot or Not

Box Score Recap – 5/22/2013

Brody Colvin comes back into the pen in Reading with mixed results, giving up a HR and a walk (and a tie game) in two innings, before Anthony Hewitt gets his first AA HR in 3-run-walk-off fashion. Cameron Rupp also had a 3-run HR in that contest – his ISO sits at .228 right now, inflated by two 2B and two HR in three days, but impressive, nonetheless.

Two hits, two steals, and another throwing error for Roman Quinn.

And Perci Garner with another pretty good start. He’s still walking a few too many men, but not by much, (3.64/9, and just over 10%, which is manageable), and his K rate remains high for the year. Still not sure what more A+ innings are doing for him that AA innings wouldn’t at this point. IMO, even if Colvin is eventually going back into the rotation, there’s a spot available. Hector Neris should be back in the pen, and David Buchanan is not a starting pitching prospect at this point, and not worthy of taking up someone else’s innings.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 5/22/2013