Monthly Archives: May 2013

Around the System–Corner Infield

Other Stuff

A second look at the corner infield with the obvious focus on Asche and Franco.  How much longer does Harold Martinez have with the organization?

Lehigh Valley

Josh Fields, 30, SIgned as a free agent in 2012; .310/.367/.491 in 116 AB’s; 3HR 15RBI; 6SB; .333 vs. LHP, .299 vs. RHP, .379 with RISP, .306 in May; 9%bb/30%k rate. 10 games at 1B with 3 errors (.968); 4 games at 3B without an error; 3 games in the OF without an error. Fields has been playing extremely well, as one of the most consistent hitters on the Lehigh Valley team.  Also, stealing some bases.

Cody Overbeck, 27, Phils 9th round pick in 2008; .229/.299/.486 in 140 AB’s; 9HR 22 RBI; 1SB; 8%bb/24% k rates; .342 vs. LHP, .186 vs. RHP, .188 with RISP, .211 in May. 29 games at 1B with 1 error (.996); 9.17 R/F. Overbeck is crushing lefties but mediocre at best in several other offensive categories.  He is hitting for good power, and has turned himself into a decent 1B.  Continue reading Around the System–Corner Infield →

Box Score Recap – 5/26/2013

Box Score Recap

Tyson Gillies went deep for the second straight day. Zach Miner struck out 8 of the 18 men he faced. Less than impressive from Jesse Biddle. He did strike out 6, but he gave up 6 runs, (5 earned), 7 hits, 3 walks and a homerun in 4 innings. For what it’s worth, he was also 2 for 2 at the plate with his third double of the year. He’s hitting .556 on the year.

Cesar Hernandez stole his 15th base, and Roman Quinn his 24th. Both men could probably beat me in a footrace. Probably. I’m probably like a 65 runner. In that I can probably run flat out for around 65 yards without having a cardiac event. Probably.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 5/26/2013 →

Quarter Point Mailbag

Mailbag, Other Stuff

A big thank you to everyone who sent in questions, there were some very thought provoking questions posed.  If you have anymore just ask them in the comments.

@Phylan

@Matt_Winkelman I have a question: what is a “prospect”

Not sure how serious this question is but it is a great place to start this.  In my mind a prospect is someone who has realistic chance to have a major league career.  This doesn’t mean they will be a starter but they have the ability to contribute on the major league level.  Just getting there does not make one a prospect. Continue reading Quarter Point Mailbag →

Box Score Recap – 5/25/2013

Box Score Recap

Seth Rosin good, Mario Hollands good, Maikel Franco good, Cam Perkins good. How’s that for anaylsis? I’ll try to post the graphic later today, but here’s the link and a place to discuss.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 5/25/2013 →

Box Score Recap – 5/24/2013

Box Score Recap

Zach Collier is absolutely raking right now – 1.103 OPS in his last 10 games, OPSing .754 in May. Logan Moore with homeruns in 2 straight. He’s hit safely in 8 of his last 10 and he’s OPSing .703 now in May, which is a marked improvement over his April. And Roman Quinn is OPSing .868 in May after a horrid April, (a rash of errors not withstanding, that’s a .330 jump over his first month at Lakewood).

If we learn anything from May every year, it’s that April is just another month – it just happens to come at the beginning of the year. Also the top level of split level homes are hard to keep cool in summery weather. Maybe it’s just me, but it barely cracked 90 outside last week and I was ready to move into the basement. Although that would be perfect for a blogger, right?

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 5/24/2013 →

Box Score Recap – 5/23/2013

Box Score Recap

Cody Asche has been turning it up a little bit at the plate. He’s got 9H, 6 of them for extra bases, in his last 7 games. The middle of the CLR lineup racked up some hits in 11 innings last night. Not so for the middle of the LKW lineup, and they had 12 innings to try, though Art Charles hit his 6th HR of the year. Yoel Mecias struck out 7 in 5IP in that one.

And a good line from Kyle Simon on last night’s supspended Reading game. Tried to get the tweet to embed, but I don’t think it worked. Click through if you like.

https://twitter.com/TreeSimon/status/337703247630450689

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 5/23/2013 →

So You Want a High School Pitcher

2013 Draft, Other Stuff

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

Other Stuff

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

Other Stuff

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

Box Score Recap

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 →