So, tomorrow is the last day of major league spring training at the Carpenter Complex.  Tuesday the Phillies are playing an intra-squad game at Bright House Field.  The Complex will be turned over to the minor leaguers for their spring training.  Already there are dozens of them reporting to the Complex to use weight and batting in the facilities there.

After their morning meeting and exercises, the players ran the same drill on the bases as on Saturday.  A runner was stationed at each base.  There were 2 lines of players, one on each side of home plate.  A coach stood behind the mound and hit a ball into the outfield to start the play.  All runners advanced two bases except the trailing runner from home.  He took a wide turn at first.  Once again, the coaches were watching running technique. This continued for about 15 minutes.

During long toss, Clete Thomas once again was throwing from the longest distance.  It looked like Darin Ruf was trying to keep up with Thomas.  But, Ruf needed to take 2 steps to make his return throw.  Thomas was able to out throw Ruf without the walking start.

During today’s PFPs, balls were hit into the outfield and the players had to correctly set up relays and back up throws.  Somebody on the Phillies staff must read Phuture Phillies because Darin Ruf was in the outfield today.  Franco started at first then switched over to third.  Hernandez started alone at short, but Cedeno joined him later.  Over on the other field, Frandsen started at second with Utley and moved over with Asche later in the exercise.  The batted balls were increasingly more difficult to field.  The coach placed them in the gaps and down the right field line.

The pitchers and outfielders left the fields and the infielders continued fielding routine ground balls.

The pitchers worked on their step off and look back move under instruction from Larry Andersen and Ray Burris.

The outfielders practiced going back on a ball lobbed over their head.

After BP off the coaches, practice broke after a team meeting in the outfield.  They finished an hour earlier than on any other day.

I didn’t see any pitchers throwing.  Kelly Dugan was missing again today.