145 thoughts on “Open Discussion: Week of March 23rd”

1. First of all, of the comedians, my current favorite is Sebastian Maniscalsco. He’s a riot and he’s supposed to be coming to AC this summer. We’ll see how long the current situation lasts.
   I’m surprised that Forsythe didn’t make the squad but Girardi may want to keep his guy Torreys plus one of the ex-Pirates. Parker and Swarzak are no surprise to be cut but them staying at AAA will be considered a surprise.

   1. 100% AGREE on Sebastian Maniscalsco !!!!!! He makes me laugh (really hard) every time he opens his mouth. I mean I can watch the same SM show over and over again and I’m rolling on the ground each time. Two of my favorite bits:

      * surprise company
      * eating at Subway

      He was also in the Irishman. Don’t know if you got to see him in that.

      1. LMAO that is one funny guy. Hinkie how are you feeling? Can you tell us about your experience?

         From the FWIW category I just read a study by a french doctor that says a combination of Hydroxychlorquine (Malaria Drug) + Azithromycin (ZPAC) showed significant signs of eliminating the virus in as little as 6 days.

         The challenge of course will be getting supply.

         If I were supreme leader I would be setting a series of dates letting the population know when they can get back to their lives with obvious guidelines on common sense.

         1. DMAR … for me, it went like this:

            Day one and two – high fever (~102)
            Day three thru five – lower grade fever (~99.5), headaches, body aches (my back was especially hurting), started coughing
            One week – left with just a cough

            For me, I think the worst/most annoying thing was the body aches. At times, it felt like my back was on fire. I couldn’t sleep at night. I’d get up out of bed to avoid waking my wife up, and I’d head to our sitting area (my dogs sleep on the couch), I found it more comfortable to sleep on the recliner.

            1. Hinkie…did you call your primary and get tested….you have the parameters to get tested?
               I cannot remember the last time I had a fever of 102 , unless it was when I was 10/11 years old…for some biological reason, older adults normally do not go that high with fevers….that is why the cut-off for 60 years old and above is either 99.6 or 100.1..
               Anyway, glad you are feeling better….yo had a few on here worried, including rocco….he was pacing up and down the site!

               1. Romus … no testing available here. It’s crazy. Hope you and your family stay healthy.

               2. Romus below you said you were a gym rat. I assume that to mean you lift some weights as do I. I am a big believer that no matter what your age weight lifting boosts immunity.

                  I can’t tell you how many times my wife has caught some bug and me sleeping right next to her never caught whatever it was she has. And again I have never got a flu shot.

               3. Hinkie…..wow…no testing…you are in Jersey?
                  Murphy seem to clamp down the other day.
                  The other option your primary has is a chest x-ray…that would also show any lung disruption

            2. Well glad you are feeling better and thanks for sharing your experience even if you aren’t sure it was Covid.

2. I’m in favor of playing sports with no fans in the stadiums and doing it very, very soon. Americans need some normalcy back in their lives and the anger, frustration and heartache we all feel right now over a virus that 99.9% will never get is boiling.. If the government wants to keep the lid on the on-coming civil disobedience to these lock down orders they would be wise to consider sports without fans in attendance as a pressure release valve…Shows on Netflix, Prime or old reruns of great MLB/NBA/NFL games won’t cut it.. My suggestion is to re-open the country with continued emphasis on good hygiene, stay home if your sick and get tested and control large crowds in small areas for another 30-days. It seems like in a span of 72 hours last week went from some very sensible and working coronavirus measures to semi-Marshall Law. Americans won’t stand for the status quo for long…

   1. Agree 100% Hawkeye….

      1. DMAR, those prospective drugs you mentioned above may very well do the trick, BUT by the time the FDA gets their fingerprints all over it, the red tape alone may hold up the works. Committees can’t get anything done quickly. I am hopeful that common sense prevails. The political correctness being spewed by all those people buying into the panic is nauseating enough to gag a maggot.

   2. This is at least the second really dangerous thing you’ve posted in two days. If we all act like we are entitled and that 99.9% of the people aren’t going to get sick then a LOT of people will get really sick and a LOT of people will die. Let’s be safe and listen to the real and serious warning of health officials who are trying to keep us safe and take it day by day. But we can freaking live without sports for two months – it’s hardly the biggest of our concerns.

      1. This virus is so dangerous because people are contagious for long periods of time BEFORE they show symptoms – so you’re recipe is a recipe for a broader and much worse pandemic.

      2. No, it’s not dangerous. People who lack common sense, wipe the grocery stores out of toilet paper which leads to other people using paper towels instead and flushing it down a commode and clogging up the sewers is dangerous. Let’s get real.

         1. I beg to differ – it’s this type of casual indifference that could drive this plague into overdrive. This is much more dangerous than the typical flu. Many many people will die unnecessarily if all people are not more careful. And the country does not have enough respirators to handle this if the illness curve is not very flat.

      3. I wish I was on this site in 2009 when a Swine Flu Pandemic swept the world including the U.S. where here 12,000-17,000 people died and 300,000 were infected to see how “dangerous” you thought those who didn’t agree with a shutdown… Strangely the MLB in 2009 and the full year stats I’m seeing for players either the MLB was just cold hearted S.O.B.’s or they understood the very low chance of infection in a nation at that time with 320,000,000,000 people in it. It was a smart move that they didn’t fold to the hysteria and let the players play and the fans enjoy sports…

      4. I did not see what else you thought was really dangerous by Hawkeye. I understood his 99.9% to be hyperbole.

         I don’t believe I am entitled to anything but life liberty and the pursuit of happiness, personally. While I respect everyone’s opinion on the matter I think its fair to ask for the same.

         It’s not that those of us who believe life should go back to normal don’t take the Covid Virus seriously. My view is simply that nature is brutal and often unforgiving. The ramifications of a global depression will cause far more deaths than the virus itself.

         I believe in personal responsibility. Things I can control and those I cannot. My little brother didn’t drink and drive yet he was killed by a drunk driver. it was tragic. it changed my entire perspective on life at the age of 31.

         My immediate reaction wasn’t to target the masses and lobby to shut down responsible alcohol consumption. Sure I tell the story to anyone who will listen and hope maybe the message will get through to a handful of individuals.

         But with that I understand it still goes on and since my brothers passing in 2002 it’s estimated that more than 10,000 people have been killed in DUI related incidents. I miss him everyday. The person who killed him was sentenced to 3-5 years in prison and ordered to pay restitution.

         We can go on to talk about all the things that cause tens of thousands of deaths each year to humans and we can try to assign blame for those things and seek our pound of flesh. We can create class action law suits and sue Monsanto for billions of dollars etc. etc.

         It’s only my opinion but its up to each individual to be informed on the hazards present all around us and to make our own decisions on how best to navigate those hazards as we pursue our life liberty and things that make us happy.

         I guess its a slippery slope. I favor a legal drinking age, a legal smoking age I think 21 is fair for each but I am wary of gov’t involvement in my life and what’s occurring now is pushing the boundaries far beyond what is acceptable to me.

         1. Well said, DMAR. And I appreciate your perspective in light of the tragic loss of your brother. All too often and too easily for many, looking to government to be the answer or even have an answer speaks of our collective inclination to defer our personal responsibility to an impersonal authority. That’s what has led to rebellion upon rebellion throughout the course of global history. Oh, just let the king decide, or his henchmen. Things will be alright. Not.

         2. DMAR……so sorry to hear about your kid brother.

            1. Thank you Romus…

               I believe there are 2 ways you can go when presented with tragedy. I after the trial chose to forgive the person responsible for his death.

               My mother hates him with all her being. Her hate for him has consumed a good part of her life since. I don’t judge her. My father before his passing said son “life is for the living honor your brother by living life to the fullest and being there for those of us left in the present”

               1. Don’t know if you’re a man of faith, DMAR, but that sounds like Godly wisdom. Thanks for sharing.

               2. Oh 8mark I am a man of faith for sure. It’s no longer an organized or assembled faith but just faith that there is a higher being who cares for us all.

                  and more importantly I have faith in my fellow humans

               3. DMAR…..can understand how your mother feels, and also can see the wisdom your father had to share with you and the family.
                  .

               4. We can’t compare this to the flu.

                  My wife is a Nurse Practitioner. Health people are sincerely scared of this virus. This isn’t a flu. Hospitals are having a hard time keeping up with the demands for beds and ventilators.

                  Once this is somewhat stabilized, I’m ready to see baseball again but it’s going to have to be smart and in a phased approached.

                  There does seem to consensus that warm weather could slow this beast down but we are talking about virus where no one is immune. That’s scary.

   3. Great idea….will the player’s unions agree.
      Some players may be hesitant.

   4. There’s really no way they can play right now. People don’t show symptoms for roughly a week so the “stay home if you’re sick” solution isn’t going to stop this from spreading and testing is very very hard to come by.

      Logistically it’d be a nightmare. Let’s say Rhys Hoskins tests positive two week into the season. Now you have to test all of the Phillies, any team they played in the previous two weeks (max incubation period), and any team those teams played. What do you do with the schedule during that period?

3. This year more people have caught and died from the influenza flu than the coronavirus.. the coronavirus is asking why is everyone picking on me?

   1. The reason everyone is picking on the coronavirus is that it is much more deadly, percentage-wise, than the flu, and because it takes up way more hospital resources than the flu because of the number of people who become seriously ill. Here’s a good, quick summary of the similarities and differences from the flu. Of particular note for sports, as others have mentioned, is that the coronavirus spreads even when people aren’t showing symptoms. That’s one of the things that makes it so dangerous. SARS was relatively easy to contain because it only spread when people were showing symptoms. This thing is not like that.

      https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/20/815408287/how-the-novel-coronavirus-and-the-flu-are-alike-and-different

4. I am a gym rat….one of my closest friends teaches classes at numerous facilities….a manager at one of them informed him, the PA Governor and Dept of Health have discussed keep all ‘recreational’ facilities closed until June 1st, and that is also based and depended on how the frequency of the numbers of positive COVID-19 findings goes.
   I really do not see any facilities like that opening in nine days as some have projected.

   1. If my gym were to open tomorrow I would go. I would do the common sense things like wash my hands, wipe down my equipment and so on.

      If I were a person in a high risk category I would stay home.

      I think the reality is most people are going to contract this virus like they do the cold or flu. Most people are going to be ok. Those who have a more severe reaction will be treatable with the aforementioned drugs proven in France to be effective.

      However some will not that I understand.

      My 82 y/o mother when I tell her to stay home: This is ridiculous I lived through so many types of flus we just went on about our lives.

      1. DMAR…….I suppose you be correct about the common sense thing……but judging by what I saw last week on spring break in Florida….and many reactions from the 18/19/20 year old children not sure it would be a prudent idea right now.
         Granted that is not represented of 100% of those in that age group……but there seem to be a pretty decent amount.
         And the facilities I frequent there are a good amount of younger people who attend….and from what I saw three weeks ago, they wiped and cleaned everything down, especially the females
         .
         Also, In China…….I really do not think they would tolerate a spring break celebration by the yutes.

         1. LOL Romus I love being 50 and having many yutes in my orbit I love being able to see life through their eyes

            I remember being “young and dumb” and having that feeling of being invincible. I’m not a get off my lawn boomer because lord knows its a miracle I’m still here.

            That said like any of us who have lived to tell about it there is a certain frustration that comes with having all this wisdom and wanting to share it with them.

   2. Romus I need Almond Milk and Toilet [aper, if y in south philly drop it off m8

      1. rocco…I can do the Almond Milk….the toilet paper well……I can get you napkins?
         You can peel them apart for extra smoothness.

5. It will be interesting to see if the KBO starts up in a few weeks as the KBL is said to be starting back up within a few days last I heard. I also wonder when Japan will start their baseball season. In Russia the KHL playoffs are set to start back up on April 10th so we’ll see if that holds up or not.

6. I ranked the 30 farm systems for ESPN+, writing almost 5,000 words noting each team’s effectiveness by department and where they are on the competitive cycle. The accompanying video was also shot in my kitchen, so there’s something for everyone https://t.co/lgub6cBCj7

   — Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) March 23, 2020

   22. Philadelphia Phillies

   The Phillies also are in win-now mode and could use some results in the W column in 2020. They’ve done a solid job in the amateur markets, with a top 150-level prospect from each of the past three drafts and an international group that is top 5 in the game, turning lower-dollar signings into prospects at a high rate. There’s plenty of quality and depth to fill holes at the big league level or put together a big trade or two, but this system alone won’t be the core of a contender.

   1. Hinkie…..now this does sound promising…”international group that is top 5 in the game,:….then he goes ahead and claims, ” :….but this system alone won’t be the core of a contender.”
      Seems to be contradictory

7. “This is the Phuture Phillies Open Discussion for Phillies and other baseball topics.”

   This is a baseball thread for baseball discussion on a Phillies’ prospect discussion site. I’ve turned a blind eye to some comments that drift off topic because they weren’t dangerous. But, …

   I think it would be poor judgement on my part to not address the stupid comments I’ve seen above.

   Everyone is entitled to their opinions, no matter how stupid. And I’ve allowed many to go uncontested over the years.

   But, when stupid opinions become irresponsible during a time of world-wide health concerns, I feel I have to say something.

   I find Hawkeye’s comments to be uninformed. I find DMAR’s and 8mark’s agreeing with him equally worrisome.

   I don’t care what your personal opinions and beliefs about your own health are. They aren’t welcome here.

   The CDC has released strong directives. Follow them. My wife and I, and a lot of my friends down here as well as some of our readers I presume, fall in the categories that don’t have a very good survival rate if the disease is contracted. So, STFU and stay home.

   If you want to keep commenting on this site, stay away from controversial subjects. The coronavirus (COVID-19) would be one. Politics and religion would be two others.

   1. Thanks for that – I am sorry I commented but I was so offended by these posts.

   2. Hey Jim – sorry I commented before I saw your post.

   3. Amen brother, god bless and stay safe everyone

   4. My apologies Jim this is your site message received loud and clear.

8. The Athletic has been listing their Top 100 Players of All-Time and are down to 9. Based on the list and my historical interest in the game, I am guessing those 9 are, and not necessarily in order…Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Stan Musial, Ted Williams, Sandy Koufax, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Barry Bonds and Babe Ruth. I don’t think Cy Young was on the list but if he hasn’t already been named [I will recheck] then I imagine he goes on there and Bench comes off.

   1. Yes, Bench was on there, Young was not. So its Rose, Musial, Williams, Koufax, Young, Aaron, Mays, Bonds and Ruth. Koufax was the greatest pitcher I ever saw and Mays was probably the greatest player I ever saw [though I loved Mickey Mantle, who came in #11.]

      I am guessing Ruth comes in #1 since he was not only an amazing hitter but a great pitcher.

      1. Pete Rose was a very important historical figure for the sport but in terms of actual value – he wouldn’t have made my top 40.

         1. “….he wouldn’t have made my top 40”:…..an almost 80WAR player?..
            Can understand when you include pitchers….but when it comes to just position players he would be in my top 25 for sure.

            1. I was considering all players

               1. Ok….then I guess he would be top 75/100 but probably not a top 40 guy.

               2. Oh yeah, he’s in the top 50-75 or so.

      2. Cal Dreamin – I think Rose was already covered 10 ?, or 11, 12 ? I don’t recall but it was a good writeup. On Mays and Koufax – we are in agreement. No player has ever had all of Willie’s skills in my opinion – and he was healthy ! Koufax – fugget about it….saw him in Connie Mack twice, curve ball outrageous ! Thnx…

         1. And a fastball also in the 93/94 velo range, maybe higher, by the 60s measurements (when it crossed the plate)…..now they do the reading right at the release point.
            From one article:
            “…..perhaps the fastest in MLB at the time. I know a man who was with the Dodgers organization 1960–64 playing 2b at various levels. He says Koufax was 100+ Mph in his brief but HOF career. I won’t question anyone who was a teammate.”

9. Hinkie, I couldn’t reply to your post above. I believe you live in Cumberland County. I work at Inspira and we’ve tested over 500 individuals.

   Glad you’re feeling better!

   1. Tom B … I called the hospital about a week and a half ago when my daughter first got sick. I was told they don’t test unless you have every symptom. My brother in law, who is also sick, went to the ER (at Inspira) this weekend. He wasn’t tested either.

      How many of the 500 tested positive (if you can answer)?
      And … thanks for your service on the front line.

      1. We don’t have a great amount of supplies, trying to hold on waiting for the coming surge. We test where it matches indication defined by the CDC. We currently have 9 positives throughout our system. All are quarantining at home.

         Hope your family are all getting better.

10. I won’t discuss the Coronavirus any more. I agree politics and religion are no-no’s. As for uniformed I’ll let the CDC know.

    1. I was wondering, If say the phillies had two more guys in the top 100, how much do you think, that would move up the system, rankings

       1. I noted in an earlier thread that if the Phillies hadn’t made the JTR trade that included Sanchez, they would be rated much closer to where the Marlins sit.

          He’s rated as Florida’s top prospect and a top-50 overall. Add him to Bohm and Howard and suddenly the Phillies have 3 top-50 prospects and their system is probably in the top 15..

          I should add that I agree with the trade decision but moves that that do impact the farm system ratings.

          1. Agree……..the farm system is there to better the major league club…Sanchez bettered the club.
             As it stands now…the Phillies … will have little opportunity for prospects to forge any big league time if Bohm/Stott/Kingery/Haseley/Hoskins….and of course Harper and JTR are in place for the next 4/5 years.

             So like Middleton said 5 years ago when he hired MacPhail and Klentak…..he wants that ‘five year vision’ to be firmly backed up in the pipeline with potential MLB players….I can see that with the low A and rookie league guys making their way up.
             As Kiley McDaniel indicated….the Phillies do have a top 5 international group.
             The concern as always…..is the high attrition rate over the next 4/5 years of prospects.

11. Opps, Pete Rose is #60 so he is not in the Top 10, my mistake. So 8 0f the last 9 are Musial, Williams, Cy Young, Mays, Aaron, Bonds, Koufax and Ruth. I am trying to figure out the 9th. Will keep people posted. Satchel Paige was #10 by the way.

    1. Ty Cobb?

    2. And Cy Young was already picked at #34.

    3. thinking the other is Walter Johnson

       1. Honus Wagner could be thee also…has he been mentioned?

          1. Yes, Wagner was between 10-15 I think

             1. Ok, thanks….I do not have access/subscription to the Athletic.

    4. Koufax is #70

    5. I would think the top 8 are Ruth, Aaron, Bonds, Cobb, Johnson, Williams, Mays, Mathewson

       1. Curious, would you have Bonds there if he did not have the steroid allegations hammered at him and his career faded as he aged like many of his predecessors?

          He had approx. an 80WAR career from age 32 thru 42….’97 thru 2007.
          No other player in MLB history had those extended metrics post age 32.

          https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bondsba01.shtml

       2. I have an Athletic sub and have been following the series. Some of the best sports/baseball writing I’ve ever encountered. One commenter hinted that one of the remaining slots could be filled by Oscar Robertson, but we shall see.

12. I am hoping all of you and your loved ones stay healthy. Hinkie, I am glad you are feeling better. Jim I continue to thank you for this site. Question? The guys who were assigned to LHV that had opt out dates last week. Are those dates extended? Did the players waive them or agree to extended dates? Does anyone know?

    1. matt13…..hope you are well and your family as well.
       These was out ten days ago….not sure if anything else has been announced.
       https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/coronavirus-mlb-considering-roster-freeze-to-prevent-transactions-during-covid-19-shutdown/ar-BB11bL9G

       1. Romus good thing about South Philly all the corner stores have everything, I hope this president waits a month at least to get back to sports, Those large crowds scare me,

          1. rocco…..lets hope things turn around and we can dive back into sports.

13. Thanks Romus! And I appreciate that link. It appears things will remain in place until there are some decisions made down the line. Service time will be a giant issue, and I am sure there are contractual things I can’t even think of. Stay safe!

14. Thor needs TJ surgery. Big blow to the Mets dhoukd the season ever start.

    1. Wow….now that is out of nowhere I assume.
       Cannot recall him having any issues during spring training.
       Under team control only thru next season…..Mets will need to make a decision on his long term contract.
       Free agent in 2022…….turns 29 next season
       Amazing how fast a pitching staff can come unraveled.

       https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/syndeno01.shtml

15. Talking minor league baseball, who will be in LHV’s rotation? Let’s assume a 17 man rotation in the majors to start.

16. Got a game in the YouTube que to listen to tomorrow, Phillies at Mets in 1966. Chris Short starting against Tug McGraw.

    Phillies srarting lineup:

    1 – Tony Taylor 2b
    2 – Cookie Rojas lf
    3 – Dick Groat ss
    4 – Ritchie Allen 3b
    5 – Harvey Kuenn 1b
    6 – Johnny Callison rf
    7 – Bob Uecker c
    8 – Johny Briggs cf
    9 – Chris Short p

    1. My big thrill as a kid Johnny Callison Hitting Homerun, to win Allstar game, I think it was in 63 not sure, I also remember Fathers Day sitting on the floor in my house with my brothers, and Dad and watching Jim Bunnings Perfect Game,, Tony Taylor making a great play on Jesse Gonder the catcher

       1. 1964, for both

          1. Bunning’s perfect game was the first game of a double header. In the second game, 18 yr old rookie Rick Wise got his first major league win. Wise later in his career had one of the best games ever, throwing a no hitter while hitting 2 homers. After that season, the Phils traded him, a fan favorite, for a salary holdout of the Cards, 20 game winner Steve Carlton. Fans hated the trade. I’d say it worked out pretty well…

             1. I remember going to Connie Mack Stadium and during batting practice I would go down rightfield to get long flies into the stands by lefties. Kids would sit on their stoops on the streets behind the big right field wall and yell up to me, asking who was batting. If Callison, Allen, Covington or Gonzalez would come up they would stand there waiting for me to yell to them that a ball is coming. If Wine, Rojas, Amaro or even Dalrymple would come up, they would sit down and wait for the others to come up.

       2. rocco…..I was in a community pool listening to it on the PA system on that June 64 Sunday afternoon…and watching all the young girls as we use to do…remember the movie Sandlot….Squints Pallladorous…that was me….except never got to do the trick with the lifeguard

          1. I was also at a community pool in Bethlehem PA with my parents that day. Yeah Yeah.

          2. Fathers Day

             1. Yes Fathers Day

    2. Denny, You scared me for a minute with this line up. I don’t remember Harvey Kuenn and Bob Uecker. Then I remembered it was 1966 and I was in South Korea thanks to Uncle Sam so I missed the entire season. Whew! My memory isn’t all gone yet.

       1. When you were in Korea, Did you meet Alan Alada?

          1. Rocco, not to disappoint you, but Alan Alda was not in Korea. He was on a movie set in California.

             1. Actually, I do have a special memory regarding Korea and baseball.

                I was flying home to the US after 18 months in the Land of the Morning Calm. Eager to get back to the USA. It was the day of the final game of the 1967 World Series. Us guys on the plane all wanted to know how the game was going and were hoping to land in time to hear it on radio. We landed, turned on the radio and heard the final pitch of the series. It was a classic American-boy-comes-homes-from-overseas moment.

                1. Frank, that gave me spine chill – thanks for sharing. What a great American story.

17. Couple of comments on a few of the prior posts. I found that boxcore that Denny was referring to. Short actually shut out the Mets 5-0 at Shea Stadium on Sept 4, 1966 with Callison hitting a home run.

    As for Bunning’s perfect game and Wise winning game 2, 8-2. Wise had not allowed a hit for the first 3 innings and Met announcers were wondering if the team would ever get hit that day. They actually got their first hit in inning four and ended up with 2 hits for the game…and entire DHer.

    1. I was 8 YO for that Rick Wise no-hitter. I remember watching it with my dad. At some point (in the middle innings), my mother sent me upstairs to go to sleep. I secretly left my bed to view the end of that game on the living room TV from the upstairs hallway/top of the stairs at our house (w/o my parents aware of it).
       And I was one of those people who was upset when Wise was dealt for Steve Carlton after that season. I was young and stupid.

       1. In actuality…just saw in his two years in St Louis he was 7.8WAR pitcher…that was pretty decent…and then they traded him to the Sox.
          https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wiseri01.shtml

    2. It’s taking me a while to listen to the game, I’m in the 6th inning now.

       Some take aways are;

       – Tug is only 22 and starting the game,

       – Ueker was hitting only a pinch over .200 but most of his hits were extra bases and he is productive getting RBIs,

       – Johnny Briggs was only 21 and started in Center,

       – Kuenn was playing because a lefty was playing instead of Bill White,

       -this is the game that Richie Allen showed up late but still got to start,

       – Allen hit a double and got thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple and then hit the next ball to the wall for a long out,

       – batters didn’t take many pitches,

       – Cookie Rojas was the old time Scott Kingery,

       – the Pirates were in 1st place by 2 games over the Dodgers and Phils were 7 games out,

       – this game was in the beginning of September ’66,

       – Richie Allen’s stats were equal to Hank Aaron for the season and I think Aaron was 32 and Allen is 24,

       – Ron Swoboda was in LF and Cleon Jones was in RF.

       That is what I have noted so far. I’ll be back after the game for last 4 inning notes.

18. Charlie on the mend and ready to go once the bell rings:
    https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/phillies/charlie-manuel-health-scare-phillies-coronavirus

19. Rick wise was a very good hitter

20. “Happy Opening Day’

21. Mock draft. Has Phils taking a high school short stop. I know nothing about the kid, but this would be a disaster imo. I recognize short stop is where the best HS defender plays. And that means the kid could play anywhere. So I don’t say that because of his defensive position. High school hitters, particularly ones who didn’t play a senior year due to these terrible circumstances are extremely risky. Our system needs high end pitchers. If we are going to take a risk, it should be on an arm not a bat. But actually, I see a run on college players over HS players in the upcoming draft. Let’s see if that’s how it plays out.

    https://www.prospectslive.com/mlb-draft/mlb-2020-mock-draft-2020

    1. I agree. Over the last forty plus years, the Phillies have taken one HS hitter after another in the first round, resulting in failure, after failure, after failure (to the point where you’d almost have to try to fail to do any worse) – an unending trail of misery. We have had some okay picks the last few years because we went with college bats. I almost don’t care what they do so long as they do NOT draft a high school hitter in the first round as the team has shown no ability to assess high school hitting talent.

       1. Catch, I agree with you 100%. I’ve had my fill of 1st round HS picks to last me the rest of my life and I agree with V1 above, go with the arms for awhile til we can build a stockpile.

          1. I was going to post something on the draft this week. I just never got around to it.

             We can only hope so many prep players are drafted as high as Prospects Live predicts (according to their mock 2.0). In reality, teams (for the most part) tend to gravitate towards safer college players. IMO, these nine college guys should go before the Phillies pick at 1-15:

             Austin Martin (SS/3B/CF)
             Spencer Torkelson (1B)
             Nick Gonzales (MIF)
             Patrick Bailey (C)
             Asa Lacy (LHP)
             Emerson Hancock (RHP)
             Reid Detmers (LHP)
             Max Meyer (RHP)
             Cade Cavalli (RHP)

             So … who would be left for the Phillies to consider?

             IMO they are never going to take a HS pitcher. I wouldn’t either (especially in a draft loaded with top shelf college arms).
             The only prep bat I would consider is Zac Veen.

             Most likely, the Phillies will pick a college player. They’ve gone with three straight college bats in recent years. The three top remaining dudes left would be Heston Kjerstad, Garrett Mitchell, and Austin Wells. To me, Wells makes the most sense. Brian Barber was part of the NYY’s scouting department that previously drafted Wells out of HS (35th round in 2018). Add to that, he’s from Las Vegas (same as Bryson Stott and Bryce Harper), he was one of the top two performers with a wood bat on the Cape last summer, and he’s young for the college class. Wells won’t turn 21 until the middle of July. At the University of Arizona, the LH hitting C slashed .353/.462/.552 as a freshman and .375/.527/.589 as a sophomore. He was a Cape Cod League All Star in 2019 when he went .308/.389/.526, 7 HR, 8 SB for the summer.

             What a week for @wellsius16! 👀

             The @ArizonaBaseball slugger is the #Pac12BSB Player of the Week after batting .545 with 8 RBIs while helping the 'Cats pickup their first series sweep of the year. ➡️ https://t.co/TOohDr70zR pic.twitter.com/MomFv0Lk9J

             — Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) February 18, 2020

             As far as college pitching goes, I’d jump at Detmers, Meyer, or Cavalli if any of them made it to the Phillies. That’s looking like a long shot.
             That would leave the club these options:

             * Garrett Crochet (LHP) has got the size (6’6″, 220 lbs), the stuff (upper 90’s FB, plus CH, plus breaking ball) but has had some inconsistency problems and some health scares.

             * JT Ginn (RHP) is a former LAD’s first round pick who is currently healing from TJ.

             * Tanner Burns (RHP) is a smaller (6’0″, 210 lb) former prep stud who was taken by Brian Barber and the NYY’s on day three of the 2017 draft.

             * Bryce Jarvis (RHP) is another kid who Brian Barber formerly drafted (37th round last June). He spent this winter working out with a trainer to gain strength. His velo has surged from 90-92 to 94-96. He may also possess the top CH in the draft. In the shortened 2020 season, the 6’2″, 195 lb Duke “ace” is 27 IP, 11 H, 2 BB, 40 K.

             * Cole Henry (RHP) is the guy who I feel may have the best combination of “now stuff” and “future projection”. Henry is the best draft arm from LSU since Aaron Nola. The 6’4″, 210 lb thrower packs a 92-96 FB (with lots of life), a plus-plus CB, and a still developing CH. He’s very young for a college arm (won’t turn 21 until a month after the draft), and he’s performed under the bright lights of the SEC. Take a look at these highlights from a win vs. Florida last spring (5.1 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 0 BB, 12 K)

             In 2019, Henry went 58.1 IP, 50 H, 18 BB, 72 K. In 2020, he totaled 19 IP, 15 H, 6 BB, 23 K. To be honest, Henry does come with a reg flag. He had to be shut down early in his freshman season with some swelling of nerves in his right arm caused by scar tissue. He had no problems with that this season.

             1. Hinkie….IMO, give me a SEC pitcher….who is healthy.
                And FWIW….the Yankee drafts have been horrific, sans Judge, and at 32 that was pure luck.
                I suppose you can go out on a limb, and put Gerit Cole in there but he was a low round draft choice out of HS by the Yankees.

       2. 1990…Mike Liebethal last HS hitter who has produced at the MLB level with any significance.
          Thirty year anniversary coming up….odds are with the Phillies! (tic)

    2. I agree with V1 and Catch – stay away from any HS prospects in pick 1.14 especially that the Phillies will not have a Rd 2 pick when they signed Wheeler. With the window to contend is now, any help from Rule 4 picks are important to balance the payroll.

22. I will continue to hope that one of the College arms falls to us. No interest in HS bat.

    1. matt13…remember next time you are in Naples stop at Mother Kruker’s…Sundays are family days, 25% off…tell them John sent you.
       https://www.kruks.com/ 🙂

23. This sounds unfair to draft eligible players.
    Phillies w/o a 2nd round pick could have as few as just four draft picks this year.
    The 2021 draft could be a whale of an event. I don’t think the Phillies will sign a FA with a QO this winter so they can have all their picks and bonus slot dollars for next summers mega event.

    Sources: MLB & the MLB Players Association have the framework of an agreement that could be finalized as soon as today. Discussed terms on the draft:

    – A draft sometime in July
    – Likely 10 rounds, possibly 5
    – Bonus deferment: 10% upfront, 45% in July '21, 45% in July '22

    — Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) March 26, 2020

    1. NCAA has already granted all spring athletes an extra year of eligibility. I would think most will now head back to college for another season. A whole lot of HS kids will opt to head to JUCO’s to be available to be picked again next summer.
       So if you add college sophs, college juniors returning to school, present and future JUCO’s, and a whole new prep class that adds up to a mega 2021 draft class.

       In addition, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a good amount of 1st round picks this summer decline to sign because they’re only getting 10% of their bonus now. the rest of it will be spread out over the next two years.

24. Based on possibly only four rounds of draft choices, I can’t help but think unless one of the super-stud college bats drops to 15 the Phillies are all in on pitchers.. The high school talent that would have got drafted this year but is now somewhat shut out will be a bonanza for college baseball..

25. I would be surprised if the NL doesn’t have a DH this year – it’s an easy year/time to slip this in under the guise of needing to make the games more exciting.

    1. Yes….they ..may not need to have the new CBA with the MLBPA agreement.
       Assume all the NL owners are for it…..do not recall want the vote count has to be before it can pass…I think it is still a majority.

       Back in August 1980, if Bill Giles had not gone on that fishing trip….and abstained from voting, the NL would have it now. The Pirates owner was going to follow whatever the Phillies did…and he also abstained…along with the Astros…Mets, Braves, Cardinals, and Padres were for it……Reds, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants and at that time the Expos were against…..it did not come about.
       Not sure if they ever had another vote in the last 40 years.

       1. While they’re ratifying the DH (to add excitement to the game), I’d also love to see the owners agree to a system that allows trading draft picks. MLB was supposed to hold the draft in Omaha this June to coincide with the College World Series. That mega 2021 draft will now become the first draft to take place in Omaha. It would make for much more drama/excitement/greater TV appeal if MLB would allow clubs to deal picks for picks, or picks for prospects, or picks for MLB players.

          1. Yes Hinkie agree…..trading draft picks brings another excitement to the draft, ie NFL’s draft.
             If anything , I’d be happy if they just allowed first round pick trading……and still also keep the CBA trading also.
             The first ten picks in a draft are gold and a team like the Tigers could get one or two MLB players who could turn the franchise around.
             The issue of parity becomes more relevant..
             Less teams I would think would not try to ‘tank’…though they insist it is strategic planning.

             1. BTW … Keith Law (in today’s chat) is hearing a different draft story than the one Kiley McDaniel is reporting. That would make sense to me because (as I posted above), this plan KM is reporting seems like a horrible idea. I think a lot of kids may choose to not sign this July, and instead get paid their full bonus next summer.

                OC Joe
                Your thoughts on the MLB Draft proposal reported by Kiley? (July date, 5-10 rounds, 10% of bonus money up front, 45% deferred to 2021, 45% deferred to 2022)
                Keith Law
                Not what I’ve heard from industry sources.

                Here’s a few other Q & A’s from KLaw’s chat:

                Guest
                Considering it looks like the prep and college seasons are going to be wiped out, is it too early to start linking teams with draft prospects or do we need “combines” or “pro-days” to get that kind of buzz?
                Keith Law
                No teams had any real meetings to discuss their plans, but I would imagine if they were candid with us most GMs/directors could tell you who they’d probably take in round one.

                Arnold
                Whenever it is held, how does MLB conduct a draft when there was little or no high school or college seasons to scout? Do they go by the 2019 season?
                Keith Law
                Scouts went out and saw players last summer and fall, and then briefly this spring. It won’t be the same draft that it would have been with a full season this year, but they have enough looks and data to have a draft.

                addoeh
                What prospect that you ever scouted most impressed you the first time you saw them?
                Keith Law
                Harper.

                BTW … yesterday on ESPN.com, one of their writers mentioned Jimmy Rollins as one of the top two amateur prospects he had ever scouted.

          2. God yes – let’s have tradable picks already but my sense is they still won’t do it due to attempts to keep signing bonuses down but it’s such a fixable problem if they just get a little creative. Of course major league baseball owners have been accused of a lot but folks have never spent much time complementing them for their creativity

          3. It will be interesting to see when they hold the draft – my son is in the Army and his next duty station is in Omaha but like everyone else he is supposed to stay where he is for a few months until the insanity passes. Hopefully, the draft will occur after he has been relocated. That would be something to look forward to in this very difficult time.

26. Thanks Romus! Still planning to be in Cape Coral the week before Easter. We Love taking trips to Naples. I don’t know how much we can get out even if we can still go. What does everyone think about the items on the table outlined by the Commish? I would prefer a shortened season to playing into December and playing the WS at a neutral site.

    1. Would need to see when they can get back before really saying how many games they should play. Maryland schools are said to be possibly opening at the end of April and Delaware is saying mid May for now. So if you had spring training start back up around mid-May maybe you could start the season early to mid June depending on how many weeks they would want for ST. If they could get close to 144 games without going into December as I just don’t see how that would work in the Northern cities. Certainly will be interesting to see how it plays out and much discussed.

       1. Can you imagine the World Series in Yankee Stadium on December 1st….a few weeks later they would be getting ready for the Pinstripe Bowl.

          1. No, I can’t see it. I think if baseball starts around July 1, they will try to get in 100 games, finish the regular season around October 15 and roll right into the playoffs in an effort to complete the WS around November 10-15 at the latest. I’m sorry, but it’s not fair to the players to have a WS in place like Minnesota, Chicago or Milwaukee, let alone Boston or Cleveland, around December 1 – it’s just brutal. I think mid-November is about it. As far as the regular season goes, I think about 90 games is the minimum (start time July 15 with completion around October 15) – if they can’t start until August, I think they will skip 2020 altogether.

             1. I do, however, think there will be minor league baseball at some point – even if the minor league season goes into mid-October. Everything is going to be completely odd and different in baseball, just as it will be (and is) in the rest of the world.

                1. Yeah…..the minor leagues are more flexible with their schedules, they do not have to worry about TV contracts
                   Though I like the idea that someone posted earlier in the week…doubleheaders with one being 7 innings….and increased roster flexibility with the ability to add and/or subtract pitchers as the next day dictates.

                   As for fan attendance…not going to happen for awhile…at least for older fans…young college, 20 somethings and some millennials will be there hanging out in the OF concourses having a good time.

                2. I believe there will be no baseball

27. No surprises ..Phillies optioning these guys to LHV:
    Edgar Garcia…Reggie McClain….Austin Davis…. Kyle Garlick…Nick Williams…Cole Irvin

28. This is supposed to be the week that major league baseball officially in full blast. Love to hear the sound those balls hitting bats and mitts and smell the grass from the field!!

    NFL was said to continue their schedule draft in April so we will see how teams will approach the draft with no pre-draft rituals while practicing social distancing.

    Team’s scouting teams had been watching the top Rule 4 prospects since last summer/fall especially those college kids so the prospects for the Top 3 rounds will be almost set for most teams. The risk will be for the HS prospects.

    I hope that MLB still continue the scheduled Rule 4 draft following the same rules. Teams have enough scouting data to figure out their drafting priority and the draft can still be conducted in “virtual” mode. It will not have the same experience for everybody especially for the prospects, but this is a normal baseball activity that can be done without putting everybody at risk.

29. I just saw MLB updated their Phillies prospect ranking to include Yhoswar Garcia at #23. It’s a little surprising to see that Gamboa still made the cut at #28 but the biggest surprise to me is no Starlyn Castillo. I can’t remember is MLB ranked Castillo ever in their Top 30 since he was signed — to me, it is just surprising. In the 2020 Phillies rankings that I know, Castillo ranks as follow:

    KuKo ranking – #18
    Hinkie – #17
    PP – #26
    PMT – #18
    Prospects Live – #17
    Fagraphs – #18
    Prospects1500 – #10 (Tier 3)

    I think it is reasonable to say that Starlyn Castillo is ranked in 18-20 range, so it is surprising that MLB never ranked him in Top 30 since he was signed.

    1. Last year they had Pipkin (25), Gowdy (26), Santos (29) and Seabold (30) at the bottom ahead of Castillo.

       And in 2018….not in the top 30 either.
       http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2018/?list=phi

       1. It is a surprise exclusion in my opinion. If I remember it correctly, MLB treated Francisco Morales the same way. Francisco never cracked MLB’s 30 on the year he was signed (2016), never made it again the year after (2017) but suddenly jumped in MLB rankings in 2018.

          Starlyn Castillo was rated better (stuff is better across the board) than Morales when they were signed, thus, the higher signing bonus. 18 yo with 70 grade FB with 2 other pitchers deserve some recognition.

          1. KuKo….have to remember, Castillo has only pitched 9 professional innings, so that could also facto into the equation why MLB.com decided not to have rated in the top 30.

             1. @romus – Yhoswar Garcia has not made any pro appearance yet, Garcia is older and his ceiling is lower than Castillo and yet MLB ranked him at #23.

                1. Fair points…but probably were not enough to convince Mayo or Callis.

30. All, below is a link to a story with interactive map that projects when COVID-19 will peak in each state. For Pennsylvania it’s April 17 with several weeks to tail off. Florida is May 14.

    The projections assume all safeguards against the spread of the virus are in place and are being followed.

    Bottom line: If the projections prove out, we’e talking the end of June before crowds can gather again.

    https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2020-03-26/us-coronavirus-deaths-hospital-demands-likely-to-hit-peak-in-mid-april-study?src=usn_nl_coronavirus

    1. Frank…….I may not go to any games this year…..hoping rocco buys my tickets! 😉

       1. Romus,

          The early end of the Florida State League last year wiped out my last Threshers series (and they don’t carry rain checks over to the new season), and COVID-19 wiped out the several Phillies spring training games had bought tickets for, and there’s no chance to drive over to Miami to see them this week. So I feel your pain.

    2. I’ve seen very few projections that hold up over time. A February British study that called for 500,000 dead in the UK and 2 million in the U.S. was dramatically revised down in March and still looks too high and will be revised down again (80,000 dead in the U.S.?) The good news is the mortality rate in the U.S. is holding steady at approximately 1.5% which is important. States like Washington are seeing declining infection rates and states like N.Y. trail in the curve behind Washington by about three weeks. From ESPN analysts to MLB officials it seems there’s a coalescing around June 1st if nothing gets worse..

31. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2020/03/26/mlb-players-agree-deal-preserve-service-time-hold-draft/2923380001/

    Among other things they agreed on, this year’s daft will only be 5 rounds. I guess that means no short season ball? all drafted players go to Lakewood? how else could they do it? can’t build a team off of 5 players.

    1. What about UDFAs?
       There will be plenty floating around now….some may go back for another year, but others may decided to chance it and sign on.

    2. Could be the death knell for Williamsport. GCL?

32. Strat-O-Matic is running a simulated MLB 2020 season at: http://www.strat-o-matic/2020-season-simulations/# Our hitting is terrible except for Bryce and maybe Segura. Pitching is good.

    1. Strat was the best game ever. My brother and I played it every day during the baseball season with realistic results. I lost our World Series every year until I played with the 1961 Yankees, an old timers team, beating the 1967 Cards. Good memories…

33. An inexact science…..especially the international arena
    Look at the 25th and 30th ranked players in this years J2 class (2015).
    :
    http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2015/?list=int

35. If the league plays less than half a season this year…oh boy!
    Do not think he would do that however.

    https://www.12up.com/posts/bizarre-rule-rob-manfred-pick-2021-mlb-draft-order-if-2020-season-is-cut-short-01e4m1m57jb3

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