All posts by gregg

Mattair Q and A (Part One)

Other Stuff

You asked and Travis Mattair answered…a big thank you goes to Lakewood Media Relations Manager Greg Giombarrese for putting this together on the Lakewood end.  This is a Part One of the interview conducted.  Please go to http://blog.blueclaws.com/ for the full audio version.

Ron in Allentown, PA: “Does the organization stress working the count when you are the the plate or do they want you to be aggressive.”?

Mattair: They want you to be aggressive and seek the fastball early, but working the count comes with good pitching.  When you are seeing the fastballs early though, you have to go after it. Continue reading Mattair Q and A (Part One) →

Daily Discussion, Mattair Q & A Update

Daily Discussion

We have gotten quite a few excellent questions for Travis Mattair.  He will be interviewed either tomorrow or Wednesday.  Look for his answers before the end of the week.  As we have quite a few questions, please hold up on any more. We can’t saturate him too much…We will be looking to do more interviews similar to this over the next several weeks.

Jason Donald began his climb back into the Lehigh Valley lineup by playing today for the GCL Phils.  He went 1-3 with a run scored. 

After being unable to complete a deal, the Phils optioned Jack Taschner down to AAA Lehigh Valley.

Kyle Drabek’s line today: 7IP, 6H, 2R, 1BB, 5K. CF Quintin Berry stole his 29th base of the year for Reading.

Jason Knapp on the hill for Lakewood tonight. Check in for game updates at http://blog.blueclaws.com/

Middle Infield–A Second Look

Around the System

The second trip around for the middle infield.  All basic stats are included.  If there are other stats that are standing out, I have included them as well.

Lehigh Valley

Miguel Cairo–Age 35–,302/.347/.434; 159 AB, 4HR 22 RBI, .341 with RISP, .387 vs. LHP.  8 errors, .957 fielding %. (30 games at SS, 6 at 3B, 6 at 2B, 1 at 1B) 

Jorge Velandia–Age 34–.190/.292/.333; 21AB, 1 HR 3RBI, 2 errors, .933 fielding %, (4 games at SS, 2 at 3B, 1 at 2B). Currently on DL

Jason Donald–Age 24–.230/293/.324; 204 AB, 1HR 16 RBI, 6SB, 52K, .148 with RISP, .217 vs. RHP. .310 vs LHP, 5 errors, .978 fiedling %, (44 games at SS, 3 at 3B, 3 at 2B) .  Has been on DL since 6/12/09.

JJ Furmaniak–Age 29–.224/.284/.337, 3 HR 26 RBI, .218 with RISP, 7 errors, .972 fielding %, (30 games at 3B, 28 at 2B, 2 at SS)

Pablo Ozuna–Age 34, Currently serving a 50 game suspension for positive steroid test. Continue reading Middle Infield–A Second Look →

Travis Mattair Q&A

* Interviews

Phuture Phillies has been contacted by the Lakewood Blueclaws Media/Public Relations Manager Greg Giombarrese, for the purpose of doing a Question and Answer session with Lakewood 3B Travis Mattair, and the questions will come from you ,the reader.  Feel free to post your questions for Travis in the comment section of this post before 12:00 p.m. tomorrow.  When a question is posted, please use a first name and a hometown.  If these requirements are not fulfilled, the question will not be asked.  Your answers to the questions submitted will be posted both here, and the Lakewood Blue Claws blog sometime later this week.  By way of brief background, Mattair as many of you know, is a 6’5,  20 year old 3B for the Blueclaws, playing his second season in Lakewood after being drafted in the 2nd round of the 2007 draft, out of Southridge High School in Washington.  He is hitting .250/.362/.340 on the year with 2 HR 23 RBI and 7 SB.

Lehigh Valley Weekend Update

7. Lehigh Valley

An abbreviated update due to the holiday weekend.  After being swept by Syracuse in a day/night doubleheader last Friday, both teams boarded their respective buses for the four hour drive to Syracuse to continue their weekend series in Alliance Field.

7/4/09–An excellent outing by Gustavo Chacin was wasted as the ‘Pigs lost 3-2 to Syracuse in 12 innings.  Chacin went 7.1 innings giving up just a run on 7 hits.  He walked one and struck out five, and left with a 2-1 lead which was blown by Gary Majewski.   Jason Anderson (0-1) took the loss, giving up a 12th inning game winning double.  Both ‘Pig runs were scored in the 4th, the key hit being a Miguel Cairo RBI single. Cairo has 3 hits in the losing cause, while Jason Ellison added two of his own. Continue reading Lehigh Valley Weekend Update →

Lehigh Valley Weekly Report

7. Lehigh Valley

Another good week for Lehigh Valley as they went 4-2 and continue their ascent in the International League standings, and now stand at 39-40, in 4th Place of the Northern Division, six games behind division leading Scranton.  ‘Pig hitting leaders include Rich Thompson who is ninth in both triples (3) and steals (15); Andy Tracy is 3rd in runs (48), 2nd in homers (14), 2nd in RBI’s (55) and leading the league in walks (39).  On the mound, Andrew Carpenter is 4th in wins (7), 8th in innings (88.1) and 10th in ERA (2.75); Carlos Carrasco leads the league in IP (92.) and is second in strikeouts (88). Kyle Kendrick is 9th in innings pitched (88.1). Continue reading Lehigh Valley Weekly Report →

Daily Discussion, Lopez Named Friday Starter

Daily Discussion

Rodrigo Lopez, a 33 year old righty who has spent this year in lehigh Valley was called up by the Phils today and named the starter for Friday nights game againt the Mets.  The trade yesterday for Brian Mazone by Lehigh Valley was the prologue to this deal, as the Phils needed to protect themselves with another veteran AAA starter if they lose Lopez when/if he is sent back down.  Lopez is out of options.  Lopez was 5-4 with a 3.91 ERA in Allentown and has pitched very well recently. Lopez, who is recently recovered from Tommy John surgery has over five years of major league experience, most recently with Colorado. He is a two time major league 15 game winner.

Kyle Kendrick took the complete game loss last night for Lehigh Valley, on a night where he induced 21 outs that came from ground balls, giving up just 2 earned runs.  He did commit two throwing errors, one of which was very costly that led to a Norfolk run.  Both Phillies President Dave Montgomery and Assistant GM Benny Looper were in the house to watch. 

Scott Eyre is getting the start for Reading today, and will be followed by Kyle Drabek.  Eyre will pitch the first inning in his first rehab appearance.  After the difficult debut by Yohan FLande last night (6IP, 5ER), the Reading bullpen shut down Altoona (Zagurski struck out the side in his inning) and Kevin Mahar hit a game winning, walk off homer in the 12th inning.  Mahar ended the month of June hitting .378 for the month. Ruben Amaro took in the Reading contest.  Reliever Sam Walls was released to make roster space for Flande.

In Lakewood, Jason Knapp had a 12 strikeout performance in just 5 shutout innings of work last night.  He left after having thrown over 100 pitches in those 5 innings.  According to the Blueclaws media relations staff, Knapp was clocked at 98 mph on the LAST pitch he threw.

Rotation Update

Transactions

Some curious goings on in Allentown and Atlanta….JA Happ is now starting Thursday, pushing the Phillies need for a starter back to Friday.  This places Rodrigo Lopez in the mix for the start on Friday for the Phils.  Lopez , while not on the 40 man roster, has a good deal of major league expereience, and had an excellent outing in his last appearance yielding just a run in seven innings.  One of the intriguing aspects of Lopez for the Phils is his control, having given up just 13 walks in 71.1 innings.  He is 3-0 with an 0.64 ERA in his last 3 starts.  The Phillies reacquired veteran minor league starter Brian Mazone, who will be joining the Lehigh Valley rotation when they make a roster move over the next couple of days.  With talent such as Savery/Drabek progressing in Reading, the organizaation has made a decision to bring in a starter from another organization rather than move up someone from Reading.  Phillies GM Ruben Amaro was in Allentown last night, meeting with the Lehigh Valley brass.

Daily Discussion

Daily Discussion

A rough outing last night in CLearwater for the recently promoted Tyler Cloyd who gave up 6 runs (4 earned), on 9 hits, in 5.2 innings in his Clearwater debut.  Justin DeFratus had similar troubles in his first start in Lakewood giving up three runs in three innings.  He was pulled after three as he is on a pitch count, as his arm needs to be stretched out.

In Reading, 4 more hits for Michael Taylor combined with Joe Savery’s 10th win of the year as he threw six more shutout innings, in the 12-2 Rwading drubbing of Trenton.

The decision on who will be called up from Lehigh Valley to take Antonio Bastardo’s rotation spot will be made today.  The Lehigh Valley rotation lines up with Kendrick throwing tonight, followed by Carrasco scheduled for tomorrow and Carpenter in Game One of a doubleheader on Friday.  I will be at Coca Cola Park tonight and will do my best to get some info posted before game time at 7:00 should I learn anything.

Roster Shuffling

Transactions

Pitcher Yohan Flande was called up to Reading, with Tyler Cloyd taking Flande’s spot in the Clearwater rotation after a promotion from Lakewood. 

With Justin DeFratus moving into the Lakewood rotation, reliever Jared Simon was sent from Clearwater to Lakewood to take DeFratus’s bullpen spot.