All posts by jimpeyton19

XST; May 31, 2014

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Today’s game against the Blue Jays started at 10:00AM. It was scheduled for 7 innings. By mutual agreement during the game, the teams extended the contest to 8 innings. In three different innings, the Blue Jays coaching staff asked to pitch to extra batters to make sure their pitchers got their work in. This is evidence that a lot of the young Phillies batters swing early and often. The Jays starter needed to face two extra batters in the 4th inning and still fell short of his 50-pitch limit.

Denton Keys Started for the Williamsport squad. He produced a fine effort. Continue reading XST; May 31, 2014 →

Threshers; May 30, 2014

Game Reports,

The Threshers fell 7-4 tonight. I feel like I watched two different games in those 9 innings. In the first game, Adam Loewen and Lee Ridenhour pitched the Threshers to a 4-1 lead thru 7 innings. The offense collected 9 hits and scored in 3 of the first 4 innings. In the second game, two relievers combined to surrender 5 hits, 6 runs, and 2 walks in 2 innings. The offense went hitless over the final 5 innings. Continue reading Threshers; May 30, 2014 →

XST; May 30, 2014

Game Reports

Not much to report from XST as camp winds down. Only a few games left. Camp breaks after next Wednesday’s last game, the day before the First Year Player Draft. When these XST squads run into good pitching, the kids might only get 2 at bats., especially when they utilize 2 DH, which the Phillies do everyday.  Today was such a day.

So, Cord Sandberg was with the GCL squad again today. Continue reading XST; May 30, 2014 →

Threshers; May 29, 2014

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This game followed what is becoming a familiar theme as some of the starting pitchers improve. Starter pitches well. Offense struggles. Defense plays unevenly. Threshers lose. Tonight, the victim was Jeb Stefan. He pitched a season high 6 innings, allowed 2 hits, 1 unearned run, 2 walks, 2 strike outs, and 1 wild pitch. He left trailing 1-0. One other bright spot was Lino Martinez. He enetered the 8th inning with one out and the bases loaded. He retired 4 in a row before allowing two base runners in the 9th inning and then closing out the opposition. Continue reading Threshers; May 29, 2014 →

XST; May 29, 2014

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Brandon Short was in the line up today for the Williamsport squad . He has begun a rehab assignment that will hopefully end in his being activated on the Threshers’ roster. He led off and started in centerfield. Unfortunately, this pushed Cord Sandberg to the GCL squad and the DH position. Still, Trey Williams, Jan Hernandez, Jake Sweaney, Jose Pujols, and Herlis Rodriguez would be in the Williamsport line up and Ricardo Pinto would get the start. Continue reading XST; May 29, 2014 →

Threshers; May 28, 2014

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The Threshers rebounded this afternoon with a gutty 5-4, 11 inning win over the Fort Myers Miracle. For 8 innings, it looked like another 4-hit loss with a decent outing by starter Colin Kleven. But the team staged a two-out rally in the 9th inning to tie the game and eventually won the game in the 11 innings.

Kleven was greeted in the first inning by a Jorge Polanco triple on the second pitch of the game. The Twins #8 prospect scored on a single by the next batter. Kleven responded by retiring the next 3 batters, one via his first of five strike outs. He continued pitching well over the next 3 innings, facing the minimum, allowing 1 hit and recording 2 more strike outs. Kleven pitched into trouble in the 5th inning when he hit a batter after recording his 4th strike out. The Miracle executed a hit-and-run and scored the runner with out a throw on a double. Afterward, his only walk of the game, a sac fly, and his 5th strike out ended the 29-pitch inning. Kleven responded with a tidy 9 pitch 6th inning to close out his afternoon with the following line – Continue reading Threshers; May 28, 2014 →

Threshers; May 27, 2014

Game Reports

The Threshers returned home to begin a homestand after completing a 2-10 road trip that dropped their record to 10-39. While they were away several changes were made to the roster. Continue reading Threshers; May 27, 2014 →

The AAC playoffs; May 21-25, 2014

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Here are a few random observations from the tournament.  I watched 90 innings of baseball during the American Athletic Conference tournament.  They refer to themselves as The American.  No comment.  Would have watched 27 more innings if I didn’t have something else planned on Thursday. (Missing Thursday meant I missed 12-2 Kyle Funkhouser.)  The 8 teams played round-robin within their respective pools Wednesday thru Saturday.  The pool winners advanced to the championship game on Sunday. Houston was the tournament champion, beating Louisville handily, 10-4.

The only Baseball America, top 100 prospect in the tournament was Louisville’s Nick Burdi. Continue reading The AAC playoffs; May 21-25, 2014 →

XST; May 26, 2014

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This will be my first eXtended Spring Training report in a couple weeks. The Williamsport and Gulf Coast teams seem to be taking shape. With most of the rehabbing players having returned to their assigned teams, I have been watching prospects more than watching games. I have been concentrating on players like Cord Sandberg and Trey Williams. Williams has been playing first base every game but only recently started taking in-game at bats again. He went 1 for 4 today with a double. His defense has consistently improved since the beginning of camp.

Sandberg went 0 for 1, but what a day. He worked an 8-pitch walk in the 1st inning after falling behind 1-2. In the 3rd inning he grounded out to second in a 6-pitch at bat. He saw 7 pitches while working a walk in the 5th inning. He finished with a 5-pitch at bat in the 8th inning when he was he by a pitch and loaded the bases. After a line drive double play left second base open, he stole the base. Continue reading XST; May 26, 2014 →

Miguel Gonzalez Begins Rehab with Threshers

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Miguel Gonzalez was activated today and began his Major League Rehab Assignment.  He started for the Threshers and was less than impressive.  I went down to the bullpen to watch his pre-game warmups.  It wasn’t pretty.  He was consistently high with most of his pitches.  At one point, the pitching coach (Bob Milacki, I think) stopped him to pantomine a delivery and release.  A few pitches later, Gonzalez launched a wild pitch that Logan Moore could barely get leather on.  The ball rattled around in the walkway and eventually rolled through the open door into left field.

When the game started, Gonzalez’ control problems continued.  Continue reading Miguel Gonzalez Begins Rehab with Threshers →