Another open discussion question. Which propsect (or two) do you feel has taken the greatest step forward this season, and on the flip side, which guy has taken the biggest step backward? My answer will come tomorrow.

Open discussion question today. The trade deadline is 2 weeks away. Should the big league club be buying or selling? If they are buying, what prospects do you think should be considered off limits? Keep in mind, you normally have to give something to get something. In my mind, the Phillies are constructed to “win now”, in the sense that much of their talent is at its peak or getting close to its peak, and they aren’t really in the beginning of a 5 year plan or something like that where they have a bigger window of opportunity. So, what do you think? Who shouldn’t be traded?

This excerpt comes from the New York Times

Brazilian Baseball Confederation officials say one of their main goals is to make the game popular — or at least known — among other Brazilians. As a result, programs to encourage youngsters to play baseball have been organized in recent years on the hardscrabble outskirts of some major cities, and new leagues and tournaments have begun.

That effort has already yielded a promising player who will be competing in Rio. Gilmar Pereira is a strapping 19-year-old right-handed pitcher with a 95-mile-an-hour fastball who was recruited from a poor neighborhood eight years ago, sent to Japan at 14 for three years of nurturing, and is now a Phillies farmhand.

“My dad thought at first that this was a sport with no future, but thanks to baseball, I’ve received a good education and gotten to know other cultures,” Pereira said. “I don’t know where I’d be today without baseball, because there is a lot of crime and drugs in my old neighborhood, and baseball has calmed me down and given me a focus in life.”

That’s all I know, but everyone likes a 95 mph fastball.

The bullpen in the first half followed the lead of the starters: when they were good they were very good but…… As discussed in previous posts, much of the problem began with the troubles, (injuries-releases), experienced by the starting pitching. But some of it was just plain bad.

Continue reading Ottawa Lynx Pitching First Half 2007-The Bullpen →

The Lynx limped into the three day All-Star break losing three of four to Scranton/Wilkes Barre in a repeat of their previous four game home stand against the Yankees. In what has become the norm for this team in the 2007 season, two games were blowouts, (one was an Ottawa win), and two were one run games. Game one was especially ugly as J.A. Happ’s return to the rotation was a disaster. Happ had been hit hard in his major league debut and his return to the Lynx rotation was even more unsuccessful. Happ, (1-3), threw fifty pitches and retired only two batters. The game got so out of hand that outfielder Jim Rushford pitched the eighth inning. Scranton scored seven runs in the first innings, one in the second and three in the third. The Lynx scored four in the fourth and one in the fifth but Scranton scored another five runs in their half of the fifth. Jason Anderson went four inning and gave up seven runs. Yankee starter Chase Wright, (6-3), gave up seven runs in five innings of work but which the huge early Scranton lead, he didn’t have to be very fine and could just put the ball over the plate. Gary Burnham went 4-4 with five RBI for the Lynx and Dusty Wathan went 3-4 driving in three. Yes it was one of those games for certain but as we’ve seen through much of the first half, one of those games is becoming the norm.

Continue reading Ottawa Lynx Week Fourteen →

Tyler Mach seems to be the man of the hour. Everyone knows that I wasn’t found of the pick when it was made and said as much in my draft review, and now folks want to know if I’ve changed my mind, and they want to know why he’s still in Williamsport and hasn’t been moved up. So, I’ll try and tackle those questions and give you as good an answer as I can. Before that, just to add there is nothing new on the Joe Savery front, as far as I know, but he’s going to sign. I’ve also got nothing new to add on Brandon Workman and Julian Sampson, but I have a feeling that nothing will happen there until Savery is signed. Now, onto Mach-Mania..

Continue reading It’s Mach-Mania →

Midseason report released today.

29. Carlos Carrasco – RHP Phillies – DOB: 03/21/87 – ETA: June 2008
Previous rankings: 2007 #93

6-2, 2.84 ERA, 49 H, 53/22 K/BB in 69 2/3 IP for Single-A Clearwater
3-0, 3.48 ERA, 15 H, 14/12 K/BB in 20 2/3 IP for Double-A Reading

The lack of a strikeout breaking ball hasn’t prevented Carrasco from holding hitters to a .199 average this season. That’s because he has nice movement on his 91-94 mph fastball and one of the top changeups in the minors. An improved curveball would give him top-of-the-rotation potential, and he still looks plenty good enough to succeed as is. The Phillies could choose to hurry him to the majors next month if they’re still in contention.

Pitchers ranked ahead of Carrasco

4. Clay Buchholz (BOS)
12. Max Scherzer (ARI)
14. Adam Miller (CLE)
16. Eric Hurley (TEX)
19. Joba Chamberlain (NYY)
21. Gio Gonzalez (CHW)
22. Nick Adenhart (ANA)
24. Wade Davis (TBD)
27. Jacob McGee (TBD)

That would make double C the 10th best pitching prospect in baseball. Not bad.

Adrian Cardenas checks in at #93 which is low, considering the names above him. Mathieson was ranked #125, and Josh Outman #130.

Starting Pitching: Thirteen different pitchers started games for Ottawa in the first half of the 2007 season. Injuries and ineffectiveness were the main culprits as manager John Russell was forced at times to use anyone he could find who was available to pitch in any capacity. The Lynx best starter left in May, ( Brian Mazone), the second best starter was out from mid May to early July, ( Matt Childers), and the promising J.A. Happ couldn’t go deep into games, was injured and then ineffective upon his return. By the All-Star break, two inexperienced and recently promoted to Triple A pitchers were becoming the most reliable members of a patchwork rotation.

Continue reading Ottawa Lynx Pitching First Half, (Starters) →

Yesterday I linked up an article on William Harris written by Donald Leypoldt, and he was kind enough to share an article he wrote on Matt Rizzotti as well that hasn’t made it’s way online yet. If you missed the Harris article, you can find it here. Below is Donald’s article on Rizzotti…enjoy.

Continue reading Matt Rizzotti article →

Head on over to a new blog that covers all things Philly sports, spliterati.com and check out a podcast interview they recently did with Johnathon Mayo from milb.com. Lots of good stuff here, check back on these guys often.