I am #TeamBiddle today. For those of you that are #TeamCamp, take a hike!
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Category Archives: 01. Site Features
2014 Spring Training, Day 12
Not much to report today. Just a short practice. The annual golf outing is this afternoon.
They started a few minutes early. I arrived after the meeting and exercises. They were just finishing their run around the bases.
The pitchers long tossed on Schmidt Field. Cole Hamels was among them, and looked to be throwing well. Continue reading 2014 Spring Training, Day 12
2014 Phillies Sleeper/Breakout Prospects Open Discussion
Everyone has that one player they believe is just going to explode on to the scene this year. Whether it is the growth of a single tool, the ability to stay healthy, or just to survive another level, a prospect’s stock can change wildly. In general most people think of a sleeper as a player who is completely off the radar, and a breakout prospect as a player who is going to have his stock take a large leap forward, but feel free to define it as you choose.
I will post my sleepers along with my Top prospects, but for reference here were my 2013 picks.
Sleepers: David Buchanan, Braden Shull, Manuare Martinez, Marek Minarek
Breakout Prospect: Carlos Tocci
Lets hear yours.
2014 Spring Training, Day 11
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. Continue reading 2014 Spring Training, Day 11
2014 Spring Training, Day 10
Same start as on previous days – meeting at the mound, stretching routines, exercises, then running drills. Today’s drill had the runners take a turn at first. When all were in line again, they went from first to third. You could see the coach watching the runner approach second then looking down to watch the foot placement as each player touched the base. Kelly Dugan was Continue reading 2014 Spring Training, Day 10
2014 Spring Training, Day 9
Larry Andersen is a special pitching instructor this year. I had a conversation with Larry during Phantasy week in January. Larry presides as the commissioner during Phantasy week and spends a lot of time visiting with the people watching the games. During one of these visits, I asked him about his upcoming stint as instructor and his future in the broadcasting booth. Larry said that he was supposed to be a special instructor each of the past two seasons but that something came up each year that cancelled his appearance. He said that he would love to be a pitching coach again and that he would gladly Continue reading 2014 Spring Training, Day 9
The Next Five – 2014 Rankings
So instead of me trying to write up a HILARIOUS Top 30 like I did last year, (you all remember how funny that was? No? Oh, come on!), or a serious Top 30 that will be put to shame by the depths to which Matt will go this year, (or even the depths to which he went last year), I’m going to take this chance to lobby for a couple guys who missed our Top 30, and give you all the chance to discuss. I might do it again next week as well, just to see how we might have progressed to 40. And if it’s rolling along just fine, maybe go five a week right up to opening day. I ranked 76 guys last year, and my list is around 95 right now, before I cull out a handful of NPs from last year’s draft and guys who proved themselves NPs from last year’s performances, plus whichever borderline guys get cut in the spring training numbers game.
So here’s my next five, with my personal rankings in parentheses:
2014 Spring Training, Day 8
Similar routine as yesterday – meeting at the mound with Sandberg, stretching exercises, and then base running. Today, home to second, and second to home. There was more effort from more players, but 3 or 4 still look like they are taking it easy. One or two might be going easy due to injuries last year.
2014 Spring Training, Day 7
The morning started with a team meeting at the mound on Schmidt Field. After calisthenics and stretching, the position players broke up into 2 groups on Schmidt and Ashburn and ran drills from home-to-first, and first-to-third. As could be expected, Utley ran the hardest from the start. Most others started slower. Ruiz, Asche, and Frandsen kept pace with Utley throughout. Rupp and Marson hustled but were handicapped by the fact that they are slow. Cedeno and Revere eventually reached a faster speed. The rest maintained the same comfortable pace throughout. Continue reading 2014 Spring Training, Day 7
Maikel Franco #17, Jesse Biddle #71, and JP Crawford #78 on Baseball America Top 100
Last night Baseball America release their Top 100 prospects in minor league baseball. The Phillies were represent on that list by Maikel Franco (17), Jesse Biddle (71), and J.P. Crawford (78). Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez was eligible for the list, but did not make it.
There are many parts of the list I don’t agree with, but that has a lot to do with my personal philosophies on what has value. The full list can be found here.
Here are the writeups on the Phillies Players: Continue reading Maikel Franco #17, Jesse Biddle #71, and JP Crawford #78 on Baseball America Top 100
