Category Archives: 01. Site Features

General Discussion – Week of 7-1-2013 – Halfway Home Edition

Weekly Discussion

As we pass the calenderic mid-point of the year, (calenderic?), I would like to offer my thoughts on the Phillies as a jumping off point for this week’s discussion:

1. Ugh

2. Delmon Young has a pretty decent arm, and he’s been on a couple decent streaks, (Miami earlier this year and now the recent West Coast swing). It has cost the team PAs for no one I am worried about getting PAs, (unless you really like Mayberry or want Ruf in LF and Brown back in right), and there was nothing really attractive on the OF market except Swisher who would have cost a draft pick, (which doesn’t thrill me), and the signing was not even the worst signing this off-season, (Durbin), and as such: Delmon Young on an incentive-laden 1-year deal has not turned out to be the worst signing ever. High praise, right?

3. I like Dom Brown and I always have. I briefly liked Michael Taylor better, but that didn’t last and was based on some faulty proximity argument that I no longer think makes much sense.

4. Chase Utley is still good and his health isn’t as big a concern if he can keep his knees working. The oblique was the first non-contact injury I can recall him ever having that wasn’t realted to his chronic knee issue, and if I’m a contending team right now, I might just overpay for Utley. Not by a lot. We’re not landing 2 top 50-type guys or anything, but a mildly substantial (mildly substantial?) overpay I could see.

5. Ugh, again, I guess.

6. JC Ramirez struck out the side in his first big league inning. I’m excited for him, if not all that much about him.

7. Wheels < Sarge < TMac < Murph

Ok, discuss.

July 2 Preview

Other Stuff

There really is no bigger boom or bust day in professional sports than the opening of baseball’s international signing period on July 2.  Starting tomorrow teams will sign 16 year olds to contracts for hundreds of thousands of dollars hoping they have found the kid with superstar potential.  Many won’t get past complex league,  others will change body shape too much, more will fail to go from showcase player to baseball player, but some will emerge as real prospects.  The amount of ways to bring talent into your system are finite and the international signing period remains one of the most exploitable.

The Phillies have been more aggressive in recent years signing three “top” players in 2012 in RF Jose Pujols, C Deivi Grullon, and RHP Lewis Alezones, in addition to 100k+ signees Gregori Rivero and Wilker Isavas.  While they may not sign the top player available they certainly will spend close to their allotted slot money on guys more in the 50k-200k range.  Continue reading July 2 Preview →

Box Score Recap – 6/30/2013

Box Score Recap

Maikel Franco cannot be stopped – 3-5 with a HR and he’s now OPSing 1.309 in his first ~50 AA PAs. Nice outings from Martin and Colvin.  Martin again got by without throwing a lot of strikes, 56/100 or 56% (#math), while Colvin was around 64%. Also an effective spot-start from Lakewood’s Jeb Stefan, going 5, allowing 1R on 3H and 1BB with 5Ks. His peripherals look pretty good out of the pen this year, (albeit as a 23-year-old in low-A), with 17BB (3.5/9) and 42Ks (just shy of 9/9), in 43.1 relief IP, and 4HR allowed, which rates out high (0.83/9), but is in a pretty small sample to look at HR rates. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him get moved up to the CLR bullpen sometime soon.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 6/30/2013 →

Box Score Recap – 6/29/2013

Box Score Recap

Pretty nice bounce-back game from Hoby Milner – 2R on 7H 1BB and 5K in 7 IP, after a couple bad performances in a row. Jesse Biddle slogged his way through giving up 2R on 9H 2BB and 2K over 6IP. Threw just 57% strikes. Cesar Hernandez with 4 hits, Cody Asche with 2 including a double, and Cameron Rupp with his first AAA homerun.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 6/29/2013 →

Box Score Recap – 6/28/2013

Box Score Recap

Tyson Gillies is probably ready to go back up to AAA. Maybe that’s the move that clears an outfield spot for Kelly Dugan without sitting down Anthony Hewitt. Not that I’m worried about sitting down Anthony Hewitt, but he’s hitting fairly well, and is still young enough to want to keep on the field, I guess. And, as has been the case a half dozen times in the last couple years, I have now spent more time thinking about Anthony Hewitt than anyone should. Still rooting for the guy, mind you.

Mario Hollands the definition of hard-luck loser. Gave up 2 runs on 7 hits and no walks, and struck out 9 in 7 innings. Darin Ruf and Cody Asche both stroked their 19th doubles of the year. Dylan Cozens with his first HR of the young season. Johnathan Knight hosed two baserunners from left field. Braden Shull pitched his third professional inning. 2H, 1BB, 2 wild pitches. But he’s out there an not injured and that’s nice.

And finally, 19 year-old VSL LHP Jesus Chavez dominated in his start, throwing 6 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits and striking out 8. He’s been excellent so far, and young enough to keep an eye on. You can check out what AndyB had to say about him and most everyone else on that team in his Early Season VSL Report.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 6/28/2013 →

Box Score Recap – 6/27/2013

Box Score Recap

New face in the GCL – it’s top pick JP Crawford. Some decent pitching from Wright and Stewart tonight. Maikel Franco sitting at .500 after a 3-5 night, including a triple.  He’s kind of impressive right now.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 6/27/2013 →

Hot or Not

Other Stuff

A look at the week of June 21-27.  Quick thoughts….Franco is certainly making the #1 prospect in the organization a debate….and with Franco’s promotion, Harold Martinez gets hot for the first time in his career…Hoby Milners negative turn around is concerning. I think he may be injured with the lack of K’s and increased walk rate over the last couple of starts.

Hot Hitters: Maikel Franco (.483, 5R 3HR 7RBI); Harold Martinez (.433); Willie Carmona (.417, 4R HR, 6RBI); Brock Stassi (.412); Larry Greene Jr, (.393); ANgelo Mora (.389, 5R 2HR 7RBI, 2SB); Aaron ALtherr (.379, HR, 5RBI); Brian Pointer (.357, 5RBI); Miguel ABreu (.357); Anthony Hewitt (.348, 3HR 7RBI); Honorable Mention: Ruf, Susdorf, Moore, Gillies, Valle, Oberto, Parr Continue reading Hot or Not →

Box Score Recap – 6/26/2013

Box Score Recap

Larry Greene’s on a 7-game hitting streak right now, with only 4ks in those 7 games. He’s OPSing .904 in his last ten games, and .717 in June. Greene shoots, you might say.

Oh boy, that’s bad. But no one complimented my killer “Steven Golden Sombrero” line yesterday, so today you get “Larry Greene Shoots”. Deal with it.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 6/26/2013 →

Box Score Recap – 6/25/2013

Box Score Recap

All you need to know about Tuesday is this – Steven Golden Sombrero.

Ok, I guess here’s more of my thoughts – Zach Green went yard again- his fourth in the 9-day-old season. Cord Sandberg hit his first pro homerun, and Kelly Dugan hit his 9th on the year. Brian Pointer with a double and a triple hitting out of the leadoff spot for Lakewood in Roman Quinn’s absence. Quinn has a hairline fracture and will be in a cast for 4 weeks. Add rehab after that, and he’ll miss likely close to 2 months. That’s the bulk of the year. Bummer.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 6/25/2013 →

Why Carlos Tocci is Amazing

Other Stuff, Tocci, Carlos

The Phillies made a very aggressive move when they sent 17 year old Carlos Tocci to full season Lakewood.  There were some that assumed it came with a ticket to Williamsport midseason, but so far the team as shown no indication of moving Tocci back.

To this point Tocci is only hitting .236/.300/.288 with 12 2Bs, 4 SB, 4 CS, 18BB, 33K, but there are many reason to find his year a huge success.

He is incredibly young but has advanced instincts now.  Tocci should be either finishing up his junior or senior year of high school right now.  He has more advanced baseball instincts than any high school player in the 2013 draft.  He may not be as physcially mature as his counterparts, but he is still younger than most draftees, and with a year of full season ball. Continue reading Why Carlos Tocci is Amazing →