With all the Phillies injury issues, this seems as good a time as any to take another look at the Middle Infield throughout the system,  Note: The players listed under a particular affiliate are those players on the CURRENT team roster that have played a majority of their games at a particular position.  For example, although Cody Ransom seems to be the current starting SS for Lehigh Valley, he was already covered in the Corner Infield post as the majority of his games have come at 3B. It is still very early for Williamsport and GCL, so just the names, without stats. Continue reading Around the System–Middle Infield →

Lots of news today including Reading pitchers Vance Worley and Michael Schwimer being named to the Eastern League All Star team.  Worley, 22, was named to the team for the second consecutive year and is 5-4 with a 3.66 ERA in his 15 starts.  In 83.2 innings, he has allowed 92 hits, walked 32 and struck out 62.  Schwimer, 24, is 5-3 with a 4.00 ERA in 29 appearances.  He has 8 saves.  In his 36 innings of work, he has allowed 33 hits, walked 14 and struck out an impressive 50 batters. 

Two Reading hitters were named to the team as well. 24 year old Matt Rizzotti, hitting .378 for Reading with 10 HR and 35 RBI in just 148 at bats, will represent Reading along with 1B Tagg Bozied.  Bozied is hitting .295 with 13HR and 55 RBI in his 224 AB’s.

The Phillies released Willy Taveras this afternoon, after signing the 29 year old just a month ago. In his 96 at bats with AAA Lehigh Valley, Taveras was hitting just .208/.255/.271 with 0HR 3 RBI and 9 SB.

Update : As speculated earlier today, Chase Utley was placed on the DL with a sprained thumb and Greg Dobbs was called up to replace Utley on the Phillies roster. What was not speculated upon was that Placido Polanco was also placed on the DL with left elbow inflammation and SS Brian Bocock was called up to fill Polanco’s roster spot. Dobbs was hitting .118 in his short stint in Lehigh Valley (17 AB’s). Bocock , 25, has been the primary shortstop for Lehigh Valley all season. He is a fantastic fielder, both covering ground and has an extremely strong arm.  That being said, he is simply an abysmal hitter.  I have seen few worse in AAA.  His line: 212 AB’s .179/.239/.231 with 1 HR and 12 RBI. Continue reading Utley and Polanco to the DL, Dobbs and Bocock Called Up →

Back again with another Reading Report after 4 weeks.  I’ll try to make this a bit more regular for the rest of the summer now that work has settled down.

Reading has been on an unreal offensive run this month.  They’ve played 26 games.  They’ve scored seven or more runs in 15 of those games.  They did, however, manage to lose three of those games, scoring 26 runs in those three losses.

Continue reading Reading Report 6/1-6/28 →

A look at the Lehigh Valley weekend, along with some news and notes.

Friday–The new Lehigh Valley lineup performed like the old Lehigh Valley lineup in their 2-1 loss to Durham on Friday evening. The ‘Pigs had just 4 hits in their failure to support starter Nate Bump (6-4) who pitched well once again, going 7 innings and giving up just two runs.  After a two run Durham first inning, Lehigh Valley scored their lone run in the 5th when Paul Hoover scored on an error. The ‘Pigs were 0-8 with RISP during the debut of Domonic Brown and Greg Dobbs.  Dobbs was 0-4 with 2 K’s, while Brown went 1-4. Continue reading ‘Pigs Weekend Update →

Matt Rizzotti has been a popular topic of conversation on this site this season. First it was Cody Overbeck who was being “disrespected” by me, and then it was Rizzotti. Well, while I wasn’t the biggest believer in Overbeck, I’m starting to believe in Rizzoitti’s bat a bit. I believe there are still a number of issues he needs to work on, and a number of hurdles he has to overcome, but I’m interested, and when I get interested, I go and look a bit closer. Check below for my thoughts on Matt Rizzotti going forward.

Continue reading On Matt Rizzotti →

Its been a month since the last look, so here it goes…WIlliamsport and Gulf Coast stats are too early to even consider, so for now, its names without stats. 

Lehigh Valley

Andy Tracy, 36, 211 AB’s, .275/.401/.498; 10 HR 37 RBI; 18% bb rate, 20% k rate; .333 vs. LH, .263 vs. RH; .266 with RISP; .338 in June. 43 games at 1B, 5 errors (.986), 8.35 RF. With his impressive June, Tracy is back where he normally is…getting on base and hitting for power at the minor league level. Continue reading Around the System–Corner Infield →

A myriad of roster moves by Lehigh Valley, most importantly, the promotion of OF Domonic Brown to Lehigh Valley. The 22 year old was hitting .318/.391/602 with 15 HR 47 RBI and 12 SB’s for Reading so far this season, and hitting .345 during the month of June. Outfielder Rich Thompson who was hitting .287 for Lehigh Valley and was among the league leaders in stolen bases was sent down to Reading, as Reading OF Tyson Gillies was placed back on the DL with his ongoing hamstring issue.  Gillies came off the DL to play a few games but was quite obviously still injured, and needs more time.

As Greg Dobbs is joining Lehigh Valley this evening, 1B/3B Neil Sellers has been sent down to Reading.  Sellers, 28, was hitting .268 with 1 HR and 17 RBI’s for Lehigh Valley.  After two years approaching 20 HR in Reading, Sellers lost his power game in Lehigh Valley.  Although hitting fairly consistently, he simply was not driving in the runs expected from a corner guy.  This move will obviously allow Dobbs regular at bats.

Infielder Luis Maza was sent to the Houston organization without the exchange of compensation.  Maza started the year as the starting 2B in Lehigh Valley, but struggled mightily recently and the 2B job has been taken over by Melvin Dorta. Acquired by Lehigh Valley from the Toronto organization was OF Chris Aguila, 31. Aguila was playing at the Toronto AAA affiliate in Las Vegas and was hitting .275 with 4 HR and 21 RBI in 160 AB’s. He was a 3rd round pick in the 1997 draft by the Florida Marlins and saw some major league time with Florida.  He figures to be a 4th OF in the Lehigh Valley mix.