A couple of quick points this Saturday evening.  Michael Schwimer earned his first save at the AA level pitching a 1-2-3 ninth against Portland in the 4-1 Reading victory.  Mike Cisco got the start and pitched well, giving up 1 run over his 6 innings of work.  After struggling in consecutive appearances, BJ Rosenberg has received consecutive nights off with Escalona getting the save last night and Schwimer following up this evening.

Down in Clearwater, JC Romero made his second rehab appearance and pitched a scoreless inning giving up a hit, and struck out two.  Brad Lidge followed Romero and was hit around, giving up 4 runs on 3 hits, and also walked a batter before being removed in the second inning.

Fidel Hernadez got off to a strong start with 4 RBIs in the game, while Brian Gump and Troy Hanzawa each had 2 RBIs. Matt Rizzotti picked up the Threshers’ first HR of the year going 3-4 on the night, and Austin Hyatt held the Jays hitless going into the 7th until giving up a 2-run HR.

If you haven’t already signed up for the Threshers Nation Twitter feed go do it now to get live updates as the games happen all season. CLICK HERE for tonight’s boxscore.

Appologies first thing for my lack of Clearwater coverage the past year. I’ll try to participate as I can….

ESPN is reporting that the Phils have signed 35 year old RHP Nelson Figueroa. Figueroa spent last between the Buffalo Bison in AAA and the Mets, going 3-8 with a 4.09 ERA in 16 games (10 starts) for the Mets.  He worked 70.1 innings, walking 24 and striking out 59. (WHIP 1.48).  In Buffalo, Figueroa pitched very well for a horrible teeam, going 7-5 with a 2.25 ERA in 17 starts.  In 112 innings he walked 24 and struck out 94, and his WHIP stood at 1.02.  Figueroa joins a long list of starters circulating around Lehigh Valley and Extended Spring Training who have some major league experience.

Figueroa joins Brandon Duckworth back in the organization from the 2001 Phillies rotation.  Where is David Coggin when you need him.

There is an exhibition game scheduled tonight at Coca Cola Park in Allentown with Reading taking on Lehigh Valley.  Yohan FLande will be throwing for the RPhils, while Joe Savery gets the ball for the ‘Pigs.  Tickets remain for the 6:30 start at just $6 apiece.  It’s a nice opportunity for a first look at many of those on the Reading/Lehigh Valley rosters. Look for occasional updates here.

Opening Day starters have been announced by Lehigh Valley (Brian Mazone) as they open against Syracuse on Thursday, Reading (Vance Worley) who open at home against Portland as well as by Lakewood (Nicholas Hernandez)  who open Thursday in Asheville. 

Tonights lineups in Allentown:  For Reading: Gillies (CF), Galvis (SS), Brown (RF), Bozied (DH), Mahar (1B), Pinckney (3B), Dorta (2B), Gosewisch (C), Berry (LF).  For Lehigh Valley: Duffy (LF), Valdez (2B), Mayberry (RF), Tracy (1B), Ransom (3B), Wise (CF), Sellers (DH), Hoover (C), Bocock (SS). Continue reading Quick Notes, Exhibition Info →

Lakewood  and CLearwater announced their roster earlier today.  Some significant talent for sure.

Catcher: Doss, Lafrenz, Valle

Infield: Batts (1B), Ruf (1B), Buschini (2b), Barnes (SS), Villar (SS), Schoenberger (3B)

Outfield: Castro, Hewitt, James, Santana

Pitchers: Colvin, Cosart, Diekman, Ellis, N. Hernandez, Lebron, Massingham, Pettibone, Poe, Way, Wertz, Zeid

DL: Collier (OF) and DeRenne (SS)

Continue reading Lakewood, Clearwater Rosters →

Earlier today, Lehigh Valley announced their 2010 roster.  Similar to the past two years, the roster includes mostly minor league veterans who may be of short term help to the big club, rather then prospect types, but that certainly could change by years end with the names currently in Reading.  Once Joe Blanton is healthy, certainly expect Andrew Carpenter to anchor the Lehigh Valley rotation. As of now the following players make up the roster:

Catcher: Paul Hoover Soon to be 34, Hoover was a 23rd round pick of Tampa in the 1997 draft.  He will be starting his second season in Lehigh Valley and hit .253/.329/.339 with 1 HR and 28 RBI in 245 AB’s with the ‘Pigs.  Hoover threw out 25% on runners trying to steal on him last year and filled in capably at first base when Andy Tracy missed several games.  Hoover has spent small portions of six different seasons in the big leagues and obviously provides some major league depth if Ruiz or Schneider are hurt. Continue reading Lehigh Valley Preview, Roster Announced →

Just a bit ago the Reading Phillies roster was announced.

Catchers: Tuffy Gosewisch, Kevin Nelson

Infielders: Tagg Bozied, Ozzie Chavez, Melvin Dorta, Freddy Galvis, Kevin Mahar, Brandon Pinckney

Outfielders: Quintin Berry, Domonic Brown, Tyson Gillies, Mike SPidale

SP: Phillipe Aumont, Mike Cisco, Yohan FLande, Drew Naylor, Vance Worley

RP: Chance Chapman, Sergio Escalona, Sergio Escalona, Matt German,  BJ Rosenberg, Michael Schwimer, Jason Stephens, Mike Stutes.

Note: The pitcher breakdown into starter and reliever was done by me.  There has been no official announcement that I know of as to what the actual rotation would be, however this is the best guess, based on the roster as of the moment.

Update: An outstanding source (James) has Naylor in the rotation rather then Stutes.  Adjustment made.

As expected, follwing the Phils game against the Pirates yesterday, Infielders Wilson Valdez and Cody Ransom; Catcher Paul Hoover and OF DeWayne Wise, all were re-assigned to Lehigh Valley.  Wise, did have an opt out clause in his contract but he chose he accept his assignment, leading to the re-assignment of Quintin Berry to Reading (AA).

Both 1B Tagg Bozied and INF Melvin Dorta were moved down to Reading from the Lehigh Valley roster.

This is the way it currently looks in Allentown: 1B Andy Tracy, 2B Luis Maza, SS Brian Bocock, SS Wilson Valdez, 3B Cody Ransom, 3B Neil Sellers OF’s: Rich Thompson, Chris Duffy, John Mayberry, DeWayne Wise, Catchers: Paul Hoover and Dane Sardinha. Continue reading Final Cuts/Roster Adjustments →

The Phillies announced a number of releases yesterday of players up and down their minor league system, including some familiar names that have been with the organization for some time. The releases are as follows: Catchers Zak Farkas, Jorge Guerra, and John Purdom; Inf Eric Campbell and Yonderman Rodriguez; OF Freddy Guzman; and Pitchers Pat Overholt, Santos Hernandez, Eryk McConnell, Darren Byrd, Jared Simon, Jessie Zuber and Jason Salers.  Overholt was the most advanced home grown player of this group, having reached Triple A last year, but his inconsistencies continued taking him out of prospect status. Darren Byrd had been with the organization for five seasons but failed to rise above Clearwater (A). Similarly, Yonderman Rodriguez was released after five years in the organization, after seeing fairly regular time in CLearwater last season.

The Phils have released a number of Minor Leaguers over the last couple of days, a combination of 2009 mid to late round draft picks and others by whom there is little surprise.  The names are as follows: Pitchers Miguel Matos, Mark Doll, Jason Standridge, Angelo Sanchez and Walter Tejada; SS Jesus Vilegas Andino and Evan Porter; 1B Gaby Martinez as well as Outfielders Carl Uhl and Javis Diaz.

Early reports out of CLearwater also indicate that Andrew Carpenter will head North with the Phils to take Blanton’s roster spot.  Kyle Kendrick will join the rotation in place of the injured Blanton and Carpenter should fill the role of Kendrick as he is capable of pitching multiple innings in relief. The 24 year old Carpenter pitched very well in the Lehigh Valley rotation last year going 11-6 with a 3.35 ERA in 25 starts over 156 innings, with a WHIP of 1.34.