Clearwater Threshers Post Season Begins Tuesday

5. Clearwater, Bastardo, Antonio

The Clearwater Threshers clinched their first playoff berth since 1999 on Saturday night by sweeping a double header against the Lakeland Flying Tigers.  Andrew Carpenter threw six innings of one-hit baseball in the first game with his only hit allowed being a home run as the Threshers won the first game 11-1.  In the second game of the night Anthony Bastardo got his first start for the Threshers after being promoted from Lakewood.  Bastardo gave up four runs on five hits with 12 ks and three walks in the game.

Word came down in the top of the fifth inning of the second game that both Dunedin and Tampa had lost their games, so a Threshers win would clinch their playoff berth.  At that point the score was tied 4-4 so the game became crucial for the Threshers.  The team went on to score two runs in the bottom of the sixth to go up 6-4, but Lakeland made it interesting in the final frame picking up a run and getting two base runners before the Threshers could seal a victory with the 6-5 margin. Continue reading Clearwater Threshers Post Season Begins Tuesday →

DSL Postseason Report

1. VSL/DSL

The 2007 DSL Phillies had an amazing season, winning its division on the strength of an unprecedented 22-game winning streak before losing their final game.  In one 35-game stretch the DSL Phillies went 32-3.  For the season the Phillies went 45-18 and won their division by 4 games over the Athletics 1 squad.  Their .714 winning percentage was the 3rd best in the entire DSL, though the team lost their playoff series against the Angels 2 games to 1.

Continue reading DSL Postseason Report →

2007 Draftees

2007 Draft

I’m transferring all of the information previously found on the page at the top of the blog onto a post that can be archived under the 2007 draft tag.

Here you’ll find a list of our draftees, in the order in which they were drafted. You’ll find his info, and then links to any articles about him and his selection by the Phillies. Players in BOLD have signed. Bonus amounts listed when given.

01.19 – Joe Savery, LHP (Rice University) – 6′3, 215 lbs – 11/4/85. Article #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6,
01.37 – Travis D’Arnaud, C (Lakewood HS) – 6′2, 195 lbs – 2/10/89. Article #1, #2,
02.19 – Travis Mattair, 3B (Southridge HS) – 6′5, 210 lbs – 12/21/88. Article #1, #2, #3,
03.13 – Brandon Workman, RHP (Bowie HS) – 6′4, 195 lbs – 8/13/88.
03.19 – Matthew Spencer, LF (Arizona State) – 6′4, 225 lbs – 1/27/86.
04.19 – Tyler Mach, 2B (Oklahoma State) – 6′1, 195 lbs – 12/11/84. Article #1,
05.19 – Michael Taylor, RF (Stanford University) – 6′6, 250 lbs – 12/19/85. Article #1,
06.19 – Matthew Rizzotti, 1B (Manhattan College) – 6′5, 235 lbs – 12/24/85. Article #1
07.19 – Tyson Brummett, RHP (UCLA) – 6′2, 180 lbs – 8/15/84. Article #1, #2,
08.19 – Chance Chapman, RHP (Oral Roberts) – 6′4, 210 lbs – 2/27/84. Article #1
09.19 – Chris Kissock, RHP (Lewis and Clark State) – 6′4, 195 lbs – 5/2/85.
10.19 – Joseph Rocchio, RHP (Cal St Northridge) – 6′5, 200 lbs – 10/15/84.
11.19 – Justin DeFratus, RHP (Ventura College) – 6′4, 215 lbs – 10/21/87.
12.19 – Julian Sampson, RHP (Skyline HS) – 6′5, 210 lbs – 1/21/89.
13.19 – Luke Wertz, RHP (U Nebraska, Lincoln) – 6′0, 175 lbs – 9/20/85. Article #1
14.19 – Jesus Andino Villegas, SS (Porterville College) – 5′11, 175 lbs – 9/21/86. Article #1, #2, #3
15.19 – Karl Bolt, 1B (US Air Force Academy) – 6′3, 220 lbs – 8/16/85. Article #1, #2, #3
16.19 – Brian Schittler, RHP (College of Charleston) – 6′5, ?? – 12/21/85. Article #1, #2, #3
17.19 – Zach Sterner, RHP (Tennessee Wesleyan) – 6′1, 180 lbs – 11/7/85. Article #1, #2, #3
18.19 – Mark Adzik, LHP (William Penn Charter School) – 6′4, ?? – 4/23/88. Article #1, #2, #3
19.19 – Cedric Johnson, CF (Thatcher HS) – 6′2, 185 lbs – 1/10/89. Article #1, #2, #3
20.19 – Carlos Moncrief, RHP (Hillcrest Christian HS) – 6′1, 210 lbs – 11/3/88. Article #1, #2, #3
21.19 – Adam Sorgi, 2B (Stanford University) – 6′1, 180 lbs – 12/17/84. Article #1, #2, #3
22.19 – Nathaniel “Jiwan” James, RHP (Williston HS) – 6′4, 180 lbs – 4/11/89. Article #1, #2, #3
23.19 – Gerard Breslin, RHP (La Salle U) – 6′2, 205 lbs – 7/24/84. Article #1, #2, #3
24.19 – Caleb Magnum, C (North Carolina State) – 5′11, 185 lbs – 1/3/85. Article #1, #2, #3
25.19 – William Harris, LHP (Deleware) – 6′1, 200 lbs – 1/19/85. Article #1, #2, #3
26.19 – Nolan Mulligan, RHP (Lynn University) – 6′5, 190 lbs – 1/30/85. Article #1, #2, #3
27.19 – Richard Austin, RHP (Seton Hill U) – 6′3, 210 lbs – 1/16/85. Article #1, #2, #3
28.19 – Chris Rhoads, RHP (U of Arkansas, Fayetteville) – 6′1, 160 lbs – 8/12/85. Article #1, #2
29.19 – Derek Hall, C (El Dorado HS) – 6′2, 195 lbs – 3/23/89. Article #1, #2, #3
30.19 – Jacob Diekman, LHP (Cloud County CC) – 6′4, ?? – 1/21/87. Article #1, #2, #3
31.19 – Jeff Richard, RHP (Central Michigan U) – 6′5, 245 lbs – 8/27/86. Article #1, #2, #3
32.19 – Kirk Bacsu, C (U of Evansville) – 5′10, 180 lbs – 5/16/85. Article #1,
33.19 – Richard Prall, C (La Salle U) – 6′0, 210 lbs – 1/29/85. Article #1, #2, #3
34.19 – Brett Hambright, C (Temescal Canyon HS) – 6′1, 215 lbs – 11/29/88. Article #1, #2, #3
35.19 – Zach Cleveland, RHP (Golden HS) – 6′1, 165 lbs – 3/5/89. Article #1, #2, #3
36.19 – Kyle Benoit, RHP (Cardinal Leger SS) – 5′11, 200 lbs – 2/9/89. Article #1, #2, #3
37.19 – Kyle Slate, RHP (Christian Brothers Academy) – 6′5, 200 lbs – 4/23/89. Article #1, #2, #3
38.19 – Joe Paylor, CF (Hillcrest HS) – 5′10, 160 lbs – 1/17/89. Article #1, #2, #3
39.19 – Michael Branham, RHP (U Florida) – 6′3, 210 lbs – 6/24/86. Article #1, #2, #3
40.19 – John Hinson, SS (AC Reynolds HS) – 6′1, 195 lbs – 9/13/88. Article #1, #2, #3
41.19 – Tyler Gilder, RHP (Butte HS) – 6′6, 200 lbs – 4/17/89. Article #1, #2, #3
42.19 – James Mahler, RHP (Jordan HS) – 6′5, 230 lbs – 9/2/88. Article #1, #2, #3
43.19 – Cory Vaughn, RF (Jesuit HS) – 6′3, 215 lbs – 5/1/89. Article #1, #2, #3
44.19 – Brandon Bonner, RHP (Lakewood HS) – 6′5, 220 lbs – 3/16/89. Article #1, #2, #3
45.19 – Michael Morrison, 1B (Bishop Luers HS) – 6′1, 220 lbs – 3/17/88. Article #1, #2, #3
46.19 – Damian Seguen, RHP (North Bergen HS) – 6′2, 220 lbs – 4/25/89. Article #1, #2, #3
47.19 – Jeremiah Manning, RF (Bartow HS) – 6′4, 220 lbs – 10/2/88. Article #1, #2, #3
48.19 – Cody Winiarski, RHP (Union Grove HS) – 6′3, 190 lbs – 8/27/89. Article #1, #2, #3
49.19 – Navarro Hall, CF (Kennesaw Mountain HS) – 5′11, 170 lbs – 1/1/89. Article #1, #2, #3
50.19 – Jeremy Penn, RHP (All Saints Cathedral School) – 6′3, 160 lbs – 12/15/89. Article #1, #2, #3

Ottawa Lynx Week Twenty-Two

Other Stuff

After dropping both ends of the double header Thursday night against Syracuse, the Lynx began week twenty-two with a double header split Friday night, their second double header in two nights. Of course with four games in two days, there is always the possibility that one of the starting pitchers is going to have to take one for the team. Although new comer Gary Knotts, (0-1), pitched a decent game in his first start for the Lynx, he went the distance in game one and Syracuse defeated Ottawa again, this time by a score of 5-3. Ottawa lead 3-1 after two innings but Knotts tired and couldn’t hold the Syracuse club, giving up one run in the fifth and three in the sixth inning. The Lynx scored three off Syracuse starter Justin James but Chiefs bullpen, Scott Sauerbeck-(1-1), and Matt Roney, (his second save of the season), held them to only two hits over the final two innings. Adam Lind again had a big night going 3-3 with a home run, (he went 6-6 with two home runs and five RBI in his last two games and Howie Clark also chipped in with three hits. Lind and David Corrente each homered in the three run sixth. Ottawa second baseman Joe Thurston went 3-4 including his fourth home run of the year.

Continue reading Ottawa Lynx Week Twenty-Two →

What a Bastardo…..

Bastardo, Antonio

Antonio Bastardo, that is. I’ve gotten a lot of emails asking me about Bastardo and what I thought of him….my answer is always “I’d love to write more, but I really don’t know all that much about him”, but his numbers this season deserve a mention, and hopefully this fall I can dig up some more info on him. I know that he was signed out of the Dominican, that he spent time in the DSL before coming stateside, and that he is 21, will be 22 in September. Because he is 21 and didn’t make his US debut until last year, you have to bump him down a bit, as the best prospects from the VSL and DSL generally come stateside when they are 17-18, sometimes 19, unless it is a visa issue. He also has a very wiry frame, as he’s 5’11 and only 160 pounds, and he throws hard from the left side. His numbers

2006, GCL: 23 IP, 3.91 ERA, 20 H, 14 BB, 27 K, 1 HR
2007, SAL, 91.2 IP, 1.87 ERA, 63 H, 42 BB, 98 K, 3 HR

The ERA jumps out at you right away, as does the low hit rate. His problem, which we can easily see, is his control and command, as he’s averaging 4.14 BB/9 but he is striking out more than a batter per inning, and while that doesn’t balance out the high walk totals, it does give us a little more reason for optimism. There is one statistical anomaly here, and that is the home run number. Bastardo gives up more fly balls than grounders, and Lakewood greatly suppresses home runs, which means that when he moves to a more neutral park like Clearwater, he’s going to see his HR total climb, and with it, his ERA. Nevertheless, the arm is there, and from what I’ve read, he has a very good fastball. He’s certainly a prospect to keep an eye on. At this point, he’s probably not as good as the numbers would indicate, at least ERA wise, but he’s a good prospect.

What to do with Scott Mathieson

Other Stuff

Here is today’s point of discussion. Mathieson is currently rehabbing in the minors, and is looking to be ready sometime in early September to pitch in the big leagues. The Phillies want to use him in the bullpen for the rest of this season to help out the big league club. The question is, what should his role be in 2008 and beyond? He features a very good fastball, 92-95 before surgery, and reports have him dotting 97 in his rehab appearances. His slider was great in the minors last year, not so good in his major league foray, but still grades out as at least major league average, and will probably be a tick or two better. His changeup is a fringe pitch right now, but again, room for improvement and should be at least average. So, do you have him start next season in AAA with the intention of him being a callup to fill a rotation spot due to injury or ineffectiveness? Do you start him in the major league bullpen next season, with the thought of possibly turning him into the team’s closer down the road? You make the call.

Arizona Fall League rosters announced

Other Stuff

You can view the full rosters here.

The Phillies will send

Joe Bisenius
JA Happ
Josh Outman
Scott Mathieson
Joe Savery
Lou Marson
Greg Golson
Mike Costanzo

Thoughts? I like it. The only change I might have made was sending Edgar Garcia instead of Bisenius, but I’ll take it.

Andrew Carpenter throws a perfect game

Other Stuff

How about that? Carpenter threw a 7 inning perfect game tonight, as Clearwater defeated Fort Myers 2-0. Of his 21 outs, 7 came via strike out, 4 on the ground and 10 in the air. I guess he read the blog earlier today and wanted to make a statement. Mr Happ, I’m not sure how you can top a 7 inning perfect game, but the ball is in your court.

Carpenter or Happ?

Other Stuff

I don’t have time today to crank out the indepth piece I wanted to do, so instead, I’m going to pose an open question. Going forward, not just the rest of this season, or just next season, which prospect do you think will have the better long term career; Drew Carpenter or JA Happ? State your case in the comments.

Julian Sampson’s debut

Other Stuff

Julian Sampson made his debut, following one of our better prospects, Heitor Correa, in the GCL Phillies 6-0 win today. Sampson’s line

2.0 IP, lots of 0’s, 1 K

All 5 of Sampson’s non-strikeout outs came via the ground…nice. Correa, who has been awesome since his first few appearances, went 5 innings, giving up 1 H, 1 BB, and striking out 1.