The Lynx were supposed to, after limping into the All-Star break, have caught their collective breath, looked in the mirror, dug their heels in, and start afresh and with renewed vigour and determination. Instead, week fifteen saw them lose four in a row and five of seven. It would seem that Ottawa will be lucky to escape last place, never mind making a run at the playoffs. Every phase of the game was bad, even the defence this time, and it left the team frustrated, silent and feeling hopeless despite the positive spin which was being put on the situation by players and management alike and finally a good start by J.A. Happ to end the week.
Phillies make a splash in Latin America
Tip of the cap to reader SQUIRE for pointing out that the Phillies inked Dominican shortstop Carlos Valenzuela, paying him a reported bonus of $200,000. I’ve got a few e-mails out, I’ll see what kind of info I can find on him.
I’ve got that he’s a plus fielder, plus arm strength and accuracy, plus range and some projection in his bat that could see him develop average power. His bat is also more advanced than Galvis, for what that’s worth.
Jason Donald and James Happ
My picks for biggest step forward and biggest step back are Jason Donald and James Happ, with honorable mentions going to Quintin Berry and Greg Golson and dishonorable mention going to Zach Segovia. The suggestions thrown out in yesterday’s discussion were good, but I can’t see listing Cardenas and Carrasco on the step forward side, mainly because they were elite prospects and expected to perform. On the flip side, I can’t mention CJ Henry on the step back side, because I don’t think anyone really expected anything great out of him. Berry and Golson have both taken nice steps forward, but I want to see more patience from Golson and a bit more pop in Berry’s bat before I get too excited. Here’s why I chose the guys I did…
Reading Report
Reading continues its climb up the Southern division standings, now with a record of 50-47, in third place, just 5.5 games out of first, within striking distance. By way of league leaders, Matt Maloney is 2nd in Innings (110), 5th in homers allowed (12) and 4th in strikouts (98). Chris Key is 7th in saves (12). Greg Jacobs is 10th in runs (54), 3rd in hits (102), 3rd in doubles (26), 3rd in homers (16), and 2nd in RBI’s (64). Mike Costanzo is 2nd in homers (17), 4th in runs (64), and 2nd in strikouts (114). Jason Hill leads the league with 29 doubles. Javon Moran is 3rd in stolen bases (23), and Jesus Merchan continues to lead the league in hitting at .345.
Biggest step forward/backward?
Another open discussion question. Which propsect (or two) do you feel has taken the greatest step forward this season, and on the flip side, which guy has taken the biggest step backward? My answer will come tomorrow.
Are the Phillies buyers or sellers?
Open discussion question today. The trade deadline is 2 weeks away. Should the big league club be buying or selling? If they are buying, what prospects do you think should be considered off limits? Keep in mind, you normally have to give something to get something. In my mind, the Phillies are constructed to “win now”, in the sense that much of their talent is at its peak or getting close to its peak, and they aren’t really in the beginning of a 5 year plan or something like that where they have a bigger window of opportunity. So, what do you think? Who shouldn’t be traded?
Joe Savery signs
Well, maybe. This article has a headline that includes the word “reportedly”, yet it comes from Phillies.com. So, did he or didn’t he? I’ll assume he did, and if so, that’s one step closer to this draft being at least average, and probably a bit better. Maybe we should insert Savery into the rotation now.
Phillies sign Brazilian prospect
This excerpt comes from the New York Times
Brazilian Baseball Confederation officials say one of their main goals is to make the game popular — or at least known — among other Brazilians. As a result, programs to encourage youngsters to play baseball have been organized in recent years on the hardscrabble outskirts of some major cities, and new leagues and tournaments have begun.
That effort has already yielded a promising player who will be competing in Rio. Gilmar Pereira is a strapping 19-year-old right-handed pitcher with a 95-mile-an-hour fastball who was recruited from a poor neighborhood eight years ago, sent to Japan at 14 for three years of nurturing, and is now a Phillies farmhand.
“My dad thought at first that this was a sport with no future, but thanks to baseball, I’ve received a good education and gotten to know other cultures,” Pereira said. “I don’t know where I’d be today without baseball, because there is a lot of crime and drugs in my old neighborhood, and baseball has calmed me down and given me a focus in life.”
That’s all I know, but everyone likes a 95 mph fastball.
VSL Update – July
The VSL Phillies are currently 26-23 and in 4th place in the league, 9 games behind the Astro’s team. This has been somewhat of a transitional year for the Phillies after last year’s championships. With a much younger roster the Phillies are still playing .500, if not a bit better. It still is a little early to tell who are the best prospects. Here is a quick update on the better performers and the younger guys who may be the better prospects.
Offense
Yonderman Rodriguez (age 20) – IF who plays 2B, SS, and 3B is hitting .370 with a .886 OPS. He is clearly a polished player with more BB than SO. Unfortunately his age is a red flag on his prospect status. He does not have enough power or speed to be special in those areas, so his ability to hit for a high average is much of his value. Continue reading VSL Update – July
Ottawa Lynx Pitching First Half 2007-The Bullpen
The bullpen in the first half followed the lead of the starters: when they were good they were very good but…… As discussed in previous posts, much of the problem began with the troubles, (injuries-releases), experienced by the starting pitching. But some of it was just plain bad.
Continue reading Ottawa Lynx Pitching First Half 2007-The Bullpen
