Marson, Happ Named Tops In System
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Tue, September 09, 2008 10:52 AM | Comments: 9
Posts
The Phillies recognized catcher Lou Marson and pitcher JA Happ as the recipients of the 2008 Paul Owens award. The award is given annually to the best hitter and pitcher in the Phillies farm system.
From the Bucks County Courier Times, since they wrote it well enough:
Happ, 25, went 8-7 with a 3.60 ERA in 24 games (23 starts) for triple-A Lehigh Valley. He had 151 strikeouts in 135.0 innings pitched (10.1 SO/9.0 IP) and held opposing hitters to a .234 average. Four times this season, Happ reached double digits in strikeouts, including a season-high 13, May 9 against Columbus. Happ made two starts for the Phillies in July, going 0-0 with a 3.27 ERA.
Marson, 22, hit .314 with five home runs and 46 RBI in 94 games for double-A Reading. He was the starting catcher for the All-Star Futures Game at Yankee Stadium and played for Team U.S.A. in the 2008 Summer Olympics, which won the bronze medal. Marson was also named to both the in-season and post-season Eastern League All-Star teams. Behind the plate, he threw out 36.1% (30-83) of potential basestealers.
Congrats to them. Both have a very strong possibility of starting 2009 in Phillies pinstripes.
Posts: 0 PhillyFriar
Congrats to both. Happ should get his turn in the rotation Friday (though I’d have started him tonight), and I’m anxiously awaiting Marson’s first at bat as a Phillie.
And if anyone’s interested, Phuture Phillies did a great piece analyzing his Player of the Year.
http://phuturephillies.com/2008/09/08/phuture-phillies-players-of-the-year/
He wound up picking Happ and Michael Taylor, but he makes good arguments there. A good read for whoever has a few minutes.
Posted: 11:03 AM on September 9, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
yeah i cant wait to see marson catching everyday for us. happ will get a start or two down the stretch. kendrick HAS to perform or he will lose his spot. i like kendrick, but honestly, hes gotta develop one or two more pitches. really. look for him to battle it out with JA Happ for the 5th spot. whoever loses that spot will either get traded or will start the season in AAA
Posted: 11:15 AM on September 9, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
They shouldn’t trade either of them. They should send them down to AAA to work things out. If a man goes down next season you have an adequate replacement for him, unless you think Carrasco can be that guy.
Posted: 11:24 AM on September 9, 2008
Posts: 0 Matt Kwasiborski
The real key to the rotation next year is Moyer (assuming Myers continues to be outstanding). We need to convince him to come back and sign with us instead of testing the market. I mean even tell him he will be in the running for pitching coach if/when he decides to retire or hell make him player/coach like the old school days.
That would set the first four pitchers with Happ, Carrasco, and Kendrick battling it out for the 5th spot. But if we lose Moyer, we lose a big cog in our rotation unless we convince some FA to take his place.
Burrell will be allowed to test the waters. I love the guy because he rarely complains but he isn’t worth $14M to hit .250 and play a mediocre LF or 1B. So, that will free up a ton of space for us to make a serious run at a superstar.
Posted: 12:00 PM on September 9, 2008
Posts: 0 Durbinator
It seems that Moyer is coming back next year. I am more worried about how Blanton will perform, although I think he is better than his last few starts (same with Kendrick). If Kendrick has a rough spring training next year I could see his starting in AAA to work on his pitches and then coming back tot he majors later in the season. Hopefully he will pitch well against the Marlins tonight.
I guess we will see Happ Thursday or Friday?
Posted: 12:34 PM on September 9, 2008
Posts: 0 Eb
I want to see Kendrick in AAA working on a true out pitch. I think he is much better then his last couple starts but at the same time, I think his record is more a product of good run support
Posted: 01:52 PM on September 9, 2008
Posts: 0 RiVLez
He is tops in the majors in runs support. I believe 6.8 a game.
Posted: 02:15 PM on September 9, 2008
Posts: 0 J-Man
Happ should be replacing Kendrick in the rotation soon because Kendrick sucks and needs to spend more time in the minors.
Posted: 02:20 PM on September 9, 2008
Posts: 0 NJ
One step at a time here… Am looking forward to Happ starting on thursday and it will be a real test for him facing Sheets, am not convinced he has major league stuff but I’d really like to be proved wrong. Am really looking forward to seeing Marson in ST, We rush him and risk a Towles like breakdown but we has every chance to win the everyday job behind the plate.
As for Kendrick the organisations in a real bind and we know their stubborn, he may be too far down the road to send him back to AAA but considering the back-end depth the ‘new FO’ might not be so reluctant.
Posted: 03:58 PM on September 9, 2008