Phillies Nation

Jesse Litch for the Blue Jays and Happ for the Phils. Also slated to pitch are Madson and Eyre along with maybe one or two other guys. Jamie moyer is slated to pitch in a minor league game. Also Cole Hamels, good news on him, he talks to the media at 12:30pm ET today, so we’ll know how he feels and if he’s ready for opening day which pitching coach said “might be a long shot, but the kid has always risen from the bottom”. I wouldn’t mind Myers on Opening night, he pitched really well, and he looks to be in the form he was in the 2nd half of 08 and the postseason.

Team US will take on Venezuela to determine the pool winner, but both Teams are headed to LA for the semis. Rollins and Vic are the only phils remaining in the WBC. US vs Venezuela is tonight at 7pm. Rollins will likely start either at DH or SS. Don’t know about Vic yet but should get the start from his great last night performance.

i definitely appreciate the updates during games, rick. hope you’ll keep it up during the season during day games when i’m at work and can’t watch…

Happ is such a key this year if moyer faulters happ has to be the one to pick us up

Sorry was late. In the first Happ delivers a BB to Russ Adams, then gets Bautista and Lane to fly out. During Kevin Millar’s at-bat, Russ Adams gets caught stealing as Paulino guns him down. The phils go 1-2-3 to jesse litsch in the bottom of the first. Also if anyone wants to know why manuel hasn’t been managing the phils the past few games is because he is to undergo colonoscopy which is somethin to do with the heart.

always thought a colonoscopy had to do with the colon

i also thought that Beyonce won’t return my calls because i’m too sexy

The thing I don’t get is why the jays have a DH batting and we have Happ batting. Either both teams should have a DH battin or a pitcher unless the the jays protested that they didn’t want Litsch to bat or the phils said they want happ to bat or either both teams have choices. Or thats maybe the rules of SPT.

i hear ya Rick.

I don’t know if the rules are different during spring training.

question for you guys: if you were the gm and you had lots of money to spend, would you sign ivan rodriguez not to take anything away from ruiz. Ivan brings leadership, some pop and defense. So would you?

Happ just gave up a double and a HR. score is 2-1 right now, bottom of the third

Only on a one year deal at this point to allow Marson/D’Arnaud more time to develop…but they have Paulino who theyre hoping can put it abck together again as he enters what should be his prime years.

kendrick is turning 25 this august

in the 3rd happ strikes out, utley singles, cairo strikes out, dobbs walks and then werth gets out. The phils entering this game are 7-10 in spring training not including the win over the canada baseball team and the loss to the us baseball team. Blue jays are 8-7 in spt.

Happ just gave up another HR, doh!

Hamels said it’s all good. While he acknowledged that pitching coach Rich Dubee might be correct in his labelling of an Opening Day start a “long shot,” Hamels insisted there is no reason for concern about a more significant injury down the road. “I think that’s the main focus is be ready by Oepning Day,” Hamels said. “Initially I want to pitch Opening Day but if it doesn’t fall that way, I know we have a guy who definitely wants to win that first game. And I think he’s definitley qualified to do so. So if that bumps me to a different day, I’ll just go on there and pitch then. My ultimate goal is to pitch 34 starts, and I’d like to be as healthy as I possibly can to pitch all those. Being able to pitch the first one and not feel good the next couple is not going to benefit teh team.”

In the fourth Stairs hits his 3rd double of the spring to lead it off, but Feliz, Coste who strikes out and Paulino cant bring him in. Gary Majewski who was slated to pitch yesterday is gonna replace Happ and he comes in the 5th spot in the batting order where stairs was batting and Mayberry Jr. takes the ninth spot. So John Mayberry Jr. replaces Matt Stairs in LF and Gary Majewski comes in to replace Happ. Happ’s pitch line today: 4IP, 3H, 3ER, 1BB, 2K, 2HR. That will not help him for his chance for the 5th spot in the rotation. Majewski on the other hand has been a surprise this spt posting a 1.29 era as he makes his case for a spot in the bullpen. Happ’s era in spt is now 3.60.

Just of note, with the St.Louis Cardinals leading the Baltimore Orioles 3-0 top 7 former Cy Young Winner Chris Carpenter who is trying to comeback from injury had a great day today. His pitch line: 6IP, 3H, 0ER, 1BB, 2K.

If Cole has to wait a week or two to start opening day, I think that’s great… it may even be designed. If Myers really wants to be the opening day starter, it would be a good gesture to let him have it. If we still need a week or two to evaluate our two remaining #5 prospect starters, give them a couple of spot starts early. I trust that both of those guys will pitch like their job depends on it… because it does. In spring, you need that boost. That’s why the Braves are so hot… they’re missing key players (McCann and Chipper) but the guys that are on the field are making the most of their chance. Same thing with our bubble invitees (Mayberry, Donald, Happ, Park, Cairo, Ozuna…). It wouldn’t be a bad thing to take some of that competitiveness into the regular season.

Matt Stairs who is trying to fight for a spot on the bench went 1 for 2 today with his 3rd double of the spring so far. In the 5th Barrett hits his second double of the game and spring. Then thigpen strikes out, but Emaus gets a single his second hit of the game. Russ Adams then brings Barrett in with a groundout. Adams with his 4th rbi of the spring.

I agree Manny, no way should they be thinking of sending a potential starter anywhere right now, let’s wait and see how things play out first. If they trade Happ or Park, and then one of the regulars gets injured or starts sucking, you can’t just wave a magic wand and bring them back.

He also mgiht be close to being out of options or might become elibible for Rule 5 if you keep sending him up and down. So if they are not careful they WILL lose him for nothing. So Happ had better make the rotation…

Id like some verification on the number of options he has left…cant really find it…

back after a while. majewski in the top 5th allowed a walk to batista but got lane out. Sanchez replaced Batista at SS and Haerther replaced Adams in LF. Scott Richmond then replace Jesse Litsch who’s pitch line was: 4.2IP, 5H, 4R(2ER), 2BB, 3K and 1 HBP. The phils got 3 runs in the bottom of the 5th. Werth hit his 2nd double today and 4th of the spring and scored a run. how about this. relief pitcher gary majewski got a hit and his first rbi of the spring. mayberry jr. got a hit and scored a run. Dobbs got a sf and his 7th rbi of the spring with miguel cairo scoring.

substitutions for the phillies: Bruntlett in for Utley at 2B, Donald in for Feliz at 3B, Marson in for Paulino at C.
substitutions for the blue jays: Chavez in for Barrett at C, Ruiz in for Millar at 1B, Matthews moves from RF to CF so Calderone comes in RF to replace Jason Lane. Also the error by the blue jays that allowed Cairo to get on base and later score on dobbs’ sf goes to Haerther his first of the spring.

I have a feeling Happ gets the long reliever spot in the bullpen if Park is the starter.