Phillies Nation

Ryne Sandberg believes the mix of veteran, young, and returning talent will help the Pigs compete in 2012. Photo by: Ian Riccaboni

Averaging 9,249 fans per game in 2011, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs have never had a problem attracting fans. Baseball-hungry residents of Allentown have filled the beautiful Coca Cola Park for four years and 2012 should be no different. What will be different for both the Iron Pigs and their fans is coming into a season as a winner.

2011 marked the first time the IronPigs closed a season with a winning record. Their 80-64 mark was good enough to earn them a spot in the postseason where they dispatched of the Pawtucket Red Sox in 3 straight games before losing in the Governors’ Cup Finals in four games to the Columbus Clippers. There is much reason for renewed optimism in 2012, though, as the IronPigs are fortunate enough to return may of the key players from the 2011 squad.

Yesterday was Media Day at Coca Cola Park and I had the chance to discuss this and more with manager Ryne Sandberg and a number of players. Sandberg was excited that many players are returning: “(The large number of returning players) is a big advantage because I enjoy the guys, liked all the guys, and I enjoyed what we did last year. So to have some of those guys come back with that experience of what we did here and what it means to be here and to play in front of these fans, I think that can rub off on the new players in a hurry. That’s my job and my goal: to get the guys together as soon as possible.”

Continue reading IronPigs Media Day Recap

The fan favorite known to his family and friends as “J-Bone” is back with another inside look at his progress to begin a new season. Right-handed reliever Justin De Fratus shares his thoughts, exclusively with PhilliesNation.com once again, from Clearwater, FL.

The 24-year-old hurler, who was selected in the 11th round of the 2007 draft, went 6-3 with 15 saves, a 2.99 ERA and 99 strike outs in 75 1/3 innings in his time with Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley last year before making his big league debut in September and holding opponents to a .083 batting average in 5 appearances. Heading forward, De Fratus, a native of Oxnard, CA, hopes to be an impact contributor in the Phillies bullpen for years to come.

In the latest edition of The J-Bone Zone, Justin discusses his recovery from elbow soreness this spring, his plans to compete in game action, the always dreaded cuts days in minor league camp and much more. Read ahead to get in the Zone.

On the current state of his right elbow, which kept him out of action for roughly a month…

I feel really good. I feel as close to normal, if not as normal as I can. I feel completely healthy right now. And this is a little bit of a spring training, since I didn’t get one. I’ve thrown two bullpens so far and they’ve been good. The ball’s coming out well. I haven’t thrown any breaking pitches yet. I’ve been throwing all fastballs. It’s been going good and I am excited with where I am right now. Continue reading De Fratus Checks In: What’s Next, Cut Days, Fantasy Drafting

Congrats Pierre!

You remember how it was, right?  It’s the week before school starts and you are laying everything out.  You’ve been to the store at least three times that week getting pencils, notebooks and anything you think you might need.  Then comes the clothes.  You can’t even dream about going back to school with the same gear as last year.

The goal is to have a plan.  A first week, first month plan as to how this school year will play out.  Then, as it always does, the plan falls apart the second day.  We do this every year.  And then when you finally graduate, first day of school is redirected to the first day of the year.  Resolutions are broken and the plan is useless.

So goes the way of the General Manager.  This is is his week before classes start.  He is making the changes and preparing himself and this team for class.  Sure, there is a plan.  There is always a plan.  He hopes it will last awhile, but you never know.  Changes will need to be made, but when?

——————————

With this ‘plan’ in place for the season, there are some guys that just aren’t needed.  This happens every Spring and regardless of talent level or performance it’s just a fact that everyone can’t make the team.  The Phillies have slowly been trimming the fat, per say, to get this team ready to compete.  Casualties of baseball war really.  Bill Rice, a NJ native, was one of the names released this week by the organization.  He joins guys like Eric Pettis and Matt Way who won’t be wearing a Philadelphia uniform at any level to start the season.

——————————

It’s not all bad news for the guys left in camp.  Some invitees have really impressed Charlie Manuel and the front office staff this Spring.  Juan Pierre, who was signed to a Minor League deal, has officially made the team while some other guys are still pushing for those final roster spots.  Hector Luna and Scott Podsednik are still trying to make the big league team as we head towards Opening Day.

——————————

As Opening Day approaches you can’t help but to think about what happens after the season. Free agency.  The Phillies have had their check books under a microscope the past couple seasons spending good money on players like Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Ryan Howard.  The big name this season will be Cole Hamels.  He is a free agent after this season and rumor has it that he wants Cliff money; meaning in the 5yr/$100 million range.  Corey breaks down how it could happen for Rube and the Phillies.

——————————

With some pitchers getting their final work in this week before the season starts, a couple of guys didn’t quite round out the spring like they would have hoped.  Halladay and Vance Worley got touched up in their starts.  For Halladay, it seems like the long ball has plagued him this Spring but he keeps saying he is right where he needs to be. His last start, against Toronto, was shortened by rain but he still managed to give up two runs in two innings as well as another home run; his seventh homer given up this Spring.  Worley, slated to start game three of the season, gave up 11 runs in four innings in his last start against the Twin.   The Vanimal had been pretty solid up this point in the Spring and will look to bounce back in Pittsburgh April 8th.

——————————

The Phillies will have some warm up games against the Pirates Monday and Tuesday before heading to Pittsburgh for Opening Day.

——————————

Opening Day is this week.  Get pumped up!  Go Phillies!

Three Phillies Nation Staff Members Anticipate Seeing This Celebration Again in October. Photo: AP

The regular season is rapidly approaching and what good would a baseball blog be without predictions and projections? Today begins part one of the Phillies Nation projections as our staff predicts who will reach the playoffs and win the World Series. Tomorrow, we will bring our 2012 Award Predictions and Tuesday we will provide our predictions for what appears to be a wild NL East.

Some statistics of our picks: All Phillies Nation staff picked the Phils to win the NL East but that doesn’t mean we didn’t like the other teams in the NL East. Of our picks, 6 writers picked the Marlins to advance to the postseason while 3 have the Braves and 2 have the Nats advancing. Another Phillies Nation favorite are the Tigers. Every Phillies Nation staff member picked the Motown Cats to easily win their division with win totals approaching and exceeding 100.

Six Phillies Nation writers picked the Phils to win the NL Pennant in 2012 with three saying they will win the World Series. The Tigers, Rangers, Marlins, and Rays were also popular picks to reach and/or win the World Series.

Continue reading Phillies Nation 2012 Playoff Projections

Cliff Lee pitched a solid four innings, as the Phillies played to a 7-7 tie Sunday. He gave up five hits and one run, but was on point all day. Joe Savery relieved him, and gave up one run in two innings. Jeremy Horst and Brian Sanches pitched the 7th and 8th, giving up just one run combined.

With the score 7-3 heading into the 9th, Frank Gailey came on to finish the game, only he would fail in doing so. He gave up four runs before being pulled in favor of Ryan Duke, who got the last out. The game ended in a 7-7 tie, as the two teams declined to go to extra innings.

The offense did pretty well, as the Phils were able to scatter nine hits while putting up seven runs. They got RBIs from Juan Pierre, Hunter Pence, Shane Victorino, Carlos Ruiz, Freddy Galvis and Cliff Lee. Collectively, they walked four times and struck out three times. Galvis and Gailey recorded errors in the game, but the defense was able to turn three double plays.

The Phillies head back up north tomorrow, as the On Deck Series begins against the Pirates at Citizens Bank Park at 7:05 PM.

Blanco was signed for some depth (District Sports Page)

Roy Halladay threw 45 pitches today before a rain delay sent him to the showers for the day in the Blue Jays 8-5 win over the Phillies. Hector Luna played second base and continued his tear, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. John Mayberry finally hit his first home run of the spring.

As you know, Halladay will start the regular season in Pittsburgh on Thursday. This was his final warmup before the real games begin.

Carlos Ruiz went 2-for-4, as well, upping his ridiculous spring average to .512. He’s clearly in midseason form and that rest to start spring training looks to be paying dividends.

————————

-Jose Contreras and Mike Stutes seem destined to start the year on the DL, although from reports, it doesn’t seem like a long stay for either. Contreras is still building arm strength after getting a late start this spring. Stutes has suffered from shoulder soreness. If neither can be on the roster for opening day, look for David Herndon, Joe Savery, or Raul Valdez to take up those two spots.

-The Phillies signed Andres Blanco for some infield depth. He played last year with the Washington Nationals, but will begin the season at Triple-A.

Time: 1:05 pm, Bright House Field – Clearwater, FL
Weather: 30% Chance of Rain, 77
TV: MLB.TV
Follow Phillies Nation on Twitter

The Phils play their last Spring home game of 2012 at Bright House Field as Doc matches up against his former team, the Toronto Blue Jays. The biggest surprise of today’s line-up is the inclusion of Hector Luna at second. Luna last played second base in 2010 with the Marlins, spending just 3 innings of one game there. He’s got 708.1 career innings there, or about 78 games worth, but none in between those three innings in 2010 and his time as a regular with the 2006 Cardinals. The most interesting story of this Spring may not be Luna’s surprising play but rather Charlie Manuel’s unbelievable recollection of his career statistics as detailed by David Hale.

Two of the remaining lefties will throw today out of the ‘pen in addition to David Herndon. Meanwhile, the line-up seems to give some clues as to what the Phillies will use during the regular season.

Phillies Lineup:

1. Shane Victorino, CF
2. Placido Polanco, 3B
3. Jimmy Rollins, DH
4. Hunter Pence, RF
5. Ty Wigginton, 1B
6. John Mayberry Jr., LF
7. Hector Luna, 2B
8. Carlos Ruiz, C
9. Freddy Galvis, SS

Phillies Pitchers:
RHP Roy Halladay
RHP David Herndon
LHP Antonio Bastardo
LHP Raul Valdes

As spring training approaches its end, I have had the opportunity recently to speak with a few Phillies prospects to talk about their status and how the exhibition season has been going.  A trio of hurlers took time to speak on various subject and those pitchers are Mario Hollands, Tyler Knigge and Nick Hernandez.

Leading off is last year’s opening day starter for the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws, Mario Hollands.  The left-hander, was selected in the 10th round of the 2010 draft.  Last season, with the BlueClaws, Hollands posted a 6-6 record with a 4.24 ERA in 28 games.  Hollands improved his efforts after a switch to the bullpen.  Read ahead to learn what Mario told PhilliesNation writer Jay Floyd about the dreaded spring training “walk of death” and plenty more.

JF: How would you assess spring training to date? What have you taken from these past few weeks?

MH: I’m really happy it’s almost over. It’s a long road for everyone. But besides that, with all the changes in personnel, I’m happy to come out with a job.

And I’ve been able to work on different pitches and just being able to improve them. Fine tuning some pitches before the season starts….just the little things that I’m able to work on each day has really helped out.

JF: You mentioned being happy to still have your job. With guys who seemed to have a firm lock on their spot, like Eric Pettis, getting cut, it really seems like almost anyone could go at any time. I spoke with Brian Gump, a player that was released last week by the Phillies, and he described entering the facilities each day as “a walk of death”, as guys are unsure if they’ll be requested to go talk with the brass and receive bad news. How stressful is it for players to walk into that on a daily basis?

MH: That “walk of death”, as Gump called it, is easily the scariest thing I’ve ever faced, or anything I’ve come across. It’s so intimidating and the walk is so far and you can see (the coaches) ahead of you and for 45 second (as you walk), you don’t know if they’re going to ask you to come off to the side or if you’re going to get to just keep walking by them. It’s absolutely terrifying. I’d have to say that applies for everyone. From first rounders to recently drafted kids, it’s the worst thing. It just makes for a horrible morning. It actually just turns into horrible days because (when guys are cut), you have to say your goodbyes to all these guys that you might not see again maybe, ever, or for a long time. It’s just a horrible time of the year and I think…there’s still one more cut and everyone’s just dreading that morning. Continue reading Spring Training Check In: Hollands, Knigge, Hernandez

(This post was written by Phillies Nation contributor Nick McIlwain, of 93.3 WMMR in Philadelphia. He’s part of the Preston and Steve show. Check them out Monday through Friday from 5:30-10 am.)

———————————–

Leaving Clearwater is tough to do.

I’m flying back from Clearwater, leaving the 80 degree sunny weather and for some inexplicable reason, returning to Philly in March.  As I sit in 21A, looking out the left side of the plane, I can see the complex at Bright House, empty today after 3 games in the 3 days.

I saw a tie on Sunday, 3-3 against the Orioles, then a bad loss to the Red Sox on Monday, and a win in walk-off fashion yesterday, with newcomer Scott Podsednik crushing a ball to right to give the Phils a 5-4 win over the Pirates.  The Pirates rallied for 4 runs in the 8th to spoil a gem by Cliff Lee, but after Antonio Bastardo and Michael Stutes struggled in the 8th, Jonathan Papelbon looked commanding in the 9th and Podsednik won it in the bottom frame.

A couple highlights worth noting: Jim Thome looked like, well, Jim Thome.  I missed seeing that sweet left-handed swing in a Phillies uniform.  Who knows what kind of production we’ll get out of him this season, but he’s certainly a fan favorite, having received a number of ovations.  With injuries leading to the obvious holes on the right side of the infield, he’ll probably get more playing time than originally expected.  So is 15 to 20 HR with 50 to 60 RBI too much to ask?  Or hope for?  Perhaps he’ll end his career making Uncle Charlie proud all over again.

Continue reading A Fan’s Take: Leaving Clearwater

On the heels of a string of cuts this week, the Phillies released three more players from minor league camp on Friday, including outfielders Bill Rice (pictured) and Brent Clevlen as well as catcher Jeff Lanning.

Rice, a native of Sewell, NJ, was signed by the Phillies following a tryout at Lakewood’s FirstEnergy Park in June, 2010. Always a standout at every amateur level he has played, Rice’s lifelong dream of competing as a professional was achieved when the team he grew up cheering for offered him a contract.

Last year, in 46 combined games with the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies and the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws, the 5-foot-11-inch 185-pounder sported a .296 batting average with 1 HR, 13 RBI and 10 stolen bases.

After watching several teammates receive similar news in recent weeks, the lefty hitting speedster was stunned to learn he was being released early Friday.

Speaking exclusively with PhilliesNation.com’s Jay Floyd, Rice expressed his greatest appreciation for the Philadelphia organization.

“The Phillies helped me out in so many ways, in the game of baseball and life as well,” Rice said. “I’ve learned so much these past couple years and have all of my coaches and people in the organization to thank for that, along with the chance to do what I love and getting a shot at professional baseball.”

With no plans on giving up on continuing to live his dream, the 23-year-old Rice feels his pro career is nowhere near finished.

“I feel they made a mistake in releasing me but it is a business and I can’t hold that against them. I wish all the guys in the organization much success, but I do plan to take this opportunity to prove them wrong,” Rice stated. Continue reading South Jersey’s Rice and Others Released by Phils