Categories: News

Bright House Field has a new name

Good morning! Here’s what’s up:

NEW SPECTRUM: Bright House Field in Clearwater has been renamed Spectrum Field, effective immediately.

Spectrum Field is where the Clearwater Threshers play; it’s also home to Phillies spring training.

Charter Communications – the second-largest cable company in America to Comcast – purchased Bright House Networks last year. It also acquired Time Warner Cable. Charter’s cable service is branded Spectrum, so now you know why you’ve seen so many Spectrum ads lately.

The Phillies own a 25 percent stake in Comcast SportsNet, and they do own the Threshers. But this isn’t in conflict with Charter renaming Bright House Field – naming rights are just that; plus, the City of Clearwater – not the Phillies – owns Spectrum Field.

BEATO AROUND THE BUSH: Lost in the hubbub of … okay, just lost … was the Phillies’ signing Saturday of relief pitcher Pedro Beato.

Beato, 30, had a 2.65 ERA and 62 strikeouts last season for the triple-A Norfolk Tides. He last pitched in the majors in 2014, but only getting into three games with the Braves.

Beato was signed to a minor league deal, so he’s filler and insurance in case something were to happen in the bullpen.

Tim Malcolm

Tim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.