SB Nation - Joe Savery

Philadelphia Phillies Top 20 Prospects for 2010

John Sickels — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:15:46 -0000

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher J.A. Happ, drafted in the third round in 2004 (AP Photo/H. Rumph, Jr.)

Philadelphia Phillies Top 20 Prospects for 2010

All grades are EXTREMELY PRELIMINARY and subject to change. Don't get too worried about exact rankings at this point, especially once you get beyond the Top 10. Grade C+/C guys are pretty interchangeable depending on what you want to emphasize. Complete reports on these and over 1,000 other players will be in the 2010 Baseball Prospect Book, now available for pre-order, shipping on February 2^nd!

1) Domonic Brown, OF, Grade B+: Borderline A-. I love this guy, but the tools aren't quite refined yet and they need to give him a solid consolidation season in 2010, start him off in Reading and leave him there until July no matter what he does.

2) Trevor May, RHP, Grade B-: Borderline B. I love the upside with this arm as demonstrated in his K/IP and H/IP ratios, but he needs to cut back on the walks.

3) Phillipe Aumont, RHP, Grade B-: High upside arm acquired from the Mariners but I worry about his durability and mechanics.

4) J.C. Ramirez, RHP, Grade B-: Another high upside arm acquired from the Mariners. High Desert hurt his numbers. I've always liked him better than the numbers indicate I should, and I think a breakout is possible in 2010.

5) Anthony Gose, OF, Grade C+: Love the speed, youth, and the athleticism. Don't like the high strikeout rate for a guy without much power. Most advanced of the uber-tools players collected in this system in recent drafts.

6) Sebastian Valle, C, Grade C+: Excellent power potential and very young, but plate discipline and defense need work.

7) Domingo Santana, OF, Grade C+: Another tools guy, excellent power production in the Gulf Coast League but plate discipline/contact could be issues. Could rank much higher next year.

8) Tyson Gillies, OF, Grade C+: Draws walks, steals bases with outstanding speed, good glove, fun to watch. Most of his power came at High Desert; Double-A production could raise him to a B- or even a B. Could rank as high as fifth if you want to value his polish over pure upside of Gose, Valle, and Santana.

9) Jarred Cosart, RHP, Grade C+: Live arm, good stats in limited GCL sample, negative reports about makeup are a concern but he's young enough to outgrow that. Like Santana, could rank much higher next year.

10) Antonio Bastardo, LHP, Grade C+: I've liked the guy for awhile and expect him to be a good pitcher, but durability problems make it more likely as a reliever.

11) Jonathan Singleton, 1B, Grade C+: Bat was a lot more polished than expected in the GCL. Strong power potential, could rank over Cosart and Bastardo if you prefer hitting to pitching.

12) Scott Mathieson, RHP, Grade C+: Difficult to rank and grade. He's always been effective when healthy and has a great arm, but at some point he's going to run out of graftable ligaments. Could make an impact in the pen as soon as this year.

13) Leandro Castro, OF, Grade C+: Another member of the Toolsy Outfielder Who Might Not Hit Good Pitching Brigade. Could rank as high as eighth.

14) Brody Colvin, RHP, Grade C+: :Live arm from the '09 draft stands out as a sleeper to me.

15) B.J. Rosenberg, RHP, Grade C+: Looks like he could be a good relief option sometime soon.

16) Jiwan James, OF, Grade C: Hard to pick from all the raw tools guys who can fit at the bottom of the list, but for some reason this guy sticks out at me as one who could really take off this year.

17) Justin De Fratus, RHP, Grade C: Terrific K/BB ratio in the Sally League with a live arm.

18) Zach Collier, OF, Grade C: He didn't hit at all last year, but I prefer him to the even rawer Anthony Hewitt at this point.

19) Drew Carpenter, RHP, Grade C: Control artist with mediocre stuff has nothing left to prove in the minors, but fly ball tendency might not fit well in Philly.

20) Johan Flande, LHP, Grade C: Deceptive lefty has less upside than other arms but could help sooner.

OTHERS (Grade C): Aaron Altherr, OF; Mike Cisco, RHP; Heitor Correa, RHP; Kelly Dugan, OF; Sergio Escalona, LHP; Freddy Galvis, SS; Edgar Garcia, RHP; David Herndon, RHP; Anthony Hewitt, 3B; Kyrell Hudson, OF; Austin Hyatt, RHP; Jon Pettibone, RHP; Joe Savery, LHP; Mike Schwimer, RHP; Colby Shreve, RHP; Mike Stutes, RHP; Steve Susdorf, OF; Jonathan Villar, SS; Matt Way, LHP; Vance Worley, RHP.

The Phillies are interesting to write about but hard to make a list for. They love collecting raw tools players and have a great football team at the lower levels of the farm system, but most of these guys have very limited baseball skills right now. Gose, Santana, Castro, and Singleton look the most polished, but that's only in comparison to Collier, Hewitt, Altherr, and Hudson, who don't have a clue what they are doing yet. The Phillies are betting that they can get these guys to develop along Domonic Brown lines, but the thing is that what Brown did over the last two years is special; most super raw tools guys don't develop that well. My intuition is telling me that Jiwan James could develop like Brown, but I have nothing objective to back that up.

On the pitching side, they have a more balanced mixture of upside (May, Cosart, Aumont, Ramirez and others) with polish (Carpenter and the batch of potential relievers). If May can refine his command he could be a legitimate B+/A- guy next year, but that's a big if. Mathieson is a special case; under the right circumstances he could pull an Andrew Bailey in 2010; but he could also languish in Triple-A and/or get hurt again.

The Halladay/Lee trade is a strong blow; losing Drabek, Taylor, and D'Arnaud rips the guts out of the system. Getting Aumont, Gillies, and Ramirez in return helps some but none of them are as good as the three they lost.

Overall, this system is in flux due to recent trades but still has a lot of very interesting, if difficult to predict, talent.

Prospect Roundup: Outfielders Galore

PhillyFriar — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:16:23 -0000

Another week in the books, and we rapidly approach the conclusion of the minor league (regular) season at the end of August. What guys do from here on out is likely to have a negligible effect on their season numbers, but there's nonetheless something to hold our attention as the 2009 campaign wanes: the debuts of the late signees from the June draft.

So check below the jump for info on "The Big Three," plus Kyrell Hudson, Joe Savery, Freddy Galvis, and more.

Domonic Brown, OF-L, Reading: I mean, what else is there to say here? Brown smacked a hit in all 6 games this week, finishing 9-for-28 to bump his Double-A slash numbers to .313/.367/.566 in 90 plate appearances. Baseball America's "Best Tools" edition saw the FSL managers vote Brown the best defensive outfielder, and while some who have seen him say he still has work to do on his jumps and routes, the tools are clearly there for him to be a very good right fielder with the leather.

Michael Taylor, OF-R, Lehigh Valley: Taylor sat out the entire week with an oblique injury, and between health and the realities of a 40-man roster crunch, it's starting to look like a September call-up is doubtful. It's no fault of his -- the Phils just happen to be ridiculously deep in the outfield.

Kyle Drabek, RHP, Reading: The organization's top arm turned in his best performance in weeks on Thursday, going 7 shutout innings against Portland, striking out as many (4) as he surrendered base runners (3 hits, 1 walk). It's nitpicking a bit given the progress he's made this year, but two areas he can improve at the Double-A level are: (1) his strikeout rate, which is at 6.6 per 9 innings; and (2) his ground ball rate, which is down to 41.6%.

Kyrell Hudson, OF-R, GCL Phillies: Small sample size warning, but a pleasant early surprise from the Phillies' 2009 3rd round pick described by Baseball America in the following terms: "raw," "scouts aren't sure how much he likes baseball," and "struggles to square balls up even in batting practice." He only went 3-for-13 in his first week of pro ball, but he drew 3 walks and smacked a double. Just like "you can't teach height" in basketball, "you can't teach tools" in this sport, so Hudson could be a beast if he puts it all together.

Andrew Carpenter, RHP, Lehigh Valley: Carpenter was being hailed as the potential "next Kyle Kendrick" in Spring Training 2008 (and yes, that was a compliment back then), but he went off the rails with a 5.67 ERA in Reading. This year, though, he's quietly reestablished himself as a legitimate future big leaguer, tossing a ton of starts just like Thursday's (6 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) to post a 4.06 FIP and 7.2 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 numbers. Ideally you'd like to see more grounders (just 38.3%) and less homers (1.1 HR/9), but he looks like a potential strike-throwing #5 or solid middle reliever, which is far more than he looked like at this time last year.

Joe Savery, LHP, Lehigh Valley: The organization's 1st round pick in 2007, Savery was aggressively promoted to Triple-A at the end of July despite middling Double-A numbers. More walks (17) than strikeouts (15) in 28.1 innings for Lehigh Valley has done little to justify the promotion, though he has battled to post solid outings like Thursday's (notching the win with a 5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K performance). Scouts say his fastball is back up to 88-92 (unlike last year), so maybe there's hope yet, but he's starting to look more and more like a reliever to me.

Leandro Castro, OF-R, Williamsport: Sure, it'd be nice to have a sleeper prospect develop at SS or 3B, but we can't pick and choose position, so yet another outfield prospect will have to do. Phuture Phillies highlighted Castro a few weeks ago, and for good reason: after a rough go of it in Lakewood, the 20-year old has posted a .328/.372.534 line in 217 NYPL at bats. His plate approach isn't the best (6.0% BB, 18.1% K), but it sounds like he should stick in center, and he's certainly intriguing as a power (.206 ISO) and speed (14 SB, albeit 9 CS) guy going forward.

Freddy Galvis, SS-S, Clearwater: Galvis has a major league ready glove, but a bat that looks like it belongs in the Gulf Coast League. Currently at .247/.280/.307 in 261 High-A plate appearances, the bat has a long way to come if he's ever going to be a major league regular. Three silver linings to note, though: (1) he's still just 19 years old, so he's young for the pitching-dominated FSL; (2) he's a natural left-handed hitter, so trying to switch hit (a paltry .186/.183/.229 hitting right-handed) is dragging down his averages; and (3) scouts like his glove so much that he really just needs to be a .260/.330/.350 guy in the majors in order to have value.

John Mayberry, OF-R, Lehigh Valley: Mayberry burst onto the major league scene with 4 HRs in his first 38 at bats, but earned a ticket back to Triple-A by going 1 for his last 15 with 8 punchouts. He'll be back on September 1 as pinch runner, replacement outfielder, and additional right-handed power threat, and his 2 HR this week show the latter part of that equation. His prodigious whiff rate (31.1% K) and struggles against RHP (.235/.323/.459) have him looking more like a 4th outfielder than a future regular, but as a guy who can crush lefties and can play all three outfield spots in a pinch, he's got definite value.

Domingo Santana, OF-R, GCL Phillies: While he hasn't launched a homer since last month, Santana is still doing enough to intrigue in the Gulf Coast League. I get the feeling he's made a conscious effort to work on his plate discipline, demonstrating much improved contact ability in August (25.0% K) than he did in June and July (44.1% K). He's still got 5 HR and a .213 ISO in 122 plate appearances, and having just turned 17 on August 5, Santana has plenty of time to develop as a hitter -- he's not a fast-track candidate, but the end reward of waiting could be great.

Unassisted Phillies Breakfast Links, August 24, 2009: Breaking New York, Savery Pig, Rehab? No No No.

WholeCamels — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:22:26 -0000

Pedro Martinez? Dominicans still eat him up in New York
He also provides a convenient excuse to jump ship during the Mets' struggles. The Dominican world is used to quality baseball.

UNASSISTED TRIPLE PLAY ENDS LATEST FIASCO
What would a historic play and ending to a game be without a hysterical recap from the NY Post, along with an "our readers are subliterate" diagram of the play itself?

The Bitter Bill - NY Daily News
In this piece, the horrendous author rags on Phillies fans for being down on Brad Lidge, since he had an amazing 2008 season, but simultaneously rips into David Wright for only having nine home runs on the 2009 season. Hypocrisy wins!

Mayberry, Leon lift IronPigs
Joe Savery gives us both reason to believe, and to doubt (as usual): 5 2/3 IP, five hits, two runs.

IronPigs' Savery making progress
I guess.

Unassisted Triple Plays
A list of all of the unassisted triple plays in baseball history. They seem to have clustered in the 1920, and the 2000s. I wonder why that is.

Phillies' Brett Myers' rehab start in Lakewood postponed to today
Hopefully he can do so without falling off the mound and breaking his nose or whatever.

Pedro Martinez? Dominicans still eat him up in New York | Philadelphia Daily News | 08/24/2009
He also provides a convenient excuse to jump ship during the Mets' struggles.

Rock Cats Hold On For Victory Over Phils
Reading Phillies fall 5-4 to Hartford.

Who Is This Franchise We're Rooting For?

David S. Cohen — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:35:38 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

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One of my first baseball memories is of the Phillies' 1980 World Series season. I remember going to a few games, although I think I've mixed up which ones with highlight reels. I definitely remember watching the final outs sitting in my family room. And then I remember everything going downhill from there. Other than a blip in 1983 and 1993, my existence as a Phillies fan has been all doom and gloom. And for good reason -- the product on the field had been pretty atrocious and the management was worse.

But things are different now. For the Phillies, it seems that everything's coming up aces. And if you have any memory of the last thirty years, I'm sure you're like me and occasionally find yourself asking in joyous disbelief - who is this franchise I'm rooting for?

What am I talking about? Every facet of the game. Take a look at this quick summary:

Stadium: After years of being behind the curve with the old Vet Stadium, the Phillies built Citizens Bank Park which opened in 2004. It is a beautiful park that's also great for watching games. Other than Inga Saffron complaining about the faux brick facade and every Braves pitcher complaining about giving up home runs, I haven't really heard anyone say anything but glowing things about the place.

Attendance: Last night the Phillies had their 53rd sellout of the year. Only 8 games have not been sellouts so far, and chances are the remaining 20 games are going to be mostly, if not completely, sold out as well. The Phillies have the third highest attendance total and attendance average in the majors (behind the Dodgers and Yankees in both, the two largest markets in the country). They're on pace to top 3.5 million fans at the park this year.

Manager: The team is managed by an old hick who no one can understand at press conferences. Yet, he seems to be able to manage players perfectly. Combined with Milt Thompson, he's a hitting instructor extraordinaire. He lets others perform the tasks he's not great at, like coaching the pitching staff. Yes, he has difficulties with in-game management sometimes, but the proof is in the pudding here: he has a .552 winning percentage with the Phillies and has won the most games in the NL since he was hired in 2005.

Management: After years of penny pinching and gut-based pursuits of hustle and character, the Phillies management finally seems to know what it's doing. They have a payroll that a major metropolitan area deserves. And they know how to evaluate talent and attract and/or keep it in Philadelphia. No, they're not the most forward-thinking front office in terms of modern-day talent evaluation, but as much as they preach old-school scouting, they somehow put a team on the field year-in, year-out that does what modern day analysts preach: take pitches, get on base, and rake. And we can't ignore that the front office really gets it with contracts these days. It locks up its young stars and is finally understanding sunk costs (see, e.g., Adam Eaton and Geoff Jenkins).

Minor Leagues: Relatedly, the team actually has a minor league system to be proud of. As a Phillies fan of years past, could you ever imagine them trading top prospects for a pitcher like Cliff Lee and not damaging their system for a decade in the process? Yet, they were able to do just that and still keep Kyle Drabek, Dominic Brown, and Michael Taylor, let alone other interesting prospects like Travis D'Arnaud, Joe Savery, and Anthony Gose. And they did a pretty good job signing talented players from this year's draft as well.

Home Grown Talent: Building off the great minor league system currently in place, the Phillies have an amazing crop of home grown talent in the majors right now. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels, J.A. Happ, Ryan Madson, and even Carlos Ruiz defensively -- almost this entire list is award-winning caliber. Almost every other team in the majors would kill to have this level of home-grown talent playing for its major league team.

Outfield From the Ashes: The Phillies outfield should amaze you every night. Not just in their performance, but in the way that they have performed after almost being left for dead by their prior teams. Raul Ibanez doesn't exactly fit in this mold, although his performance before his injury certainly seemed like an amazing turn of events. But Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth, both 2009 All-Stars, were pretty much jettisoned by the Dodgers because they weren't developing. Yet, Victorino might be the team's all-around MVP this year, and Jayson Werth is putting up leader-board numbers at the plate.

Mid-Season Pitching Gold: For the fourth year in a row, the Phillies have made a mid-season pitching acquisition that has turned into gold. In 2006, they traded for Jamie Moyer, who went 5-2 down the stretch with a 1.09 WHIP And 116 ERA+. In 2007, they signed JC Romero who posted a 1.24 ERA in 51 games out of the pen for the Phils, combining with Madson and Wagner to form a great back of the bullpen. In 2008, they traded for Joe Blanton, who went 4-0 down the stretch, won 2 games in the playoffs, and is now having a superb 2009. And then there is Cliff Lee. No, he's not Roy Halladay. He's better. He has a 0.82 ERA, 4 wins, and a .923 OPS as a hitter (his .538 SLG is fourth on the team, behind only Raul Ibanez, Ben Francisco, and Ryan Howard).

Injuries: The team is healthy. Yes, Brett Myers has been out for most of the season, and Raul Ibanez suffered an injury from which he still might not have fully recovered. But, otherwise, injuries haven't been a problem for this team. I haven't studied it, but I'd venture a guess that the Phillies' starters have, comparatively, a very high percentage of the team's total plate appearances. And this isn't a new thing. Star Phillies just don't get hurt for long stretches of time. Certainly some injuries are fluky, but staying healthy is often a skill in itself. And the Phillies have it.

Results: Then there are the results. The Phillies have won the NL East two years in a row. They won their second World Series ever last year. This year, they lead the NL East by 6.5 games, and have the second-best record in the entire NL.

No, the team isn't perfect. Brad Lidge is giving everyone nightmares this year. There are salary issues looming for next year. Ruben Amaro is still new at his job and could just be getting lucky so far. They're very vulnerable to injury, as they don't have much depth at some key positions.

But that's quibbling at this point. The franchise is firing on all cylinders right now. And this is an entirely new and incredibly welcome feeling for me as a fan of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Phillies Breakfast Links, August 4, 2009: Prospects blog, Bullpen watch, What's Bothering Hamels?

WholeCamels — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:25:43 -0000

Phils wait for healthy bullpen | CourierPostOnline.com | Courier-Post

Imagine if Brett Myers, Scott Mathieson, and Pedro Martinez went to the back of the 'pen at some point...

'Pigs' booming bats back Savery's Triple-A debut

Still uneasy about Joe Savery? This won't help: 6 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 5 BB, 0 K.

Phillies prospect's blog is downright bush league

Go check it out here. Between Michael Schwimer over at PhuturePhillies, and this guy, we might have the most literary farm system in the league.

Phillies' next move? Wait for developments

The Brad Lidge situation needs to be addressed.

Bill Conlin: Phillies' pitching rotation? Lee can only do so much

As for Dominic Brown, scouts earn their money - and reputations - shining their projections off high ceilings. I saw him a little short of the Sistine Chapel Friday night. Forget the 0-for-4. He was robbed by the Fort Myers first baseman and later smoked a liner that top-spinned to the rightfielder. But in rightfield, he ran a circuitous route to a towering drive he should have gotten to before it hit the base of the fence in right-center. In the sixth, he stuck up his glove to nonchalant a soft liner hit right at him. Oops. It ticked off the leather and fell behind him for a two-base error. Physically, he's built like Alfonso Soriano, long-striding and toothpick lean. It will be fun watching him dance to the Phillies' No. 3 hole on that high ceiling.

Attaboy, Bill. Base your opinion of a player on one game. I think we see where this is going to go as Brown works his way up through the minors and, presumably, into the outfield in Philadelphia. He'll simply never be as sweet in Bill's eyes as Michael Taylor.

Barroom Brawl: The Pedro Edition

This is not written to argue Pedro vs. Koufax (although I might argue that Pedro’s six-year run is more impressive since it came right in the heart of the steroids era, and Koufax was pitching during an era that favored pitchers).

Except Pedro Martinez WAS better than Sandy Koufax during those six seasons, in large part for the reason you mentioned, although I don't think "zOMG STEROIDZ" are the only cause for the increased offense of the previous two decades.

Trying to put Hamels' struggles into focus
Again, Cole Hamels pitched far more innings last season than he had every pitched in a single year in his life. We are now dealing with the after-effects. No one would change a thing, though.

Phillies Breakfast Links, July 29, 2009: Trade Deadline Blackout, The Return of Brett Myers, Pedro Martinez Speaks

WholeCamels — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:20:55 -0000

Sources: Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians exploring Cliff Lee trade
Indians scouting Jason Knapp.

Trade Roundup: Clubs shift focus to Lee
Mr. Leverage, Cliff Lee.

Kendrick is a reminder that future aces can be Happ-less

Yuck. No serious talent evaluators considered Kyle Kendrick a future ace, at any level. Even when he was pitching well, he was walking the razor's edge.

Phillies' Martinez clears another hurdle in bullpen session

"There's no space for harm in my heart. There's only love. Love for the Mets," (Pedro Martinez) said, warming to the moment. "Love for the people. Love for the fans. Love for everybody. Hate? There's no place for hate in my heart."

Happ waits to hear his fate

I feel for J.A. Happ, but it's got to be flattering that teams are fighting over you.

Reading, Lakewood crushed

Joe Savery loses third in a row, three runs over five innings.

Brett Myers of Philadelphia Phillies working toward return to bullpen this season

He might throw a bullpen session this Saturday. Closer...? You know you were thinking it too.

Roy Halladay: The Phillies Can Have a Future and an All-Star Pitcher

WholeCamels — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 13:59:21 -0000

More photos » by Brian Blanco - AP

Toronto Blue Jays' Roy Halladay fields questions from the media about recent trade speculation. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

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They've talked about it on Daily News Live, SportsCenter, MLB Network, and thanks to the Metro, Angelo Cataldi has chimed in (ugh). Your boss has an opinion (you bite your tongue), your grandpa wants him (but calls him "Holliday").

Roy Halladay is one of the three or four best starting pitchers in baseball, and he wants to pitch for the Phillies. Ruben, you can get this done, and you don't have to "mortgage the farm."

If you've been observing J.P. Ricciardi over the past couple of weeks, you've seen a desperate man holding a valuable commodity. He's puffing his chest and talking big, but in reality he has almost no leverage. He knows that he'll significantly less for Halladay if he waits until the offseason to trade him. And in the current economy, the Phillies are the only team with the talent and the resources to acquire Halladay and pay for him, now and in the future. Ruben and the Jets hold all of the cards here, and Ricciardi knows it. It's all puffery and posturing now.

Remember earlier this decade, the dance that Maestro Ed Wade would do when he had to dump a star player? First: "We need to be overwhelmed!" Then: "We need to get fair value." And at the end, he'd get bent over for a bag of magic beans and maybe Omar Daal as a throw-in. Doesn't it feel good to be on the opposite side of that now?

The fact that Toronto's OPENING demand here -- purportedly Kyle Drabek, J.A. Happ, and Dominic Brown -- is almost tolerable strongly indicates to me that this is going to get done, and that the Phillies are the only real players here. And even if that precise deal goes down, the Phillies still have a deep system of promising prospects -- Carlos Carrasco, Michael Taylor, Joe Savery, Jason Donald, Lou Marson, Travis D'Arnaud, Jason Knapp, etc. Say it with me: Trading for Roy Halladay is not the same as mortgaging the future! Losing Drabek and Brown would be disappointing, but getting yourself at least 1 1/2 seasons of Roy Halladay plus two draft picks if and when he leaves after 2010 kind of soothes the burn a little bit, huh?

And let's look at Roy Halladay's numbers in context. He's done what he's done pitching his entire career in the AL East, among the titans of the American League -- Boston, New York, and recently, Tampa Bay. He's not fattening up on mediocre competition. He's one of the best, dominating the best. Translate those numbers to the National League. Just look at CC Sabathia and Rich Harden last year.

Ruben: Be firm but get the deal done. They need to make this trade more than you do. Be fair and be prepared to give up a potential All-Star or two. And remember, this isn't Joe Blanton, or Kyle Lohse, all due respect to those guys.

This is Roy Halladay. Pull the trigger, Ruben.

Phillies Breakfast Links: July 2, 2009

WholeCamels — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:20:07 -0000

Reading lands four players on EL All-Star team
(Vance) Worley will be joined by outfielder Michael Taylor, third baseman Neil Sellers and pitcher Joe Savery for the July 15 game at Trenton.

Phillies have minor-league pitching talent
This sounds like some kind of Trade Deadline Prospectus to be distributed around the league.

Key to Phils' season could be in Reading
And the author wants the Phillies to sell sell sell... meh.

Minor Leagues: Taylor blasts Reading to victory over Altoona
I think this kid is good at playing baseball.

First half not half bad for Lehigh Valley Ironpigs
Congratulations on not being gruesomely terrible.

Happ's found success against Braves
Happ = Stopper?

Phillies slugger Howard dodges Home Run Derby question
I wish I could care. I'll never watch another Home Run Derby with Chris Berman announcing. BACKBACKBACKBACK... makes me want to kill something.

Hamels' rollercoaster season takes dip
He won us a World Series last year and we all knew or should have known that the increased workload would carryover this year. And we didn't mind then. So we shouldn't complain now. If anyone says "Cole is soft" please punch them in the mouth.

Phillies Breakfast Links: June 30, 2009

WholeCamels — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:12:54 -0000

Bastardo latest Phils pitcher on D.L.
Lefty officially added to disabled list; Sergio Escalona recalled. Again.

Minor league pitcher Yohan Flande has Phillies' attention
He and Kyle Drabek will represent the Phillies at the Futures Game next month in St. Louis.

Drabek cleaning up in minors

If Kyle Drabek has cooked a nice spread, roommate Michael Zagurski knows it's best to stay out of the kitchen. Pots and pans will likely be piled on counters or in the sink.

Because he's pissed that Zagurski will eat everything.

Minor Leagues: Savery wins 10th as Reading rolls
Michael Taylor and Joe Savery both looking good.

Former Alexandria Senior High standout Colvin made most of transfer to St. Thomas More
Phillies draft pick currently "50/50" on question of going pro or attending LSU. This would be a real coup if the Phillies could sign him.

Victorino in fifth place as All-Star voting winds down
Maui and its 100,000 residents x 25 votes might get Shane in.

Phillies' J.A. Happ harnesses his aggression
Join me, young Jedi!

Ex-Chicago Cub Doug Glanville on Philly, his dad, and Barry Bonds
Not sure what the point of this is, but here you go.

Florida to review Romero incident
Blech. I can't feel bad for a grown man who heckles and then gets bitchslapped, but Romero should have kept his cool.

Phillies Breakfast Links: June 16, 2009.

WholeCamels — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:20:51 -0000

Gordon's advice put Phillies' Madson back on track
So is the mystery of Ryan Madson's increase velocity finally solved? A creepy desert road trip with Tom Gordon? Did Hunter S. Thompson write about this guy?

Reading's Savery beats Harrisburg to improve to 8-1
Reading lefty Joe Savery allows just one hit in six shutout innings.

Charlie is great , but his TV show is not
I live outside the region so I didn't see it. Is it that bad?

Phils' Jamie Moyer Hosts "Celebrity Waiters" Event
Another smooth move by the Moyer Foundation.

Interleague play not kind to Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are winless thus far in 2009 in Interleague Play. Unfortunately, my advanced statistical model says that "they're due."

Rich Hofmann: Phillies' Utley an old-school player in modern times
Just once I wish there could be a puff piece about Chase Utley that just talks about how awesome he is at baseball without going into how "gritty" he is, or that he's a "throwback," or all of these other reverse-racially tinged phrases.

Three Phillies among NL All-Star leaders
Second baseman Chase Utley is the leading vote getter among all National Leaguers; Raul Ibanez and Jimmy Rollins lead at their respective positions. Rollins should abdicate...

Building character
On sports mascots, featuring David Raymond.

Chan Ho Park Closing In on Asian Win Record
What a great day that will be.

McCaffery: Charlie says arms not good ’n plenty
Okay, I just read this and I have no idea what it said. Help?