Back to Blogging…

Yes, I know…it’s been awhile since I last blogged. The season, which is in full swing, is a long and grueling season, and while I have gotten used to tweeting hours on end each day, I have somehow forgot to keep my blog going.

Well, today it returns, and it is back and in full force for the foreseeable future. Expect daily updates on all things R-Phils. I’ll take an in-depth look at who’s hot, who’s not here in Reading, as well as a look at some alumni who are enjoying the 2010 season.

Yohan Flande — Flande takes the hill tonight for the R-Phils as they open a four-game series with the Portland Sea Dogs at 6:35 p.m. at FirstEnergy Stadium. Flande, a member of the Philadelphia Phillies 40-man roster, enters tonight’s contest with the third best ERA in the Eastern League (2.39). The Dominican native was truly impressive in the month of April — posting a 0-1 mark with a 1.52 ERA in four games. He’s followed that up by going 2-1 with a 3.20 ERA over four games this month.

B.J. Rosenberg — Rosenberg was placed on the disabled list all the way back on April 12 due to a right lat strain. Four days ago the young right-hander was activated and sent to Clearwater (A+). The Virginia native made his 2010 Clearwater debut on May 20 and tossed a scoreless inning — allowing two hits, one walk, while fanning two batters. Yesterday, he tossed 1.1 scoreless innings and fanned two more batters. He should be back in Reading at some point here in 2010.

Scott Rolen — Rolen is on a tear during the month of May. After hitting a solid .257 with five homers and 10 RBIs in April, the former R-Phils 3B has hit .318 with five home runs and 17 RBIs in May. Yesterday, against the Cleveland Indians, the Jasper, IN native launched two home runs including a solo shot in the top of the sixth, which tied the game at 3-3.

John Suomi — Suomi, who was promoted to Lehigh Valley after Paul Hoover was recalled by Philadelphia, enjoyed a solid day at the dish on May 20 in Allentown. The 29-year-old backstop launched a three-run homer, and helped lead the IronPigs to an 8-4 victory over Louisville. It will be interesting to see if Suomi sticks around with Lehigh Valley as Hoover was put on waivers yesterday due to Brian Schneider being activated off the disabled list.  

R-Phils April Leaders…

April was an up and down month for the R-Phils (8-13). 9hp1lfdpwhjr4haq9cos1ayik.gif

First, they won five of seven games at home, beating the Portland Sea Dogs three of four, and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats two of three. They then took to the road, and well, the road was not kind. They dropped five of six on the road, before coming home to drop four of six at home. They closed out April losing to the Fisher Cats in New Hampshire on April 30.

Let’s take a look back at the Month that was, as we take a look at the hitting and pitching leaders…

Hitters – brown_card.jpg
Hits – Freddy Galvis led the team with 18.
2B  –  Tagg Bozied and Domonic Brown were tied with 6
3B –   Tyson Gillies and Domonic Brown were tied with 1
HR –   Tagg Bozied, Tyson Gillies, and Brandon Pinckney were tied with 2
RBI –  Mike Spidale led the club with 14
R    –  Freddy Galvis led with 11
SB –   Kevin Mahar led the team with 2
OBP – Domonic Brown led the way with a .373
AB –   Freddy Galvis led with 80

Pitchers –
Wins – Mike Stutes – 2
Losses – Mike Cisco and Drew Naylor tied with 3
ERA – Based on innings, Yohan Flande’s 1.52 ERA
SO – Drew Naylor & Vance Worley tied with 16
IP – Yohan Flande – 23.2 
SV – Sergio Escalona – 3
G – Sergio Escalona, Michael Schwimer, and Mike Stutes tied with 8    

Put it in the Books!

So, the first homestand of 2010 season is already in the books, and the R-Phils showed early on that they could be a tough team here this season.Baseball_scorebook.jpg

And, for me, well, it was my first taste of action in Reading — the first game working at FirstEnergy Stadium, and the first of what I hope will be many great nights at this beautiful historic ballpark.

Early on here in Reading, I have already seen a team, which I believe, can compete for a spot in the playoffs — I know, it’s way to early too talk playoffs, but let me explain.

With a mixture of some very good young talent (Domonic Brown, Tyson Gillies, Freddy Galvis, and others), and a mix of some valuable veterans (Michael Spidale, Tagg Bozied, and Kevin Mahar), this Reading team is built to play late into the season.

Early on here, I have been impressed with the speed of Tyson Gillies — he can run it down in the outfield as good as I have seen, he can leg out an infield single, and he can make a triple look easy.

I have been impressed thus far with Yohan Flande, who tossed has two solid games already this season. In his first outing of 2010, Flande, 24, allowed just one hit over six shutout innings — earning a no-decision. In his second outon, on April 16 at Richmond, Flande once again was solid — allowing just two unearned runs through six frames and was the hard-luck loser. The native of the Dominican Republic has shown good command over his first two outings, and has kept his opponents off-balance.

Also impressive are the valuable veterans who help make this team go on a daily basis. Spidale, who entered his fourth season in Reading on Opening Day, lead the entire Eastern League in RBIs through the first seven games of the season with a remarkable 10 RBIs.

Pickney, who was selected in the 12th round of the 2003 draft by Cleveland, launched his first home run of the season in front of the Reading faithful on April 14.

Mahar, who was a solid contributor a year ago in Baseballtown, returned to R-Phils this season, picking up right where he left off. The former Texas Ranger, Mahar has already had three multi-hit games, including his first home run of the season.

Bozied, who spent part of last season with Indianapolis (AAA), has enjoyed a good amount of success early on this season with the R-Phils. One game in particular stands out, as Bozied, 30, was solid on April 11, launching his first homer of the season, and adding a team-high 5 RBIs on the afternoon. 

And, early on, I have seen some impressive things from Drew Naylor, a 40-man roster guy, Michael Stutes, who has looked good in save chances — he’s 2 for 2 in save chances this season, and the slick fielding of Freddy Galvis, who looks great at shortstop.

Double-A Squad Drops Contest 5-4 Saturday

Cody Overbeck ripped three hits, Freddy Galvis added an RBI single, but the Phillies Double-A squad dropped its third game of the spring season on Saturday with a 5-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays Double-A team at Carpenter Complex in Clearwater.

On the mound for the Phils was righty J.C. Ramirez, who started and allowed three runs on five hitsoverfour innings of work. Ramirez, a member of the Philadelphia Phillies 40-man roster, threw 65 pitches and walked two, while fanning one over his four frames. Acquired in the Cliff Lee trade with the Seattle Mariners this offseason, Ramirez, 21, went 8-10 with a 5.12 ERA in 28 games with the High-Desert Mavericks (High-A) last season.

Offensively, the Phillies were lead by 3B Cody Overbeck, who went 3-4 with an RBI single. Selected by the Phillies in the ninth round of the 200 amateur entry draft, Overbeck, 23, appeared in 96 games with Clearwater (A) last season, hitting .230 with 12 homers and 51 RBIs.

The Phils, who out-hit the Jays 10-9, were also led by Steve Susdorf, who finished the afternoon’s contest 2-4 with a runs scored. Susdorf went through three levels in 2009, beginning the season with Lakewood (.333-2-15), continuing with Clearwater (.371-3-22), and finishing up with Reading, where he hit .221 with two homers and seven RBIs.

Spring Phillers…Tyson Gillies, acquired in the Cliff Lee trade, went 1-3 with a triple and a run scored…Freddy Galvis, 20, went 1-3 with an RBI…Domonic Brown, the system’s number one prospect went 0-3 with a walk…On the hill, Mike Cisco allowed a run and one hit, while fanning three over three innings…Sergio Escalona, recently demoted from Major League camp, allowed a run in his first inning this spring for the Double-A team.

Spring Training Wrap # 13 —

Welcome back to “Philling You In”.
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Well, Minor League games are underway, and each day check out http://www.readingphillies.com — the brand new website for the R-Phils, to stay up-to-date with former and future R-Phils.

Let’s check in on Major League camp from today as the Phillies hosted the Tigers in Clearwater.

Features –

Domonic Brown (2009) – Brown, the number one prospect in the Philadelphia organization as rated by Baseball America, was impressive at the dish today. Starting in right field and batting sixth, Brown had his best day at the plate, as the youngster went 3-3 with two homers and four RBIs. Brown, a Georgia native, launched his first homer of the spring in the second inning — a solo shot off Tigers starter Justin Verlander, which gave Philadelphia a 1-0 lead. Two innings later, the 22-year-old hit a two-run shot off Tigers reliever Phil Coke, which gave the Phillies a 5-1 lead at that point. Brown has impressed all spring with his bat (.417 BA), his glove, and his arm in right field — he’s the real deal.

Cole Hamels (2005) – Hamels, the 2008 World Series MVP, started for the Phillies today and continues with his solid spring. The 27-year-old lefty allowed just one unearned run, on two hits, over five shutout innings en-route to his first win of the spring season. Hamels is now 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA this spring, and looks to bounce back from a down season in 2009.  

Spring Training Wrap # 12 —

Welcome back to “Philling You In” — today we check in on the first day of Minor League
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For a more in-depth look at stats from the Double-A spring training games, check www.readingphillies.com for a complete recap each day.

Highlights –

Scott Mathieson (’07 & ’09) – A surprise cut by the Phillies last week, Mathieson tossed two shutout innings for the Triple-A squad today, continuing his solid 2010 spring. Over his two frames, Mathieson did not allow a run, or hit, and needed just 21 pitches to get his six outs.

Joe Savery (2009) – Savery started for the Triple-A squad and was solid over three shutout frames, but the team lost to the Triple-A Jays by a score of 6-1. A product of Rice University, Savery threw 50 pitches and allowed 2 hits, 3 walks, and 1 strikeout.

Michael Schwimer (2009) – Schwimer tossed two shutout innings for the Double-A squad today in the team’s 5-4 victory over the Double-A Blue Jays. He fanned three batters, while allowing four hits over his two innings of work in game one of the club’s Minor League spring schedule.

Neil Sellers (2008-2009) – Sellers, who spent the past two seasons in Reading, went 1-4 with a double and RBI, as he tries to earn a spot in Lehigh Valley for 2010. A native of Robards, Kentucky, Sellers batted an impressive .317 last season for the R-Phils, and hit 17 homers, and drove in 86 runs.

Spring Training Wrap #11 —

Happy Sunday everyone! Let’s take a loogreetingsST_AZ2.jpgk back at some former R-Phils from earlier today — ENJOY!

Features –

Kyle Kendrick (2007) – Kendrick, who spent the majority of 2009 in Lehigh Valley (AAA), has been lights out this spring for the Phils — and today was no different. Starting for the Phils against the Orioles today, Kendrick, 25, tossed four shutout innings, allowing just two hits, and no walks, en-route to another step forward in the fifth rotation battle. A native of Houston, Texas, Kendrick has now tossed nine shutout innings this spring, allowing just four hits, and no walks — pretty impressive for someone who has battled control problems over the past two seasons.

Brett Myers (’01, ’07, & Rehab in ’09) –  Myers, who signed with the Houston Astros this offseason, started for the ‘Stros today against the Braves, and tossed four solid inning en-route to his second win of the spring. The 29-year-old Myers allowed just two runs on six hits, three walks, while fanning six, to improve to 2-0 with a 6.00 ERA. Thr former Phil will start for the ‘Stros this season, and will fall into a solid rotation, alongside Roy Oswalt and Wandy Rodriguez.

Randy Ruiz (’05 & ’07) – Ruiz, 32, went 1-3 with a HR (2) and 2 RBIs as the starting DH for the Jays earlier today. Ruiz enjoyed a solid season for the Jays in ’09, hitting an impressive .313 with 10 homers and 17 RBIs in just 33 games played. Fans of the Reading Phillies will never forget the season he put up in 2005, when he hit a Reading record .349.

Others of Note –

Michael Bourn (2005-2006) – Bourn went 1-3 with 2 RBIs for the ‘Stros. He won his first Gold Glove last year

Drew Carpenter (2008) – Carpenter, who is battling for the 5th spot in the Phillies rotation, tossed three solid innings today for Philadelphia, but was saddled with the loss. A tough luck loser today, Carpenter allowed just one run on three hits, while fanning five batters in the Phillies 4-3 loss to the Orioles.

Sergio Escalona (2008-2009) – Escalona, battling for a spot in the Phillies bullpen, struggled against the Orioles, allowing three runs on four hits, earning his second blown save of the spring season.

Spring Training Wrap #10 – First Cuts

Welcome back to day #10 of my daily coveragescissors.png of Spring Training. It was nice relaxing today in front of the tv and watching the Phillies beat the Twins by a score of 5-4. Let’s take a look around and check in on some former R-Phils from today — ENJOY!

Monday marks the start of Minor League spring training games and today the Phillies assigned 14 players to Minor League camp — 8 of the 14 have spent  time in Reading at some point over the past couple of seasons (Tuffy Gosewisch, John Suomi, Kevin Nelson, Joe Savery, Scott Mathieson, Yohan Flande, and Freddy Galvis).

Let’s take an in-depth look at a few of those who were cut today:

Quintin Berry (2009) – Berry, a member of the Phillies 40-man roster, found himself among today’s cuts. A native of San Diego, California, Berry, 25, had just one at-bat this spring for the Phils, and finished 1-1 with 3 runs scored, one RBI, and two walks. With a crowded outfield in Philadelphia this season (Werth, Victorino, and Ibanez), Berry will begin the season in the minors — where, will depend on his next couple of weeks in Minor League camp.

Joe Savery (2009) – Savery, a product of Rice University, was among eight pitchers reassigned today. The 24-year-old Houston, Texas native appeared in two games for Philadelphia this spring (3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 K, 3 BB). Savery will most likely start the year at Lehigh Valley, where he could work on his control.

John Suomi (2008) – Suomi “the money”, was among three catchers cut today. Suomi, a native of Toronto, Ontario, appeared in just two games this spring with the Phils and went 1-2 at the dish. Much like the crowded Phillies outfield, Suomi finds himself in another crowded position at both the Major and Minor League levels — catcher.

Spring Training Wrap # 9 —

Rain, Rain GO AWAY — Rain canceled 8 games today, spring_clipart_rain-726645.gifincluding the Philadelphia Phillies two split squad games. The Phillies will be back in action tomorrow hosting the Twins in Clearwater at 1:05 p.m.

So, instead of talking baseball today, I thought it would be fun to give you my thoughts on something that will take place in Reading this season.

Last week we announced our promotional schedule for the upcoming season, and as part of that, we put together our Top 10 promotions for the season — check out the schedule here.

Fans of the popular show Saved By The Bell will want to come out to FirstEnergy Stadium on Wednesday, June 23 to see Dennis Haskins aka Mr. Belding, in what will sure be a night fans will remember forever. Mr. Belding will as he will not only sign autographs, courtesy of Berks Technical Institute, and he will also sing Karaoke, during a pre-game Karaoke party, presented by Rock Hits Y102. I wonder what songs he will sing? Any thoughts? Maybe Schools Out from Alice Cooper? Maybe something by Zack Attack? 

Anyways, I know I am certainly looking forward to meeting and talking to mr belding.gifMr. Belding when he is here. Growing up, ‘Saved by the Bell’ was my favorite show on television — I never missed an episode. In fact, I even have the shows on DVD, which proved to be helpful to our Video Director Andy Kauffman, who will use some clips for our video board on the 23rd — you won’t want to miss that!

For most, the opportunity to see or meet Mr. Belding is like reliving your childhood. Zack, Slater, Screech, Kelly, Jessie, Lisa, were in my living room every Saturday morning when I was a kid — and now, Mr. Belding will be in my backyard — how cool is that?

It’s funny how you get to a point in life when you come to realize you will always still be a kid at heart — and maybe it’s not so much that seeing Mr. Belding will remind me of his role on my favorite show — but the fact that seeing him will bring back so many memories of all the hours I spent watching ‘Saved by the Bell’ all those years!
 

Spring Training Wrap # 8 —

The Philadelphia Phillies had a greetingsST_AZ2.jpggood day today as they hosted the Detroit Tigers in spring action. Five Philadelphia pitchers combined on a shutout — three of which have spent time in Reading over their careers — ENJOY!

Features –

Freddy Galvis (2009) – Galvis, 20, started today at SS for the Phillies and went 1-3 with an RBI — his first of the spring season. A native of Venezuela, Galvis appeared in 16 games with the R-Phils last season and hit .197 with a homer and 5 RBIs. Ranked as the number 13 prospect in the Phillies system by Baseball America, Galvis is known for his remarkable defense and will most likely find a way to make it to the Majors due to his range and arm strength.

Joe Savery (2009) – Savery, who went 12-4 with a 4.41 ERA with the R-Phils before a promotion to Lehigh Valley in 2009, tossed two scoreless innings for Phillies in their 4-0 victory over Detroit earlier today. Savery, a product of Rice University, is in camp with Philadelphia as a non-roster invitee and was solid today in relief — earning a hold for his work (2 IP, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 SO).

Others of Note – 

Domonic Brown (2009) – went 0-1 in his only at-bat — currently hitting .389 this spring
Pat Burrell (1999 & Rehab in 2004) – homered for the 1st time this spring today – 2-2, HR(1)
Jason Donald (2008) – started at SS and went 1-3 with an RBI for the Tribe earlier today
Yohan Flande (2009) – tossed a scoreless inning for Philadelphia today (1IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 K)
Lou Marson (2008) – started for the Indians behind the dish and went 0-2 with R and SB
Scott Mathieson (‘06, Rehab in ’07 & ’09) – walked 1, fanned 2 over scoreless IP for Phils.
Carlos Silva (2001 & Rehab in 2002) – tossed 3 shutout innings for Cubs today