Tagged: Matt Rizzotti
Spring Update – Game 4
The 
Phllies minor leaguers were back in action on Friday, as they faced the Tigers minor leaguers for a second-straight day. The Double-A Phillies team beat the Double-A Tigers team 4-0.
Let’s take a look at some of the leaders:
Austin Hyatt –
Hyatt, who ended the 2010 campaign as a member of the R-Phils, started for the Double-A squad on Friday, and was sharp. He tossed three scoreless innings, and allowed just one hit, one run, while fanning four batters. He threw 44 total pitches.
Hyatt, a Georgia native, posted a 1-0 mark with a 4.91 ERA over four games last season for the R-Phils. He began the season with Clearwater and was solid over 23 games (21 starts). Hyatt, 24, posted an 11-5 mark with a 3.04 ERA. Originally drafted in he 15th round of the 2009 draft, Hyatt should be in for a big 2011 season.
Joe Savery –
The Texas native continued his assault on Double-A pitching on Friday — ripping two more hits. Savery, 25, is now hitting .500 (6-12) this spring, as he continues to try his hand at an everyday hitting role. Savery started at DH on Friday, and finished the contest 2-4 with a run scored.
Fidel Hernandez –
Hernandez had a nice day at the dish on Friday. Hernandez, who spent the majority of the 2010 season with Clearwater, went 2-5 with a run and a stolen base for the Double-A squad on Friday.
The Venezuelan native spent four games last season with the R-Phils and hit .467 (7-15). hernandez, a middle-infielder, has spent most of his Minor League career with Clearwater. The 25-year-old has played for the Threshers for four-straight seasons (2007-2010). It will be interesting to see where Hernandez begins 2011.
Stephen Susdorf, Darin Ruf, & Travis Mattair each had an RBI for the Phils Double-A team on Friday. Justin Friend, Jonathan Velasquez, and Eric Pettis each tossed two scoreless innings.
Other News & Notes from Phillies Minor League camp:
Michael Schwimer
Schwimer tossed two scoreless innings for the Triple-A Phils on Friday. Schwimer, 25, posted a 5-3 mark with 11 saves and a 3.60 ERA in 32 games for the R-Phils last season. He threw 32 total pitches on Friday and fanned three batters.
Matt Rizzotti
“Rizz” went 1-3 with a run scored in the Triple-A team’s 5-3 loss to the Tigers Triple-A team on Friday.
John Suomi
Suomi ripped two hits on Friday for the Triple-A Phils. He finished 2-3 with an RBI. A native of Ontario, CA, Suomi, 30, is back for his fourth season in the Phillies organization (2007-2008, 2010).
Leandro Castro and Cameron Rupp each had two hits for the Single-A Phillies on Friday.
First Day of Spring Games…
Happy first day of spring games for Minor Leaguers!
Last week I found out that this blog has been ranked as one of the Top 50 MLB Pro blogs — can you tell I am still extremely happy about that? That’s my mug on the home page too. Check it out!
Today was an extremely busy day, and while we are exactly one month from Opening Night (April 14),
it’s really starting to feel more like the season is here.
Alex, my Media/PR assistant has really been a big help. We are just about done creating our media guide — then we can move on to the Baseballtown Gazette.
Tuesday will serve as a good day to proof-read the media guide, since the press box will not have power all day! Combine that with the internet being down for the majority of today (Monday), and the pressure of being ready for Opening Day has hit.
Also today, WFMZ ran a story on the $10 Million Renovations during their 5:30 newscast. I think that went extremely well. Great coverage all offseason from WFMZ!
Okay, as for today’s games, check out my full recap here. Now let’s go beyond the recap, with some additional notes from today:
Triple-A squad:
Michael Spidale — Spidale, an Illinois native, who has spent parts of the past four seasons in Baseballtown, went 1-2 with a stolen base and RBI for the Triple-A squad today. Last season he was named the R-Phils MVP after hitting a solid .303 in 131 games.
Matt Rizzotti — Rizzotti, a member
of the Phillies 40-man roster, went 1-3 with a stolen base. The New York native was reassigned to Minor League camp on Friday after hitting .265 with one home run and two RBIs in Major League camp this spring. A sixth round selection of the Phillies in the 2007 draft, Rizzotti, 25, hit a remarkable .361 with 16 home runs and 62 RBIs for the R-Phils in 2010.
Tagg Bozied — Bozied, who was also assigned to Minor League camp on Friday, shined for the Triple-A squad today. The South Dakota native launched a home run and finished Monday afternoon 2-4. Bozied hit 27 home runs and an Eastern League-best .315 last season as a member of the R-Phils.
Double-A squad:
Francisco Diaz — Diaz, who will celebrate his 21st birthday one week from today (March 21), went 2-3 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI for the Double-A Phils. Last season, the Venezualan native hit .307 in 29 games for the GCL Phillies.
Eric Pettis — Pettis tossed a scoreless inning in Monday’s opener. Last season, as a member of the Williamsport Crosscutters (A-), Pettis posted an impressive line. He went 8-0 with seven saves and a 1.37 ERA over 20 games.
Single-A squad:
Jeremy Barnes — Barnes homered and drove-in two runs today for the Single-A club, who beat the Toronto Blue Jays Single-A squad 6-2. An 11th round selection in the 2009 draft by Philadelphia, Barnes, 23, finished Monday’s contest a perfect 2-2 at the dish. Last season he posted a .292 batting average for Lakewood (A-) over 109 games.
Jim Murphy — Murphy, who spent the entire 2010 campaign in Clearwater (A+) with the Threshers, went 2-3 with a walk and two runs scored today. Murphy has appeared in two games for the Major League club this spring, but has yet to register a hit (0-5 with a run scored). In 397 at-bats for Clearwater last season, the Washington native hit .239 with 6 homers.
Roster Cuts and a Thank-You
As I began to sit down
and write a new entry today, I found out some interesting news.
I just noticed that this blog was named as one of the Top 50 MLB Pro blogs. And, my photo is one of the ones featured on the www.mlblogs.com home page. I am ecstatic! It’s really nice to know that there are people out there who enjoy the things I write here. Thanks to all the readers, I appreciate everything!
Before I start to take a look at the first round of Phillies cuts, I wanted to share with you one more interesting tidbit.
Yesterday, before leaving the office for the weekend, I had a chance to take a look at the $10 million renovations to FirstEnergy Stadium with my fellow employees. Each day, I am more impressed. And, when fans get into the ballpark on Thursday, April 14, they are going to be impressed as well. Things are really moving along nicely. I can’t wait for Opening Night!
Among the 16 cuts on Friday were non roster invitees Brian Bass, Eddie Bonine, Andrew Carpenter, Matt Feierabend, Michael Schwimer, Joel Naughton, Matt Miller, Tagg Bozied, and Robb Quinlan. Quinlan asked for his release and it was granted.
Seven 40-man roster players were also sent to Minor League camp on Friday. Those players were Justin De Fratus, Drew Naylor, J.C. Ramirez, Matt Rizzotti, Carlos Rivero, Harold Garcia, and Cesar Hernandez.
J.C. Ramirez – Ramirez, a native of Managua, 
Nicaragua, posted a 3-4 mark with a 5.45 ERA for the R-Phils in 2010. Acquired in the Cliff Lee trade, along with Phillippe Aumont and Tyson Gillies, Ramirez will look to get back on track in 2011. He won his Reading debut and posted a 1-1 mark with a 3.81 ERA at home for the R-Phils. There’s a good possibility we will see J.C. in Reading this season.
Drew Naylor – Naylor posted a 12-10 mark 
with a 4.63 ERA for the R-Phils in 2010. The Aussie native finished second in the Eastern League with three complete games, and was solid at home — posting 8 of his 12 wins at America’s Classic Ballpark. Naylor appeared in one game this spring for the Phils, and allowed just one hit and one walk over 1.1 innings pitched. He also fanned three batters.
Two more days until Phillies Minor Leaguers begin play. Check back here each day, as well as www.readingphillies.com for all the latest spring news. There will be news and notes, as well as podcasts and more!
2011 Phils Winter Banquet a Success!
The snow seems to be hitting Reading today, but last night, there was something else that hit Reading — the 2011 Phillies Winter Banquet.
The event, which raises money for Baseballtown Charities, was filled with fans eager to hear about their beloved Phillies. And, thanks to distinguished guests such as Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel, Hall-of-Famer Ryne Sandberg, Phillies Assistant GM Benny Looper, Phillies Assistant GM Scott Proefrock, TV voice Tom McCarthy, and 40-man roster member Matt Rizzotti, fans were able to leave with a great hope for the 2011 season.
As for media, well they flocked to the event as well. There were many stories to be told.
Check out some of the great coverage from last night’s event! Enjoy!
Media Coverage:
Rich Hofmann, Philly Daily News – http://www.philly.com/dailynews/columnists/rich_hofmann/20110126_Rich_Hofmann__Banquets_a_labor_of_love_for_Phillies__Manuel.html
Rich Scarcella, Reading Eagle – http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=282028
Brian Smith, Reading Eagle – http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=282029
Brian Smith, Reading Eagle, http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=282037
Leroy Boyer, Pottsville Republican Herald – http://republicanherald.com/sports/manuel-no-worries-1.1095624
Jeff Schuler, Morning Call – http://articles.mcall.com/2011-01-25/sports/mc-rizzotti-0125-20110125_1_matt-rizzotti-steve-noworyta-prospective-manager
Mandy Housenick, Morning Call – http://www.mcall.com/sports/baseball/phillies/mc-philliesbanquet-0125-20110125,0,3619316.story
Mandy Housenick, Phillies Files Blog
– http://blogs.mcall.com/phillies/2011/01/so-how-many-pitchers-will-charlie-carry.html
Dennis Weller, Pottstown Mercury – http://www.pottstownmercury.com/articles/2011/01/25/sports/doc4d3f9e8a77036769391081.txt
Don Scott, Lebanon Daily News – http://www.ldnews.com/sports/ci_17198276
Non-Roster & 40-Man…
Friday was a busy day around the 
Phillies organization. While we haven’t even made it to Thanksgiving yet, it seems the Phils are making headlines everyday with some sort of news. Let’s take a look back at just what is going on around the organization.
First, the Phillies announced on Friday that they invited 12 players to spring training. Tagg Bozied, who spent the 2010 season in Baseballtown, and finished with a league-best .315 batting average, was among the 12 invitees. Bozied was a staple in the R-Phils lineup, and hit 27 home runs and drove-in 92 RBIs. Among the notable names receiving an invite include, Josh Barfield, Brandon Moss, Eddie Bonine, and Dan Meyer.
Second, the Phillies added five players to their 40-man roster, which put the roster at the limit. Four of the five players spent 2010 in Baseballtown. Here’s a look at the four who played for the R-Phils in 2010, along with my end of the season notes on each…
Justin De Fratus — Promoted to Reading
from Clearwater
(A+) on 7/7… Appeared in 20 games… Saved six games in seven chances… Posted a
1-0 mark, 2.05 ERA with five saves on the road (18 games)… Lefties hit just
.140 against him, while righties hit .250… With RISP, batters hit just .125 (16
AB)… With RISP w/2 outs, batters hit .000 (0-9, 1 BB)… Posted a 1-0 mark with
one save and a 1.64 ERA in July (8 games)… Posted a 1-0 mark with six saves and
a 1.59 ERA after the All-Star break (18 games)…
Freddy Galvis — Led the Eastern League with a .982 fielding %…
Had the most putouts (220), most assists (393), and total chances (624) for all
E.L. shortstops… Hit .280 with two home runs and 42 RBIs with RISP… Hit .295
with RISP/ 2outs (61 at-bats)… Had at least three hits in eight games,
including a season high four-hit game on 4/27 vs. Harrisburg… Had 24 multi-hit games…
Harold Garcia — Promoted to Reading
on 7/7 from Clearwater
(A+)… Had four RBIs on 7/28 @ RIC… Had
20 multi-hit games… Had a 13-game hit
streak from 7/28-8/10… Had 11 at-bats as a third baseman and hit .364 (4-11)…
Hit .312 batting second, while just .233 batting first… Hit .368 with one home
run and 28 RBIs with RISP (57 ABs)… Four of his five home runs were solo home
runs… Had a four-hit game on 7/28… Scored at least two runs in a game five
times… Stole two bases in a game twice… Had an RBI in five-straight games
(8/28-31)… Hit .313 with two home runs and 17 RBIs over 23 games in July…
Matt Rizzotti — Named to the Eastern League Season Ending All-Star team… Won an Eastern
League Player of the Month award for the month of June… Eastern League Player
of the Week for the week-ending June 27… Was an Eastern League All-Star, and participated
in the E.L. Home Run Derby…
Named as a Philadelphia
Phillies Minor League Player of the Month for May… Hit .377 in May (17 games)
with four home runs and 14 RBIs… Hit two home runs and drove-in five RBIs on
5/26… Hit .369 in June with seven home runs and 24
RBIs (27 games)… Had a season-high two home runs and five RBIs on 5/26… Had a
five-hit game on 7/26 @ RIC… Had 28-multi-hit games… Had at least two RBIs in a
game 14 times… Hit .364 with 11 home runs and 57 RBIs with runners on base… Hit
.368 with six home runs and 46 RBIs with RISP…
Matt Rizzotti — E.L. Leader in Batting Average…
Matt Rizzotti 
seems to have been able to do just about anything since his promotion to Reading on May 13. Now, the New York native, who has had eight hits over his last 11 at-bats (3 games), has finally qualified for the league lead in batting average.
During his two plus months here in Baseballtown, Rizzotti has racked up numerous awards (Eastern League Player of the Week, Eastern League Player of the Month for June, Eastern
League All-Star, and Philadelphia Phillies Minor League Player of the
Month), and has become a staple in the Reading lineup each and everyday.
While it seems as if his numbers have been there since his first week in an R-Phils uniform, Rizzotti, 24, has not been among the league leaders due to not having enough plate appearances to qualify — until now.
On Sunday, the R-Phils and Akron Aeros game was suspended due to rain, so Rizzotti’s plate appearances didn’t count — yet. On Monday, much of the same, as the 265 pound slugger was in the middle of a great game (4-4), before a light malfunction suspended the contest after six innings.
On Tuesday, however, Rizzotti and the Reading Phillies were able to play baseball. The club completed their suspended game, and “Rizz” finished with a perfect 5-5 performance. In game two (Tuesday’s originally scheduled contest), he would need just four plate appearances to have his name amongst the Eastern League leaders.
In his first at-bat, he singled — in his second, he walked. Now, with just two plate appearances away from taking over the lead, Rizzotti would strikeout in the sixth, walk in the eighth, and although the R-Phils dropped Tuesday’s game 6-2, the Manhattan College product got the plate appearances he needed to qualify.
As of Wednesday, July 28 — Rizzotti is hitting .364 with 16 home runs and 58 RBIs in 68 games with the Reading Phillies. His .443 on-base percentage, .653 slugging percentage, and 1.096 OPS are also tops in the Eastern League.
Going forward, with just 40 games left in the 2010 season, Matt Rizzotti is on his way to shattering a Reading record. If the season were to end today, Rizzotti would be the new Reading Phillies All-Time leader in batting average, passing current leader Randy Ruiz, who hit a remarkable .349 in 2005.
What if he never played in Clearwater (A+), and started the 2010 season in Reading? Take away his 109 at-bats and 31 games with the Threshers, and who knows?
Oh, and in case you were wondering — “Rizz” hit .358 with one home run and 10 RBIs for Clearwater. Overall, he is a combined .362 with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs over 99 games between Cleawater and Reading — talk about impressive.
It has been one of those seasons for Rizzotti — a season you could only dream about. Day in and day out, he has not only been an impressive player to watch on the field, but one you cheer for.
Whether it has been his walk-off home run, his game-changing hits, his great personality, or the intensity in which he plays with, Matt Rizzotti has been a great guy to have around Baseballtown this season.
2010 E.L. All-Stars…
The 2010 Eastern League All-Star Game will
be played tomorrow (Wednesday, July 14) in Harrisburg, PA, and the Reading Phillies will be well represented.
When the original rosters were announced, four R-Phils were selected to the team (MIchael Schwimer, Vance Worley, Tagg Bozied, and Matt Rizzotti). As things change, and players are promoted, or injured, the rosters began to change — by the day.
Not too much later, R-Phils SS Freddy Galvis was added to the roster, running the total of R-Phils players to five. Then, Michael Schwimer, who was enjoying an impressive 2010 in Baseballtown, was promoted to Lehigh Valley. Wth Schwimer off the roster, starter Drew Naylor was added to take his place.
Yesterday, Kevin Mahar was added to the roster for Brandon Laird, who was unable to participate. Now, seven R-Phils in all were selected, and six will go to represent their club. An impressive number of All-Stars!
Let’s take a look at your 2010 R-Phils All-Stars…
Vance Worley —
Worley, 22, makes the Eastern League All-Star team for the
second-straight season. The Sacramento, CA native is 8-4 with a 3.44
ERA over 18 starts this season. In the month of June, Worley went 2-2 with a 3.12 ERA (five starts). Originally selected by Philadelphia
in the third round of the 2008 draft, Worley is the reigning Eastern League Pitcher of the Week, after tossing a complete game, three-hit shutout on July 11..
Tagg Bozied —
Bozied, 30, is in his first season in the Philadelphia organization,
and has excelled at the plate this season for Reading. A native of
Sioux, Falls, SD, Bozied is currently hitting .293 with 13 home runs
and a team-high 55 RBIs. He, as well as Matt Rizzotti, will participate in the HR Derby.
Matt Rizzotti —
Rizzotti has enjoyed an impressive season in Baseballtown since his
promotion from Clearwater (A+) on May 13. The Floral Park, NY native is
hitting .355 with 12 home runs and 47 RBIs. This season, Rizzotti has already won such awards as — Eastern League Player of the Month (June), Eastern League Player of
the Week (for the week ending June 29), and Philadelphia
Phillies Minor League Player of the Month (May). Originally selected
by Philadelphia in the sixth round of the 2007 draft, Rizzotti, 24, is
hitting .379 with six home runs and 21 RBIs in the month of June.
Freddy Galvis —
A native of Punto Fijo, Venezuela, Galvis is hitting .221 with two home
runs and 30 RBIs over 89 games with the R-Phils this season. Originally
signed by Philadelphia as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2006,
Galvis has enjoyed a successful season at the plate, on the bases (eight stolen bases), as well as in the field for Reading this season.
He is ranked by Baseball America as the number 13 prospect in the
Philadelphia Phillies organization.
Drew Naylor —
A native of Brisbane, Australia, Naylor has posted an 8-6 mark with a
4.01 ERA over 17 games (16 starts) with the R-Phils this season. His
best game of the season came on May 25 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The 6’4″
Naylor threw a complete-game, three hitter, en-route to an impressive
6-0 victory over Portland. He allowed just one walk and fanned six
batters on the evening.
Kevin Mahar —
A product of Indiana University, Mahar has enjoyed a successful season
with the R-Phils in 2010. In his second-straight campaign in
Baseballtown, the 29-year-old is hitting .270 with eight home runs and
33 RBIs. The 6’5″ slugger has been red-hot in July – hitting .300 with
three home runs and ten RBIs.
The Week That Was…
.375, 9 H, 2 2B, 4 HR, 1 GS, 14 RBI, 5R, 4 straight 
games with a home run — impressive right?
What if I told you those were the numbers for an R-Phils player in just one week’s time — even more impressive right?
Well, those numbers are from the bat of Matt Rizzotti, the 24-year-old slugger, who has taken the Reading Phillies by storm since his promotion from Clearwater (A+) on May 13.
Rizzotti, a product of Manhattan College, is hitting .325 with nine homers and 31 RBIs over 35 games with the R-Phils this season. Eight of his nine home runs have been at FirstEnergy Stadium, and it seems that each one has played a big part in the outcome of the game.
His May was truly great — .377 with 4 homers and 14 RBIs for the R-Phils in just 17 games — which helped earn him Philadelphia Phillies Minor League Player of the Month honors.
His June has a chance to be even better! So far this month, Rizzotti has hit .284 with five homers and 17 RBIs.
Check out these numbers:
Over his last ten games — .306, 4 HR, 16 RBIs
Over his last five games — .421, 4 HR, 13 RBIs
Philling You In 