Happy New Year!

I’m back with a new blog — the first of 2011. Here we are, already in January, and things are starting to get busy. Preparations have begun for the season, and of course, one of the most exciting things on the agenda is the Phillies Winter Banquet. This year’s banquet is shaping up to be one of the best yet!

The banquet, which features Major League Baseball and Reading Baseball Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, 2010 Eastern League
All-Star Matt Rizzotti, television play-by-play voice Tom McCarthy, and Philadelphia Phillies assistant general
manager Scott Proefrock, will take place on Tuesday, January 25, 2011
at The Crowne Plaza Reading Hotel.

The event will begin at 5:30 PM, and will feature prizes, autographs,
highlight videos, dinner and more. Also, as in past years, it will
serve as the annual King of Baseballtown fundraiser, with Dick Ludy,
who guided Boyertown Legion baseball to the 1982 American Legion
Baseball World Series championship, being crowned the ninth King of
Baseballtown.

For more info, including tickets, please check out http://www.readingphillies.com.

Now, let’s take a look at a former R-Phils pitcher, who is in the news this week.

Taylor Buchholz — (2002-2003)
Signed by the New York Mets to a one-year contract earlier this week.

A native of Lower Merion, PA, Buchholz posted a 1-0 mark with a 3.75 ERA in nine Major League games last season (split between Colorado and Toronto).

The 29-year-old right-hander owns a career Major League mark of 19-21 with a 4.39 ERA in 135 games pitched. Once a starter, Buchholz should now be able to provide the Mets with a solid arm out of the bullpen. While he has spent most of the past few years in the Minors, Buchholz could be a good option for the Mets — who need arms badly.

Back in 2002, as a member of the R-Phils, the righty appeared in four games — posting an 0-2 mark. A year later, the PA native notched nine wins, while posting a 3.55 ERA in 25 games — 24 starts.