Cliff Lee’s first start as a Phillie was pretty damn awesome!  He threw a complete game against the San Francisco Giants winning by a count of 4 to 1 and even had two hits as a batter!  Lee was dominant in the outing using all four pitches in his reportoire and literally cruised to the victory.  He had a no-hitter thru six and 1/3 innings before giving up a bloop double down the right field line for the first hit.   Jayson Werth provided the offense for Lee as he knocked in three of the four runs including a solo home run in the second inning to give Lee a lead he would never relinquish.

The other newcomer from Cleveland to the team, Ben Francisco, also has been impressive thus far.  Francisco has been thrown into the fire immediately in center field as starter Shane Victorino rests a sore and swollen knee that he injured in the Arizona series.  Francisco has shown a short compact swing albeit he jerks everything to left field and might be suspect to the outside strike…….. time will tell.   Francisco has collected three hits in the two games he has started in center and has displayed a good outfield presence as well with good range.  So far so good for the two new additions.

Chatter

John Mayberry Jr. and Steve Register were optioned back to Triple A Lehigh Valley to make room for Lee and Francisco on the active roster.  The trade also impacted others throughout the minor league system as Joe Savery was promoted to Triple A from Double A Reading to take the rotation spot vacated by Carlos Carrasco.    Catcher Kevin Nelson was also promoted to Lehigh Valley to take the roster spot vacated by Lou Marson.  Dominick Brown was moved up to Double A Reading from Single A Clearwater.   Pedro Martinez threw about 90 pitches in his start last night at Lehigh Valley and thinks he is ready to join the big club,  it remains to be seen when the Fightin’s decide to make that move.

Joe Blanton takes on the Giants tonight in San Francisco, Blanton has been throwing extremely well, here is hoping that trend continues…………. good time to be a Phillies Phan!

GM Ruben Amaro today pulled off his first major blockbuster deal as he acquired Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco from the Cleveland Indians for minor leaguers Jason Knapp, Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson and Jason Donald. 

Lee, the 2008 A.L. Cy Young Award winner gives the Phillies a true 1-2 punch when coupled with Cole Hamels that should rival any top of the rotation competion they will face.  While the team had seemed focused on acquiring Toronto ace Roy Halladay  terms could not be reached with the Canadians as they insisted on the Phillies inclusion of top prospect Kyle Drabek in any deal for Halladay. 

I think that Amaro has pulled a coup in getting Lee instead and from what I have read about Francisco is that he may indeed be the right handed bat off the bench that the team is lacking.  He has 10 home runs thus far this season and hit 15 last year.   Skipper Charlie Manuel is familiar with both Lee and Francisco from his days in the Cleveland organization and seems very pleased with the deal! 

Good going Mr. Amaro, shows this team is for real about winning now !  Good time to be a Fightin Phillies fan!

Chatter

Amaro was interviewed on Comcast Sportsnet after the trade became official and indicated that the team may indeed be more open for further moves.  The Phillies have sevenMajor League starters  in tow now with Pedro Martinez tuning up in Triple A and believed targeted as soon to join the big club.  Rodrigo Lopez is undefeated as a starter,  J.A. Happ is 7-1 and Jamie Moyer has won 10 games!  Joe Blanton has pitched distinctively well over the last two months and Cole Hamels had an excellent outing this week by outdueling Arizona’s Dan Haren. 

Could be that Happ may still be dangled as bait for another bullpen arm………. Heath Bell, Chad Qualls or George Sherrill come to mind as potential Phillies before the deadline passes! 

In any regards we are loaded for Bear, watch out ………… maybe we have another parade forthcoming!

Let me begin with stating that what I write in this article is only my opinion, I have no facts to base it upon nor any insight into what has been discussed.   I think that most internet “opinions” should start with that statement.  That being said this is what I think will happen before the trade deadline passes this week.

Roy Halladay

I think, after reading many articles, that Toronto is in a position of “must trade” regardless of what they say.  It seems to me that management there has determined that cost reduction is key to the franchise future and that buildout of a relatively thin minor league feeder system is optimal.  I also believe that the extent of “suitors” for Mr. Halladay is somewhat limited in ability to provide the Blue Jays with what they need to accomplish such buildout.

The two statements made by the Toronto GM that stick in my mind are;  1.  He must get a “potential” all-star in return for giving up existing all-star Halladay and  2.  He must get a major league ready player in return.   That being said I think that Toronto has two options then with the Phillies as a trade partner.

A.  J.A. Happ, Dominick Brown, and the choice of two of three out of Jason Donald, Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson.    ( Brown being the “potential” all-star and Happ being the major league ready)

B.  Kyle Drabek, Anthony Gose, Carlos Carrasco and either Jason Donald or Lou Marson.  ( Drabek or Carrasco being the major league ready and Drabek/Gose being the “potential” all-star)

My guess is that option A will be taken and that Doc Halladay will be a Phillie by week’s end wearing number 33 ( Wayne Twitchell didn’t perform well enough to have that number retired like a certain Lefty did to get # 32 on the wall!).

George Sherrill

Rumblings are the Phillies are also scouting the Oriole’s closer and that a deal may be made there as well.  I think that the bullpen is thin right now with the injury bugs that have hit and am of the opinion that our closer Brad Lidge is still dinged a bit.   I think that Baltimore may bite on some lower level prospects such as Drew Naylor, Yohan Flande or Joe Savery and that Mr. Sherill may also be a Phillie by weeks end.

Right Handed Bench Help

Don’t discount the possibility of Kevin Millar or Marco Scutaro coming the Phillies way as part of any Halladay deal as the team does need a veteran right hand bat akin to lefty Matt Stairs.   Ty Wigginton could be that guy also in any Orioles exchange.

Time will tell………. perhaps nothing gets done at all !

As I write this post it is true that the Fightin’s have won eight in a row, it is true that they are clubbing the Cubbies 9 to 0 in the fourth inning of the first game of a seven game homestand, it is true that they lead the N.L. Eastern Division by 6.5 games with an additional four games in hand over the second place Atlanta Braves, it is true that they just completed a sweep against the Florida Marlins that could, I say could, turn the young Fish on a downward spiral,  it is true that J.A. Happ is undefeated with a perfect 7-0 record and is in position to become the N.L. Rookie of the Year, it is true that the regular starting eight fields 5 All Stars, it is true that Jimmy Rollins has started to hit like J-Roll and not just your regular Jimmy, it is true that big Ryan Howard hasn’t even went on a hot spell yet that usually comes in late July and August, it is true that Cole Hamels has shown signs of pitching again like the 2008 playoff and series MVP rather than being mired in the mediocrity he displayed during the first half of the season.

Yes indeed Phillie Phans all those things are true which we know reflects the success of the season thus far and hope, I say hope, leads to future success this season……. but …………  I personally do not think it is enough, we need a bit more.

Rumblings are that the Fightin’s are the frontrunners to trade for one Roy “Doc” Halladay from the Toronto Blue Jays.   Those same rumors state that the price is steep which might include a package of one J.A. Happ and additional selections from a mix of  Kyle Drabek, Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, Michael Taylor, Lou Marson, Jason Knapp, etc.    I say so be it, go get him Mr. Amaro for the following reasons.

1.  Pitching wins in the playoffs, period.  It would appear that the San Francisco Giants could be a first round opponent in the abbreviated five game series, they throw at you LInceum, Cain and Johnson.  Would you not be more comfortable matching that with Halladay, Hamels and Moyer/Blanton/Martinez or the rookie Happ in one of the top 2 spots?  Pretty easy answer in my opinion.

2.   We are fans of the Phillies, we have won 2……count ‘em 2 world series in our entire over 100 year history!  We are fans of the losingest franchise in professional sports, we have a nucleaus of a team right now that is in the prime or close to it of their collective careers……… long story short our future is now !   Times past have proven that when the Phillies plan for the future we don’t get it right!  Lets win now folks while we have a realistic chance, I would much rather bank another series title in 2009 than worry about planning for “potential” titles in the future!

3.   The quality of Mr. Halladay when compared to young Mr. Happ and others is not even close at this point, he is proven, he goes long into games, he wins.   Yes, Mr. Happ has won consistently this season and I do believe will continue to win big league games but he is not of the same ilk as Mr. Halladay.

4.   Mr. Halladay is a bulldog in approach, comparable to the approach that Chase Utley has shown us.  He wants to win, he is very attentive to detail of preparing for his opposition,  he is upper echelon talent…..perhaps the best in the game, he delivers.   If you can get him and put him on a team with folks akin to this approach I think that you cannott help but win!

Go get him Mr. Amaro, don’t get complacent in the thinking, remember it is only July and there will be a lull somewhere in the season.  The key is to have a team that can survive the marathon of the summer season and be enabled to win the mini battles of playoff series in the fall…….. Mr. Halladay positions this very good team to do that.  It is a no brainer.

Chatter

Pedro Martinez threw a good bullpen session in Miami when the team was there for the Marlins series, he will make his first rehab start for Clearwater and then either move up to Reading or Lehigh to pitch another game, if  all goes well he would be in a position to pitch against the Giants at month end.  Rodrigo Lopez will have a couple of starts during that period, he has pitched very well tonight against the Cubs so he could make it interesting as to where Pedro fits in.   Time will tell.

As June  has closed and July has begun the Fightins keep us fans on an up and down ride thru the 2009 season.   The team looked like it had righted the ship with two straight wins against Toronto to end interleague play for the year but then they go to Hotlanta where they did not lose at all last season and get swept in a three game series!    After the Atlanta sweep the Phillies were in a NL Eastern Division first place tie with the Florida Marlins and were staring at a three game stint with the not so Amazin 2009 version of the Mets………guess what, they sweeped the Mets and now have a one game lead over Florida.

Mets Series

The Mets are banged up, have been for awhile so it is to thier credit that they have stayed in the race.  In this series we saw Joe Blanton outduel the game’s best pitcher Johan Santana for a 2-0 win, the return of Brad Lidge to saving form and Jimmy Rollins starting to hit like J-Roll!   All good things which the optimist in me says is great but the pessimist in me says what comes next, a downward slope of the roller coaster!   Here is hoping that we are on the incline for awhile.

All Stars

Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez got voted into the All Star game as starters and Ryan Howard has been named by skipper Charlie Manuel as a reserve.  Shane Victorino is up for vote as the fan’s choice as reserve, knowing the Philly faithful I think Shane is headed to St. Lous also!

Starting Pitching

Rodrigo Lopez made his Phillies debut as he was recalled from Triple A to replace an ailing Antonio Bastardo in the rotation.  Lopez at one time was a coveted trade prospect of the Fightins when he was a member of the Orioles, I remember rumblings that Pat Burrell was dangled in exchange for Lopez a few years ago.  Lopez beat the Mets in his debut and showed a Greg Maddux like pitching savvy,  he will apparently be given every chance to prove he belongs.

Rumors

Carlos Carrasco, Kyle Kendrick, Drew Carpenter and Sergio Escalona are all names that the Phillies consider to be either big league ready or close to it.  Add folks like Kyle Drabek, Joe Savery and others and the Fightin’s have some surplus to offer up in trade, rumors are they are still looking for a big name starter and have interest in Roy Oswalt and Erik Bedard still………. as the July 31 deadline gets closer we will see what shakes loose.

Chatter

Sorry for the infrequent posts, my day job got in the way a bit!  I am on vacation now traveling the east coast of the U.S. , presently in the Outer Banks.   Still keeping up with my Fightin Phillies though and will post comments when I have them…….. Scott Eyre is back from the D.L. and perhaps Clay Condrey is soon to follow.   Looks like Chris Coste has been designated solely a pinch hitter by Charlie lately as Paul Bako has logged all the backup catcher innings, with Carlos Ruiz mired in another slump Bako has caught very often in the latest stretch of games.

After pounding the Rays in game one of the series in Tampa the Fightins proceeded to get smoked in the next two by counts of 7-1 and 10-4.   Tempers also started to flare a bit as reliever J.C. Romero allegedly had a physical altercation with a fan after the series finale on Thursday.  Word is that the fan was taunting Romero about his “banned substance” suspension and that Romero grabbed the 25 year old fan by the neck and shoved him.  The incident is now being investigated by the Tampa police department!   So…..not only is the team scuffling on the field but also off it as well!

The Phillies squandered a very effective pitching performance by Joe Blanton in the Tampa series as he struck out 10 Rays in seven innings on Wednesday night.  The Phillies could not solve Matt Garza of the Rays however and the bullpen got tagged for five runs in the eighth inning to make the game a blowout.   In Thursday’s game  the Fightins spotted rookie Antonio Bastardo with a four run first inning lead but the young lefty could not hold it and ended up departing after only 3 and 2/3 innings after giving up six runs.  He actually left with a shoulder strain as well and will miss at least his next start, another injured warrior to add perhaps to the D.L. list. 

On Friday night the Fightins invaded Canada to take on the Jays in hopes that a letter change in the first character of the opposition’s name would make a difference!  Cole Hamels toed the rubber for the Phillies but did not pitch very effectively,  Hamels was bounced after four and 2/3rds giving up four runs enroute to a 6-1 loss.  Hamels was also tossed by the home plate umpire as he argued called balls and strikes on his way to the dugout, he became the first Phillie player to earn ejection this season.   

After the game the skipper held a 20 minute closed door team meeting and refused to speak to the press afterwards, seems Ol’ Charlie had finally reached the break point.  No one likes to get reamed but doing it in private and not in front of those outside the team is indeed the proper way, I watched an amatuer coach at a local game  try to motivate his team in front of all in attendance on Friday night and indeed it was amatuerish in how it came off and in it’s effect………Charlie Manuel is a very good manager and knows how to get to his players, I am sure that his words were not pointed at individual failure but more at getting the collective heads out of the collective tails and playing smart and good baseball, that is how this team has succeeded the past two years.   Recent struggles have been due to poor defense, bad baserunning, swinging at pitcher’s pitches and our pitchers not making said type pitches!  Those things are correctable if heads are screwed on straight and the team has talent.  This team has talent and will move forward, I still don’t believe anyone in the division is good enough to beat them, in fact even with all the recent struggles they were still in first place by 1/2 game !

Saturday perhaps was the game that shed some light at the end of the tunnell.  Jayson Werth had a huge offensive game going four for four with two home runs.  J.A. Happ threw a complete game shutout as the Fightins rebounded to win 10-0 over the Jays in the afternoon contest.  Ryan Howard had three hits also and a couple were bloops in front of outfielders which may be a gift from the baseball gods for all the “hits” he outs on by hitting hard shots into the right side shift that most teams put on him!  In any regards when the Fightins wake up on Sunday Morning they will still be in first and perhaps the meeting has restored the proper approach, we will see.

Chatter

Jimmy Rollins has sat out three consecutive games and in fact late inning defensive moves saw third sacker Pedro Feliz play shortstop for the last two innings on Saturday.  Skipper Manual is hell bent to rest Rollins until he gets that swagger back and becomes the J-Roll we have come to love.  It will happen but it may not take place till the Atlanta series as the skipper has indicated he may sit J-Roll again tommorrow.     Outfielder Raul Ibanez is eligible to come off the D.L. this coming week as is lefty reliever Scott Eyre.  Both would be welcomed additions back to the roster albeit John Mayberry Jr. has done a nice job filling in for Raul when he has played.  Mayberry is a very athletic player who is much better defensively than one might expect in the outfield.   He could be used as a trade chip perhaps as the July 31st trade deadline looms.   The Phillies have two young very gifted outfielders in the minors behind Mayberry in Dominick Browne and Michael Taylor.   Rumblings are that Browne is considered untouchable but Taylor or Mayberry could be had for the right return. 

if Bastardo has to be disabled the call to the minors this time may go to 21 year old top prospect Carlos Carrasco.  Carrasco started the season struggling but has won four of his last five decisions and appears to be back on track.  Andrew Carpenter is also apparently throwing the ball very well and could be the choice………… fans like me are salivating over when we get to see Kyle Drabek in the red pinstripes as word is he is the next real deal, a right handed stud offset to our young ace Cole Hamels.  Drabek has been clocked in the 95 to 97 range and couples it with a nasty change and curve ball apparently of the 12 to 6 variety.  He is tearing up double A ball so hopes are he is not far away!

Apparently not many teams willing to talk trade just yet but that will change as the deadline gets nearer.  The Cardinals are rumored to be in hot pursuit of Matt Holliday again which would give them bat protection for Mr. Albert P.     The Indians are apparently unwilling to trade starter Cliff Lee but this is the same franchise that traded C.C. Sabbathia last season and most feel a good package of prospects will wedge Mr. Lee loose, the Phillies are one of the teams that are deep in minor league talent and some sort of combination offer of the likes of Jason Donald, Michael Taylor, J.A. Happ, John Mayberry, Andrew Carpenter, Sergio Escalona, etc.  may indeed get it done.  Time will indeed tell.

The Phillies lost the most recent three game series against the Florida Marlins in what has become the not so friendly confines of Citizen’s Bank Park in 2009.   The Marlins took two of the three games and sunk the Phillies home record to 9 wins and 14 losses.   Home Cooking has to improve if the boys are gonna have any chance of repeating.

Game 1 – Monday, May 25th – Florida 5 Phillies 3

Jamie Moyer made his fifth attempt to gain career win number 250 and once again came up short.  Moyer did not pitch badly as he went six innings and limited the Marlins to four runs on seven hits.   The only problem was that Chris Volstad was better for Florida.   Ryan Howard accounted for all three of the Phillie runs as he blasted two home runs giving him 12 for the season.  Pedro Feliz also had a two hit game but the duo accounted for two thirds of the Phillies offense as they could only muster a total of six hits.  Chan Ho Park pitched well in relief for the Phillies as he tossed the final three frames but the Fightin’s came up short in this one.  Ex Phillie Wes Helms had a huge game offensively for the Marlins as he homered and knocked in four of the five runs.

Game 2 – Tuesday, May 26th – Phillies 5 Florida 3

Joe Blanton was dominant in this game as he had by far his best outing in a Phillie jersey.  Blanton threw shutout ball thru seven innings and struck out 11 batters, a new career high.  He limited the Marlins to only five hits and also only walked two batters.  Blanton attacked the strike zone in this one with little regard for the hitters as he trusted his stuff and it worked very well!   Offensively Shane Victorino had a big day as he collected four hits and Pedro Feliz stayed hot by stroking another two hits.   The game got interesting in the ninth as Chad Durbin loaded the bases with only one out and forced skipper Charlie Manuel  to go to closer Brad Lidge after the Marlins scored three runs.  Lidge was given a very warm reception by the fans as he entered the game and did the job as he recorded the final two outs to earn his ninth save.   He is the closer and Charlie has made it very clear that it will remain that way, that is the beauty of the skipper and of this team, they do not panic and stay the course even if sometimes the fans divert course!

Game 3 – Wednesday, May 27th – Florida 6 Phillies 2

Brett Myers started the game and pitched effectively thru five frames but was knocked out in the sixth.   It was later reported that Myers left the game due to soreness and discomfort in his hip, he has been pitching very well lately and an injury is not something the team can really afford at this point.   Myers was tagged for home runs by Dan Uggla and Cody Ross and gave up five runs.   Old reliable Clay Condrey took the hill after Myers and held the Marlins at bay for two and 1/3 innings.   The Phillies struggled offensively as they tallied eight hits, two of which were off the bat of Ryan Howard.  Matt Stairs blasted a solo pinch hit home run to right field in the home eighth.  Jack Taschner gave up the sixth run in the ninth and is the most likely candidate to be released at this point when J.C. Romero returns to the active roster on June 3rd.

Chatter

Rumblings are that the Phillies are very interested in acquiring another starting pitcher.  If Brett Myers is indeed injured and goes on the disabled list then that search may intensify.  Names being bandied about as potential acquisitions are Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn of the Mariners,  Jason Marquis of the Rockies, Brad Penny and perhaps Clay Bucholtz of the Red Sox and Roy Oswalt of the Astros.   Any of those trades would require the Phillies to give up a portion of the minor league talent they have accumulated, folks like Jason Donald, Lou Marson, Carlos Carrasco, Sergio Escalona, Joe Savery, Kyle Drabek, Drew Carpenter, etc.  would have to be dangled so G.M. Ruben Amaro must be cognizant of not mortgaging the entire future.  It is refreshing though that the team realizes they have a great nucleaus and is willing to go for it now!  Time will tell what happens.   Keep in mind also that old standbys like Paul Byrd and Pedro Martinez are also still out there as free agents.   Oswalt would be my choice if you could get him but the others would be very good additions as well.  Reports are that the team does not plan to sign Myers this offseason so whomever they might trade for would be figured into 2010 plans as well.

As the season opener rapidly approaches the Fightin’s have made a few shuffles in the roster to finalize the opening 25 man crew.   Outfielder Geoff Jenkins was given his unconditional release, the Phillies still owe Jenkins $8 million for the second year of his contract and will eat that amount.  Jenkins was a good team man and I am sorry to see him go but do realize that with Jayson Werth established as the everyday right fielder that Matt Stairs is better suited than Jenkins as a left handed bat off the bench.  Jenkins should catch on somewhere as I believe he still has good baseball left in him.

The team also designated John Mayberry Jr. to minor league camp as well as Carlos Carrasco. Both are young players and will most likely be future big leaguers.  Chan Ho Park was told that he has won the fifth starter’s job over J.A. Happ.  I have a good feeling that Park is going to have a decent year and am glad to see him win the starting job.  I hope that Happ can adjust to a bullpen role as I don’t think another minor league assignment is in his best interest mentally.  If the team does assign him to Triple A I think they are doing so with the intent of eventually moving him in trade. 

Robert Mosebach was reclaimed by the Angels.  He was a rule 5 draft choice of the Phillies this winter and had to remain on the big league roster or be offered back to the Angels.  Reports are that the Fightin’s are attempting to work out a trade to keep him, he has very good velocity and would be a good insurance policy at Triple A.   Recently acquired Jack Taschner will most likely make the roster but if indeed Happ does as well that will give the team 3 lefties in the pen!  Last season they went almost the entire season with only one before acquiring Scott Eyre.  It would appear that Gary Majewski might be optioned to Triple A but that hinges on the team’s opinion of Happ and whether they want to play with his psyche and send him to Lehigh.

Chatter

Gary Sheffield was released by Detroit, he officially clears waivers at 1 pm tommorrow and apparently the Phillies have interest in signing him as a right handed pinch hitter and part time outfielder.  I think Sheffield is a very good player but do have concerns on his locker room impact, this is a good crew of men that gets along well, not sure we need a Kenny Lofton like influence.  I only know what I read of Sheffield and perhaps the negative reports in this regard are inaccurate.  If the team signs him then Miguel Cairo would presumably be out of a roster spot.  It has also been rumored that the Fightin’s have interest in Andruw Jones but it seems that he will indeed make the Texas Ranger’s opening day roster.   Lastly Marcus Giles was given his outright release, it would appear that his baseball days are over at the major league level but one never knows, perhaps he catches on elsewhere.   Brett Myers will start the season opener as Cole Hamels slight elbow injury will push his first start back to later in the season against Colorado.

Can’t wait for opening day!  Thanks to the folks at Nuemann College for affording me the chance to do a book signing yesterday, did very well with sales and met alot of interesting folks!

Kyle Kendrick had a shaky outing early in the week which opened the door for the other three competitors in the “Fifth Starter Sweepstakes” to overtake the frontrunner Kendrick.  Rich Dubee, the Phillies pitching coach had proclaimed Kendrick as the one to beat early on in spring training.  Chan Ho Park threw friday night against the Blue Jays and pitched four effective innings with four K’s allowing one run.  J.A. Happ threw saturday against the Tigers and pitched very well by tossing three shutout innings and accumulating seven strikeouts !   Happ used a good heater to mow down the Tigers.  Carlos Carrasco  goes on Sunday against the Braves in his first chance since coach Dubee announced earlier this week that the competition is now on in earnst.

The Phillies beat the Tigers 8 to 1 but lost to the Jays 4 to 3 to put the spring mark at 4 and 4.

Chatter

John Mayberry Jr. continues to impress as he belted a three run homer against the Tigers.  Mayberry is hitting close to .300 in spring games thus far and has shown good athleticism and ability to play the two corner outfield spots.  He may indeed make the squad.   Ryan Howard belted yet another homer against the Tigers, his third of the spring.  The big man is swinging the bat well thus far, hopefully it pays off in a better start to the regular season as well.

Jamie Moyer threw very well against the Tigers going four innings and tallying five k’s.   I watched some of the World Baseball Classic and saw the Netherlands team upset Team Dominican Republic.  I don’t quite understand what the qualifications are to be on the teams,  ex phil Randall Simon is on the Netherlands team and I was not aware that he was from that region ?  

Carlos Ruiz seemed to get shaken up a bit playing for Panama against Puerto Rico and left the game early, hopefully not anything of issue.

It appears the Phillies will not make any more free agent signings, they did pick up Rodrigo Lopez off waivers from the Braves but it is expected that he will be a starter in Lehigh Valley.  G.M. Ruben Amaro said the team most likely will not sign lefty Will Ohman, the way that J.A. Happ pitched against the Tigers might avail him to the second lefty in the pen spot if indeed he does not earn the fifth starter spot.

Manny finally signed a contract, woohoo!  Seriously, does anyone outside of L.A. care ?  When alot of folks in the real world are either struggling to find work, worrying about losing work or working for not enough to pay their bills do we really care about this guy “struggling” to get his $45 million over two years ?  Manny being Manny wore thin last season and even more so this offseason.

Phillies Spring week in Review

The Phillies went 3 and 1 during the last four spring games beginning 3/1 with a win over the Atlanta Braves.  They then beat WBC Team Canada and the Toronto Jays but fell to WBC Team U.S.A.   Pitching highlights of the week were the spring debuts of Brett Myers and Cole Hamels.  Kyle Kendrick, J.A. Happ, Chan Ho Park and  Carlos Carrasco all threw during the week albeit none stood out with superior outings. 

On the offensive side Marcus Giles had a couple knocks against his old team, the Braves.  Ryan Howard belted a true bomb against the Jays while Raul Ibanez smoked a couple of doubles.  John Mayberry Jr. belted a dinger against Team Canada as did non roster invitee Jeremy Slayden.  Howard added another blast against Team U.S.A as did Jason Donald.

Injury Updates

Chris Coste continued to battle hamstring woes while Jayson Werth is taking it slow with leg issues.  Brad Lidge experienced shoulder tightness and also was taking a slow approach.  Better now than when the season starts!

Chatter

Nomar Garciappara signed a contract with the Oakland A’s ending speculation that he might become a Phillie.  That would seem to leave that right handed bat spot open to the likes of Ronny Paulino, Chris Coste, John Mayberry Jr. or perhaps Jeremy Slayden ???   Ok, maybe Slayden is a stretch but he is having a good spring at the least. 

Let me tell ya the Cal Ripken Experience baseball facilities in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina are top drawer!  Spent the week there and if the weather had cooperated it would have been great.  It was in the high 30’s for most of the week so not so great baseball weather.  I would recommend the site however to any college or high school team looking for a spring site for a great baseball experience!