- Hamels was slated to throw 45-50 pitches today and he did just that with a final line of 4 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 50 pitches (29 for strikes). The rest of the squad combined for just two more walks and five strikeouts. Check out this video on Phillies.com for Cole's thoughts on his performance.
- Jeff Larish smoked a 2-run double in the second inning, driving in the only two runs of the game.
- Ben Francisco had another impressive game as he gears up for more responsibilities in the outfield this season, going 2-3 and scoring a run in four innings of play. He is batting .308 with 1 homer and 5 RBIs so far this spring.
- John Mayberry, Jr. continued to make his case for a spot on the 25-man roster as he played the role of the DH today. He went 1-3 with a hit, a walk, and a strike out, but made a statement with a hard steal of second in the sixth.
- Domonic Brown remains hitless this spring, and reached base on a walk in the eighth. It’s still entirely too early to make any predictions about the future of Brown as the Phillies’ every day right fielder, but it was speculated over the winter that he would spend some more time with the Iron Pigs working out the kinks before taking over right field full-time. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see an Ibanez/Victorino/Francisco/Mayberry outfield team when the regular season rolls around, but there is still a lot of baseball to be played before then.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Game Recap: Phillies 2 Red Sox 0
The Phillies took a road trip to Ft. Myers today, one-hitting the Boston Red Sox en route to a 2-0 win over the best team in the majors (on paper). Most of the starters were out of the game letting some of the youngsters stretch their legs a bit, but it was Cole Hamels and the pitching staff that really stole the show. Here are some quick notes:
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Game Recap: Phillies 5 Yankees 4
The Phillies took the field for their first official Grapefruit League game of the season against the Yankees at Steinbrenner field this afternoon. After a twenty-minute long tribute to the late George Steinbrenner, Spring Training was finally officially underway in front of a packed house. Cole Hamels and Bartolo Colon took the mounds first for their respective teams.
Both Ryan Howard and Alex Rodriquez ended their halves of the first inning with long shots to the outfield walls, but the Phillies struck first in the top of the second inning as Ben Francisco led off with a triple and later scored as Jeff Larish grounded into a double play. The Phils would end the top of the inning with a 1-0 lead, but it wouldn’t last for long.
Robinson Cano led off the bottom of the second by reaching first on a fielding error by Wilson Valdez and would later score on a ball smoked into the left field corner by Francisco Cervelli, evening up the score 1-1. Hamels responded by walking Brett Gardner on four pitches but was able to get Derek Jeter for force out to end the inning. Cole ended his day with a line of 33 pitches, 18 strikes, 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP.
Vance Worley came on in relief of Hamels to start off the third inning allowing only one hit and no runs on four pitches. He led off the fourth by walking Andruw Jones (yes, the very one) on four pitches, but worked quickly got out of the inning by getting a fly ball to center and a routine double play on his next two pitches. He would end his day with 10 pitches, 6 strikes, 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K.
The Phillies brought both their bats and their hustle to the fifth inning, as Valdez beat out a throw to the plate and scored on a Pete Orr double. Ross Gload immediately responded by smacking a double of his own down the line to drive Orr home and just like that the Phils were up 3-1.
Twenty-five year old lefty Ryan Feierabend, who was signed to a minor league contract by the Phillies in November, made his debut for the Phillies in the bottom half of the inning. Feierabend spent the first few years of his career in Seattle, but was sidelined by Tommy John surgery in 2009, and posted a 5.14 ERA over 122+ innings in triple-A last season. He was taken for a little bit of a ride as he allowed two hits and one earned run in his first inning of work but the Phillies went into the sixth inning still leading 3-2. He looked like he was going to have a better showing in the sixth as he started led off the inning by striking out Kevin Russo with three straight (nice looking) changeups, but he immediately followed that up by walking the next two batters and then balking to put runners on first and second with one out. He managed to get out of the inning without giving up any runs, but it was a bleak outing nonetheless.
Hey, kids. Liz here, to write the rest of the recap. So if you see a marked drop off in things like stats and “knowledge”, that’s your explanation.
Next up for the Phillies pitchers was Brian Schlitter, who was drafted by the Phillies in 2007, but was traded to the Cubs later that year for Scott Eyre. After the 2010 season, Schlitter was claimed off waivers by the Yankees, who then cut him on Valentine’s Day. The Phillies claimed him off waivers the next day. Schlitter got knocked around a little bit, giving up two runs on two hits and a walk. Jorge Vazquez hit a monster two run home run over the screen in center field, which gave the Yankees back the lead. Brandon Laird hit a two out double down the left field line before the inning finally ended.
The Phillies regained the lead in the 8th inning, off of pitcher Eric Wordekemper. John Mayberry, Jr. and Robb Quinlan both reached on singles. Two outs later (from Delwyn Young and Michael Martinez), Jeff Larish worked a walk to load the bases. Dane Sardina was up next, and he dropped a hit into left, scoring Mayberry and Quinlan. Brian Bocock hit one right back to the pitcher to end the top of the 8th. Mike Zagurski came into the game to pitch the bottom of the 8th. Zags allowed one hit, otherwise making quick work of the Yankees.
Luis Ayala pitched the 9th for the Yankees. Josh Barfield broke his bat on an infield hit, his second of the day. Ross Gload reached on a fielder’s choice, which sent Barfield back to the dugout. Mayberry struck out, and Quinlan hit a comebacker to Ayala to end the top of the 9th.
In to pitch the bottom of the 9th was Jason Grilli, who was chosen by the Giants in the first round of the 1997 draft. Grilli pitched a bit of a nail biter in the 9th, allowing a one out single to Justin Maxwell, followed by a line drive into left from Jorge Vazquez. Maxwell advanced to third, but a smart throw to second by Delwyn Young kept Vazquez – the winning run – at first base. Two batters later, the game was over. The Phillies won, 5-4.
In all, a nice, if lengthy, showcase for the Phillies minor leaguers and bench players. The Phillies take on the Yankees at Bright House Field tomorrow at 1:05, and I (Liz) will be bringing you in-game tweets and the recap. Join me, won't you? Pin It Now!
Both Ryan Howard and Alex Rodriquez ended their halves of the first inning with long shots to the outfield walls, but the Phillies struck first in the top of the second inning as Ben Francisco led off with a triple and later scored as Jeff Larish grounded into a double play. The Phils would end the top of the inning with a 1-0 lead, but it wouldn’t last for long.
Robinson Cano led off the bottom of the second by reaching first on a fielding error by Wilson Valdez and would later score on a ball smoked into the left field corner by Francisco Cervelli, evening up the score 1-1. Hamels responded by walking Brett Gardner on four pitches but was able to get Derek Jeter for force out to end the inning. Cole ended his day with a line of 33 pitches, 18 strikes, 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP.
Vance Worley came on in relief of Hamels to start off the third inning allowing only one hit and no runs on four pitches. He led off the fourth by walking Andruw Jones (yes, the very one) on four pitches, but worked quickly got out of the inning by getting a fly ball to center and a routine double play on his next two pitches. He would end his day with 10 pitches, 6 strikes, 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K.
The Phillies brought both their bats and their hustle to the fifth inning, as Valdez beat out a throw to the plate and scored on a Pete Orr double. Ross Gload immediately responded by smacking a double of his own down the line to drive Orr home and just like that the Phils were up 3-1.
Twenty-five year old lefty Ryan Feierabend, who was signed to a minor league contract by the Phillies in November, made his debut for the Phillies in the bottom half of the inning. Feierabend spent the first few years of his career in Seattle, but was sidelined by Tommy John surgery in 2009, and posted a 5.14 ERA over 122+ innings in triple-A last season. He was taken for a little bit of a ride as he allowed two hits and one earned run in his first inning of work but the Phillies went into the sixth inning still leading 3-2. He looked like he was going to have a better showing in the sixth as he started led off the inning by striking out Kevin Russo with three straight (nice looking) changeups, but he immediately followed that up by walking the next two batters and then balking to put runners on first and second with one out. He managed to get out of the inning without giving up any runs, but it was a bleak outing nonetheless.
Hey, kids. Liz here, to write the rest of the recap. So if you see a marked drop off in things like stats and “knowledge”, that’s your explanation.
Next up for the Phillies pitchers was Brian Schlitter, who was drafted by the Phillies in 2007, but was traded to the Cubs later that year for Scott Eyre. After the 2010 season, Schlitter was claimed off waivers by the Yankees, who then cut him on Valentine’s Day. The Phillies claimed him off waivers the next day. Schlitter got knocked around a little bit, giving up two runs on two hits and a walk. Jorge Vazquez hit a monster two run home run over the screen in center field, which gave the Yankees back the lead. Brandon Laird hit a two out double down the left field line before the inning finally ended.
The Phillies regained the lead in the 8th inning, off of pitcher Eric Wordekemper. John Mayberry, Jr. and Robb Quinlan both reached on singles. Two outs later (from Delwyn Young and Michael Martinez), Jeff Larish worked a walk to load the bases. Dane Sardina was up next, and he dropped a hit into left, scoring Mayberry and Quinlan. Brian Bocock hit one right back to the pitcher to end the top of the 8th. Mike Zagurski came into the game to pitch the bottom of the 8th. Zags allowed one hit, otherwise making quick work of the Yankees.
Luis Ayala pitched the 9th for the Yankees. Josh Barfield broke his bat on an infield hit, his second of the day. Ross Gload reached on a fielder’s choice, which sent Barfield back to the dugout. Mayberry struck out, and Quinlan hit a comebacker to Ayala to end the top of the 9th.
In to pitch the bottom of the 9th was Jason Grilli, who was chosen by the Giants in the first round of the 1997 draft. Grilli pitched a bit of a nail biter in the 9th, allowing a one out single to Justin Maxwell, followed by a line drive into left from Jorge Vazquez. Maxwell advanced to third, but a smart throw to second by Delwyn Young kept Vazquez – the winning run – at first base. Two batters later, the game was over. The Phillies won, 5-4.
In all, a nice, if lengthy, showcase for the Phillies minor leaguers and bench players. The Phillies take on the Yankees at Bright House Field tomorrow at 1:05, and I (Liz) will be bringing you in-game tweets and the recap. Join me, won't you? Pin It Now!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Game Recap: FSU Seminoles 0 Phillies 8
 |
| Polanco taking a swing during today's game (photo courtesy of the Phillies) |
In what most people are going to call the most meaningless match-up of the season, the Philadelphia Phillies kicked off Spring Training by beating the Florida State University Seminoles 8-0 in the annual exhibition game.
Most of the regulars were on hand for the club today with only Rollins and Utley absent from the starting lineup. Rollins will be attending a Motown tribute for Black History Month at the White House this evening and Charlie wanted Utley to rest after experiencing some soreness from training.
It’s virtually impossible for me to break down this game any further than “this is who played and this was the score,” but that’s OK because none of that stuff really matters today anyway. What’s important is that baseball unofficially, unofficially (unofficially?) began again when the Phillies (er… Seminoles) tossed out the first pitch of Spring Training, whether it counted or not. And you know what? It counted to me.
The Phillies trotted 21 different batters up to home plate today and sent seven pitchers to the mound. The team got off to a hot start by posting 4 runs on 5 hits in the first inning. Seminoles pitchers Benincasa, Waugh, Buckly, and Simmons did a bang up job giving up just one hit combined in the middle innings. The Phillies bats woke up again in the sixth, however, and the Fightins tacked on four more runs in the sixth and seventh to round out their day at Brighthouse Field.
Bringing the RBIs today: Michael Martinez, Howard (2), Ruiz, Schneider, Pete Orr, and Freddy Galvis. Polanco, Ibanez, Francisco, Mayberry, Brown, Delwyn Young, Josh Barfield, and Valdez all had hits while Ibanez, Francisco and Schneider worked walks as well.
Phillies pitchers held the Seminoles to just four hits during the game and combined for 11 strikeouts and four walks. Drew Naylor came away with the win, and Justin De Fratus had arguably the best outing of the bunch who got his first two batters on three swinging strikes each, and his third batter grounded out to end the inning on his first pitch. Michael Schwimer tweeted his reactions after the game:
Tomorrow we’ll bring you an extensive guide to the Spring Training, with schedules, projected pitchers, broadcasts, and who to follow on Twitter to get you through until Opening Day, or at the very least until Hamels takes the mound against the Yankees on Saturday at 1:05 in Tampa. Pin It Now!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Twenty Questions with Jake Borup
Originally posted by Chicks Dig the Long Ball.
Phillies pitching prospect Jake Borup joins the minor league party and played along for another round of Twenty Questions with the Baseball Ladies! (Click here to read teammate Jarred Cosart's round of Twenty Questions)
Jake was one of ten players from Arizona State University to be drafted in 2010, and was selected in the 23rd round by the Phillies. Posting impressive numbers in his young career, Borup held an 11-1 record with a 4.08 ERA over 16 games as a sophomore at ASU. Jake was invited to participate in the Florida Instructional League this past fall for the Phillies, and will most likely begin the 2010 season in Clearwater. We hope to see him in Lakewood later in the season, as well.
Jake and his wife, Kyrstin, were married over the summer and have recently found out they are expecting a baby boy! Follow Jake and Kyrstin on Twitter (@JakeBorup and @KyrstinBorup), and be sure to check out Kyrstin's blog "The Secret Life of a Baseball Player's Wife" as she documents the Borup Family's experiences at Spring Training and beyond.
What five pitchers would be in your dream starting rotation?
My top 5 would be (in no particular order): Bob Gibson, Cy Young, Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson and Roy Halladay.
What is your most embarrassing moment either on or off the field?
It happened when I was a freshman in college at Arizona State. We had team scrimmages in the fall, and this was my first time pitching in front of the coaches. I was super nervous to say the least. The first batter hits a bouncing ball over the third baseman’s head and gets a double. Well, I forgot the runner was on second and I picked over to first base, and threw it into no-man's land. It was embarrassing because the whole game pretty much stopped, and everyone was like “why’d he pick to first??” The runner literally walked home as everyone was laughing.
Do you have any "strange addictions?”
Nothing super strange. I chew my fingernails a lot. I hate it and have tried to stop. I’m thinking about dipping my fingers in vinegar as the day starts; maybe that’ll stop me. My wife will tell you I’m addicted to ESPN and Twitter.
Pin It Now!
 |
| Photo courtesy of statepress.com |
Phillies pitching prospect Jake Borup joins the minor league party and played along for another round of Twenty Questions with the Baseball Ladies! (Click here to read teammate Jarred Cosart's round of Twenty Questions)
Jake was one of ten players from Arizona State University to be drafted in 2010, and was selected in the 23rd round by the Phillies. Posting impressive numbers in his young career, Borup held an 11-1 record with a 4.08 ERA over 16 games as a sophomore at ASU. Jake was invited to participate in the Florida Instructional League this past fall for the Phillies, and will most likely begin the 2010 season in Clearwater. We hope to see him in Lakewood later in the season, as well.
Jake and his wife, Kyrstin, were married over the summer and have recently found out they are expecting a baby boy! Follow Jake and Kyrstin on Twitter (@JakeBorup and @KyrstinBorup), and be sure to check out Kyrstin's blog "The Secret Life of a Baseball Player's Wife" as she documents the Borup Family's experiences at Spring Training and beyond.
What five pitchers would be in your dream starting rotation?
My top 5 would be (in no particular order): Bob Gibson, Cy Young, Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson and Roy Halladay.
What is your most embarrassing moment either on or off the field?
It happened when I was a freshman in college at Arizona State. We had team scrimmages in the fall, and this was my first time pitching in front of the coaches. I was super nervous to say the least. The first batter hits a bouncing ball over the third baseman’s head and gets a double. Well, I forgot the runner was on second and I picked over to first base, and threw it into no-man's land. It was embarrassing because the whole game pretty much stopped, and everyone was like “why’d he pick to first??” The runner literally walked home as everyone was laughing.
Do you have any "strange addictions?”
Nothing super strange. I chew my fingernails a lot. I hate it and have tried to stop. I’m thinking about dipping my fingers in vinegar as the day starts; maybe that’ll stop me. My wife will tell you I’m addicted to ESPN and Twitter.
Pin It Now!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Simplifying Sabermetrics: OPS+
Installment Two: OPS+ (Adjusted On-Base Plus Slugging)
A few weeks ago we dove headfirst into the world of sabermetrics and discussed the ins and outs of OPS, or on-base plus slugging. We learned that OPS is the sum of a hitter’s on-base percentage and slugging percentage. On-Base Percentage (OBP) is essentially a players productivity – how often does he reach base out of X opportunities – and slugging percentage (SLG%) measures how far he typically goes when he gets on base – single, double, triple, or home run. Adding those two figures together give you OPS, which gives a better way to gauge a player’s relatively complete hitting profile.We started with OPS because it was the stepping stone to more advanced statistics. Not too long ago, I was watching MLB Network and overheard Peter Gammons use the OPS+ stat while he was discussing Roberto Alomar’s Baseball Hall of Fame nomination. I had seen this stat before and knew it’s meaning, but it was one of the first times I could remember hearing a TV analyst use it as if it were just as commonly thrown around as batting average or runs batted in.
So what is OPS+ and what exactly is being “adjusted?” Before we go any further, let’s take a look at the formula:
Pin It Now!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Twenty Questions with Jarred Cosart
 |
| Courtesy phillysportscentral.com |
Originally posted on Chicks Dig the Long Ball.
Lakewood Blueclaws pitcher Jarred Cosart was sweet enough to play along with CDTLB and sit down for Twenty Questions straight from the Baseball Ladies. Want to know more? Follow him on Twitter, @JarredCosart, where he frequently engages with the Phillies crowd while he gets ready to take on Spring Training when pitchers and catchers report in just 26 days!
What was the biggest thing you took away from being selected for the Futures Game?
I actually didn't get to play in the Futures Game, but it was a great honor to be selected to showcase my abilities with some of the best players throughout the minor leagues.
What would you do if you just inherited a pizzeria?
It would be interesting. I'd have to find someone who could take care of it and manage it while I was away. If I was unable to I might just sell it.
What secondary pitches have you been working on in the off-season?
I've mainly focused on long tossing and getting my arm in shape. I'm constantly focusing on my change up grip and making sure I keep the same arm action when I throw it,
What's the best concert you've been to?
This past year down in Florida, Nick Hernandez, Ryan Gugel, Tyson Gillies, Matt Way, and I all attended Darius Rucker, Jason Aldean, Easton Corbin and Dierks Bentley. It was a great atmosphere to be in and the artists were all some of the best country singers around. You can't beat a concert with a great group of friends and a great group of singers.
Pin It Now!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Simplifying Sabermetrics
Week One: OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging)
One of the objectives of Chicks Dig the Long Ball is to educate, not replicate. Most of the baseball chatter you see these days doesn’t end with discussions of batting average and RBIs. Because we recognize that, this year we’ll be hosting a weekly baseball tutorial to assist you in better understanding more of the in-depth analysis you come across throughout the season.Our getting-started guide can be found at the top menu under “Baseball 101” – this should be your first stop to learn the basics behind the game. There you will find fielding positions, pitch types, common phrases, etc. Each week we’ll build on what we already know, with the goal that over time you’ll be able to decode statisticians and sabermetricians like a pro.
You’ll notice as we get into some of the more complicated statistics that many of these formulas read like measurements of measurements. How many different ways does one person need to assess the same thing? Well, as any statistician will tell you, there are lies, damn lies, and statistics. The more ways we have to measure, or quantify, something, the better picture we can paint when we start to add up all the parts of the whole. Essentially, there’s always more than one way to look at things, and sabermetrics helps us do that with baseball.
I want to start this week with a beginner offensive statistic: On-base plus slugging (OPS). Here is the formula:
Pin It Now!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)