Triple A:
Stephen Randolph has had success since being acquired from the Astros. Randolph made three appearances this week, pitching four-plus shutout innings, while picking up a save. With the ongoing talk about the Phillies wanting another lefty arm in the bullpen, Randolph will most likely be the first arm recalled.
**Kris Benson pitching a simulated game Saturday in Clearwater, and appears to be behind his sore groin. He still has a long road ahead of him, but barring no new setbacks, Benson should be with the Phillies by mid-June. That is if he doesn’t opt out of his contract on June 1st. Given his desire to play for a winner, and the continuing struggles in the Phillies bullpen, I can see him sticking around.
Double A:
Greg Golson has continued to impress at Reading, and is starting to turn his raw talent into a more polished type of player. Golson is first in the Eastern League in hits (54), third in the Eastern League in average (.331), second …
With the Flyers facing elimination in today’s Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, they will be pulling out all the stops. That inculdes the return of defenseman Braydon Coburn. Coburn was hit in the face with a puck off Hal Gill’s stick in Game 2 and hasn’t played since.
Coburn’s eye was swollen shut, and once the swelling subsided he’s dealt with some vision issues, but it’s improved to the point where he should be okay to play. Coburn will be wearing a visor, something he’s never worn in his career, which will be another adjustment.
The Flyers are saying that Coburn won’t play unless he’s 100%. Any Flyers fan cringes at the thought of the Flyers medical staff making any type of playing decisions, so even if Coburn isn’t 100% , expect to see him on the ice. A Coburn at 80% is better then Ryan Parent at 100%.
The offical decision will be made this morning, but I expect Coburn to be on the ice this …
Jason Werth proved once again that he deserves a spot in the Phillies’ lineup Friday, belting three home runs, including his first career grand slam, and knocking in eight RBIs.
He hit his first home run, a three run shot, in the second inning, scoring the Phillies’ first runs. The next inning, with one out and the bases loaded, Werth nailed a fastball from Toronto rookie pitcher David Purcey into right field, the ball careening off the second deck railing. Cue curtain call.
The score was now 8-0, effectively ending the night for Purcey, only his second major league start. Welcome to the big leagues, Mr. Purcey.
Werth followed it all up with his third home run in his third at bat, a solo shot to left center. Cue curtain call #2.
Werth’s stellar power surge overshadowed a good effort by Phillies starter Jamie Moyer, who gave up only three runs on 6 1/3 innings to improve to 3-3. Werth tied a Phillies single-game record with eight RBIs, becoming only …
One day after beleaguered Phillies’ pitcher Brett Myers gave up six runs in 4 1/3 innings, including three home runs, ace Cole Hamels threw his first ever complete game shut out tonight against the Atlanta Braves. The Phillies improved to 5-1 in games started by Hamels following a loss. That is the definition of a pitching ace.
Tonight Hamels proved the point I have been trying to make all season. Brett Myers is not the number one guy in the Phillies’ pitching rotation. Cole Hamels is. Hamels gave up just four hits and one walk to improve to 5-3 on the season. Of Hamels 123 pitches, 86 were strikes, including 23 first pitch strikes.
One day removed from a dismal outing that saw the Braves jump out to a 2-0 lead on just four pitches, Hamels doused any hopes Atlanta may have had of repeating that feat tonight. After Omar Infante, playing for Chipper Jones, singled with one out in the first, Hamels retired the next 15 batters …
Chase Utley received the approval from an unlikely source today: President George W. Bush. According to a transcript of an interview with the online magazine politico.com, when asked who would be the first position player he would want if he owned a baseball team again, the President said that he would want Utley.
“I like Utley from the Philadelphia Phillies,” Bush said. “He’s a middle infielder, which is always - you know, they say strength up the middle. There’s nothing better than having a good person up the middle that can hit.”
Bush, who is the former managing general partner of the Texas Rangers, also said that the first pitcher he would want is Roy Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Utley was understandably flattered when told of the President’s pick.
“It’s obviously a great compliment to have,” Utley said. “It’s kind of cool.”
Coming in to tonight’s game, Utley is batting .323 with 14 home runs and 30 RBIs.
Former Philadelphia 76er and current TNT basketball analyst Charles Barkley is in trouble with the law, again. According to Clark County Nevada District Attorney David Roger says that the Hall of Fame basketball star will face felony charges if he fails to repay a $400,000 gambling debt owed to a Las Vegas casino.
Roger said that Barkley will have an opportunity to make full restitution to Wynn Las Vegas to avoid felony bad check charges. According to court documents filed Wednesday, the casino alleges that Barkley failed to repay four $100,000 casino markers, or loans, he received last Oct. 18 and 19.
Sir Charles is no stranger to controversy and trouble with the law. In March 1991, while playing with the Sixers during an overtime game in New Jersey, he spit at a court side heckler who had been yelling at Barkley throughout the night. However, Barkley, as he later remarked, did not “get enough foam” and missed the heckler, instead spitting on a young girl. Barkley was …
What, oh what, are we to do with Brett Myers? Myers, the Phillies’ opening day starter, was knocked around again last night, giving up three more home runs to the division rival Atlanta Braves, increasing his league leading total to 15 on the season. Myers gave up nine home runs all of last season, albeit he spent half the season in the pen as the Phillies’ closer. Oddly enough, Myers didn’t actually pitch all that poorly. According to John Finger of comcastsportsnet.com, “Myers threw strikes and got ahead in the count, which is the biggest indicator in determining whether or not a pitcher will have a good game or not. For Myers, his first four pitches went for strikes while six of the first nine he faced were greeted with first-pitch strikes.”
Nevertheless, after throwing only four pitches in the game, Myers was already down 2-0, having given up two solo home runs, first to Yunel Escobar, then two pitches and two batters later to Chipper Jones. …
When Jevon Kearse signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004, owner Jeffrey Lurie called Kearse “truly one of the best players in the National Football League.” Eagles’ head coach Andy Reid called the signing of Kearse “a slam dunk for our side.” …
The hurdles continue to mount for the Flyers in their quest to win Lord Stanley’s Cup. First it was losing top defenseman Kimmo Timonen for the series with a blood clot in his ankle. Now they’ve lost the guy trying to fill his shoes.
Braydon Coburn has hit in the eye with a deflected puck in the first period of last night’s loss. Coburn immediated dropped and the medical staff was on the ice to tend to him. He received 50 stitches to close the gash, but his left eye was swollen shut. There’s always some concern when it’s an injury to the face. The possibility of a concussion or permanent eye damage exsists. Although he suffered some dizziness on the return trip to Philadelphia, doctor’s feel that there’s no serious damage to his eye. That’s excellent news for the budding star. Unfortunately, he’ll be out for Game 3 against the Penguins.
This news couldn’t be worse for the Flyers, who with Timonen out have already struggled …
Triple A:
With the continued struggles of Adam Eaton, and Kris Benson still ways away, keep your eye on Brian Mazone. Despite a poor outing today, Mazone is 3-0 with a 2.92 ERA in his past four starts. At thirty-one, it’s impossible to consider Mazone a prospect even though he’s never pitched in a major league game. But given the recent struggles of the Phillies rotation, 2008 might be the year Mazone gets his chance.
JA Happ could be another option the Phillies turn to if Eaton continues to struggle. Happ is 0-4 on the season, but has been a victim of no run support. His ERA sits at 2.72, and has only allowed 2 ER in his last 27 innings.
Double A:
Pat Overholt has dominated the Double-A. The R-Phils closer is third in the Eastern League with 8 saves, and leads closers with a 0.93 ERA. Overholt currently has an eleven-inning scoreless streak, and could be up in Philadelphia before long.
Antonio Bastardo suffered the first loss …
Comcastsportsnet.com recently sat down with Sixers’ GM Ed Stefanski, which you can find here. I am not going to rehash the entire interview here, but I did want to delve into the possible moves the Sixers could make after July 1st, the date the free agent market opens up.
During his interview Stefanski identified several areas where the Sixers will look to improve, including getting better in the half court.
“We got a little better as the season went on. We executed a little better. But there’s not doubt the staff can sit down, and we can do more things in order to execute better in the half court,” said Stefanski. “We know that’s a priority. And also, to help the staff, we could bring in a guy who can play with his back to the basket and maybe get a double-team once in a while. That may not be as easy to get, but if we get that, that will help our staff. But I know our staff is good enough …
After watching Friday’s Flyers loss to the Penguins, one player came to mind mind. Kimmo Timonen.
If you live under a rock, and don’t know, Timonen is out for the Penguins series, and quite possibly the Stanley Cup (should the Flyers make it), with a blood clot in his ankle. Timonen was hit in the ankle by a Andrei Markov shot in Game 4 against the Canadiens, developing a clot.
Timonen is hands down the Flyers best defenseman. He’s stong on the power-play, strong on the penalty-killing, and even better at shadowing the opponents superstar. He did in outstanding job holding Alex Ovechkin in the Capitals series, and a did the same with Alexei Kovalev in the series with the Habs.
If you watched the Flyers Friday night the defense looked confused. There was no presence out there to shut down Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. As a result the two players combine for three goals and one assist.
If the Flyers expect to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals, a defenseman needs to step up and …
