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“View from the Philly Pressbox” – Marlins Series

In Philadelphia Phillies on April 13, 2012 at 7:08 pm

In our second installment of the “View from the Philly Pressbox” we’ll review the 3 games series, against the Florida Marlins at Citizens Bank Park, in which the Phils won the last two games after losing the home opener of the season.

Cole Hamels struggled on opening night at The Bank. Hamels struck out 9 batters in his 5.1 innings but allowed 8 hits and 4 runs, 3 earned. Joe Savery saw his first action of the season in relief. David Herndon and Jonathan Papelbon also threw in the game. The Phils managed only 6 hits off of four Marlins pitchers, none of them off their bullpen. Anibal Sanchez pitched well and picked up the win. Jimmy Rollins had 2 hits while Freddie Galvis got his first major league hit and first two RBI’s.

Roy Halladay is off to a great start. He won his 2nd game of the season. Doc threw 7 innings, allowing 5 hits and 1 run. He walked 1 and struck out 3. He lowered his ERA to 0.50. Chad Qualls and Michael Stutes threw perfect innings of relief. The hits finally started coming, 14 total. Carlos Ruiz continued his hot hitting with 2 hits, including his first home run of the season. Rollins, Shane Victorino, Placido Polanco all added a pair of hits while Hunter Pence banged 3 hits. Galvis added 2 RBI’s.

Game 3 belonged to Joe Blanton. The #5 starter in the rotation made his first start of the season a dandy, leading the Phillies to a 3-1 win. Blanton threw 7 innings, allowed 3 hits, 1 run, 1 walk and struck out 3. Chad Qualls pitched the 8th for his first hold of the season and Papelbon pitched the 9th to earn his 2nd save. Offensively, Hunter Pence added 2 more hits, raising his average to .391. Ty Wigginton belted his first home run of the season as did Shane Victorino.

To summarize the series, the Phillies pitching was outstanding again with quality starts from Halladay and Blanton. The Marlins also have good pitching with Sanchez, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle, however, the Phillies banged out 28 hits in the series. That’s a good sign!

Next up, the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park. Their ace Johan Santana threw on Wednesday against Washington, losing to Steven Strasburg, 4-0. Santana won’t pitch against the Phils. The Phils will throw Cliff Lee on Friday night against R.A. Dickey, Vance Worley against Jon Neise on Saturday at 4:05 and Cole Hamels against Mike Pelfrey on Sunday afternoon. The Mets have started the season with a 4-2 record. The Mets have listed 3rd baseman David Wright as day-to-day after breaking his pinky finger on Monday. If Wright can tolerate the pain he could play at some point during the series.

As far as the Phillies lineup, Charlie Manuel has made a few moves; however, he seems to have settled back to his opening day lineup. Juan Pierre did get some work in the leadoff spot. Pierre is hitting only .214 in his 4 games played. With only 6 games in to the season Pence is leading the team in hitting at .391, followed by Ruiz at .375 and Victorino at .333. No one has more than one home run. Pence and Galvis lead with 4 RBI’s each.

The season is still very young and the bats will be warming up. Like everyone else we expect Hunter Pence to lead the way for a good portion of the season until Chase Utley and Ryan Howard return. We’ve attached the link to our Phillies Profile on Pence.  https://phillypressbox.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/phillie-profile-hunter-pence/

It would be a great weekend for a Phillies sweep of the Mets!

 For now, WE’RE OUTTTTTTA HERE!!!!!

Feel free to click the FOLLOW button on the bottom right of this page, input your email address and receive your Philly Pressbox posts directly in your email.

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“The View from the Philly Pressbox ” Flyers-Penguins, Game 1

In Philadelphia Flyers on April 12, 2012 at 10:06 pm

In today’s “View from the Philly Pressbox” we look at the outcome of Game 1of the 1st Round series between the Flyers and the Penguins.

In our series preview we identified the four keys for the Flyers to win the series.

  • ·        Don’t fall behind early in games
  • ·        Ilya Bryzgalov
  • ·        Staying out of the penalty box
  • ·        Stay healthy

Don’t fall behind early in games. Obviously, the Flyers didn’t get our post and came out and got crushed in the 1st period, falling behind 3-0. They were outshot, 13-6, and severely out hit. The Penguins took their foot off the gas and the Flyers showed tremendous resiliency in holding their composure while the Consol Center was in a frenzy. As we stated in our series preview the Flyers must figure out a way to come out of the locker room ready to play and control the energy of the game. Everyone knew that the building would be crazy and that Pittsburgh would come out ready to play. The Flyers had no way of slowing them down, let alone stopping them. Don’t expect the Penguins to let their foot off the gas again if the same situation occurs. Although the Flyers survived Game 1 we still feel, more than ever, that this is critical to the Flyers winning the series. When asked what you’re thinking in the locker room behind 3 goals after one period, Danny Briere said, “Sitting here after the first period all we were saying was that we’ve done it all year. Let’s start with a goal and you never know what can happen.”

Ilya Bryzgalov – We’re going to give Bryz a pass on the bad third goal, since we won the game. That goal was soft and looked like it was the final straw in the game; however, Bryz played very well the remainder of the game. The Pens ended up with 28 shots, only 15 after the first period and Bryz turned them all away. Any lose of concentration and a fourth goal would’ve put the game out of reach. The Flyers tightened up the defense and Bryz stepped-up his game

Stay Healthy – Of course another obvious key in the run to the Stanley Cup is staying healthy throughout the brutal playoff run. The Flyers appear to be as healthy as a team can be at this point. All indications are that the Flyers did not suffer any injuries in the game and will be at full strength for Game 2 Friday night.

Staying out of the penalty box will be critical. The Flyers were called for only three minor penalties in the game and killed all of them. Interestingly enough, of the 6 minutes in penalties, Sydney Crosby was on the ice for 5:00, Evgeni Malkin for 5:12, Kris Latang for 5:34, James Neal for 3:39 and  Chris Kunitz for 3:55. These are the big guns for the Penguins and they don’t need to be on the ice that long while the Flyers are shorthanded. Offensively, the Flyers were only on the power play one time and Brayden Shenn made them pay by scoring the game tying goal at the 12:23 mark of the 3rd period by redirecting a perfect pass from Scott Hartnell. Special Teams are critical to the playoffs, and the Game 1 advantage goes to the Flyers.

We stated that for “the Flyers to win they need to get contributions from all of their lines. Obviously, the Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell, Jaromir Jagr line needs to be good. Danny Briere needs to step up as he has in past playoffs. Wayne Simmons, Max Talbot and Jakub Voracek will need to contribute as they have all season. Just as important will be the play of the Flyers rookies, Matt Read, Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn. These rookies have played very well throughout the regular season; however, they need to lift their game to the next level that is playoff hockey!” I think it’s safe to say we hit the nail on the head with that statement. Briere scored 2 goals; Shenn added a goal and 2 assists and Voracek scored the overtime game winner by positioning himself in behind what looked like two confused Penguins. It should be pointed out that Matt Carle, 27minutes, 13 seconds of ice time and Brayden Coburn, 26:49, turned in fantastic efforts for the Flyers defense as well. Kimmo Timonen and Nic Grossman also logged more than 20 minutes of ice time. It was a total team effort.

Our prediction is still the Flyers in 6 games. The Flyers are in the Penguins heads. This is why the meaningless game on the last day of the season was so important for the Penguins to win at home. They needed to prove to themselves that they could beat the Flyers, and they can’t. It will be interesting to see how the Penguins respond at the start of Game 2. Can they put the Game 1 collapse behind them or can the Flyers come out with the energy early and put them away and take a 2-0 lead back to the Wells Fargo Center? We thought there would be a split in Pittsburgh, however, we now think the Flyers will win Game 2 on the road and the Pens will win Game 3 in Philly with their backs up against the elimination wall.

As Gene Hart would say” GOOD NIGHT and GOOD HOCKEY”

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The Word of the Day – GET BETTER – Franklin

In The Word of the Day on April 12, 2012 at 9:47 pm

GET BETTER

“Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better person”

Benjamin Franklin

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“View from the Philly Pressbox” – Flyers-Penguins Series

In Philadelphia Flyers on April 11, 2012 at 9:57 am

In today’s “View from the Philly Pressbox” we preview the Round 1 series between the Flyers and the Penguins.

This is a pretty easy review from our standpoint. For the Flyers there are four keys to winning the series.

  • ·        Don’t fall behind early in games
  • ·        Ilya Bryzgalov
  • ·        Staying out of the penalty box
  • ·        Stay healthy

Obviously, there are a great deal of things that play in to the four things noted above. The Flyers have to come out of the locker room ready to play. They must put pressure on Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury from the opening whistle of Game 1 and every other game. They cannot continue to try to play comeback every game. Falling behind by one goal will be difficult to overcome, falling behind by two goals will be impossible. The effort required for these “comebacks” drains a great deal of extra energy. The Flyers need to jump on the Penguins early and force them to have to play from behind.

 The Flyers must play solid defense and two way hockey for Bryzgalov to be good. However, Bryz must step up his game, as he did in the last third of the season, and make the big saves when the defense breaks down.  Bryz brings 33 wins and a 2.48 GAA (Goals Against Average) in to the playoffs, but as we know the regular season statistics don’t mean anything. What is important is this, is the goalie playing well going in to the playoffs? In Bryz’ case he went from cold to white hot to cooling off some but still playing well at the end of the season.

 Of course another obvious key in the run to the Stanley Cup is staying healthy throughout the brutal playoff run. The Flyers appear to be as healthy as a team can be at this point. Bryz will benefit from having his full complement of defensemen. Having Nicklas Grossmann back will be big for the Flyers.

Staying out of the penalty box will be critical. The Flyers cannot let Sydney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, 50 g, 59a, 109 points with 12 PP goals, James Neal, 40g, 41a, 81 points and 18 PP goals have space to skate. The Penguins also got 26 goals from Chris Kunitz, 25 from Pascal Dupuis and 25 from Jordan Staal. They can be very dangerous on offense. The Flyers need to be physical throughout the series but cannot afford any bad penalties that could put them in a hole.

For the Flyers to win they need to get contributions from all of their lines. Obviously, the Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell, Jaromir Jagr line needs to be good. Danny Brierre needs to step up as he has in past playoffs. Wayne Simmons, Max Talbot and Jakub Voracek will need to contribute as they have all season. Just as important will be the play of the Flyers rookies, Matt Read, Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn. These rookies have played very well throughout the regular season, however, they need to lift their game to the next level that is playoff hockey!

Our prediction is the Flyers in 6 games if they can manage the keys discussed above. These teams are very equal as the regular season showed. Bryz must be outstanding and Crosby and Malkin must be controlled. Obviously, the critical game is Game 1 tonight in Pittsburgh to gain series momentum. If the Flyers can gain a split on the road they will be in good position for two wins at the Wells Fargo Center in Games 3 and 4. A loss in Game 5 in Pittsburgh and the clincher in Game 6 back at home.

The talking is over; it’s time to drop the puck!

As Gene Hart would say” GOOD NIGHT and GOOD HOCKEY”

LET’S GO FLYERS!!!!!!

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The Word of the Day – WORDS – Mother Teresa

In The Word of the Day on April 11, 2012 at 8:09 am

WORDS

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless”

Mother Teresa

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The Word of the Day – ATTITUDE – Washington

In The Word of the Day on April 10, 2012 at 7:45 am

ATTITUDE

“I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be: for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances”

 Martha Washington

 1732-1802

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“View from the Philly Pressbox” – Pirates Series

In Philadelphia Phillies on April 9, 2012 at 11:47 am

In our first installment of the “View from the Philly Pressbox” we’ll review the 3 games series, at Pittsburgh, against the Pirates, in which the Phils lost two out of three.

We learned the following:

Roy Halladay and Jonathan Papelbon were really good in the opener, combining for a 2 hit, 1-0 shutout.

Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle lost his mind by pitching to Carlos Ruiz with the score 0-0, with Phillies on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out and Freddie Galvis, in his first major league game, and the pitcher, Halladay due up. Chooch hit a SAC Fly to rightfield that was all Halladay needed. 1-0 Phillies.

Cliff Lee can still be good even when he’s not at his best. He gave up 2 hits and 1 run through 6 innings, allowing a run on a wild pitch. Lee appeared to be struggling with his location some and wasn’t happy with some balls and strikes from the umpire but still pitched very well.

Games will end on bang-bang calls on the bases. This one was close and went against the Phils allowing the winning run to score giving them their first lose.

The Vanimal, Vance Worley, doesn’t appear to have any sophomore season concerns. Worley threw 6 innings of 5 hit, 1 run baseball, leaving with a 4-1lead.

Overall the Phillies starters threw 20 innings, gave up 9 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks and had 14 strikeouts and Cole Hamels hasn’t pitched yet.

The Phillies hitting is awful!! They accounted for 20 hits, 1 by Halladay, in the first three games against average pitching, hit 1 home run, had 2 doubles and only scored 6 runs.

Juan Pierre needs to be the leadoff hitter that can get on base and make things happen. If Charlie Manuel wants John Mayberry to get At-Bats it needs to be at 1st base. Not that Mayberry can’t play leftfield, but Pierre needs to be in the lineup until he proves he can’t get the job done. Shane Victorino is not a lead-off hitter and Jimmy Rollins is not a number 3 hitter. Our thought is play Mayberry every day at 1st base and bat 5th so opponents don’t walk Hunter Pence like they did Sunday with Jim Thome hitting behind him. The Phils need to establish a 5th hitter in the line-up and leave him there until he fails.

How long of a leash do you have with Freddie Galvis? He needs to hit something! 0-10 in your first series is not a great start, especially for a guy who isn’t a notoriously good hitter to begin with. He has played well in the field but he needs to hit. The Ty Wigginton, Galvis, Brian Schneider experiment in the 6, 7 and 8 spots produced a 0-9 with 2 walks for the day. They did score 2 runs. That won’t get it. Tack on another 0-4 for the 9th spot and it wasn’t a very good day.

Why pull Worley after 6 innings and only 78 pitches?

Lastly, Charlie let Sunday’s game get away. As long as I can remember being around baseball there’s been a cardinal rule of “NEVER let the other team’s best player beat you”. Charlie decided to pitch to both Jose Tabata and Andrew McCutchen with a runner on 3rd and 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning. David Herndon was fortunate enough to strikeout Tabata for the 2nd out before McCutchen hit the game winner off the centerfield wall. Baseball wisdom says they should’ve walked both Tabata and McCutchen and set up a double play situation with Adam Walker. Those runners meant nothing so why not put them on base. Choosing to pitch to Tabata was one thing but letting McCutchen, easily the Pirates best player, beat you with two empty bases is inexcusable.

With that said, it’s early in the season and today’s game against the Marlins brings Hamels to the mound. There’s nothing like the home opener. As we stated in our Phillies Profile on Hamels, the link is attached, https://phillypressbox.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/phillies-profile-cole-hamels/, we expect a great season from him and it starts today. The Phillies pitching is going to be fun to watch but we sure need some answers at the plate, and soon.

For now, WE’RE OUTTTTTTA HERE!!!!!

Feel free to click the FOLLOW button on the bottom right of this page, input your email address and receive your Philly Pressbox posts directly in your email.

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The Word of the Day – DETERMINATION – Brown

In The Word of the Day on April 6, 2012 at 9:52 am

DETERMINATION

“Practice easing your way along…Do your best; take it as it comes. You can handle anything if you think you can. Just keep your cool and your sense of humor”

Smiley Brown

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Phillies Profiles – Michael Stutes and Pete Orr

In Philadelphia Phillies on April 5, 2012 at 9:50 am

Over the next 28 days Philly Pressbox (https://phillypressbox.wordpress.com) (@phillypressbox) will be doing a review and analysis of each Phillies player, Manager Charlie Manuel and the coaching staff leading up to Opening Day 2012.  On Day 28 we preview, Michael Stutes and Pete Orr.

Michael Stutes – Stutes was drafted out of high school in the 32nd round in 2004 by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Instead of signing he chose to go to college at Oregon State University and later at Santa Clara University. He was drafted again in the 9th round, by the St. Louis Cardinals, in 2007 and again by the Phillies, in the 11th round, in 2008.

Stutes, a starting pitcher at the time, cruised through “A” ball at Williamsport and Lakewood in 2008, posting a 7-2 record with a 1.42 ERA in 13 starts. In 2009, Mike was promoted to “AA” Reading where he posted an 8-8 record with a 4.26 ERA, while starting all 27 of his games.  The decision was made for Stutes to move to the bullpen between the 2009 and 2010 seasons. He started the season at Reading before being promoted to “AAA” Lehigh Valley. He finished the combined season with a 7-1 record, a 3.42 ERA and 3 saves. All of his 53 appearances were in relief. Stutes started the 2011 season back at Lehigh Valley before getting the call after pitching in just 7 games.

The 25 year old Stutes arrived on the scene and quickly became a very important part of the Phillies bullpen. Stutes, from the right side, and fellow rookie Antonio Bastardo, from the left side, carried the 8th inning bullpen work before tiring a bit down the stretch. Stutes finished the season with a 6-2 record with a 3.63 ERA in 57 games.

Personal Analysis:

Stutes ended up in a battle to make the team coming out of spring training. He suffered some arm soreness that looked like was going to land him on the DL and not come north with the team. Apparently he has recovered and is ready to go. Stutes has been a quality pitcher throughout his career in the minor leagues and as a rookie in 2011.  It’s not clear, at this time, what role Stutes will play as one of the 12 pitchers on the roster, however, whatever role it is we expect Stutes to compete and be productive.

Pete Orr –Pete Orr has won the last roster position as a backup infielder. Pete has primarily been a 2nd baseman throughout his career although he has played 3rd base and some outfield. Pete was invited to camp as non-roster player, however, he’s another journeyman that should provide the Phils some depth until Chase Utley returns or possible until Michael Martinez returns. The 32 year old Orr has 6 years of major league experience with Atlanta, Washington and the Phillies in 2011.

Pete was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Braves in 1999. Orr made his major league debut with the Braves in 2005. He stayed with the Braves through the 2007 season bouncing back and forth to AAA. He bounced between the Nationals and AAA Syracuse in 2008-2009. He only tallied 150 major league at bats and hit .253. The Phillies signed Orr as a free agent prior to the 2011 season. Again, he split time between the Phillies and AAA Lehigh Valley. He hit .219, with 0 home runs and 4 RBI’s in 96 at bats for The Fightins. Pete is a career .254 hitter with 615 at bats.

Personal Analysis:

With Orr you know exactly what you have. He’s going to be a spot player to fill in as needed. He can step in and play every day if Freddie Galvis struggles. Galvis will have every opportunity to play and improve at the big league level. Orr will provide good defense and baserunning when called on. Overall, Orr is good guy to have on your ballclub but we don’t expect anything big from him. The downside is that he’s another left handed hitter on the bench.

The series: Day 1, Charlie Manuel. Day 2, The Coaching Staff. Day 3, Roy Halladay. Day 4, Cliff Lee. Day 5, Cole Hamels. Day 6, Vance Worley. Day 7, Joe Blanton. Day 8, Carlos “Chooch” Ruiz. Day 9, Ryan Howard. Day 10, Chase Utley. Day 11, Jimmy Rollins. Day 12, Placido Polanco. Day 13, John Mayberry, Jr. Day 14, Shane Victorino. Day 15, Hunter Pence. Day 16, Brian Schneider. Day 17, Jim Thome. Day 18, Kyle Kendrick. Day 19, Antonio Bastardo. Day 20, Ty Wigginton. Day 21, Chad Qualls. Day 22, Freddy Galvis. Day 23, David Herndon. Day 24, Juan Pierre. Day 25, Laynce Nix, Day 26, Jonathan Papelbon. Day 27, Joe Savery.

Feel free to click the FOLLOW button on the bottom right of this page, input your email address and receive your Philly Pressbox posts directly in your email.

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Phillies Profile – Joe Savery

In Philadelphia Phillies on April 4, 2012 at 7:35 pm

Over the next 28 days Philly Pressbox (https://phillypressbox.wordpress.com) (@phillypressbox) will be doing a review and analysis of each Phillies player, Manager Charlie Manuel and the coaching staff leading up to Opening Day 2012.  On Day 27 we preview, Joe Savery.

Joe Savery –Savery making the Opening Day roster, as a pitcher, is a dream come true for the former 1st round draft pick, #19 overall, of the Phillies in the 2007 amateur draft out of Rice University. The amazing story is that the lefthanded Savery crashed as a pitcher in the minor leagues. The only reason he was still in baseball is because he was also a great hitter and the Phillies tried to make him a 1st baseman.

Early in his career Savory progressed fairly well. In 2007, right out of college, he posted a 2-3 record at Williamsport in 7 appearances. He was promoted to Clearwater in 2008 and posted a 9-10 record with a 4.13 ERA in 150.1 innings. 2009 saw another promotion, he pitched 21 games at AA Reading and 7 games at AAA Lehigh Valley. His combined totals were 16 wins, 6 loses with a 4.40 ERA with 151.1 innings worked. Although the numbers looked good, Savery’s control was becoming an issue. He walked 77 and struck out 96. The following year, 2010, the wheels came off for Savery. While pitching at Lehigh Valley he posted a 1-12 record with a 4.66 ERA in 127.1 innings. He walked 51 and struck out 67.

The Phillies pulled the plug after the disaster of 2010. Savery was sent back to Clearwater to start over as a 1st baseman. He pitched only 2 innings at Clearwater, but hit .307 with 2 home runs and 25 RBI’s in 52 games. His bat got him promoted to Reading again. At that point the Phillies made the decision for Savory to go back on the hill. He pitched 9 innings at Reading, all in relief, going 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA. He walked “0” batters and struck out 14. His mid-90’s velocity was back! The Phillies quickly promoted him to Lehigh Valley where he pitched 18 games of relief, recorded 2 saves along with 4-0 record and 1.80 ERA. He walked 6 and struck out 26. The 2011 odyssey ended with a call up to the Phillies. He pitched in 4 games for The Fightins, throwing 2.2 innings of scoreless baseball.

What a journey from Class A 1st baseman to a major league pitcher in one season!

Upon being notified that he had made the 2012 Opening day roster the 26 year old said, “There were a number of things that factored into that, I didn’t pitch for 9 months, so I’m sure that helped.

“Being in the infield and having to shorten up my arm motion helped. And the rest was just an act of God.

“I don’t know how to explain it. I’d like to think those things were part of it, but it just doesn’t make sense to me sometimes.”

Savery has been humbled by his experience but realizes that this is just the beginning of his new odyssey. He plans to continue the hard work that got him the call to the big leagues. “I need to get better and learn from these guys and hopefully help them win some games. To make an Opening Day roster, to be there for the romantic side of baseball in this country – to be part of that – I’m really looking forward to that and very thankful.”

Personal Analysis:

We thought that Savery was going to be the guy all along to get the call. The forearm tightness that Antonio Bastardo suffered was just another indication that the Phils would need to bring another lefthanded reliever north with them and Savery was that guy. We expect Savory to get a lot of work as a 7th inning guy and gain experience, unless Bastardo can’t stay healthy and his role expands. He is considered an excellent athlete and a hard working player as shown by his journey. We don’t look for big numbers from Savery; however, we do look for a nice contribution from him. He can also hit, if needed.

Tomorrow we will preview Michael Stutes & Pete Orr.

The series: Day 1, Charlie Manuel. Day 2, The Coaching Staff. Day 3, Roy Halladay. Day 4, Cliff Lee. Day 5, Cole Hamels. Day 6, Vance Worley. Day 7, Joe Blanton. Day 8, Carlos “Chooch” Ruiz. Day 9, Ryan Howard. Day 10, Chase Utley. Day 11, Jimmy Rollins. Day 12, Placido Polanco. Day 13, John Mayberry, Jr. Day 14, Shane Victorino. Day 15, Hunter Pence. Day 16, Brian Schneider. Day 17, Jim Thome. Day 18, Kyle Kendrick. Day 19, Antonio Bastardo. Day 20, Ty Wigginton. Day 21, Chad Qualls. Day 22, Freddy Galvis. Day 23, David Herndon. Day 24, Juan Pierre. Day 25, Laynce Nix, Day 26, Jonathan Papelbon.

Feel free to click the FOLLOW button on the bottom right of this page, input your email address and receive your Philly Pressbox posts directly in your email.

We would like to thank our sponsor for their support. Please check out the new trends for Spring Phillies baseball gear. http://www.shop.com/ul!52667!Spring+baseball-trends.xhtml?credituser=C9407795 Also, check out the All Sports Philadelphia Team Jerseys on the following link. http://www.shop.com/ul!52674!Philly+Jersey:s-trends.xhtml?credituser=C9407795. Lastly, click on the business card below to see all of their items.