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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.

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Phillies Profile – Jonathan Papelbon

In Philadelphia Phillies on April 3, 2012 at 4:37 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 26 we preview, Jonathan Papelbon. We were saving Papelbon for our last profile as “The Closer”. Unfortunately, injuries to Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Michael Martinez, Michael Stutes and Jose Contreras have created some roster chaos that’s going down to the last day. Papelbon becomes our 24th player profile instead of 25th.

Jonathan Papelbon – The Phillies went “all in” on signing the 31 year old former Boston Red Sox closer to a 4 year – $50 million contract with a vesting year that will carry through the 2016 season. Papelbon is scheduled to make $11,000,058 in 2012. Yes, that’s 058 to match his jersey number.

Papelbon is a former 4th round draft choice of the Red Sox out of Mississippi State University in the 2003 amateur draft. In 2005, he had his major league debut. In 2006, he became the closer for the Red Sox. In the 6 seasons since taking over the role he has had some amazing seasons. In 2006, he finished 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting after posting a 4-2 record with a 0.92 ERA and 35 saves. He walked 13 while striking out 75. He made his first of four all star teams.

He followed up his 2006 season with just as good of a season in 2007. He finished the season with a 1-3, 1.85 ERA and 37 saves. Again his walks to strikeouts were amazing. He walked 15 and struck out 84. His playoff numbers were unbelievable. In the combined three series, he pitched 10.2 innings, gave up 5 hits, 0 runs, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts, 1 win, 4 saves and ERA of 0.00 and a World Championship.

For an encore, in 2008, Papelbon increased his saves to his career high of 41 while posting a 5-4 record with a 2.34 ERA. 2008 saw another 35 saves as he lowered his ERA back down to 1.85. He continued his fine work in 2010 and 2011 recording 37 and 31 more saves for the Sox.

All told his career numbers after 6 ½ seasons in Boston are 23 wins, 19 loses, 2.33 ERA with 219 Saves. Since becoming a regular his career low in appearances is 59 and in saves 31. He has been a workhorse!

Personal Analysis:

The Phillies thought enough of Papelbon to not only sign him to a long term, big money contract but also to not resign Ryan Madson, their closer, that had done a nice job for Phils. It was pay Madson or pay Papelbon and the Phils chose Papelbon. His numbers slipped slightly last season, by his standards, he only had 31 saves and a 2.94 ERA while getting caught in the meltdown that was the Boston Red Sox locker room. A fresh start will be great for Papelbon and great for the Phillies. This guy will be huge! We’re looking for his normal 60-65 games pitched and 40+ saves. He has put up fantastic numbers in Boston but has never pitched behind a rotation like the Phillies have. He’ll have many more chances to save games for The Fightins as he ever had in the past with the Red Sox. Just get the lead to the 9th inning and Papelbon will take care of business!

Tomorrow we will preview The NL East or the last roster spot.

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.

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.

 

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Phillies Profile – Laynce Nix

In Philadelphia Phillies on April 2, 2012 at 7:46 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 25 we preview, Laynce Nix.

Laynce Nix – The 31 year old lefthanded hitting Nix was signed in the off season to provide both outfield depth and a lefthanded bat off the bench. Nix is another journeyman player that the Phillies feel can come in and produce. Nix has never really been a full time starter at the major league level. In his 9 seasons of experience he has only appeared in 100+ games 3 times. Nix is a former 4th round draft pick of the Texas Rangers in the 2000 amateur draft. He made his big league debut in July of 2003 at the age of 22. He played for the Rangers from 2003 – 2006 before being traded in mid-season to the Milwaukee Brewers. He played in only 30 games for the Brewers from mid 2006 through the end of 2008 at which time he was granted his free agency. Laynce moved on to Cincinnati for 2 seasons before landing with the Washington Nationals in 2011.

Nix is a career .244 hitter with 64 home runs and 226 runs batted in over 1673 at bats. He has posted 14 or more home runs in a season 3 times in his limited duty.

One of the big battles going in to Spring Training was between non-roster players Juan Pierre and Scott Podsednik for a reserve outfield position. Pierre won that battle, although both had outstanding springs. Keeping both of them doesn’t seem like much of an option since they are very similar. Nix, on the other hand has seemed to be under the radar.  He has hit only .208 this spring with 0 home runs and 4 rbi’s. At this point, the Phils have Jim Thome, Juan Pierre and Brian Schneider as lefthanded bats on the bench. There is still a chance that Podsednik could make the team and Nix not make it. Pods is also a lefthanded hitter.

Personal Analysis:

We’re not really excited about this situation. We feel that the lefthanded power hitting side of the bench is covered by Thome. Nix’ history does not indicate that he brings a lot more to the table than that. He’s been known to strikeout a good bit, provide an occasional long ball and hit for a low average. We don’t expect much here. Honestly, the roster spot can be upgraded with Podsednik, a waiver wire pickup or possibly carrying another pitcher. This will depend on the final infield roster spot and Chase Utley’s health.

Tomorrow we will preview Jonathan Papelbon.

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.

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.

 

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Phillies Profile – Juan Pierre

In Philadelphia Phillies on April 1, 2012 at 8:03 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 24 we preview, Juan Pierre.

Juan Pierre – The 34 year old Pierre was signed during the off season as a free agent after being released by the Chicago White Sox. Pierre has been a full time outfielder and leadoff hitter his entire career. In his 12 major league seasons Pierre has tallied more than 600 at bats 8 times, most recently in 2010 and 2011. He has also posted 200+ hits in a season 3 times. He led the league in hits 2 of those seasons. Juan has also led the league in triples once and stolen bases 3 times. All while posting a career .296 batting average over 1752 games. From 2003 – 2007 Pierre played in all 162 games in each of those seasons.  Back to stolen bases, Juan has 554 in his career. He has stolen over 60 in a season 3 times, 50 or more in 2 other seasons and 40 or more in 4 other seasons. Obviously, Pierre has been a terror on the base paths! To put Pierre’s base running accomplishments in perspective, Jimmy Rollins has stolen 373 in bases in his career.

 Pierre is a former 13th round draft choice of the Colorado Rockies in the 1998 amateur draft. He debuted in the big leagues in August of 2000 at the age of 22. He played for 3 seasons in Colorado, 3 seasons in Florida, which were his best, 1 season with the Cubs, 3 seasons with the Dodgers and 2 with the White Sox before joining the Phillies.

Pierre was in a Spring Training battle with another non-roster invitee Scott Podsednik. Both had outstanding camps, however, for now Pierre is in and Podsednik is out. Pods could make the club on the final cut down but it doesn’t appear that way right now.

Personal Analysis:

We’re really excited that the Phils have acquired Pierre and that he has made the team. Pierre can be a full time player, if necessary. He can start in the outfield if John Mayberry moves to 1st base, needs a rest or doesn’t produce. He can hit at the top of the lineup, get on base and steal bases. Frankly, he’s a better leadoff hitter than Jimmy Rollins in regards to being a pure leadoff man. He gives Manager Charlie Manuel a lot of options in the outfield and flexibility in his lineup especially being a left handed hitter. We look for Pierre to hit .290 and steal 20-25 bases depending on how many at bats he gets. Obviously, the return and Chase Utley and Ryan Howard will determine how the lineup sets up; however, we look for Pierre to get a lot of work. If he can continue to produce as he has in the last two seasons, .275, 179 hits and 68 stolen bases in 2010 and .279, 175 hits and 27 stolen bases in 2011, he will be a big boost for the Phils. If Pierre has a weakness in his running game, he has led the league in being caught stealing 7 times as well. With the base running comes the risk of getting thrown out. The coaching staff will have to pick and choose good times for Pierre to swipe a base to cut down on the times he is caught.

Tomorrow we will preview Laynce Nix.

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.

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.

 

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Phillies Profile – David Herndon

In Philadelphia Phillies on March 31, 2012 at 10:12 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 23 we preview, David Herndon.

David Herndon – The 26 year old Herndon begins his 3rd season as a Phillie after being drafted from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim as a Rule 5 selection in 2009. Herndon was originally selected in the 5th round by the Angels in the 2006 amateur draft. An explanation of a Rule 5 draftee is, “Any player selected under Rule 5 is immediately added to his new team’s 40-man roster; thus, teams who do not have an available roster spot may not participate in the Rule 5 draft. Players who are not currently on their team’s 40-man roster are eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft. If chosen in the Rule 5 draft, a player must be kept on the selecting team’s 25-man major league roster for the entire season after the draft. He may not be optioned or designated to the minors. The selecting team may, at any time, waive the Rule 5 draftee. If a Rule 5 draftee clears waivers by not signing with a new MLB team, he must be offered back to the original team, effectively canceling the Rule 5 draft choice. Each draftee costs $50,000. If the draftee does not stay on the selecting team’s 25-man (major league) roster all season, the player must be offered back to his original team at half-price.”

Herndon was kept on the Phillies roster in 2010. He posted a 1-3 record with a 4.30 ERA in 47 relief appearances over 52.1 innings of work. Herndon improved in 2011, his 2nd full season in the big leagues. He posted a 1-4 record but lowered his ERA to a very respectable 3.32. He appeared in 45 games covering 57 innings.

David is a young player with a minimal amount of minor league experience who continues to improve as he learns at the major league level. He still has less than 100 big games of experience and only 109 innings under his belt. He will continue to improve.

Personal Analysis:

There were some real questions if Herndon would make the opening day roster in 2012. He has had a decent Spring Training, coupled with the arm problems of Michael Stutes and Jose Contreras, Herndon should be heading north this week. David will likely be the 7th inning man, when needed, to fill the gap between the starting pitchers and Antonio Bastardo and Chad Qualls in the 8th inning. Herndon is also capable of eating up “garbage” innings, when needed, when games get out of hand. We feel Herndon will continue to improve and continue to play an important role on the ballclub. It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that he is only 26 years old. We look for Herndon to contribute as he has over the last 2 years, very few decisions, but continue to lower his earned run average and eat up some bullpen innings as continues to improve his game.

Tomorrow we will preview Juan Pierre.

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

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.

 

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Phillies Profile – Freddy Galvis

In Philadelphia Phillies on March 30, 2012 at 8:40 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 22 we preview, Freddy Galvis.

Freddy Galvis – The 22 year old Venezuela native is going to get his first shot in the big leagues starting 2012. Galvis was expected to be the heir apparent to Jimmy Rollins at shortstop but the injury to Chase Utley has changed that. Galvis has never played an inning at 2nd base in the minor leagues, 523 games at shortstop and 1 game at 3rd base, but appears headed for the opening day lineup in place of  Utley. “The good thing about Freddy is that he’s such a heads-up player. He thinks in the game,” said Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg, who managed Galvis after he was promoted to the AAA Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. “He has very good instincts, and I think that’s what allows him to be ready for all the plays that do happen at second base. And he’s a very creative player. Very good at improvising and making a play. Those are good traits to have playing the middle infield. I think he’ll have no problem at second base.”

The real question about Galvis is can he hit big league pitching. A switch hitter, his minor league experience has been at the lower levels, only playing 33 games at the AAA level. His career minor league batting average is .246, however, he did hit .298 in his 33 games at Lehigh Valley. He has also hit only 18 home runs in his minor league career. Now to keep this in perspective, it’s not unusual for players to struggle at the plate when they enter the minor leagues at 17 years old. It takes time to develop physically, understand the pitching and learn discipline at the plate. The important thing for such a young player is to continue to improve. The Phillies feel that Galvis has done that and is ready for his big league shot. GM Ruben Amaro added, “I like Galvis. Has Galvis done anything to warrant us not playing him? He’s been our best player this spring,” he said. “Can he hit enough? We’ll find out, probably. We’re going to give him a chance.”

 

Personal Analysis:

We don’t expect a great deal from Galvis to open the season. Hopefully he can be steady in the field and hold down the fort until Utley returns. Galvis will be hitting at the bottom of the lineup so anything above a .250 batting average will be a bonus. All indications are that Galvis works his tail off and has been willing to learn throughout his minor league career. Let’s hope he maintains that attitude at the big league level. The Phils will be keeping a backup middle infielder, possibly Pete Orr since Michael Martinez will be starting the season on the DL, who will push Galvis for playing time if he doesn’t hit but we expect the Phils will give Galvis every chance to be successful while Utley is out.

Tomorrow we will preview David Herndon.

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.

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.

 

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Phillies Profile – Chad Qualls

In Philadelphia Phillies on March 29, 2012 at 10:23 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 21 we preview, Chad Qualls.

Chad Qualls – Qualls is another somewhat unknown off season free agent signee. Chad is an 8 year veteran relief pitcher that has filled all of the bullpen roles in his career, including closer. Qualls has pitched 4 years for Houston, 2 ½ years for Arizona, ½ year for Tampa Bay and 1 year for San Diego before joining the Phillies. During that time he has pitched in 537 major league games. He has posted a 38-34 record with a 3.78 ERA and 51 saves. Possibly the most important statistic about Qualls is that he has made more than 70 appearances in 6 of his 8 seasons. Qualls has also appeared in 17 post season games in his career, 15 with Houston and 2 with Tampa Bay. Chad was originally drafted out of high school, 1997, in the 52nd round by the Toronto Blue Jays but opted to attend college. It was a wise choice, as he was selected in the 2nd round of the 2000 draft by the Houston Astros out of the University of Nevada – Reno. Qualls is scheduled to make $1.15m in 2012 for the Phils.

Personal Analysis:

There’s uncertainty to what role Qualls will have in the Phillies bullpen but our feeling is he will be the righthanded 8th inning set up man for Jonathan Pappelbon. This could change based on the progress of Michael Stutes and the health of Jose Contreras, however, we don’t think so. Qualls will need to be as durable, and reliable, as he has been in the past. The 33 year old appears to have plenty left in the tank based on his performances over the last few seasons. We feel like this was a very good signing by the Phillies and that Qualls will play a large part in the success of the bullpen much like Ryan Madson was for Brad Lidge in 2008.  

Tomorrow we will preview Freddy Galvis.

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.

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.

 

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Phillies Profile – Ty Wigginton

In Philadelphia Phillies on March 28, 2012 at 7:46 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 20 we preview, Ty Wigginton.

Ty Wigginton – Who is this Ty Wigginton you ask? Wigginton is a 10 year journeyman veteran who has bounced around the major leagues as much as he’s bounced around positions. The 34 year old former 17th round draft choice of the New York Mets in 1998 has been around and done his time. Wigginton has played at the big league level for 3 years with the Mets, 2 years with the Rays, 2 years with the Pirates, 2 years with the Orioles, 2 years with the Astros and 1 year with the Rockies since making his major league debut in 2002. The Phillies traded for Wigginton in the off season to add depth to the ball club. He will make $4m for the Phillies in 2012. Wigginton is the ultimate utility man from a position perspective; however, as recently as 2010 he played in 154 games and posted 548 at bats and was selected to the AL All Star team as a member of the Orioles. In his major league career he has played 1st base, 2nd base, 3rd base, left field and right field while posting a .265 batting average, 158 home runs and 548 rbi’s in 1190 games. Ty can add some pop to the lineup; he’s hit 20 or more home runs 4 times in his career.

Personal Analysis:

Wigginton is going to be called on to play a big role for the Phillies early in 2012. The righthanded hitter may split some time with Jim Thome at 1st base, however, we expect Wigginton to carry most of the load. As we’ve stated throughout all of our profiles it will be important for everyone to contribute until Ryan Howard and, most likely, Chase Utley return to the lineup. The Phillies expect Ty to be the man that can fill those shoes, thus the trade and the $4m contract. We also expect to see Wigginton provide an off day now and then for Placido Polanco at 3rd base as well. A lot is riding on Ty being successful in Philadelphia. Let’s hope the Phillies management is right.

Tomorrow we will preview Chad Qualls.

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.

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Phillies Profile – Antonio Bastardo

In Philadelphia Phillies on March 27, 2012 at 7:26 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 19 we preview, Antonio Bastardo.

Antonio Bastardo – The 26 year old Bastardo quickly became the lefthanded ace of the Phillies bullpen in 2011, in his first full season in the big leagues. Bastardo was signed as a free agent in the 2005 amateur draft. He’s was being used primarily as a starter in the minor leagues until 2009 and he was good. In 2010 he was a combined 10-0 at Lakewood and Clearwater with a 2.14 ERA. Bastardo made his major league debut on June 2, 2009 and contributed a 2-3 record with a 6.46 ERA in 6 games for the Phils. He was also 3-2 with a 2.15 ERA between Rookie League, Clearwater, Reading and Lehigh Valley. In 2010, Antonio again split time between the minor leagues and the Phillies. He continued to contribute at the big league level as he gained experience. He had a 2-0 record with a 4.34 ERA in 25 appearances. In 2011 Antonio Bastardo arrived! He became the “go to” lefthander that the Phillies relied on throughout the season. He finished the season with a 6-1 record and a 2.64 ERA in 64 games. He finished 15 of those games and recorded 8 saves. The most impressive statistic for Bastardo was that in 58 innings of work he only gave up 28 hits while striking out 70 batters. Antonio has already pitched in 5 post season games for the Phillies, he’s yet to give up a run.

Personal Analysis:

Bastardo needs to be just as good if not better for the Phillies in 2012. He ran out of gas late in the season in 2011 but that can’t take away from his outstanding season. He pitched in big games and he pitched well. With a week of camp remaining the bullpen situation is still unclear, however, Bastardo may go north as the only lefthanded reliever again in 2012. We expect that Manager Charlie Manuel and Pitching Coach Rich Dubee will use Bastardo differently this year to keep him from overuse. When he got tired he lost the strike zone and struggled because of it. Big things are ahead for Bastardo as the youngster continues to mature in the big leagues.

Tomorrow we will preview Ty Wigginton.

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.

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.

 

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Phillies Profile – Kyle Kendrick

In Philadelphia Phillies on March 26, 2012 at 7:52 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 18 we preview, Kyle Kendrick.

Kyle Kendrick – Kendrick has had an interesting career in the Phillies organization since being drafted in the 7th round of the 2003 amateur draft out of Mt. Vernon, Washington, High School. Kendrick spent from 2003 – 2007 working his way through “A” and “AA” ball. He posted a minor league record of 26-44. He never pitched at the “AAA” level before being called to the big leagues on June 13, 2007. Kyle immediately joined the Phillies rotation, starting 20 games and compiling a 10-4 record with a 3.87 ERA in 121 innings at the age of 22. 2008 was not as kind to Kendrick. He remained in the starting rotation and added 11 wins in his 30 starts but suffered from inconsistency that led to his 5.49 ERA. He also posted 57 base on balls, 14 hit batters and 23 home runs allowed in 155.2 innings of work. As a result Kyle was not included on the 2008 post season roster that won the World Series. 2009 brought more struggles until Kyle was finally sent to “AAA” Lehigh Valley to work on his game. He pitched in only 9 major league games in 2009. 2010 brought improvement; Kyle was back in the starting rotation for the Phillies. He started in 31 of his 33 appearances, compiling an 11-10 record with a 4.73 ERA. His command was better and all indications were that he was on the right track. 2011 saw Kyle take an entirely different direction. He was moved to the bullpen and was very effective. He came on in relief in 19 of his 34 appearances. He posted an 8-6 record with a career best 3.22 ERA working primarily as a long reliever. Kendrick seems like he’s been around for a long time, however, he’s only 27 years old. His best days are ahead of him. The Phillies organization has been very patient and continues to develop him. This off season Kyle signed a 2 year – $7.5m contract.

Personal Analysis:

Kendrick came in to Spring Training in a three way competition with Vance Worley and Joe Blanton for the last two spots in the rotation. With one week left before breaking camp it appears that Worley and Blanton will get those spots. We won’t go so far as to stay Kendrick lost the job in Spring Training. To date he’s pitched in 3 games, 8.1 innings, 4 hits, 0 runs 0 walks and 9 k’s. A pretty impressive Spring thus far.

Call me crazy but I see Kendrick possibly developing in to the 8th inning set up man and ultimately a closer if he continues in the bullpen much the same as Ryan Madson did. One of the biggest challenges in that role is being able to pitch often and having the mindset to put the last game, good or bad, behind you. It takes time and is easier said than done. In the meantime, Kendrick is a luxury as a 6th starter, if needed. In today’s baseball you can never have enough quality arms. We look for Kendrick to have a solid year and continue to improve. Depending how his role evolves he may not win a lot of games but could eat up some innings and not give up a lot of runs.

Tomorrow we will preview Antonio Bastardo.

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

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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