BlueClaws Manager Dusty Wathan Q&A

Dusty Wathan and Tim Gradoville working with the infielders

PhoulBallz.com checked out the BlueClaws' open practice today and got some face time with new Lakewood manager and former Phillies minor leaguer Dusty Wathan.

-Dusty, do you have any things that stick in your mind from your two seasons as a player in spring training with the Phillies?

Just being able to be around guys and develop friendships with guys that were able to win the World Series last year. It's pretty special to be able to watch that World Series and know that you've been in the club house with those guys, and hung out with them and become friends with them. I think that's the biggest moment I had was getting to see those guys win the World Series and how much joy I had for them.

-What's the coaching staff like with Lakewood and have you worked with the coaches before?

(Hitting coach) Greg Legg was in the system already when I was a player and we got to know each other a little bit. I never played for him or anything like that, but I knew him as an instructor. Ya' know, he's just a tremendous baseball guy and he's been with the Phillies since 1984, as a player or coach and it's just great to have him to bounce some stuff off of since he's been around and been through everything. (Pitching coach) Bob Milacki is new to the Phillies this year, he's been with the Pirates for years. He's a tremendous guy to be around. He really knows his pitching. He pitched in the big leagues for a number of years. I'm very fortunate to have some guys that have been around baseball, know what they're doing and I can really lean on. Also Tim Gradoville will be here for a while with us working with the young catchers. He actually played here. It's just nice to have some guys that you can trust and really lean on for advice.

-Were any of the players here with you last year when you managed short-season ball in Williamsport?

Yes, a couple of them. Troy Hanzawa, our shortstop is one. It'll be exciting...the guys who weren't there I know most of them from instructional league and through spring training this year, so yeah, I know most of the guys pretty well.

-Who's your suspect as the first guy Lakewood might lose to Clearwater, due to promotion?

I don't know. We have quite a few young guys here. Maybe (Travis) Mattair, he was here last year, so I mean he has an opportunity. Ya know, anybody depending on what the situation is- Why there's movement, whether it be somebody doing well, or an injury, ya know anybody could fit that mold.

*********************************

The practice was crisp and cold. I heard some folks around the dugout claiming they heard of a 38 degree measurement. Catcher Sebastian Valle took a moment to teach first baseman Jeremy Hamilton a bit of Espanol..."Hace frio" means "it's cold".

Check out some more pictures of today's practice and stay tuned to PhoulBallz.com for more BlueClaws features in the coming weeks.

Catching prospect Travis D'Arnaud

Jason Knapp throwing his bullpen session as coach Bob Milacki watches on

Troy Hanzawa and Jesus Villegas taking turns turning plays in the middle

Kendrick & LaGrossa- Second Phils/Survivor Marriage

On Saturday, Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick married 3-time Survivor contestant and former Flyers employee Stephenie LaGrossa. The couple exchanged vows in front of 105 guests at the Silverado Resort in Napa, California. Their special day featured many personalized aspects, including cocktail hour snacks modeled in the fashion of mini Philly cheesesteaks, as well as the couple's two dogs, Bebe and Champ, serving as flower girl and ring bearer during the ceremony. The pets wore a white dress and a tuxedo, respectively. Kendrick is now the second Phillies pitcher to marry a former contestant of the CBS reality competition program, as lefty Cole Hamels wedded Heidi Strobel, who appeared on the sixth season of Survivor, in 2007. _________________________________________________________________ Be sure to follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter, for updates, stats and info, by clicking HERE . Photos- People.com

Michael Taylor Q&A

Michael Taylor is currently leading the Reading Phillies' offense and is near the top of the Eastern League in most stat categories (3rd in batting avg- .342, 3rd in HR- 14, tied for second in RBI- 55, 2nd in OPS.- .994, tied for 1st in runs scored- 49, tied for 1st in hits...). The 23 year old Taylor is 6 feet 6 inches tall and has quickly grabbed the attention of phans and media alike as a top prospect to watch. I spoke with Mike Taylor over the weekend, and here is that interview. With all the big stats and being among the league leaders in so many categories, do you think you're ready for the next step? It's kind of a difficult question. Do you have anything left to prove here? There's always something to prove. There's stuff to prove every game. I mean that's one thing that's very interesting about this game. It's such a numbers oriented game. You're only as good as your last "whatever statistical category that someone's valuing". ...

Rappers in Phillies Caps

Weekend greetings to you phine pholks out there. Today's post features pictures of rappers wearing Phillies caps. Why rappers in Phillies caps, you ask? Because... Any other questions? We will start things off properly by going with a highly recognizable hip hop star. 50 Cent stays constantly relavant by consistantly creating radio friendly material to help sell (G) units, while he "keeps it real" by still rapping about the thug life he lived before becoming the 2nd highest earning black entertainer in America. 50 is seen here in a recent interview rocking a throw-back Phillies cap. Next up we'll use a throw-back screen cap from what may be the very first major appearance by a rapper wearing Phillies gear. Chuck D, of legendary rap group Public Enemy, wore a Phillies cap in the music video for rap anthem Fight The Power in 1989. The song was the lead single from the soundtrack for Spike Lee's film Do The Right Thing . Next up we'll go with some home grown tal...

PhoulBallz.com

Search This Blog