The 2009 Ballzy Awards

Ladies and gentlemen, I proudly bring to you the inaugural edition of THE BALLZIES...PhoulBallz.com's annual awards given out for the finest achievements in the Phillies organization as well as related things and stuff. Without any additional delay, let's get this thing rollin'.

Major League Player of the Year- Ryan Howard

Howard

is one of the most consistent hitters in baseball today. He's had four straight seasons with 45 or more homers and over 135 RBI. Howard also won the most valuable player award of the NLCS in 2009. He is one of the greatest Phillies hitters of all time. There's not much else to say.

Minor League Player of the Year- Domonic Brown

The

Phils' #1 prospect hit for a .299 batting average in 106 games while smashing 14 homers, 64 RBI and swiping 23 bags. When watching Brown play it is easy to tell he's got the right tools and he is a pure athlete. Speed on the bases, range in the outfield, an excellent arm, a solid bat...it's all there. Brown projects to be a Major League starter and the sooner Jayson Werth prices himself out of the Phillies' budget, the sooner phans could expect to see Brown in red pin stripes on a full time basis.

Team of the Year- Lakewood BlueClaws

The 'Claws won the South Atlantic League championship this September. Led by great Phillies prospects like Anthony Gose, Trevor May, Travis D'Arnaud, Troy Hanzawa, Sebastian Valle and Jim Murphy as well as manager Dusty Wathan, Lakewood clinched a playoff berth with a strong first half of the season and beat the Greenville Drive for the league title. It was Lakewood's second ever SAL championship.

Game of the Year- NLCS Game 4 Dodgers @ Phillies, Jimmy Rollins walk-off 2 RBI double!

I was there for the most unforgettable game of the year. With 2 outs, my lady grabbed her bag and said she was getting ready to leave. I replied and told her I was getting ready for a WIN! Jimmy Rollins immediately followed with the biggest hit of his career to put the Phillies in control of the National League Championship Series. Tremendous!

Best Non-game Moment(s) of the Year- HK Sign Toast

After winning both the division title and the National League Championship Series and clinching a second consecutive trip to the World Series at home, Phillies players took to toasting the late Harry Kalas with beers and champagne at the left-center field sign that honored him. Without Harry, there could be no more perfect moment.

Best PhoulBallz Interview of the Year- Michael Taylor

Taylor's Q&A can

be found HERE. It's a good look at the prospect who was dealt twice in one day this month as part of the Roy Halladay deal. Taylor was remarkably well spoken and excited about his own blossoming career. Oakland's newest prospect is a 5-tool talent who will join former Phillies prospects Josh Outman and Gio Gonzalez with the Athletics. Expect to see Taylor facing Major League pitching in 2010.

Best Sarge Quote- "You jerk off the ball."

Link to the clip,

brought to you by The Fightins Dot Com. Adding some of his usual questionable color to the game broadcast, Gary Matthews Sr. described the trouble with swinging too hard, during an August Jayson Werth at bat.

Most Influential PhoulBallz Sunday School Subject- Roy Thomas

Thomas was

a turn of the century (1900) Phillie who was so proficient at slapping foul balls that baseball rules were changed. In 1901, NL president William Hulbert grew so frustrated with Roy drawing out at bats the he petitioned the rules committee to institute a new two-strike rule. Prior to that, fouls only counted as strikes if the catcher caught them. If Thomas were still around today, he might be a spokes person for PhoulBallz.

Favorite PhoulBallz reader- YOU

Yeah, winner, you are this site's favorite reader. I bet you are wondering how to know if I am really talking to you, or if this is just some generalized nonsense. Well, star...take my hand and let's shine together while I prove it's you that means so much to me.

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Feel free to honor YOUR OWN best things from 2009 in the comments section. I wish you all the best as you ring in the new year.

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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...

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". ...

Ibanez Makes Hall of Fame History

It's every player's dream to be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. For Raul Ibanez , who hasn't had the sort of career that would ensure his face would one day be cast in bronze and displayed on the Hall walls, it was necessary to find a less common way to earn a spot in the annals of baseball history. Recently, Ibanez became the very first big league player to spend the night in the plaque gallery at the storied Hall of Fame. As detailed on the National Baseball Hall of Fame's website , Ibanez accompanied his son's Little League travel team to the Hall, where they participated in the Museum's "Extra Innings Overnight", a program that allows groups to travel to Cooperstown, NY in order learn more about the great game of baseball. Ibanez's son, Raul Jr., is 11-years-old and plays baseball in Lower Merion, PA. The article on the Hall of Fame's website quoted Ibanez as being excited to see some recent Phillies milestones represent...

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