Skip to main content

Serie Del Caribe es Presente

By
The culmination of the baseball winter leagues is upon us. Beginning this afternoon, the annual Caribbean (World) Series will pit the league champions from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Mexico & Puerto Rico will face off, while Venezuela faces the DR on the first of six days for the series. Venezuela's Margarita Island will play host to the event.

After months of highlights, classic games and hot stove coverage...LIVE baseball will return to television today. All games of the Caribbean Series will be broadcast on MLB Network. Those stuck at work or away from their television will be able to follow each game via MLB.com's game day feature.

Not sure who to root for? How about the Leones from the DR? Recent Phillies pitching acquisition Jason Standridge is on the Dominican pitching staff. In 4 games this winter, Standridge has been excellent, going 2-1 with a 1.09 ERA and 21 strike outs in 24 2/3 innings pitched. Switch hitting outfielder Freddy Guzman is also on the Dominican squad. Guzman is batting .259 with 4 RBI and 7 steals in 14 games this winter. Standridge and Guzman were both signed this offseason to increase depth in the minors. Former Phillies infielder Juan Bell is also the hitting coach for the Dominican champs. Also on the Dominican Republic team are former Phillie, and current Metropolitan, Nelson Figueroa as well as Marlins utility man Emilio Bonifacio.

In a bit of a twist, the series allows the champions who enter the Caribbean Series an opportunity to reenforce their rosters with additions who weren't actually on their roster during their nation's season. One addition that the Dominican team has made is Pablo Ozuna, who was a 2009 Phillies minor leaguer and illegal drug offender/suspendee. Ozuna is the expected starter at second base for the DR team.

Also in the series, former Phillies Chris Roberson and Karim Garcia are on the roster of the Mexico champions. And the championship team from Venezuela also features some names familiar to Phils phans...Eric Junge and Yoel Hernandez, who were each Phillies pitchers in 2002 and 2007 respectively. Lastly, former Phillies minor leaguer & Trenton Thunder slugger and current Blue Jay Randy Ruiz is on the Puerto Rican team's roster.

The Dominican team is typically favored, as they have walked away with 17 total Caribbean Series titles, 11 since 1990. Tune in daily, today through Sunday, February 7th for all the winter baseball action. Mitch Williams will be on the commentary for MLB Network throughout the series.

----------------------------------

Follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter HERE ! It'll make you feel good.


BallHype: hype it up!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2019 Phillies Prospects Countdown: #7 LHP JoJo Romero

By
JoJo Romero, image- Jay Floyd With a growing crop of very talented pitching prospects in the Phillies organization, left-hander JoJo Romero is certainly among the standouts. The five-foot-11 200-pounder was the Phils’ 4th round draft selection in 2016. That year he helped Yavapai College, the same school that the Phillies drafted Kenny Giles from in 2011, clinch the JuCo World Series, leading the way with an 11-5 record, a 3.64 ERA and a 10.2 K/9 mark. He also tossed a complete game gem to earn the win in their title game. After signing with the Phillies, Romero made his professional debut as a member of the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters. There, he notched a 2-2 record with a 2.56 ERA while striking out 31 and walking 11 in 45 2/3 innings. In 2017, he got off to a terrific start with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. In 13 starts, Romero tallied a 5-1 record with a 2.11 ERA and a 9.3 K/9 mark and was honored as a South Atlantic League mid-season All-Star. R
Post a Comment
Read more

McGwire Stays Phony, Despite Admitting Drug Use

By
Mark McGwire made an effort to publicly come clean today, admitting to the world that he took performance enhancing drugs during his playing career. Steroids and human growth hormones were among the drugs that McGwire admitted to using. MLB Network featured a one on one interview with Bob Costas and McGwire on Monday evening. The broadcast was virtually garbage, thanks to McGwire. Ahead is a list of quotes from McGwire's interview. McGwire repeatedly stated his point of view that there were no dishonorable intentions involved when taking steroids, and that he was merely using them as a means to recover from varying ailments. When asked if he felt like he cheated... "As I look back now...I can see how people would say that. As far as the talent goes and the hand-eye coordination, the ability, the genetics I was given...I don't see it." "I did not take this for any strength purposes." Denial. Read on for similar B.S. He whined about the abuse he'
1 comment
Read more

Diekman a Late Addition to Mesa AFL Roster

By
On Wednesday, Phillies lefty pitching prospect Jacob Diekman made his Arizona Fall League debut. Diekman, who was drafted in the 30th round of the 2007 amateur draft, was assigned to Mesa late, in order to increase his 2010 innings total, according to Mesa hitting coach Mark Parent, who managed Diekman in Lakewood this past season. Diekman, 23, posted a 2-0 record with 1.90 ERA in 21 games with Class A Lakewood before being promoted to High-A Clearwater on June 24th. In 24 games with the Threshers, Diekman went 0-2 with a 3.66 ERA. Combined, Diekman tossed 55 2/3 innings and held opponents to a .187 batting average against at two levels in 2010. However, after not pitching in an official game since he threw a shutout inning to wrap up the Clearwater season on September 5th, Diekman was unable to record an out as all seven batters he faced reached base, six with hits, one on an error. Diekman was charged with 5 earned runs in the outing. Diekman had spent time at instructional ball f
Post a Comment
Read more