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On Sunday, Lakewood's FirstEnergy Park, home of the Class A BlueClaws, played host to TNA Impact Wrestling's 2014 World Tour.  For a stop in a summer series of events held at minor league baseball venues some of the most talented in-ring performers in the world took part in the company's Basebrawl show. Gail Kim (pictured above), the world's best female professional wrestler, teamed with Madison Rayne to defeat the team of TNA Knockouts Champion Angelina Love and her partner Velvet Sky. Madison Rayne, a former TNA Knockouts Champion, is pictured above.  Jersey's own Robbie E and Jesse Godderz, two CBS reality competition starts, make up a tag team known as the Bro-Mans.  They challenged the TNA World Tag Team Champions, The Wolves, on the card. Davey Richards and Eddie Edward, The Wolves, were victorious in their tag team title defense against the Bro-Mans. Former United States Marine "Gunner" lost his bout against "The Cowboy&quo

Jason Marquis, Image- Jay Floyd Less than a year removed from elbow surgery, right-handed hurler Jason Marquis took to the mound to show the world, but mainly the Phillies, what he can do. Marquis, who was signed by the Phillies earlier this month, made his organizational debut last weekend, earning a win with five innings of shutout baseball for the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies. The 35-year-old took the mound in Allentown for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Friday, taking a no decision after tossing six-plus innings, allowing three hits and one run while striking out six and walking one. If not for a troubling effort from the IronPigs' bullpen, Marquis would have notched a win. He exited the game in the 7th inning after allowing a lead-off single, which ended a stretch of 10 straight batters retired. Jeremy Horst came on in relief and allowed that runner to score. The following frame, Ethan Martin and Cesar Jimenez let up four runs and relinquished

On the 67th edition of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast, Tug and Jay are joined by former minor league slugger Tagg Bozied, who chats about his college career, his time in the Phillies system, playing in China and much more. The guys also discuss the releases of Brody Colvin and Jiwan James , Jesse Biddle 's struggles as well as the hot output from the Williamsport Crosscutters' offense. Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .

Jiwan James with Reading in 2012, Image- Jay Floyd For the third straight week the Phillies have cut a former well-regarded prospect that has fizzled at the upper levels, as outfielder Jiwan James was released by the Phillies on Thursday. The 25-year-old was a 22nd round draft choice in 2007 and was originally a pitcher, going 0-4 with a 7.71 ERA in his initial season as a pro with the Gulf Coast League Phillies. After missing 2008 with a right biceps injury, the athletic James shifted to the outfield, where he became a promising talent. A member of the 2010 South Atlantic League champion Lakewood BlueClaws team, James set that club's hit streak record when he notched at least one safety in 24 consecutive contests. James joins former "Baby Ace" Brody Colvin and 2008 first round draft pick Anthony Hewitt on a list of names the Phillies have given up on this month. After returning from a knee injury that kept him on the shelf for the opening two months of th

Despite a hefty amount of bad results out of the Phillies' minor league hurlers on Monday, it was 2013's most impressive hurler who made a return to the mound and picked up right where he left off last year. On a night when this year's top draft pick Aaron Nola made his pro debut and looked quite mortal, top pitching prospect Jesse Biddle didn't look deserving of that type of hype as he struggled mightily and recently demoted reliever Ethan Martin was touched up while another young standout in Tyler Viza had a weak effort, it was lefty Yoel Mecias ' return from Tommy John surgery that should make it all seem better. Aaron Nola's pro debut, Image- @BaseballBetsy Nola, the 7th overall selection in this month's MLB amatuer draft, made his first professional start as a member of the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers. On the mound against the Lakeland Tigers, the 21-year-old right-hander allowed five runs (four earned) on three hits in 2 1/3 inni

Tyson Gillies, image- Jay Floyd In unsurprising news, the Phillies announced on Sunday that they have released troubled outfielder Tyson Gillies . Gillies had developed a reputation of having behavioral issues, in recent years, as he's been suspended multiple times during his tenure with the Phillies organization. He's also missed significant time with varied injuries since he was part of the trio acquired for Cliff Lee from Seattle in 2009. Also, Gillies first made a name for himself when he was arrested on drug possession charges in 2010. The 25-year-old posted a .214/.270/.289 slash line in 43 games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season.

Newly signed righty hurler Jason Marquis made his Phillies organization debut with the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phils on Saturday. The following tweet features all the details: GCL Phils beat Jays 6-1 on Sat. Jason Marquis threw 5 scoreless with 7 K's, no walks, 5 hits allowed to earn the W. Damek Tomscha - 3-for-3. — Jay Floyd (@PhoulBallz) June 22, 2014 Marquis, who has tallied a 121-114 record and a 4.56 ERA in 368 career big league games in 14 season, was inked by the Phillies earlier this month. Last season, the 35-year-old went 9-5 with a 4.05 ERA for the Padres. Marquis was honored as an All-Star in 2009 with Colorado. The Phillies expect Marquis to continue his warm-up efforts throughout the minors in the coming weeks. The other name mentioned in the above tweet, third baseman Damek Tomscha, is 5-for-7 with a double, a homer and two RBI in two games since debuting as a pro player. The 22-year-old was the Phils' 17th round draft pick out of Auburn

On the 66th edition of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast, Jay's got exclusive remarks from J.P. Crawford and Zach Green about their progress and Jimmy Rollins ' all-time Phillies hits record. Tug and Jay also talk about Nic Hanson 's recovery from elbow surgery, Roman Quinn 's positional switch with Clearwater, Aaron Altherr 's promotion to the big leagues, Cameron Rupp 's weak output this year, some World Cup action and much more. Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .

If you missed it on television, check out the latest edition of Phillies Nation TV.  On this week's edition, Pat and Corey chat about Jimmy Rollins and Jake Diekman , Natalie talks with Matt Stairs , and I visit the set to discuss Kenny Giles , top draft pick Aaron Nola, Roman Quinn as well as J.P. Crawford . Check it out in the media player below. New episodes of Phillies Nation TV can be seen each Tuesday at 6PM EST on The Comcast Network with replays throughout each week on TCN and Comcast Sportsnet.

Larry Greene works with a coach, Image- Jay Floyd -Good news this week for Larry Greene Jr., who was previously said to have required surgery to repair his ailing left wrist. The 21-year-old outfielder has resumed game action after spending time in a brace and is playing intrasquad games with the group that is slated to become the Gulf Coast League Phillies. The Phillies' top draft pick from 2011 anticipates that he could be activated for the Class A BlueClaws by July 1st. Greene's original diagnosis was a cartilage tear. Prior to being sidelined, the Georgia native posted a .167 average with five RBI and two steals in 15 games with Lakewood this year. The GCL kicks off its season this coming Friday. Greene could continue action there once their season begins. -Two other outfielders made their returns for the Double-A Reading Fightins on Tuesday. Former 1st round draft selection Zach Collier (back) and 2009 second round pick Kelly Dugan (oblique) were in the

Aaron Altherr, Image- Jay Floyd Called into action due to Tony Gwynn Jr. being placed on the bereavement list after his father Tony Gwynn Sr. passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer, outfielder Aaron Altherr made his major league debut on Monday. In his first opportunity to step to the plate in the bigs, the talented righty batter, appearing as a pinch hitter, lofted a fly out with a runner on second base to end the top of the 12th inning for the Phillies, who were locked in a 1-1 tie with the Braves in Atlanta. Altherr, the Phils' 9th round draft choice in 2009, had been scorching hot of late, tallying a .392 average with five doubles, a triple, a home run and nine RBI in 13 games this month for Double-A Reading. Overall in 59 minor league games this season, Altherr, who opened his 2014 campaign on the disabled list with a wrist injury, posted a .246 average with four homers and 23 RBI while swiping six bags in nine attempts. The 23-year-old outfielder e

JP Crawford, Image- Jay Floyd J.P. Crawford will be on the move following the South Atlantic League All-Star break. The 19-year-old shortstop is slated to join the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers later this week as the talented youngster appears ready for bigger challenges. The Phillies’ top draft pick from a year ago has had plenty of success in his year as a professional, the Lakewood, CA native has posted a .301/.402/.403 slash line in 113 combined games with the Gulf Coast League Phillies, the short-season A level Williamsport Crosscutters and the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. Crawford was recently honored as the Phillies’ minor league player of the month in May, when he tallied a .367/.447/.522 slash line in 24 games. Of the honor, the six-foot-two 180-pounder asserted that he appreciates the recognition, but is already past it mentally. “Being player of the month is a great honor, but…that’s over with,” Crawford asserted. “I’m just trying to get the next player

Cody Forsythe, image- MiLB.com Lefty reliever Cody Forsythe is one of four Lakewood BlueClaws that has been selected to represent the team in the Class A South Atlantic League All-Star Game coming up next week. Last year's 25th round draft selection by the Phillies quickly showed he could compete in the professional ranks after signing last year. With the Gulf Coast League Phillies, he sported a 3-0 record with two saves and a 2.38 ERA in 18 relief appearances. He also pitched a scoreless frame for Clearwater in a lone appearance last year. This season, as the BlueClaws' closer, the 23-year-old Kentucky native has posted a 3-2 record with nine saves and a 2.63 ERA. Additionally, he's struck out 25 batters and walked six in 27 1/3 innings pitched. Forsythe will be joined by J.P. Crawford , Willians Astudillo and Samuel Hiciano when the Northern Division All-Stars take on the Southern Division All-Stars in the 55th annual event in Hickory, NC on Tuesday, June

Anthony Hewitt with Lakewood in 2011, Image- Jay Floyd Six years after he was their top draft selection, the Phillies have finally pulled the trigger and cut disappointing outfielder Anthony Hewitt . Hewitt had struggled mightily in his pro career, but looked outmatched this season with Double-A Reading where he posted a .140 batting average in 34 games before a recent demotion to Class A Advanced Clearwater. In eight games since the move, the 25-year-old went 4-for-31 (.129 avg). He walked only once this season. Hewitt, who signed for over $1 million in 2008, batted .223 with a .634 OPS in six years since he was drafted 24th overall by the Phillies. It was time to cut their losses and the Phillies did just that. In an exclusive interview with PhoulBallz.com last month, Hewitt was not discouraged and, in fact, was very optimistic, asserting that his output would turn around. "It's a game of failure," Hewitt stated. "Just, right now, no hits are falling

On the 65th edition of the show, Tug and Jay are joined by Impact Wrestling superstar Gunner to chat about his career and the upcoming BaseBrawl event at Lakewood's FirstEnergy Park later this month. The guys also talk about the progress of prospects such as Joey Gallo , J.P. Crawford , Tyler Knigge , Roman Quinn , Aaron Altherr and others. The Phillies' 2014 draft approach is also discussed. Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .

The latest semi-weekly rundown of your top performers from the Phillies developmental ranks and those that aren't doing so well is back. In this edition we look at all four full-season clubs. Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs- Who’s hot... Right-hander Brad Lincoln has pitched 13 scoreless innings over his last two starts while allowing just four total hits in those outings. The 29-year-old allowed three earned runs in 2 1/3 innings this season in relief with the big league team. Lincoln was the 4th overall draft selection by the Pirates back in 2006. Through his first seven games since earning a promotion to Lehigh Valley, OF Cam Perkins posted a .308 batting average. With Double-A Reading this season, the 23-year-old sported a .342/.408/.495 slash line. Perkins was the Phillies’ 6th round draft choice in 2012. Who’s not... Third baseman Maikel Franco entered action on Tuesday batting .103 with a home runs and five RBI in nine June games. Overall this season, the 21

On Monday, I guested on Corey Seidman's HD radio show on the Phillies 24/7 channel. During my interview segment, we talked about some promising names in the Phils organization including Kenny Giles , J.P. Crawford , Cam Perkins and Maikel Franco . Top draft pick Aaron Nola and a pair of troubling Canadians in Phillippe Aumont and Tyson Gillies were discussed as well. To hear my segment with Corey on Monday's edition of "Phillies Today", click here and skip to the 9:00 mark of the show to get right to me.

Kenny Giles, image- Jay Floyd In a week packed with Phillies organizational transactions, one of the most anticipated ones occurred.  With veteran right-hander Mike Adams sidelined with shoulder concerns, the Phillies promoted promising reliever Kenny Giles to the big leagues. Giles is an overpowering right-hander whose fastball is often clocked at 100 MPH or higher.  Additionally armed with an improving slider, Giles has the making of a back-end-of-the-bullpen hurler. In 24 games combined with Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season, the 23-year-old tallied a 2-0 record with 12 saves, a 1.88 ERA and an 11.93 K/9 mark. The Phils' 7th round draft pick from 2011, Giles, was the focus of a recent feature on Phillies Nation TV.  Check that out in the media player below. Adams, who missed time earlier this season with a shoulder strain, has a 2-1 record with a 2.12 ERA in 19 games this season.

For a Phillies team that has struggled to spark much interest lately, the developmental ranks were packed with news that was worthy of hefty attention this week. Some of the stories were good...like OF Cam Perkins being promoted to Triple-A in his second full season as a pro and reliever Tyler Knigge joining him there. Another positive was certainly the Phillies' refined approach in the MLB first year player draft. Plus, the tale of Lakewood manager Greg Legg retaliating and throwing out an umpire who had ejected him from a game on Tuesday was an instant classic. Other news was disappointing...like 2008 first round draft choice Anthony Hewitt being demoted from Double-A Reading to Class A Advanced Clearwater and first baseman Chris Serritella joined him. Also, Darin Ruf hit the disabled list again after being demoted to Triple-A. But, worst of all was the report that stud OF prospect Domingo Santana was mistakenly included on the list the Astros chose their player

From PhilliesNation- Tyson Gillies, image- Jay Floyd Outfielder Tyson Gillies cleared waivers and was outrighted off the the Phillies’ 40-man roster. He will remain on the Triple-A Lehigh Valley roster. PhilliesNation’s minor league insider Jay Floyd contacted Gillies, who was one of three players acquired in the 2009 trade that sent Cliff Lee to Seattle, for comment today, but the 25-year-old British Columbia native declined to offer any thoughts. Gillies, who has had repeated disciplinary concerns since joining the Phillies organization and reportedly had a verbal bout with coaches over being removed from a game last week, is batting .217 with two homers and 10 RBI in 37 games with the IronPigs this year. - See more at: http://philliesnation.com/#sthash.R2Ao9Cpc.dpuf

The Phillies continued their new approach on the second day of the MLB amateur draft, taking college players with their opening three selections of the day. Taken in the 3rd round (81st overall) was outfielder Aaron Brown, out of Pepperdine.  In his junior season this year, the California native posted a .310/.349/.539 slash line with team highs in homers (12) and RBI (47) for the Waves.  Also a lefty hurler, Brown tallied a 12-1 record with a 2.07 ERA and an 8.28 K/9 mark in 16 games.  Brown, a left-handed batter, was drafted by Cleveland last year and by Pittsburgh out of high school, but did not sign. The Phils' 4th round selection (112th overall) was Chris Oliver, a right-handed pitcher out of Arkansas.  In his junior season, the six-foot-four 180-pounder posted a 9-4 record with a 2.51 ERA and a 5.69 K/9 mark in 16 starts.  Oliver was in the news recently, as he was charged with DWI just a couple days ago.  A 20-year-old, Oliver is likely in store for some considerable

The Phillies altered their typical early round approach this year, going with college hurlers for their top two selections. Choosing 7th overall, their highest pick in 13 years, the Phils chose LSU junior righty Aaron Nola. Additionally, in the 2nd round, the team picked lefty Matt Imhof out of Cal Poly with the 47th overall pick. Nola, a First Team All-American, posted an 11-1 record along with a 1.47 ERA and a 10.37 K/9 mark in 16 starts. The Louisiana native enjoyed a tremendous college career, twice winning SEC Player of the Year honors while compiling a 30-6 overall record with a 2.09 ERA in three seasons. Nola, 21, stands six-foot-one and weighs 196 pounds. He is often praised for his precision control and is projected as a top-of-the-rotation pitcher. Nola was previously selected out of high school in the 22nd round of the 2011 draft by Toronto, but did not sign. His college coach, Paul Mainieri, also coached Brad Lidge at Notre dame. Recent players selected with t

On the 64th edition of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast, Jay chats with catching prospect Andrew Knapp (heard at 42:30) about his return from Tommy John surgery, his draft experience last year, his demotion to Lakewood, and plenty more. Tug and Jay also talk about Lakewood manager Greg Legg 's legendary ejection with quotes from the baseball lifer himself (heard at 37:00), Anthony Hewitt 's disappointing production, Cameron Perkins ' promotion to Lehigh Valley, Jonathan Singleton reaching the big leagues and tons more. Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .

The Lakewood BlueClaws will have four representatives when the Class A South Atlantic League holds its 55th annual All-Star Game on June 17th in Hickory, NC. Standout performers for the BlueClaws all season, J.P. Crawford , Willians Astudillo , Samuel Hiciano and Cody Forsythe were selected to represent the team. Crawford, a shortstop, was the Phillies top draft choice a year ago when he was selected 16th overall. Through 49 games, the lefty batting 19-year-old has posted a .319 average along with three homers, 17 RBI and 10 steals. Astudillo, a Venezuela native, currently sports an 18-game hitting streak and is batting .341 with two homers and 32 RBI this year. The 22-year-old plays first base and catcher. Hiciano, the Claws' left fielder, is batting .273 with six home runs and 24 RBI. The 20-year-old is a native of the Dominican Republic. Forsythe, last year's 25th round draft pick by the Phillies, has been excellent as Lakewood's closer this season. The 2

As this year's amateur draft draws near, this week's minor league rundown will focus exclusively on last year's draft selections. With only a portion of the 2013 class actually playing with full-season clubs, many of the Phillies' 2013 picks will be slated to open their season with short-season Class A Williamsport or possibly with the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies later this month, after spending the past eight weeks or so in extended spring training. Players on that list include 3rd round pick Cord Sandberg , 4th round selection Jake Sweaney as well as 7th rounder Trey Williams . Here's a look at how the active draft class from last year is performing this season. JP Crawford, Image- Jay Floyd Last year's top draft choice (16th overall) J.P. Crawford has quickly shot to the top of Phillies prospect rankings and will be among the top 25 prospects in all of baseball as those lists get refined and updated in the coming weeks and months. Th