Five Fightins honored as Eastern League All-Stars

Brock Stassi, image- Jay Floyd

The Reading Fightins will be well represented at the 2015 Eastern League All-Star Game later this month in Portland, Maine when five members of the team head to the annual exhibition. Shortstop J.P. Crawford, outfielders Cam Perkins and Roman Quinn along with starting pitcher Zach Eflin as well as first baseman Brock Stassi have been named to the Eastern Division roster for the game set to be played on July 15th.

Crawford, the Phillies' top prospect, joined Reading just over a month ago and has posted a .267/.377/.405 slash line in 31 games with the Fightins. The lefty batting 20-year-0ld was the 16th overall draft pick in 2013.

Perkins, who is currently on the disabled list with a back issue, has a .252 average with eight home runs and 33 RBI in 61 games. The 24-year-old was the Phillies' 6th round draft choice in 2012.

Quinn, also on the disabled list, sported a .306 average with four homers and 15 RBI along with a league-leading 29 stolen bases when he tore his hip flexor in mid-June. The switch-hitting 22-year-old was the Phils' second round pick in 2011.

Eflin, the prized prospect acquired in the Jimmy Rollins to Los Angeles trade, has a 5-4 record with 2.88 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP in 14 games started. The 21-year-old righty sports a 1.80 ERA over his last five outings.

Stassi, the league leader in RBI with 52, is also among the top ranking players in average (.317), OPS (.856), and hits (82). The 25-year-old has been the offensive catalyst all season long for the Fightins. Stassi was a 33rd round draft selection by the Phillies in 2011.

Speaking recently with Phillies Nation on the possibility of being honored as an All-Star, Stassi was reserved on the topic.

"It'd be an honor," Stassi said. "I haven't made an All-Star team in my career yet and, you know, I don't even know how to put it. I'm not trying to look that far ahead. I really take pride in taking it one pitch at a time, one game at a time, one day at a time. I mean that would be a huge honor, definitely the biggest one in my career thus far, besides being drafted."

Reading's five All-Stars are tied with Portland, Trenton, Akron, and Altoona for most players from one team slated to play in this year's contest.

Comments

All in the Family

22-year-old pitching prospect Nick Hernandez's father helps him stay fit during the off-season Phillies pitching prospect Nick Hernandez spent much of the 2010 regular season on the disabled list with an injury to his throwing shoulder. The 6'4", 215 pound lefty, who was named a mid-season South Atlantic League all-star with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws, attempted comebacks twice during the season, making rehab outings for the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies, but experienced setbacks that curtailed his return to the mound and kept him from helping his teammates lock down a second consecutive league championship for Lakewood. In 8 starts with the BlueClaws last season, the 12th round draft pick from 2009 posted a 3-1 record with a 1.61 ERA and averaged 7 innings per start. Hernandez's strength is throwing a lot of strikes and he owes some of his success to his father, also named Nick (Dad's full first name is spelled Nicolas, while son's name is spell...

Q&A with Justin De Fratus

Justin De Fratus is a 21 year old right handed relief pitcher with the Lakewood BlueClaws. An 11th round draft choice in 2007, Justin had been a starter in his first two seasons in the Phillies organization. Informed this spring that he'd be switched from the rotation to the bullpen, Justin has excelled and become one of the most reliable pitchers on the Lakewood staff. In 19 games this season, Justin is 2-0, with a 1.83 ERA and 0.89 WHIP over 39 1/3 innings pitched. PhoulBallz.com spoke with Justin De Fratus just last night. Here's how that went down... Justin, South Atlantic League all star selections were announced this week, and you were named to the team. Can I get your reaction to that? How excited were you? Very excited about it. Well, especially this year because I just got moved to the bullpen, so this is a new role for me. So, if anything, it's reassuring that I'm doing my job. It's the first time in my pro career that I've been selected as an all star...

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