Top Pick Randolph not discouraged by slow start

"C" Randolph, Image- Jay Floyd

After starting the season with some struggles at the plate for the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws, last year's top Phillies draft pick Cornelius Randolph has maintained a positive approach.

Fresh off a season-opening road trip that saw the 18-year-old go 2-for-28 (.071 avg) in six contests, the young man that goes by the nickname "C" was anxiously awaiting the moment when he would start shaking off some bad luck at the plate and seeing his efforts pay off.

"In the box I feel good. I mean, I'm seeing pitches early. I'm taking good swings, I'm just not getting the results I want. That's part of baseball. It's gonna happen. I'm not too much worried about it," Randolph stated in the home dugout at Lakewood's FirstEnergy Park prior to Thursday's home opener.

After debuting as a pro last year, the five-foot-11 205-pound lefty batter looked sharp with the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies. In 53 games, Randolph posted a .302 batting average with 15 doubles, three triples, a home run and 24 RBI.

Manager Shawn Williams, who is entering his second season at the helm for the BlueClaws, is confident the Georgia native will soon show BlueClaws fans the skill set that made him the tenth overall pick in last year's amateur draft.

"The bat speed is there and that's what's impressive (about him). The things I have seen- guys with really good fastballs, which is hard to do, he'll turn it right around on them. For me, that tool, it's hard to really teach hitting and you can't teach bat speed and he's got the ability to hit.

"For me, he's exciting just watching him hit. He's done a fine job defensively. He can run a little bit. He can steal a base. He has instincts. He knows how to steal a base. So it's kind of looking forward to him getting going and seeing the full package," Williams stated.

With the BlueClaws taking on Greensboro in their home opener on Thursday night, Randolph looked comfortable at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI while drawing three walks.

Did he feel pressure to turn things around?

"None at all, honestly. I know it's going to happen, so I'm not really stressed and I'm just trying to barrel the ball up right now," Randolph said.

He'll continue to put bat to ball throughout the weekend, as the BlueClaws host Greensboro for three more games (Friday at 7:05pm, Saturday at 4:05pm, Sunday at 1:05pm). Tickets for each contest are just $1 each.

Lidge Shaky, T-Mac Honored in Trenton

TRENTON, NJ- Brad Lidge made his second rehab appearance for the Double A Reading Phillies on Thursday night and it didn't go as well as the veteran reliever or the team had hoped. Lidge struggled with his command and turned in a rather poor outing for the club that entered the night in a playoff race, 1 game behind division rival Trenton for the Wild Card spot in the Eastern Division. On the disabled list since spring training with a strained right rotator cuff, Lidge experienced an elbow strain when he was working back from that issue in late May. In his outing against the Yankees affiliate in Trenton, Lidge displayed difficulty with his control as he threw three wild pitches, hit two batters, walked another and gave up a single, all while letting up two earned runs on 28 pitches in 2/3 of an inning. After the disappointing performance, Lidge was composed and focused on some positive aspects, having reached 89 and 90 MPH on scouts' radar guns, according to some reports. ...

A Letter to This Guy

Dear Cardinals fan, When a homerun ball is hit in your direction, do not close your eyes and raise both hands far above your head, leaving your face/chest/neck/head defenseless. Jayson Werth long balls to the cranium are probably not very comfortable. Next time, let the guy in the pajama pants behind you take a crack at it. He may not know how to dress well, but he keeps his eyes open in the face of killer shots from World Champion outfielders. Love, PhoulBallz.com PS- Stay hot.

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

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