Skip to main content

Walding rides power surge into EL All-Star festivities

By
Eastern League home runs leader Mitch Walding will represent the Reading Fightins in the league’s All-Star Game this week in Manchester, NH and will also compete in the event’s Home Run Derby.
 
With 20 big flies thus far this season, the 24-year-old is enjoying a remarkable power surge. He was honored as Eastern League player of the month in June, when he launched 13 homers and sported a 1.246 OP in 25 games.

Through 74 games, the California native has tallied a .240 average and 49 RBI with Double-A Reading this year.
 
Walding, the Phillies 5th round draft selection in 2011, notched a previous career high in round-trippers last year, when he smashed 13 combined home runs in 123 games with Class A Advanced Clearwater and Reading last season.

He credits a refined approach at the plate with his improved offensive production.  

"I changed my swing a little bit," explained Walding.  "I got back to more of what I was doing last year in Clearwater.  I think I got back to what feels good for me.  I went through a period where I was doing something that wasn't really working for me, so I went back to square one, got back to my basics and I think that was best for me, hitting." 

Walding (top) and Tocci, image via Mitch Walding
The six-foot-three 190-pound lefty batter won the Class A Advanced Florida State League All-Star Home Run Derby last year, as a member of the Clearwater Threshers. 

As has become routine around the minor leagues, winners of league Home Run Derbies are awarded championship belts, a la WWE or UFC.

"It would be kind of cool to add another one to the collection, but I have to go out there and do it first,' Walding said.

Aside from the derby, Walding is looking forward to enjoying his time with some Reading teammates in the game.

"It's really great.  I was really excited just to be a part of the All-Star Game and the represent the Phillies and the great organization that they are," Walding said.  "I'm really excited to go out there with a bunch of my buddies and play against some really good talent and have some fun."

Walding will be joined by four teammates on the Eastern Division roster.  Pitchers Drew Anderson and Yacksel Rios as well as outfielders Carlos Tocci and Jiandido Tromp will join Walding.

Tromp, a 23-year-old Aruba native, will also compete in the Home Run Derby.  The righty batter sports a .294 average with 11 homers and 35 RBI in 75 games this year.   

Toronto affiliate New Hampshire hosts the All-Star events with the derby slated for Tuesday, July 11 at 6:30 pm with the All-Star Game itself set for the following night at 7:05 pm.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rappers in Phillies Caps

By
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...
3 comments
Read more

Michael Taylor Q&A

By
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". ...
2 comments
Read more

Ibanez Makes Hall of Fame History

By
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...
Post a Comment
Read more