Skip to main content

News and notes: 9/9/21

By
For anyone wondering, "What's up, PhoulBallz.com?"...

Well, interviewing players with COVID related restrictions is difficult to make happen.  I'm still not permitted on the field, in the locker room or any other place that the Phillies of the future do their things.  I still reach out to players and without knowing me, the players aren't as swift to provide me with the feedback I desire.  

With that said, I don't have the stories to tell, like I once did.  I am hopeful that we'll get back to that, as things return to normal down the line.  

Pitcher Adam Leverett, who has moved between levels with some frequency of late, has promised to set aside some time for me to do an interview.  We just haven't made that happen yet.  

The 22-year-old right-hander was a 15th round draft choice in 2019.  Combined at three levels this year, Leverett sports a 4-5 record, a 3.54 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP and a 9.6 K/9 mark in 20 games primarily as a starter.  He opened the season with Class A Advanced Jersey Shore and has since been promoted to Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley.  

Swift-footed outfielder Corbin Williams was released this week.  A 24th round pick in 2018, the 23-year-old struggled offensively with Class A Advanced Jersey Shore this summer.  In 34 games with the BlueClaws, the righty hitter posted a .171 batting average with a disappointing .469 OPS.  In 2019 Williams was named as a short-season Class A New York-Penn League All-Star as a member of the Williamsport Crosscutters.  

Highly touted outfield prospect Johan Rojas is scorching hot after joining the BlueClaws recently.  Through seven contests, the 21-year-old Dominican has notched a .385/.467/.538 slash line.
  
Vito Friscia, image- Jay Floyd
BlueClaws first baseman Vito Friscia has departed from the team in order to join Team Italy in the European Baseball Championship, which is set to take place in Piedmont, Italy beginning on Sunday, September 12th.  The 24-year-old righty batter has tallied a .265 average with seven home runs and 40 RBI through 76 games with Class A Advanced Jersey Shore this season.  He also played one game at the Triple-A level, going 1-for-3 with a double for Lehigh Valley.  The Italian national team will be managed by MLB legend Mike Piazza. 

Jersey Shore has been unable to wear matching caps with their Copa de la Diversion jerseys.  The initiative designed to connect minor league teams with Hispanic and Latino communities via alternate identities and uniforms sees the BlueClaws become the Medusas de Jersey Shore in specially designated dates.  Supply and fulfillment concerns related to cap company New Era have left the 'Claws without enough matching hats for the team and fans.  Thus, the club has been wearing their road cap for recent "Copa" dates. 

Double-A Reading's schedule continues to be on hold as their scheduled opponent, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto affiliate) remain unable to compete due to health and safety protocols related to COVID-19.  

Outfielder Simon Muzziotti, who recently returned to action after dealing with immigration and related legal concerns, would likely have been assigned to Reading, if they were able to play.  Instead, he's been active with Jersey Shore this week.  In six combined games in the Florida Complex League, the Class A Southeast and Class A Advanced East, the 22-year-old Venezuelan sports a .333 average with a pair of doubles, a triple, three RBI and three walks.  

This year's first round draft pick by the Phillies, Andrew Painter, made his first two professional appearances over the past week.  Both outings were just one inning of work each in the Rookie level Florida Complex League.  He's given up one hit, struck out three and surrendered no runs thus far in the minors.  Painter, an 18-year-old righty, was the 13th overall draft choice this year.  

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Drabek Preparing For Next Step

By
The transition has been easy for Kyle Drabek. In December, he was part of a package of young prospects that was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for ace pitcher Roy Halladay. Now, as though nothing has changed, he's right back where he was last season...the star prospect on the pitching staff of a team in the Double A Eastern League. Drabek has often stated that he wanted to stay in the Philadelphia organization, who drafted him in the first round of the 2006 amateur draft. The 22-year-old thought after the midseason trade rumors, that surrounded him possibly going to Toronto last year, passed with no action that all the turmoil was over and that he could simply relax and focus on getting to the big leagues with the Phillies. That wasn't the case, as the deal eventually came to fruition over the off-season. In the Blue Jays system this season, Drabek doesn't have to worry about being dealt. He only has to concern himself with opposing batters and working on his secondary pit...
2 comments
Read more

Lidge Shaky, T-Mac Honored in Trenton

By
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. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

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