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Dom Pipkin, image- Jay Floyd Righty pitcher Dominic Pipkin spent the 2019 season with the Class A BlueClaws.  In 24 appearances he tallied a 3-4 record with a 5.15 ERA, a 1.62 WHIP along with a .261 batting average against. Pipkin was a 9th round draft selection in 2018 and is among the organization's most promising hurlers. This week I spoke with the 21-year-old (his birthday is today!) California native about his time at Fall Instructs and more.  Read ahead for that interview. -What can you share about the benefits of Fall Instructs this year following a cancelled regular season?   Instructs after a cancelled season allowed the few players that went to  get live reps in after 6 months of nothing, it was good to get the rust  off and feel that first inning jitter again. -Did you or other players there go harder during your month at Instructs as opposed to a regular fall exhibition schedule that follows an action-packed regular season? We definitely tried a li...

Damon Jones w/ Lakewood in 2018, image- Jay Floyd Lefty pitcher Damon Jones has been a standout performer for the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers this season.  Through seven starts, the 24-year-old sports a 1-2 record with a 0.76 ERA, a .152 batting average against and a 13.2 K/9 mark. An 18th round pick of the Phillies out of Washington State in 2017, Jones has been a solid contributor since turning pro.  Initially, when he debuted with short-season A level Williamsport in 2017, he was used as a reliever, but was switched to a starting role last year with Class A Lakewood, where he went 10-7 with a 3.41 ERA over 23 outings. This week I talked with Damon over the phone to discuss his tremendous success with the Threshers, changes to his mechanics, getting more fit over the off-season and plenty more.  The complete, unabridged version of this interview featuring Jones talking about the differences between MLB and minor league baseball along with his own con...

Spencer Howard, image- Jay Floyd LAKEWOOD, NJ-- Leaving his coaches struggling for words and forcing his tough guy manager to admit he was tearing up, Friday was the best day of Lakewood pitcher Spencer Howard 's life. The right-hander was electric, dominating division rival Kannapolis (White Sox affiliate) in a nine-inning complete game no-hit shutout that clinched a Northern Division Championship and a trip to the South Atlantic League Championship Series for the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. Howard, a second round draft choice of the Phillies last year, struck out nine, walked one, hit a batter and tossed a wild pitch, but held the Intimidators without a hit or any runs, in an outing that was as impressive a performance as you could see. Waves of emotions came over everyone at FirstEnergy Park.  Some expressed their joy with excitement and cheering.  Others, like BlueClaws manager Marty Malloy , felt a little different. "I'm just at a loss for words," M...

Connor Brogdon, image- MiLB.com Right-handed pitcher Connor Brogdon has been a key part of the Class A Lakewood pitching staff all year long.  After opening the 2018 campaign in the starting rotation, and posting a 1-2 record with a 3.73 ERA over seven starts, the 23-year-old was moved into a relief role, where he has been excellent.  In 21 relief appearances, Brogdon has tallied a 4-1 record with four saves, a 1.64 ERA, a .190 batting average against and a 12.0 K/9 mark. A 10th round draft pick last year out of Lewis-Clark State (the same school that produced former Phillies farm hand Tyler Knigge) by the Phillies, Brogdon, a California native, is listed at 6-feet-6-inches tall and 192 pounds. I spoke with Brogdon recently about his team's excitement level for the upcoming South Atlantic League playoffs, his refined pitch repertoire, the role changes he's undergone this season and plenty more.  Read ahead for that full interview. -I just wanted to get some th...

Brad Bergesen, image- Jay Floyd Last week I talked with Class A Lakewood pitching coach Brad Bergesen about his staff, a group that leads the South Atlantic League with a 2.79 mark through action on Tuesday. Prospects discussed include relievers Connor Brogdon and Zach Warren , injured starter Kyle Young , as well as lefty starters David Parkinson and Will Stewart . Read ahead for that interview. -We saw Spencer Howard with a nice outing today.  What did you see from him? I saw a lot of good there today.  I was very, very pleased with the stuff he was featuring today.  I think he had four plus pitches.  There was a few hitters where- two, three hitters—where he got a little out of whack, but then he regained it, but overall I thought it was a very, very good outing for him. -Where does this outing rank among his other efforts this season? I think overall, just a solid outing for him.  I think it’s one he can build his confide...

Spencer Howard, image- Jay Floyd Compared to some of his Lakewood BlueClaws teammates starting pitcher Spencer Howard may not be having an exceptionally remarkable campaign, but he’s starting to show enough progress to get both the Phillies and fans excited. On a pitching staff that leads the Class A South Atlantic League in earned run average with a 2.81 ERA through action played on Sunday, a hurler with a personal ERA of 4.50, as Howard has, might normally not be all that noteworthy. That could especially be the case when a pair of his teammates, Will Stewart and David Parkinson, rank first and third in the league in ERA respectively. But the Phillies second round draft choice from 2017, Howard, feels that he’s made the right amount of progress and is proud of what his teammates are accomplishing. The environment is enjoyable and fortifying for all of the BlueClaws’ promising young pitchers. They're supportive of one another and they each push the next man with friendl...

The Lakewood BlueClaws are sending six players to the Class A South Atlantic League All-Star Game, slated to be played on Tuesday evening at 7:05pm at First National Bank Field in Greensboro, NC. Following the last regular season game of the first half on Sunday, I talked with a pair of those BlueClaws All-Stars, third baseman Jake Scheiner and relief pitcher Addison Russ about representing their team in the mid-season exhibition, among some other things. Read ahead for quotes galore from this talented twosome. Jake Scheiner... -Some of the offensive guys I've talked to on the team have cited concern over a bit of under-performing at times this season.  Do you feel like you've performed up to personal expectations you may have had coming into the season? Yeah.  I felt like my numbers didn't show well in the beginning.  But, I stuck with my approach and kept it going and it led me to getting a nominated for the All-Star Game.  I think our whole line up ...

David Parkinson, image- Jay Floys Starting pitcher David Parkinson is among the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws' collection of outstanding hurler this season.  Through 10 starts, the 22-year-old left-hander sports a 5-1 record with a 1.21 ERA, a .206 batting average against as well as a 10.9 K/9 mark. The Virginia native was a 12th round draft pick out of the University of Mississippi by the Phillies last year. Recently, I spoke with Parkinson about his wonderful results this year, lessons from his pitching coach Brad Bergesen, his game plan on the mound, meeting a big leaguer while competing in Little League and plenty more. Read ahead for that complete interview... -Your numbers, the whole pitching staff's numbers, have been remarkable.  Almost disgusting. Just an impressive season so far.  Talk about your efforts so far this season. I think us, collectively as a staff, are just controlling the games.  A small thing that "Bergy" teaches, our pitching coac...

Damon Jones, image- Jay Floyd The Lakewood BlueClaws pitching staff has been leading the Class A South Atlantic League in team ERA for several weeks.  In 62 contests, the Claws' staff features a 2.62 ERA.  Furthermore, the starting rotation has been marvelous, placing four of its six members in the top ten on the league's ERA leaderboard. Left-hander Damon Jones has had a hand in the club's remarkable production.  An 18th round draft selection by the Phillies last year out of Washington State, Jones has posted a 4-2 record with a 2.12 ERA, a .223 batting average against and a 9.7 K/9 mark through 10 starts. Recently, I sat down with Jones to talk about his efforts this year, his teammates in the BlueClaws' starting rotation, his pitch repertoire and more. Read on for that full interview. -Talk to me about your impressions of the league and maintaining your tremendous results thus far. It's a really good league.  I know we have a great rotation thus fa...

Brad Bergesen, image- Jay Floyd Joining Class A Lakewood as this team's pitching coach this year is former Orioles and Diamondback pitcher Brad Bergesen.  After wrapping up a 13-year playing career last year, the 32-year-old joined the coaching ranks this past off-season. Last week I spoke with Bergesen about his young BlueClaws pitching staff including last year's second round draft selection Spencer Howard, starter Will Stewart, who is off to a hot start with a pair of wins and no earned runs allowed in his first two outings, and reliever Kyle Dohy, who has two saves and nine strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings through three games. Read ahead for that full interview. -What are you early impressions of this BlueClaws pitching staff thus far? I'm super excited about this group.  It's a great group, a lot of energy, a lot of guys that like to work and are eager to learn, so I'm very, very excited about this group. -Will Stewart with a nice pair of outings to op...