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Dusty Wathan, image- Jay Floyd Multiple reports in recent days state that long-time Phillies minor league skipper is in the running among the team's short list of finalists for their vacant managerial position.  With a pedigree in the sport and a history with a majority of the club's talent, Wathan is the right choice for the role. The son of former Kansas City Royals manager John Wathan, Dusty practically grew up around in a dugout and on the diamond.  Following his playing career which included time in the majors with the Royals and wrapped up at the Triple-A level for the Phils in 2007, Wathan's managerial got rolling in 2008.  At that time he was named the skipper for the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters.  The following season, Wathan led Class A Lakewood BlueClaws to their first of back-to-back South Atlantic League titles. Wathan managed the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers in 2010 and 2011, where a collection of talented minor le...

It's the landmark 69th edition of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast with our special guest Phillies pitcher Justin De Fratus . Joining the program in studio, Justin sat in for an extensive interview talking about his time in the minors, his past "controversial" Twitter comments as well as playing for Charlie Manuel and Ryne Sandberg . He also shares stories about initiating former teammate Brian Gump to Class A ball and how former big league All-Star Brad Lidge impacted his approach after Lidge's retirement plus loads more. Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .

On the 64th edition of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast, Jay chats with catching prospect Andrew Knapp (heard at 42:30) about his return from Tommy John surgery, his draft experience last year, his demotion to Lakewood, and plenty more. Tug and Jay also talk about Lakewood manager Greg Legg 's legendary ejection with quotes from the baseball lifer himself (heard at 37:00), Anthony Hewitt 's disappointing production, Cameron Perkins ' promotion to Lehigh Valley, Jonathan Singleton reaching the big leagues and tons more. Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .

On the 59th edition of the show, Jay chats with former big league All-Star Lance Parrish about coaching in the minors, his time with the Phillies and who helped him the most in his career. Tug and Jay also discuss the hot starts for Cameron Perkins , Carlos Tocci , Willians Astudillo and Koyie Hill . The guys also discuss Zach Green 's injury, Jesse Biddle 's improvements, Tug's blossoming friendship with Charlie Manuel and more. Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .   **UPDATE** Despite info stated on the show asserting that Zach Green's reassignment to the extended spring training roster had him relocated to Florida with that actual team, it's simply a paper move and the youngster is still with his Lakewood teammates for the time being, according to a source. Details of Green's injury on the episode are accurate.

Jay and Tug and back with another edition of the PhoulBallz Podcast. On episode 38, righty pitching prospect Tyler Knigge phones in to chat about his progress in the minors, baseball cards and social networking.  The guys also chat about J.P. Crawford 's promotion to Lakewood, Ichiro Suzuki 's 4,000th hit achievement and Roy Halladay 's backtracking over comments he stated about the Phillies' managerial switch. Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .

Initially on Friday, the Phillies announced a press conference of an unspecified nature.  Then, news began to leak that Charlie Manuel , would be replaced as skipper of the team he had led throughout their strongest period in organization history. The beloved 69-year-old took the Phillies to two World Series, winning the team's second ever title in 2008 and losing to the Yankees in 2009.  Unfortunately, the past is just that, and with the team floundering in fourth place in the National League East, 20 1/2 games out, with a 53-67 record, team executives felt that a change was in order.  In nine seasons with the Phils, Manuel notched a 780-636 record in the regular season.  General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced that Manuel was asked to stay on with the Phillies, in some front office capacity and it was said that Manuel accepted that role for the remainder of the season, but Manuel then asserted that he would need to take some time off.  As a result...

Infielder Kevin Frandsen proved to be one of the most pleasant surprises for the Phillies in 2012.  In a season that saw the infield struggle with injuries, the team called up the California native to fill a void at third base and he proved to be a worthy addition.  Frandsen, who was an International League All-Star last year for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, joined the Phillies in late July and proceed to notch a .338 average with two homers and 14 RBI in 55 contests. The 30-year-old Frandsen, who is a .267 career big league hitter, is slated to be the key reserve for a Phils infield that projects to be at full health headed into the 2013 season.  Last week, I spoke with Kevin about his success with the Phillies, his two managers from last season, his unique foundation and more.  Read ahead to check out the full interview. -Kevin, you had a lot of success last year at the Triple-A level and in the majors.  I just wanted to get some thoughts from you on wha...

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel grows older each year, but you'd never know it from the gusto he exudes when talking about a new season ready to blossom. Decades of the baseball grind, thousands of miles worth of annual travel, countless ups and downs and the pressure that comes with coaching in the most demanding sports city in the nation simply don't take a toll on the 69-year-old. Appearing at the annual charity winter banquet held at Lakewood, NJ's Woodlake Country Club on Wednesday, Manuel smiled and expressed considerable enthusiasm toward what's to come. The baseball lifer, whose days in pro ball date back to 1963, beamed as though he was slated to begin his coaching career instead of heading into what some deem as potentially being his final year leading a team, as his contract is up following the season. Manuel, who is entering his ninth season as the skipper of the Phils, is excited about many aspects of the current team, despite finishing last seaso...

This off-season the Phillies improved their offense quite a bit by adding multiple free agent reserve types. One of those acquisitions, Jim Thome , is a familiar face that made the man who is in charge of the team each game day extremely pleased. Phils' manager Charlie Manuel knows what Jim Thome can do and looks forward to the type of contributions Thome will make on and off the field. Manuel coached and managed Thome during the 1990's and early-2000's in Cleveland, and then managed Thome again in Philadelphia in 2005. Thome, who ranks 8th among MLB sluggers all-time in homeruns with 604, solidifies a Phillies bench that lacked power last year, especially from the left side. Manuel, the most winning manager in team history, knew from Thome's days as an emerging power hitter, that the now 41-year-old would become an elite slugger in the sport. "I've been around Jimmy about the first fifteen years of his career. I'll tell you something, when I look at hi...

With the Phillies' 7-1 victory over the Braves on Tuesday night, milestones were reached. Not only did the Phillies tie their single season wins record by matching the 1976 and 1977 teams that had 101 wins, the win also tied Charlie Manuel with Gene Mauch on the all-time managerial wins list in team history with 645. Manuel began managing the Phillies in 2005 and has helped the franchise take command of a division that had previously been dominated by Atlanta and New York. Manuel reached the landmark win total in two fewer seasons than Mauch needed. Mauch's tenure as skipper of the Phillies lasted from 1960-1968. Additional highlights from Tuesday's win were the solid outings from righty starter Roy Oswalt and left-handed reliever Antonio Bastardo. The 6 IP/0 run outing by the veteran Oswalt completed a foursome of excellent showings by the projected Phillies playoff rotation in their final starts of the regular season. As pointed out by Phillies.com's Todd Zolecki ,...

It was a remarkable game to say the least. It was clearly a contest that players, fans and media alike will be talking about with fondness for years to come... "Remember how Rollins kept making all those great plays on defense?" "Remember how terrific Baez was in out of the 'pen?" "Oh man...and how about Valdez PITCHING?!" The list of facts and stats pertaining to this game goes on and on... Wilson Valdez (who notched 3 hits and a walk) is the first MLB position player to win a game since Brent Mayne did it in 2000 for the Rockies. Also, Valdez is the first MLB player to start the game at a position other than pitcher and earn the win since Babe Ruth did it in 1921. It was the longest game in the history of Citizens Bank Park. It was the Phils' longest game since they played 20 innings in 1993. Charlie Manuel was previously on record saying that he would not use a position player to pitch. Phillies relievers threw 12 innings. Starting catcher Carlo...

The Phillies announced Wednesday that manager Charlie Manuel's contract has been extended through the 2013 season. The new contract squashed the remaining year on Manuel's previous deal and revamps the agreement the Phillies have with Manuel in 2011. The new agreement extends Manuel for two additional seasons, through 2013, and will reportedly pay the native West Virginian between $9.5 and $10 million over the three years. Via a press release from the Phillies today, team general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. stated, "We are pleased to have come to terms with Charlie. He has been an integral part of the success we've had over the past several years. There was little doubt that he was going to continue to be our skipper past his current contract and we look forward to the next three years with the hopes of continued success." With Manuel at the helm from 2005 through 2010, Philadelphia has posted the best overall record among all teams in the National League, at 544-428....

If you missed it over the weekend, Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins is back at it again...offering up his predictions for the upcoming season. In 2007, the Phillies were in the midst of a 14-year postseason drought when Rollins began the season by asserting that the Phillies the team to beat in the National League East division. In the end, Rollins and his teammates clinched the division title on the final day of the season. A year after that, Rollins promised 100 victories. The Phils didn't quite reach that mark during the regular season, but were able to reach the goal during the postseason and eventually brought home their second World Series championship as well. On Saturday, the former National League most valuable player told members of the media, "We'll win 100 games. You know, I really plan on going after, who is it? I know Seattle won 114 or something....we're gonna get somewhere, hopefully, in that range. But that requires everybody doing their job." Thi...

If you missed it, Philies manager Charlie Manuel sat down with WIP hosts Anthony Gargano and Glen Macnow this week and in response to a question, Charlie mistakenly used the phrase "tickle my fantasy" instead of "tickle my fancy". Check out the media player below for a little fun with Charlie's unique quote. _________________________________________________________________ You can follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter by clicking HERE . Connect with PhoulBallz.com on Facebook by clicking HERE .

In a press release today, the Philadelphia Phillies announced their 2011 Major League coaching staff, which includes former Phillie Juan Samuel, who joins the club as the third base coach and outfield instructor. Previous Phillies third base coach Sam Perlozzo will be moving over to coach first base. A spot on the Phils' coaching staff was vacated when Davey Lopes recently announced he would not be returning next year , due to a contract dispute. Lopes had been the Phillies first base coach for the past four seasons. The 49-year-old Samuel had spent the previous four season coaching third base with the Baltimore Orioles, which included a stint as their interim manager following the dismissal of Dave Trembley in June. Samuel has also coached with the Tigers and managed at the Double A level in the Metropolitans' system. Samuel was the Phillies Wall of Fame inductee in 2008. A 3-time all-star during his playing career, Samuel batted .263, hit 100 HR and stole 249 bases in his Phi...

Clutch doubles, an outfield assist, solid bullpen pitching, a big game from rookie phenom Buster Posey and questionable moves with the Phillies' pitching staff all added up to a win and a 3-1 series lead for the NL West champions when game 4 of the National League Championship Series was done. At San Francisco's AT&T Park on Wednesday evening, the Giants plugged away, scoring in 5 different innings. They got on the board in the 1st, when the 23-year-old Posey drove home Freddy Sanchez with a single to centerfield. Posey then slapped a double in the 3rd inning, to plate Aubrey Huff and put San Francisco up 2-0. The Phillies got some offense of their own rolling in the 5th inning when Ben Francisco and Carlos Ruiz got the team's first back-to-back hits of the series. Shane Victorino then stepped in and slapped a single to center that drove home Francisco, but Aaron Rowand gunned down Ruiz at home plate for an out. Chase Utley then singled. Placido Polanco stepped up and d...

The Phillies played a simulated game on Tuesday, in which Joe Blanton started. Blanton threw roughly 60 pitches against the Phillies regular lineup. The fact that Blanton saw a considerable amount of action on the mound could be telling that the team wishes for him to be ready to start game 4 of the National League Championship Series in San Francisco. However, the series results could decide Blanton's status. If the Phillies trail after 3 games, it could be deemed necessary to use presumed game 1 starter Roy Halladay on short rest in game 4. Manager Charlie Manuel announced on Tuesday that the team would be off on Wednesday, then return to Citizens Bank Park for a workout on Thursday at 1pm. A schedule has not been announced for Friday as of yet, as both the Giants and Phillies will work out at CBP that day. Placido Polanco was seen at practice on Tuesday using a unique method to hide Raul Ibanez's mitt. What else does he have in there? Roy Oswalt was spotted doing his best C...

Plenty of noteworthy happenings are going on all around the Phillies organization. The Phillies are the leaders for the National League wild card after defeating the Giants in the first two games of their series in Philadelphia. Something I've pondered regarding this...should the Phillies enter the playoffs for the first time in team history as the league's wild card entrant and advance no further, would they fly a flag to honor it like they do for their other post-season achievements and, if so, what color would it be? The Phillies currently fly red flags for World Championships, blue flags for League Pennants and white flags for division titles. Expect "Bet your sweet ass" to be this season's quote of the year, a la " Get me to the plate, boys !" If you missed Jayson Werth's remarks about what Charlie Manuel had to say recently about Jimmy Rollins' ability to hit, check out the media player below. Ryan Howard (sprained ankle) is targeting a Mon...

Charlie Manuel is off the hook. The Phillies manager was subject to loads of ridicule after Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto was initially left off of the National League all-star team. Manuel, as the manager of the NL team that made it to the World Series last year, will manage this year's NL all-star team and has some say in which players make the roster. Manuel had been critiqued heavily for selecting his own first baseman, Phillie Ryan Howard, and Atlanta utility man Omar Infante over Votto to the team. Thanks to online fan voting to fill the final spot on the all-star rosters, Votto made the team and prevented what could have been the most stunning all-star snub in recent memory. Votto leads the National League in homeruns and OPS (on base percentage + slugging percentage). Additionally, he ranks among the top 5 in the league in RBI and batting avg. Upon learning of the news, Votto stated that he was relieved the final vote was over. Votto also told reporters, "I’...

Dear Charlie Manuel, What has the man they love to call "Benny Fresh" done to draw your ire? Last season after Benny was acquired in July, along with that Cliff Lee guy, he rarely went more than a couple days without an at bat. However, this season, Mr. Francisco just can't seem to get any playing time. Since April 27th, Ben has gotten just 1 at bat. In 2009 with your Phillies, Ben didn't go a calendar week without 6 at bats and had at least 10 at bats per week down the stretch, as your Phils approached the postseason. Are you still upset over that little thing where Ben went 0-for-11 in the postseason last year? Forgiveness is a gift that you can give to yourself, Charlie. I know he's batting .211 with just 1 RBI this season, and yes, and he is struggling mightily compared to last season, but what do you expect from a guy with just 19 at bats since spring training? If Benny suspiciously used binoculars and caused a national controversy, might he gain your support...