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On this week's edition of Phillies Nation Ian Riccaboni joined hosts Rachel Micali and Corey Seidman to talk about the Phillies dealing ace hurler Cole Hamels and All-Star closer Jonathan Papelbon . Minor league insider Jay Floyd also joins the panel to talk about the organization's rising prospects like Aaron Altherr , Andrew Knapp and Roman Quinn as well as members of this year's draft class such as Cornelius Randolph and Kyle Martin . Also, Timothy Parker joins the show with a profile piece on the local youth baseball RBI program. Check out this week's episode in the media player below. Look for new episodes each Tuesday at 6PM on The Comcast Network with replays throughout the week on TCN and Comcast Sportsnet.

This afternoon Phillies Nation's minor league insider Jay Floyd joined Matt Leon on KYW 1060 AM to speak about the widely reported trade of Cole Hamels to Texas as well as the crop of guys the Phillies are slated to receive in return, mainly OF Nick Williams and catcher Jorge Alfaro . Also discussed is the current state of the Phils' minor league system and how the organization has bounced back in regards to possessing a collection of great young talents. Check out the media player below to listen to the segment.

The Cole Hamels to Texas trade is a six-for-two ( plus money ) deal with lefty reliever Jake Diekman joining the Phillies' former ace on his way to the Rangers in return for big league starting pitcher Matt Harrison as well as the following prospects- pitchers Jerad Eickhoff , Alec Asher and Jake Thompson , outfielder Nick Williams and catcher Jorge Alfaro . Eickhoff, a 25-year-old righty, tallied a 1-0 record with a 2.70 ERA in two starts at the Triple-A level this year and had a 4.25 ERA and an 8.24 K/9 mark in 18 games at Double-A this season. The six-foot-four 240-pounder was a 15th round draft pick in 2011. Eickhoff throws a mid-90's fastball as well as a curve ball and a change up. It's possible his future is out of the bullpen. Asher, a righty, tallied a 3-6 record with a 4.73 ERA in 12 games at Triple-A after posting a 1-4 record with a 3.98 ERA in eight Double-A games this season. The six-foot-four 230-pounder was a 4th round draft selection in 2012. With ...

In what could have been a farewell by Cole Hamels to Philadelphia, the veteran lefty tossed a no-hitter on Saturday at Chicago's Wrigley Field. En route to his first career nine-inning hitless bid, Hamels struck out 13 and walked two to move his season record to 6-7 while tossing 129 pitches to mark his first win since May 23rd. The shutout victory could also serve as an up close audition as Hamels, who has been the subject of loads of trade talks in recent weeks, has been rumored to be of interest to the Cubs, who are 1 1/2 game out of the National League's second Wild Card spot. The Phillies won the contest 5-0, led by Ryan Howard 's 17th home run of the season, a three-run blast in the third inning. The game marked the first time the Cubs have been no-hit since the Dodgers' Sandy Koufax accomplished the feat in 1965.

On this week's edition of Phillies Nation, Pat and Corey talked about the resignation of Ryne Sandberg as the Phils' manager, movement in the team's front office, Chase Utley 's injury and the hot bat of rookie third baseman Maikel Franco . The episode also features a profile on top prospect J.P. Crawford with remarks from Reading coach Mickey Morandini as well as a segment from the Hamels Foundations' Diamonds and Denim charity event featuring comments from Ryan Howard , Cody Asche and Cole Hamels . Check out the full episode in the media player below. New episodes premiere each Tuesday at 6PM on The Comcast Network.

Hoping to keep things light on the first day of spring training, Phillies starting pitcher Cliff Lee showed up to speak with members of the media toting a plastic answer providing assistant.  With his Magic 8 Ball by his side, the 36-year-old proclaimed with a smile that he'd use the device to help with any hard questions. Relying on the toy for answers related to teammate Cole Hamels ' proclamation this week that the Phillies won't be winners and if he'd wish to be traded to a contender, Lee offered more genuine thoughts on his outlook overall.  The four-time All-Star pledged his focus to win a championship for the team he's currently with. "Until we get out there and play the games, get ourself in a certain position, I can't expect to do anything other than to win and get to the World Series, and win a World Series," Lee asserted.  "That's the only way I know how to look at it." Team general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. w...

Phillies ace Cole Hamels started his career in Lakewood Cole Hamels has achieved a lot as a professional pitcher, but, as many realize, his accomplished career began in the minor leagues.  To honor his time in the developmental ranks, the 30-year-old lefty hurler will have his jersey number 19 retired by the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws prior to the team's game on Monday, June 9th. Hamels, who was the Phillies' top draft choice in 2002 (17th overall), made his pro debut with the BlueClaws in 2003.  As a 19-year-old in the South Atlantic League, Hamels tallied a 6-1 record with a 0.84 ERA in 13 starts before earning a promotion to Class A Advanced Clearwater. "Cole is the greatest pitcher that has come through Lakewood and certainly worthy of having his #19 retired by the BlueClaws," said team general manager Chris Tafrow. "His level of dominance as a BlueClaw speaks for itself, and we have been thrilled to see him carry his professional success that star...

On episode 53 of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast, Jay interviews pro wrestling superstar Joey Ryan, who chats about independent wrestling, his try out for the WWE, his time with TNA, being a finalist for the MLB Fan Cave as well as his beloved LA Angels. Tug and Jay also remember former Phils manager and Angels legend Jim Fregosi and chat about the Phillies' pitching staff for the coming season plus much 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 this week's edition of Phillies Nation TV, Pat and Corey run down all the key storylines going on at the big league level, with details on Ben Revere 's offensive contributions, Cole Hamels ' struggles, Cliff Lee 's trade value and plenty more. Additionally, the program features an interview I did with Double-A Reading reliever Kyle Simon , who was acquired from the Orioles last year in the Jim Thome trade. A fun parking lot trivia contest is also featured. Check out the full episode in the media player below and look for new episodes each Tuesday at 6PM on The Comcast Network, as well as replays all throughout the week on TCN and Comcast SportsNet. Your browser does not support iframes.

A late-season hot streak has the Phillies (72-71) right in the thick of the playoff race, following three quarters of the season in which the five-time defending National League East division champions seemed to be out of the mix for a sixth consecutive post-season appearance. The Phils have won 7 straight games to climb the standings and sit within 3 games of a Wild Card spot. The Astros (45-98), however, are stuck in last place in the NL Central and possess the worst record in the majors. Houston has a 12-45 record since the All-Star break. As PhilliesNation.com's Eric Seidman points out , the Astros have performed extremely well late in the season against the Phillies. From 2009-2011, Houston won 12 of 15 contests against the Phils from August onward. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and other key statistics from this series. Thursday, 8:05 PM. Tyler Cloyd (1-1, 4.24 ERA) vs. Lucas Harrell (10-9, 3.83 ERA). Cloyd, the Phillies' 18th round draft pick...

A pair of division rivals face off this weekend as the Phillies (62-69) travel to Atlanta to take on the Braves (74-57) in a 3-game series beginning Friday night at Turner Field. In the opener, the Phils will send ace right-hander Roy Halladay, who is 0-1 with an 8.74 ERA in 2 starts against the Braves this year, to the mound. Atlanta will counter with 2009 1st round draft selection Mike Minor, who has won just once in his past 5 home starts. Read ahead for more details on the pitching match ups and loads of key statistics from this series. Friday, 7:35 PM. Roy Halladay (8-7, 3.88 ERA) vs. Mike Minor (7-10, 4.71 ERA). Halladay has posted a 4-1 record with a 2.75 ERA over his last 5 starts. On the road this season, Halladay is 3-4 with a 4.31 ERA in 9 starts. In 5 career starts at Turner Field, Halladay is 1-2 with a 3.57 ERA and a .259 batting average against. Chipper Jones is 10-for-19 (.526 avg) with 3 doubles and 3 HR in his career against Halladay. Minor, a lefty, has a 1-2 record...

With their newly extended lefty ace in tow, the Phillies (45-54) hit the road and visit the Braves (54-44) to begin a three-game set on Friday night at Turner Field in Atlanta. This week, the Phils signed their three-time All-Star and former World Series Most Valuable Player Cole Hamels to a six-year $144 million pact. Hamels was the team's 1st round draft selection back in 2002 and he'll start the series opener. The Phillies will begin the road trip without third baseman Placido Polanco , who was placed on the disabled list with back inflammation, retroactive to July 23rd. International League hit leader Kevin Frandsen was promoted from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill Polanco's void on the big league roster. Read ahead for information on the pitching match ups and plenty more details for this series. Friday, 7:35 PM. Cole Hamels (11-4, 3.23 ERA) vs. Ben Sheets (2-0, 0.00 ERA). In his last 5 starts, Hamels is 1-1 with a 3.19 ERA. Hamels has a 6-1 record with a 3....

MLB announced its 2012 Major League All-Star rosters on Sunday. Starting pitcher Cole Hamels , catcher Carlos Ruiz and closer Jonathan Papelbon will all represent the Phillies in the annual exhibition. The left-handed Hamels has a 10-4 record with a 3.08 ERA through 16 starts this season. This is Hamels' third All-Star selection. The 28-year-old has averaged 9 strike outs per 8 innings in 2012. Ruiz, named as an All-Star for the first time, led the majors in hitting heading into game action on Sunday with a .358 mark. Additionally, the 33-year-old Panama native has slugged 11 homers with 43 RBI. Ruiz will back up starting catcher Buster Posey , who was voted as the NL starter by the fans. Papelbon, a right-hander, becomes an All-Star Game for the fifth time, his first in the National League. The 31-year-old has a 2-2 record with 18 saves and a 3.03 ERA. Papelbon has not allowed a run this season in 14 games away from Citizens Bank Park. The 2012 All-Star game will take ...

It was a move that nobody seemed to expect. But, as the afternoon hours turned to evening hours, baseball insiders began to trickle out rumors online that the Phillies were the previously rumored mystery team making offers to Cliff Lee and, later, negotiations were confirmed by multiple sources. At about midnight the story broke that the Phillies had locked down the services of the man they traded away one year ago...Cliff Lee. On December 14th, 2009 the big story was the trade to acquire Roy Halladay and the subsequent deal that sent Cliff Lee away to Seattle. It's not possible to forget the months of second guessing that so many Phillies phans did, as they wondered what a rotation that included Halladay, Lee and 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels would have been like. 365 days after Lee left, he's back and the Philadelphia phaithful have their wish...as well as a bonus. When the Phillies worked a trade in July to acquire ace righty Roy Oswalt from the Astros, there was a wide ...

The first place Phillies (64-48) visit the Braves (60-54) this weekend for a three game series. The Braves' 17-9 record is best in the National League since the All star break, but they are still in third place, five games behind the Phillies. Read on for pitching match ups and other key notes from this series. Friday, 7:35pm. Joe Blanton (7-6, 4.02 ERA) vs. Jair Jurrjens (9-8, 3.01 ERA). In four starts since the all star break, Blanton is 1-2 in four starts with a 2.51 ERA in 28 2/3 innings. Blanton has a 2.46 ERA over his last 13 starts. Blanton has an 8.47 ERA in 3 starts against the Braves this season. Brian McCann vs. Joe Blanton is his career- 6-for-10, 2 homers, 6 RBI. Jurrjens is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in two starts against Philadelphia this year. Raul Ibanez, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Ruiz and Jayson Werth are a combined 10-for-75 (.133 avg) against Jurrjens, with 1 homer and 5 RBI, in their careers. Saturday, 4:10pm. Cole Hamels (7-7, 4.77 ERA) vs. Kenshin Kawakami...

The media and internet is all abuzz today with news that Cole Hamels has been experiencing regular elbow soreness. He is headed back up to Philadelphia, tonight, in order to be examined by team doctor Michael Ciccotti. Many of the beat reporters that are stationed down in Clearwater are posting updates throughout the day. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. assured the press this morning that the Phillies do not think this is a serious issue. Some reporters are stating that Cole was seen on the practice field in Clearwater taking part in stretching, throwing and fielding practice this morning. Check out the following links for the latest news about World Series MVP Colbert's arm joint region. Dave Murphy Scott Lauber Todd Zolecki

Unrelated to baseball, really...but it's fun and our Phils are off today. This new kid on the hip hop scene, Charles Hamilton , whose single Brooklyn Girl is ripping up radio and video count downs, was at PSU for a performance recently. A freestyle battle ensued, and as you'll see, the Penn State student held his own. Stay tuned for the ending. It's the best part. Here are some random Phillies-in-idle baseball thoughts and notes- Colbert Hamels is slated to make his Grapefruit League debut tomorrow vs. Team Canada. Shane Victorino is going to wear #50 on his jersey for Team USA, a nod to Hawaii Five-O. Brad Lidge is likely to not see game action till next week, after he throws some more bullpen sessions and works out the tightness in his forearm. Albert Pujols is declaring "respect for his country" as reasoning for sitting out of the Cardinals' exhibition this week against Team Dominican Republic. He told reporters, "I don’t want to play against them...

There is loads of news coming out of spring training this week. Most of which is from the Phillies' home of Clearwater, FL, but some is from Port St. Lucie, FL, where the Mets train. The New York media continues to ask every Metropolitan possible about the remarks of Jimmy Rollins in past years (about our Phils being the team to beat), and the statement by Cole Hamels, in December, to a NYC radio station about the Mets being "choke artists". It seems that the Metropolitans players are getting a vibe from all the media questions that the Phillies players are speaking about the Mets endlessly, when the fact is that the only material going is from the reporters who wish to build this rivalry, in order to get page views, sell papers, and gain viewers for NYC sports programming. Carlos Beltran was nice enough yesterday to state the Mets' desire to end Cole Hamels by saying, "The only thing I know is that he will be watched every time he faces us. Hopefully, we kill hi...

This week, Shore Sports Network's Kevin Williams took some time out of his busy professional radio duties to answer some questions about baseball and his lengthy career. Thanks to Kevin, who is quick and to the point, for the most part. Kevin is a Metropolitans fan, by the way. 1. Kevin, Cole Hamels speaks the truth. He gave an interview where he confirmed that he thinks the Mets are choke artists. As a Mets fan, can I get your rebuttal to such a statement? (He's an) immature jerk who will regret the comment. The simple difference in the teams this year was the Mets lost Billy Wagner and the Phillies had Brad Lidge healthy for the season. 2. You suspended your Fox Sports 1310 AM blog once the Mets fell short at the end of the 2008 season. Do you have any intentions to start it back up, or will someone else be taking your spot? If you are discontinuing your page...who can take the most credit- the Brewers, the Phillies or the Mets? I really don't like blogging....it's fo...

On Saturday, the Phillies signed Cole Hamels to a 3 year contract worth $20.5 million, thus avoiding arbitration with the star lefty. Greg Dobbs also signed a new 2-year deal, also avoiding arbitration. Many phans know a little about arbitration. It's one of those things we all hear about for a month or two of the year, we know there are hearings and some bargaining involved, but not everyone has a tight grasp on all the details. Players are eligible for arbitration when they (1) have as many as 3, but less than 6, years of major league service; (2) a player has filed for free agency, and their team makes an offer of arbitration and the player accepts; (3) the player is a "Super 2", meaning- the player is among the top 17% of players and has more than 2, but less than 3 years of service. There are minimal criteria (86 days of service in the previous year) and cutoffs (2 years, 140 days) to be a "Super 2". The requirements for teams in this process- (1) the team...