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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 .

In recent seasons, the Phillies have parted ways with a considerable collection of well-regarded prospects in efforts to acquire established big league players. As time passes, those young players get closer to contributing for their new organization at the highest level and some are already doing so. As this year's trade deadline approaches, here’s a glance at how many of those former Phils’ farm hands have performed throughout the pros thus far in 2012. Jonathan Singleton , 1B, traded to Houston in the 2011 Hunter Pence deal- In 82 games with the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks, the 20-year-old has posted a .271 batting average with 18 doubles, 3 triples, 12 HR and 49 RBI. Jarred Cosart , RHP, also dealt in the Pence trade- In 13 starts for Corpus Christi, the righty hurler is sporting a 4-5 record with a 3.91 ERA and a .273 batting average against. Cosart, 22, made 1 start for Triple-A Oklahoma City in May, allowing 4 earned runs in 6 innings of work. Overall in 79 2/3 innin...

In recent seasons, plenty of well-regarded prospects have been traded by the Phillies to acquire established MLB talent and other key contributors. Many of those minor leaguers have been spending time with their respective clubs' big league teams this spring training. Here's a glance at how many of those former Phils' farm hands have done thus far in the exhibition season. Jonathan Singleton , 1B, traded to Houston in 2011 as part of the Hunter Pence deal- 9 games, 4-for-10 (.400 avg.), 1 double, 3 runs scored. Jonathan Villar , SS, traded to Houston in 2010 as part of the Roy Oswalt deal- 4 games, 0-for-2, with 2 walks. Anthony Gose , OF, traded to Houston in 2010 as part of the Roy Oswalt deal (subsequently flipped to Toronto)- 11 games, 4-for-15 (.267 avg), 1 double, 1 RBI. Travis d'Arnaud , traded to Toronto in 2009 as part of the Roy Halladay deal- 7 games, 3-for-15 (.200 avg), 2 doubles, 1 HR, 4 RBI. Kyle Drabek , traded to Toronto in the 2009 Roy Halladay deal...

The deal took a while, but it's finally done. Hunter Pence is coming to Philadelphia, after the Phillies and Astros agreed to a trade on Friday night. The swap brings the 28-year-old right fielder to the Phillies in exchange for top prospect Jonathan Singleton, MLB Futures Game hurler Jarred Cosart, right-handed pitcher Josh Zeid and a player to be named later. Reports also state that the Astros will send $1 million to the Phillies. Pence, originally drafted by Houston in the 2nd round of the 2004 amateur draft, is a .290 career hitter, playing is his fifth big league season. In 100 games for the Astros this year, Pence posted a .308 batting average with 11 HR and 62 RBI. The 6-foot-4-inch 220-pounder is a two-time National League All-star. Singleton and Cosart were ranked as the Phillies' top two prospects by both the Reading Eagle and PhilliesNation over the past year. Singleton, a first baseman who has dabbled in the outfield this season, ripped up Class A South Atlan...

In recent years, the Phillies have acquired elite talent, adding Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt in separate blockbuster trades. The packages of players sent away to make those deals all included highly ranked prospects. Fans and experts alike presume the Phillies have depleted their system of prospects with the amount top minor league players traded in those deals. That's far from true, as many individuals currently in Philadelphia's developmental system have proven worthy of high recognition. If the Phillies are going to put together similar groups of players to add a key contributor at the big league level again this season, they'll surely need to send away more ascending young talent. In order to understand what type of package the Phillies would be required to deal, it's important to look at what they gave up in those previous trades. Cleveland/Lee trade...July, 2009- RHP Jason Knapp, IF Jason Donald, C Lou Marson, RHP Carlos Carrasco. Knapp was the young...

One of 2010's breakout stars in all of minor league baseball was Phillies' prospect Jonathan Singleton . Drafted in the 8th round of the 2009 amateur draft out of Millikan High School in Long Beach, CA, Singleton was already well regarded within the Philadelphia organization before roughing up South Atlantic League pitching last season. The left-handed hitting Singleton made his professional debut as a member of the Gulf Coast League Phillies as a 17-year-old after signing with Philadelphia. In 31 games there, Singleton batted .290, slugged 2 homers and drove in 12 runs. Nicknamed "The Boss", Singleton really emerged as he helped lead the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws win a second consecutive South Atlantic League title. Singleton actually began the season in extended spring training, but made a massive impact once he was assigned to the Lakewood roster, posting a .423 average in 19 May games. In 109 regular season games with Lakewood, Singleton posted a .290 batting ave...

I spoke with Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. this week, prior to the Phillies Winter Tour stop in Lakewood. I asked Amaro about several things including his thoughts on how relievers like Scott Mathieson and Justin De Fratus might contribute to the big club in the coming season, about JC Ramirez's recovery from off-season hip surgery, Charlie Manuel's contract situation, about new BlueClaws manager Chris Truby and more. Amaro also answers questions from Trenton newspaper reporter Josh Norris about Jon Singleton's switch to the outfield from first base and his overall opinion on the state of the Phillies' minor league system. Check out the media player below to listen to excerpts of my time with Ruben Amaro Jr. _______________________________________________________________________ You can follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter by clicking HERE . Connect with PhoulBallz.com on Facebook by clicking HERE .

This piece I wrote was previously seen on Chicks Dig the Long Ball earlier this week. If you paid close attention to certain national analysts this season, you probably heard them talk or write about how deep the Phillies low minor league teams are with great prospects. The Phillies’ Class A affiliate, the Lakewood BlueClaws, won the club’s second straight South Atlantic League title and became the first club since Savannah in 1994 to repeat as league champions. They also became the very first team in league history to win their division in the first and second halves and then go on to win the league championship. Lakewood was loaded with prospects this season. One, short stop Jonathan Villar, was held in high enough regard that he was part of the collection of players that was sent to Houston in a trade for Roy Oswalt in July. The Phillies had plenty of home grown talent come through their system in the 2000s. Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz and Cole Hamels are all current Phillies stars wh...

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. is in the house at FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood for game 3 of the South Atlantic League Championship. I had the opportunity to speak with Amaro Jr. about several subjects including the importance of the BlueClaws' run at a SAL title repeat, prospects that came in return for Cliff Lee, prospects who have shot up the Phillies' ranks this year, and plenty more minor league related matters. Check out the media player below to listen to the full interview. **This interview was featured on 97.3 ESPN's The Weekend Sports Guide with Tyrone Johnson. Listen to The Weekend Sports Guide every Saturday at noon on WENJ 97.3 in Millville, NJ.** ______________________________________________________ You can follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter by clicking HERE .

By now you have heard that the Phillies are back in first place, atop the National League East standings. There's a long road ahead for the big club, with 22 regular season games remaining, as the Phils try to reach the post-season for the fourth straight year. However, the A Level Lakewood BlueClaws begin their quest to repeat as South Atlantic League Champions tonight, as the playoffs get underway in Hickory, North Carolina. Trevor May, a right-handed pitcher who was recently ranked as the #4 prospect in the Phillies organization in a poll done by The Reading Eagle , was a member of the BlueClaws championship roster last year. May is slated to be the BlueClaws' game 1 starter, as they face the Rangers Class A affiliate, the Hickory Crawdads. May, who was also on the Gulf Coast League Phillies roster that won the GCL title in 2008, recently spoke about the team's playoff push. "As of late, we've been playing really well, trying to go into the playoffs running. I...

On Wednesday South Atlantic League president Eric Krupa announced the league's full season all star team that included four honorees from the defending league champion Lakewood BlueClaws. Those who made the team were manager Mark Parent, catcher Sebastian Valle, traded short stop Jonathan Villar and first baseman "The Boss" Jon Singleton, who was also anointed the league's Most Outstanding Prospect. Singleton is the first BlueClaw player to receive the honor. The 18 year old Singleton was drafted in the 8th round of the 2009 amateur draft and has quickly risen in the ranks of Phillies minor leaguers, as a poll that surveyed a dozen minor league experts released this week by the Reading Eagle declared Singleton the #1 prospect in the organization. In 100 games this season for Class A Lakewood, Singleton has posted a .297 batting average, slugged 14 homeruns and driven in 77 runs. Lakewood has clinched a playoff berth and will return to the post-season to defend its SA...

LAKEWOOD, NJ- The first play of the game set the tone for the Augusta GreenJackets. BlueClaws lead-off man Jiwan James reached on a walk by right-handed pitcher Brian Irving, but the fourth ball got by Augusta catcher Tommy Joseph, who took his time retrieving the ball at the backstop and James hustled on the play, surprising the GreenJackets and reaching second base. The sulking attitude set in with the battery and quickly became contagious with the rest of the Augusta defense. Errors, bases loaded walks, passed balls, hit batters, a wild pitch and several base hits by the Lakewood line up led to an unexpectedly remarkable night. The BlueClaws entered the game with an opportunity to clinch the second half division title, provided they won and rival Greensboro lost. The desired results occurred in blowout fashion in both games. Lakewood handled the Giants affiliate Augusta 14-2, while Greensboro was handed an 11-0 defeat by Savannah. The scoring got started in the first inning when Jam...

This week I took part in a media survey, conducted by The Reading Eagle's Mike Drago, that was designed to rank the top 20 prospects in the Phillies system. Twelve individuals who are very close to the Phillies minor league system were asked to rank their own personal top 20, which Drago tabulated and averaged to determine the list of 20. Normally, these sorts of lists are done by one source, who is not necessarily close to a solitary organization (IE- a national outlet that has correspondents who occasionally view the analyzed players). In this instance, surveying a dozen analysts, who have seen these players on a regular basis, makes this catalog of Philadelphia prospects the most accurate and reliable one available. Here are the rankings, including brief reviews for the top half: Jonathan Singleton 1. Jonathan Singleton : Just 18 and in his first full professional season, the eighth-round pick out of Long Beach, Calif., got off to a sizzling start with Lakewood, hitting over .40...

Ryan Howard spent time with the Phillies' Class A affiliate the Lakewood BlueClaws on Friday, on a rehab assignment. Howard has been on the disabled list since August 2nd, with a sprained ankle. Lakewood trainer Mickey Kozack described Howard's assignment as an opportunity to knock some rust off and stated that Howard was not feeling soreness in his heavily wrapped ankle prior to batting practice. After spending time ripping line drives onto the berm at FirstEnergy Park during batting practice, Howard took to the field to shag some balls, where he spent a considerable amount of time chatting with pitching prospect Josh Zeid and first baseman Jon Singleton. I asked Zeid and Singleton about their time spent chatting with Howard. Check out the media player below to listen to those full interviews. _______________________________________________ For more interviews with Jon Singleton click here and here . Follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter HERE .

Many phans seemed to adore the Lakewood BlueClaws' fancy "BruceClaws" jerseys (pictured above) that the team wore on Bruce Springsteen appreciation night. With that in mind, I was sure to capture some photographs for those same people, so that they didn't miss the defending South Atlantic League champions' latest wardrobe variance. Last week the BlueClaws held a tribute night, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the film "The Goonies". Have a look at the style that the players and coaches were soooo excited to wear. Sebastian Valle "The Boss" Jon Singleton Colby Shreve Anthony Hewitt Michael Dabbs Keoni DeRenne Jiwan James ________________________________ Follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter HERE .

On Thursday I spoke with Lakewood BlueClaws manager and former Major Leaguer Mark Parent about Jonathan Villar's inclusion in the Phillies' deal with the Houston Astros for Roy Oswalt. Parent had managed Villar all season to this point and had really come to like Villar's skills and efforts on the field. Parent spoke about Villar's progress, how Villar was notified of the trade, Villar's future, other rumors and more. Check out the media player below to listen to the complete audio. Also, click here to listen to Mark Parent speaking plenty more about Villar in another recent exclusive interview. In addition to that, I also spoke with "The Boss" Jon Singleton about his rumored attachment to this trade. Singleton, who is ripping up South Atlantic League pitching (.313 avg, 12 HR, 59 RBI, .943 OPS in 71 games with Lakewood) at the age of 18, was long rumored to be on Astros general manager Ed Wade's wish list. Check out the media player below to hear Sin...

A late night report from Houston's FOX affiliate's website claimed that the Astros were awaiting the approval of Roy Oswalt on a trade that would send the right-handed starting pitcher to the defending National League champion Philadelphia Phillies. FOX Houston sports director Mark Berman's article stated the following, "MLB sources told FOX 26 the Astros and Phillies have agreed on the amount of money Houston will take back in the deal and the two teams have agreed on the players Philadelphia will be sending." There are no solid details available yet, but it has been widely rumored that Houston is quite interested in last season's Rookie of the Year runner up, lefty hurler "Jay" Happ. Astros.com, which confirmed that a deal is in place , also mentioned that first base prospect "The Boss" Jonathan Singleton could be included in the deal. As close as this report claims the deal is to completion, it may actually not be a done deal. Reports o...

After the BlueClaws' loss to Delmarva on Monday, I spoke with manager Mark Parent. I asked Mark about Jiwan James' 20-game hitting streak and James' progress toward becoming an offensive leader for the club, about Jonathan Pettibone's recent success (2.36 ERA & .156 batting average against over his last 6 games) and about Jonathan Singleton's slump. I also asked him about Brian Gump's injury and recovery progress. Gump's forearm was fractured when he was hit by a pitch on Independence Day last week. Check out the media player below to listen to all of Parent's comments. _____________________________________________ Follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter HERE . For BlueClaws tickets click here . Upcoming promotions include a Phillie Phanatic & World Series trophy appearance on the 21st and a Dusty Wathan SAL Championship bobble head giveaway on July 22nd. Share on Facebook

A 16-5 run helped the Lakewood BlueClaws overcome a 4 1/2 game deficit in the standings to the Hickory Crawdads in the Northern Division standings, since May 30th, and win the first half title for the second straight season. Lakewood led Hickory by a game headed into Sunday's action and needed to win, or for the Crawdads to lose, in order to lock down a spot in the 2010 postseason. Both occurred, as the BlueClaws were led by slugging first baseman "The Boss" Jonathan Singleton and starting pitcher Brody Colvin in a 6-3 defeat of the White Sox affiliate Kannapolis Intimidators and Hickory suffered an 11-8 loss to Greenville. Singleton stretching prior to a game over the weekend The 18-year-old Singleton gave Lakewood an early 4-1 lead with a 3-run homerun, his 8th of the season, in the first inning. He added a nice cushion for the 'Claws when he smashed his second homer of the game in the 5th inning, putting Lakewood up 6-2 at that point. Singleton's home OPS thro...

In the A-Level South Atlantic League, division leaders at the midseason mark and at the end of the regular season advance to the postseason. Lakewood had a 2 game lead over rival Hickory with 2 games remaining till the deadline. The "magic number" for the BlueClaws was 1...either a victory by the 'Claws or a loss by Hickory would lock up another postseason berth for the defending SAL champs. Saturday night the BlueClaws seemed to have everything in order to clinch a playoff berth for the second straight season at the midway point. The BlueClaws were facing the last place Kannapolis Intimidators with their staff ace, 97 mph fireballer Jarred Cosart, on the mound. The (non-alcoholic) bottles that the BlueClaws had on ice, ready to be popped, will have to wait another day at least. No playoff trips were locked on Saturday, as Kannapolis came out on top and Hickory knocked off Greenville, which dropped Lakewood's lead in the division to just 1 game. The BlueClaws have alr...