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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.

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 .

-Both the Triple-A Lehigh Valley and Double-A Reading coaching staffs openly addressed an organization-wide focus on small ball prior to both clubs opening their seasons. The directive, handed down by new Phils skipper Ryne Sandberg , will have the entire Phillies system playing a more aggressive style of baseball. Dusty Wathan, Image- Jay Floyd "I think we're going to utilize a National League style of baseball dating back to the 70's a little bit. You'll see some triples, some hit-and-run and some bunting. I think it's kind of an organizational philosophy since Ryne has taken over. You're going to see it implemented not only at the big league level, but at the minor league level. It's something we really stress, is base running, being aggressive, taking extra bases, sacrifice bunting, hitting and running. So, you're going to see a very aggressive game and it's going to be a lot of fun to watch," Reading manager Dusty Wathan said ...

It's the 52nd edition of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast! On this installment, Tug and Jay welcome sports talk host and Bleacher Report baseball writer Joe Giglio who discusses the state of the Phillies, new manager Ryne Sandberg and the team's lackluster off-season. Additionally, the guys chat about Curt Schilling 's cancer diagnosis and the speculation that old Veterans Stadium may have played some part in a growing list of Phillies who have dealt with the disease. Roman Quinn 's recovery from Achilles surgery and CZW's 15th anniversary show are also topics on this episode. 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 . 

Righty hurler Roy Halladay , who was slated to appear in another rehab outing for Double-A Reading on Sunday will return to the big league club instead, following a marathon of baseball Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park. In Saturday night's (Sunday morning's?) 12-7 defeat at the hands of the Diamondbacks, the Phillies sent nine pitchers and two position players to the mound to make it through the lengthy affair. Starter Ethan Martin could not escape the opening frame, as he allowed three hits, three walks and three earned runs. Over the 4 2/3 innings that followed, Luis Garcia and Zach Miner allowed a combined four earned runs. The remainder of the relief corps including Cesar Jimenez , Justin De Fratus , Jonathan Papelbon , Jake Diekman and B.J Rosenberg combined for 6 2/3 scoreless innings while Sunday's originally scheduled starter Tyler Cloyd was called upon to toss five scoreless frames. As the need to use Cloyd approached, the Phillies d...

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...

On Wednesday, the Phillies' disappointing year finally ended and the organization took to making some changes in a very quick fashion.  Within hours of the end of the Phils' 81-81 season that marked an end to their run of five consecutive division titles, the team announced that three coaches, Sam Perlozzo (1st base), Greg Gross (hitting) and Pete Mackanin (bench), would not return next season. Within a day, the Phillies then announced some promotions from within to fill those voids. Hall of Fame player Ryne Sandberg (pictured), who has managed the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs for the past two seasons, will become the Phillies' third base coach, while Juan Samuel, who previously manned that position, has been asked to move to the first base coach's box.  It seems that Samuel may still be weighing his options. The Phillies are not expected to have a bench coach while an assistant hitting coach is expected to be hired. Additionally, Lehigh Valley's pitching...

It's a brand new edition of Phillies Nation TV featuring yours truly talking about the Phils' developmental system. Topics include Domonic Brown 's current health concerns, Tyson Gillies ' suspension and Ryne Sandberg's future as a manager. Hosted by Phillies Nation's Pat Gallen and Corey Seidman, this episode features the guys talking about ace hurler Cole Hamels and discussing which Phils players should go in a game of "Deal or No Deal". In addition, Natalie Egenolf and Ian Riccaboni are in the mix as well. Check out the media player below to see the latest show in its entirety. ______________________________________________________ You can follow PhoulBallz on Twitter by clicking HERE . Also connect with PhoulBallz on Facebook by clicking HERE .

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs will have two player representatives in the Triple-A All-Star game, when righty hurler Tyler Cloyd and infielder Kevin Frandsen head to Coca Cola Field in Buffalo, NY on Wednesday July 11th. The annual exhibition pits the best talents of the International League against the top players from the Pacific Coast League. Cloyd, who was an 18th round draft selection of the Phillies in 2008, has had an exceptional season. The 25-year-old began his 2012 campaign in Double-A with the Reading Phillies and has proven worthy of considerable recognition as he has posted 10-1 overall record with a 2.07 ERA in 15 combined starts at two levels. The Nebraska native will start the game for the IL team. Frandsen, a right-handed hitter that was signed by the Phillies as a minor league free agent prior to the 2011 season, has posted a .290 batting average with 23 doubles, 26 RBI and 28 runs scored in 74 games for the 'Pigs this year. Additionally, IronPigs manager Ryne Sa...

Throughout the autumn and winter months, I have been checking in with various Phillies minor league players to inquire about how they try to maintain their baseball acumen during the long, drawn-out off-season. This edition features 2009's 15th round draft selection, righty pitcher Austin Hyatt . As a member of the Double-A Reading Phillies in 2011, the 25-year-old Hyatt was named an Eastern League All-Star as he sported a 12-6 record with a 3.85 ERA while striking out 171 batters in 154 1/3 innings. As solid as Hyatt's stats seem over his 28 starts, he really turned things on after the All-Star break, going 5-1 with a 2.78 ERA and a .221 batting average against. The 6-foot-3-inch 205-pounder took some time to answer some questions, from his home in Georgia this week, about his off-season routine, his goals for the upcoming season and more. Read ahead to check out what Austin had to say. -How much time off do you take from throwing during the off-season and what's your r...

On Monday, the Phillies announced the return of Ryne Sandberg as manager of Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Sandberg, a Hall of Fame player, is back for his second season with the IronPigs after leading the club to its very first playoff appearance in 2011. Sandberg, who was originally drafted by the Phillies in 1978 and dealt to the Chicago Cubs in 1982, became a legend in a different city. As a member of the Cubs, Sandberg became a 10-time National League All-star, a 9-time Gold Glove Award winner and 1984 NL Most Valuable Player. Last season, he returned to the Philadelphia organization after 29 years away. The remainder of the Lehigh Valley coaching staff, Rod Nichols and Sal Rende, will return for the IronPigs as well. New additions to the developmental coaching ranks include former Phillies Andy Tracy and Aaron Fultz . Tracy will manage the short season Williamsport Crosscutters, while Fultz will serve as that club's pitching coach. Former Phillies second baseman Mickey Mo...

The Boston Red Sox are set to interview Philadelphia Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin and Milwaukee Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum for their vacant managerial position this week, according to WEEI radio in Boston. Mackanin and Sveum will be the first two candidates interviewed by Boston to replace Terry Francona, whose contract was not renewed after a tremendous collapse, as the season drew to a close, that led to the Red Sox missing the playoffs. The 60-year-old Mackanin previously managed the Pirates and Reds in an interim capacity and managed several minor league clubs. Mackanin played in the big leagues with the Rangers, Expos, Phillies and Twins. Mackanin has served as the Phillies' bench coach, under manager Charlie Manuel, for the past two seasons. Svuem, 48, previously coached for the Red Sox from 2004-2005. A former big leaguer, Svuem played for the Phillies, Brewers, Pirates, Yankees, Athletics, Mariners and White Sox. Since 2006 during his tenure with the Brewers,...

Drafted in the 20th round by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1978, Ryne Sandberg became one of the most regrettable trade chips in team history. As a youngster, Sandberg played shortstop, second base, third base and center field, but was blocked at each of those positions by a quartet of early 1980's stars by the names of Larry Bowa, Manny Trillo, Mike Schmidt and Garry Maddox. Eventually, Sandberg, a Washington state native, was included as a throw-in, in a trade with the Chicago Cubs. As a second baseman for the Cubs, Sandberg excelled, becoming a 10-time National League All-star, a 9-time Gold Glove Award winner, 1984 NL Most Valuable Player and a Hall of Famer. After decades away from the organization that drafted him, the 51-year-old Sandberg returned this year to manage the Phillies' Triple A level club, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Through the weekend, the IronPigs sported the best record in the International League with a 44-32 mark. Recently, I spoke with Ryne about the...

Four of the Phillies' six minor league clubs will officially have new managers in 2011 after the Phillies announced on Monday that they have given promotions to Mark Parent and Chris Truby. Parent, a former Major League catcher who played with the Phillies, among other clubs, will move up to Double A Reading. Parent, 49, managed the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws to a second consecutive South Atlantic League title in 2010 and then spent time as hitting coach with the Arizona Fall League's Mesa Solar Sox. The Autumn assignment could be more than busy work for Parent, who seems to be a likely candidate for the role of hitting coach at the Major League level in the coming years. Speaking in an exclusive interview following Lakewood's title clincher in September, Parent seemed to be considerably focused on acquiring a big league spot. Replying to an inquiry about the potential realignment among the Phillies' minor league management positions, Parent stated, "The higher you...

Rumors are flying today that Hall of Fame player Ryne Sandberg could become the next manager of the Phillies Triple A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. After being passed over for the Chicago Cubs managerial position, Sandberg is parting ways with the organization. Sandberg, who managed the last four seasons in the Cubs' minor league system, finished runner-up to Mike Quade, who was hired on Oct. 19. Quade took over, in an interim role, for Lou Piniella, who retired during the 2010 season. Sandberg won the manager of the year award while leading the Triple A Iowa Cubs of the Pacific Coast League to record of 82-62, which was tied for best in the league. According to reports, Sandberg has been in contact with multiple organizations regarding coaching positions at the Major League level and managerial positions in the minors. The Lehigh managerial slot is not he only vacant position that the Phillies have right now, as the recent departure of Davey Lopes has left a vacancy in t...

When reviewing the MLB Network's Phillies preview on their 30 Clubs in 30 Days program, their version of the All-time Phillies Homegrown team jumped out at me as pretty remarkable. Here's what the squad looked like. SP- Robin Roberts C- Bob Boone 1B- Ryan Howard 2B- Ryne Sandberg 3B- Mike Schmidt SS- Jimmy Rollins RF- Greg Luzinski CF- Richie Ashburn LF- Del Ennis RP- Ricky Bottalico Certainly, there are players on that list who are indisputable. Howard, Schmidt, Ashburn and probably Ennis (as I think Chuck Klein does not qualify because he was not drafted by, or originally signed by, the Philadelphia Phillies) have no competition in their respective positions. Ferguson Jenkins, also a Philadelphia product, could be an option at starting pitcher over Roberts, but there is likely no incorrect choice with either one of those. The most debatable assignment on the list is Ryne Sandberg. Aside from the initial displeasure of seeing Sandberg on the list, because he achieved his succ...