PhoulBallz.com

Right-handed relief pitcher Justin De Fratus , known to his brother Steven and those close to him as "J-Bone", joins us live and direct, once again, from Clearwater, FL to offer his thoughts from inside Phillies spring training. The 24-year-old reliever went 6-3 with 15 saves, a 2.99 ERA and 99 strike outs in 75 1/3 innings in his time with Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley last year before making his big league debut in September and holding opponents to a .083 batting average in 5 appearances. Heading forward, De Fratus, an 11th round draft choice in 2007, hopes to be an impact contributor in the Phillies bullpen for years to come. In the latest edition of The J-Bone Zone, Justin updates the status of his elbow, discusses his teammate Austin Hyatt 's chances this year as well as bonding with Phillies fans and more. Read ahead for another edition of The J-Bone Zone. On the status of his ailing elbow that has kept him sidelined for much of spring ...

Well-regarded Phillies outfield prospect Tyson Gillies is back at it for his third season in the organization. After being acquired in the December, 2009 trade that sent Cliff Lee to Seattle, Gillies, a 23-year-old British Columbia native, has been plagued with nagging injuries that have held him to just 31 regular season games and a hand full of extended spring training games played. In his days with Seattle, Gillies posted remarkable numbers (.341 avg, 9 HR, 42 RBI, 44 SB, .916 OPS with Class A Advanced High Desert in 2009) and earned an invitation to the MLB Futures Game. After an off-season in which he played in 27 Arizona Fall League games and spent countless days at the Phillies' spring training home in Clearwater, FL, Gillies is 100% healthy and is focused on having an impact season in the Philadelphia developmental ranks. This past week, Gillies went 1-for-2 with 2 runs scored and a stolen base in the Phillies' victory over the Florida State University Seminoles in the ...

Righty hurler Justin De Fratus was selected in the 11th round in the 2007 amateur draft by the Phillies, and since then has been one of the organization's most steady ascenders. After signing his first pro contract in 2007, as a member of the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies, De Fratus posted a 2-3 record with a 4.30 ERA and a .273 batting average against in 10 games, 8 of which were starts. The following season, the Oxnard, CA native pitched with the short season Low A Williamsport Crosscutters. In 14 games as a starter, the California native went 6-5 with a 3.67 ERA and a .260 batting average against. In 2009, De Fratus was a key piece of the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws pitching staff, taking on both starting and relief duties. In 36 games (12 starts) that season, De Fratus went 5-6 with 3 saves, a 3.19 ERA and a .258 batting average against. After beginning the 2010 regular season with Class A Advanced Clearwater and posting a 2-0 record with 15 saves and a 1.79 ERA in ...

As exhilarating as finding out you’re starting the first game of the preseason schedule might sound, there was nothing overly dramatic about the way Austin Hyatt learned he’d be the guy who gets the 2012 campaign rolling for the Phillies on Wednesday afternoon in Clearwater, FL. The right-hander found out he would be pitching in Philadelphia's exhibition opener against the Florida State Seminoles via a list posted on the clubhouse wall. It was just another day of work for the 25-year-old Hyatt. Hyatt, an Eastern League All-Star last year, is excited to get a brand new season of Phillies baseball rolling. Expected to throw 2 innings, followed by a lengthy list of other pitchers that includes lefties Jake Diekman , Jeremy Horst , and Joe Savery along with right-handers J.C. Ramirez , Phillippe Aumont and B.J. Rosenberg , Hyatt expressed his high level of enthusiasm for the outing, despite the dull manner in which he discovered he’d be making the start. "It's an...

This week over on PhilliesNation.com , the writing staff, including myself, answered the question, " What are you looking forward to seeing most during Spring Training ?" My focus, of course, is generally on the younger guys and minor leaguers, so I shared my thoughts on which prospect I would be most looking forward to seeing perform in Grapefruit League action. Read ahead for my answer and check out the full roundtable post over on PhilliesNation. Jake Diekman is a pitcher I am really looking forward to seeing against Grapefruit League competition this spring. The 25-year-old lefty reliever took great strides in 2011, changing his arm angle during his long toss warm up program, which helped him add some considerable velocity to his fastball, hitting 95 MPH on a regular basis. With a K/9 rate of 11.49 last year as a member of the Double-A Reading Phillies and a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League in which he held opponents to a .079 batting average in 11 appearances, ...

The above images feature Brad Lidge sporting the uniform of division rival Washington, while outfielder Raul Ibanez is seen rocking a different color pin stripes than folks might be used to, the New York Yankees' blue. Both pictures seem a bit odd and force me to wonder which one would bother Phillies fans more. The 35-year-old Lidge is best known for his "perfect" 2008 season, when he led the Phillies to their second ever World Series title by successfully converting all 48 saves chances in the regular and postseason. Ibanez, who will turn 40 years old in June, left the Phillies as a free agent after becoming an All-Star and patrolling leftfield for Philadelphia over the past 3 years. What is fairly stunning is that this pair that earned an estimated combined total of $24 million in 2011, will now earn a measly total of $2.1 million in base salary with their new organizations in the coming season. Such is the professional life of a pair of aging stars as they move ...

Right-handed pitcher Brody Colvin had a rather difficult time with Class A Advanced Clearwater in 2011 after making things looks easy with Class A Lakewood the previous year. After cruising through the South Atlantic League to the tune of a 6-8 record with a 3.39 ERA in 27 starts, Colvin's output took a dive with a 3-8 record and a 4.71 ERA in 22 games (21 starts) against Florida State League competition in 2010. While Colvin's overall stats with Lakewood don't scream for attention, he allowed 0 or 1 runs in 11 different starts in which he did not earn a win during the 2010 season, so it's clear that Colvin's lack of offensive support certainly impacted his win-loss record that year. As a member of the Clearwater Threshers' staff, Colvin was sidelined in the early going and spent time on the disabled list with a back injury. With some lasting effects of his ailment throughout the season, the St. Thomas More High School (LA) product had a difficult time feel...

Righty hurler Justin De Fratus , known to his brother Steven and those close to him as "J-Bone", joins us live and direct, once again, from Clearwater, FL to offer his thoughts from inside Phillies spring training. The 24-year-old reliever went 6-3 with 15 saves, a 2.99 ERA and 99 strike outs in 75 1/3 innings in his time with Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley last year before making his Major League debut in September and holding opponents to a .083 batting average in 5 appearances. Heading forward, De Fratus, an 11th round draft choice in 2007, hopes to be an impact contributor in the Phillies bullpen for years to come. In the latest edition of The J-Bone Zone, Justin discusses sharing the big league spring training experience with close friends, the Phillies additions of veterans who might present a roadblock for younger prospects and plenty more. Read on for exclusive insider content direct from Florida. On his ailing elbow that has him sidelined from throwi...

Switch-hitting shortstop Freddy Galvis was previously a player who was consider strong with the leather and lacking on offense, until last season. With some significant strides in his hitting game, Galvis improved his status in the Phillies prospect ranks by a considerable margin. In 2010, The slick fielding prospect had his time in the Venezuelan Winter League cut short by the Phillies, who sent him to the organization's spring training home in Clearwater, FL to enhance his core. The two-month training session worked, as Galvis added strength which improved his throwing arm and his ability to drive the ball. Galvis had a terrific campaign during the 2011 regular season with Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley. As a member of the R-Phils, Galvis was extremely impressive, batting .273 with a career-high 8 homeruns through 104 games. That output earned him a promotion to the IronPigs, where he batted .298 through 33 games and helped the club reach the Governor’s Cup fina...

Right-handed pitcher Julio Rodriguez has quietly become one of the Phillies ' most promising prospects in recent years. Without the hype and buzz that has surrounded other well-regarded youngsters within the Philadelphia organization, the Puerto Rican born hurler has proven himself worthy of being held in considerable regard by the Phils , their fans and talent evaluators alike. Drafted in the 8 th round of the 2008 amateur draft as a 17-year-old, Rodriguez made his professional debut that same year, throwing in 7 games with the Gulf Coast League Phillies . However, the 6-foot-4-inch 200- pounder struggled, as he sported a 12.19 ERA and a .383 batting average against. The following season, back in the GCL , Rodriguez added some strength and made some serious improvements in the GCL , posting a 1-2 record with a 3.08 ERA and a .197 batting average against in 11 games (8 starts). In 2010, as a 19-year-old, Rodriguez began the season in extended spring training, but joined the C...

This week Phillies All-Star outfielder made his acting debut on the CBS television network's Hawaii Five-O program. The part was small, but that didn't make things any easier for the man known as "The Flyin' Hawaiian". Victorino told Hawaii News Now that filming the show was more stressful than playing in the World Series. ...It's something that I'm not used to doing. Obviously, playing in the game, playing in the World Series, I played the game of baseball everyday as a kid. And I just saw it as another game. I didn't think, 'Okay, I'm playing in the biggest stage of my career or my life', but I just looked at it as playing another game. So, that definitely kept my nerves down, but I'm definitely a lot more nervous now. Trust me. Check out video of Victorino's appearance below. ____________________________________________________________ You can follow PhoulBallz on Twitter by clicking HERE . Also connect with PhoulBallz on Face...

Ladies and gentlemen, join us in welcoming Phillies pitching prospect Justin De Fratus, who will be taking time this preseason to offer rare and unique glances inside spring training. De Fratus, an 11th round draft pick from 2007, has been one of Philadelphia's fastest rising relief pitchers over the past couple of seasons. After posting a combined 6-3 record with 15 saves and a 2.99 ERA at Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley last year, De Fratus earned a promotion to the majors and appeared in 5 games for the Phillies. This year, as the 24-year-old De Fratus battles for an opening day roster spot, he'll share all sorts of thoughts and inside looks at camp in Clearwater, FL exclusively with you, Phillies Nation. Read ahead for your first dose of The J-Bone Zone. I left for Florida from my off-season home in California back in late January. I drove cross-country with my buddy Jameson and I've just been down here since then, soaking in the baseball. I got to work at t...