Another Phillies Recap

April 21, 2012

CSNPhilly.com, US Presswire

I am really sorry that I have not updated the blog as often as I would like to lately. I have been really busy lately with family events and work. Plus, schoolwork seems to be picking up for me, while senioritis is starting to kick in. Know that I will write for the blog any chance I can get and will continue to make both blogs the best they can possibly be. Again, I am really sorry.

Here is all the Phillies news that was missed:

Giants top Phils 4-2

April 18, 2012

CSNPhilly.com, US Presswire

Phillies 2, Giants 4
Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner lead Giants over Phillies (ESPN.com)

Sorry, the Flyers have taken up so much time today that I don't have a lot of time to sit down and write for the Phillies. I apologize and will write Phillies post as soon as the Flyers' playoff series settles.

Phillies Recap

April 18, 2012

The Phillies had a rough home series against the Mets, but Cole Hamels and company picked things up in the finale, and Doc carried that over against San Francisco.

Mets vs. Phillies: Game 1 of 3 Notes

April 13, 2012

townnews.com

New York Mets (4-2, 0-0 Road) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (3-3, 2-1 Home)
7:05 PM ET at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA.

Phillies agree to deal with Fontenot

April 13, 2012

bleacherreport.com

According to MLBTradeRumors.com, the Phillies have agreed to a minor-league deal with infielder Mike Fontenot.

Blanton solid in Phils 3-1 win

April 12, 2012

Box Score (Courtesy of ESPN.com)

CSNPhilly.com, US Presswire

Joe Blanton has not made a start in quite some time now.

On Thursday night, Blanton was on the mound, and gave the Miami Marlins nothing.

Marlins vs. Phillies: Game 3 of 3 notes

April 12, 2012

philly.com

Miami Marlins (2-4, 2-3 Road) vs. Philadelia Phillies (2-3, 1-1 Home)
7:05 PM ET at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA.

Burrell to retire as a Phillie

April 12, 2012



zimbio.com

In 2008, Pat Burrell took his last at-bat as a Phillie. It was in the World Series, when game five finally resumed after the infamous rain delay.

Burrell hit a 400 foot double that was just inches away from being a home run, but regardless it drove in Geoff Jenkins, who was on second, and helped the Phillies capture their first World Series title in 28 years and the city of Philadelphia's first championship in 25.

The bats wake up, Phils win 7-1

April 11, 2012

Box Score (Courtesy of ESPN.com)

US Presswire, CSNPhilly.com

The Phillies bats have been quiet since the beginning of this young season, but they woke up on Wednesady night.

Marlins vs Phillies: Game 2 of 3 Notes

April 11, 2012

wordpress.com

Miami Marlins (2-3, 2-2 Road) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (1-3, 0-1 Home)
7:05 PM ET at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA.

Phillies Recap

April 10, 2012

phillies.com

Sorry for not being around to post yesterday, here is a quick recap of what was missed.

Phillies vs. Pirates: Game 3 of 3 Notes

April 8, 2012

philly.com

Philadelphia Phillies (1-1, 1-1 Road) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (1-1, 1-1 Home)
1:35 PM ET at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA.

Phils lose 2-1 in 10 innings

April 7, 2012

Box Score (Courtesy of ESPN.com)

CSNPhilly.com, US Presswire

It was not a good day for Philadelphia sports.

The Flyers came up short in their game against the Penguins, then the Phillies came up short against the Pirates.

The Phillie's biggest issue reared its ugly head. They could not produce runs.

Phillies vs. Pirates: Game 2 of 3 Notes

April 7, 2012

mcall.com

Philadelphia Phillies (1-0, 1-0 Road) vs Pittsburgh Pirates (0-1, 0-1 Home)
7:05 PM ET at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA

Phils shutout Pirates on Opening Day

April 5, 2012

Box Score (Courtesy of ESPN.com)

phillies.com, mlb.com

Roy Halladay and Jonathan Papelbon threw a combined shutout at PNC Park to give the Phillies a 1-0 win over the Pittsbrugh Pirates on Opening Day.

Opening Day preview

April 5, 2012

faniq.com

It's finally here. Opening day.

The Phillies, who have consistently been one of the best teams in baseball for the past five years, will begin a 2012 campaign that is already filled with many questions.

25-Man roster set

April 4, 2012

Opening day for the Phillies is tomorrow, and today the organization released the the 25-man active roster that will start off the 2012 season.

Utley heading to Arizona for rehab

April 3, 2012

nj.com

Chase Utley's knee problems have been one of the biggest headlines of this year's spring training for the Phillies.

Utley has not played in any spring training games (or the two on-deck series games), and today GM Ruben Amaro Jr. announced that Utley will start the 2012 regular season on the disabled list.

Utley has struggled with chondromalacia in his left knee, and will be going to Arizona to rehab with his physical therapist Brett Fischer according to a report by John Finger of CSNPhilly.com.

Recap

April 1, 2012

Spring training has come to a close and On the Board Philly is finally open, just in time for opening day.

Although the season has not even started yet, the Phillies have already been hit with the injury bug.

Chase Utley continues to have problems with his knee, and Ryan Howard suffered an infection in his achilies during his recovery from the surgery.

The Phils will not have either player for the start of the season, and there is strill no concete return date for either of them.

Plus there is the issue with Cole Hamels. His contract is up at the end of the season, and he is expected to get a huge pay day.

Teh Marlins and the Nationals are a lot better now, and the Braves are still a good team as well. With the injuries and issues the Phillies are dealing with right now, the NL East will not be a cakewalk like it was in 2011.

But the Phillies are still a dominant team, equipped with three of the best pitchers in the game in Doc, Lee, and Hamels.

There is still plenty to be excited about for the Phillies this season.

When opening day finally arrives, On The Board will be ready.

One More Update

March 28, 2012

It's been a while, and you have probably noticed that the blogs have gone through a major overhaul. There are still a few more little details I want to throw in, but for the most part, the redesign is done. On Monday, April 2nd, I will return to posting on the blogs regularly, I will also be posting regularly to the new Twitter and Facebook accounts as well (@OTBphilly on Twitter and On the Board Philly on Facebook, in case you are interested in following). I understand that it may have been frustrating to you, the reader, over the past month while I took off to do the redesign. Again, I am very sorry for any inconvience that I have caused you, and I hope that you will find the blogs to be a lot better than they were before. I have also set up a YouTube channel that is connected to the blogs as well. There are currently no videos on it yet, but a few friends and I have been working on creating a weekly sports talk show. We have been working, but were not at the point where we feel we are ready to start posting episodes just yet. Just know that we are working on it, and expect to have the show ready very soon.

I can not stress enough how sorry I am for any inconvenience or frustration I may have caused you over the past month. I am deeply sorry.

I worked hard on the new look for the blogs, and I hope that you really enjoy it.

Remember, I will return to posting daily on April 2nd.

I look forward to getting back to writing.

- Nick

P.S.- Tomorrow (March 29th) I will be heading down to Clearwater for the last few days of Spring Training. I plan on sharing everything I see and her on the blog when I return.

Update

March 5, 2012

You mave have noticed recently that some dramatic changes are being made to both That Phillies Blog and That Flyers Blog. You probably also have noticed that no news has been posted as of late, and there is an explanation for that. I've been playing around with the various tools that Blogger (along with the rest of the internet) has to offer with the intent of dramaticly improving the blogs. But as I started to learn more and more about what I could actually do, I decided to relaunch That Phillies Blog and That Flyers Blog. For starters, both blogs are now joined together by one home page, so now, you only have to type in one address to get your news fix. Next is a name change. Both blogs are under one name now; On the Board Philly (ontheboardphilly.blogspot.com). The web addresses for both the Phillies (thatphilliesblog.blogspot.com) and Flyers (thatflyersblog.blogspot.com) blogs will remain the same until further notice. With the relaunch, the blogs will also finally expand into socialmedia. A Twitter account has already been created (@OTBphilly), and a Facebook and YouTube page are on the way.
I have a lot more other features and ideas to add to the blogs, and they will remain up the entire time so you can see the progress. Right now, I have no set date for the official relaunch, but I can say that it will be in March of this year, and that I will work to make it happen as soon as possible. I kindly ask you, the reader, to please bare with me until then.

I thank you for all the support.
- Nick

P.S.- I will be updating the Twitter account regularly, even though the blogs themselves are not back yet. Follow On the Board Philly on Twitter (@OTBphilly).

Important Notice

February 24, 2012

Update: The blog's return date has been pushed back to Sunday due to major renovations. Again, sorry for any inconvenience.

That Phillies Blog will be down until next Saturday, March 3. I will be on vacation for about a week, and unfortunately, I will not have the time to sit down and write while I am away. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

- Nick

Injury Update

February 24, 2012

From CSNPhilly.com, by Phillies Insider Jim Salisbury.

"Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro provided an injury update Friday morning:

Cliff Lee has some abdominal soreness and did not throw his normal bullpen session Thursday but did participate in drills Friday. Amaro is not alarmed and said the condition is normal for this time of year.

Reliever Justin De Fratus will be shut down for a few days because of tenderness in his right (throwing) elbow. De Fratus will be examined by Dr. Michael Ciccotti.

Finally, Amaro is pleased with the progress made by reliever Jose Contreras, who threw his second bullpen session of the spring. The 40-year-old Contreras had elbow surgery in September after pitching in 17 games last season."

To add to Salisbury's update, yesterday Chase Utley spoke to the press. He said that his knees feel much better than last year, and that he hopes to have a way better year than 2011.

Yet another Oswalt update

February 23, 2012

Well, it seems like it will be the last one for now.

Multiple sources are now reporting that Roy Oswalt plans to sign with a contending team at some point in th season, suggesting that he is no longer looking to to sign with a team from the start.

According to MLBTradeRumors.com, Oswalt's agent Bob Garber said that the 34-year old will continue to workout, and hope to sign with a contender later in the season.

Oswalt, who had back problems formost of 2011, received interest from multiple teams. Oswalt's problem ,however, is he received nothing more than interest.

Howard taking BP

February 23, 2012

Again, Ryan Howard is not expected back on the filed again until May. But Howard showed another encouraging sign on Wednesday, in his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon that he suffered at the end of last season.

In addition to light running and fielding ground balls, Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reports that Howard took batting practice for the first time since suffering his injury.

It was retained however, that Howard is still recovering, and needs to work himself back in to baseball shape.

Polanco 100%

Salisbury also reported that third baseman Placido Polanco says that he is 100% now.

Polanco had offseason surgery to repair a sports hernia, that was bothering him for much of the 2011 season.

“I got it fixed,” Polanco said. “I had a good rehab. I’ve been hitting, fielding, doing everything.”

Polanco had a good start last season, earning him an All-Star appearance, but he passed on the game due to injuries.

Because of the sports hernia, Polanco's performance faded as the season wore on.

Hopefully, he will have a much better year this season.

Ibanez signs with Yankees

February 20, 2012

After months of contract talks, former Phillie Raul Ibanez agreed to sign a one-year deal with the New York Yankees. The deal is worth $1.1 million.

Ibanez is projected to be New York's designated hitter.

Howard ahead of schedule?

Ryan Howard is taking ground balls, taking swings, and lightly running.

The news comes from manager Charlie Manuel, in a report by CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury.

Howard is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, so to hear that he is doing any kind of training right now is an encouragins sign.

He still, however, is expected back in May rather than Opening Day.

Kendrick agrees to two-year extension

February 19, 2012

The Phillies agreed to a contract extension with a pitcher, a day after pitchers and catchers arrived in Clearwater. But it wasn't Cole Hamels.

Kyle Kendrick agreed to a two-year, $7.5 million extension on Sunday, after avoiding arbitration with the club last month. The deal to avoid arbitration was a one-year deal worth $3.585 million.

Kendrick, 27, spent time as both a starter and a reliever in 2011, going 8-6 with a 3.22 ERA in 34 games. He is 43-30 in his career with a 4.41 ERA over 127 games.

Phillies are a longshot to land prospect Soler

February 17, 2012

Throughout the week, MLBTradeRumors.com has been tracking a bidding war for 19-year old prospect Jorge Soler from Cuba.

The Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles,  Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, and Chicago White Sox are all teams that are interested in Soler. But there were only two teams that reportedly have serious interest.

Those two teams are the New York Yankees, and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. confirmed the club's interest in Soler, stating that he has met with Soler several times, and has stayed in contact.

Recently though, the site reported that the Phillies are a longshot to sign Soler, stating price as the reason why.

The Phillies never spend a lot of money on international players, and the Cubs are reportedly going to offer Soler $27.5 million.

So, the Phils may have gone from being one of the top suitors to out of the running, but nothing is for sure yet.

I will keep you updated as soon as more details become available.

Confidence in Hamels deal, right-handed bat, and Hawaii Five-O

February 12, 2012

Matt Gelb Inquirer

One of the biggest issues for the Phillies right now is if they will be able to re-sign Cole Hamels and keep him for a few more years.

Many reporters and insiders are saying that it will be a difficult task for the Phils to pull off, considering the big contracts already given to players like Cliff Lee, Ryan Howard, and Jonathan Papelbon.

Team president Dave Montgomery, however, is confident that Hamels will stay in Philadelphia after 2012.

Montgomery said this to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Matt Gelb:

"I don't think it's difficult," Montgomery said. "We've let Cole know we're anxious to have him stay here. Cole enjoys it here. He's not only been a quality pitcher, but he involves himself in the community. It'll probably come down to what we think is an appropriate length and what they think. You try to minimize risk by not going longer than necessary. And a player is looking for as much security as he can get. It's an equation that takes time to hopefully get worked out."

"You'd like to go as short as you possibly can," Montgomery said. "At the same time, every once in a while, you have a circumstance where we're not going to get it done at two or three years.

"I think, thanks to our fans, we no longer have to convince players that this is a good place to play. As a result, hopefully, when the club and player sit down you can find the common ground."

Manny a Phillie?

Zach Links of MLBTradeRumors.com writes that it would not be surprising if the Phillies signed either Manny Ramirez, Magglio Ordonez, Vladimir Guerrero, or Xavier Nady.

Links states that the Phils are looking for a right-handed pinch-hitter that can play in the outfield if needed.

Links also writes that the Phillies could be a possible fit for left-handed reliever Mike Gonzalez.

Gonzalez, 33, played for Baltimore and Texas in 2011. He made 49 appearances, where he went 2-2, and had an ERA of 4.39, and a WHIP of 1.35.

The chances of the Phils making a move will be based on how much money is freed up, because they are close to having to pay the luxury tax right now.

Victorino Five-O

Shane Victorino will be appearing in an episode of Hawaii Five-O that will be airing on February 20.

CBS' show will have another guess star as well, in Olympic speed skater Apolo Ohno.

Victorino will act as a business executive, and Ohno will be a Hawaiian historian.

Update: Oswalt will not sign with Phillies

February 11, 2012

ESPN's Jayson Stark believes that Roy Oswalt will not re-sign with the Phillies, nor we hill sign with the Rangers.

Here is what Stark said on Baseball Tonight:

"He wanted to go to Texas. That's not gonna happen. He wanted to go back to Philadelphia. That's not gonna happen. He had some interest in the Reds. That doesn't seem like it's going to happen. So his choices still come down to, I think, going to Boston, where they have a clear need but he doesn't seem to want to play, and going to St. Louis, where all his friends say he would love to be. But to do that, he has to do it on their terms."

So there you have it, Oswalt still is not signed. It looks like St. Louis is the only team left, and Oswalt can no longer sign on his own terms.

Pitchers and catchers have already reported for the Seattle Mariners, and I can imagine that the next few days will hold a lot more Oswalt news.

Oswalt unlikely to return to Phils, no progress with Boston

February 9, 2012

GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told Phillies beat writer Todd Zolecki outright, that Roy Oswalt is unlikely to come back to the Phillies.

"We really don't have any room for him," Amaro said. "We have five, six starters, and our resources are about where we want to be right now. I think he wouldn't mind coming back, but I don't know that's feasible or a real possibility."

Oswalt and the Phillies have kept in contact, but at this point, the only way to make room for him is to trade Joe Blanton. However, Blanton's $8.5 million salary this year makes things tough.

The Phillies have reportedly called around the Majors to see what the interest is in Blanton, but have done nothing more than that so far.

Both Blanton and Oswalt had injuries that plagued them last year.

The Phillies seem to be going with Blanton, so how he performs in spring training will very likely have an effect on Oswalt.

Boston, another team whos is reported to have interest in Oswalt, has stated that no progress has been made, so this could mean that the Red Sox are out on trying to sign Oswalt.

Update: Ibanez in serious talks with Yankees

February 7, 2012

CSNPhilly.com reports that Raul Ibanez is now in serious talks with the New York Yankees. They also report that Ibanez is willing to take less money, based off a report by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

If Ibanez joins the Yankees, he will most likely be the designated hitter.

Update: Oswalt still interested in Phillies

February 6, 2012

Yeah, Roy Oswalt is still out there. And yeah, it's not really clear who wants him.

The Red Sox and Reds are names that continue to be thrown out there. The Cardinals and Rangers are still in rumors too, but payroll limitations make them unlikely destinations.

What's interesting is that Oswalt is reportedly interested in returning to the Phillies. But it is not clear if the Phillies are interested.

There is a $168 million of the payroll already tied up, so the Phillies may not be able to afford him. Plus there is the history of back issues that the club is well aware of.

It's doubtful that Oswalt will be back with the Phillies at this point.

Reports from CSNPhilly.com and MLBTradeRumors.com suggest that the Phillies may try to dump Joe Blanton to free up space,but he will be hard to deal to another team due to his $8.5 million salary.

Even if Blanton is moved, it still wouldn't be clear if the Phillies would even want to re-sign Oswalt.

With spring training rapidly approaching, hopefully Roy Oswalt's future will become far more clearer.

Nationals want to take back CBP South

February 3, 2012

Over the past few years, Nationals Park has become less of the National's home stadium and more of the Phillie's second home, dubbed by many as Citizens Bank Park South.

Phillies fans have invaded Washington, and have easily taken over the relatively new ballpark. But now the Nationals want to put a stop to it with their new campaign called "Take Back the Park."

According to Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com, Nationals season ticket holders will have the oppurtunity to purchase the tickets for the first three home games against the Phillies (May 4-6) at a discounted price, before they go on sale to the public.

Now, I usually don't bring my opinion in to this, but resorting to a campaqign like this just seems sad and pathetic.

It also does not make any sense for these reasons.

1) The Nationals have not been a very successful team, so naturally, no one is going to want to see them.

2) Why would they even care? Phillies fans are buying their tickets, providing them with revenue, so they're actually helping the Nationals.

3) I get the feeling that this campaign won't be stopping any Phillies fan from going, because if Nationals fans aren't buying tickets anyway, then the tickets have to go on sale to the public eventually.

Phils add Qualls to bullpen

January 31, 2012

The Phillies add more depth to their bullpen by signing the right-handed reliever Chad Qualls.

calltothepen.com

Phillies beat writer Todd Zolecki reports that the deal is for one-year, and worth $1.15 million.

The 33-year old Qualls made 77 appearances for the San Diego Padres in 2011, going 6-8 with a 3.51 ERA. The seven year vet had a WHIP of 1.25 last season, and a career WHIP of 1.27. His career ERA is 3.78.

Reliever Jose Contreras had right elbow surgery last year, and there is still uncertainty around his availability for this season. Therefore, Qualls provides more right-handed support out of the Phil's bullpen.

Dmitri Young works out for Phillies

January 31, 2012

wikipedia.org

Ryan Howard is expected to be out until May.

The 41-year old Jim Thome may be able to fill in at first until Howard comes back, and Ty Wigginton seems more than cable of doing so as well. But it doesn't hurt to look for a little extra help.

That is why the Phillies worked out Dmitri Young, according to a report by CSNPhilly.com.

Young is 38-years old, and has not played in the Majors since 2008 (that four year absence might be a problem).

On top of that, he only played 50 games in '08 with Washington, hitting a modest .280 average with four homers.

Young is a career .292 hitter, with a 171 home-runs. He also has a couple All-Star appearances.

Again, the Phillies have Thome, Wigginton, and even John Mayberry Jr. (played games at first in 2011) to use at first base, but it looks like they will look at any help that is out there.

Oswalt talks to Rangers

January 31, 2012

First the Red Sox had interest, but he had none.

Then the Cardinals were reportedly close to a deal, but that those rumors were denied.

Now CSNPhilly.com reports that Roy Oswalt met with the Rangers on Monday.

The Rangers have not made any deal yet.

The option for Oswalt to pitch out of the bullpen is available, but he has made it clear that he wants to start.

One team that is surprisingly in the mix. The Houston Astros, his former team.

Pat Burrell retires

January 31, 2012

A report by Joey Nowak of MLB.com confirmed that the 35-year old outfielder Pat Burrell, retired form Major League Baseball on Monday.
Burrell spent eight years playing left field for the Phillies, from 2000-2008.

He played for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2009 to part of 2010, before being traded to the San Francisco Giants, where he spent the rest of 2010 and 2011.


zimbio.com

Burrell won the World Series with the Phillies in 2008, in what would then prove to be his final year on the team.

In game 5 of that series, Burrell hit a 400 foot double off the inclined wall in center field that brought Geoff Jenkins (who hit a lead off-double in the resumption of the game) home, giving the Phillies a 3-2 lead in the sixth.

The Phillies won game 5 to clinch the series over the Tampa Bay Rays, by a final of 4-3.

Two years later, Burrell won another World Series with the Giants in 2010 (that one still hurts).

Burrell played 12 seasons in the Majors, hitting for a .253 career average, with 1393 hits, 292 home runs, and 976 RBI's.

Phillies avoid arbitration with Pence

January 27, 2012

Ben Nicholson-Smith of MLBTradeRumors.com reports that the Phillies and rightfielder Hunter Pence have agreed to a one-year, $10.4 million deal, avoiding arbitration.

Pence was the last arbitration eligible player left on the Phillies, so they now have all of them signed for 2012.

Pence, who will be a free agent in 2013, originally requested an $11.8 million deal, and the Phillies offered $9 million.

The $10.4 million Pence will receive is the midway point between both sides amounts.

Phillies add speed with Juan Pierre

January 27, 2012



zimbio.com

The Phillies have signed outfielder Juan Pierre to a minor league contract, according to MLB.com's Paul Hagen.

Pierre, 34, played in 158 games for the Chicago White Sox in 2011. He was placed in left and batted in the leadoff spot. Pierre hit .279  with a .329 OBP.

However, Ruben Amaro Jr. was looking to add speed to the Phillie's bench, and Pierre brings just that.

Last season, Pierre stole 27 bases, and stole a career high 68 in 2010.

Hunter Pence, Shane Victorino, have right and center field covere, while Laynce Nix and John Mayberry Jr. are expected to platoon in left. So, Pierre will be competing for a bench spot against the 36-year old vet Scott Podsednik, and possibly Dominic Brown.

Lidge signs with Washington

January 26, 2012

todayinndhistory.com

Brad Lidge will always be remembered for 2008.

He went 48 for 48 in save oppurtunities, the 48th save being the one that clinched the World Series title and bringing the first championship to Philadelphia in 25 years.

The years after, unfortunately, were not as successful. 2009 was a horrible year for him, and 2010 and 2011 had him battle through injuries for a while.

Now, Lide's four-year run in Philadelphia is over, as CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury is reporting that Lidge signed a one-year, $1 million with the Washington Nationals.

Lidge only made 25 appearances in 2011, posting a 1.40 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. He pitched 19.1 innings and earned and 0-2 record with one save.

Lidge had a shoulder injury that kept him out for a little over the first half of the season, last year.

Lidge, 35, expressed interest in returning for a fifth year, and so did Ruben Amaro Jr., but there were other priorities that the team had to address and nothing ever materialized.

Though Lidge is going to an NL East rival, I wish him the best of luck.

I know that Phillies fans won't ever forget what he helped bring to the city.

Valdez traded to Reds

January 25, 2012

The Phillies made another deal today, sending utility man Wilson Valdez to the Cincinnati Reds for left-handed pitcher Jeremy Horst.

Valdez, 33, signed a one-year deal earlier this month to avoid arbitration with the Phils, but now Cincinnati will be taking care of his contract.

Valdez mostly filled in at shortstop, second base, and third base in the 2010 and 2011 campaigns, while Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Placido Polanco were injured.

joemontanasrightarm.com

But on May 25 against the Reds, when the game went into the 19th inning, Valdez was sent out to pitch. He pitched a scoreless inning and got the win in a 5-4 walkoff victory.

Valdez earned himself a spot in Philadelphia Sports lore that night, where he got three batters out, one of which was the NL MVP Joey Votto.

He has a 1-0 record, with a 0.00 ERA as a pitcher.... Talk about perfect.

As a position player, Valdez hit .249, with a single home-run, and 30 RBI's, in 99 games of the 2011 season.

Horst, 26, appeared in 12 Major League games, and 36 Triple-A games last season. He posted a 2.93 ERA in the Majors in 15.1 innings, and a 2.81 ERA in the Minors in 51 innings.

Update: Cordero agrees to deal with Jays

January 24, 2012

Monday, it was reported that the Phillies were one of four finalists for free-agent reliever Francisco Cordero.

MLBTradeRumors.com's Ben Nicholson-Smith, now reports that Cordero has agreed to a one-year,  $4.5 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Fielder to Tigers

Sorry, I couldn't avoid this one.

Prince Fielder has finally signed with a team, and they are in the American League.

Fielder has agreed to a 9-year, $214 million deal with the Detroit Tigers. The same team that his father, Cecil Fielder, played for.

Fielder will be playing first base, meaning that the current first baseman Miguel Cabrera, will be switching positions.

Cabrera will most likely become the DH, since Victor Martinez is out for the year with a torn ACL.

The Tigers were a team that no one even knew were in the Fielder sweepstakes.

The Phillie's division rival Washington Nationals, were rumored to be the favorite to sign Fielder. Fortunately, Phils fans can breathe easy now, knowing that one of the most fiercest hitters in the game right now is not within their own division.

Fans of any other AL team, central division especially, that is not the Tigers though (maybe except the Angels) have to be worried now considering that both Fielder and Albert Pujols of the Angels are there.

Plus, the Tigers easily have the best pitcher right now in Justin Verlander.

Former broadcaster Andy Musser passes away

January 24, 2012

abclocal.go.com

Former Phillies broadcaster Andy Musser passed away on Sunday, at the age of 74.

Musser was on the Phillies broadcast team from 1976-2001. He also did the broadcasts for Super Bowl VI (1972) and VII (1974), The NBA All-Star Game in 1966 and 1970, the Masters in 1972-1973, and the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship in 1975.

Musser is survived by his wife, son, daughter, and four grandchildren.

Todd Zolecki reported that a memorial service will be held on January 31.

You can read Zolecki's full article of Musser on the Phillie's website. The story is in the link below.
http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120123&content_id=26445860&vkey=news_phi&c_id=phi

Phillies in pursuit of Francisco Cordero

January 23, 2012

MLBTradeRumors.com

zimbio.com

The Phillies are rumored to be in pursuit of free agent reliever Francisco Cordero, according to Mark Polishuk of MLBTradeRumors.com.

The Phils are likely to be one of the four finalists in the Cordero sweepstakes, along with the Angels, Blue Jays, and Orioles.

If the soon to be 14-year veteran chooses to sign with the Phillies, he will likely be the set up man for Jonathan Papelbon.

Cordero has spent the last four seasons with the Cinncinati Reds as their closer.

In 2011, Cordero put up 37 saves and finished with a 5-3 record. He struck out 42, had an ERA of 2.45, and a WHIP of 1.02.

I will post more details as soon as they become available.

Moyer signs with Colorado

January 19, 2012

CSNPhilly.com is reporting that the 49 year-old, now former Phil, Jamie Moyer has signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies.

Moyer will be competing for a roster spot, but Colorado will also have him mentor the younger pitchers.

Ibanez contacted Yankees

January 18, 2012

No one has picked up Raul Ibanez so far, but reports are being made that he has contacted the Yankees about possibly being a designated hitter.

There are no details on how the in-depth these talks were, or if there was any interest at all.

I'll keep you updated if more becomes available.

Details on Valdez's arbitration

January 18, 2012

Wilson Valdez reached a one-year deal with the team on Tuesday to avoid arbitration. However, what he will be paid in 2012 was not known yet.

Valdez will receive $930,000 this season.


Pence still left for arbitration

Hunter Pence is the only arbitration eligible player left on the team.

Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reports that Pence filed for $11.8 million, and the Phillies countered with a $9 million offer.

The two sides have until February to reach an agreement, or go to a hearing in February, where a panel of arbitrators will decide if Pence gets his $11 million or the club's $9 million.

Phillies will have "every oppurtunity to secure" Hamels

January 18, 2012

CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury reports that Cole Hamel's agent John Boggs, expects his client to receive a contract comparable to that of Cliff Lee's, where he will make at least $20 million a year.

That presents a problem for the Phillies considering that they already have Lee, Roy Hallady, and Ryan Howard already making over $20 million a year.

In addition, Boggs states that Angel's pitcher Jered Weaver's recently signed 5-year, $85 million contract will not be comparable to Hamels. Boggs explains that Weaver gave tha Angels a home town discount, and that he and Hamels won't be looking for that kind of deal.

Salisbury writes that Boggs and GM Ruben Amaro Jr. will talk during spring training to try and make a deal, but at this point there is no real deadline to get things done.

There is an upside however. Boggs says that Hamel's preference is most likely to stay in Philadelphia, and added that "We’ll always give the Phillies every opportunity to secure him.”

You can read Salisbury's full article at CSNPhilly.com by clicking on the link below.
http://www.csnphilly.com/blog/phillies-talk/post/Agent-expects-elite-contract-for-Hamels?blockID=633252&feedID=693

Phils, Hamels avoid arbitration, agree to one-year deal

January 17, 2012

Great news, Cole Hamels will remain in Philadelphia for at least another year.

According to CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury, The Phillies agreed to a one-year, $15 million deal with Hamels. 

Salisbury also reports that the club has agreed to a deal with Wilson Valdez, avoiding arbitration with both players.

Hunter Pence is the last player on the team that is arbitration eligible.

Recap

January 17, 2012

It's been a while, but the blog is finally back to full form. Let's recap what what was missed shall we?

After hitting his 600th home-run with the Twins in 2011, Jim Thome comes back to the Phillies for one more year, hoping he can finally win the championship ring hat has eluded him his entire career.

The Phillies didn't stop strengthning their bench their, adding utility player Ty Wigginton from the Rockies, then picking up outfielder Laynce Nix in free agency.

J-Roll signed on for another three years in Philly, after the market for him getting a five-year deal turned out to be a non-existent one.

Ryan Madson was on the free-agent market for months before the Reds gave him a year, after the Phils decided to go with Jonathan Papelbon as their closer.

The day after New Year's, CBP transformed from a ballpark into a Winter (Classic) wonderland.

Then just recently, the Phillies signed RHP Joel Pineiro to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training.

A lot was missed, but now That Phillies Blog is back in full form.

Update

January 12, 2012

Hello everyone,

Recently there haven not been any posts, and I apologize for that. As I mentioned previously, I've had a very important paper to take care of for school. It has taken up a lot of my time, and unfortunately, the blogs had to take a back seat for a while. Again, I'm very sorry for this. But, I am happy to say the paper is done, and I will be updating the blogs daily again. Originally, I set the deadline for my return on January 10, but the due date for the paper was pushed back. Now I will be returning on Tuesday, January 17. You may see some changes to the look of the blog, as I am looking to redesign it. In addition, I am also happy to announce that I will be making YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter pages for the blogs in the near future.

Again, I am deeply sorry for any inconvience I have caused over the last few weeks. I thank you for your patience.

- Nick

P.S. I wish the best of luck to Ryan Madson with the Cincinnati Reds.

Howard cleared for exercise

January 6, 2012

http://www.csnphilly.com/blog/phillies-talk/post/Phils-Howard-cleared-to-begin-exercises?blockID=625814&feedID=693

- Courtesy of CSNPhilly.com

Halladay makes off-season rescue

January 1, 2012

http://www.csnphilly.com/blog/phillies-talk/post/Halladay-rescues-boy-from-anaconda-bite?blockID=621716&feedID=693

- Courtesy of CSNPhilly.com