Archive for the 'Clearwater Threshers' Category

Bonilla: Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Week

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

Monday, Lisalberto Bonilla was named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week. Tuesday, he won his first game of the year and on Wednesday, he was named Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Week.

Here is the weekly Phillies minor league review from Larry Shenk at the Phillies.

Players of the Week

**Pitcher: RH Lisalberto Bonilla, Lakewood.  Made 1 start and wasn’t involved in the decision, a 1-0, 10-inning BlueClaws win over Hagerstown on Wednesday.  Pitched 9 innings, allowed 5 singles, 0 walks and fanned a career-high 12.  Threw 107 pitches, 77 for strikes and had 3, 3-ball accounts. He was also named the MiLB.com pitcher of the week in the SAL. In 17 games at Lakewood (5 starts), he has a 1.49 ERA for 54.1 innings with 54 strikeouts.  The 21-year-old was signed as an amateur free agent out of Samana, Dominican Republic, by Sal Agostinelli and Bernardo Perez, 12/19/08.

**Player: 1B-DH Darin Ruf, Clearwater.  Hit .632 in 6 games (12-19) with 3 doubles, 6th-7th homers and 8 RBI.  Ended the week on an 8-game hitting streak.  Six-game RBI streak ended Sunday.  Batting .403 in 17 2nd-half games, 4 homers, 15 RBI.  For the season, hitting .311 in 81 games with an organization-high and FSL-leading 29 doubles; 7 homers, 50 RBI, matching his career high set a year ago at Clearwater. The 24-year-old was selected in the 20th round in 2009 out of Creighton University and signed by David Seifert.

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Singleton, May Take FSL Honors

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

Jonathan Singleton and Trevor May, both with the BlueClaws last year, took home Florida State League honors this week.

Florida State League
Jonathan Singleton, Clearwater
.520/.613/1.000, 7 G, 13-for-25, 3 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R, 6 BB, 2 K, 1 SB
Jonathan Singleton wore a serious funk into the week — his 0-for-3 Monday made him 1-for-18 over the last five games, and he’d managed to get as many as two hits in only one game all month. On Tuesday, everything changed. He doubled in his first at-bat of the game, and he finished with a home run, a single, a walk and six RBIs. In his next game, the Phillies prospect notched two more singles and another base-on-balls. Singleton wasn’t done yet, though: he homered twice, doubled and walked to score three runs Thursday. He went 3-for-5 on Friday and had a hit in each of the next two games.

Florida State League
Trevor May, Clearwater
0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 2 BB, 14 K
Trevor May, who won two Pitcher of the Week awards at two levels last year, picks up his first honor of 2011. The Phillies prospect pitched a 1-2-3 inning and ended up the victor in this week’s FSL All-Star Game, but his regular-season start on Wednesday really stands out. May punched out 14, tying a career-high mark, allowing one hit and two walks over seven innings at Tampa. May ended up without a decision, and the game was suspended due to rain with a 2-2 tie in the 10th.

Here’s another recommended read: 5 Minutes with Justin Friend. The Reading reliever sat down with Ed Barkowitz of the Philadelphia Daily News.

Pregame quirk: Takes a hit of smelling salts before he goes in to pitch. “It kind of wakes you up after sitting in the bullpen for eight innings,” said Friend, who picked up the habit from Oakland closer Andrew Bailey, a Paul VI product. “He’s a two-time All-Star, so I figured I might as well try it.”

Jesse Biddle, who has a 3.04 ERA since May 1st, throws tonight for Lakewood in Hagerstown where the BlueClaws look to bounce back after dropping the first game of the series on Monday night.

Two Former Claws Headed to Futures Game

Thursday, June 23rd, 2011

cosartvalleCongratulations to 2010 BlueClaws Jarred Cosart and Sebastian Valle who are headed to the 2011 MLB Futures Game this year, to be held July 10th in Phoenix, two days before the MLB All-Star Game.

Cosart is 6-4, 3.16 with Clearwater this year. The 21 year old from League City, Texas was selected to play last year while with the BlueClaws, but was injured and could not participate, so this must be extra-special for Cosart this time around.

Valle, meanwhile, is batting .343 with three HRs and 22 RBIs and this is his first selection to the game. Valle, just 20 and from Los Mochis San Aloa, Mexico, spent the first half of 2009 and all of 2010 with Lakewood. His most memorable moment was hitting the game winning HR in the SAL Championship Series clincher (game four) for Lakewood last year at FirstEnergy Park.

Here are the former BlueClaws that have been selected (italics means they were selected the season they were with Lakewood):

  • 2003-04: Gavin Floyd
  • 2003: Ryan Howard
  • 2005: Scott Mathieson
  • 2006-08: Carlos Carrasco
  • 2007: Adrian Cardenas
  • 2008: Jason Donald
  • 2008: Greg Golson
  • 2008: Lou Marson
  • 2009: Kyle Drabek
  • 2010: Jarred Cosart, Domonic Brown

Here is the full story from MLB.com with the full rosters.

Minor League Review

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011

Here’s the weekly Minor League Review courtesy of Larry Shenk:

Players of the Week

**Pitcher: RHR Eric Pettis, Clearwater.  Relieved twice, 0 runs in 5.1 innings; allowed 4 hits, 1 walk and 5 strikeouts.  Since joining Clearwater from Lakewood on May 5, he has 11 scoreless outings out of 13.  He’s given up just 2 runs, solo home runs in back-to-back games, June 3 and 6.  For June, he’s 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA.  The 23-year-old was selected in the 35th round in 2010 out of UC Irvine and signed by Demerius Pittman.  He broke in at Williamsport last season, finished 8-0 with a 1.37 ERA for 20 games (5 starts).

**Player: 2B Cesar Hernandez, Clearwater.  In an All-Star Game shortened week, Hernandez hit .500 (9-18) in 4 games.  His 9 hits led the organization.  Included were 2 homers.  He’s hitting .390 in his last 10 games and .328 in June, improving his average from .214 to .249.

The 21-year-old hit .325 in 65 games a year ago at Williamsport.  He was signed as an amateur free agent out of Carabobo, VZ, by Sal Agostinelli and Jesus Mendez.

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One-Upsmanship

Sunday, June 19th, 2011

Four of the five Clearwater starting pitchers, all former BlueClaws, made the Florida State League All-Star team and all pitched a perfect inning in their win last night over the FSL Southern Division All-Stars.

“We’re always pushing to one-up each other,” winning pitcher Trevor May said. “But I don’t know who you would say was the best tonight.”

Jon Pettibone started and was followed by Jarred Cosart in third inning, May in the fifth and Julio Rodriguez in the seventh. The results were all the same.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who can get the job done,” May said. “It’s amazing to get four starters in the All-Star Game. To have them all pitch a perfect inning is phenomenal.”

Moving Day

Thursday, June 16th, 2011

There were a bunch of moves today in the Phillies minor league system. While none involve the BlueClaws, some former BlueClaws are on the move including fan favorite Justin De Fratus from 2009.

RHP Justin De Fratus is heading from Reading to Lehigh Valley along with 3B Cody Overbeck, LHP Ryan Edell, and RHP Phillipe Aumont.

1B Joe Savery goes from Clearwater to Reading along with RHP Justin Friend and RHP Chance Chapman (who comes from Lehigh and is a 2008 BlueClaw).

De Fratus, who is on the 40-man roster, was 4-0, 2.15 with Reading this year.

Why all the moves? Vance Worley is going to the Phillies to pitch Saturday. Eddie Bonine is injured and so too is Nate Bump. Brian Gordon is now a Yankee (read about this here).

It’s been years since Brian Gordon has pitched in the majors. It also has been years since Gordon’s even been in New York.

Today, the right-hander will be the Yankees’ starter against the Rangers in The Bronx when he makes his pinstriped debut in place of the injured Bartolo Colon.

Gordon will pitch in the big leagues for the first time since 2008 and, at age 32, start a major league game for the first time in his life.

2:29: Yankees/Rangers are 1-1 in the 5th.

Murphy/Cosart: Players of the Month

Saturday, June 11th, 2011

BlueClaws 1B Jim Murphy and Clearwater RHP Jarred Cosart were named Phillies Minor League Players of the Month, it was announced today by the Phillies.

The April Players of the Month was Clearwater 1B Joe Savery and Reading RHP JC Ramirez.

Below, find the full release from the Phillies:

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Minor League Week In Review

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

Here’s the Phillies Minor League Week in Review as provided (as always) by the great Larry Shenk. Read his “Phillies Insider” blog by clicking here.

Players of the Week

**Pitcher: RHS Trevor May, Clearwater. 1-0 for 1 start, 8 innings, 2 hits, 1 unearned run, 1 walk, season-high 12 strikeouts.  Victory was his 4th straight, improving his season record to 4-2, 3.54.  Leads all Phillies minor league hurlers with 80 strikeouts (61.2 innings).  The 21-year-old was selected in the 4th round of the 2008 draft out of Kelso High School (WA) and signed by Dave Ryles.

**Player: 1B Jeff Larish, Lehigh Valley. Hit .478 in 6 games, 11 hits including 3 doubles, 1 triple and 4 homers.  Drove in 12.  Triple, 2 homers and 7 RBI came in 12-2 romp on Monday at Gwinnett.  For the season, he’s hitting .265 in 48 games, 12 homers and 31 RBI.  The 28-year-old was signed as a minor league free agent on 11/22/10.

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Four Threshers to FSL All-Star Game

Friday, June 3rd, 2011

Congratulations to four Clearwater Threshers, and three former BlueClaws, who yesterday were named to the Florida State League All-Star Game.

RHP Jonathan Pettibone (5-4, 2.03) was a 3rd round pick in 2008 from Yorba Linda, California. He is second in the FSL in ERA and only in his last start did his ERA jump above 2.00. He has allowed two earned runs or less in eight of his 11 starts this year. Don’t forget last year, when Pettibone had an ERA of just 2.41 in the second half in helping the BlueClaws win the SAL title. Pettibone won the clincher in both rounds of last year’s playoffs.

RHP Julio Rodriguez (6-3, 2.28) was an 8th round pick in 2008 from Puerto Rico. He is fourth in the FSL in ERA and he has not allowed more than three ER in any of his 11 starts this year. Rodriguez won’t turn 21 until August. He gave up three ER in his last 39 innings with the BlueClaws last year. Just to show the depth in the Clearwater rotation, and how good the BlueClaws rotation was last year, Rodriguez and Pettibone were considered by many to be numbers 4 and 5 in that rotation entering the season and it’s those two guys that are going to the All-Star Game. The Phillies are in fine shape on the starting pitching front if the Clearwater rotation is an indication of anything.

RHP Justin Friend (1.11 ERA, 18 saves) was selected in the Minor League Rule 5 draft from the A’s this past winter and is the only one of this group who never played with the BlueClaws. He spent last year in Double-A with the A’s and has dominated Hi-A with the Phillies this year.

C Sebastian Valle (.357-3-18), a 20 year old signed as a free agent from Mexico in 2008, is the final Thresher headed to the league’s All-Star Game. Valle hit the game winning home run for the BlueClaws in Game 4 of the 2010 SAL Championship Series. Just as a nice exclamation point, Valle is 15-24 over his last six games. He would lead the league in hitting but falls a few at bats short of qualifying.

The FSL All-Star Game will be played in Clearwater on June 18th.

The SAL All-Star Game will be played June 21st at Delmarva. We don’t know the rosters just yet (probably early next week) but you have to figure that David Buchanan, Garett Claypool and Jim Murphy are locks to represent the BlueClaws.

Red-Hot Claws Sweep Phillies Honors

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

claypoolmurphyfullThe BlueClaws, who have won five in a row and 11 of 12, have swept the Phillies Minor League Player of the Week honors, with Jim Murphy (Player) and Garett Claypool (Pitcher) having won.

Here is the weekly report from the great Larry Shenk.

Players of the Week

**Pitcher: RHP Garrett Claypool, Lakewood.  Made 1 start last week, a no decision in which he allowed 1 run on 2 hits in 7 innings.  He walked 1 and struck out a season-high 11 (7 looking).  For the season, he is 1-2 for 12 games (8 starts) with a 2.30 ERA, which ranks second in the South Atlantic League to teammate Dave Buchanan (1.97). Opponents are batting .188. The 22-year-old was selected in the 11th round a year ago out of UCLA and signed by Shane Bowers.

- Noted on Claypool: His Monday start in which he threw seven shutout innings, didn’t even count for last week (it will for this week). He’s allowed 2 ER in his last 26 innings pitched.

**Player: 1B Jim Murphy, Lakewood. Batted .364 in 6 games with 5 runs scored, 8 hits, 3 doubles, 3 homers and 9 RBI.  He homered in three straight games starting Thursday night and ended the week riding a 7-game hitting streak.  For the season, he is hitting .264 with 13 homers (matching Reading’s Cody Overbeck for the most in the organization) and 36 RBI, which are tops in the organization.  His 13 homers also lead the SAL.  The 25-year-old was selected in the 17th round in 2006 out of Washington State University and signed by Dave Ryles.

Rest below the fold:

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Shane Victorino Here This Weekend, More

Thursday, May 26th, 2011

Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino will rehab with the BlueClaws this weekend at FirstEnergy Park, Saturday and Sunday, before taking Monday off and heading to Reading Tuesday through Thursday. He is eligible to be activated on Friday from the disabled list (right hamstring strain). From the official release.

Victorino, who has not played since May 18th (and was placed on the disabled list on May 20th), was batting .284 with six home runs and 19 RBIs before getting hurt.

This is the second time Victorino will rehab with the BlueClaws. He went 1-5 on August 20th, 2007.

Overall, the BlueClaws are 16-10 when a Phillies player rehabs at FirstEnergy Park, including 1-0 this year. On May 3rd, Phillies LHP JC Romero threw a shutout inning in a BlueClaws 4-3 win over Savannah.

Lakewood beat Greensboro tonight by a score of 7-6 (box).

Jim Murphy’s home run was his 11th of the year (he hit 14 with the BlueClaws in 2009) and 25th as a BlueClaw overall. He drove in 5 runs, his second highest total of the season (6).

Zach Collier went 4-4 and is 25-64 over his last 15 games.

How about Jonathan Pettibone? He’s picked up right where he left off last year, when he had an ERA just north of 2 in the second half. This year, he’s at 1.75 after throwing seven shutout innings tonight for Clearwater.

Thresh-Heirs

Thursday, May 26th, 2011

See what they did there? Paul Hagen wrote this piece in the Philadelphia Daily News that ran yesterday on the five starters for Clearwater (Thresh-ers), all of whom pitched for the BlueClaws last year. Of course, they’re talking about (stats this year):

  • Brody Colvin (0-1, 4.96)
  • Jarred Cosart (5-3, 2.87)
  • Trevor May (3-2, 4.13)
  • Jonathan Pettibone (4-3, 1.98)
  • Julio Rodriguez (5-3, 2.50)

Said Cosart: “You always say you can’t really put a timetable on anything. You don’t know what’s going to happen with injuries and all that. But with all the big contracts and when they expire and when we’re expected to be ready, I guess you could say it looks like it could fall into place perfectly. We have no problem with that. We try not to look at it, but if it happens like that it’s pretty cool. And like we talk about, we’re going to be ready whenever they make that call, whenever they need our help.”

It was widely noted in spring training this year how the big-league rotation convened around a clubhouse table and held court every morning. The Threshers’ starters also have developed a bond. All were drafted out of high school. All were born within a calendar year of each other. Colvin and Cosart room together and all live in the same general vicinity.

Read the whole article, it’s a good one.

It’s hard to believe that Lakewood ran these guys out there last year one after another, though Cosart and May were never in the same rotation, with May coming back from Clearwater in July the week after Cosart made his final appearance of the season in June. However, it’s no wonder why the BlueClaws had a franchise-best, league leading, and MiLB leading team ERA of 3.04 ERA last year.

Minor League Review: Santana Phillies POW

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

santanablog1BlueClaws OF Domingo Santana was named Phillies Minor League Player of the Week for the week ending Sunday. He went 10-25 last week and hit his 5th home run of the season on Sunday at West Virginia. Here’s the full rundown from Larry Shenk:

**Pitcher: RHR Michael Schwimer, Lehigh Valley.  2 appearances, 1-0, 0.00, 1 save; 5.1 innings, 2 hits, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts.  First save of the season came on Tuesday when IronPigs moved into first place.  Last 10 outings, 1-0, 1.84 ERA, opponents batting .137.  For the season, 2-0, 1.90 ERA, 33 strikeouts in 23.2 innings.  The 25-year-old, 6-foot-8 right-hander was the Phillies 14th-round selection in 2008 out of the University of Virginia and signed by Paul Murphy.

**Player: RF Domingo Santana, Lakewood.  In 6 games, .400 with an organization-high 10 hits.  Ended the week 6-10 in last 2 games, 2 doubles, a triple, 5th home run and 4 RBI. Hitting .350 in his last 10 games.  The 18-year-old was signed by Sal Agostinelli and Bernardo Perez as an amateur free agent out of Santo Domingo, DR, 3/23/09.

More below

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Valle Player of the Week, More Farm Notes

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

2010 BlueClaws catcher Sebastian Valle was named Phillies Minor League Player of the Week for the week ending Sunday, Below, find more on that and a few other things from around the farm and the desk of Larry Shenk.

Player of the Week: C Sebastian Valle, Clearwater. Batted .647 in 5 games (11-17) with 3 doubles, 2 homers and 5 RBI. Had 5 multi-hit games.  His homer on Wednesday cleared the Tiki Pavilion roof at Bright House Field (see photo). Left Friday’s game after a home plate collision and was placed on the DL the next day with a concussion.  Hitting .447 in his last 10 games, improving his season average to .337.  The 20-year-old was signed as an amateur free agent, 10/6/06, by Sal Agostinelli and Norman Anciani out of Los Mochis, Sal Aloa, Mexico.

Pitcher of the Week: RHP Brian Gordon, Lehigh Valley.  Made 2 starts, 1-0, 0.66 ERA, allowing 1 run, 6 hits and 1 walk in 13.2 innings.  He struck out 9. Lost a no-hitter in Sunday’s win on a bunt single leading off the 6th inning.  Wound up with a no-decision, 1 run in 7 innings, 3 hits.  He was also named the IL Pitcher of the Week by MiLB.com.  In 7 games (4 starts), the 32-year-old is 1-0 with a 0.36 ERA.  He was signed as a minor league free agent, 1/29/10 and was originally drafted in the 7th round by Arizona in 1997.

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