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Just back from the clubhouse. We have some interviews for you and photos too. Check back later tonight. But the BlueClaws are going back to the post-season! Hickory is 30 minutes from the start of their game against Greenville, and they know that it is for naught. O well.
Here’s the Catch of the Day program cover for the second homestand. Jiwan James and Michael Taylor featured.
Good morning everyone. Lakewood looks to even this series 2-2 here on getaway day in Greensboro.
Listen Live (10:45)
LAK: RHP Jonathan Pettibone (1-0, 5.52)
GBO: RHP Curtis Petersen (0-2, 9.72)
Walk This Way…The BlueClaws are third in the league in walks, having walked 74 times in their first 19 games. Jeremy Barnes is 4th in the league with 12, but Domingo Santana and Darin Ruf have drawn 11 and Adam Buschini 10 walks on the year.
One More Hit…The BlueClaws lead the league with a .299 average as a team this year. Four regulars (Ruf .338, Castro .329, Barnes .329 and Buschini .323) are hitting over .300. Ruf is 10th in the league to this point.
Just Grand…The BlueClaws did not hit a grand slam in 2009, and Adam Bushini’s grand slam on Monday was their first of the season. It was Buschini’s third home run of the year and just Lakewood’s second home run in the last 12 games.
Boosh the Bat…Adam Buschini has hit in seven straight games (13-30) over that stretch and hit a grand slam on Monday night. He began the year 8-35 before his current hot streak…He was a 4th round pick last year out of Cal-Poly.
One More Hit Streak…Jeremy Barnes is also on a seven-game hitting streak (12-29)…The two seven game hitting streaks are the longest of the season for the BlueClaws. Travis d’Arnaud had a 15-game hitting streak last year, but the team record is Ambiorix Reyes, who hit in 21 straight in 2001.
Dusty Wathan was featured in an article in the Buffalo News that ran today (read here). Wathan was a very popular player in Buffalo, where he played for three seasons, including a three home run game in 2005.
That promoted then Toldeo manager Larry Parrish to say: ”When he hits three, you’ve got to start buying lottery tickets.”
But the best line belonged to Wathan, who went 3-5 in the big leagues back in 2002 with Kansas City.
“I’m probably the only baseball player you’ll ever talk to who would have wanted a chance to lower his career batting average.”
Wathan is now managing Clearwater.
I did a quick research project today, looking at the youngest BlueClaws in team history, and came up with some interesting stuff.
In the team’s first seven years, the team never had an 18-year old on the Opening Day roster.
In 2008, Freddy Galvis was 18 for the duration of the season, and did not turn 19 until November 14th.
Then, last year, the BlueClaws opened the year with four 18-year olds: Anthony Gose, Sebastian Valle, Zach Collier, and Jason Knapp.
The reason for this nice little stroll through the record-books? Should Domingo Santana join the BlueClaws in a few weeks, he would be the youngest player in team history.
Santana is just 17 and will not turn 18 until August.
The power-hitting OF was ranked 10th in the system per Baseball America this year, and hit six home runs in 118 at bats with the GCL Phillies last summer.
A native of the Dominican Republic, Santana was born in the Bahamas and signed for $330,000 in 2008.
Last night, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs lost 4-3 to the Louisville Bats (Reds), but a deeper look into the box score reveals something interesting.
In the ballgame, Kevin Barker hit his 22nd home run of the season, the second most in the International League and he has a connection with the BlueClaws manager. Barker was traded in a one-for-one swap for Dusty Wathan in 2002 when Wathan was a member of the Padres during the 2001 off-season. That’s why its always fun to look a bit deeper into the box score.
Over the past season the Phillies organization has seen some of their top prospects and players get injured and then come back into the fold. Here is a look at some of the guys the Phillies have had go down, and their results from their return (In no order):
Dominic Brown (Broken finger): Out 6/8 - 7/16 - Since return: 5-for-12, 3 RBI
Lou Marson (Bruised right foot): Out 6/12 - 6/18 - Since return: Marson has see his average jump from .232 to .302.
Freddy Galvis (Broken Hand): Out 5/7 - 7/17 - Since return: 3-for-9, 2b
Mike Zagurski (Tommy John Surgery): Out 4/2008 - 4/2009 - Since return: 35 IP, 2.83 ERA with A+ and AA
Scott Mathieson (Tommy John Surgery) Out 9/2/2006 - 6/2009 - Since return: 2-0, 9IP, 0 ER, 10k with GCL and A+
Jason Donald (Knee Surgery) Out since 6/11 - Played four games with GCL Phillies, but has had setback.
Kyle Drabek (Tommy John Surgery) Out 2008 - Start 2009 - Since return: 9-2, 2.83 ERA with A+ and AA
Antonio Bastardo (Left shoulder strain) Out 6/27 - Present
Jason Knapp (Shoulder fatigue) Out 7/11 - Return expected soon
Tuffy Gosewisch (Broken hand) Out 7/16 - Present
Brett Myers (Hip Surgery) Out 5/28 - Present
Raul Ibanez (Groin strain) Out 6/18 - 7/10 - Since return: 7-for-19, 3 2b, 2HR
Brad Lidge (Right knee) Out 6/6 - 6/26 - Since return: 7.1, 5ER, 6 Saves, 1 loss
Carlos Ruiz (Oblique) Out 4/11 - 5/2 - Since return: 37-for-166, back with Phillies
Overall, the guys who have been injured have been strong in return. Here’s to a healthy future.
Of late, former BlueClaws pitchers have had an amazing run of success, making Lakewood a Pitcher’s Paradise. Here are a list of former BlueClaws pitchers and the results just from their last start!:
Kyle Drabek (First start in AA-Reading): 7ip, 0r, 3h, win
JA Happ (MLB-Phillies): 7ip, 0r, 4h, win
Josh Outman (right) (MLB-Oakland): 6.2ip, 2ER, win
Gavin Floyd (MLB-Chiacgo WS): 7ip, 4h, 2ER, 8k
Matt Maloney (AAA-Louisville): 9ip, 0r, 3h, 10ks, win
Antonio Bastardo (MLB Debut-Phillies): 6ip, 4h, 1ER, win
Carlos Carrasco (AAA-Lehigh Valley): 7ip, 6h, 2r, 6k
Kyle Kendrick (AAA-Lehigh Valley): 7ip, 5h, 2r
Congratulations to all these former Claws, making strides to and in the Big Leagues.
Some quick hitters from Sunday…
Welcome back to FirstEnergy Park for today’s game between the BlueClaws and West Virginia Power. The BlueClaws had a tough 4-3 loss last night, where they had two players thrown out on the bases in the ninth inning.
Welcome…To JC Romero…The Phillies LHP will pitch today for the BlueClaws as part of his rehab assignment. He has allowed one run over four innings thus far, three innings with Lehigh Valley and one with Reading. He’s eligible to be activated in the 51st game, June 3rd at San Diego.
LWD- RHP Jon Velasquez (5-2)
WVA- Gabriel Alvarado (2-2)
The BlueClaws are tied atop the SAL North with Delmarva. The Shorebirds have won seven in a row and Lakewood has lost four of their last six.
Game notes…Audio…Rest below the fold
The BlueClaws have called for Little League teams across the country named the BlueClaws to send us their photo…Here are some BlueClaws from Texas!
This is a new thing that we’ve been trying over the last week (and thanks to the good folks at Phillies Nation for the link). Anyway, here are the details on Facebook and Twitter Night (here is a flyer) with the BlueClaws:
The only kicker, you have to respond to the BlueClaws directly on Facebook or on Twitter. See you then!
Just two days to go until the BlueClaws April 9th opener (with the World Series trophy). Today’s entry goes back a few months into the January Hall of Fame elections in which Jim Rice was elected after years of heated debate among the baseball writers. Why Jim Rice?
Jim Rice became the second player elected to the Hall of Fame after signing autographs at a BlueClaws game. Rice was here last year. Goose Gossage signed at FirstEnergy Park in 2005 and was elected last year.
The BlueClaws invited the four highest vote-getters among those that missed the HOF cut this year: Bert Blyleven, Jack Morris, Lee Smith, and Andre Dawson, with hopes that they would be able to see the obvious connection.
Legendary Phillies PR-man Larry Shenk checks in with some news…
2008 BlueClaws pitcher Vance Worley will tonight be presented with the Bill Giles Award before tonight’s Phillies spring game against the Blue Jays.
The award goes to a player chosen on the following criteria: love and respect for the game of baseball, an outstanding work ethic and pride in being a member of the Phillies.
Worley, a 3rd round pick last year out of Long Beach State University, started his career at Williamsport before a promotion to Lakewood. He had a 2.66 ERA with the BlueClaws over 11 starts.
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GCL Phillies manager Roly de Armas will receive the John Vukovich Award, presented to a member of the organization’s instructional staff who embodies the characteristics of a man who wore a Phillies uniform for 30 years–loyalty, dedication, competitiveness, knowledge and an endless work ethic. Vuk took pride in wearing a Phillies uniform and in teaching players how to play the game the right way.
Finally, Arlon Quiroz will receive the Larry Rojas Award, given under the same criteria as the Giles award accepted by Worley. Quiroz, an outfielder, will likely be in Lakewood in 2009.