The Phils are done in again by the bullpen as they lose to the Twins, 12-5.
The bullpen allows 11 runs to score, doing in the Phils as they lose their third spring training game, dropping this one to the Twins, 12-5.
The Phils took the lead in the first as, with two men on, and with one man out, Ryan Howard hits an RBI single, knocking in Ben Revere, who had started the game off with a single, then stole second base, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead, while sending Dom Brown, who had just walked, on to third base. One batter later, the Phils took a 2-0 lead as Carlos Ruiz hits a sacrifice fly, scoring Brown. The Twins got a run back in the second as, with runners on the corners, and with two men out, Aaron Hicks hits an RBI single to third, knocking in Chris Parmelee, who had earlier singled, had moved up to second base on Chris Colabello’s walk, then stopped at third base on Pedro Florimon’s force out, 5-4, wiping out Colabello at second base, cutting the Phils’ lead to 2-1. The Phils would get a run back in the third as, with two men on, and with one man out, Ruiz hits an RBI single, knocking in Brown, who had reached base on first baseman Colbello’s fielding error, then moved up to second base on Howard’s walk, giving the Phils a 3-1 lead, while sending Howard, who had just walked, up to second base. The Twins cut the Phils’ lead down to 3-2 in the fourth as, with a man on third, via a three base fielding error by right fielder John Mayberry, Jr. and with nobody out, Hicks hits an RBI double, knocking in Florimon, who had gone to third on Mayberry’s error. Four batters later, with men on the corners, as Hicks stopped at third base on Josh Willingham’s single, and with two men out, the Twins took the lead as Ryan Doumit hits a three-run home run, his first home run of the spring, knocking in both Hicks and Doumit, giving the Twins a 6-3 lead. The Phils got a run back in the fifth as, with one man on, and with one man out, Brown hits an RBI double, knocking in Revere, who had started the inning off by reaching first base on second baseman Ray Olmedo’s fielding error, making it a 6-4 Twins’ lead. The Phils then made it a 6-5 Twins’ lead two batters later as, with Brown now on third base, via a Howard’s ground out, 3-unassisted, and wth two men out, Ruiz hits an RBI single, scoring Brown. The Twins increased their lead in the sixth as, with two men on, via a double by Wilkin Ramirez and a walk by pinch hitter Joe Benson, and with one man out, Drew Butera hits an RBI single, knocking in Ramirez, giving the Twins a 7-5 lead, while sending Benson all the way to third base. The Twins then took an 8-5 lead as Mark Sobolewski hits an RBI single, scoring Benson, while moving Butera up to second base. Two batters later, with runners still on first and second, and now with two men out, Jeff Clement hits an RBI single, knocking in Butera, making it a 9-5 Twins’ lead, while sending Sobolewski on to third base, before going up to second base on the late throw to third. The Twins increased their lead again in the seventh as, with runners on second and third, and with nobody out, Ramirez hits an RBI infield single, scoring Brandon Boggs, who had started the inning off with a walk, then stopped at third base on Olmedo’s double, giving the Twins a 10-5 lead, while sending Olmedo, who had just doubled, over to third. Three batters later, after Benson had walked to load up the bases, and Butera had hit into a 5-2 force out for the inning’s first out, as catcher Sebastian Valle touched home plate in front of Olmedo, while Ramirez and Benson both moved up a base, leaving the bases loaded, and now with one man out, Sobolewski hits a two-run infeld single to short, scoring both Ramirez and Benson, giving the Twins a 12-5 lead, while sending Butera on to second base. That would be the final score as Caleb Thielbar pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out the side.
John Lannan received a no-decision as he pitched two innings, giving up a run on four hits and a walk, while striking out a batter. Adam Morgan blew his first save attempt of the spring, before taking the lost (0-1, 5.40) as he pitched one and two-thirds innings, giving up four runs on five hits , while striking out four. Kyle Simon pitched a third of an inning, giving up a run on a hit. Antonio Bastardo pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Justin De Fratus pitched a third of an inning, giving up three runs on four hits and a walk. B.J. Rosenberg also pitched an inning, giving up three runs on three hits and two walks. Maurice Robles pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Kevin Correia also received a no-decision as he pitched two and a third innings, giving up three runs, two of which were earned, on five hits and two walks, as he struck out two. Brian Duensing (1-0, 10.13) got the win as he pitched one and two-thirds scoreless innings, striking out a batter. Jared Burton recorded his first hold of the spring as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up two runs on three hits. Glen Perkins recorded his first hold of the spring as he went an inning and a third, giving up a hit, while striking out a batter. P.J. Walters, Andrew Albers and Caleb Thielbar would combine for three scoreless innings, giving up a hit (Albers) and a walk (Walters) between them, while striking out six batters (Walters (1), Albers (2), Thielbar (3)).
The Phils had ten hits in the game, with Ben Revere (Singles), Carlos Ruiz (Singles, 3 RBIs) and Kevin Frandsen (Singles) all leading the team with two hits each. Dom Brown (Double, RBI), Ryan Howard (Single, RBI), John Mayberry, Jr. (Double) and Pete Orr (Single) had the other four Phils hits. The Phils also had two stolen bases (Revere (2), Orr (1)) and three walks (Brown (2), Howard (1)) in the game, along with a sacrifice fly (Ruiz).
The Phils (1-3-1) next game will be played at home at Bright House Field against the Braves (3-3) tomorrow afternoon. The game is to start at 1.05 pm EDT. The Phils starter will be Cole Hamels (0-0, 0.00), who’d pitched a couple of scoreless innings in his start against the Astros on February 23, in the Phils’ 8-3 lost. He will be trying to continue his strong showing on the mound. The Braves will send to the mound Paul Maholm (0-0, 0.00), who is also coming off a strong start on February 23, throwing a pair of 1-2-3 innings, in the Braves’ 8-3 lost to the Yankees. He will be trying to add to his previous start. The Phils will be trying to put a second win under their belts.
The Phils come from behind to win their first spring training game, as they defeat the Yanks, 4-3.
A three-run seventh inning leads to the Phils’ first victory of the spring, as they come from behind to defeat the Bronx Bombers, 4-3.
The Yanks took a quick 1-0 lead in the first as, with a man on second, and with one man out, Mark Texieira hits an RBI double, knocking in Ichiro Suzuki, who had earlier singled, then stole second base for his first steal of the spring. The Phils would tie the game up at one-all in the sixth as, with a runner on second, and with two men out, Kevin Frandsen hits an RBI double, scoring Jimmy Rollins, who had earlier walked, then stopped at second base as Ben Revere grounded out, 1-3, for the inning’s second out. The Yankees regained the lead in the seventh as, with a man on first, and with one man out, JR Murphy hits a two-run home run, his first home run of the spring, scoring Adonis Garcia, who had just singled, giving the Yanks a 3-1 lead. The Phils would cut the Yanks’ lead in half in their half of the seventh as, with one man out, Domonic Brown hits a solo home run, his second home run of the spring, making it a 3-2 Yanks’ lead. The Phils took the lead three batters later as, with a man on second, via a double by Cody Asche, and now with two men out, Tommy Joseph hits a two-run home run, his first home run of the spring, giving the Phils a 4-3 lead. That would end up being the final score as Jeremy Horst would come in and pitched a scoreless ninth, recording his first save of the spring.
Kyle Kendrick received a no-decision as he threw two innings, giving up a run on three hits, as he struck out a batter. Aaron Cook followed with two scoreless innings, giving up two hits and a walk. Chad Durbin pitched a strong inning, giving up a hit. Zach Miner got the win (1-0, 9.00), although giving up two runs on three hits in two innings of work, as he struck out two batters. Cesar Jimenez recorded his first hold of the spring as he pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while striking out a batter. Jeremy Horst received his first save of the spring as he threw a scoreless inning, as he gave up two hits. Jose Ramirez also received a no-decision as he threw two scoreless innings, giving up a walk. David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain, and Juan Cedeno all recorded their first holds of the spring, as they combined for three scoreless innings, giving up a hit (Chamberlain), a walk (Robertson) and a hit batter (Cedeno) between them, while striking out two batters (Chamberlain). Jim Miller received his first blown save of the spring as he pitched an inning, giving up a run on a hit and a walk. Zach Nuding recorded his first blown save of the spring, before taking the lost (0-1, 27.00), as he pitched an inning, giving up three runs on three hits, while striking out a batter. Branden Pindar threw a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two batters.
The Phils would record only five hits in the game, although making them count late in the game, a single by Ryan Howard (who’s spring batting average is presently at .500 (5 for 10), an RBI double by Kevin Frandsen, a double by Cody Asche, a solo home run by Dom Brown, and a two-run home run by Tommy Joseph. The Phils also collected three walks (Jimmy Rollins, Howard and Steven Lerud) and a hit batter (Brown) in the game.
The Phils (1-2-1) will play their next Grapefruit League game tomorrow afternoon against the Twins (2-2) at Hammond Baseball Park in Fort Myers, Fla. at 1:05 pm EST. The Phils will send to the mound newly acquired starter John Lannan (0-0, -.-), who will be making his first spring training start. He will be trying to even up the Phils’ win-loss record. The Twins will counter with Kevin Correia (0-0, 4.50), who gave up a run against the Orioles on February 23, as he pitched two innings, in the Twins’ 5-3 lost. He will be trying to get the Twins over the .500 mark in Grapefruit League action. The Phils will be seeing if they can even up their spring training record, while trying to heat him their bats, to give some runs support to the good starting pitching that they have so far received, while hoping that the bullpen will improve, before the first cuts are made.
The Phils have just announced that they have signed free agent outfielder Delmon Young to a one-year contract.
Just when you thought that the Phils were satisfied with their outfield arrangements, they decided to throw everyone a curve. Earlier this afternoon, the Phils have announced that they had signed free agent Delmon Young, formerly of the American League Champions Detroit Tigers, to a one-year contract worth $750,000, plus performance bonuses. Young, who is an outfielder, and was last year’s ALCS MVP, appeared in 151 games, batting .267 (153 for 574), hitting 27 doubles, 1 triple and 18 home runs, as he knocked in 74 RBIs, while crossing the plate 54 times. During a seven years career, which includes stints with the Rays and the Twins, Young have compiled a career batting average of .284 (955 for 3358), as he had played in a total of 880 games, during which he have hit 185 doubles, 10 triples and 89 home runs, as he had 482 RBIs, while he had scored 396 times. Along with his .284 career batting average, he has a career slugging percentage of .425 and a career OPS of .742.
Young will likely be patrolling one of the corner outfield spots, while Paul Revere will handle center field. If that is indeed the case, it will leave John Mayberry, Jr. and Dom Brown sharing a platoon at the other corner outfield spot, with Laynce Nix on the bench, while Darin Ruf will be playing in Triple-A Lehigh Valley for more seasoning.
Welcome to the team, Young. Hope you and your bat will help the team during the upcoming season.
The Phils have announced that they had signed Antonio Bastardo to a one-year deal.
Today, the Phils announced that they had signed to a one-year deal, worth $1.4 million dollars, plus award bonuses, left-handed reliever Antonio Bastardo, the only player on the roster who was arbitration eligible.
Bastardo, who had an awful 2012 season, would appear in 65 games, all in relief, as he pitched in 52 innings, compiling a record of 2-5, plus a save in five save opportunities, as he had an ERA of 4.33 with a WHIP of 1.27, as he allowed 40 hits and 26 runs, all but one of which was earned, as he struck out 81 batters, while walking 26. In four season with the Phils, with 2011 being his best season, so far, Bastardo has compiled a record of 12-9 with a 4.02 ERA and a WHIP of 1.20, as he appeared in 160 games, all but 5 games being in relief, as he threw in 152 and a third innings, giving up 113 hits and 70 runs, all but two of which were earned, as he struck out 196 batters, while walking only 70. He also have nine career saves in fifteen save opportunities.
Bastardo, who may be the team’s main lefty set-up man when the season starts, have held hitters to a .207 batting average in 2012, being especially tough on lefties as he held them to a .169 batting average against. He ended the season third among relievers in strikeouts per nine innings with a 14.02 mark, despite having a bad season, thanks to being hit hard by batters during the middle part of the season, before finally regaining his grove towards them season’s final weeks. Hopefully, he’ll regain his form that he had for most of 2011 this season.
The Phils have signed right-handed pitchers Aaron Cook and Juan Cruz to minor league deals, invited to spring training.
Yesterday, the Phils had announced that, along with Rodrigo Lopez, they have signed right-handed pitchers Aaron Cook and Juan Cruz to minor league deals and have given them invitations to spring training, as they continue to add depth to their pitching staff.
Aaron Cook, who had spent part of 2012 pitching for the Boston Red Sox, compiling a record of 4-11 with a 5.65 ERA and a WHIP of 1.47 in 18 starts, in which he pitched in 94 innings, allowing 117 hits and 68 runs, 59 of which were earned, as he struck out 20 batters, while walking 21. Before joining the Red Sex, he had spent 10 years playing for the Colorado Rockies, compiling a career record of 76-79 with an ERA of 4.60 and a WHIP of 1.47, as he pitched in 256 games, 224 of which were starts, as he threw a total of 1406 and a third innings, giving up 1636 hits and 776 runs, of which 716 were earned, as he struck out 578 batters, while allowing 126 free passes.
Juan Cruz, who in 12 seasons have pitched in relief for the Chicago Cubs, the Atlanta Braves, the Oakland Athletics, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Kansas City Royals, and the Tampa Bay Rays, spent 2012 pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates, appearing in 43 games, going 1-1 with three saves in four save opportunities, as he compiled an ERA of 2.78 and a WHIP of 1.63, as he allowed 39 hits and 12 runs, all but one of which were earned, while he struck out 33 batters, while walking only 19. Cruz would compile a career record of 38-36, along with 6 saves in nineteen save opportunities, as he pitched in 447 games, all but 38 of which were in relief, as he appeared in 655 total innings, compiling an ERA of 4.05 and a WHIP of 1.41, as he gave up 576 hits, as 332 runners scored, 295 of which were earned, as he struck out 659 batters, while walking 346.
Both pitchers will more than likely end up pitching for the Phils’ triple-A ballclub, the Iron Pigs, unless somebody on the staff gets hurt during the season.
The Phils announced that they have signed veteran pitcher Rodrigo Lopez to a minor league deal.
Yesterday, the Phils announced that they’d added some pitching depth as they signed veteran starter Rodrigo Lopez to a Minor League deal, while also giving him an invite to Spring Training.
Lopez, who had pitched for the Phils once before, in 2009, before being sent back to the minors by the team when they added future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez to the ballclub during the summer, last pitched for the Chicago Cubs. He appeared in four games in 2012 for the Cubbies, going 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA and a WHIP of 2.05, as he pitched for 6.1 innings, giving up 8 hits and 6 runs, four of which were earned, as he struck out only two while walking five. When he pitched for the Phils in 2009, he had a record of 3-1 with an ERA of 5.70 with a 1.77 WHIP, as he pitched in seven games, five of which were starts, as he appeared in 30 innings, giving up 42 hits and 24 runs, 19 of which were earned, as he struck out 19 batters while giving up 11 free passes.
During a 11 years career, Lopez had been with the Orioles, the Padres, the Rockies and the Diamondbacks, as well as the Phils and the Cubs, compiling a record of 81-89, with a 4.82 ERA and a WHIP of 1.42. He had appeared in 257 games, 215 of which were starts, as he pitched in 1350 and two-thirds innings, giving up a total of 1506 hits and 789 runs, 742 of which were earned, as he struck out 865 batters, while walking 416.
More than likely, Lopez will start the season with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, but he should be available if any member of the Phils’ starting rotation gets injured during the season.
The Phils have made several changes towards the end of 2012, which they hope will lead them back into the payoffs in 2013.
First off, I would like to take the time to say, Happy New Year’s, folks. Second, sorry for the lack of posts, but, I got too busy with other things to get myself in gear to do new posts. But, I now got the time, and boy, do I have a lot to cover, as the Phils made some wheeling and dealing and small-scale free agent signings which they hope will put them into position to get back into the playoffs this upcoming October.
First, in the Rule Five Draft they picked up outfielder Ender Inciarte from the Arizona Diamondbacks, whom they hope will anchor centerfield in a few seasons, while drafting in the Triple-A Phase of the draft right-handed pitcher Brendan Lafferty from the Kansas City Royals organization, while not losing a player to the draft.
On the same day, December 6, they made a trade with the Minnesota Twins, getting centerfielder Paul Revere, in exchange for minor league right-handed pitching prospect Trevor May and, coming as a complete surprise to most, right-handed starter Vance Worley. Revere, who appeared in 124 games for the Twins, batted .294 (150 for 511), hitting 13 doubles and 6 triples, as he scored 70 times, while knocking in 32. He had also stole 40 bases, ranking him third in the AL for 2012, being caught just 9 times. May spent 2012 pitching for the Reading Phillies (now the Fighting Phillies). Worley, who was placed on the disabled list towards the end of the 2012 season, before having an operation to remove bone chips from his elbow, would pitch in 23 games for the Phils before being shut down, all starts, as he collected a 6-9 record, with a 4.20 ERA and a WHIP of 1.51, as he pitched in 133 innings, giving up 154 hits and 69 runs, 62 of which were earned, as he struck out 107 batters, while walking only 47. Sorry to see you go, Vance, and I wish you luck in Minnesota, as long as you don’t pitch against the Phils. And, welcome to the team, Paul. I hope you’ll enjoy your stay here.
Then, on December 8, the Phils announced that they had made another trade, this one with the Texas Rangers, as they brought in Michael Young to take over duties at third base, in exchange for right-handed relief pitcher Josh Lindblom and pitching prospect Lisalverto Bonilla. Michael Young, who has also played first base, second base and shortstop, appeared in 156 games for the former American League Champs (2010-11) batting .277 (169 for 611), as he hit 27 doubles, 3 triples and 8 home runs during the season, knocking in 67 runs, while scoring 79 times. He also walked 33 times. Josh Lindblom, who had started the 2012 season pitching relief for the Los Angeles before being traded to the Phils as part of a trade involving Shane Victorino, appeared in 74 games for both clubs, all in relief, posting a combined record of 3-5 with one save in four save opportunities, as he fielded an ERA of 3.55 and a WHIP of 1.35. He pitched in 71 innings, allowing 61 hits and 31 runs to score, of which 28 were earned. He walked 35 batters while striking out 70. Bonilla spent 2012 pitching for Clearwater and then Reading in the Phils’ farm system. Welcome to the team, Michael. I hope that you can help the team via both your bat and your glove, especially the later, as it looks like you may not just be covering the hot corner of third base during the season.
After the two trades, the Phils then made a pair of minor free agent signings, both pitchers, one a reliever and the other a starter. First, they signed to a two-years, $12 million dollars contract, with relief pitcher Mike Adams, formerly of the Rangers, who will be acting as the eight-inning bridge to Jonathan Papelbon, as he plans to take over an inning that was a major problem for the ballclub all season long. For the Rangers, Adams pitched in 61 games, compiling a 5-3 record with a 3.27 ERA and a WHIP of 1.39, as well as collecting a save in two save attempts. He would pitch in 52 and a third innings, giving up 56 hits and 21 runs, 19 of which were earned, as he struck out 45 batters, while walking only 17. The Phils then signed former Washington Nationals’ starter John Lannan, who is to become the Phils’ fifth starter, to replace Worley in the rotation, to a one-year deal worth $2.5 million dollars. Lannan, who had spent his entire career with the Nats, before becoming a free agent, appeared in only six games last year, all of them starts, as he compiled a record of 4-1 with a 4.13 ERA and a WHIP of 1.44, as he pitched a total of 32 and two-thirds innings, giving up 33 hits and 15 runs, all earned. He struck out 17 batters, while walking 14. During his six seasons with the Nats, Lannan had a win-lost record of 42-52, as he compiled an ERA of 4.01 and a career WHIP of 1.42, as he pitched a total of 783 and two-thirds innings, while appearing in 134 games, all starts. He would give up a total of 820 hits, as opponents scored 393 times, with 349 of those runs being earned. He would strikeout a total of 410 batters, while walking just 296. Welcome to the ballclub, guys. I hope that you two were worth the money spent.
The Phils have during the month mention that they would like to add a veteran corner outfielder, either via free agent signing or another trade, but it looks like they have the club they want before they enter spring training next month. I’m just hoping this team will improve on their third place finish last year.
I’d just looked at the Leaders List for the year 2012 and I’ve discovered:
That I’m still among the top 100 fans blog, having landed at the 58th spot this time, two spots lower than I did in 2011. I would like to thank everyone who have visited my blog last year and had read my posts.
Here’s the list of the top 100 fan blogs for 2012:
FANS
1. The Baseball Collector
2. Rays Renegade
3. Red State Blue State
4. The AustralianBaseballDigest
5. Cook & Sons’ Baseball Adventures
6. Counting Baseballs
7. Beisbol 007
8. The Brewer Nation
9. A’s Farm
10. Rockpile Rant
11. mlbblogger
12. Pinstripe Birthdays
13. The Ballpark Guide
14. Phillies Phollowers
15. Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend
16. The Baseball Haven
17. The Unbiased MLB Fan
18. BlueBattingHelmet
19. Born on Third
20. Observing Baseball
21. You’re Killin’ Me, Smalls!
22. Crzblue’s Dodger Blue World
23. nybisons
24. La Pagina de Tony Menendez
25. Three Up, Three Down
26. The Pittsburgh Peas
27. Brewers Rumors
28. Blogging ‘Bout Baseball
29. Unfinished Business
30. Rockin’ Redlegs
31. The Rays Rant
32. The Future Blog of the Red Sox
33. Minoring In Baseball
34. I’m Not A Headline Guy…
35. Collection of Baseball
36. This is a very simple game…
37. Heard It From Hoard
38. Cream City Cables
39. Plushdamentals
40. Royal Blues
41. The Yankee Dinosaur
42. gojays
43. Fish Fry
44. Rants, Raves, and Random Thoughts
45. baseballqueen
46. TheCutoffMan
47. DYNASTY League Baseball from designer of Pursue the Pennant
48. 9 Inning Know It All
49. Live, Eat, and Breathe Yankees
50. Bleacher Boy
51. More Splash Hits
52. If You Write It, They Will Come
53. The Optimist Tiger
54. swingingbuntz
55. Bjarkman’s Latino and Cuban League Baseball History Page
56. Rox Addict
57. All Things Pirates: Breaking down the Buccos
58. Phillies Red Pinstripes
59. westsideculture
60. Reds Country
61. Los bigleaguers
62. Where Everyone’s a Giant
63. Ballparks on a Budget
64. eltubeyero22
65. Wrigley Regular
66. On The Way Home
67. 7000 Coliseum Way
68. Sarge’s Phillies Phantasy Camp Diary
69. Battling Bucs
70. HYDE’S INSIDE PITCH
71. The Phanatic Addict
72. 2r2d
73. BrokeMets
74. One Strike Away…Twice!
75. Brewers Today
76. steel city ballhawk
77. Great Scot!
78. Hoppers Fan
79. Devils In Pinstripes
80. The Fenway Faithful
81. A Misplaced Astros Fan
82. Bottom of the Ninth
83. Punky G. (G stands for Giants!)
84. Cambios y Curvas
85. 1992 And Counting
86. 2131 and Beyond
87. The Phillies Girl Tells All
88. Dyna Mets
89. Perfect Pitch
90. LEAVes of Dodger Blue
91. The ‘Stros Bros
92. Major League Fantasy Sports
93. Throwin’ Heat
94. The Angels’ Ace
95. Teddy’s Ballgame
96. Datacasting in Norfolk
97. FixMLB.org
98. Holy KK! It’s the Phillies!
99. Major League Ballhawk
100. Grab Some Bench!
As can be seen, I’m not the only Phils related blog to make the list for 2012. Besides me, there were veterans like Phillies Phollowers (14), and Rants, Raves, and Random Thoughts (44), who have both made the list for several years now, Sarge’s Philliess Pantasy Camp Diary (66) and The Phanatic Addict (72), both appearing on the list for the second straight year, and newcomers The Phillies Girl Tells All (87) and Holy KK! It’s the Phillies! (98), bringing the total up to seven for last season.
Well, I hope to do a wee bit better this season. 
Anyway, check out all of the blogs listed.
I want to say….
Merry Christmas, everybody.
Yes. I’m still here. I should have something new up this coming weekend.
All I can say is, WOW!!!
It has just been announced that Phils’ catcher Carlos Ruiz has been tested positive for using Adderall, an amphetamine commonly used to help control attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as it help the user stay focus. This is not a steroid, but it’s use is banned by MLB. This is the second time that he has tested positive for using the stimulant, which will not lead to an automatic suspension the first time it is detected, as it would have if he had been using steroids, and will lead to him being suspended for 25 games, a suspension that will begin at the start of the 2013 season.
Ruiz, who has apologized for using the substance, and have said that he will take his punishment, was one of the few bright spots in the Phils’ lousy 2012 season. During the season, in which he played in 114 games, Ruiz batted .325, hitting 121 for 372, with 32 doubles, 16 home runs and 68 RBIs, with a .394 on-base percentage, a .540 slugging percentage and a .935 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.
During the suspension, Erik Kratz will likely be the team’s starting catcher. Kratz, who joined the club late in the season, appeared in 50 games, batting .248 with nine doubles, nine home runs and 26 RBIs. I hope you’re ready to step up again, Erik.
Wow, just wow!!! 2012 can’t end soon enough for me!!!
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