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!!!
The Phils signed Kevin Fransden to a one-year $850,000 contract, avoiding arbitration.
Several days ago, the Phils signed infielder Kevin Fransden to a one-year contract worth $850,ooo, thus avoiding arbitration.
Frandsen, who had earlier in the season signed a minor league deal with the team, joined the main club around mid-season, after third baseman Placido Polanco went down with an injury. Frandsen would appear in 55 games, playing mostly third base, batting .338/.383/.451/.834 (66 for 195), hitting 10 doubles, three triples and two home runs, knocking in 14 RBIs while he scored 24 runs. He also had nine walks during his short season with the main club.
The Phils will probably used Frandsen in a platoon situation at third base with a returning Freddy Galvis, thanks to rather slim pickings among this year’s crop of third base free agents.
The Phils now have only two other arbitration cases left to deal with, left hander Antonio Bastardo and outfielder Nate Schierholtz, which the team should be able to take care of before the start of the new year. This should leave the Phils able to concentrate on looking for a center fielder and a veteran relief pitcher to help out in a bullpen presently made up of mostly still young pitchers.
Jimmy Rollins wins his fourth Gold Glove Award.
Phils’ shortstop Jimmy Rollins have just won his fourth Gold Glove Award. Jimmy, who have won previous gold gloves in 2007-09, with his win is now ranked third in franchise history with the most gold gloves won by a Phil, trailing only Mike Schmidt (10) and Garry Maddos (8).
During the season, Rollins, who continued to be an outstanding defensive player, only batted .250, with a .427 Slugging Percentage and a very low .316 On-Base Percentage (.743 OPS), as he went 158 for 632, including 33 doubles, 5 triples and 23 home runs, knocking in 68 runs, while scoring 102 times, as he appeared in 156 games. He also had 30 stolen bases, being caught only 5 times during the season.
Carlos Ruiz missed winning a gold glove as he was beaten out by the Cardinals’ Yadier Molina.
The Phils have accepted Carlos Ruiz’s option for 2013, declined options on Placido Polanco, Jose Contreras and Ty Wigginton.
The Phils have earlier this week (Monday) announced that they have accepted Carlos Ruiz’s $5 million dollar option for 2013, so he’ll be staying with the ballclub for at least another season. Carlos, who played in 114 games, thanks in part to being on the DL twice during the season, had a .325 batting average (121 for 372) with a .935 OPS, as he had 32 doubles and 16 home runs, while knocking in 68 RBIs, while scoring 56 runs.
The Phils also announced that they are decling Placido Polanco’s option, instead buying out his option at $1 million, making him a free agent, as they pursues other options for third base. The Phils have also declined both Jose Contreas and Ty Wigginton’s options, buying them out at $500,000 dollars each, also making them free agents. Juan Pierre and Brian Schneider have also become free agents, as the Phils start making changes to their roster for the 2013 season, hoping to make themselves more competitive for next year’s pennant race .
The Phils announced that they had outrighted Michael Martinez to their Lehigh Valley affiliate.
The Phils announced that they had outrighted utility infielder Michael Martinez to Lehigh Valley.
As the rest of the baseball world waits for the start of the first game of the 2012 World Series between the Detroit Tigers and the San Francisco Giants, the Phils announced that they have made another change in their 40-man roster as they have outrighted to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs their utility infielder, Michael Martinez.
Martinez, who the Phils had picked up in the 2010 Rule-5 Draft, have been on the ball club for parts of two seasons, appearing in 133 games, batting .188 (61 for 324), with 8 doubles, 2 triples and 5 home runs, knocking in just 31 RBIs, while scoring 35 runs. He had also walked 23 times.
To say that I’m happy that he won’t (hopefully) be with the ballclub next season is an understatement, as Martinez did not prove in any way that he should be the club’s 25th man, especially because of his waek bat and his inability to successfully bunt when called upon to do so. I’ll feel even better if someone else takes him off the Phils’ hands, although I do not see that happening at all.
The Phils have just announced that they had taken Pete Orr and Steve Lerud off of their 40-man roster.
Earlier this afternoon, the Phils have announced that they had outrighted infielder Pete Orr and catcher Steve Lerud from their 40-men roster, leaving them open to possibly being picked up by another team during the 2012-13 off-season. This leaves the Phils with 37 players now on the roster, along with four players on the sixty-days disabled list.
The Phils made a quick shake up among their coaches after the last game of the season.
After the last game of the 2012 season, the Phils made a quick shake up among their coaches: Pete Mackanin, Greg Gross and Sam Perlozzo are out, Ryne Sandberg, Steve Henderson and Rod Nichols are in.
After yesterday’s game in Washington, the Phils announced that they were releasing their bench coach Pete Mackanin, hitting coach Greg Gross and first base coach Sam Perlozzo, all casualties of the 2012 season. Today, the Phils announced that they were going to keep Juan Samuel, who will now be the team’s first base coach, as well as their outfield/baserunning instructor, moving over from the third base coach’s box, Mick Billmeyer, who will now be the team’s catching coach, being promoted from being their bullpen coach, and Rich Dubee, who would remain the team’s pitching coach. They also announced their three new members of the coach staff:
Ryne Sandberg, who was formerly the manager of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, would be taking over Juan Samuel’s spot as the team’s third base coach, as well as becoming the team’s infield instructor; Steve Henderson, who will become the team’s new hitting coach, taking over for Gross, while Rod Nichols would become the new bullpen coach, taking Billmeyer’s place.
Congratulations on the promotions, or moving to new positions, Juan, and Billmeyer and congrats on joining the main club as coaches, Ryne, Steve and Rod. Hopefully, you five, and Rich, will help get this team back to being a pennant contender. Sorry to see you all go, Pete, Greg and Sam. I know what happened this year wasn’t all of your faults, but, well, a shake was called for after this sucky year. Wish you all luck in finding new teams.
The Phils end the season at .500 as they lose their final game of the regular season to the Nats, 5-1.
The Phils end the 2012 season at the .500 mark as they lose their final game to the Nats, 5-1.
The Phils took the lead in the fourth as, with a runner on third, and with one man out, Darin Ruf hits a sacrifice fly, scoring Carlos Ruiz, who had started the inning off with a double, then stopped at third base on Dom Brown’s ground out, 4-3, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. The Nats quickly tied the game up at one-all in their half of the fourth as Ryan Zimmerman hits a lead-off home run, his twenty-fifth home run of the year. The Nats took the lead two batters later as, with a runner on second, and with still nobody out, Tyler Moore hits an RBI double, knocking in Michael Morse, who had just doubled, giving the Nats a 2-1 lead. The Nats increased their lead in the sixth as, with one man out, Moore hits a solo home run, his tenth home run of the season, giving the Nats a 3-1 lead. The Nats then added to their lead in the eighth as, with one man on, and with nobody out, Morse hits a two-run home run, his eighteenth home run of the year, knocking in pinch runner Bryce Harper, who was pinch running for Zimmerman, who had started the inning off with a walk, giving the Nats a 5-1 lead. That would end up being the final score as Michael Gonzalez pitched a scoreless ninth.
Cliff Lee (6-9, 3.16) took the lost as he pitched six innings, giving up three runs on eight hits, while striking out seven. Justin De Fratus pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Jonathan Papelbon pitched a third of an inning, giving up two runs on a hit and a walk, while striking out a batter. Tyson Brummett, making his major league debut, pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up two hits, while striking out two. Edwin Jackson (10-11, 4.03) got the win as he pitched six and two-thirds innings, giving up a run on six hits and a walk, while striking out six. Christian Garcia collected his fourth hold of the year as he pitched a third of an inning, getting out the only batter whom he would face. Sean Burnett collected his thirty-first hold of the season as he pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter. Michael Gonzalez pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a walk, while striking out one.
The Phils had just six hits in the game, with Nate Schierholtz leading the team with three hits, a single and two doubles, followed by Kevin Frandsen with two hits, a single and a double. Carlos Ruiz had the other Phil hit, a double. Darin Ruf knocked in the Phil’s only run with a sacrifice fly. The Phils also had two walks in the game.
The bullpen once again comes up short as the Phils lose to the Nats, 4-2.
The Phils’ bullpen comes up short as the Phils lose to the Nats, 4-2.
The Phils took the lead in the fourth as Darin Ruf hits a lead-off home run, his second home run of the season, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. The Nats tied it up at one-all in their half of the fourth as, with a man on third, and with two men out, Roger Bernadina hits an RBI single, knocking in Adam LaRoche, who had started the inning off with a double, then moved up to third base on Chad Tracy’s ground out, 3-1. The Nats took the lead in the sixth as LaRoche hits a lead-off home run, his thirty-third home run of the season, giving the Nats a 2-1 lead. The Nats tried to add to their lead five batters later as, with the bases loaded, via a walk to Tracy, a single by Mark DeRosa, moving Tracy up to second base, and Sandy Leon being hit by a pitch, moving up a base both runners, and with one man out, Eury Perez hits into a force out, 6-2, as shortstop Michael Martinez threw home, forcing out at home Tracy, as catcher Erik Kratz touches home plate for the inning’s second out, as Perez safely reaches first base, while both DeRosa and Leon move up a base, leaving the bases loaded. The Nats then took a 3-1 lead as Steve Lombardozzi hits an RBI single, scoing DeRosa, while both Leon and Perez moved up to third and second base respectively, as the bases remained loaded. The Phils would get a run back in the eighth as Ruf hits a lead-off home run, his third home run of the year, and his second home run of the game, making it a 3-2 Nats’ lead. The Nats tried to get the run back in their half of the eighth as, with the bases once again loaded, this time via a lead-off double by DeRosa, Bernadina being hit by a pitch, and a walk to Leon, moving both runners up a base, and with nobody out, Perez hits into a force out, 6-2, as Martinez threw home to Kratz, who touches the plate, forcing out DeRosa for the inning’s first out, while Perez would be safe at first, as Bernadina and Leon both moved up a base, as the bases stayed loaded. The Nats then took a 4-2 lead as Lombardozzi hits a sacrifice fly, scoring Bernadina. That would end up being the final score as Drew Storen collected his fourth save of the season as he pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.
B.J. Rosenberg received a no-decision as he pitched four innings, giving up a run on three hits and two walks, while striking out three. Jake Diekman pitched a scoreless inning, as he gave up two hits, while striking two batters. Josh Lindblom (3-5, 3.55) took the lost as he went an inning, giving up two runs on three hits, a walk and a hit batter. Jeremy Horst pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two batters. Antonio Bastardo pitched an inning, as he gave up a run on a hit, a walk, and a hit batter. Tom Gorzelanny also received a no-decision as he pitched three and two-thirds innings, giving up a run on four hits and two walks, while striking out five. Christian Garcia pitched one and one-third scoreless innings. Zach Duke (1-0, 1.32) got the win as he pitched a scoreless inning, giving up two hits and a walk, while striking out a batter. Ryan Mattheus collected his eighteenth hold of the year as he pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while striking out two. Tyler Clippard collected his thirteenth hold of the season as he pitched an inning, giving up a run on two hits. Drew Storen received his fourth save of the year as he threw a 1-2-3 inning.
The Phils had nine hits in the game, with Kevin Frandsen (Doubles), Darin Ruf (Home Runs, 2 RBIs) and Michael Martinez (Singles), all leading the ballclub with two hits each. Ty Wigginton, Dom Brown and Erik Kratz had the other three Phils’ hits, all singles. The Phils also had three walks in the game.
The Phils (81-80, 3rd) play their final game of the season today, facing the Nats (97-64, 1st).
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