Looks Like The Phillies Aren’t Made Of Tin

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Phillies Stun Yankees 6-5

Making his 2016 Grapefruit League debut, Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka fought through a long second inning but came out unscathed for a successful start against the Phillies. The same couldn't be said of the New York bullpen as Philadelphia scored six runs in the sixth inning en route to a 6-5 win on Sunday in front of a capacity crowd of 9,877 at Bright House Field. Tanaka retired all three batters he faced in the first but then allowed back-to-back singles to Maikel Franco and Brock Stassi to open the second. Rob Refsnyder made a slick pick at third base to start a 5-4-3 double play, putting a runner on third with two outs. Tanaka then walked Cedric Hunter before striking out David Lough to end his day. It was Tanaka's first game action since undergoing surgery in mid-October to remove a bone spur from his right elbow. For the Phillies, Charlie Morton pitched a solid 2 1/3 innings. He retired the first six batters he faced but allowed a single to Refsnyder and a walk to Lane Adams to start the third. After striking out Slade Heathcott, Morton's day was done. Daniel Stumpf surrendered a one-out single to Starlin Castro for the game's first run, charged to Morton. Philadelphia responded in the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff single by Freddy Galvis off Chad Green. Odubel Herrera also knocked a single before Franco walked to load the bases. Stassi hit a sacrifice fly to make it 1-1. Gabriel Lino walked to reload the bases and Hunter hit a fly ball to left. Ben Gamel fired home but Herrera slid under the tag. Lough's single made it 3-1. Andrew Knapp then crushed a three-run homer to right field off Branden Pinder for the five-run advantage. "He's got a great swing from both sides of the plate," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Knapp. "He looks like a hitter, like he knows what he's doing. He's got some size, he's got some power, nice swing." In the seventh, New York scored runs on an Austin Romine double and Tyler Wade infield single to pull within three. Romine doubled home two more runs in the eighth to make it 6-5.

NEXT GAME:

Vincent Velasquez will take the bump for the Phillies on the road against the Pirates in Bradenton, Fla., on Monday at 1:05 p.m. ET, live on MLB.TV and an exclusive mlb.com audio webcast. A key piece in this offseason's Ken Giles trade, Velasquez will look to rebound from a shaky spring debut, which saw him give up three runs but strike out three in two innings against the Blue Jays.

PHILS PHACTS:

Location Is Key – On a warm day, balls can fly out of Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, so it was an encouraging sign that of the seven outs Charlie Morton earned on Sunday, four were ground balls. The right-handed starter gave up just one earned run on a hit and a walk in 2 1/3 innings while also striking out a pair of Yankees in the Phillies' 6-5 victory. But the groundouts were the most pleasant sight, and he credits that to location. "I'll pitch lefties up and in a lot, trying to get under their hands, and down and in to righties," Morton said. "I try to keep the ball off the barrel with weak contact -- either cut it, sink it in or stay on the corners." While the location was undoubtedly a factor, Morton also credited the lowering of his arm slot -- which he began in 2011 -- for his evolution into a stronger ground-ball pitcher. In particular, it has given much greater movement to his sinker. "My arm started to work a lot better, and I was able to repeat pitches," Morton said. "That's kind of when I started to come into my own in terms of an identity in pitching. I found I was making a lot of mistakes, but I was getting away with mistakes. That's a huge weight off your back when you miss and not get hit real hard." Sunday was Morton's 2016 Grapefruit League debut after facing batters nine days before in batting practice. Morton said that getting the competitive juices flowing was a boost. "To be able to go up and down and keep the ball in the zone until the third inning, I'm really encouraged," Morton said. "I just wanted to pitch, to get outs." Morton retired the first six batters he faced -- the first four via grounders. The third inning was a little trickier, as Rob Refsnyder singled -- on a grounder -- to start the inning. Morton then surrendered a walk to Lane Adams but sent down Slade Heathcott on strikes. Daniel Stumpf came on in relief and gave up an RBI single to Starlin Castro. "He was a little bit up in the zone with his sinker," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Morton. "He's got an outstanding sinker, just a little bit up with it. He said he got a little tired. We were pushing him to go three innings. He just got tired late." The 2016 season is Morton's first with the Phillies after spending the last seven with the Pirates. He was acquired in a trade for prospect David Whitehead. Morton went 9-9 last year with a 4.81 ERA in 129 innings.

On His Way Back – Barring any setbacks, Phillies pitcher Jerad Eickhoff hopes to make his Grapefruit League debut later this week. The 25-year-old right-hander threw live batting practice on Sunday morning as he continues to recover from a non-displaced fracture on the outside of his right thumb. "It seems to be doing really well," Eickhoff said. Eickhoff said the session, working with catcher J.P. Arencibia, consisted of about 40 pitches. He threw mostly fastballs but also worked in some changeups and "flipped some curveballs out of the stretch." "It was good to get those back into the mix there," Eickhoff said of his offspeed pitches. Eickhoff hopes to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday, meaning he could be available for game action as soon as Friday afternoon's game against the Braves in Lake Buena Vista. Otherwise, Eickhoff may attempt to pitch on Saturday against the Blue Jays, though Charlie Morton figures to be on schedule for that game. "I was really happy about the progress we've made and everything," Eickhoff said. "It's right on schedule like we've discussed, and I couldn't be more excited." Eickhoff was one piece of a huge trade haul that saw Philadelphia also acquire prospects Jorge Alfaro, Jake Thompson and Nick Williams from the Rangers in exchange for Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman. A bunting drill on Feb. 11 originally sidelined Eickhoff when he couldn't get out of the way of a pitch. In eight starts for the Phillies last year, Eickhoff went 3-3 with a 2.65 ERA. He struck out 49 and walked just 13 in 51 innings.

A Unique Groundout – A reminder, on this Sunday filled with Spring Training games, that the world has no care for our expectations. Not for our expectations as fans, nor for the expectations of players. In fact, it's best just not to expect anything, and let that which comes wash over you simply as it will. Case in point: In the fifth inning of the Phillies' Grapefruit League matchup against the Yankees, outfielder Cedric Hunter grounded out ... to the catcher. See? You could be Yankees pitcher James Pazos trying to throw it past the batter, and the ball will bounce a foot in front. You could be Hunter, who sees the ball bounce in the dirt, check your swing accordingly and the ball will find its way to your bat nonetheless. You could be all of us at home, expecting the ball to bounce in the box or land foul, and instead watch it roll fair down the third-base line. These expectations matter naught to reality. Kudos to Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez for persevering through his shattered expectations and looping around to tag Hunter for the out. That's called embracing the chaos. Of course, none of this applies if you're Vladimir Guerrero. But so few of us are. 

Today In Phils History - Team President William Baker was expecting a different outcome in 1914 when he traveled to New York to deliver a contract to team captain Mike Doolan who had already signed with the Baltimore Federal League club. In 1978, the Phillies signed minor league free agent George Bell who would never amount to much with the Phillies but would prove his power in Toronto. 5 years later, the Wheeze Kids (Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, and Tony Perez) appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. And, after a long wait, Richie Ashburn was finally elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans' Committee on this day in 1995. Today is also the Birthday of Ed Bouchee who was born on this day in 1933. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have begun the spring with a 3-3-1 record (4-3-1 if you include the exhibition game against the University of Tampa). With the Phillies having finished the 2015 season with a spectacularly awful record of 63-99 it will be interesting to see what kind of team new President Andy MacPhail and GM Matt Klentak put on the field. At the same time I am definitely looking forward to the games against Boston with former GM Ruben Amaro on the field. Given the departures, lingering contracts, a history of injuries, bipolar performances, and unproven talent, it should, at the very least, be an interesting season for the Phillies. Who knows, maybe they can avoid 100 losses... hopefully by more than one game!

Looking Back On A Solid Week

PHILS PHACTS:

Making Some Noise! – Nobody expected the Phillies to make much noise at this week's Winter Meetings. But then the Phils agreed to a potentially significant trade Wednesday night. The deal sent closer Ken Giles and infielder Jonathan Arauz to the Astros for five players: lefties Brett Oberholtzer and Mark Appel -- the first pick in the 2013 MLB Draft -- and right-handers Vincent Velasquez, Harold Arauz and Thomas Eshelman. Folks at the Winter Meetings like the package the Phillies received from Houston. Velasquez went 1-1 with a 4.37 ERA in 19 appearances (seven starts) with the Astros last season. He has the talent to be a No. 3 starter or a dominant late-inning reliever, like Giles. Appel, who ranked as the Astros' No. 2 prospect before the trade, went 10-3 with a 4.37 ERA in 25 starts spread across Double-A and Triple-A. He struck out 110 batters and walked 51 in 131 2/3 innings. Oberholtzer went 2-2 with a 4.46 ERA in eight starts. He is 11-20 with a 3.94 ERA in 45 appearances (42 starts) in his big league career. Oberholtzer projects into the Phils' rotation in 2016. No pitcher in the history of college baseball threw more strikes than Eshelman. He led NCAA Division I in walks per nine innings as a freshman (0.2), sophomore (0.6) and junior (0.5) at Cal State Fullerton, establishing new records for a single season and a career (0.4). Eshelman projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter. Giles essentially became a luxury to the rebuilding Phillies. They hope they swapped 65 innings a season from Giles for three pitchers who potentially could throw 200 innings a season, plus a future everyday left fielder in Fisher. Deals done: The only official deal at this point is a one-year, $3.9 million contract with right-hander David Hernandez, who signed Wednesday. He immediately becomes a candidate to close if the Giles trade is finalized. Hernandez had some success as a setup man in Arizona before Tommy John surgery forced him to miss 2014, plus the first two months of 2015. Rule 5: The Phillies selected outfielder Tyler Goeddel with the first pick in the Rule 5 Draft. He is the No. 19 prospect in Philadelphia's system, according to MLBPipeline.com. The Phils hope he plays like some of the other outfielders pro scouting director Mike Ondo has selected in the Rule 5 Draft: Shane Victorino, Ender Inciarte and Odubel Herrera. Goeddel has potential to grow offensively, and he played all three outfield positions last season, which should make him versatile in the Phillies' outfield. The Phils also selected left-hander Daniel Stumpf, who will compete for a bullpen job. He pitched in Kansas City's system last season. Goals accomplished: The Phillies continue to stockpile pitching and young talent with an eye on the future. Will the Phils compete in 2015? Probably not. But are they putting themselves in position to turn a corner in the future by adding as many young players as possible? Yes. It's a numbers game. Not every prospect is going to hit (see Domonic Brown). But the more prospects a team has in its system, the better chance there is that some of them will hit. And that should help the Phillies win again. Unfinished business: The Phillies can always use more pitching. They currently have Jeremy Hellickson, Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff, Oberholtzer, Velasquez, Adam Morgan, David Buchanan and Alec Asher as candidates for the rotation. But Phils general manager Matt Klentak has correctly pointed out that a team rarely gets through a season with just five or six starters. The more, the merrier. GM's bottom line: "We're trying to balance it all. That makes us no different from any team. We have a lot of balls in the air, most of which you're working on never comes to fruition. But every once in a while, something will." – Klentak.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, at least Ryan Madson got another ring this year.

DR Updates And Spring Training Invites

PHILS PHACTS:

Adding Depth To The Competition – The Phillies on Wednesday announced they had signed five players to Minor League contracts with non-roster invitations to Spring Training. They signed infielders Emmanuel Burriss and Ryan Jackson and right-handers Frank Herrmann, Chris Leroux and Reinier Roibal. Burriss, 30, spent last season in the Nationals' system. He hit .279 with a .341 on-base percentage with Triple-A Syracuse. Burriss played five games for Washington. He has played 282 big league games, spending 2008-12 with the Giants. Burriss has a career .578 OPS in 806 plate appearances. Jackson, 27, appeared in 22 games last season with the Angels. He has 39 plate appearances in 42 games in parts of three seasons with the Cardinals and Angels. Herrmann, 31, has appeared in 95 big league games with the Indians, but none since 2012. He went 4-2 with a 3.76 ERA in 44 appearances last season with Triple-A Salt Lake and Indianapolis. Leroux, 31, spent the majority of last season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley and Colorado Springs. He posted a 3.90 ERA in 85 1/3 innings. Leroux has a 6.03 ERA in 65 career appearances with the Marlins, Pirates and Yankees. Roibal, 26, had a 1.64 ERA in 31 games with Class A Clearwater and Double-A Reading. He is 11-6 with a 2.62 ERA in his four-year Minor League career.

DR Updates – In the future, the Phillies imagine a hulking corner outfielder in the middle of their lineup, hitting home runs like Ryan Howard in his prime. But Jhailyn Ortiz is a long way away from the Majors. The Phillies signed Ortiz to a $4 million signing bonus in July. He is 6-foot-3, 240 pounds and strong. But Ortiz also is just 16, which means he is several years away from reaching Philadelphia. Phils player development director Joe Jordan recently visited the Dominican Republic and got another look at Ortiz, who MLB.com ranked as the eighth-best prospect in this year's international free-agent class. "I believe we saw a lot of what our scouts saw and liked," Jordan said. "He had a really good week. I really believe that the kid has a chance to be a good hitter. He's 16 years old, but he did some things that I thought were a little advanced. He had a good two-strike approach. He really hit some balls hard. "Balls just come off his bat differently than almost all of the kids down there. It was a very impressive week, but we've got a lot of work to do." Of course, handing a $4 million signing bonus to a 16-year-old kid is a considerable risk. But former Phillies president and general manager Pat Gillick frequently said teams cannot be afraid to take such risks. Can't win big without occasionally betting big. "We just need some time with him," Jordan said about Ortiz. "He can really throw. He's got an above-average arm. He's going to have accuracy. He's athletic for his size. Over the next couple years, we're going to reshape him a little bit, reshape his body. He's just a young kid that we've got to firm up, but he is athletic for his size. I saw a lot of good things." Alfaro ready to go: Catcher Jorge Alfaro is scheduled to leave Clearwater, Fla., this week and head home to Colombia for a few days before heading to Venezuela to play winter ball. The Phillies acquired Alfaro, 22, in July in the Cole Hamels trade. He is considered the Phils' No. 4 prospect and the No. 59 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. Alfaro spent most of the season recovering from surgery on his left ankle, but he is ready to play. "He looks good," Jordan said. "He is ready to go. We need to get him on the field. He needs to play for a while and knock off some rust. Physically, he has everything you're looking for, but we need to see him play."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, at least Ryan Madson got another ring this year.

Marvel Superheroes Prevail In Gotham

YESTERDAY IN POSTSEASON PLAY:

The Mets returned to Citi Field and they looked comfortable being at home as Captain America came through at the plate and Thor dropped the hammer from the mound. The once lopsided series now looks to be a race to the finish but the questions still remain as to whether the Mets offense can have another night like they did last night or if the experience, grittiness, and textbook execution by the Royals will resurface in game 4? Seems like someone will have a trick and the other will have a treat tonight!

Mets Romp Royals 9-3

The largest Mets crowd in Citi Field history, 44,781, was already frothing, enthused by a pregame procession of Billy Joel, Mike Piazza and all the pomp and circumstance this postseason-starved borough could muster. The Mets may have been trailing at the dawn of Game 3 of the World Series, but they weren't dead. All they needed on Friday night was a spark. Noah Syndergaard provided it with a high-and-tight fastball that knocked Royals leadoff man Alcides Escobar to the ground, and over the next 3 1/2 hours, the tone of the World Series transformed. Charged by David Wright's homer and four RBIs, the Mets rolled to a 9-3 win that sliced the Royals' lead in the best-of-seven Fall Classic to 2-1. And Syndergaard, in teammate Michael Cuddyer's words, was the one who "woke everyone up." "Incredible … incredible," was how Wright described the atmosphere at Citi. "We knew what to expect coming into this based on playing here throughout the postseason, but this was at a different level. To be able to fight back the way that we did, we were relentless tonight. And it seemed like every time they had an answer, we had an answer right back. That's the type of baseball that got us here." Twenty-nine teams have won Game 3 after losing the first two, and 11 of them went on to win the World Series, giving the Mets plenty of hope heading into Game 4 here on Saturday, Halloween night. "We were so looking forward to coming back here," said Mets reliever Tyler Clippard, who pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning. "We didn't feel the pressure. We came in here expecting to win and got it done." Wright set the tone early with a two-run homer off Royals starter Yordano Ventura, who also gave up a third-inning homer to Curtis Granderson. Ventura allowed five runs on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings. Syndergaard outperformed Ventura, but not without resistance. The rookie appeared shaky after what he admitted was a game-opening purpose pitch to Escobar. Six of the seven hits he allowed came during the first and second innings, with Eric Hosmer and Alex Rios driving in runs, but Syndergaard found his stride in the third, reeling off a run of 12 consecutive outs before getting in and out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth. "I was able to stay locked in for the entire game," Syndergaard said. The Mets iced the game with a four-run sixth inning against Kansas City relievers Franklin Morales and Kelvin Herrera, with Wright's two-run single capping the rally. The Royals then spent their postgame hours vowing the only type of revenge that matters. "We have to forget about this," Escobar said. "The plan in here is to win."

POSTSEASON PREDICTIONS: Read my post from October 6^th to see how many I have gotten wrong!

CURRENT POSTSEASON PICTURE:

World Series

Kansas City leads Series 2-1

Kansas City at New York

Game 4: Saturday, October 31, at 8:00 PM

PHILS PHACTS:

Unique Way To Celebrate – On Tuesday, grand mascot arbiter "Good Morning America" surveyed MLB and named the Phillie Phanatic the best mascot in baseball in 2015. It was a well-deserved title, earned on the backs of countless souvenirs given and Darth Vaders trolled. But true champions never settle. They know that there's always a furry green alien or giant mustachioed brewer coming for their crown, and there's no time for resting on mascot laurels. So, just days after his coronation, the Phanatic was back at it, knowing he needed to go bigger than ever. Like, "31-foot-skyscraper" bigger. The stunt was for a good cause, too, raising funds for the Outward Bound School. And while Sixers mascot Franklin may have made it down first, he also doesn't have a hot dog cannon, so we all know who's really the winner here. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, there are some former Phillies still making headlines in the playoffs this year.

Cubs Shock The World, Dodgers Force Game 5

YESTERDAY IN POSTSEASON PLAY:

History was made last night as the Cubs continued to win, eliminating a Cardinals team that won a MLB best 100 games during the regular season. The right pieces seem to be falling into place and performing… how far can this team go? In the other game of the night, Clayton Kershaw dominated the Mets forcing a decisive game 5 matchup to determine who will be facing the Cubs in the NLCS. This postseason is just starting to get interesting.  

Cubs Eliminate Cardinals 6-4

For the first time in the history of Wrigley Field, the Cubs clinched a postseason series at home, edging the mighty Cardinals, 6-4, in Game 4 of the National League Division Series. The Cubs now can party as they wait to see whether they'll face the Mets or the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series, which opens on Saturday. "We beat the Cardinals -- these guys are like our older brothers and they've been kicking sand in our face for 100 years," Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. "There's a lot of similarities to when [the Red Sox] knocked off the Yankees in '04. This one just gives us a nice date on Saturday." Javier Baez joined the young Cubs power corps with a three-run home run, Anthony Rizzo delivered a tiebreaking solo shot with two outs in the sixth and Kyle Schwarber nearly reached Lake Michigan with a leadoff blast in the seventh to spark Chicago to victory and a 3-1 Series win. Despite posting the best record in baseball, St. Louis, which had reached the NLCS the last four years in a row, now heads home. "It's disappointing," said Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright, whose comeback season ended with two scoreless innings in relief on Tuesday. "We don't set our sights in Spring Training for getting in the postseason just [to] go home in the first round. That's never what we aspire to do or be. It's painful when you lose, for sure. I can't get away from all the things we overcame this year to even get here. But losing is losing. It's never easy. There's nothing we can do. We have no regrets. We absolutely went about this thing the right way. We left it all on the line, and we got beat." Baez was filling in for injured shortstop Addison Russell, and all manager Joe Maddon wanted was solid glove work from the 22-year-old. Baez added some punch as the Cubs became the first team in postseason history to have four players 23 or younger hit home runs, joining Kris Bryant, Schwarber and Jorge Soler, who each connected on Monday in Game 3. Baez's blast came off Cardinals right-hander John Lackey, who was starting on short rest in the postseason for the third time in his career. "He hit a tough pitch, especially that time of the day with the shadows," Bryant said of Baez's blast. "I couldn't see the ball my first at-bat and he goes up there and hits a three-run homer." Rizzo's home run came off an 0-2 pitch from Kevin Siegrist, and was his second in as many games against the Cardinals' lefty. Rizzo is the first player in Cubs postseason history to smack a go-ahead homer in the sixth inning or later of a series-clinching game. "You can't pitch like that in the postseason," said Siegrist, who had kept Rizzo without an extra-base hit in 22 regular-season plate appearances. "There's no excuse for that. I'll learn from it. I'll be better next year for it." This was only the third time the Cubs have won consecutive postseason games at home. They also did so in 1907 in the World Series against the Tigers and again in 1984 against the Padres in the NLCS. Chicago entered this postseason 0-11 all time in any series in which they lost Game 1. "This is a team that was as impressive to watch from Day One as any team I've ever been around, and just a collection of skill and fight and character and just all the way across the board from the veteran guys leading to the young guys figuring out a way to contribute," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "It was a special group." Both starting pitchers -- the Cubs' Jason Hammel and Lackey -- completed just three innings, and this marked the second time a team has clinched an NLDS in which the starter hasn't completed more than three innings. Wainwright exited after 2 1/3 innings in 2012 as the Cards defeated the Nationals in Game 5. Chicago scored 14 runs combined in Games 3-4, and all but one came on a home run. The other was courtesy of pitcher Hammel's RBI single in the second inning of Game 4.

Dodgers Dominate Mets 3-1

Desperately needing a win to stave off elimination, Clayton Kershaw thrust his postseason troubles aside with a brilliant performance Tuesday in National League Division Series Game 4, firing seven innings of three-hit ball in a 3-1 Dodgers win over the Mets. "I don't think anyone was going to outpitch Clayton Kershaw tonight," Mets third baseman David Wright said. "I wish we could have won here, obviously so that we could prepare for the next round and do it in front of our fans. But Kershaw was just a beast tonight. It was going to be tough to beat him when he was on like he was. Hopefully we can take care of business in L.A." Pitching on three days' rest, Kershaw battled early before settling into one of the better postseason grooves of his career in the middle innings. After Daniel Murphy homered with one out in the fourth, Kershaw did not let another runner past first base. He struck out six of seven batters during one stretch, snapping his five-game postseason losing streak.

POSTSEASON PREDICTIONS: Read my post from October 6^th to see how many I have gotten wrong!

CURRENT POSTSEASON PICTURE:

American League Division Series

Kansas City and Houston tied 2-2

Game 5: Wednesday, October 14, at 8:00 PM

Toronto and Texas tied 2-2

Game 5: Wednesday, October 14, at 4:00 PM

National League Division Series

Chicago Eliminated St. Louis 3-1

NLCS Game 1: Tuesday, October 13, at 4:30 PM

New York and Los Angeles tied 2-2

Game 5: Thursday, October 15, at 8:00 PM

National League Championship Series

Chicago at TBD

Game 1: Saturday, October 17, at TBD

American League Championship Series

TBD at TBD

Game 1: Friday, October 16, at TBD

PHILS PHACTS:

Breaking Ground – Four months after the Phillies dedicated four new and renovated baseball fields at FDR Park, there was a ceremonial groundbreaking on Tuesday for the next phase of its Urban Youth Academy: an indoor-outdoor facility in South Philadelphia. A 7,500 square foot extension will be added to the existing building to create a new training facility. Parts of the existing Marian Anderson Recreation Center will be renovated to create space for fitness training, educational and vocational programs. Among the dignitaries in attendance were Mayor Michael Nutter, Major League Baseball's vice president of youth and facility development Darrell Miller, Phillies chairman Dave Montgomery, Councilman Kenyatta Johnson and Deputy Mayor Michael DiBeradinis. "This is an incredible example of the city partnering with community organizations and the private sector to renovate a recreation center in the community that lacks abundant public play spaces. The new classrooms, fitness center and equipment at the [center] will benefit 8,000 players receiving free baseball and softball instruction on a regular basis," Nutter said. "The city supports the Urban Youth Academy's mission to use baseball and softball to teach young people about teamwork and responsibility, all while teaching them to be active and healthy in these spaces. By providing our young people with a fun and fulfilling environment in their own neighborhood, we're also giving them the tools to learn, to connect and to grow with successful, caring adults who give back to the community on a regular basis." Philadelphia joins Compton, Houston, New Orleans and Cincinnati as cities with UYAs. A facility in Kansas City has also been announced. Montgomery noted that leftfielder Pat Burrell, who last played for the Phillies in 2008, contributed seed money and that current first baseman Ryan Howard and his wife, Krystle, stepped up when additional funding was needed. Also contributing was the Baseball Tomorrow Fund, a joint effort between MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association. "These projects take time, and Philadelphia was no exception," Miller said. "We wanted to do something here in the baddest way. You have to understand, the Phillies have been in the trenches 20 years. They've been committed from the very beginning to make sure kids have an opportunity to play baseball. "We now have the opportunity to take it to the next level. We're not doing anything different. We're just going to do it bigger and better and we're going to have a lot of fun with it. The facilities are going to be big league." Montgomery also introduced Dr. Mahlene Duckett, whose father, Mahlon, was a Philadelphia native, a Negro League star and the last surviving member of the Philadelphia Stars. When he passed away at the age of 92 this summer, the family asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Philles' Urban Youth Academy. Miller became passionate when discussing the impact these academies can have. "Major League Baseball wants to make sure every child who wants to pick up a bat or a ball or a glove and wants to play catch, or play the game of baseball or girls' softball, gets an opportunity to play," he said. "Our youth deserve tremendous facilities. They deserve the opportunity to play the game at the highest possible level. They deserve great coaching. They deserve mentoring. They deserve the opportunity to play the greatest game ever created. It's a hard game to play. It takes a tremendous amount of time and dedication. It's all about work. It's all about individual determination. It's the fabric of what our great nation has been built on. And that's hard work. That's what makes great baseball players. That's what makes great softball players. That's what makes Major League contributors to our society." He caught himself, stopped and smiled. "I'm preaching," he noted. "But the Pope was just here and I'm following his lead. We have a lot to do on this field and on this front throughout America."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, there are some former Phillies still making headlines in the playoffs this year.

Phillies Can’t Complete Comeback Against Braves

GAME RECAP: Braves Edge Phillies 2-1

Cameron Maybin delivered a go-ahead single in the fourth inning and some solid bullpen work preserved the effort Williams Perez provided while helping the Braves claim a 2-1 win over the Phillies on Friday night at Turner Field. Adonis Garcia's first-inning double and Maybin's two-out single accounted for the only runs Phillies starter Adam Morgan surrendered over six innings. But the production was enough for the Braves, who have won just five of their past 31 games. Three of those victories have been recorded against the Phillies. "It's been a rough year for all of us," Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said. "It's nice to see the positive side of things. The whole pitching staff had a great game tonight. Hopefully they can carry that into tomorrow and we'll get a series win." Perez scattered six hits over 5 2/3 innings and limited the Phillies to just one run, which came courtesy of Cameron Rupp's two-out solo homer in the second inning. The Braves bullpen stranded eight runners while completing 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Arodys Vizcaino notched three strikeouts during a scoreless ninth inning that was marred by Hector Olivera error. Vizcaino notched three strikeouts, the last of which resulted in a wild pitch that landed in the stands and loaded the bases before Darin Ruf lined out to end the game. "They gave us, what, six outs in that ninth inning? And we couldn't capitalize," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "Just an overall disappointing night. Just a bad night."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• The Phillies had a chance to break open the game in the sixth -- or at least get even, considering they were trailing 2-1 at the time -- but couldn't come through with two outs and the bases loaded. After knocking out Perez, and going through reliever Brandon Cunniff, Mackanin sent veteran Jeff Francoeur up against McKirahan. Six pitches later, every one of them a strike, Francoeur, the ex-Brave, struck out on an 84-mph slider.
• After Garcia hit an RBI double in the first, he strayed off second base and was tagged by an alert Ruf. Second-base umpire Jim Joyce's original safe call was overturned after the Phillies issued their first challenge of the game.
• Pinch-hitter Chase d'Arnaud, stepping in for Morgan, led off the seventh inning with a bouncer to short. Andrelton Simmons fielded it and made a long-bounce throw to first, where first-base umpire Pat Hoberg called d'Arnaud out. The Phillies challenged, the call was overturned, and d'Arnaud was awarded an infield single.
• Later in the seventh, d'Arnaud was tagged out at the plate when McKirahan fielded Odubel Herrera's comebacker and flipped the ball out of his glove to Bethancourt. The Phillies were unsuccessful with their challenge that Bethancourt violated the plate-blocking rule.

NEXT GAME:

Rookie right-hander Jerad Eickhoff (1-3, 3.90 ERA) is scheduled to make his sixth start of the season Saturday night at 7:10 ET when the Phillies and Braves square off in the second game of this three-game set. Eickhoff has made it to the sixth inning in all but one of his starts. Atlanta will counter with Ryan Weber, who will be making his third career start. Weber surrendered two runs over six innings while making his Major League debut against the Phillies on Sept. 9.

PHILS PHACTS:

Rookie Making Progress – Adam Morgan put together one of those starts Friday that was good enough for a win. But, in a year of tough losses for the Phillies, the outcome did not go his way. The Braves hung a loss on the Phillies' left-hander in a hard-luck 2-1 decision despite six better-than-good innings in which Morgan gave up only the two runs, didn't walk anyone and was so efficient that he needed just 70 pitches to get through his start. He threw only 18 balls in his six innings, and zipped first-pitch strikes to the final 15 batters he faced. Over his last seven starts, he's struck out 24 hitters and walked only three. He's 2-4 in those games. "He's been pitching very well. He could have a few more wins than he does," interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "We just got to drive some runs in." Morgan (5-7, 4.48 ERA) wasn't perfect Friday, but he made maybe three mistakes that cost him: He left a pitch over the plate that Adonis Garcia reached down and poked off the wall in right-center in the first inning, driving in a run. In the fourth, he hung a changeup to Freddie Freeman, who held back on it just long enough to pull a soft double down the right-field line. And, two pitches later, he hung a first-pitch slider to Cameron Maybin, who lined it into center to score Freeman. Two or three mistakes in six innings of work, for almost anyone, is not too shabby. "It's not bad," Morgan said, "but I can do better." Morgan clearly could have gone at least another inning, and maybe more than that, the way he was dealing. But in the seventh, trying to score a run, Mackanin chose to pinch-hit for his starter to lead off the inning. And that was Morgan's night. "I always want to finish what I started. I still felt good," Morgan said. "But, you know, the manager pinch-hit for me at a good time and a time he felt was right. I can't argue with that." After his 28th start of the season -- including 13 at Triple-A Lehigh Valley -- Morgan looks as if he has plenty left to give the Phillies as they head toward the finish line. He has thrown 152 2/3 innings between the Phils and the Minors in his first full season since coming back from Jan. 2014 left shoulder surgery. He said Friday he expects the ball a couple more times before the end of the season. "I'm happy with where I'm at," said Morgan, "but I'm not where I want to be at. I'm not exactly where I want to be."

Continuing To Recover – Ryan Howard was out of the Phillies' lineup again on Friday, still nursing a sore left knee that he bruised in Monday's 8-7 loss against the Nationals. But Philadelphia continues to be hopeful that it hasn't seen the last of its slugging first baseman this year. "If 7-10 days go by and he hasn't seen live pitching, then it becomes an issue there. And is it worth [it] to run him out there? So we'll just go day to day there," interim manager Pete Mackanin said Friday before the Phillies took on the Braves in the first of a three game series at Turner Field. "I'd like to get him back in there. He's a very good presence in that lineup. Without [Maikel] Franco and Cesar [Hernandez] in there, it's a lot different lineup." Franco broke his left wrist when he was hit by a pitch on Aug. 11. Hernandez dislocated his thumb during a play at first base on Sunday against the Cubs. Howard, who took a one-hop throw off his knee in the game against the Nationals, was walking around in the clubhouse before Friday's game with his left knee wrapped. He made it out to batting practice, limping slightly, but he didn't participate. He had an MRI on Tuesday which showed no structural damage. "For me, I don't care if the guy takes a driver's license test. All I want to know is if he can play or not. Whatever bone or muscle hurts … I don't care. I just want to know if he can play," Mackanin said. "It's better than expected, I think. He's going to start moving around a little bit, and then we'll just play it by ear and see how he adjusts or how he reacts."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have returned to their lackluster ways and regained their grip on last place in the NL East with a record of 56-92. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this could still end up being the worst team in franchise history… at least that is something to hope for this year! All time, the Phillies are 44-62-2 on this day.

Hamels Impresses Scouts In Loss To Yankees

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Yankees Beat Phillies 4-1

The Yankees batted around in the fourth inning, breaking open a scoreless game on the way to a 4-1 win against the Phillies on Friday at Bright House Field. Left-hander Cole Hamels made his first start of the spring for the Phillies and picked up right where he left off in 2014, when he finished with a 2.46 ERA. The lefty pitched two shutout innings, allowing just one single, and struck out two. "Cole looked really good. He had his rhythm. Real good pace to him," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "He mixed his pitches well. Under the [rainy] conditions and everything, he performed good." Hamels was facing a split-squad lineup that included what is expected to be the Yankees' Opening Day starting infield: Mark Teixeira at first, Stephen Drew at second, Didi Gregorius at shortstop and Chase Headley at third. Hamels has been the subject of trade rumors this offseason. He threw 31 pitches, about evenly divided between fastballs and changeups, 22 for strikes. Yankees right-hander Bryan Mitchell, who made his Major League debut last August, was every bit as good as the more celebrated veteran. He faced the minimum six batters in his two innings; Freddy Galvis singled but was erased on a double play started with an athletic play by Gregorius. The game started with a light rain falling and play was halted in the middle of the third. Play resumed after a 50- minute delay. The Yankees broke through against Phillies reliever Mike Nesseth in the top of the fourth. Teixeira led off with a single, and designated hitter Greg Bird followed with an RBI double, going to third on the throw to the plate. With one out, Ramon Flores singled to score Bird. With two outs, Slade Heathcott walked, and Gregorius singled to drive in the Yankees third run. The Yanks added another run in the sixth. Xavier Paul got the Phillies on the board with a home run in the seventh. Jaron Long, son of former Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long, recorded the win after throwing a scoreless third inning.

TODAY’S EXHIBITION GAME:

Veteran right-hander Jerome Williams will be looking to strengthen his hold on a spot in the rotation when he starts against the Blue Jays on Saturday at Bright House Field. Game time is 1:05 p.m. ET (watch on MLB.TV). Williams, 33, blossomed for the Phillies last season after being released by the Astros and placed on waivers by the Rangers, going 4-2 with 2.83 ERA in nine starts after being claimed by the Phils.

PHILS PHACTS:

Scouts Out To See Hamels – Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels is well aware of the trade speculation that has swirled around him since the start of the offseason. And if it slipped his mind, all he had to do was look behind the plate at Bright House Field on Friday afternoon where 24 scouts assembled to watch his first start of the Grapefruit League. Hamels didn't disappoint against a Yankees split-squad lineup that included Mark Teixeira, Chase Headley, Stephen Drew and Didi Gregorius. He sailed through two shutout innings, allowing one single while striking out two in a 4-1 Phillies loss. And he was just as hard to pin down when asked if he felt under the microscope when he went to the mound. "I think the whole team is. ... All the guys are," he said. "There's a lot of jobs to be won. I think if you're a young guy, it's a great position to be in. As veterans, I think that's just the situation and scenario that happened over the last couple years that we're in. I think it's everyone, even the front office. It's a team aspect, a team sport. And I think that's just kind of where we've been placed." He also insisted that rumors that he could be headed to the Red Sox, Cardinals, Dodgers, Padres or Yankees haven't been at all disruptive. "This has been a great spring, just from a sense of the overall team aspect of what we're trying to do out there, how we're trying to implement a new focus," he said. "But at the same time, we all know that we have to get ready and we have to be as competitive as we possibly can. So for what I like to do, and how I try to prepare, I've kept to the same sort of routine." The game started in a steady drizzle, but Hamels said he wasn't concerned about slipping and injuring himself. "You just want to get it in because there's a schedule and you want to stay on the same schedule to get ready for Opening Day and the year," he said. "I was getting ready. It's something where I just wanted to go out there and face hitters. Batting practices are great, bullpens are great, but there is just a little more adrenaline and focus that you need when you actually have a guy in there from an opposing team. And he's trying to get base hits, score runs. It's just the competitive nature and you want to be able to get that first one out of the way."

Ruiz Receives Rest – The last few springs catcher Darren Daulton spent with the Phillies, when the wear and tear had begun to accumulate, he was on a unique program. He usually didn't play behind the plate until around St. Patrick's Day. The Phillies are taking a similar approach with Carlos Ruiz this year. Even though he caught Cole Hamels in Friday's 4-1 loss to the Yankees split-squad at Bright House Field, he's not likely to start at catcher often in the early days of Grapefruit League play. "We kind of have a program for him," said manager Ryne Sandberg. "I'm going to get him behind the plate as needed the first half of Spring Training here. Get him to DH the other games. We also have a chance to get him some at-bats when they start [in the Minor League camp]." Keeping Ruiz healthy is a priority for the Phillies. He's 36 years old and has spent time on the disabled list each year since 2009, including twice for concussions. He's averaged 94 starts each of the last three seasons. The hope is that keeping Ruiz from getting too beat up in Florida will allow him to play more frequently and stay more productive. "For him to get work and throw and block and everything. But also preserve himself a little bit and have him on a schedule that has him ready for Opening Day," Sandberg said. Said Ruiz: "That's the plan until the middle of Spring Training, to be in good shape for the end of the season. I'm still catching bullpens in the morning and doing all my work. To keep fresh. Believe me, I don't want to get hurt. My goal is to stay healthy this year and play the most games that I can. Right now my body feels great. I don't have any issues." As important as it is for a catcher to get to know his pitchers, Ruiz doesn't anticipate a problem. He's still working with them. Just not during games. "I catch a lot of bullpens. I'm there every morning and try to catch everybody," he said. "I still do everything to try to stay focused behind the plate. In the bullpen sessions, I do it like a game. I block some balls. I feel great and that's important to me. "I know the games are different, but I watch the games. When the games are on TV I watch how the guys like to throw. Communication is the key. You put everything together and it ought to be good."

Focusing On Small Ball – When reserve outfielder Xavier Paul homered to lead off the seventh inning Friday, it wasn't just the only run the Phillies got in a 4-1 Grapefruit League loss to a Yankees split squad. It was the only home run the Phillies have hit in four games this spring. And while that's a small sample, manager Ryne Sandberg knows it could be a harbinger of what's to come. Last season the Phillies hit 125 home runs, the lowest total for the team since 1997. They also traded two of their top three power threats from last year, Marlon Byrd (25 home runs) and Jimmy Rollins (17). The projected starting outfield of Domonic Brown (10 home runs), Ben Revere (two) and Grady Sizemore (five) or Darin Ruf (three) combined for 20 home runs last season. "I look at our club and we're going to have to be able to do some little things," Sandberg said. "We're going to have to be able to move runners, make contact, hit and run, bunt. Maybe bunt early in the game, that type of thing. Definitely not to wait for the home run. To manufacture runs, especially early, to get a lead for the starting pitchers. That will be important for us." Of course, it's also possible that power could come from an unexpected source. "Darin Ruf could be a surprise guy for me," Sandberg said. "[Third baseman] Cody Asche and Sizemore might be guys who can chip in. Who knows how many home runs they can hit? If we're just thinking about solid contact and more contact and cutting down strikeouts from the type of team we had last year, I think that will go a long way with us. Driving balls into the gaps and some of those doubles turning into home runs."

ON THE RECORD:

The Phillies will look to rebound this season from a 73-89 record last year. While uncertainty abounds, there is little question that the franchise is in rebuild mode based on the moves and statements that have been made during the offseason. The only question that remains is whether or not the young and veteran talent on the team can work together to disprove Gillick’s predictions either this year or next.