Morgan And Franco: Difference Makers

GAME RECAP: Phillies Edge Braves 3-2

Suburban Atlanta resident Adam Morgan extended his hometown team's woes and helped the Phillies add to their surprising early season success as he completed seven strong innings in Tuesday night's 3-2 win over the Braves at Turner Field. Morgan scattered three hits while matching the career-high seven-inning total he had also posted in one of his three previous career starts against the Braves. The Phillies notched their third straight win with some assistance from Maikel Franco, who highlighted his three-hit performance with an eighth-inning home run. Each of the Phillies' last seven wins have been by one run. "You need luck," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "You need to be good. I think we're good. I'm not saying we're the best. I'm just saying we're doing things right." Franco's home run soured the second straight eight-inning performance provided by Matt Wisler, who surrendered a season-high eight hits. Wisler was not as sharp as he was when he limited the Mets to one hit over eight scoreless last week, but he received little offensive assistance from the Braves, who inched closer with a ninth-inning home run from Freddie Freeman before falling to 1-16 at home this year. "Wisler pitched great," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "That's where we're at. He pitches eight innings and gives up three [runs]. On most nights, that gives you a [great] chance to win a ballgame."

PHILS PHACT:

• The Phillies' righty escaped a third-inning jam and found himself in another in the fourth with runners at first and third and no out. He traded a run for two outs when he induced Tyler Flowers to hit into a 6-4-3 double play, which tied the game 1-1. Morgan threw 90 pitches in seven strong innings.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies will send Jerad Eickhoff to the mound on Wednesday when they continue their series with the Braves at 7:10 p.m. ET. Eickhoff will be looking for his first win since April 13.

PHILS PHACTS:

First Win Of The Season – After two sour outings, Phillies right-hander Adam Morgan came home to earn his first win of the season. The Marietta, Ga., resident threw seven strong innings, giving up just one run on four hits with four strikeouts and a walk in the Phillies' 3-2 win over the Braves Tuesday night. Morgan (1-0, 3.94 ERA) said he thought he did a better job of putting hitters away when he was ahead in the count. "I missed one with [Ender] Inciarte, but other than that, I feel like I corrected it a little bit," he said. Morgan struggled against the Braves in the past, entering Tuesday's game 0-3 with a 4.00 ERA against Atlanta. He tied a career-high by lasting seven innings, throwing 90 pitches. "We thought about letting him go back out there [to pitch the eighth inning], but his previous two outings were not real good," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Morgan, adding that he wanted him to go into his next start having accomplished seven solid innings. The lone run Morgan allowed came in the fourth inning with runners on first and third and nobody out. He induced Atlanta catcher Tyler Flowers into a 6-4-3 double play, trading two outs for a run that tied the game 1-1. Maikel Franco provided what would end up being a key insurance run with a solo homer to left -- his seventh of the season -- to lead off the eighth inning. "I knew this team was exciting in Spring Training," Morgan said. "Those guys, everybody's got a lot of energy."

Today In Phils History – In 1888 the Phillies purchased Ed Delahanty and, in 1895, the Phillies were shutout for the first time in 184 games. He was a big piece in the team scoring at least one run in every game dating back to August 17, 1893. Speaking of streaks, it was on this day in 1958 when Richie Ashburn’s consecutive games played streak ended at 473 games. 1910 saw the Phillies suspend two players, pitchers Earl Moore and George McQuillan, for failing to stay in shape. Today is also the day we said goodbye to Jimmie Wilson (1928) and Jim Kaat (1979) but also welcomed Harvey Haddix and Stu Miller in 1956. Speaking of debuts, both Jerry Martin (1949) and David Buchanan (1989) were born on this day. On this day Cy Williams hit 3 of a combined 10 homeruns in the game against the Cardinals. Not only did it move Williams into first place all time on the NL homerun list with 120, the game itself was historic setting records at the time for combined homeruns (10), total bases (79) and, for the cardinals, 70 hits during the four game series. While the feat had been accomplished many times previously, it was still a sight to see in 1980 as Pete Rose stole second, third, and home against his former Reds teammates. However, the moment that has become Phillies lore happened 10 years ago today when Aaron Rowand crashed into the outfield fence to preserve the 2 hit, 2-0 gem pitched by Gavin Floyd over the Mets. In the process, he broke several bones in his face and was subsequently placed on the DL.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 19-14 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 47-50-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!

Phillies Rough Up Former Teammate

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Philadelphia Assaults Atlanta 9-2

Ryan Howard recorded one of the three doubles his former Philadelphia teammate Kyle Kendrick surrendered during a three-run first inning that propelled the Phillies to a 9-2 win over the Braves on Friday afternoon at ESPN's Wide World of Sports complex. Kendrick's bid to earn a roster spot with Atlanta was further weakened as he retired just five of the 16 batters he faced before exiting with two outs in Philadelphia's four-run second inning. The former Phillies pitcher surrendered nine hits, including a pair of doubles recorded by Darin Ruf. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin was impressed with what he saw from Howard, who returned to the lineup after battling the flu and served as the club's designated hitter. "I told him, 'You should not take batting practice all year,'" said Mackanin. "He hadn't had an at-bat in a week, and that's as good as he's looked in awhile. So I'm real happy about that. "I'd like to play him tomorrow at first base to try to catch up. He swung the bat real well." Phillies leadoff hitter Peter Bourjos reached safely in each of the three plate appearances he recorded through the first three innings. Bourjos began the game with a double and then advanced to third base on the first of the three singles recorded by Cesar Hernandez. Emmanuel Burriss also notched a three-hit game for Philadelphia. Kendrick came to Spring Training hoping to earn a spot in Atlanta's starting rotation. But his hopes have diminished as he has allowed 14 hits and nine earned runs over 3 2/3 innings in his first two starts. Phillies starter David Buchanan looked like he might also be in for a long day when he loaded the bases before he recorded his first out. Buchanan limited his first-inning damage to two runs, as A.J. Pierzynski and Dian Toscano notched RBIs. Buchanan stranded two runners when he completed a scoreless second inning with a strikeout of Freddie Freeman. "I was just a little erratic today," said Buchanan. "I've just got to keep the ball down. I've been throwing well in my bullpen [sessions] and the games I've been in this spring, so I'm going to build on that." After swinging and missing the final pitch he saw from Buchanan, Freeman exited because of discomfort around his right hand and wrist. The veteran first baseman was either sidelined or burdened by right wrist discomfort for most of last season's final four months.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Jim Kaat, who won 283 games during his 25-year career, started his stint as a guest instructor on Friday. Kaat pitched four years with the Phillies from 1976 to 1979.
• Right-hander Kyle Kendrick, who started his big league career by going 74-68 for the Phillies in eight seasons, started for the Braves Friday and faced his former team for the first time. "I'm over it," said Kendrick, who signed a Minor League contract with Atlanta. "Besides, outside of (Ryan Howard), I really don't know any of those guys." With the Rockies last season, his starts didn't line up with the games against the Phils.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Vince Velasquez, who was acquired from the Astros as part of the Ken Giles trade over the winter, will continue his quest to nail down a spot in the starting rotation when he faces the Blue Jays on Saturday at Bright House Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET, and the game will air on MLB.TV. It will be the third Grapefruit League appearance, and second start, for the 23-year-old who made his big league debut with the Astros last season.

PHILS PHACTS:

Making Up For Lost Time – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Ryan Howard, who returned to the lineup Friday in a 9-2 win over a split-squad Braves club after missing a week of Grapefruit League action, will have a heavier-than-normal workload during the final three weeks of Spring Training to make up for the time he's missed. "I told him, 'You should not take batting practice all year,'" said Mackanin. "He hadn't had an at-bat in a week, and that's as good as he's looked in awhile. So I'm real happy about that. "I'd like to play him tomorrow at first base to try to catch up. He swung the bat real well." Howard started at designated hitter against the Braves at Champion Stadium and had a two-run double off Braves starter Kyle Kendrick in the first. In the second, Howard lined out to right and in the seventh he flied out to the base of the wall in left-center. "We've got to get him as many at-bats as we can," said Mackanin. "And if and when Cody Asche is able to come back [from a strained oblique] in the spring, we've got to try to do the same thing with him. It remains to be seen when he'll be back. But Howie's here and we're just going to run him out there." Howard had been sidelined with the flu bug that has been making the rounds of the Phillies' clubhouse. When Howard was feeling better, he was interviewed by Major League Baseball regarding an Al Jazeera documentary which claimed that he -- along with Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and others -- had used performance-enhancing substances. Howard has vigorously denied the allegation and is suing Al Jazeera. MLB's involvement does not mean there's a presumption of guilt. All allegations are routinely investigated. But playing time is more important than usual for Howard this spring. Mackanin has suggested that the 2006 National League Most Valuable Player needs to prove he can hit left-handers this spring or he might find himself in a platoon at first base with Darin Ruf. That's one reason Howard made the hour-and-a-half trek to Disney on Friday, a bus trip established veterans are often allowed to skip. Instead, Howard volunteered to be on the travel squad. "I have to get him back in the swing of things," said Mackanin. "So I'm going to play him as much as I can to get him ready. I'm going to try to get him as many at-bats as I can, right or left. He just needs to get at-bats."

Strong Bullpen Candidates – Left-hander Bobby LaFromboise was twice claimed off waivers during the offseason. After the Phillies took him in January, he was designated for assignment and re-signed to a Minor League contract so he could be taken off the big league roster. Despite that inauspicious start, LaFromboise has made a strong impression this spring. He pitched two scoreless innings in Friday's 9-2 win over the Braves, walking one and striking out three. After six Grapefruit League innings, he still hasn't allowed a hit. Two other lefties, Edward Mujica and Elvis Aruajo, also pitched scoreless innings Friday. "It was nice to see LaFromboise, [James] Russell and Araujo, all the three lefties who are in contention for a bullpen job, it was good to see those guys do well," said manager Pete Mackanin. Russell showed poise in the fifth inning when Barrett Kleinknecht ripped a line drive back up the middle that knocked his glove off. But Russell was able to retrieve the ball and throw Kleinknecht out at first. Left-hander Daniel Stumpf, who is a Rule 5 Draft pick, has given up just one run in five innings. Mackanin said no decision has been made on how many bullpen lefties the Phillies might break camp with. "It depends on how we feel about all of them," said Mackanin. "There's nothing wrong with having three of them in the bullpen, but it depends on everybody else, I guess. "I think it's interesting to note that this was the year everybody was told this was the spring that would be full of competition unlike any spring we've ever had here before. Guys like [first baseman Darin] Ruf, he's really doing well. [Catcher Cameron] Rupp is doing well. [Catcher Carlos Ruiz] is gung-ho all the time. You can tell he's battling. Everyone seems to be battling, and it's bringing out the best in the guys." The 29-year-old LaFromboise has been one of the most pleasant surprises in camp, and part of the reason might be a change pitching coach Bob McClure suggested after seeing him thrown only once or twice. "He moved me over to the third-base side [of the rubber] and it's kind of helped me with my fastball coming in," LaFromboise explained. "That's a big part of it. He said, 'Hey, try this.' So I went over, tried it and liked it. When I'm throwing from the first-base side, I'm really cut off. It's hard for me to get inside to a righty. From the third-base side, it's almost like that's my plane." At the University of New Mexico, LaFromboise threw from the third-base side. The Mariners moved him over after he signed with them in 2008. LaFromboise doesn't throw hard, but he has a deceptive delivery. So far, he's more than holding his own in the bullpen sweepstakes. "I like that funk he offers," Mackanin said.

Close Up On Spring Training – Tim Stoeckle rode on the Phillies' team bus to Friday's game at Champion Stadium, even though his name didn't appear on the travel roster. He was in the dugout during a 9-2 win over the Braves, but manager Pete Mackanin never considered sending him up to pinch-hit or asking him to get loose in the bullpen. Stoeckle, 24, is the Phillies' social media representative, and he was chronicling the team as part of Snapchat Day across the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues. Stoeckle's first post went up before the bus pulled away from Bright House Field. He had shots of going across the Courtney Campbell Causeway, arriving at Disney and players getting ready in the clubhouse. There were brief interviews with Cameron Rupp and Mackanin. Stoeckle also spent some time in the broadcast booth with Scott Franzke and Larry Andersen. "It's really cool. It's finding out what it's like to be in the big leagues," Stoeckle said. "I love it. It's great." It's also great for baseball. "It gives the fans some access they don't normally get and they can't really get anywhere else," Stoeckle pointed out. "Snapchat is a social media platform that allows you to send photos and videos in real time. And you can see it as it's happening. So, for example, when somebody on the Phillies scored a run and came into the dugout, everyone was giving him high fives. And there's a video of that up close that fans get to see." Stoeckle started doing in-game tweets for the Phillies after the All-Star break last year as an MLB Advanced Media employee. The Phillies hired him to cover all social media in November. What if Mackanin had told him to grab a bat? "I was ready," Stoeckle said with a grin. "I did some stretching before the game."

Today In Phils History - There are good and bad moments to remember this day. 1980 was a great year for another reason as Chuck Klein was finally elected to the Hall of Fame. Unforetunately, 5 years ago today, David Montgomery announced that Reuben Amaro, Jr. had signed a 4-year contract extension to remain the Phillies' GM. In addition to the birthdays of some early Phillies including Phil Knell (1865), Billy Hulen (1870), George McAvoy (1884), and Charlie Johnson (1885) it is also the birthday of some more modern great Phillies including Johnny Callison (1939) and Dale Murphy (1956). 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have begun the spring with an 8-3-2 record (9-3-2 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!

Prospects Looking To Make An Impression

PHILS PHACTS:

Closer Looks – Looking for a reason to follow Spring Training with the Phillies? Prospects, prospects, prospects. In the third part of a seven-part series previewing the Phillies ahead of Spring Training, with pitchers and catchers set to have their first workout on Thursday, MLB.com looks at the most notable prospects who will be at camp in Clearwater, Fla. And there will be plenty, with six of seven Phillies ranked in MLBPipeline's Top 100 Prospects list in the Bright House Field clubhouse: RHP Mark Appel: A late addition to the Ken Giles trade with the Astros, Appel is No. 70 in MLBPipeline's Top 100. The former No. 1 pick is expected to open the season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he might have the best stuff in a talented rotation. Everybody seems to hope a change of scenery will benefit Appel. He no longer will have the pressure of pitching for his hometown team, like he did in Houston. In Philly, he will be one of many top pitching prospects competing for a job. RHP Jimmy Cordero: The Phillies acquired the hard-throwing Cordero in the Ben Revere trade with the Blue Jays in July. His fastball sits pretty comfortably in the high 90s to 100 mph. He has topped 100 on more than a few occasions. Cordero posted a 2.55 ERA in 45 appearances last season with Class A Advanced Dunedin, Double-A New Hampshire and Double-A Reading. He struck out 64 and walked 24 in 67 innings, but Cordero got better as the year progressed. He posted a 1.18 WHIP with Dunedin, a 1.22 WHIP with New Hampshire and a 0.88 WHIP with Reading. His performance with Reading excited more than a few Phillies folks, who think he could be the future closer. RHP Zach Eflin: He's not in MLBPipeline's Top 100, but Eflin is considered one of the top 10 prospects in the organization. Eflin is expected to open the season in Triple-A, but he certainly is worth watching. Eflin's stuff is arguably as good as Appel's, but he needs to set up and finish hitters more consistently. The Phillies think once he gets it, his strikeout ratio (4.6 per nine innings last season with Reading) will take a jump, so keep an eye on that. RHP Jake Thompson: One of the key pieces in the Cole Hamels trade with the Rangers, he ranks 55th on MLBPipeline's Top 100 Prospects list. Thompson is expected to open the season in Triple-A, but he is probably the most advanced of any of the top pitching prospects in camp because he has a good feel for his abilities and how he can best attack hitters. He posted a 1.80 ERA in seven starts with Reading last year. C Jorge Alfaro: The Phillies acquired the No. 96 prospect in baseball in the Hamels trade. Alfaro is healthy following ankle surgery in 2015, so the Phillies hope to see what they got in the potential front-line catcher. He has tremendous power at the plate and a strong arm. He is expected to open the season in Double-A because he lost so much development time last year. C Andrew Knapp: The Phillies named Knapp their Minor League Player of the Year in 2015. It should be fun to watch Knapp and Alfaro compete in Spring Training. Both are expected to open the season in the Minor Leagues, but they are considered the club's catchers of the future. What happens if both live up to the hype? What a nice problem that will be. SS J.P. Crawford: He is the No. 5 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline, and it is easy to see why. Crawford has hit a combined .290 with a .790 OPS in three Minor League seasons, showing a knack for the strike zone. He has walked 160 times and struck out 163 times in his career. Many think Crawford has the offensive talent to hit .290 to .300 in the Majors. They think his power will improve, too. If he does maintain or improve offensively, Crawford could be a perennial All-Star. He is expected to open the season in Triple-A, but a strong performance there could have him in the big leagues soon. OF Roman Quinn: The No. 99 prospect in baseball, Quinn has tremendous speed and abilities in center field. He hit .306 with a .791 OPS in 232 at-bats with Reading last year before a torn hip flexor derailed his season. Health is key for Quinn. OF Nick Williams: The Phillies were excited to land Williams in the Hamels trade. He got them even more excited when they watched him play with Reading, where he hit .320 with an .876 OPS in 97 at-bats. Williams, who is the No. 64 prospect in baseball, is expected to open the season in Triple-A, but the Phillies' outfielders should feel him breathing down their necks.

Today In Phils History - The Phillies hired former player with the Philadelphia Bobbies Edith Houghton on this day in 1946 making her the 1st woman scout in professional baseball. In 1976, Bob Boone, Jim Kaat, and their wives attended a White House prayer breakfast for athletes hosted by the President and First Lady. Jerry Koosman came to town on this day in 1984. Finally, happy 42nd birthday Ugueth Urbina.

THE BEGINNING:

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!

Roster Slowly Morphing… Giles Heading Out

PHILS PHACTS:

Replacing Giles? – The Phillies made their first move of the Winter Meetings on Wednesday, and it proved to be a precursor to the Ken Giles trade. The Phillies signed right-handed reliever David Hernandez to a one-year, $3.9 million contract. It gives them a late-inning reliever who could stabilize the bullpen once Giles is dealt to Houston. Sources told MLB.com on Wednesday night that the Phillies and Astros have agreed to that trade, which would send four players to Philadelphia. The deal is pending physicals. "Sometimes, if you sign a David Hernandez, that may open the door to a different trade possibility than we had anticipated," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said. "Or if you make a trade, that might open the door to a different free-agent signing. 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 come to fruition. But every once in a while something will." Hernandez, 30, went 1-5 with a 4.28 ERA in 40 appearances last season with Arizona. He missed 2014 and the first two months of the '15 season following Tommy John surgery. Before that, Hernandez was Arizona's setup man, compiling a 3.42 ERA and picking up 17 saves over three seasons. He began his career with the Orioles, who drafted him in the 16th round in the 2005 Draft. "It was a priority for us to add someone to the back of our bullpen who has pitched in high-level situations in the past," Klentak said. "Throughout the last couple of months, we've been adding a lot of depth to our bullpen. Many of those players don't come with a lot of experience. So we wanted to make sure that we added at least one player who added a lot of experience who could help to pitch in the late part of the game." Phillies president Andy MacPhail and Klentak were with the Orioles when Hernandez made his big league debut in 2009. Player development director Joe Jordan helped draft Hernandez in '05.

Moving Forward – Maikel Franco filed a grievance against the Phillies, claiming they manipulated his service time to delay his eligibility for free agency. Franco opened the season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley before being recalled May 15. Franco accrued 170 days of Major League service time, which is two days short of a full season. Those two days delayed his free agency from 2020 to '21. Franco's agent, Ryan Royster, said Monday the grievance will not be an issue for Franco moving forward. Phillies general manger Matt Klentak agreed. "I wasn't here for the first year of his career with the Phillies," Klentak said. "I'm not particularly concerned with there being a carryover or on-field effect."

More Netting On The Way – The Phillies announced Wednesday they plan to extend the netting at Citizens Bank Park to conform to Major League Baseball's new recommendations regarding fan safety. Phillies executive vice president and chief operating officer Mike Stiles said in a statement that the club anticipates it will expand the protective netting behind home plate about 10 feet in width on both sides, reaching to the near side of each dugout. The Phils also plan to replace their existing netting with newer material that is just as strong, but thinner and more easier to see through. "We understand that our fans differ in their opinions about sitting behind protective netting and we will do our best to accommodate those different preferences," Stiles said. "We will take the opportunity in the upcoming season to remind all of our fans about the importance of being alert to the possibility of balls and bats entering the stands throughout the ballpark. "We also anticipate that a similar modest expansion of protective netting will be installed at Bright House Field, our Spring Training ballpark in Clearwater, Fla., to conform to the MLB recommendations."

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.

Happy Birthday J-Roll!

PHILS PHACTS:

No news from the front office or the clubhouse.

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.

Giving Back On Thanksgiving

PHILS PHACTS:

Phillies Embrace The Holiday – The Phillies started their holiday season Monday in West Philadelphia, where everybody from the Phanatic to broadcaster Scott Franzke to pitcher David Buchanan distributed 2,000 food baskets and turkeys to those in need. The partnership with ShopRite, the Urban Affairs Coalition and numerous local churches and city officials will help feed more than 12,000 people citywide this Thanksgiving. It will be one of the largest distributions ever in the region. "I've gone to food banks and packed up boxes before, but I've never been part of the giving-away process," Buchanan said. "I really enjoyed it. You can see the appreciation from people and you get to see how important this is and how important it is to give to the community." The Phillies had been busy before Monday, too: This year, Phillies Charities, Inc. donated nearly $2 million primarily to local charitable organizations in the Delaware Valley. That figure includes the Phillies Phestival, which is the annual autograph and auction party to fight ALS. The Phestival and the Phantastic Auction raised about $786,000 for the ALS Association to provide patient care and services for ALS patients in the area. Phillies Charities' 50/50 drawing during every game at Citizens Bank Park raised more than $517,000, which was donated to 45 area nonprofit organizations. Part of the contribution included more than $110,000 in grants to 41 charities serving a variety of needs. Eighty-six charities benefited from Phillies Charities fundraising this year. More than 125,000 tickets were donated to local charitable organizations throughout the Philadelphia area. Carlos Ruiz, Aaron Harang, Cliff Lee, Ryne Sandberg and Jonathan Papelbon hosted ticket programs in which they donated tickets, concessions and merchandise to children and adults in need for each home game. Chase Utley's "Chase's Champs" provided full season tickets to children and families at CHOP and St. Christopher's Hospital of Philadelphia. Save a Pet at the Park raised more than $14,000 for the Pennsylvania SPCA. Other events included the annual Phillies Charities 5K and Bike Ride, which contribute to the amount of grants awarded at the end of each year. The Outreach Department packaged thousands of leftover giveaway items for approximately 25 local nonprofit organizations helping less fortunate children and senior citizens during the holiday season. "The Phillies have had a long-standing commitment to giving back to the community for nothing more than it's simply the right thing to do," Phillies vice president of communications Bonnie Clark said. "One of the greatest benefits of being part of this organization is the opportunity to positively impact someone's life. However large or small the gesture is, the feeling of knowing that you've impacted another life is the reward itself."

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.

New GM Excited To Be #1!

PHILS PHACTS:

Topics Of Discussion – Phillies general manager Matt Klentak spoke Thursday at Citizens Bank Park about the organization's offseason plans as well as the futures of Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz, who remain under contract through next season. Klentak also discussed other topics: 1. We're No. 1: The Phillies have the first pick in the 2016 Draft. It is believed they will select a pitcher, possibly Florida left-hander A.J. Puk. Fans also should keep an eye on Oklahoma right-hander Alec Hansen, IMG Academy (Lakeland, Fla.) left-hander Jason Groome and St. Thomas Aquinas (Overland Park, Kan.) right-hander Riley Pint. "We will take the best player," Klentak said. "High school, college, position player, pitcher. I think the history of the Draft suggests that the drop-off in value from pick No. 1 to pick No. 2 is the largest delta among any picks in the Draft." 2. Cody Asche: Asche struggled offensively this past season and moved defensively from third base to left field. He will need to produce in 2016 to remain a part of the organization's future. "He knows this and we know this, it's a performance league and he's going to have to perform," Klentak said. "But I've liked Cody from 3,000 miles away for several years now. I've always thought highly of him and I don't see why he wouldn't have every chance to establish himself on this club. But having said that, and this is the case for all players, this is a performance-based league and he, like everybody else, is going to have to perform to sort of hold down a role." 3. Dan Otero: The Phils claimed the former A's reliever off waivers on Wednesday. "I have probably seen Otero more than most people in the organization, just from being in the American League West," Klentak said. "We all talked about it and we viewed it as a guy that had a really tough year in 2015. But prior to that, [he] had been a really reliable bullpen piece, ground-ball guy on a really good team. And as a bounce-back candidate and a guy that throws strikes and keeps the ball on the ground, we felt that that was a worthwhile claim for us." 4. Jake Thompson: Thompson is ranked No. 51 on MLBPipeline.com's Top 100 Prospects list. He pitched well with Double-A Reading. Knowing that the Phillies need pitching, is it possible Thompson could skip Triple-A in 2016? "The players will dictate their own timelines," Klentak said. "When they are ready, we will allow them to reach the big leagues and achieve whatever their ceilings may be. But I do believe that we want players to be ready to stick here. I don't know if developmentally, it does any player a service to flip them up and down throughout the course of a year, if it can be avoided. If it can be avoided, we want the player to be ready the moment he gets started."

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.