Phillies Get Unexpected Day Off

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

Phillies get unexpected day off due to rain.

NEXT GAME:

Saturday's scheduled starter, Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (0-0, 4.50 ERA), will start Sunday's 1:05 p.m. ET game against the Astros at Bright House Field, which will air on MLB.TV. The Phillies have made no announcement, but Hellickson or Aaron Nola will start Opening Day. At the moment, Hellickson is on schedule to make that start. Watch the game live on MLB.TV.

PHILS PHACTS:

Roster Getting Close To Completion – The Phillies took batting practice Saturday morning at Bright House Field, which is customary whenever they play the Blue Jays in a Grapefruit League game on an afternoon in Dunedin, Fla. But 45 minutes after they boarded the bus for the short drive to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium at around 11:30 a.m., they learned the game had been canceled because of rain. Saturday's scheduled starter, Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, will start Sunday's 1:05 p.m. ET game against the Astros at Bright House Field, which will air on MLB.TV. Before the cancellation the Phillies announced they had reassigned first baseman Brock Stassi to Minor League camp and optioned infielder Taylor Featherston to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The move leaves 48 players in camp, not including injured outfielder Aaron Altherr and injured left-hander Matt Harrison. Stassi, 26, hit .240 (6-for-25) with one double, two RBIs, three walks and five strikeouts this spring. Featherston, 26, hit .100 (2-for-20) with one home run, three RBIs, five walks and six strikeouts. "I'm happy with the way a lot of things went," Stassi said. Stassi won the Eastern League Most Valuable Player Award last year after hitting .300 with 32 doubles, one triple, 15 home runs, 90 RBIs, 77 walks and 63 strikeouts with an .863 OPS in 133 games. He impressed folks with his defense this spring, but he will have to continue to hit this year to earn a promotion to the big leagues. Stassi left camp believing he can make the final jump. "Even growing up my dad always preached 'respect everyone, but fear no one,'" Stassi said. "I feel like I fit in over here. I don't know, it definitely was a confidence booster. Force the hand and prove myself. Nothing has ever been given to me in this game. I've had to earn everything. It's nothing new. Just got to keep handling my business and hopefully one day be back over here."

Former Site Now Historic Landmark – The Phillies have played Grapefruit League games at Bright House Field since 2004, but Clearwater has been their Spring Training home for 70 years. They helped the city commemorate its long Spring Training traditions Saturday, when the city unveiled a Florida Heritage Site marker at the former site of Clearwater Athletic Field. The field had been the Spring Training home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, Phillies and other professional baseball teams from 1923-56. "When you reflect on the history of the sport in Clearwater, we've been here forever -- 70 years," Phillies chairman David Montgomery said. "Babe Ruth came here in his last year in '48. Robin Roberts was so impressed to have him here at Athletic Field he … made a fellow grab a ball and had Babe Ruth sign it for his mother. So this represents not just Phillies history, but baseball history." Fire destroyed the field's grandstands in 1956, although by that time the Phillies had moved to Jack Russell Stadium two blocks away. The Phillies played Spring Training games at Jack Russell from 1955 to 2003. But the Phillies still had rookies practice at Athletic Field once Jack Russell opened. Those players nicknamed it "Iwo Jima" because of its rock-covered field. "We had an old wooden clubhouse with about three or four nails on it for your clothes and that was about it," former Phillies pitcher and manager Dallas Green said. "The infield was a little rough. Guys were getting bad hops left and right." The North Greenwood Recreation and Aquatic Complex now stands on the site of Athletic Field, but now at least folks who walk past will know the spot has some baseball significance, too.

Today In Phils History - It was on this day in 1914 that the Killefer saga officially began as the Federal League filed an injunction against the Phillies stating that the catcher had signed a contract with the league and had already accepted payment. In 1943 a New Yorker, William Cox (who was later named club president), lead a group to purchase the Phillies from the National League for roughly a quarter million dollars. 1990 saw an abbreviated spring training as MLB owners finally ended a month long lockout on this day. Lastly, happy 75th birthday to former Phillies player, coach and manager Pat Corrales. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have begun the spring with a 12-5-2 record (13-5-2 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!

It Might Take A Few More Zeros To Make The Rotation

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Phillies Blank Bucs 1-0

Brock Stassi led off the top of the seventh inning with a double and scored on an Andres Blanco single up the middle to break a scoreless tie, lifting the Phillies to a 1-0 Grapefruit League win over the Pirates on Monday afternoon at McKechnie Field. Both starting pitchers, Jeff Locke for the Pirates and Vincent Velasquez for the Phillies, opened with three scoreless innings. Locke, projected as Pittsburgh's No. 3 starter, faced just one batter over the minimum. He allowed two singles and struck out one. Velasquez, who is competing for a rotation spot, gave up three singles, but only one left the infield. He also walked one, struck out three and benefited from getting two double plays. "I gave up a few hits, bad location," Velasquez said. "But I'm comfortable with today's outcome and hopefully I can do better in the next." It was the first time a pitcher for either team had gone more than two innings. "He threw all his pitches today," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said of Locke. "Fastball, curveball, changeup all played. The curveball really played in the third inning. Efficient with his first-pitch strikes. Six guys retired on three pitches or less. So clean and crisp and a good building block for him."  The Phillies' rally began after A.J. Schugel came in to pitch for Pittsburgh. Stassi, who had entered as a defensive replacement at first base the previous inning, doubled to the right-field corner. After catcher Andrew Knapp struck out, Stassi advanced to third on a wild pitch. Shortstop Ryan Jackson walked. With the infield in, Blanco singled sharply up the middle to drive in the run.

PHAST PHACTS:

• Phillies utility infielder Andres Blanco played his first Grapefruit League game after being sidelined with a sore right shoulder. He went 2-for-3 and produced the game's only run with a single in the seventh inning.
• The Phillies played Keio University, a college team from Japan, at Bright House Field. Phillies right-hander David Buchanan allowed four hits, two unearned runs, one walk and struck out two in three innings. "I felt good," Buchanan told a pool reporter. "The arm felt good. I felt the ball was coming out well. I was keeping pitches down in the zone on both sides of the plate. I was throwing strikes. I felt great. They hit some balls that found holes, but I felt great."

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies host the Pirates on Tuesday at Bright House Field at 1:05 p.m. ET. Left-hander Adam Morgan, who is competing for the No. 5 job in the rotation, and right-hander Andrew Bailey, who is competing for a back of the bullpen job, are scheduled to pitch. Also scheduled to pitch are Yoervis Medina, Chris Leroux and Dalier Hinojosa.

PHILS PHACTS:

Velasquez Doing All The Right Things – First things first, Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez prefers to be called Vince, not Vincent. Nobody calls him Vincent. Of course, since the Phillies acquired Velasquez in December from the Astros in the Ken Giles trade, his buddies back home in California have started calling him "Vinny from Philly." Velasquez, who pitched three scoreless innings Monday afternoon in a 1-0 victory over the Pirates at McKechnie Field, will find a few Vinnies from Philly if he spends any time in South Philadelphia this summer. "They think it's so funny," Velasquez said. Velasquez plans to be in Philly a lot this summer. He is gunning to be the No. 5 starter and he made a case for himself against the Pirates. He allowed three hits, one walk and struck out three. But perhaps most important to Velasquez, he got double-play ground balls in the first and third innings. Keeping the ball on the ground is a goal for Velasquez. "That's actually a big thing for me right now," he said. "I've never really been a ground-ball pitcher. But I've been utilizing my two-seam [fastball] a lot, and adjusting to apply my fastball and two-seam as much as possible, utilizing it early in the count." Velasquez said he had some short outings last season because he got too deep into counts. "I threw a lot of straight fastballs," he said. Velasquez had a 31.3 ground-ball percentage in 55 2/3 innings last season with Houston. If he had enough innings to qualify, it would have ranked among the lowest in the big leagues. But he is confident his two-seamer will boost that percentage this year. He said he showed a two-seamer occasionally last season, but said he threw only a few because he lacked command of it. "It's shown pretty well," he said about the pitch's improvement this spring. "It's one of the things that'd really help you in early counts, help you get that ground ball whenever you need it." "Over in Houston, I guess they liked the four-seam fastball up in the zone," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We like the sinker down in the zone, as well as the fastball. Two different pitches. When you get into the middle and later innings as a starter, you have to be able to change speeds and keep hitters off balance. If you're throwing everything hard the whole game, you better have real good command." But so far Mackanin likes what he sees from the prized piece of the Giles trade. "I like his arm, I like the stuff coming out of it," he said. "If he continues to pitch and get hitters out the way he's been getting hitters out, it bodes well for him. "Velasquez is a power pitcher, obviously. I need to see a little more finesse from him. In a three-inning stint, that's hard to do. Today everything was hard, hard, hard. I want to see a little finesse from him."

Injury Could Impact OF Depth – The Phillies could use some good news about Aaron Altherr's left wrist. Altherr injured it Friday, when he dived to make a catch in a Grapefruit League game against the Braves at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Fla. The wrist is in a splint, but Altherr said Saturday he does not believe the injury is serious. Still, he traveled to Philadelphia to see a specialist Monday. The Phillies have not announced the results of that visit. The Phillies entered camp arguably thin in outfield depth. Odubel Herrera, Peter Bourjos and Altherr projected as the Opening Day outfield, with Cody Asche and Rule 5 Draft pick Tyler Goeddel projected as the fourth and fifth outfielders. But if Altherr or anybody else misses an extended period or if somebody struggles to the point the Phillies need to look elsewhere for help, internal candidates in camp include David Lough, Darnell Sweeney and Cedric Hunter. Top prospects Nick Williams and Roman Quinn are expected to open the season in the Minor Leagues. But if Phillies manager Pete Mackanin is concerned about potential depth issues in the outfield, he did not seem bothered following Monday's 1-0 victory over the Pirates at McKechnie Field. "Not really because I know we have Bourjos, who covers a lot of ground," Mackanin said. "We have Odubel and Altherr. All three are legit center fielders. I know Lough is a good defender. I didn't know a lot about Cedric, but it looks like he can handle himself. Goeddel is good to see, but not a surprise because he was advertised as a good defender. He covers ground well. "Defense to me, is so important. Especially when you don't have available your starting outfielders. Coverage is important." No team enters Spring Training expecting everybody to stay healthy and everybody to play to their potential, but the Phillies have little margin for error if one or two don't. Herrera is the safest bet, coming off an impressive rookie season. He hit .297 with 30 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 41 RBIs, 16 stolen bases and a .762 OPS in 537 plate appearances last season. Bourjos is brilliant defensively, but he has hit a combined .231 with a .645 OPS the past four seasons. The Phillies believe Bourjos will bounce back with regular playing time. Altherr certainly has talent and potential, but he has only 166 plate appearances in the big leagues. Meanwhile, Asche is trying to bounce back from a disappointing 2015 and Goeddel has never played higher than Double-A. Lough hit .201 with a .555 OPS in 144 plate appearances last season with Baltimore, and has hit .255 with a .672 OPS in 741 plate appearances in his career. Sweeney, whom the Phillies acquired from the Dodgers in August in the Chase Utley trade, played left and center field last season. Hunter has not played in the big leagues since 2011, although he has extensive outfield experience. He hit .283 with a .751 OPS with Triple-A Gwinnett last year.

Putting Up Zeros – Brett Oberholtzer sent a few text messages back and forth with his father Monday afternoon at McKechnie Field. Oberholtzer had just pitched three scoreless innings in the Phillies' 1-0 victory over the Pirates, giving him five scoreless innings in two spring appearances. They are exactly the performances he needs as he competes to win a rotation job. "I told him I feel a lot better this spring than any other as far as being prepared to pitch at the big league level," Oberholtzer said. "Not saying I'm hitting my stride by any means, I don't think any of us are, but it feels great to be able to execute the majority of my pitches. I like contact. For me quick outs, not so many pitches, is a great thing. I take pride in trying to go late in the game." Oberholtzer followed Vince Velasquez, who also is competing for a rotation job. They offer different looks. Velasquez is a hard-throwing right-hander, while Oberholtzer is a left-hander with a fastball that has averaged 89.6 mph over the past three seasons, according to FanGraphs. "I like the way he attacks the zone," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said about Oberholtzer. "He's an aggressive pitcher. Everything I've seen so far, I like." Oberholtzer prefers to start, but if the first four spots in the rotation go to Aaron Nola, Jeremy Hellickson, Jerad Eickhoff and Charlie Morton and Velasquez edges him for the No. 5 job, he would be expected to open the season in the bullpen. Oberholtzer is out of options and it would be a stunner if the Phils risked losing him to another team. "I'm prepared for any role and any opportunity I get," he said. "I guess later in spring we'll find out a little bit more, but right now I can only do what I can do." He also is keeping an open mind. He knows if he pitches well, an opportunity to start should come at some point. Teams don't play an entire season using only five starters. "I've thought about that, too," he said. "Maybe just being a bullpen guy then the first opportunity comes [to start]."

Staggering Story And Stats – Nearly 13 years have passed since Taylor Hooton, a promising 17-year-old baseball prospect, took his own life as a result of anabolic steroid abuse. Half of his high school teammates were using some form of performance-enhancing substance in 2003 to "get bigger," and Hooton -- then 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds -- was urged by a coach to "get bigger" as well. On Monday, the Taylor Hooton Foundation introduced the latest efforts in its tireless resolve to reach impressionable youths who, unfortunately, still want to "get bigger." In an on-field ceremony before the Twins-Orioles game in Sarasota, Fla., the foundation launched its 2016 public-service campaign -- "It's All Me" -- featuring advisory board members from all 30 Major League Baseball rosters. To inaugurate the 2016 campaign, Taylor Hooton Foundation President Don Hooton presented a framed and matted print of J.J. Hardy's version of the PSA to the Baltimore shortstop before the game. Similar presentations will be made through March 20 by Don Hooton to other advisory board members at Grapefruit and Cactus League games. "Steroids are just like any other drug, they can kill you," Hardy said. "I'm just standing up for the youth. It's a good cause. Nobody should do them, especially young kids." "We are so excited to have these world-class athletes step up to be role models for our young people," Hooton said, "and we feel strongly that these public-service ads will send a powerful and valuable message. Education is, without question, the most effective weapon we have to fight the epidemic of appearance and performance-enhancing drug use by our young people and these players are showing kids that they've achieved success the right way." In addition to Hardy, American Leaguers on the advisory board include Elvis Andrus of the Rangers, Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays, John Danks of the White Sox, Brian Dozier of the Twins, Logan Forsythe of the Rays, Charlie Furbush of the Mariners, Brett Gardner of the Yankees, Dillon Gee and Alex Gordon of the Royals, Ken Giles and Dallas Keuchel of the Astros, Jason Kipnis of the Indians, James McCann of the Tigers, Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox, Josh Reddick of the Athletics and C.J. Wilson of the Angels. National League advisory board members include Jake Arrieta of the Cubs, Jay Bruce of the Reds, Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals, Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers, Nick Markakis of the Braves, Mark Melancon of the Pirates, Joe Panik of the Giants, Anthony Rendon and Logan Schafer of the Nationals, Tyson Ross of the Padres, Christian Yelich of the Marlins and Brad Ziegler of the D-backs. The Brewers, Mets, Phillies and Rockies will announce representatives in the near future, as their THF reps at the end of last season changed teams. For the campaign, a print ad for each of the foundation's current advisory board members has been created, with images provided by THF national partner Getty Images, and will be made available to each player's respective team program/magazine for publication during this season. In addition, "It's All Me" PSAs will run in programs at MLB jewel events. Advisory board members will also take part in educational activities in their local communities. Board members provide input on the most effective ways to educate North America's youth about the dangers of anabolic steroids and other appearance and performance enhancing drugs. The Taylor Hooton Foundation has spoken to and educated more than one million people. Education, rather than random testing, is clearly the primary solution, especially considering that the median age for first-time steroid users is 15. A startling 85 percent of high school athletes say they never have had a coach, parent or teacher talk to them about the dangers of such drugs. Nearly one out of every five adults are unaware that high school anabolic steroid use is a problem; nearly two million middle school and high school kids admit to using steroids, for appearance and performance; and 36 percent of males 18-25 say they or someone they know has taken steroids or HGH. The Taylor Hooton Foundation has a Latin American outreach and travels throughout the Caribbean, speaking to thousands of RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) athletes, coaches and parents in partnership with MLB. Additionally, the foundation introduced a new eLearning program in 2014 -- narrated by Bob Costas -- to Little League Baseball that is offered to its one-million adult coaches and other volunteers. More information about the Taylor Hooton Foundation and its efforts is available at taylorhoot.org and allmeleague.com.

Today In Phils History - The Phillies lost and important piece in 1941 when pitcher Hugh Mulcahy became the first major-leaguer drafted into service for World War II. And while not humorous at the time, it was on this day in 1994 when John Kruk underwent surgery for testicular cancer. Thankfully, he didn't simply take his ball and go home. Birthdays today include Jack Bentley (1895) and, Future Hall of Famer Dick Allen (1942).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have begun the spring with a 4-3-1 record (5-3-1 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!

Phillies Earn Split Against 2015 Playoff Teams

EXHIBITION GAME 1 RECAP: Phillies Flog Yankees 13-4

Alex Rodriguez homered on the second pitch he saw, but Maikel Franco cleared the wall and Darin Ruf drove in three runs, helping the Phillies rally for a 13-4 Grapefruit League victory over the Yankees on Thursday at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Franco's fourth-inning shot off right-hander Diego Moreno tied the game, and Philadelphia rallied for four runs in the fifth, highlighted by Ruf's two-run single. Franco and Tyler Goeddel also collected RBIs in the fifth off Jacob Lindgren and Anthony Swarzak. Rodriguez, who hit 33 homers in what he called a "Cinderella season" after returning from a historic drug suspension, connected on a 1-0 pitch in the first inning from left-hander Adam Morgan. Ivan Nova started for New York, permitting a Ruf RBI double among two hits over two innings. Nova, who is competing with CC Sabathia to serve as the Yankees' No. 5 starter, walked none and struck out one. Nova said that he feels "great" in his second year back from Tommy John surgery and that he is not concerned with trying to impress manager Joe Girardi or pitching coach Larry Rothschild. "I just have to prove to myself I can be in the rotation. I don't have to prove anything [to them]," Nova said. "They have seen enough from me. This is my seventh year in the league, so they have seen enough. I don't worry about trying to impress my manager or pitching coach. I just have to concentrate and do my job." Morgan worked two innings, allowing two runs and two hits.

EXHIBITION GAME 2 RECAP: Astros Edge Phillies 3-2

George Springer swung the bat well in the Astros' Grapefruit League opener Thursday afternoon at Bright House Field. The right fielder went 2-for-2 with two doubles in a 3-2 victory over the Phillies. He also got hit by a pitch. Astros right-hander Doug Fister allowed two hits, one walk and struck out four in two scoreless innings in his Astros debut. The Phillies had two of their better pitching prospects pitch the first four innings. Right-handers Jake Thompson allowed three hits, one unearned run, one walk and struck out one in two innings. Right-hander Zach Eflin had command issues in the third inning, walking two and hitting a batter to allow a run. Eflin pitched a scoreless fourth. "Thompson, it was the first time that he had pitched in a big league game, and Eflin as well," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "They had a little bit of the jitters. Other than that, we left too many men on third base and we had chances to score. But we had chances to win that game."

PHAST PHACTS:

• Cody Asche remains sidelined with a sore right oblique. The outfielder took dry swings Thursday, and he said he hopes to play in a Grapefruit League game sometime early next week.
• Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff, who is recovering from a broken right thumb, threw a batting practice session Thursday morning.
• Right-hander Jimmy Cordero is scheduled to throw his first bullpen session of Spring Training on Friday. He has been sidelined with biceps soreness.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson starts Friday's Grapefruit league game against the Braves at Bright House Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET, and it will air on MLB.TV. The Phillies are expected to choose between Hellickson and Aaron Nola as their Opening Day starter.

PHILS PHACTS:

Forget About The Trades – Jake Thompson has learned a few things in the past 20 months. One of those things: forget about the trades. The Tigers selected Thompson in the second round of the 2012 Draft, but they sent him to the Rangers on July 23, 2014, as part of the Joakim Soria trade. The Rangers shipped him to the Phillies on July 31 in a package that landed Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman. That's two big trades in 12 months. "Cole Hamels is Cole Hamels, he's undeniably good," Thompson said Thursday after he allowed three hits and one unearned run in two innings in a 3-2 loss to the Astros at Bright House Field. "For me, I don't try to get super wrapped up in it." Thompson, 22, is ranked the club's No. 2 prospect and 55th overall by MLBPipeline.com. He is the most polished of the Phillies' pitching prospects, and the club is hopeful he will join Aaron Nola and Jerad Eickhoff in the rotation in the future. But Thompson must continue to pitch well to make that happen, something he did following his arrival from Texas. Thompson had not pitched particularly well following the Soria trade, at least by his standards. He had a 4.30 ERA in 24 appearances (23 starts) with Double-A Frisco. "I was trying to do things I wasn't capable of," Thompson said. "I tried to overdo everything -- every fastball max [velocity] and not really utilizing all of the strengths of my game, like the movement on my fastball." But Thompson returned to his roots following the Hamels deal. Thompson stopped trying to live up to the hype of a recently acquired top prospect. He went 5-1 with a 1.80 ERA in seven starts at Double-A Reading. "It was a personal thing," Thompson said. "When I got traded the first time, I struggled a little bit and it frustrated me. This time, I said, 'I'm just going to go out there and try to get outs, I'm not going to try to drop the jaws on everybody in the stands. I'm going to try to go out there and be a good pitcher.' The last part of Reading, it really panned out for me, and it's something as my command gets a little better here, I'm going to keep doing that, keep getting ground balls, keep getting weak contact." Thompson is expected to open the season at Triple-A with fellow pitching prospects Mark Appel and Zach Eflin. Both Appel and Eflin pitched Thursday. Appel allowed one hit, one run and four walks in two innings in a 13-4 victory over the Yankees in Tampa, Fla.. Eflin allowed one hit, one unearned run, two walks, one hit batter, one wild pitch and struck out one in two innings to the Phillies. Thompson walked in a run in the second after a two-out error by Phillies third baseman Taylor Featherston extended the inning. "I'm still trying to grow as a pitcher," Thompson said. "There are still certain things I feel I need to improve on. This is my first time in big league camp, getting out there, feeling the competition, seeing some of those guys you've see play on TV and facing them. It's a really cool thing and I was excited to do it."

Prospects Learning From Veterans – Every player has expectations about their first big league Spring Training, and Zach Eflin is no different. It is not what he anticipated. "Coming in here, everyone is open to talking and stuff," Eflin said after pitching two innings Thursday in a 3-2 loss to the Astros in a Grapefruit League game at Bright House Field. "Coming in here, I thought it'd be the young guys kind of shying away [from the veterans], but they've been completely outgoing and it's been incredible." Of course, the young guys outnumber the old guys these days. In previous camps, the veterans outnumbered the prospects. They typically convened at a table on the north end of the clubhouse while the youngsters and sixth-year free agents hung out at a table on the south end. But with so many players in camp, the Phillies put six additional lockers on the south end, moving the tables to one side. The clubhouse reconfiguration has forced everybody in camp to mingle together while they eat breakfast or hang out after a workout or game. "I've learned a lot," Eflin said. "I've really picked the brains of a lot of guys in the clubhouse." Eflin allowed one hit, one unearned run, two walks, one hit batter, one wild pitch and struck out one. He hit George Springer to start the third inning. Eflin walked Matt Duffy with one out and threw a wild pitch to put runners at second and third. An error from third baseman Taylor Featherston (his second of the game) allowed a run to score. Eflin walked Danny Worth to load the bases before getting out of the inning. "I've never been out of the bullpen before, so the blood was pumping," Eflin said. Eflin is the No. 13 prospect in the organization, according to MLBPipeline.com. He is expected to open the season in Triple-A with fellow pitching prospects Jake Thompson and Mark Appel. Thompson, who started the game, and Appel, who faced the Yankees in a split-squad game in Tampa, Fla., are second and fourth among Phillies prospects, respectively, and 55th and 70th among all prospects in baseball, respectively. Of the three, the Phillies consider Thompson to be the most advanced, while Appel has the best stuff. Eflin's stuff is similar to Appel's, but the organization wants him to set up and finish hitters more consistently this season. The Phils think once he gets it, his strikeout ratio (4.6 per nine innings last season with Double-A Reading) will take a jump. "I don't think they could have done a better job of getting a better group of guys together and going through it together," Eflin said about the potential Triple-A rotation. "We love it. Every single guy in here, we're all good with each other. We're all close-knit friends. I think it establishes and builds a foundation. If there's no competition, what do you have to prove?"

Spring Training Family Reunion – Jim and Racquelle Stassi stood behind the Phillies' dugout Thursday morning at Bright House Field, surveying a scene that had them recalling those countless hours spent on baseball fields back home in California. Their son Max Stassi made the drive with his Astros teammates from Kissimmee to play the Phillies in a Grapefruit League game. He is expected to be Houston's backup catcher in 2016. Their son Brock Stassi is in Phillies camp as a non-roster invitee, fresh off a season that earned him the Double-A Eastern League Most Valuable Player Award. For the first time since high school, they saw their sons on the same field together. "It's kind of the culmination of all of those years," Jim Stassi said. "My wife and I said, 'No matter what, we're not going to miss this one.'" The Stassis are a baseball family. Max and Brock's great, great uncle is Myril Hoag. He played 13 seasons in the big leagues from 1931-45, most notably playing on the Yankees with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio. Their grandfather played Minor League baseball as well, and Jim Stassi played in the Giants' system from 1982-83. Jim coached baseball at Yuba City (Calif.) High School for about 25 years. He had Brock, Max and his youngest son, Jake, who played at Long Beach State and Sacramento State, on the same team when Brock was a senior in 2007. "It's been baseball all the time for us," Brock said. "It was just a normal household with three boys, I guess you could say," Jim said. "We had holes in the walls from golf balls, a soccer field set up in the living room and things like that." Max and Brock played together on the same team in winter ball in Puerto Rico this offseason, but obviously Thursday was different. This was the big leagues. "It's pretty special," Max said. "It's kind of something you dream about ever since both of us have been drafted and playing against each other, and finally it's a reality. Even though it's Spring Training, it's still pretty cool growing up, and he's obviously my best friend and cool to be on the same field as him." Max finally has a clear path to be Houston's backup catcher after the Astros traded Hank Conger to the Rays in December. Brock had a fantastic season in Double-A Reading, and he is expected to open the season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Brock has become a fascination of sorts for Phillies fans. Brock has put up great numbers, but he is nowhere to be found on prospects lists. His age (26) has much to do with it. "I get it," Brock said. "All those guys on that list when I was in high school, they weren't even born yet. Everybody has their peak year. Maybe I just peaked a little later. Whatever my path, whatever my story might be, it's going to be different from a No. 1 pick than a guy like myself drafted in the 33rd round. As long as we get to where we're supposed to be at the end is all that matters." On Thursday, that path led Brock to be on the same field with his younger brother. "Hopefully he gets up there, and whoever is pitching, we can get the best of him," Max said. So he knows how to get Brock out? "Oh yeah, I know all his holes," Max said.

Today In Phils History - Nothing in the way of events or trades but there are plenty of birthdays to celebrate including Abe Wolstenholme (1861), Tom Gunning (1862), Al McCauley (1863), Bull Whitrock (1870), Lefty O'Doul (1897), and Art Rebel (1915).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have begun the spring with a 1-2-1 record (2-2-1 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!