Phillies Offense Goes South Against Sox

GAME RECAP: White Sox Wreck Phillies 9-1

Carlos Rodon has grown accustomed to winning ways. The southpaw went from May 23 to Aug. 11 without a victory, but factoring in his 6 2/3-inning shutout performance during a 9-1 trouncing of the Phillies on Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field, the White Sox hurler has gone four straight starts without a setback. In those four starts, Rodon has yielded four earned runs on 19 hits over 24 2/3 innings, with 21 strikeouts and six walks. He gave up three hits over 109 pitches against the Phillies. "It's all about strike one and strike two. When you get ahead of guys and you've got good stuff, you can beat 'em," Rodon said. "You can cause more contact when you get ahead, you can just flip up there whatever you want when it's 1-2, 0-2. Omar [Narvaez] back there calling that game is huge. Just comfortable, got on a roll and everything worked out." Phillies rookie Jake Thompson, who entered with an 8.79 ERA, was hit early and often by the White Sox offense. The team scored one in the first on Adam Eaton's triple and Tim Anderson's groundout, added three in the third and three more in the fifth, including back-to-back homers from Jose Abreu and Justin Morneau. "I'm not used to this," Thompson said. "The issue is pretty evident. I'm not throwing strikes, and when I am throwing strikes, they're not good strikes. It's coming back to the drawing board and figuring it out a little bit." Philadelphia avoided the shutout when Freddy Galvis homered off of reliever Chris Beck with two outs in the seventh. Every White Sox starter but Todd Frazier had at least one hit, as the White Sox won a third straight game.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Thompson is the No. 66 prospect in baseball according to MLBPipeline.com, but his first four starts have been a nightmare. He allowed seven runs in five innings against the White Sox. Thompson's 9.79 ERA is the second-highest in franchise history among pitchers making four starts to open a career. Only Mike Maddux is higher. He had a 9.98 ERA through his first four starts in 1986. "I don't really have the answer right now to fix it," Thompson said. "I feel I'm certainly a lot better than my performance has indicated."
• Galvis hit his 13th homer of the season, a towering shot to right field in the seventh inning to keep the Phillies from a second consecutive shutout. "We're not counting on Freddy to hit home runs for us, but he's got 13 now," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I feel like telling him to start hitting home runs. We keep telling him not to and he keeps hitting them."
• "How many guys do you see come to the big leagues at 22 years old and just flat-out dominate every time they go out? There's not very many. He's young. When you come up and you pitch so well all year and then you finally get your opportunity, you want to impress. It puts a lot on you. And as a kid, you've got to be able to control it, and it's tough, it's hard. It's hard to go through. It's something that's going to make him better when he does finally figure it out and overcomes some of the rough patches he's having." -- Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp, on Thompson.
• Thompson appeared to pick off Anderson at first base in the fifth, but first-base umpire John Tumpane called him safe. First baseman Tommy Joseph immediately signaled to the Phillies' bench to challenge the play. The replay official agreed with Joseph and overturned the call, crediting Thompson with a pickoff.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff (8-12, 3.91 ERA) will be trying to straighten out a few things Wednesday night (8:10 ET) against the White Sox. He has been one of the team's most reliable starters this season, but he has a 5.60 ERA in three starts this month.

PHILS PHACTS:

Still Searching – Jake Thompson needs answers and he needs them badly. Right now, he is coming up empty. Thompson got hit hard again Wednesday night in a 9-1 loss to the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. He allowed seven runs in five innings as he fell to 1-3 with a 9.78 ERA through four big league starts. He is tied with Alec Asher for the second-highest ERA in franchise history for a pitcher who started his first four big league games. Only Mike Maddux fared worse. He posted a 9.98 ERA through four starts in 1986. "I don't really have the answer right now to fix it," Thompson said. "I feel I'm certainly a lot better than my performance has indicated." Certainly Thompson had been billed as much better than this, ranking as the Phillies' fifth-best prospect and No. 66 across baseball. A key piece in the Cole Hamels trade with Texas in July 2015, Thompson went 8-0 with a 1.21 ERA in his final 11 starts this year with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, solidifying his status as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. He struck out 42 and walked 18 in 74 1/3 innings with the IronPigs. But in 19 1/3 innings with the Phillies, he has allowed 22 hits, 21 runs, 13 walks and five home runs. He has struck out 13. He has retired the side in order just five times in the 20 innings he has started. He threw first-pitch strikes to just 11 of the 25 White Sox batters he faced. "I'm not used to this," Thompson said. "The issue is pretty evident. I'm not throwing strikes, and when I am throwing strikes, they're not good strikes. It's coming back to the drawing board and figuring it out a little bit." Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said he expects Thompson to remain in the rotation, adding that he needs to speak with general manager Matt Klentak about it. But Mackanin is concerned that if Thompson keeps pitching and struggling, he could lose his confidence, which could set him back. "He looks like a confident kid, but at some point it doesn't always mean he has that confidence just because he looks confident," Mackanin said. "You know, he's 22 years old and this is a big event in his life." Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp agrees. "How many guys do you see come to the big leagues at 22 years old and just flat-out dominate every time they go out?" he said. "There's not very many. He's young. It was his first time in Triple-A this year and he pitched really well, and now he's got a chance in the big leagues. I'm sure he feels like there's pressure. When you come up and you pitch so well all year and then you finally get your opportunity, you want to impress. It puts a lot on you. And as a kid, you've got to be able to control it, and it's tough, it's hard. It's hard to go through. It's something that's going to make him better when he does finally figure it out and overcomes some of the rough patches he's having."

Long Shot – Do not expect another round of Tebowmania in Philadelphia. But, the Phillies will have a scout at former college football star Tim Tebow's workout Aug. 30 in Los Angeles. Tebow, who failed to make the Eagles as a backup quarterback last summer, has not played baseball since his junior year of high school, in 2005. With NFL teams no longer interested in him, Tebow now hopes to pick up a bat and begin a professional baseball career. It would be stunning if the Phillies actually signed Tebow, who just turned 29. Their presence at his workout likely is a matter of due diligence.

Relief On The Way? – The Phillies are expected to promote a handful of players once the 25-man roster expands on Sept. 1.  But don't expect those promotions to come all at once. "We'll probably do callups in stages," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said Tuesday at U.S. Cellular Field. "A few guys on the first just to make sure this team is covered, but not so many that we deplete the Double-A and Triple-A teams who are playing meaningful games. When their seasons end, that's another stage. But it's not going to be everybody arrives on the first." The Phillies could call up relievers like Luis Garcia, Dalier Hinojosa and Colton Murray on Sept. 1 to help the bullpen. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Tuesday that he is looking for a couple more relievers to prevent Hector Neris, who leads the big leagues with 63 appearances, and Jeanmar Gomez from being overused. Right-hander Alec Asher seems likely to make an appearance in September. His 80-game suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs ends Sept. 5, the final day of the IronPigs' regular season. Asher is not eligible to compete in the Minor League postseason. In terms of prospects, catcher Jorge Alfaro and outfielder Roman Quinn already are on the 40-man roster, which helps their chances. They could be up once Double-A Reading's season is finished. Triple-A outfielder Nick Williams seemed like a smart bet at one point, but he has hit .192 with four home runs, 19 RBIs and a .551 OPS in 132 plate appearances since July 15. He is not on the 40-man roster. Triple-A shortstop J.P. Crawford, ranked as the club's top prospect, is not expected to be promoted. Infielder Andres Blanco will rejoin the team at some point. He is recovering from a broken left finger. First baseman Darin Ruf, right-hander David Buchanan and outfielders Cody Asche and Darnell Sweeney also are on the 40-man roster.

Today In Phils History – The Phillies and Cubs set a NL record in 1905 when it took 20 innings for the game to be decided with both pitchers going the distance in the Phillies loss. Pitcher George McQuillan was suspended in 1910 despite a winning record and sub 2.00 ERA by manager Red Dooin for being out of shape. Cy Williams hit for the cycle in a Phillies loss against the Pirates in 1922 winning him $100 courtesy of a Pirate sponsor after nearly breaking a clock beyond the right field wall. In 1979, the Phillies retired Richie Ashburn’s uniform number (1) before Steve Carltons complete game win over the Astros. 2 years later, the Phillies released John Vukovich. Today is also the day when Juan Samuel made his major league debut with the Phillies in 1983. 8 years later, in 1991, Mitch Williams picked up his 8^th win of the month tying the club record for pitchers and setting a new MLB record for relievers. In 2010, after Ryan Howard was ejected for flipping his bat following a strikeout in extra innings, Raul Ibanez moves to 1B and Roy Oswalt enters the game in LF where he makes a routine play but also, batting in the clean up spot, strikes out to end the game. 3 years later, the Phillies set a record for the longest game in team history after an 18 inning, 7 hour 14 minute marathon which saw two position players (Casper Wells and John McDonald) take the mound. 2 years ago, Jerome Williams picked up his 2^nd career RBI on a safety squeeze over a decade after collecting his 1^st setting a new MLB record for the longest span between RBI (4,000 days).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 58-68 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 47-62-1 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.

Can The Phillies Rebound In Game 2?

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday!

Phillies looked like they needed to collect their thoughts after the bipolar pitching they received on opening day with Hellickson making a strong first impression and the bullpen doing the near impossible… making Phillies phans long for the days of Jonathan Papelbon.

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies have five rookies on the 25-man roster: outfielder Tyler Goeddel, right-hander Dalier Hinojosa, outfielder Cedric Hunter, left-hander Daniel Stumpf and right-hander Vince Velasquez. The five rookies are tied with the Brewers, Dodgers, Padres and Rockies for the most on any roster in the National League. Only the Orioles have more with six.
• Expect Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton to bat ninth behind the pitcher until he earns his way back to the top of order with a better on-base percentage. Reds manager Bryan Price likes Hamilton batting ninth rather than eighth, because if he is caught stealing with two outs, the pitcher will not lead off the following inning.
• Expect Cameron Rupp to catch for the Phillies on Wednesday. He will receive the bulk of playing time this season, but Carlos Ruiz started Opening Day because he is a veteran, and this is expected to be his final season with the team.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies considered Aaron Nola as a potential Opening Day starter, but they opted to pitch him Wednesday night against the Reds at Great American Ball Park. Having arguably their best starter pitch the second game of the season allows the Phillies to pitch him in next Monday's home opener against the Padres. But make no mistake: the Phillies are high on Nola, who was their first-round pick in the 2014 Draft. Nola went 6-2 with a 3.59 ERA in 13 starts last season as a rookie, giving the rebuilding Phillies some hope for the future. Wednesday's start will be Nola's first against the Reds. Cincinnati will start left-hander Brandon Finnegan, who started four games late last season after being acquired in the trade that sent Johnny Cueto to Kansas City. Finnegan, who struggled his last few starts in Spring Training, went 2-2 with a 4.71 ERA in those four starts -- all on the road. This will be the first home start at Great American Ball Park for Finnegan, who made two relief appearances there last year. He has never faced the Phillies.

PHILS PHACTS:

Phils Release Frieri – The Phillies hoped Ernesto Frieri could help their bullpen this season, but that will not happen. The team announced Tuesday morning it had released Frieri, 30, from his Minor League contract. He had been reassigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after struggling in seven Grapefruit League appearances. Frieri posted an 11.57 ERA in seven innings, allowing 10 hits, 10 runs (nine earned runs), four walks and five home runs with eight strikeouts. The Phils promoted right-hander Reinier Roibal from Double-A Reading to take Frieri's place on Lehigh Valley's roster.

First Questions Of The 2016 Regular Season – If the Phillies lost 99 games last season with a good bullpen, what is going to happen to them this season? -- Max S., West Chester, Pa. I am not smart enough to work in the Phillies' analytics department, but I find that logic flawed. Yes, the Phils were 48-3 last season when holding the lead after seven innings. But how many games did they have no chance to win because of poor starting pitching? If you've read MLB.com this spring, then you know a stat I have cited a few times. Pitchers not named Cole Hamels, Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff and Adam Morgan made 106 starts for Philadelphia last season. They had a combined 6.19 ERA. Essentially, the Phillies found themselves with little chance to win in nearly two-thirds of their games. The Phils' rotation should be better this year, which should allow the team to be in more games. And even with a shaky bullpen, they should win a few of them. Who will be the first Phillies prospect to reach the big leagues? -- Cindy T., Philadelphia. The best guess is outfielder Nick Williams, because the Phillies are so short in the outfield. But even then, I don't think he will be rushed. The Phils certainly will need a starter at some point, and Morgan is expected to be the first call from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. David Buchanan follow him, unless Jake Thompson is ready. So what kind of reaction will Ryan Howard get next week at the home opener? -- Brad N., Edina, Minn. Personally, I find this a strange question, because there is only one answer here. Howard should be applauded. I mean, what else should happen? Yes, I know Howard remains a source of frustration for some Phillies fans, but those folks need to take a step back. This is going to be Howard's last season with the Phillies. They are not going to pick up his 2017 club option. This is it. Howard knows this, and it seems like he has come to peace with it. He was in good spirits this spring. Howard seemed to be more engaged than at any point last season. Perhaps he is smelling the roses. Fans should smell the roses, too. Howard is not the player he once was, but he remains the greatest first baseman in franchise history during arguably the greatest run in franchise history. Philadelphians love to talk about how much they love winners. Well, Howard won. He was a big reason the Phillies won. So while he is no longer an everyday player -- Pete Mackanin pinch-hitting for Howard late in Philadelphia's Opening Day loss to Cincinnati made that clear -- he remains one of the greatest players to ever put on a Phils uniform. Howard and Darin Ruf playing in a platoon this season is not going to set back the Phillies' rebuilding efforts. It is not blocking the next Howard from an opportunity to play in the big leagues. It is not going to prevent Ruf from getting enough plate appearances to prove himself. Playing Howard is no more of a detriment to the Phils' future than Carlos Ruiz playing behind Cameron Rupp this season or Chase Utley playing in front of Cesar Hernandez last season. In my opinion, Philadelphia fans who appreciate what he accomplished should give Howard a proper sendoff this season.

Who Is The 2016 Wall Of Fame Inductee? – Former slugger Jim Thome will be inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame on Aug. 12, becoming the 38th member of the illustrious group. Thome, who played for the Phillies from 2003-05 and again in '12, was elected through fan voting on phillies.com. "It is extremely humbling and gratifying to be given this honor by the great fans of Philadelphia," Thome said. "I always enjoyed playing here, and to join the generations of Phillies greats on the wall is just so special." The ceremony will take place before the Phillies' 7:05 p.m. ET game against the Rockies. Tickets for that game, as well as all three games during Toyota Phillies Alumni Weekend, are currently on sale. Thome hit 101 home runs, drove in 281 runs and slugged .541 over 391 games with Philadelphia. His 47 home runs during the 2003 season led the National League, and the following year, he became the second Phillies player since 1930 to record back-to-back 40-home run seasons. Thome, who slugged 612 career home runs in his 22-year career, hit his 400th career home run on June 14, 2004, at Citizens Bank Park. In 2012, he became the fourth player in Major League history to hit 100 home runs with three teams, and he also set a Major League record by hitting his 13th career walk-off home run.

Yes, RBI Baseball Still Exists – Major League Baseball Advanced Media announced Tuesday that R.B.I. Baseball 16 is now available at participating U.S. and Canada retailers as well as for download, and here are 10 things to know about the much-anticipated video game release: 1. It comes complete with this advice from cover star Mookie Betts of the Red Sox: "Just stay with it. Dreams do come true. Just work hard and let the chips fall where they may." 2. You can be like Kevin Kiermaier, Mike Trout, Kevin Pillar and others by making ridiculous catches at the wall, and then brag about them on social media. A redeveloped defensive AI introduces new fielding capabilities including those wall catches, dives, fake throws and more. This system gives you more control than ever in making defensive plays. 3. Like Betts in the outfield, R.B.I. Baseball 16 is all over the place. It is on far more platforms than in previous years. In additional to downloading the digital version for iOS, Android, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Steam, gamers also can now purchase the physical product at participating U.S. and Canada retailers including Best Buy, Walmart, GameStop, Toys 'R Us and Target. 4. Lead Distance, First Step, Max Speed ... go. Baserunners' abilities are built in part from MLBAM's award-winning tracking Statcast™ technology, and they will be driven by on-field metrics from the 2015 season. Does your catcher have the Arm Strength and Pop Time? 5. Swing earlier on inside pitches and later on outside pitches. An improved batting engine will feature variable perfect timing, and you'll want to follow that tip for the best outcome. Work hard at it like Betts, who said in a Twitter interview last week: "I can still improve a whole lot more getting my hitting to be more consistent." 6. Be "honored and hungry" and you will go far. Hey, it works for Marcus Stroman, who tweeted that after being named Opening Day starter for the Blue Jays. The right-hander is Canada's representative as the R.B.I. Baseball 16 cover player, and we can't wait to see how his sim version will fare. With a reworked pitching strategy AI, pitchers will play to their individual strengths. For example, a pitcher who features a wide range of velocity will mix speeds more often. 7. Sims and double-switches. Everyone is posting their postseason predictions and projected individual award winners, and you can one-up them by running your own simulated picks. During season mode play, sim a game or multiple games to quickly advance through the season and into the postseason -- should the team win its division or earn a Wild Card spot. Lineups can be set from a franchise's 40-man roster or the game's classic 16-player rosters, and you can modify a lineup pregame or in-game, including substitution strategies such as those constant National League double switches. 8. Day games or night games, and even those dreaded on-field shadows. All 30 ballparks will feature a new lighting system based on actual geographic locations, field views and additional hi-resolution realistic design elements. 9. There are more than 1,100 reasons to play. Modify your team's lineup with complete MLB rosters including that many members of the MLB Players Association. Take Todd Frazier, for example. In this space one year ago while he was with the Reds, we posted a sim result that predicted he would bat .263 with 88 runs, 24 homers, 91 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. He wound up at .255 with 82 runs, 35 homers, 89 RBIs and 13 steals ... and a trade. Now you can see how he fares with the White Sox, and get a look at all those other new players in new places. 10. Speaking of Frazier ... we would be remiss in ignoring his dramatic hometown title in the last Home Run Derby in Cincinnati. Or that the brand-new MLB.com Home Run Derby video game is now available as well on all Apple devices, with the new Petco Park backdrop for All-Star Week.

Phils History - There wasn't a second thought on opening day in 1974 when Mike Schmidt hit a homerun in the 9th to win the game. It was certainly a topic of conversation a few years later when that pitcher, Tug McGraw, became his team mate. Speaking of pitchers and homerun hitters, on this day in 2001 the Phillies retired the jerseys of Jim Bunning, Grover Cleveland Alexander, and Chuck Klein. Well, one number at least as Alexander didn't wear a number and Klein wore numerous numbers. Five years later, Jimmy Rollins saw a number of his own go into the history books as his hitting streak ended at 38 games. The third baseman at the time, Wes Helms, would be sold to the Marlins two years later for another memorable number $1. The same day of the sale, Brad Lidge made his Phillies debut. And, finally, Happy 49th Birthday Tommy Greene!

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 0-1 this season putting them on pace to meet 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 10-13-0 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!

Next Stop: Opening Day!

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Phils Edge Prospects 6-5

Cesar Hernandez hit a walk-off single to lead the Phillies to a 6-5 victory over the Futures team, comprised of some of the organization's best prospects, at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday. And the good news continued for the Phils, because if they're looking for an outfielder at some point this season, Nick Williams did what he could to make sure the front office will remember him. Williams, part of the Cole Hamels deal with Texas last July, had a home run, a double and three RBIs for the Futures team. The 22-year-old is rated the organization's No. 3 prospect by MLBPipeline.com. He'll open this season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. After joining the organization last year, he batted .320 with four homers and 10 RBIs in 22 games at Double-A Reading. Williams came up with one out and No. 1 prospect J.P. Crawford on first in the first inning and drove in the first run of the game with a booming double to center. He had sacrifice fly in the second and homered to lead off the fifth, breaking a 3-3 tie. All of Williams' at-bats came against veteran Charlie Morton, who will be the Phillies' No. 3 starter this season. Morton pitched 4 2/3 innings in his final tuneup, allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out three. Right-hander Jake Thompson, the No. 2-ranked prospect, started for the Futures team. The 22-year-old, who was also part of the Hamels trade, held the Phillies to three runs in his five innings, allowing eight hits but also striking out four. The Phillies got on the board in the first with an RBI single by Darin Ruf and an RBI double by Ryan Howard, and Freddy Galvis added an RBI double in the second, all with Thompson pitching. Rhys Hoskins hit a solo homer in the top of the eighth for the Futures team to bring the score to 5-3. In the bottom of the ninth, though, Ruf tied things up with a two-run double, and Hernandez delivered in the next at-bat for the walk-off victory.

PHILS PHACTS:

• To make room for Hunter, Burriss and Russell on the 40-man roster, left-handers Matt Harrison (back/disc injury) and Mario Hollands (Tommy John surgery) and outfielder Aaron Altherr (left wrist surgery) were placed on the 60-day disabled list. In addition, right-hander Michael Mariot (right ankle strain) and outfielder Cody Asche (right oblique strain) were placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 25.
• Eickhoff will start the fourth game of the season and Velasquez the fifth against the Mets, Mackanin said. Hellickson will start on Opening Day against the Reds on Monday followed by Nola on Wednesday and Morton on Thursday.
• Two notable releases from Minor League camp include left-hander Ken Roberts, who was claimed on waivers from the Rockies last season and made six big league relief appearances for Philly in September and October, and right-hander Greg Burke, a 33-year-old South Jersey native who was in big league camp this spring as a non-roster player. Burke has pitched 80 games in the big leagues for the Padres and Mets.

NEXT GAME:

Veteran right-hander Jeremy Hellickson will make the first Opening Day start of his career Monday when the Phillies play the Reds at Great American Ball Park. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET. "It's definitely going to be different," Hellickson said. "The emotions are going to be high. The atmosphere is going to be crazy. The adrenaline is going to be flowing, and I'm going to be really excited. I'm grateful for the opportunity, and I'm looking forward to it." Outfielder Cedric Hunter, 28, is expected to make his first big league start after coming to camp as a non-roster player.

PHILS PHACTS:

Hunter Makes The Cut – He didn't sign until a month before Spring Training. It was a Minor League deal, he was a 28-year-old non-roster invitee, the kind of guy who doesn't get much attention on his way in the door -- or on the way out, either, when he's just another name on the list of players assigned to the complex. Then a funny thing happened to Cedric Hunter. He hit a walk-off homer to beat the Braves in a Grapefruit League game. He had a great at-bat against the Rays, fouling off a pitch in the dirt to protect the runner on a hit-and-run. Aaron Altherr, who had been penciled in as the everyday right fielder, got hurt. Springs often reveal a surprise, a Cinderella player, a heart-warming tale. This year, Hunter was it. Not only did Hunter, whose entire big league resume consists of six games for the Padres in 2011, make the Phillies' Opening Day roster, but he's also projected to be one of manager Pete Mackanin's regular outfielders, along with Odubel Herrera and Peter Bourjos. The only other remaining outfielder is Rule 5 pick Tyler Goeddel; infielders Emmanuel Burriss and Darin Ruf could also play in the outfield if needed. "It's great news. I'm very humbled by it," Hunter said before going 2-for-5 as the Phillies closed out the exhibition season with a 6-5 walk-off win over a Futures team made up of some of the Phillies' best prospects Saturday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. This is the best opportunity Hunter has ever had, even though he batted .288 in 1,151 Minor League games, and he isn't afraid to admit that he got discouraged at times. "I didn't just all the way want to give up," Hunter said. "But there were times I definitely had my doubts. I just know how this game is. Sometimes you can have good years, and it's just about the situation of the team and what they want to do, and it's never really a fair situation. And you can't control it. "A lot of things go through your mind when you put up some good years and don't get called up. In the Braves situation [in 2014 and '15], where they really needed help, not to get called up with them and them being my hometown and everything is definitely a letdown." Hunter had targeted the Phillies because he liked the way they gave players chances last season. For his part, Mackanin came in with no preconceived notions. "He surprised me," the manager said. "I didn't really know much about him. I know he was a perennial .280-plus Triple-A hitter. I didn't know what kind of defender he was, but I found out he's a good defensive player, and I like his aggressive approach at the plate. He gives you quality at-bats and doesn't care if it's lefty or righty." Hunter has been around long enough to understand that he has written a nice opening chapter and that it's still up to him to furnish a happy ending. "To be realistic, it's just beginning," he said. "I haven't proved myself at all on this level yet. So everybody's giving me congrats and I'm happy about that, but in the back of my mind, I'm like, 'Look, this is just the beginning. I've really got to go out and prove myself and show that I'm ready to be here.'"

Phils Finalize Roster – Before getting on the plane taking them to Cincinnati, where their regular season will begin at Great American Ball Park on Monday (4:10 p.m. ET), the Phillies formally finalized their Opening Day roster. Making the team are both Rule 5 Draft picks (outfielder Tyler Goeddel, left-hander Daniel Stumpf) and three players who had come to camp as non-roster invitees (outfielder Cedric Hunter, infielder/outfielder Emmanuel Burriss and left-hander James Russell). The composition of the 25-man roster became largely apparent late Friday night with the announcement that four players -- right-handers Andrew Bailey and Ernesto Frieri, catcher J.P. Arencibia and outfielder Will Venable -- had been reassigned to Minor League camp. The biggest surprise was that Bailey, the 2009 American League Rookie of the Year who is coming back from reconstructive right shoulder surgery, was among those sent out. The announcement came shortly after he had pitched two hitless innings against the Orioles on Friday. "It's frustrating because they told me I pitched good enough to make the team, but yet they sent me to Triple-A," Bailey said Saturday morning. "So we'll see what happens. I'll go down, do my thing and hopefully get an opportunity soon." Bailey, who missed the entire 2014 season, worked his way through the Yankees' farm system last season and made 10 relief appearances in the big leagues down the stretch. He signed a Minor League contract with the Phillies last December. "You've got to take the good with the bad," Bailey said. "I'm not the first guy it's going to happen to, and I'm not the last guy it's going to happen to. No one's bigger than the game. Although players think they deserve to be in the big leagues or whatever, sometimes you've got to put your time in. "I'm back, you know? I pitched in the big leagues last year. In my opinion, I had one bad [Grapefruit League] outing. I know how to pitch. I've played for a long time. I thought I was going to hear differently, but that's the way the business side of things works." Manager Pete Mackanin indicated recently that he'd like to see Bailey, 31, show a little more velocity. But the reality is that, since the pitcher has a May 1 opt-out clause, he's likely to be in the big leagues sooner rather than later if he gets off to a good start at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. "It'll be fine," Bailey said. "It's going to be a fun year [for the Phillies], and hopefully, at some point, I'll be part of it." Here's a complete look at the roster: Rotation: Jeremy Hellickson (RHP); Aaron Nola (RHP); Charlie Morton (RHP); Jerad Eickhoff (RHP); Vince Velasquez (RHP). Bullpen: David Hernandez (RHP); Dalier Hinojosa (RHP); Brett Oberholtzer (LHP); Jeanmar Gomez (RHP); Hector Neris (RHP); Stumpf; Russell. Catchers: Cameron Rupp; Carlos Ruiz. Infielders: Ryan Howard; Darin Ruf; Cesar Hernandez; Freddy Galvis; Maikel Franco; Andres Blanco; Burriss. Outfielders: Odubel Herrera; Peter Bourjos; Hunter; Goeddel.

Bailey And Others Reassigned – Right-handers Andrew Bailey and Ernesto Frieri, catcher J.P. Arencibia and outfielder Will Venable have been reassigned to Minor League camp. The moves were announced after Friday night's 8-7 loss to the Orioles at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies open the regular season against the Reds on Monday at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The team will fly to Cincinnati after Saturday afternoon's final exhibition game against the Phillies' Futures team. Manager Pete Mackanin had said prior to the game that Bailey, the South Jersey native and 2009 American League Rookie of the Year Award winner who is trying to make a comeback from a series of injuries, had a pivotal appearance against Baltimore. The 31-year-old reliever came in to pitch the seventh and got Pedro Alvarez to ground into a double play after Julio Borbon led off with a walk. He struck out Xavier Avery to end the frame. He then pitched a perfect eighth. Bailey went 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in nine spring appearances. Over 10 innings, he struck out 10 batters and walked one. Six of his outings were scoreless. Mackanin stressed that he isn't writing Bailey off. "We just need to see a little bit more," Mackanin said. "We need him to go down there and improve his command. He's a little bit behind for whatever reason. We'd just like to see him pitch a little better. That's what it boils down to. "You know how this works. We're going to see plenty of guys up and down. At this point, we feel he's capable of pitching in the Major Leagues. He's proven it. He needs a little bit of fine-tuning." All four were non-roster players who are on Minor League contracts. Mackanin said each has a chance to make a contribution this season. He mentioned that Venable was fighting an uphill battle because he didn't sign until March 28 after being released by the Indians. "We just haven't seen enough of Venable," Mackanin said. "We've seen him in the past, but he just got here so late that he's going to go down to Triple-A [Norfolk] and get some at bats. We've got flexibility with a lot of players." While the Phillies have 31 players remaining, they are expected to officially announce their final roster Saturday, but Friday night's transactions seem to leave just 25 healthy players: Pitchers (12): Jeremy Hellickson, Aaron Nola, Charlie Morton, Jerad Eickhoff, Vince Velasquez, David Hernandez, Brett Oberholtzer, James Russell, Jeanmar Gomez, Hector Neris, Daniel Stumpf and Dalier Hinojosa; Catchers (2): Carlos Ruiz, Cameron Rupp; Infielders (7): Ryan Howard, Darin Ruf, Cesar Hernandez, Maikel Franco, Freddy Galvis, Emmanuel Burriss, Andres Blanco; Outfielders (4): Odubel Herrera, Peter Bourjos, Tyler Goeddel, Cedric Hunter. Of course, that could change with a trade, waiver wire acquisition or injury.

Beginning And Ending - Phildelphia became one of the stops during Jay Johnstone's journey through baseball when they signed him in 1974. Dale Murphy, hampered by injuries, only played a handful of games after the Phillies released him on this day in 1993. And in 2011 the Phillies opened the season with their first three game sweep since 1899... if only the season ended the same way that it began.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have an impressive record this spring… 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and 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!