Pedro Pursuit, Halladay Hypothesis and Prospect Pronouncements

Could future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez be on his way to the Phillies' pitching rotation? Yes, he could be. He could be the annual mid-level addition to the pitching staff that the team, and its phans, have grown accustomed to. Cory Lidle, Kyle Lohse, Jamie Moyer, Joe Blanton...those are the sorts of acquisitions the Phillies make each year, in July, to make a run at the playoffs. Pedro Martinez is no longer an all star...no longer a Cy Young Award contender...and no longer a staff ace. Toronto's Roy Halladay, who the Phillies were tied to with trade rumors this week, is that #1 pitcher the Phillies always miss out on.

The Phillies don't do what it takes to add a top level, front of the rotation, all star, Cy Young Award winning sort of hurler. The team lets money and the risk of trading away prospects get in the way. John Kruk tells a story about how the 1993 Phillies could have added Randy Johnson in a mid-season trade, but the front office was held up on pitching prospect and top draft pick Tyler Green. Those that remember Tyler Green surely would realize that he did not pan out the way the Phillies had hoped, and surely should not have ever been a breaking point in a deal to acquire a Cy Young Award winning, all star and future Hall of Fame pitcher. The 1993 Phillies team came up short in the post season. Hopefully, if this year's Phillies team passes on getting Halladay, or another staff ace pitcher, they won't come up short. Joe Blanton proved to be just what the rotation needed last year. Blanton came over to the National League and went undefeated in 13 starts, with a 4-0 record, 4.20 ERA and a .246 batting average against, after a 5-12 start with Oakland.

Pedro, who has been working out for Major League teams in recent weeks, pitched in the World Baseball Classic this year for the Dominican Republic. In 2 games, both against the Netherlands, Martinez pitched 6 total innings and allowed no runs while striking out 6. Experts said he looked good...like he could still pitch in the Majors. If the Phillies make Pedro an offer, it will be because they think he could help them win games. It may also end speculation over what the Phillies can offer Toronto for Roy Halladay.

The Phillies' minor leagues are deep with prospects. Each minor league team has begun seeing an increase in ML scouts attending games. Names like the triple A IronPigs' Lou Marson, Carlos Carrasco and Jason Donald....the double A Phillies' Michael Taylor, Kyle Drabek and Joe Savery....high A ball level Treshers OF Dominic Brown....and low A ball level BlueClaws pitcher Jason Knapp are all names that are coveted by baseball big shots. These are all, of course, names that are being tossed around in trade rumors.

If a trade for a top tier pitcher is the move our Phillies chose to go with, and the swap calls for the Phils to give up some of the names I've just listed, don't worry, phans. The Phillies system is plentiful with prospects. That list didn't include Reading pitchers Mike Stutes and Vance Worley, who are holding it down at the double A level after both were drafted just last year. That list also doesn't include Steve Susdorf, a 22 year old outfielder who is batting .397 with a .933 OPS through his first 15 games with Clearwater, after batting .333 with .902 OPS through 21 games with Lakewood earlier this year. The list doesn't have MLB All Star Futures Game pitcher Yohan Flande, who was 7-1 with a 2.52 ERA through 13 starts with Clearwater prior to being promoted to Reading last week, on it. That list does not include Planet Earth's stolen base leader Lakewood BlueClaw Anthony Gose, an 18 year older who is batting .277 with 47 steals in his first full year of pro ball. It also does not include Tommy John Surgery investments Scott Mathieson and Mike Zagurski who are on their ways back to the majors. The farm is deep, my babies. Don't you fret none.

Bran-Torino!

As of this writing there are just under 17 hours left to vote for the final spot on the MLB all star rosters. As you heard on tonight's game broadcast or saw on both teams' websites, the Phillies and Tigers are teaming up to merge their fans' votes to elect Shane Victorino and Brandon Inge. Click the image below to keep on voting!!

Need reasoning to vote for Shane? On the Phillies' current home stand, Shane is batting .464 (13-for-28) with 2 doubles, a triple, a homerun, 2 steals, 9 runs scored and 6 RBI.

Need reasoning to vote for Inge? Tigers fans are voting for our guy, so we're voting for their guy. No further details required.

**Thursday lunchtime update**
MLB.com reports that Bran-Torino is leading the final fan voting. Keep voting!

*Thursday evening update*

Ladies and gentlemen, the Tigers/Phillies alliance worked. Brandon Inge and Shane Victorino are all stars! Congratulations, Bran-Torino!

Nobody Hits (with runners in scoring position)...Boo Hoo!

The Phillies followed up their 22 run explosion on Monday night with a Will-Ferrell-TV-adaptation-like dud in game 2 of the series against the Reds. Plenty of hits in the game, by our Phils, but failure to hit with runners in scoring position left the team short in the end, and they lost 4-3. The Phillies were 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, including 0-for-5 with a runner on 3rd base with less than 2 outs, and they left 12 runners on base.

Brad Lidge continued to resemble the exact opposite of the 2008 version of himself. His 7.12 ERA has him sitting as the second worst reliever in MLB this season. Only former National and current Pirate Joel Hanrahan has pitched over 20 relief innings and has worse statistics than Lidge. Hanrahan's ERA is 7.97.

Oh, and hey...Michael Taylor, what do you think of Eric Bruntlett's contributions this season (.141 batting avg. in 45 games played)?
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Don't forget that Fox Sports 1310AM's web feed is active world wide. You should be listening to The Shore Sports Report daily from 3pm-6pm. The PhoulBallz Phillies segment will be live in your ear holes today, and every Wednesday, at 3:30pm. Click here to check it out.

22-1?!

The Phillies handed Cincinnati their worst loss in the history of the Reds on Monday night...a 21 run clubbing. The Phillies chased Reds starter, 23 year old Johnny Cueto, before he could finish one inning. Cueto was charged with 9 earned runs in just 2/3 of an inning. Three homers and ten runs in the first frame got the team going before many phans found their seats, and the Phillies never looked back. Cole Hamels got his first win since June 4th, evening his record at 5-5. The 22 runs scored in the game by the Phillies was a record for Citizens Bank Park. The previous high was 20 runs by the Phils on May 26, 2008 against Colorado. Charlie Manuel likes to call this weather "hitting season". Hitting season is open in south Philadelphia, pholks!

The story of the night, that no one seems to be speaking about, might be the left field ball girl, Kelli, who fielded Shane Victorino's fair ball hit that rolled toward the stands in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Picking up that ball in play makes the hit an automatic ground rule double. If the ball bounces off the fencing in front of the stands, it is likely that Victorino, with his speed, gets a triple there. Shane also had another double, a homer and a single. Kelli the ballgirl may have cost Shane "the cycle", the immense recognition that would come with it and an almost guaranteed run through the all star final fan vote.

There are endless noteworthy facts and details from Monday night's victory against the Reds. The Good Phight, PhilliesNation and We Should Be GM's have plenty more for everybody.

Taking a look at more team stats...

John Mayberry Jr. has seen his own batting average fall from .320 to .205 in his last 10 games played.

The Phillies' record when Jimmy Rollins plays and scores at least one run has improved to 31-7 (.816 winning percentage).

The Phillies' record when both Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino play and score at least one run each is 20-4 (.833 winning percentage).

Shane Victorino against the Reds this season- 4 games (7-for-16), .438 avg., 1.375 OPS, 4 doubles, 1 homer, 4 RBI, 1 SB. Add in Shane's 2 games played against St. Louis, and he's hitting .462 (12-for-26) against the NL Central this season. In 8 games last season against the Reds, Shane had a .167 batting avg. (5-for-30).

With four very good starts on this home stand, the starting pitchers' ERA over the last 4 days is 1.33 (27 innings pitched, 4 earned runs allowed).

Pictures From the Sunday Sweep

Here are some pictures from a pretty remarkable Sunday at the ballpark.

Most importantly, here's a shot of Brad Lidge closing out a sweep of the Metropolitans.

Phils phan Jamie G. stood out in the crowd, root-root-rooting for the good guys.


T-Mac and Sarge celebrating their birthdays with a little Bull's BBQ...and Wheels.


Phriend of PhoulBallz John Flynn performed God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch. Check out John's web page for tour dates!

And lastly, one unsuspecting driver was in for a surprise upon returning to this vehicle, in the Jetro lot, after the game.

Sunday School: History Lesson 22

Tony Gonzalez was an outfielder with the Phillies from 1960-1968. The Cuban born Gonzalez was a terrific defensive outfielder who was solid at the plate also. Gonzalez debuted in the Major Leagues with Cincinnati in 1960, but veterans Frank Robinson, Gus Bell and Vada Pinson were blocking his playing time. Gonzalez was traded along with Lee Walls to Philadelphia for Harry Anderson, Fred Hopke and Wally Post on June 15, 1960.

Gonzalez would quickly contribute as our Phillies' centerfielder, batting .299 in 78 games played. Gonzalez would go on to bat over .300 three times for the Phillies. Gonzalez was small in stature (5'9", 170 pounds), but he would display surprising power also. In 1963, Tony hit 20 homers. His best offensive season, however, came in 1967, when he posted a .339 batting avg, to finish second in the batting race.

On defense, Gonzalez had a couple remarkable seasons as well. In 1962, he played 112 games in the outfield without an error. And, the year he finished 2nd in batting (1967), he led all NL outfielders in fielding percentage.

In 1968, Tony's batting average shrunk a full 75 points, down to .264, and and his OPS dropped 198 points, so the Phillies left him unprotected in the following offseason's expansion draft. The brand new San Diego Padres selected Gonzalez in the draft. He played just 53 games for the Padres before being dealt in another mid-June deal, this time to the Braves. Gonzalez would play in the NLCS that season with against the Metropolitans. He had 5 hits in 14 at bats (.357 avg) in 3 games of that series. Tony would go on to play in the Majors through 1971, and even played a portion of the 1972 season in Japan.

Q&A with Reading Manager Steve Roadcap

Manager of the Reading Phillies Steve Roadcap took some time to speak with PhoulBallz this week. Roadcap is the 23rd manager for the Reading team. He had spent the previous two seasons managing the Lakewood BlueClaws and prior to joining the Phillies organization, he managed in the Seattle Mariners system. As a player, Roadcap played in the minors for the Cubs. Here is how the interview with Steve Roadcap went down...

Coach Steve, can I get you to comment on the ups and downs with the pitching staff this season?

Yeah, I made the comment earlier in the season...we're young, we're gonna have some bumps in the road, and we've had some bumps in the past month with (Vance) Worley and (Mike) Stutes. Their last outings are positive and we need to build on that. It's a learning experience for them. They had some success early, and they weren't making pitches like they were early, and some things caught up to them. But they continued to work and that's a credit to them that they kept grinding it out.


Has anyone on the team been a surprise to you this season, good or bad?

No, not really. We've caught the ball well. I wasn't sure how well we'd catch it. I just like the way we've been going out there, we've competed and we've played hard. We gotta keep grinding it out and keep working.


Was there a period of adjustment for you this year, coming to Reading?

No, it's still the game of baseball. It's fun managing against National League clubs. But it's still baseball and it's still teaching. Being able to communicate with the players and let them play the game...it's all about them, not me.


Aside from the obvious names, is there anyone on the team you feel is most ready for a step upward, or you're sure could compete at higher levels?

Yeah, (Mike) Zagurski's getting close. You have to understand, he's coming off surgery and it's still a little work in progress and we're watching him carefully. His slider's getting better. His velocity is getting close to where it was before he got hurt. His command is in and out. (Neil) Sellers has had a good first half. He had a good second half last year at Reading...a good first half here, I'd like to see him get an opportunity. It's not my call. He goes out there, he's played every game.


Is there anyone that you've coached or managed in your career that stands out as becoming the most successful?

Adam Jones in the last couple years. You know, great athlete...runs well, played shortstop for me with the Mariners, now converted to the outfield. Great athlete, ball jumps off his bat. He's got a chance to be 20-20 (20 homers, 20 steals in a season) in the big leagues and (he's) just a fun kid to have.


I've seen you in action on the field and you're able to maintain composure when delivering a conflicting message to umpires. Are there any stories you could share of an instance when you did not keep your composure?


I've had my bouts with umpires. (But Steve does not elaborate)


Are there any aspects of the team's play that you think specifically need improvement?

Situational hitting. We need to do a better job....certain guys need to put the ball in play a little bit more. You've got guys that aren't going to hit the ball out of the ball park and there are a couple guys in there now that are struggling, but that's part of baseball. You get your ups and downs and your peaks and valleys. You've gotta hit rock bottom before you can get back up. There are a couple guys in there that are down, but you know what? We've gotta 68-70 games left and they've gotta pick themselves up.


What's the atmosphere like with the team?

They're a great group of guys. They've been a lot of fun, they all get along. Everybody's open game for a lot of criticism, (there are) a lot of pranksters in the club house. But like I said, they've been fun in the clubhouse, and when they go to the field they work hard.

RoLo!

Welcome to Philadelphia, RoLo! Rodrigo Lopez the newest Phillies starting pitcher threw 6 1/3 solid innings, allowing just 2 earned runs and 1 walk while striking out 4 to earn the win against the Metropolitans. Pitching with an early lead surely made a return to the Majors easier for Rodrigo. Amanda at PhilliesNation has more.

Adios, Jack Trashcan! That guy with the hot wife was designated for assignment on Friday to make room for RoLo. Taschner's 5.20 ERA left him struggling to see game action. He had been used sparingly in recent weeks. Todd Zolecki has all the details of what may become of Taschner and his $835,000 contract.

Colbert Hamels has some nicknames. The best known one is obviously Cole. Another is Hollywood, after his shining performance in the 2008 post season which led to a huge media tour for a majority of the offseason. Teammates have even begun calling him Pert Plus, as a joke refering to his lovely locks of hair. Pert Plus, the shampoo company, not the pitcher, heard about the name and decided to stage a promotional gimmick where phans could enter a contest drawing for a personalized Phillies #35 "Pert Plus" jersey. Hot stuff.

Rumors of the annual Phillies July pitching acquisition are popping up. MLB Network and SI's Jon Heyman reported Friday evening that the Phillies have interest in former Trenton Thunder pitcher and current Yankee Chien-Ming Wang. Dave Murphy had comments from GM Ruben Amaro on available free agents like Paul Byrd and Pedro Martinez.

Enjoy your Independence Day. Worthy of noting...the only Baseball Hall of Famer born on July 4th is Mickey Welch (1859).

Weekend Series Preview: Metropolitans @ Phillies

The division rivals meet again this weekend, with the division as tight as it's been all season. The top four teams in the NL East are separated by just 2 games. A loss in the opener for this series would give the Phillies their first 7 game home losing streak since the year Citizens Bank Park opened. The Phillies had a 7 game skid at home from August 12-19, 2004. That loss would also allow the Metropolitans to tie the Phillies in the standings. Below is a look at the pitching match ups and other notes on the series.


Friday, 7:05pm. Livan Hernandez (5-3, 4.04 ERA) vs. Rodrigo Lopez (triple A stats- 5-4, 3.91 ERA). Livan in his career against the Phillies is 10-8 with a 3.36 ERA in 24 games. Hernandez has not yet faced the Phillies while wearing a Metropolitans uniform. Lopez is a former two-time 15 game winner with the Orioles, but he also lead the American League with 18 losses in 2006. This will be Rodrigo's first ML start since having Tommy John surgery following his 2007 season. Lopez has never faced the Metropolitans.


Saturday, 4:10pm. Fernando Nieve (3-1, 2.25 ERA), Jamie Moyer (6-6, 6.05 ERA). Nieve has appeared in 5 games against the Phillies as a reliever. His stats against the Phils in those games- 1 1/3 innings pitched, 5 ER, 2 walks, 1 K, 33.75 ERA. Moyer against the Metropolitans this season is 0-1 with a 9.64 ERA over 14 innings pitched in 3 starts. Moyer has pitched more than 6 innings in only one start this season. Moyer has won his last two starts, after winning only 1 of his previous 9 starts.


Sunday, 1:35pm. Johan Santana (9-6, 3.34 ERA) vs. Joe Blanton (4-4, 5.08 ERA). Johan against the Phils this season- 2-0, 3.21 ERA. Johan is undefeated in his career against the Phillies...4-0, 2.95 ERA in 8 starts. Pedro Feliez, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins are a combined 14-for-91 (.154 avg) with 4 homers and 6 RBI against Santana in their careers. Blanton has not faced the Metropolitans this season. In his career against the Metropolitans, Blanton is 1-0 with a 2.14 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 3 starts.


Jimmy Rollins this season, against NL East opponents that are not the Nationals, is 13-for-92 (.141 avg.). Against the Mets, Rollins is 7-for-30 (.233 avg).

Carlos Ruiz is 0-for-15 with 2 walks in 5 games against the Metropolitans this season.

David Wright is hitting .542 (13-for-24) in 7 games against the Phillies this season with 2 homers and 5 RBI.

Metropolitans team batting average- .273
Phillies team batting average- .256

Metropolitans team ERA- 4.25
Phillies team ERA- 4.86

All Star Vance Worley Q&A

Reading Phillies starting pitcher Vance Worley was named to the Eastern League All Star team this week. Worley was a 3rd round draft selection by the Phillies, out of Long Beach State, in the 2008 amateur draft. So far this season, Worley is 5-4 with a 3.63 ERA in 15 starts, while holding opponents to a .232 batting avg. Along with Mike Stutes, Worley is the first player to be drafted by the Phils one year, then begin the following year on the double A Reading roster since Pat Burrell did it in 1999. Here is a look at the Q&A with Vance.


I asked Vance about a rough start to June, then getting back on track with a solid start over the weekend.

Yeah, I needed that. I had been struggling my last few outings. It was a big win for me, just to be able to throw strikes and keep the walks down, and just having the guys hit (behind) me was great.


Is there anyone on the Reading pitching staff who you think might be underrated?

(Laughs) It might be me. No, I think we've got a solid staff. Nobody certainly can't go out there and go and do their own thing, and do well.


How has the coaching staff been with helping you this season?

They've been good. The whole Phillies organization has a good (group of coaches). Steve Roadcap I had a little last year, and Schrenk...Schrenk's good. As soon as I start struggling, we don't talk about it the day of my pitching, when I have to go out there. But when I throw my bullpen over the next couple of days, he tells me what I had, and what I've done wrong, and just stuff to work on.


Who was your favorite player growing up?

Favorite player, I would say (Josh) Beckett. He throws hard and he's got good stuff. I kind of base myself off of him.


If you could face any batter, who would it be?

I'd like to see what I could do against (Albert) Pujols. I like to go and battle. I like to compete.


Any goals going forward for this season?

Just taking baby steps, and getting better every outing. And see where that takes me really.


What has been your favorite minor league park to play in?

So far, I enjoyed Lakewood (FirstEnergy Park) in low A. I think that was the best park I played at so far. It's awesome.


Is there anything in particular that you like to do, to pass time on the road?

I don't do anything. All the other guys play cards. I'm not a card guy, I just listen to my music. I've got an iPhone, so I sit on the internet a little bit.


What music would we find on your iPod or iPhone?

A little bit of everything, only thing I don't have on there is country.


Can I get your favorite Michael Jackson song?

Billy Jean.

PhoulBallz Q&A with Mike Stutes

Mike Stutes completes "The Reading Phils Mike Tri-fecta" over three days, here on PhoulBallz.com. Stutes, a 22 year old, was an 11th round selection by the Phillies in the 2008 amateur draft. Stutes, a right handed starting pitcher, helped lead Oregon State to the College World Series championship in both 2006 and 2007. Stutes and teammate Vance Worley are the first players to begin a season at Reading the year after being drafted since Pat Burrell did it in 1999. Stutes was the Phils' minor league pitcher of the month in August '08, when he went 4-1 with a 1.72 ERA in 6 starts. Check out my Q&A with the third Mike below.

Can I get you to talk about the coaching staff and how they help you deal with ups and downs?

They've been real positive with me. I started out good and then I hit a rough patch. They've stuck with me through it all. I haven't heard any negative words from them. Every day they try to come out, work with me, try to get me turned around back in the right direction. Hopefully, I'll get right back to where I was.

NBA, NHL and MLB drafts all just passed. What was your draft day experience like last year?

I was sitting in my house at school and was with the four other guys I lived with. It was early in the morning, 'cause I got picked on the second day...it was like 9:30, 9:45 in the morning, and there was another guy I lived with that was hoping to get drafted (also), so we were all sitting around just watching the draft, watching some guys from our team go. It was pretty exciting. I got drafted the year before (and didn't sign), it was the same type of thing. I kind of knew what to expect a little more. I was disappointed with where I (was chosen), but at the same time I was excited to get a chance to pitch for this great organization. That's really all you can ask for, is to be put in a good situation. I felt pretty lucky to get drafted by the Phillies.

Winning the College World Series twice must have been huge for you.

It was awesome. That's the reason I went to college for baseball. That was always my goal, growing up. I always watched on TV and thought, "That's the biggest stage. That's the most fun." You're on SportsCenter every night. It's the closest thing to being in the big leagues without actually being there. I feel really fortunate to have gone through twice and hopefully it helps me out in the long run.

Have you considered being a good luck charm for three straight World Series wins (two in college, one for the ML parent club)?

(Laughs) I know I didn't have anything to do with the Phillies' one, but, I don't know. Maybe I am. So it'll keep me around.

Is there any specific advice you might give to teenagers who hope to play baseball beyond high school?

Learn how to handle a failure. If you get a hit 3 out of 10 times, you're doing a great job. A lot of guys struggle with going 0-for-3, 0-for-4, and really get down on themselves. Or pitchers...I just had a bad stretch, where I went through a couple outings where I thought I threw the ball well, but things weren't going my way. You know, that happens. That's part of the game. Once you understand that, you're going to be a lot better off. It took me a long time to learn that I get really down on myself after getting beat and that's something you have to keep on an even keel. It's a long season, you gotta try to ride it out.

Who was your favorite pitcher growing up?

I had two. I watched Greg Maddux and Pedro Martinez all the time.

Was there anything with those guys that you might try to model yourself after?

I liked watching Pedro pitch, because he went right after guys. He said, "Here's my fastball, go hit it. Here's my change up, go hit it. I'm gonna throw what I want to throw and I don't care who you are. I don't care what the situation is." And that was kind of how I was growing up. It was cool to watch a guy go out there, and he was the best in baseball for a while. He was a guy I tried to model things after, when I was growing up.

What is your favorite Michael Jackson song?

I'll have to go with Thriller, just 'cause of the video.

Ohfer-Roll Still On Top

Are you ready for your regularly scheduled Jimmy Rollins/lead off hitter reflections? Jelly-Roll's "ohfers" are killing the team. Rollins was hitless in his 6th straight game, after going 0-for-5 on Tuesday in Atlanta. Here is a look at game results when Rollins plays and hits successfully in a game vs. when Rollins plays and goes 0-for-...

Phillies record when Rollins has at least one hit...28-13 (.682 winning pct)
Phillies record when Rollins does not have a hit...7-19 (.269 winning pct)


Rollins is batting .115 (7-for-61) in his last 14 games. The team is 4-10 in those games.


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The Pirates traded Eric Hinske to the Yankees on Tuesday for two minor leaguers. Hinske is best known to Philadelphia phans as the batter who struck out for the final out of the 2008 World Series. Those of you who were looking forward to seeing Hinske and the Pirates visit Citizens Bank Park over the weekend of July 10-12 and offering him a great welcome, may now have to wait until the 2009 World Series for Hinske to return.


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Don't forget the IronPigPen has all your important Lehigh Valley IronPigs news, as well as additional postings about other Phillies minor league affiliates. Need the scoop on Brian Mazone? Interested in foreign leagues and names you know playing abroad? Wondering which jersey Sergio Escalona will be wearing on a daily basis? Check out the IronPigPen!

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Afternoon update- Sirius XM Radio today announced that they will be broadcasting the All Star Futures game, featuring Phillies properties Yohan Flande and Kyle Drabek. Announcers scheduled for the game are Jim Kaat and former Phillies play-by-play man Scott Graham. I miss Graham's catch phrase, "Put this one in the win column for the Fightin' Phils!" The game will be played Sunday, July 12th at 2pm eastern time.

Mike Zagursky Talks With PhoulBallz

Mike Zagursky, a lefty reliever with the Phillies in 2007, had Tommy John surgery last year, missing the entire season. He is now on his way back up through the minors as he builds arm strength and gets back to form. Mike is currently pitching with the double A Reading Phillies. I spoke with Mike during Reading's visit to Trenton recently. Here's how that went down.

Mike, can you tell me what it was like the first time you were called up to the big club?

It was nice. It was something that, everyone that plays this game, the ultimate goal is to get there. So it was nice, a good experience. Now I'm just trying to get back.

Talk about the rehab process and how tough that has been for you.

It's been okay. It's better now that I'm finally on a team and playing a little bit. It had its moments in Florida where days got pretty monotonous, ya know, days were it got kind of frustrating where you wouldn't want to do your rehab part of it. But it's all part of the process and hopefully, it's behind me and something I can look back on and maybe think it's something that made me a little bit better player.

What have you learned from the coaching staff in Reading that's helped you so far this year?

I've learned a lot from them actually. I had the pitching coach (Steve) Schrenk, in low A and high A for my first two full seasons. Frank Cacciatore, the new hitting guy, I've talked to him about what certain hitters might be looking for in a certain count and things like that. And "Roady" (Steve Roadcap), as a manager, this is his 25th year maybe, 23rd year I think he said. So, just his perspective on how he manages the game and how he goes about it is just different than we I had PJ (Forbes) my first time (in Reading).

Is there an expected time frame for you, when you expect to be back up in the Majors?

(Laughs) Ya know, I don't know. I don't know the exact time table. My goal is to hopefully pitch this whole year healthy, and at some point, if the situation arises and they need somebody, if I'm throwing the ball well, they'll consider me for the job, and hopefully I'll have some success and hopefully stay up there this time.

Who was the biggest help while you were injured?

I think it starts with the family and stuff. With them supporting me along the way, knowing that (I was) going through some hard times. It made it a little easier on (me), from my parents to my girlfriend. I was fortunate. I was down there (in Florida) with Sam Walls and Scott Mathieson and we all kind of went through it together. We knew where each person was at, at that point in their rehab and we all kind of fed off each other. We found a way to try to not make it so repetitive, I guess, every day of doing rehab seven days a week.

With the success of the Reading staff this year, do you think there's anyone on the staff who is underrated?

I think it starts with our five starters. Our five starters, I think you'd have a hard time finding a better 5 maybe in all of minor league baseball. As a staff from a prospect stand point, getting outs, they're awfully good. I wouldn't want to say none of them are overrated or underrated, but I think they're all pretty good. I think maybe none of them get the credit they deserve, with the exception of Drabek, I think people are starting to see that he is that first round pick that they thought he was. But those other four starters all throw the ball pretty well.

Where were you and who were you with watching game 5 of the World Series last year?

I was at game 5 of the World Series. I was there with my brother, my girlfriend, for the first part of the game in the rain and stuff. (Then) I was back in Florida actually watching with Scott Mathieson, another guy that was injured, we watched the last few innings of it.

How many mascots does Reading have and why are there so many?

That's a great question. There's a baseball, a dog....(laughs), they got a whole band, they got a chicken, I think. There's gotta be about four of 'em, I guess and the reason why is- "your guess is as good as mine".

And lastly, what's your favorite Michael Jackson song?

Thriller. No doubt.