Below you can find the “hot off the press” copy of the Phillies Major League Spring Training Roster:
Ryan Howard Sells Belleair Home
Some of the most popular posts on my blog are the ones that are focused on the 39,000 square foot gulf front mansion of Ryan Howard.
Two weeks ago it was reported that Howard sold the home to a Tampa developer, Ben Mallah for $16.5 million dollars. You can read the Tampa Bay Times article HERE.
It seems like “The Big Piece” made a big chunk of change on the sale. Reports have the original cost around $3.5 million. There is no word as to where Howard has moved.
Please respect the privacy of the new owners.
You can read the original article HERE.
Scenes from Phillies Spring Training-February 15, 2019
It was a beautiful but windy day today here in Clearwater. Ross and I started the day a little late and dropped into batting practice at Spectrum Field.
We managed to catch the last group batting. In this group were Mickey Moniak, Austin Listi and Mitch Walding.
Mitch Walding looks on as Mickey Moniak bats
I have video of Mickey Moniak HERE.
Then we went over to the carpenter complex and saw Jojo Romero pitching to Scott Kingery.
Scott Kingery
Shortly after we arrived, the Major League camp broke for the day so we waited until 1:30 for the minor league players who have reported early to come out. For me, this is my favorite part of spring training, I know a lot of these guys and it’s great to see my friends again.
I have video of Carlos De La Cruz take batting practice HERE and Jose Pujols HERE.
Alec Bohm
I watched Alec Bohm field and bat as well.
Finally, we got to catch Jose Pujols bat. He hit one off the score board and hit a few more out of the park.
It was a good day, although a long one. Hope to be back at it tomorrow.
Pictures from Phillies Spring Training-February 14, 2019
Today was nearly perfect, sunny, light breeze, perfect temperature. Ross and I skipped yesterday’s 59°, cloudy and windy day-after today, I’m glad we did!
This is our twelfth spring training and the last two under new manager Gabe Kapler have been, different to say the least. It used to be that the players would come out at 9-930 and practice would begin at 10. They would practice until 12, major league would go in for lunch and the minor leaguers would report and hit the field about 1.
Now, they have batting practice in the stadium (no idea when they start) quit about 11, the pitchers are “supposed” to come out around 11 but it was after 11:30 and they didn’t start until almost noon. It can make for a long day as they didn’t quit until after 1:30.
That being noted: I did manage to get a few good shots as well as a little video.
This first video is of Jake Arrieta who reportedly had knee surgery just a month ago. From what I could see, he looked just fine. You can watch it HERE.
The second video is of Rhys Hoskins taking live batting practice from Drew Anderson as Gabe Kapler looked on. That video is HERE.
And below I have posted some random shots from around the complex today:
Phillies Spring Training Roster and Minor League Spring Training Game Schedule Released!
Hot off the presses!!! I snagged the Major League Roster as well as the Minor League Game schedule! Check the photos below:
Toronto Blue Jays Close Spring Training Facility to Fans as Construction Begins
I’ve lived here in Dunedin, Florida, the spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays for just over six years. I’ve been involved with a committee that works with the Jays as well as the City of Dunedin for over four years.
This week begins the first step to the “end of the road” on the project that has encompassed keeping the Toronto Blue Jays here in Dunedin as well as finding a way to build them a complex that would make them happy. Sometime in the next week or so, shovels will hit the ground at the training complex on Solon. Due to the impending construction, the Bobby Mattick Training complex is closed to the public for both major league and minor league spring training. Visitors to the area may be able to watch some training at the downtown stadium on days where the team is away and the Jays store is open-Monday through Friday 10-3 and Saturday 10-2.
Meanwhile, in downtown, the stadium will operate as per usual. You can see the Jays’ schedule HERE. Practically the day after the team goes north, the stadium will close to the public and the renovations to the stadium will begin.
Both the training complex as well as the stadium are following an aggressive construction schedule and are expected to be open for the 2020 season. (Barring delays for weather and/or hurricanes. Pray for a calm hurricane season.)
For those who are fans of the Dunedin Blue Jays, the Jays’ Florida State League Team, it is expected that they will be playing this summer in the former Phillies’ home, Jack Russell Stadium. Details on this should be finalized in the next week or so.
Below I am linking to articles that will show the plans for the stadium and complex as well as some of the articles I’ve done over the years dealing with trying to get the Jays to stay as well as the process of getting the finances in order:
Tampa Bay Times Article with Pictures of the New Stadium and Training Complex
2018 Article Outlining Finalizing the Financing for the Stadium Renovations
2017 City Council Meeting Approving the Jays Deal
2016 Article Outlining Citizen Involvement getting Jays to Stay (Includes a picture of me speaking before Dunedin City Council)
Another Fan Killed by Foul Ball at Dodger Stadium
I found this article today reporting that the LA County Corner has revealed that Linda Goldbloom died in August as a result of head trauma received from a batted foul ball at an LA Dodgers game. You can read ESPN’s article HERE.
Linda Goldbloom was a long time fan, mother of three and grandmother of seven.
If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you’ll know I wrote about another post about ANOTHER fatality at Dodgers stadium, Alan Fish. You can read that article HERE. That came after Freddie Galvis complained after one of his fouls hit a small girl in the face. I also wrote about the fan injured during World Series play in 2016 HERE.
Those are not the only fatalities. There is another, Clarence Stagemyer was killed in 1943 when he was hit in the head by a thrown ball.
Ross and I saw a similar situation in Lakewood back when Carlos Carrasco was with the BlueClaws. In this situation, part of the problem was inattentive parents who allowed their toddler to wander down the row. The toddler was a few seats away in the 2nd row when a ball was over thrown from third to first and it sailed into the stands. It hit the toddler square in the back, right between the shoulder blades.
I will never forget the sick “pop” it made as all the air left the toddler’s body. He didn’t scream. He didn’t make a sound. That’s why it was so scary. Luckily there was a doctor in the next section, who jumped into action. It took a few moments before there was a huge sucking sound and the toddler took a huge gulp of air and then started to cry. I was never so glad to hear a baby cry as I was that night.
As technology advances and players become stronger, foul balls will become faster, harder and more dangerous. Protecting fans has to be priority one.
I was glad that the Phillies raised the net behind home and extended it over the dugouts. It’s a great first step. Before the raising of the net, Ross and I would get hit by foul ball ricochets a few times a year and have several near misses. Last year, just one and it was straight up.
I get that snagging a free foul ball is part of the excitement, who doesn’t like to go home with one? For me, it lost its luster a bit when I saw an elderly woman lose an eye.
The ballparks are trying to cater more to millennials, making Instagram spots and other social media events to drive in the young ones. While this is great, they also need to realize that when people are looking at their phones and socializing, they are not watching the game and keeping an eye out for balls and bats that enter the stands.
Hopefully, MLB will take a look at spectator safety and increase the netting. It took one death for the NHL to act, in just a few months, they added more netting to protect fans. MLB has three deaths and not much has changed.
Roy Halladay Gets the Call to the Hall!
I’ve been a Roy Halliday fan for a long time. He’s an easy one to like. We all know his on the field successes…but I also am a fan for his off the field activities.
He was a friend to local police. It was mentioned at his memorial that he had donated the money for the Pasco County Sheriffs office to purchase another police dog, which they named Doc after him. Doc was even at the memorial service. Halladay often donated gloves, hats, shoes and other signed memorabilia for the PAL silent auction at Spectrum Field.
I was lucky enough to get a signed, embroidered, game used Halladay glove in one of the auctions. It still bothers me to this day that I missed getting his cleats and hat that night. I also walked away with a signed commemorative plaque complete with coins and signed with PG and the date for perfect game.
I also have a ball he signed ball he signed for me one year in spring training. I remember it well, it was one of the first balls I ever got. I waited next to the fence by the parking lot. It was later in the afternoon and there were only a few of us left waiting. Halladay went out to his car and was talking with Carlos Ruiz who was parked near him. He then noticed the group of us and came over and signed before he left. It always impressed me as he could have just gotten in his car and driven away, but instead he came back for us.
It also had impressed me what when he found out that there was a fan twitter page called “I want to go to the zoo with Roy Halladay” that once he retired, he made that happen too.
Roy was one of those rare guys who you could root for both on and off the field. His stats tell you what kind of a player was, his off the field activities tell you what kind of man he was. I am glad that he got the call to the Hall of Fame. He earned and deserved it and gosh how I wish he was here to get the call himself.
Phillies Play First Fall Instructional League Game-First Round Pick Alec Bohm Goes Yard
Fall Instructional League games are much like spring training games, they are more relaxed, coaches can end or “roll” an inning and pitchers often pitch only an inning.
Someone forgot to tell Phillies’ First Round draft pick Alec Bohm…he sent a ball almost out of Spectrum Field! He hit a blazing line drive that hit off near to top of the “F” on the sign above Frenchy’s Tiki Bar! It was a thunderous hit that even the sound was no-doubt-about it. I managed to catch this swing, landing and Bohm’s bat flip and run around the bases…
Phillies Release Fall Instructional League Roster and Schedule
After a spring where the Phillies never released a workgroup player list, I was beginning to think that we would never find out the schedule nor roster for the Fall Instructional League.
Then this morning–SURPRISE! They actually posted it. Seeing as Alec Bohm will be there, I have a feeling that Baseball Ross and I will be checking in to see the goings-on at instructs. Watch this space and Baseball Ross’ blog for pictures and articles starting next week.
Here is the roster:
PITCHERS: Blake Bennett, RHP; Ben Brown, RHP; Starlyn Castillo, RHP; Jose Conopoima, RHP; Gabriel Cotto, LHP; Jonas De La Cruz, RHP; Maikel Garrido, LHP; Juan Geraldo, RHP; Kyle Glogoski, RHP; Michael Gomez, RHP; Rafi Gonell, RHP; Cristian Hernandez, RHP; Jake Kinney, RHP; Hsin-Chieh Lin, RHP; Jordi Martinez, LHP; Robinson Martinez, RHP; Tyler McKay, RHP; Jhordany Mezquita, LHP (No. 26); Juan Miranda, LHP; Efrain Morales, RHP; Francisco Morales, RHP (No. 13); Luis Pacheco, RHP; Nicoly Pina, RHP; Dominic Pipkin, RHP (No. 24); Mark Potter, RHP; Alfonso Puello, RHP; Brandon Ramey, RHP; Dalvin Rosario, RHP; Austin Ross, RHP; Yeison Sanchez, RHP; Victor Santos, RHP; Manuel Silva, LHP; Jaylen Smith, LHP; Manuel Urias, RHP; Victor Vargas, RHP
CATCHERS:Â Juan Aparicio, Arturo De Freitas, Mitchell Edwards, Freddy Francisco, Abrahan Gutierrez, Rafael Marchan, Logan O’Hoppe, Cesar Rodriguez
INFIELDERS:Â Alec Bohm (No. 2), Guarner, Luis Garcia, Juan Herrera, Matt Kroon, Seth Lancaster, Curtis Mead, Jose Mercado, Luke Miller, Luis Rojas, Logan Simmons, Cole Stobbe, Madison Stokes, Nicolas Torres, Christian Valerio, Rixon Wingrove
OUTFIELDERS:Â Ben Akilinski, Jose Cedeno, Carlos De La Cruz, Julio Francisco, Luis Matos, Simon Muzziotti (No. 30), Jhailyn Ortiz (No. 7), Ben Pelletier, Johan Rojas, Yerwin Trejo, Matt Vierling
The schedule:
Mon. Sept. 24 – vs. Blue Jays
Tues. Sept. 25 – at Orioles
Wed. Sept. 26 – at Pirates
Thurs. Sept. 27 – Camp day
Fri. Sept. 28 – vs. Pirates
Sat. Sept. 29 – Camp day
Mon. Oct. 1 – at Pirates
Tues. Oct. 2 – vs. Orioles
Wed. Oct. 3 – Camp day
Thurs. Oct. 4 – at Orioles
Fri. Oct. 5 – vs. Braves
Sat. Oct. 6 – vs. Orioles
Mon. Oct. 8 – at Braves
Tues. Oct. 9 – vs. Yankees
Wed. Oct. 10 – Camp day
Thurs. Oct. 11 – at Yankees
Fri. – Oct. 12 – vs. Yankees
Note: a “camp day” is a day where they may scrimmage or do drills have a short day or have off the field meetings so you may not see them on the field.
If you would like to read the announcement, you can read it HERE.
Baseball Betsy 