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Hoby Milner, image- Jay Floyd As a Rule 5 draft pick , lefty reliever Hoby Milner got plenty of exposure in big league spring training this year, but an imperfect exhibition campaign along with limited room on the Indians' roster resulted in the 26-year-old coming back to the team that drafted him (7th round, 2012). With Cleveland in the Cactus League, Milner allowed seven earned runs in seven innings over seven appearances while striking out nine and walking three.  After the Indians decided they could not keep Milner around, he rejoined the Phillies, where he was assigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to open the regular season.  Earlier this month, I spoke with Milner, who spoke on his experience with Cleveland and coming back to the Phils.  Read ahead for that interview. -What can you share about your whirlwind off-season and spring after being selected in the Rule 5 draft, going to the Indians and then coming back to the Phillies? I thought it was a great e...

Hoby Milner, image- Jay Floyd As the annual Rule 5 draft approached to wrap up this year's MLB Winter Meetings, the usual anticipation of what possible gem the Phillies could select wasn't there.  Instead, the concern about which prospect the team that has been stock piling young talent in recent years could lose to another club was the prevalent feeling.  As things turned out, the Phils lost just a single player in the big league portion of the Rule 5 draft and one additional player in the minor league portion. Cleveland selected lefty reliever Hoby Milner in the big league phase of the draft while Tampa Bay chose minor league hurler Jairo Munoz in the minor league portion. Milner, 25, was a 7th round draft pick by the Phillies in the 2012 and has displayed exceptional numbers in recent season after switching from a starting role to the bullpen.  Combined with Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley last season, the Texas native sported a 5-4 record wi...

On the 43rd episode of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast, Tug and Jay feature exclusive interview clips of Tyson Gillies , Freddy Galvis and Cameron Rupp talking about what baseball cards they collected growing up.  The guys also reminisce about KYW-TV's Saturday Night Dead program and old school video games. Other topics include Mat Latos ' wife's assault in Pittsburgh, the Indians' season, Delmon Young 's postseason prowess and Carlos Alonso 's defensive achievements.  Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .

Freddy Galvis, image- Jay Floyd Following Thursday's acquisition of infielder John McDonald from Cleveland, the Phillies made room on their active big league roster by demoting infielder Freddy Galvis to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. McDonald, a veteran of 15 major league seasons, has a career .235 batting average and a .605 career OPS mark. The 38-year-old posted a .053 batting average in 24 games in the bigs this year. Primarily a shortstop, with 568 games played there, McDonald has also spent considerable time at second base (209 games) and third base (135 games) while dabbling just a tad in the outfield (six games). Galvis is a career .218 hitter with a .626 OPS in 112 major league contests. The move will allow the 23-year-old Venezuelan to get more playing time with the IronPigs. Philly.com featured the following quote from Phils manager Charlie Manuel regarding the youngster's need for game action. "When we evaluate him, we think he has a good chance o...

Interleague play returns to Citizens Bank Park as the Indians (21-16) come to town for a quick two-game set against the Phillies (18-21). Having won seven of their last 10 contests, the Indians look to continue their success against the Phils, who were pounded by a total score of 20-2 over two games, both losses, in Cleveland a couple weeks back. Read ahead for full details on the pitching match ups and more key details from this series. Tuesday, 7:05 PM. Scott Kazmir (2-1, 4.87 ERA) vs. Jonathan Pettibone (2-0, 3.63 ERA). The lefty Kazmir has a 2.65 ERA over his last three starts. Kazmir won his lone career start against the Phillies back in 2006. In two home starts, the rookie right-hander Pettibone is 1-0 with a 2.31 ERA. Opponents are hitting .154 with runners in scoring position against Pettibone. Wednesday, 1:05 PM. Corey Kluber (2-2, 5.64 ERA) vs. Cole Hamels (1-5, 4.18 ERA). The righty Kluber has a 5.77 ERA in nine career road games. Delmon Young ...

Interleague play is back, as the Phillies (12-14) head to Cleveland to take on the Indians (10-13) in a two-game series at Progressive Field. In the series opener, the Phils will send veteran righty Roy Halladay to the mound. The two-time Cy Young Award winner has a 2-0 record with a 1.71 ERA in his last three starts after beginning the season 0-2 with a 14.73 ERA in his first two starts of 2013. The Indians will counter with 25-year-old Zach McAllister, who has never faced the Phils in his career. The last time these two teams faced one another was in June of 2010, when the Phillies swept the three-game set. Read ahead for full details on the pitching match ups and other key notes from this series. Tuesday, 7:10 PM.  Roy Halladay (2-2, 5.08 ERA) vs. Zach McAllister (1-3, 3.52 ERA).   In 13 career outings against the Indians, Halladay has a 6-2 record with a 3.52 ERA and two complete games.  Halladay is 2-1 with a 3.45 ERA in five career starts at Progressiv...

After some serious bumps in the road Carlos Carrasco , is headed back to full health and is focused on a successful future in the big leagues. As a highly rated prospect in the Phillies organization, Carrasco once battled for an opening day roster spot with the Phils. During spring training 2009, the right-hander appeared in six games, posting a 2-2 record with a 5.95 ERA. The statistics weren't overly impressive, but "the stuff" was there, just as it had been six months prior when he posted a 1.72 ERA over six starts as a 21-year-old in Triple-A. Phils brass as well as scouts throughout baseball saw great potential in the Venezuelan hurler and he became a sought after commodity. By mid-season that year, Carrasco would become the key prospect dealt in a package that allowed the Phillies to acquire Cleveland ace Cliff Lee . By the end of that season, at age 22, Carrasco had made his big league debut for the Indians, while Lee led a charge to the World Series for the Phi...

In recent seasons, the Phillies have parted ways with a considerable collection of well-regarded prospects in efforts to acquire established big league players. As time passes, those young players get closer to contributing for their new organization at the highest level and some are already doing so. As this year's trade deadline approaches, here’s a glance at how many of those former Phils’ farm hands have performed throughout the pros thus far in 2012. Jonathan Singleton , 1B, traded to Houston in the 2011 Hunter Pence deal- In 82 games with the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks, the 20-year-old has posted a .271 batting average with 18 doubles, 3 triples, 12 HR and 49 RBI. Jarred Cosart , RHP, also dealt in the Pence trade- In 13 starts for Corpus Christi, the righty hurler is sporting a 4-5 record with a 3.91 ERA and a .273 batting average against. Cosart, 22, made 1 start for Triple-A Oklahoma City in May, allowing 4 earned runs in 6 innings of work. Overall in 79 2/3 innin...

Facing elimination in the Triple-A International League Governor's Cup Finals at Allentown's Coca Cola Park, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs were hoping to get some offensive production after scoring just three total runs in their losses in games 2 and 3 against the defending league champions, the Columbus Clippers (Indians affiliate). Also needed was a solid outing from starting right-hander Ryan Edell , who had been a strong contributor all season long. At two levels of the Phillies' system this season, the left-handed Edell posted a 10-6 record with a 3.38 ERA. Unfortunately for Lehigh Valley, the offensive improvements never came and the Clippers' pitcher proved better than Edell on this night. Right-hander Paolo Espino , Cleveland's 10th round pick from the 2006 draft, allowed just 4 hits and 1 run over 7 innings while striking out 5 batters and walking only 1 to earn the win. The 4-1 defeat ended the IronPigs' season and locked down a repeat as champion for ...

The Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs have dropped two straight games in the Governor's Cup Finals after taking control with a victory in the series opener. In game 3 on Thursday night, the 'Pigs faced New Jersey native Joe Martinez , who was outstanding, striking out a career high 13 batters, allowing 1 run and 3 hits, while leading the Columbus Clippers (Indians affiliate) to a 6-2 victory and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. The tone for the night was set early on, as the right-handed Martinez struck out the side in each of the first two innings. Martinez's battery mate Luke Carlin drove in 3 runs, including a 2-run homerun off of IronPigs starting pitcher Dave Bush in the 2nd inning, to pace the Columbus offense. Third baseman Kevin Frandsen got Lehigh Valley on the board in the 3rd inning, when a sacrifice fly brought home shortstop Freddy Galvis . The score stayed 2-1 until the 7th when IronPigs reliever Ryan Feierabend surrendered an RBI infield single ...

Heading into game 2 of the Triple-A level International League championship series, Lehigh Valley was on a remarkable roll, winning 8 straight games and appearing unstoppable. However, it was the Columbus Clippers (Indians affiliate) who rallied late to notch a 4-1 victory over the IronPigs before a home crowd of 5,308 at Huntington Park. Bump was cruising along with a 1-0 lead, thanks to a solo blast by first baseman Tagg Bozied in the 5th inning. Having allowed just 3 runners to reach base through the opening 7 frames of the contest, IronPigs starter Nate Bump 's success ran out in the 8th as the Clippers broke out for 4 runs and held the lead to tie the best-of-five series at 1 game apiece. After looking dominant through much of the game, the wheels came off for the Penn State product, Bump, in the 8th inning. He served up a lead-off single to Columbus shortstop Juan Diaz , but bounced back to strike out catcher Luke Carlin . Second baseman Argenis Reyes then stroked ...

The various costs the Phillies have paid to acquire their dream rotation of top-of-the-line starting pitchers are high and well-documented. The long-term contracts - including the Phillies’ first-ever $20 million arms – put the monetary cost front and center, but the secondary cost of acquiring these players can sometimes be forgotten. Really, it’s not hard to see why. When players like Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt do what they’ve done for the Phils at the Major League level, caring about what could have been with prospects is pushed aside in favor of appreciation, awe and admiration for what actually is. Still, for nostalgia’s sake, it’s nice to keep tabs on former Philly farmhands. In the case of the Phillies, a slew of young players were exchanged for this lineup of fierce hurlers. Few teams have had the depth and quality – or, at least, perceived quality – of minor leaguers to pull off deals like these, especially not in a two-plus-season span. It’s a big family to monitor. Sadly,...

LAKEWOOD, NJ- Every young ballplayer grows up wishing he could play for his favorite team. Mike McGuire has an opportunity to do just that after signing with the Phillies organization in July. McGuire was a 43rd round draft pick taken by the Cleveland Indians in the 2008 amateur draft out of the University of Delaware. Early scouting reports liked McGuire's abilities, despite some arm trouble. He advanced as far as High A Level Kinston last season. While there, he posted an 0-3 record with a 5.46 ERA in 9 games, 8 of which were starts. The Indians weren't happy with McGuire's efforts this spring and released him. McGuire caught on with the Sussex Skyhawks of the independent Can-Am League, where he stayed in shape and pitched against other formerly affiliated minor leaguers. As a starter with the Skyhawks, McGuire went 3-4 with a 5.29 ERA in 8 outings. From there, just as all players in those independent leagues hope for, the 24-year-old McGuire got noticed. The Phillies wer...

The Indians (26-42) visit Philadelphia this week to take on the defending National League champion Phillies (35-32) in a 3-game series. Cleveland is in last place in the American League Central, 13 1/2 games behind division leaders Minnesota. The Phillies are in third place in the National League East, 5 1/2 games behind the first place Braves. The Phillies have lost 17 of their past 26 games, without perennial lead off man Jimmy Rollins. Rollins has been sidelined with a calf strain for the past month. Rollins is expected to be activated from the disabled list and return to the Phillies' lineup for this series. The Phillies are just 17-15 (.531 winning %) at Citizens Bank Park this season, a place where they posted a .555 winning percentage last season. Philadelphia will have to start performing better at home if they hope to gain ground on top spot in the division. Cleveland will send Matt Talbot, who surrendered a career high 13 hits in his last start against the Metropolitans, ...

Major League Baseball issued a warning on Tuesday regarding accusations that Phillies bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer was stealing signs during Monday night's game against the Rockies in Colorado. The concern over the situation was sparked when Billmeyer was spotted using binoculars from the Phillies' bullpen while the Phillies were at bat. Accusations from the Rockies stated that Billmeyer was watching the catcher's signs to the pitcher and relaying tips to the Phillies' dugout via telephone. The statement from MLB stated, "We found the evidence inconclusive on what was being done, but we have spoken to the Phillies about the situation, and the umpires have been told to be on full alert as to what is going on." According to Fox News, the Metropolitans are believed to have also filed a complaint about the Phillies, after they mopped the field with Johan Santana on national television two weekends ago. The incident in Colorado was brought to light after the Rockie...

PhoulBallz.com is wondering which individual who has portrayed Willie "Mays" Hayes is the favorite of the public. Hayes, of course, is the character made famous in the Major League motion picture series. In Major League , Willie "Mays" Hayes was portrayed by budding Hollywood actor Wesley Snipes, who would go on to action movie superstardom. Snipes has starred in major motion pictures like the Blade trilogy, Passenger 57 , Undisputed and many more. Snipes remains an impact Hollywood actor, despite legal troubles related to income tax evasion. Snipes was replaced for the sequel, Major League II when his busy career, and possibly the film's budget, would not allow him to return, by Omar Epps. Another budding actor, Epps had previously worked with director David S. Ward, on the film The Program , and landed the role of Hayes, who had become a Hollywood action star over the off-season that occured between the two films. Epps' career portraying athletes rolle...

The story line that I was rooting for, Team Nick Adenhart vs. Team Harry Kalas in the World Series, didn't come to pass. The story line that MLB wanted, Joe Torre vs. his former employer in the World Series, also didn't happen. However, there are still some solid story lines that will appeal to many in this year's Fall Classic. Liberty Series: The Statue vs. The Bell...The Turnpike Series...Broad St. vs. Broadway... whatever you choose to call it, there's sure to be some aspect to interest baseball fans from coast to coast. There is the ex-NDN factor, as the last two American League Cy Young Award winners and Cleveland castoffs, Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia, go head to head in game 1. Each pitcher is looking better each time out. Lee is 2-0 in 3 post season starts with a 0.74 ERA and 20 K's in 24 1/3 innings. Sabathia is 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA in 3 games this post season with 20 K's in 22 2/3 innings. There is Pedro Martinez likely getting a shot at starting a game in...

The Phillies and Indians have reportedly agreed on a deal which would send Jason Donald, Carlos Carrasco, Jason Knapp and Lou Marson to Cleveland for Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco. FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports on the agreement here .

Roy Halladay rumors will continue to swirl throughout the week, even though Toronto GM JP Ricciardi's self-imposed trade deadline for Halladay of July 28th has passed. More teams are becoming players in the Halladay sweepstakes and have begun to make their offers. With the asking price seemingly a steady set of the following- 1 major league ready player (preferably a pitcher), 1 top pitching prospect and 1 much touted offensive prospect...teams like the Red Sox offering Clay Buchholz and the White Sox offering Gavin Floyd seem to be taking over as the more serious contenders to get a deal done with the Blue Jays. With the Phillies apparently stuck on not giving up Toronto's top wish list item, pitching prospect Kyle Drabek, they are rumored to be moving deeper into negotiations to acquire Indians lefty and reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee. If the Phillies can get Lee without giving up Drabek, that would be their more ideal swap. My opinion on Drabek being the piece t...