PhoulBallz.com

Over the off-season, sometimes this site can go stretches of several days without a post or an update, but if you're looking for constant news, stats and insight on what is taking place with Phillies developmental talents throughout the autumn and winter months, follow me on Twitter or simply bookmark my Twitter profile page ( https://twitter.com/PhoulBallz ) to get daily alerts and details. In the Dominican Winter League thus far, catcher Deivy Grullon and shortstop Malquin Canelo have each posted a .143 batting average in four games for their respective teams. In the Arizona Fall League, where Phils prospects are playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions, corner infielder Alec Bohm is sporting a .361 batting average with a pair of homers, nine RBI and five walks in 19 contests. Righty pitcher Spencer Howard has notched a 1-1 record with a 2.11 ERA and an 11.4 K/9 mark in six starts. In eight appearances left-hander JoJo Romero has posted a 1-0 record, a 0.84 ERA and ...

Micucci (right) with Luis Garcia in August, image- Jay Floyd Early on Monday, I tweeted a bit of a teaser about Phillies minor league staffing moves I had learned about from a pair of sources.  Unclear when the personnel had learned of their fates, I did not want to report the news until all parties had time to address the news in their own ways. As has been reported by at least another outlet to this point, I am able to confirm that 2019 Class A Lakewood manager Mike Micucci will not be returning to the organization.  Additionally, base running and bunting coordinator Rob Ducey , Gulf Coast League coach Charlie Hayes and Triple-A pitching coach Steve Schrenk are also done in the Phils system. Micucci was a north Jersey native in his youth and had been hired by the organization less than a year ago.  He worked with Phillies general manager Matt Klentak in Anaheim, which makes his termination even more surprising. Players that saw action for the BlueClaws thi...

Multiple reporters, starting with Jon Heyman , posted online Sunday night that the Phillies are close to announcing they'll hire Gabe Kapler as their next manager. Earlier Sunday, I wrote about how I thought the right choice was Dusty Wathan.  The long-time Phils minor league manager may have been passed over for the skipper role, but perhaps there's still hope for him to join the big league coaching staff. Kapler is currently employed as the LA Dodgers' director of player development. He was among the final candidates to manage the Dodgers prior to the team hiring Dave Roberts prior to the 2016 season. Kapler played as an outfielder in the big leagues with six team including the 2004 World Series champion Boston Red Sox. The move possibly won't be announced until after the World Series, which involves the Dodgers, is over. Fans & Twitter react- Philly is a Joe six-pack sorta town, so please welcome Gabe Kapler, the new Phillies manager, and his 8-10 p...

Dusty Wathan, image- Jay Floyd Multiple reports in recent days state that long-time Phillies minor league skipper is in the running among the team's short list of finalists for their vacant managerial position.  With a pedigree in the sport and a history with a majority of the club's talent, Wathan is the right choice for the role. The son of former Kansas City Royals manager John Wathan, Dusty practically grew up around in a dugout and on the diamond.  Following his playing career which included time in the majors with the Royals and wrapped up at the Triple-A level for the Phils in 2007, Wathan's managerial got rolling in 2008.  At that time he was named the skipper for the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters.  The following season, Wathan led Class A Lakewood BlueClaws to their first of back-to-back South Atlantic League titles. Wathan managed the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers in 2010 and 2011, where a collection of talented minor le...

Marty Malloy, image- Jay Floyd During their opening home stand recently I had the opportunity to chat with new skipper of the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws Marty Malloy.  The 45-year-old spent time as a player in the big leagues with the Braves and Marlins.  Since he retired from playing, Malloy, the 12th manager in BlueClaws history, has managed the Astros' Gulf Coast League team for the past three seasons. Among the topics Malloy touches on are highly ranked prospects such as starting pitcher Sixto Sanchez and outfielder Mickey Moniak .  He also speaks on the leadership of some returning players, the crowds in Lakewood and more.  Read ahead for those quotes. -I asked about his early impressions on Sixto Sanchez as well as Mickey Moniak... It's a great impression what they've done.  You know, I'm very fortunate, lucky if you will, to have two guys of that caliber at that age at this level on this team.  And what they do bring to the table, it can ...

Photo courtesy of Cord Sandberg, pictured 3rd from right It’s all part of it! Are you wondering what that means? That’s okay. You’ll be in the know soon enough. It's a simple saying that has become a slogan for baseball players for life inside and outside of the game.  In a sport where its competitors are faced with an immense amount of failure while life presents similar outcomes at times, It's All Part of It has become an important adage for scores of players to lean on for reassurance and motivation. “Whatever happens, the bus breaks down (or) you break a bat- hey, that’s all part of it,” Phillies outfield prospect Cord Sandberg excitedly shared in the home dugout of Lakewood’s FirstEnergy Park recently. Seems like an insightful thought process. The motto has really caught on quite a bit and seems to be making an impression at multiple levels, in various organizations and even across continents. The phrase “It’s all part of it” or sometimes referred to a...

Todd Pratt, Image- Jay Floyd Former Phillies catcher Todd Pratt has returned to professional baseball for the first time since he played with the Braves in 2006. He’s now the manager of the Marlins Class A affiliate, the Greensboro Grasshoppers, a team that he played for when it was a Boston affiliate 21 years ago. In 14 big league seasons, primarily as a backup, Pratt posted a .251 batting average with 49 home runs and 224 RBI. He also played with the Mets, Braves and Cubs. This weekend, I talked with Pratt about his transition to the coaching ranks, differences in the minor league lifestyle now compared to when he was riding the buses from town to town, his team and more. Read ahead for that full interview. -I was surprised to see you today. Didn’t know you were managing this club, till I saw your name on the roster today. Talk to me about the new gig. Is this a brand new venture for you, or have you coached in the pro’s before. This is my first year as a profess...

On the latest edition of Phillies Nation TV, the fine men at 20/20 Visual Media and I put together a feature on two of the key prospects acquired from Texas for Cole Hamels , as I sat down to chat with starting pitcher Jake Thompson and outfielder Nick Williams . Check out this great segment in the media player below and look for new episodes of Phillies Nation to premiere each Tuesday on The Comcast Network at 6PM.  To view this week's full episode, click HERE .

Shawn Williams, image-Jay Floyd LAKEWOOD, NJ- Following in his father's footsteps is precisely the route that Lakewood BlueClaws manager Shawn Williams is taking these days. Shawn is the son of former Phillies coach Jimy Williams , who had a brief playing career prior to turning to the coaching ranks and managing in the big leagues with Toronto, Boston and Houston. After taking the step from coaching to managing the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters last season, Williams was promoted to take the reigns of the full-season A level BlueClaws for the 2015 campaign. "They came to me with the managerial position last year in Williamsport, which was awesome to be asked to do that at a younger age. I'm just learning everyday and trying to get better," the 31-year-old Williams said during a recent interview. Williams' older brother Brady is also a minor league skipper, at the helm of the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (Rays). The learning process...

Phillies beat writers reported news via Twitter today ( here , here and here ), stating that Ramon Henderson, who was set to begin his first season managing Class A Advanced Clearwater this year, has left the team due to personal reasons. To fill the void, the Phils have assigned Class A short-season manager Nelson Prada to take over as skipper for the Thresers. Replacing Prada with the Crosscutters of the New-York Penn League will be Shawn Williams , the 30-year-old son of former big league manager and Phillies coach Jimy Williams . Williamsport will now have a void to fill at hitting coach, as Williams was previously slated for that job. After a stretch of more than a decade as a major league coach for the Phillies and a demotion to the minors in 2009, Henderson was fired for reasons that were reportedly alcohol abuse related. He returned to the organization in a coaching capacity with the Gulf Coast League Phillies last year. Henderson played in the Phils' development...

Initially on Friday, the Phillies announced a press conference of an unspecified nature.  Then, news began to leak that Charlie Manuel , would be replaced as skipper of the team he had led throughout their strongest period in organization history. The beloved 69-year-old took the Phillies to two World Series, winning the team's second ever title in 2008 and losing to the Yankees in 2009.  Unfortunately, the past is just that, and with the team floundering in fourth place in the National League East, 20 1/2 games out, with a 53-67 record, team executives felt that a change was in order.  In nine seasons with the Phils, Manuel notched a 780-636 record in the regular season.  General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced that Manuel was asked to stay on with the Phillies, in some front office capacity and it was said that Manuel accepted that role for the remainder of the season, but Manuel then asserted that he would need to take some time off.  As a result...

On Monday, the Phillies announced the return of Ryne Sandberg as manager of Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Sandberg, a Hall of Fame player, is back for his second season with the IronPigs after leading the club to its very first playoff appearance in 2011. Sandberg, who was originally drafted by the Phillies in 1978 and dealt to the Chicago Cubs in 1982, became a legend in a different city. As a member of the Cubs, Sandberg became a 10-time National League All-star, a 9-time Gold Glove Award winner and 1984 NL Most Valuable Player. Last season, he returned to the Philadelphia organization after 29 years away. The remainder of the Lehigh Valley coaching staff, Rod Nichols and Sal Rende, will return for the IronPigs as well. New additions to the developmental coaching ranks include former Phillies Andy Tracy and Aaron Fultz . Tracy will manage the short season Williamsport Crosscutters, while Fultz will serve as that club's pitching coach. Former Phillies second baseman Mickey Mo...

The Boston Red Sox are set to interview Philadelphia Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin and Milwaukee Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum for their vacant managerial position this week, according to WEEI radio in Boston. Mackanin and Sveum will be the first two candidates interviewed by Boston to replace Terry Francona, whose contract was not renewed after a tremendous collapse, as the season drew to a close, that led to the Red Sox missing the playoffs. The 60-year-old Mackanin previously managed the Pirates and Reds in an interim capacity and managed several minor league clubs. Mackanin played in the big leagues with the Rangers, Expos, Phillies and Twins. Mackanin has served as the Phillies' bench coach, under manager Charlie Manuel, for the past two seasons. Svuem, 48, previously coached for the Red Sox from 2004-2005. A former big leaguer, Svuem played for the Phillies, Brewers, Pirates, Yankees, Athletics, Mariners and White Sox. Since 2006 during his tenure with the Brewers,...

Four of the Phillies' six minor league clubs will officially have new managers in 2011 after the Phillies announced on Monday that they have given promotions to Mark Parent and Chris Truby. Parent, a former Major League catcher who played with the Phillies, among other clubs, will move up to Double A Reading. Parent, 49, managed the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws to a second consecutive South Atlantic League title in 2010 and then spent time as hitting coach with the Arizona Fall League's Mesa Solar Sox. The Autumn assignment could be more than busy work for Parent, who seems to be a likely candidate for the role of hitting coach at the Major League level in the coming years. Speaking in an exclusive interview following Lakewood's title clincher in September, Parent seemed to be considerably focused on acquiring a big league spot. Replying to an inquiry about the potential realignment among the Phillies' minor league management positions, Parent stated, "The higher you...

Rumors are flying today that Hall of Fame player Ryne Sandberg could become the next manager of the Phillies Triple A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. After being passed over for the Chicago Cubs managerial position, Sandberg is parting ways with the organization. Sandberg, who managed the last four seasons in the Cubs' minor league system, finished runner-up to Mike Quade, who was hired on Oct. 19. Quade took over, in an interim role, for Lou Piniella, who retired during the 2010 season. Sandberg won the manager of the year award while leading the Triple A Iowa Cubs of the Pacific Coast League to record of 82-62, which was tied for best in the league. According to reports, Sandberg has been in contact with multiple organizations regarding coaching positions at the Major League level and managerial positions in the minors. The Lehigh managerial slot is not he only vacant position that the Phillies have right now, as the recent departure of Davey Lopes has left a vacancy in t...

Washington Nationals, you just had two consecutive 100+ loss seasons...what are you gonna do now? We're going to Beard-o World! On Monday, the Nationals signed Eric Bruntlett to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Bruntlett batted .172 with a .462 OPS in 72 games for the Phillies in 2009. I hope Santa brought you something good, Nats fans, because your team sure as heck isn't going to. --------------------------------- Looking for a good way to spend those AmEx and Visa gift cards that you got for the holidays? Make sure you check out Chris Jaffe's book Evaluating Baseball's Managers, A History and Analysis of Performance in the Major Leagues, 1876–2008. Jaffe is a writer for HardballTimes.com . The book, just made available to the public, is a remarkable study of Major League managers throughout the history of the sport and applies a sabremetric approach to reviewing the performances of such great skippers as Connie Mack and Tommy Lasorda. ...

This week I came up with a quick questionnaire and asked 10 Phillies phans, 9 of which are Phils partial season ticket holders, 10 questions ranging from survey type inquiries to statistical trivia. My goal was to survey both genders in varying age groups. I spoke with 3 season ticket holding 50-something males. I spoke with 2 season ticket holding 30-something females. I spoke with 2 teenage males whose father is a season ticket holder (for the purpose of this small project, they've been counted as season ticket holders in the 9 out of 10 total). I asked a 25 year old male season ticket holder and a 30-or-so year old male season ticket holder. And lastly, I asked a 28 year old non-season ticket holding die-hard Phils phan. The questions are mostly Phillies oriented, with some generalized baseball trivia mixed in. Have a look at the questionnaire. See how you do, but don't research the answers that you may have a hard time with. 1- Name a Phillie who wore #4. 2- Name a ...

Harry Wolverton with Giants manager John McGraw Harry Wolverton was a third baseman for the Phillies from 1900-1904. Never an exceptional offensive player, Wolverton's accurate throwing arm and slick fielding earned him a starting spot with the Phillies after 2 years as a part time player with the Cubs. Wolverton's best season in Philadelphia came in 1903 when he batted .308 with 13 doubles and 12 triples in 123 games. The following season, the Phillies lost 100 games and ownership decided to overhaul the squad. Wolverton was deemed to be expendable and was traded to the Boston Beaneaters during the 1904-1905 offseason. After the 1905 season with Boston, Wolverton took to managing in the minors, winning titles in 2 of his first 3 seasons as a skipper. He managed in Newark and Oakland before being named manager of the New York Highlanders, who would later become known as the Yankees. He took over a ballclub that had gone 76-76 and finished in 6th place. Wolverton used himself a...

In the news this week, we heard about the tradition started by Ronald Reagan of outgoing US presidents leaving the incoming new president a note, in the oval office desk. I really think it's quite annoying that the media was permitted to have photo opportunities with the letter but the public is not permitted to learn what might be contained in the letter, but all-in-all, it's a pretty cool tradition. This presidential custom got me thinking what it might be like if the same sort of practice stood in place for baseball managerial changes. What if Larry Bowa wrote a letter to his unknown managerial successor, prior to leaving Gary Varsho in charge in the closing days of the 2004 Phillies season? What would that letter look like...? To whom it may concern, Hi, my name is Larry. I was the manager here before. The team stunk and they always blamed ME. Some guy named Patrick was always causing issues and snubbing me. The guy could barely bat his weight, for average, and he wanted ...