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Have you heard of Patreon yet?  I hope so.  If not, it's simply a way for content creators to obtain compensation for their work from the people that enjoy it. Since parting ways with a previous employer more than a few seasons back, in an environment where online ads are more difficult to come by, I have lost money doing the work on this site.  Genuinely, I have spent more on gas and tolls than I've collected from advertisers, thus it has cost me money to provide Phillies and prospect fans with the coverage they crave. Over the years I have broken trades, organizational transactions along with plenty of other news.  Additionally, I've had the opportunity to tell the stories of players that would otherwise not see the light of day. I'd love to continue doing that and promoting all levels of the Phillies developmental system for you, the readers, but I prefer to do so without taking a financial hit. With your support, I can do that.   I've establis...

Connor Hinchliffe, image- GoExplorers.com I invite you to check out my Patreon page , where you can read exclusive interviews and get early access to other posts, news and information from the Phillies minor league levels. Promising pitcher Connor Hinchliffe took time to answer questions for me recently, providing insight on how he has dealt with missing the full 2020 season due to the global coronavirus pandemic.  While I was interacting with the Pottsville, PA native, he also responded to some non-baseball related inquiries, answering Nine Silly-ass Questions for me. Signed as an undrafted free agent last year out of LaSalle, Hinchliffe was assigned to the Rookie level Gulf Coast League where, in 16 outings, the right-hander posted a 1-1 record, a save, a 1.82 ERA, a .163 batting average against along with a 1.26 WHIP. Read ahead for my latest interview with Connor as we talk hard-hitting topics such as Star Wars, Halloween costumes and music! -Who is your favorite non-basebal...

I invite you to visit Patreon.com/PhoulBallz in order to support my work and get access to exclusive material like this as well as early access to all my other content. Darick Hall, image- Jay Floyd This week I talked with Phillies first base prospect Darick Hall about his down time due to the cancelled minor league season.   In 132 games with Double-A Reading last year, the lefty batting slugger notched a .235 average with an Eastern League leading 38 doubles, a triple, 20 home runs (2nd in the league) and 67 RBI.  This year, the 25-year-old spent time with the big league club in spring training where he saw action in 14 Grapefruit League games. Hall, who was the Phillies' 14th round draft selection 2016, offered his thoughts on being left off of the team's player pool roster, how he's staying in shape, what he's doing with his free time and more.  Read ahead for a sample of that interview. - I'd have to feel like the team would have had to give some considerati...

As another baseball season draws near, it's time for the frequency of content to pick back up.  My latest post for Patreon supporters features details on next week's prospect symposium in Philadelphia, early arrivals for spring training in Clearwater, some updates on MLB's Rookie Orientation happening this week and more!  These are details I won't publish elsewhere. Please consider supporting my work by becoming a patron via my Patreon page in order to enjoy exclusive news and updates as well as interviews, plus get early access to virtually all of my other content. 

Vierling w/ Lakewood in 2018, image- Jay Floyd Outfield prospect Matt Vierling took some time recently to offer some thoughts on his off-season. The 23-year-old was a 5th round draft selection by the Phillies in 2018.  This year, in his first full season in professional baseball, the Notre Dame product posted a .232 average with five home runs, 41 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 118 games with Class A Advanced Clearwater. Last week I asked Matt, a Missouri native, to offer some details on his workout routine in the fall and winter months, his thoughts on Major League Baseball's proposed elimination of certain affiliated minor league teams and plenty more.  Read ahead for that interview. - How much down time do you allow yourself before you get back to picking up a bat and/or taking swings? I try to give myself at least one to two months off from swinging. This year I was on the longer end because I was coming off of my first full year and felt like I needed the b...

Matt Hockenberry, image- Jay Floyd Over on my Patreon page , I am serving up a multi-part interview with 2019 Class A Lakewood pitching coach Matt Hockenberry. Part one features Big Hock talking about 22-year-old Dominican righty Rafi Gonell and his progress.  Part two includes quotes from Hockenberry discussing righty reliever Albertus Barber 's story of reaching the pro ranks and excelling as an undrafted free agent and his progress.  Also in part two, the subject of pitches thrown in two-strike counts by the BlueClaws and improving their walk rate throughout the season is addressed. Part three will land later this week and will include insight on promising hurler Francisco Morales . To access exclusive content such as these quotes from Hockenberry, please visit Patreon.com/PhoulBallz and support my work. Sample of the material included in the Hockenberry interview excerpts... I think it’s a great story.  The fact  that (Barber) played some ju...

JD Hammer, image- Cheryl Pursell HELP SUPPORT CONTENT LIKE THIS AND KEEP IT COMING ALL YEAR LONG BY BECOMING A PATRON!  Get early access to my posts plus EXCLUSIVE interviews & other content- https://www.patreon.com/phoulballz Recently I published a feature on reliever J.D. Hammer , who spent some time with the big league Phillies before returning to the minors with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. In the piece, Hammer and the IronPigs' coaching staff speak about the righty pitcher's current path and what he's focused on to return to the majors. During my time chatting with the talented prospect he spoke on some topics that didn't make the cut in the feature.  Topics included the variance in the baseball at the upper levels, the IronPigs' catchers and more.  Read ahead for those interview excerpts. I asked Hammer about the difference in the baseball from the lower levels of the minors to Triple-A and the majors.  The variance in the balls is said to take ...

Mike Micucci, image- Jay Floyd I am back with another Patreon exclusive! Last weekend, I talked one-on-one with Class A Lakewood BlueClaws manager Mike Micucci about several topics including the defensive progress of middle infielders Luis Garcia and Jonathan Guzman, the promotion of Matt Kroon, the addition of Luke Miller, Cole Stobbe's playing time as well as the free base runner that starts extra innings in the minors. Please head on over to Patreon.com/PhoulBallz to subscribe and support my work.  Contributions there are helpful in simply allowing me to take less of a financial loss in producing this type of content for you, the readers.  Your patronage will get you early access to nearly all of my news and articles but more importantly exclusive interviews and other posts. I also intend to offer some baseball related giveaways once the patron count increases. Direct link to the interview is right here .   

This month I sat down with Phillies left-handed pitching prospect Bailey Falter and asked him to share his thoughts on breakfast cereals, his favorite athlete, profanity, hip hop royalty and plenty more. The 22-year-old was the Phils' 5th round draft selection in 2015.  Falter, a California native, sports a 1-1 record with a 2.93 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP through three starts in the Eastern League this season. It's three minutes of fun with the Double-A Reading hurler.  Check out this Patreon exclusive by clicking here ! HELP SUPPORT CONTENT LIKE THIS AND KEEP IT COMING ALL SEASON LONG BY BECOMING A PATRON!- https://www.patreon.com/phoulballz

Dylan Cozens, image- Jay Floyd Exclusively for Patrons, I've got a brand new interview with Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs masher Dylan Cozens .... Slugging Phillies OF prospect, Cozens, sat down with me this week to answer nine silly-ass questions. Check out the audio of my interview with the 24-year-old lefty batter to hear his thoughts on junk food, animals, super powers and plenty more. Please help to support the coverage this web site offers by becoming a patron over on Patreon.com/PhoulBallz !  Last year I lost money to keep the site running and providing exclusive news, player features as well as updates that Phillies fans can't get any place else.  As a perk for becoming a patron, you will have access to content that won't be offered otherwise. 

Happy Opening Day to all.  A brand new season is upon us and division rivals face off to get things started in the City of Brotherly Love as the reigning National League East champion Atlanta Braves visit the hopeful and revamped Phillies. The game will be televised locally on NBC 10 on Thursday at 3:00 PM. The pitching match up...RHP  Julio Teheran (9-9 record, 3.94 ERA last season) vs. RHP Aaron Nola (17-6, 2.37 ERA last season).   Teheran, a native of Colombia, went 1-0 with a 5.14 ERA in four starts against the Phillies last year.  In his career at Citizens Bank Park, the 28-year-old has tallied a 6-2 record with a 3.11 ERA and a .227 batting average against in nine starts.  While facing Teheran in his career, Phils OF Bryce Harper is a .450 hitter with three doubles, eight home runs, 19 RBI and 11 walks with 40 at bats.  Nola went 10-2 with a 2.34 ERA and a .211 batting average against in 17 home starts last year.  The Phillies' first ...