Another day at the office for Phillies' starting pitcher

Beerleaguer's spring correspondents observed that "it's worth the price of admission just to watch Tyson Gillies play center field." Here's what else they saw.

Cole Hamels and Kyle Drabek both looked sharp in their afternoon match-up. Hamels kept pace with the hot start of his rotation-mates; he was dominant through the first three innings, not allowing a base-runner, but surrendered a lead-off home run to Jose Bautista in the fourth. Drabek only went two innings, allowing a hit and a walk but no runs. Drabek was consistently popping the catcher's mitt with 93 mph heat on the corners, while also mixing in his big curve and another pitch that looked like a cutter. Prospect J.C. Ramirez rebounded from last week's poor debut and looked great in his three innings of work, striking out three scrubs en route to the save.

The offensive highlights came from Placido Polanco, who got on base in all four plate appearances, and John Mayberry, who continues to hit the ball hard just about every time up. Mayberry crushed two doubles into the wind and off the top of the left field fence.  In the field, Freddy Galvis made a couple slick plays at short, but the best moment came in the 9th, with Tyson Gillies sprinting all the way back to the track and making an unbelievable stab on a ball he had no business being anywhere near. It's worth the price of admission just to watch Gillies play center field. - courtesy of Monsterdouble.com

Notes: Cody Ransom belted a ninth-inning homer and also homered in the morning "B" game. The Phillies press office is wondering if a player has ever homered in two different cities, against the same team, in one day.

Comments

[Furnstein]

I'm sure Jayson Stark has a fleet of megacomputers pondering that very question. It seems like the ultimate Stark fun fact: Phillies-centric with real gee whiz wonder.

[PHIinBK]

I wish we bashed the crappola out of Drabek. It wouldn't have actually meant anything but it would've made me happy.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Stark would definitely love that stat. How long a ride from Clearwater to Dunedin mid-day?

Saw some griping about the Victorino quotes published this AM. I didn't take anything negative from it. NOt particularly thoughtful comments but, just some general commentary on teh differences b/w hitting 2 and 7 in that line up. People continually complain about the pat answers but, a guy gives a modicum of honesty or analysis and he's a bad teammate. I'm not a huge fan but, his comments were hardly negative toward a teammate. By that reasoning, Charlie Manuel is seriously dissing Carlos Ruiz and the entire team just by having an 8 hole hitter.

[mvptommyd]

Hugh: I agree with you. It is things that Shane says like that make me like him so much. He is a fiery guy on and off the field.

I don't think he is really dissing Ruiz, just not really thinking that the 7 hole could actually help him in many ways and play to his strengths.

[awh]

Ummm, Jason,not to be picky, but was Cole Hamels "dominate" through the first three innings, or was he "dominant" through the first three innings?

[awh]

I agree with Hugh too. I didn't read anything into those comments that was negative. He didn't say Ruiz was a bad hitter. He simply said he'll get pitched differently with Ruiz and the pitcher behind him. That's probably a true fact.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

awh: give JW a break, do you think he cares about typing when he's got cameras to worry about?

;-)

[denny b.]

Where is Galvis slated to start this year? Reading?

If he can just hit a little bit, that glove and arm could take him a long way.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

JW maybe should have typed "[sic]" behind that word in the report.

denny b., are you in Clearwater watching these games? I'd love it if Galvis is looking that good in the field.

[Jack]

denny b: Yeah, Galvis will probably be at Reading. Most likely he won't hit enough to ever be more than a backup defensive replacement, but god he's fun to watch play defense, isn't he?

I'd never seen him play before this ST, had only heard about his glovework, but man. The kid is just slick, and he has a gun. It's rare that you want to watch someone play defense, but the quote in the post about Gillies I would apply to Galvis as well.

Say what you will about the Phillies' "tools"-heavy philosophy, but it sure does provide for an entertaining brand of baseball.

[denny b.]

"denny b., are you in Clearwater watching these games? I'd love it if Galvis is looking that good in the field."

No, unfortunately I am not.

But I have been lucky enough to see some games on TV this year and have seen Galvis in person a few times at Clearwater last ST.

Galvis is fun to watch in the field. And he had a nice AB the other night against Atlanta. If he can just improve with the bat, he will have a future somewhere in the bigs as a middle infielder. He is that good, defensively.

Galvis and Gillies will be fun to watch at Reading this year (if Gillies also starts at Reading). Lots of web gems, with that duo.

[denny b.]

Back to Clout's comment from the last thread...

I said Mayberry reminds me a little bit of Werth. I am sticking by that.

Not saying that RFD will end up a All-Star OF on a pennent winning team. But they do have SIMILAR skill sets. Remember, Werth was also thought to be very vulnerable against RHP just a few years ago. Many here, thought he'd never make it as a everyday player. He was not a hot prospect anymore.

But he got a chance and he showed he could play.

Mayberry might be a AAAA player. But then again, he might not be.

All I know, is when he has gotten regular work in ST the past 2 years, he has looked dangerous at the plate and good in the field. He has been on literally everything the past week and a half in ST. If your BA was for hard-hit balls, he'd be hitting about .850

All I am saying is that he MIGHT (MIGHT) end up being a player. He might not be able to hit good major league pitching either. We really don't know yet. But I'd like to see him get some consistant AB's to actually see what we actually do or don't have. Guys come to life, at different ages, you know. Cholly has made a lot of hitters, come to life, under his tutelidge.

[bullit]

as a pedant, i can't resist correcting your spelling, denny b. my guess would have been tutelige. but just typed tutel into google and there it is: tutelage.

i thoroughly enjoy reading all the commenters here, even with all the verbal pugilism.

[NEPP]

I think Mayberry has a better shot at being an MLB player than Greg Golson.

And that's all that really matters to me.

[awh]

Gotta love Murphy's latest tweet on the right. finishes with the word "Intruiging".

I wonder where he might have picked up that writing techniques?

[clout]

denny b: "Dare I say it, but [Mayberry] reminds me a little bit of Jayson Werth. Remember, Werth was not thought of that greatly a few years ago."

Werth, age 25:

.262/.338/.486 in the National League.

Mayberry, age 25:

.256/.332/.456 in his 2nd year of Triple A.

I'd love to meet a pro baseball man who thinks Werth and Mayberry are on similar career paths.

[Lake Fred]

Tyson Gillies has a MLB sounding name, one the announcers can drag out for dramatic effect. He's got an asset that you can't teach....speed. If he can hit, he may be in our CBP future, unless the world ends in December 2012.

[kevmac]

I think what denny b meant or at least how I interpreted his comment was that their situation is similar. While I don't believe Marberry has had any injuries issues like Werth had (wrist), but that they are outfielders with somewhat similar tools (Strong defensive OFs, power ability, fast, somewhat long swings, etc). Not that he is projecting Marberry to have a similar career path or success.

I tend to agree with denny on this. I would say the odds are strongly against Mayberry evolving into a player as good as Werth, but to ask you the same question what pro baseball man thought Werth was going to become the player he is today when we picked him up from the bargain bin? If so, why wasn’t he rostered by another team? Why would we have signed Jenkins to that deal if our own people knew what he would have turned into.

I am not predicting that Mayberry will become even a league average or fringe starting OF on a good team, I am just stating that some posters seem to make comments as if there is no chance that he can evolve into anything more than a AAAA player and I disagree with making such definitive statement.

[thephaithful]

JW: good work on DNL last nite, was able to catch the majority of it.

You really didn't give them something to remember tho...after mentioning the word "luck" in relation to Hamels' performance, you really should have explained yourself instead. They even gave you an opening to describe stats like BABIP and FIP and you kind of just glossed them over by lumping them all together.

I feel like if you would have just focused on any one of the sabremetric numbers, that maybe they would have taken your word for it and possibly used it in the future.

[mvptommyd]

The phaithful: JW used my advice and stayed away from discussing stats like BABIP, WAR, FIP, etc.

The type of audience that DNL has doesn't care about those "stats". That show is geared towards the average fan, not the type of fan that loves to disect the stats.

With Barkann and Co. if he starting breaking out the calculator to discuss that stuff his 10 minute segment would have be shaved down to 6 minutes.

[EastFallowfield]

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