Philadelphia Baseball History

This spring, Phillies right handed pitcher Vince Velasquez finds himself in a fierce competition for the last spot in the Phillies rotation for the start of the 2020 season.  This is familiar territory for Velasquez, as he has battled, not only in spring training, but also during the season, for a spot in the Phillies rotation since joining the team in 2015.  His strong right arm, which allows his to throw fastballs upwards of 97 mph, has given him an advantage at times.  But, his inconsistency, lack of command, and high pitch count have all contributed to his inability to solidly claim a starting role coming into the 2020 spring training season. Hailing from Montclair, California, Velasquez was drafted right out of high school, where he was a star shortstop and switch hitter.  Velasquez had pitched on occasion with Garey High School in Pamona, California.  His high school career showed the Houston Astros that he was a versatile athlete, prompting the Astros...

How quickly things can change in just three days. Three days ago, Phillies fans were celebrating. The Phils had taken three in a row from the Dodgers, the team with the best record in baseball. The Phillies needed only two more wins, out of ten games remaining, to avoid a one hundred loss season.  But now the Phillies have lost three in a row. Twice, the team has blown a lead after five innings and eventually lost by one run. This is a familiar refrain for Phillies fans, because the team has lost a league-leading thirty-six one run games. Worse, in one game, pitching prospect Ben Lively was blown out with five runs in the first inning, demonstrating that consistency remains a problem for the young pitching staff.  Still, there have been signs of hope in those last three games. Henderson Alvarez, whom the Phillies are giving an end of the season try out after two shoulder surgeries, pitched five scoreless innings last night. The Phillies' rookies continued to shine. Nic...

At 18-14, this Phillies team has been fun to watch.   Some might even say surprising.   Although, for those who were paying attention in Spring Training, this early season success isn’t that surprising.   This was a team that, according to some pundits, was supposed to be tanking.   Yet the Phils sprinted out to a 10-3 record in the early Spring, and it looked like they didn’t know that they were supposed to lose.   Now, just as the early Spring Training success signaled cautious optimism, so too should this early season success.   There are still over 100 games to go in the regular season.   Nonetheless, watching the pundits react with surprise has been amusing.   Sportswriters, quite frankly, are not known for original thought.   Pre-season prognostication of gloom and doom appeared to be nothing more than lazy group think.   Many of the predictions were based on the dismal 2015 season.   Indeed, ESPN in one article noted...

For Phillies fans, it's easy to get cynical. The team is off to a 1-4 start. The offense is anemic. The bullpen can't keep a lead. After less than a week, it's looking like everyone who picked the Phils to finish 30th out of 30 teams was right on target.  Of course, it's a long season. There are 157 games left to be played. Teams have ups and downs throughout the season. And if there is any encouraging news in this first week, it's the staring pitching.  Hellickson, Nola and Eickhoff all had solid outings. Velasquez announced his presence with authority blanking the reigning NL Champions with 9 strike outs.  Even with Morton's rocky start, Phillies starting pitching is sixth in in ERA (2.93), fourth in opponents' batting average (.194) and third in WHIP (.98).  Two of the staring pitchers, Hellickson and Velasquez, have a zero ERA.  Offensively, Franco is hitting .286 with a home run and 2 RBIs. Howard has 2 home runs. With 359 career home runs, Howard just ...

(Photo by Yong Kim, philly.com) It's only spring.  (The Phillies are 10-3-2 in Spring Training games.) These games don't count.  (They are ties with Toronto in the Grapefruit League and Arizona in the Cactus League for most wins.) You have to temper your expectations.  (Maikel Franco is hitting .346 with 4 home runs and 10 RBIs.) This is a young pitching staff, and you can't expect much.  (Vince Velasquez has a monster fastball and has struck out 9 in 9 innings of work.  In 8 innings, Brett Oberholtzer is yet to give up a run, and has a WHIP of 1.13.) We can't expect them to score runs.  (The Phillies are second only to Arizona in runs scored in Spring Training, with 89.) Teams don't play their best players in Spring Training.  (Adam Morton blanked the presumptive Yankees starting line-up yesterday in 4 innings of work.) And everyone who is anyone is picking the Phillies to come in dead last for the foreseeable future.  (Did I ment...