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...

Speculation about the 2018 Phillies starting rotation has so far focused on familiar names. Aaron Nola, Jared Eickhoff, Vince Velasquez, Nick Pivetta, Mark Leiter, Jr., Zach Eflin, Ben Lively and Jake Thompson have all made starts for the Phils this year, and all figure to be in the fight for major league roster spots in the Spring. One name that hadn't been mention so far is right hander Henderson Alvarez.  Alvarez made his first start for the Phillies last night, after being absent from the major leagues for over a year. Originally signed by the Toronto Blue Jays as an international free agent, Alvarez pitched a no-hitter for the Marlins on the last game of the season in 2013 and was an All-Star in 2014.  However, his career had been plagued by shoulder injuries.  After being named the Marlins' Opening Day pitcher in 2015, Alvarez's season ended early when he underwent shoulder surgery in July of that year. The Marlins did not tender him a contract at the end of...

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 ...