Phightin' Phils Phorum

Phillies Draft Kelly Dugan and Kyrell Hudson

The Philadelphia Phillies sacrificed their first round draft pick to acquire Raul Ibanez in the off season making their first selection of the 2009 draft in the second round and the 75th pick over all. With that pick the Phillies selected a high school player named Kelly Dugan.

Dugan played for Sherman Oaks, California's Notre Dame High School and is set to go to Pepperdine University. We will see if the Phillies can persuade him to sign with them instead. They think he will sign before the August 15th deadline.

Dugan,  a 6-3 205 pounder, hit .379 with 8 homeruns in his senior year at Notre Dame. He is a switch hitter who has power from both sides of the plate and is projected as a corner outfielder. He can also play first base.

In the third round the Phillies drafted Kyrell Hudson. The right handed outfielder played for Evergreen High School in Washington state and is 6'0 weighing in at 185 pounds. He is considered the number 1 baseball prospect in the state and number 2 football prospect. He has committed to Oregon State where he is expected to play both football and baseball. 

The L.A. Times did a nice piece on Dugan. 

Lidge Hits The DL / Draft Day Is Here

Having blown six saves already this season amidst various complaints of a sore knee, Brad Lidge recently insisted that his knee troubles were in the past.  However, he was placed on the 15-day DL today, which will be retroactive back to June 7th.  Does this explain his 7.27 ERA?  Maybe.  But placing him on the DL may very well be a combination of the knee issue plus his bad performance.  Perhaps the knee, which may well be feeling better, threw off his mechanics and now he needs time to straighten things out.  Lidge was looking better his last few outings, but is still not the Lidge of last season. 

Ryan Madson will take over the closers role in Lidge’s absence and a new face was added to the club to fill the hole.  Paul Bako, 36, has been called up from AA.  Bako is a catcher who hit .357 in 10 games so far this year with the R-Phils.  One can only assume he will be used as an additional bat off the bench, as we do not need two 30-something year old catchers (Coste), plus a starter (Ruiz).  This still seems an odd choice though, as Bako bats lefty.  I would love to look into my crystal ball to see what the Phillies are thinking here.  Then again, if I could read minds, I would be making a lot more money ;O)

Draft Day

The draft is upon us and word has it that the Phillies will take a high school prospect for their first pick (75th overall).  They had a first round pick, but that went to the Mariners in the Raul Ibanez deal.  We are all fine with that though, I assume :O)  The draft kicks off at 6pm.

Mets Voodoo

Yes, it is back.  The Mets voodoo is ON!  J-Roll Smurf and friends have prepared the hex for this 3-game series which kicks off tonight at 7:10pm.  Power of the mind, people – get out your pins and take a stab to help out J-Roll Smurf!

And do not forget to keep VOTING for our Phillies All-Stars!  VOTEup to 25 times per day, per email address!

Photo by Jenn

Draft Signing Deadline Passes

With an hour left before the deadline, the Phillies signed 38th round pick Jarred Cosart. The right handed has a 94 MPH fastball and will begin his professional journey with the Phillies. Johnny Coy was the only player from the first hat could 10 rounds that they could not sign. He wanted more money than Mike Arbuckle thought he was worth and will go to the University of Arizona where he will play baseball and basketball.

The Phillies did well getting the players they really wanted to sign from this draft including first rounder Anthony Hewitt who has been playing in Clearwater and is being developed as a third baseman.

Other unsigned draft picks are RHP James Weber, 3B Keith Broxton, SS D.J. Henderson, 1B James Simpson, RHP Blaine O'Brien, CF Matthew Johnson, RHP James Pond, Daniel Mars, CF Michael Petello, RHP Charles Law, 1B Justin Zumwalde, LHP Giovany Soto, SS Mark Ginther, RHP Michael Russo and RHP Josh Hake.

Phillies Sign Pettibone

The Phillies signed third round compensation pick  Jonathon Pettibone on Monday. The Friday midnight deadline to sign players from this year's First-Year Player Draft was just four days away. Pettibone will receive a $500,000 signing bonus. He passed on a scholarship at Southern California to begin his Phillies career. "It's always been a dream of mine," said Pettibone, "I want to get started."

Son of former major leaguer Jay Pettibone, Jonathon shows promise. There is a lot of raw talent in the 6 foot 190 pounded right hander but it is a long way from here to the big leagues!

Phillies Sign Top Draft Pick

Anthony Hewitt had 1.38 million reasons to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies first pick and 24th overall selection in this year's Draft agreed to terms with the Phillies and will report to Clearwater, Florida this week. He turned down a commitment to play for Vanderbilt University stating he wanted to start his professional career as soon as possible.

Hewitt hit .536 batting average with eight home runs and 19 RBIs during his senior year at Salisbury School in Connecticut. He played shortstop in high school but may project as a third baseman for the Phillies. He would look good with Howard, Utley, and Rollins in the infield. It is too early to tell how good he will actually but Hewitt and the Phillies are optimistic that he has a huge future in front of him in the Phillies organization.

The Phillies have now signed 27 of 53 players drafted and have their prized draft pick inked.

Phillies Sign 23 of 53 So Far

The Philadelphia Phillies have signed 23 of the 53 players drafted in the 2008 draft so far. They have only signed 4 of their top 10 picks however including their first pick Anthony Hewitt and Jason Knapp, Jonathan Pettibone, Trevor May, Colby Shreve and Johnny Coy.

The latest players to join the fold are Zack Collier, Jean Rodriguez, and Anthony Gose. Collier and Rodriguez are 17 and 19 years old respectively. Collier has been compared to Garrett Anderson and hit .450 with seven homers and 27 RBIs in 80 at-bats, earning him Inland Valley Player of the Year honors. He attended Chino Hills High School.

Gose hit .443 with a .618 on-base percentage and 31 stolen bases this season for Bellflower High School. He projects as a center fielder and will not pitch in the Phillies' organization. Gose's greatest asset is his speed, Gould said, with a future as a top-of-the-order on-base threat.

The picks reported to Clearwater yesterday and will start their trek to the major leagues. Phightin' Phils Phorum wishes each player much success.

Phillies Draft 52 Players in the 2008 Draft

The second day of the 2008 draft ended and the Phillies ended up with 52 new players that could potentially join the organization and boost a depleted farm system. Philadelphia drafted 24 high school players, 26 collegiate players, and 2 players not associated with a  school. They got  25 right handed pitchers, 5 southpaws, 9 outfielders, 4 first basemen, 4 shortstops, and 3 third basemen. They also got a catcher and second baseman.

Below is a list of all of the team's picks from MLB.com.

Pick #                                                                             School              Pos   B/T  Ht    Wt        Age         Class

24		Hewitt, Anthony	Salisbury School (NY)	SS	R/R	6'01"	195	1989-04-27	HS
Comments: As the spring wore on, few players had more helium than Hewitt, a toolsy high school shortstop. He can run and should hit for power down the road. A terrific athlete with a good arm, most feel a move to the outfield is likely so he can just go out and develop his considerable offensive tools. As a Northeast kid, he's a little raw, but has shown good improvement this spring. His name had been climbing up charts everywhere and the only thing that could hold him back is signability due to a commitment to Vanderbilt.
34		Collier, Zachary	Chino Hills HS (CA)	LF	L/L	6'02"	185	1990-09-08	HS
Comments: Collier began the year behind other California high school outfielders like Aaron Hicks and Anthony Gose. He closed the gap with some strong performances this spring, showing some big-time power in some big games. He's still very raw, but with some more instruction, a whole lot could be unlocked.
51		Gose, Anthony	Bellflower HS (CA)	OF	L/L	6'01"	190	1990-08-10	HS
Comments: Depending on how he develops, Gose could fit one of two types. He could be a Corey Patterson type, one who flashes brilliance and hits for power but strikes out a lot. He also could be a Juan Pierre type, a leadoff hitter who sprays line drives and steals bases. Either way, someone will draft the Urban Youth Academy product based on his projectability. Gose has also drawn plenty of interest for his ability on the mound, throwing as hard as 97 mph from the left side, but he's been fairly adamant about wanting to be considered an outfielder only.
71		Knapp, Jason	North Hunterdon Reg HS (NJ)	RHP	R/R	6'05"	225	1990-08-31	HS
102		Worley, Vance	Cal St Long Beach	RHP	R/R	6'02"	220	1987-09-25	JR
110		Pettibone, Jonathan	Esperanza HS (CA)	RHP	L/R	6'05"	200	1990-07-19	HS
136		May, Trevor	Kelso HS (WA)	RHP	R/R	6'05"	215	1989-09-23	HS
166		Hamilton, Jeremy	Wright St U	1B	L/L	6'00"	195	1986-11-13	JR
196		Shreve, Colby	Col of Southern Nevada	RHP	R/R	6'05"	210	1988-01-05	J2
Comments: A seventh-round pick a year ago by the Atlanta Braves, he looks to improve his Draft standing as one of the better JUCO pitchers in the country. He's added some velocity, up to 96 mph, and while he's still a work in progress, there's plenty to work with in terms of arm strength and size.
226		Coy, Johnny	Benton HS (MO)	3B	R/R	6'07"	205	1989-07-05	HS
256		Rodriguez, Julio	Puerto Rico BB Academy HS	RHP	R/R	6'04"	195	1990-08-29	HS
286		Overbeck, Cody	U Mississippi	3B	R/R	6'01"	201	1986-06-05	SR
Comments: Examine Overbeck tool-by-tool and you might not be all that impressed, but the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts. He can swing the bat -- with some power -- and that's the skill that could carry him to the big leagues. Defensively, he may be the type who moves around a bit, some at third, some at first, but he could develop into a Kevin Millar type in the future.
316		Rodriguez, Jean	George Washington HS (NY)	C	R/R	5'10"	204	1989-03-27	HS
346		Stutes, Michael	Oregon St U	RHP	R/R	6'01"	185	1986-09-04	SR
376		Weber, James	Clearwater Central Catholic HS (FL)	RHP	R/R	6'00"	170	1990-08-12	HS
406		Rosenberg, Brian	U Louisville	RHP	R/R	6'02"		1985-09-17	5S
436		Schwimer, Michael	U Virginia	RHP	R/R	6'08"	240	1986-02-19	SR
466		Saunderson, Damarii	Northville HS (MI)	OF	L/L	6'03"	185	1989-11-27	HS
496		Hanzawa, Troy	San Diego St U	SS	R/R	5'09"		1985-09-12	5S
526		Murphy, James	Washington St U	1B	R/R	6'04"	240	1985-09-16	SR
556		Cloyd, Tyler	No School	RHP	R/R	6'02"	190	1987-05-16	NS
586		Susdorf, Stephen	Fresno St U	OF	L/L	6'01"	190	1986-03-28	SR
616		McConnell, Eryk	North Carolina St U	RHP	R/R	6'01"	185	1985-07-29	5S
646		Grieve, Sean	Col William & Mary	LHP	L/L	6'01"	195	1984-12-13	SR
676		Hargrave, Daniel	UNC Wilmington	2B	R/R	6'00"	178	1985-12-13	SR
706		Haislet, Brandon	U Hawaii	OF	R/R	6'02"	205	1985-08-26	5S
736		Noles, David	Columbus St U	LHP	L/L	5'11"	185	1985-07-18	SR
766		Edwards, Daniel	Kansas St U	RHP	R/R	6'01"	190	1985-09-28	SR
796		Bergh, Ryan	Old Dominion U	RHP	R/R	6'04"	220	1985-04-25	5S
826		Poe, Chad	Bossier Parrish CC	RHP	R/R	6'02"	190	1987-11-14	J2

856		Ellis, Jordan	Villanova U	RHP	R/R	6'02"		1985-09-11	SR
886		Broxton, Keon	Lakeland Senior HS (FL)	3B	R/R	6'03"	187	1990-05-07	HS
916		Henderson, D.J.	Southeastern HS (MI)	SS	R/R	6'02"	175	1989-09-22	HS
946		Arroyo, Spencer	Modesto JC	LHP	L/L	6'03"	160	1988-08-09	J2
976		Ellis, Sean	Polk CC	RHP	R/R	6'04"	210	1986-12-02	J1
1006		Simpson, James	Dowagiac Union High (MI)	1B	R/R	6'01"	220	1990-03-05	HS
1036		O'Brien, Blaine	Scituate HS (MA)	RHP	R/R	6'07"	180	1989-10-16	HS
1066		Rio-Nunez, Ruddy	Edouard Montpetit HS	OF	R/R	6'00"	190	1990-02-16	HS
1096		Cisco, Michael	U South Carolina Columbia	RHP	R/R	5'11"	190	1987-05-23	SR
1126		Johnson, Matthew	John W North HS (CA)	CF	R/R	5'11"	175	1990-01-17	HS
1156		Cosart, Jarred	Clear Creek HS (TX)	RHP	R/R	6'03"	180	1990-05-25	HS
1186		Pond, Joseph	Judge Memorial Catholic HS (UT)	RHP	R/R	6'02"	185	1989-10-28	HS
1216		Marrs, Daniel	James River HS (VA)	RHP	R/R	6'03"	200	1990-02-08	HS
Comments: He may be a bit of a project, but he's the kind that many teams like to take on. Marrs is a big, strong, athletic and projectable high school right-hander with arm strength galore. He can get his fastball easily into the mid-90s and hasn't shown any ill effects from last year's shoulder injury. There isn't much else that's consistent besides his velocity and whoever drafts him will have to work on secondary pitches as well as his command. That kind of live arm isn't so common, so someone is likely to take a leap and try to teach Marrs the nuances of pitching.
1246		Petello, Michael	Scottsdale CC	CF	R/R	6'01"	185	1988-07-22	J2
1276		Bolsenbroek, Mike	No School	RHP	R/R	6'08"	210	1987-03-11	NS
1306		Frew, Bryan	U Nebraska Omaha	OF	L/R	6'00"	195	1986-03-10	SR
1335		Law, Charles	Mainland Regional HS (NJ)	RHP	R/R	6'07"	215	1990-05-23	HS
1363		Zumwalde, Justin	Sabino HS (AZ)	1B	R/R	6'03"	220	1990-02-16	HS
1390		Soto, Giovany	Advanced Central College HS	LHP	L/L	6'04"	150	1991-05-18	HS
1417		Fike, Nathan	Potomac St Col	LHP	L/L	6'00"	175	1988-01-23	J2
1444		Ginther, Mark	Jenks HS (OK)	SS	R/R	6'02"	180	1989-12-04	HS
1471		Russo, Michael	Hun School (NJ)	RHP	R/R	6'05"	210	1989-11-07	HS
1498		Hake, Josh	Park U	RHP	R/R	6'00"	210	1987-03-03	JR

Phillies Draft High School Shortstop for First Pick

The Philadelphia Phillies drafted Anthony Hewitt in the draft today as their first pick and 24th overall. Hewitt is seen as a player who could hit for power and will probably be moved to third base as the Phillies look for the long term solution for a player to take over the hot corner. He has a commitment to Vanderbilt University but said, "I don't want to drag out the process too long. I'm pretty sure [the talks] will go pretty well. I really want to go ahead and pursue my professional career as soon as possible. I'm eager to start." It should be an easy signing for the Phillies.

Pick	POS	Name	School
24.	SS	Anthony Hewitt	Salisbury School (Conn.)
34.	LF	Zachary Collier	Chino Hills HS (Calif.)
51.	OF	Anthony Gose	Bellflower HS (Calif.)
71.	RHP	Jason Knapp	North Hunterdon Reg HS (N.J.)
102.	RHP	Vance Worley	Cal St Long Beach

Here are the reviews of the other players signed as they were given on Phillies.com

Round 1 (compensation): Zach Collier, OF, Chino Hills (Calif.) High School
A slender left-handed hitter, Collier is quick to the ball with a high finish, and he makes good contact. He has power now and more to come. Wolever compared him to the Angels' Garrett Anderson. He projects as a big league corner outfielder.

Round 2: Anthony Gose, OF, Bellflower (Calif.) High School
The third high school position player selected by the Phillies, Gose projects as an outfielder with the potential to be similar to Corey Patterson (flashes of power but little plate discipline) or Juan Pierre (spray hitter with little power). Said area scout Tim Kissner: "Very good instincts in center field with true cannon for an arm. A run-saver in center field. Has shown bat speed and feel for wood bat. Middle-of-field, line-drive approach. Plus runner. Good athlete and good makeup."

Round 3: Jason Knapp, RHP, North Hunterdon (N.J.) High School
Said area scout Gene Schall: "Throws three pitches, fastball (89-93 mph), curve and change. Fastball explodes out of hand and has heavy sink. At 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds with wide shoulders, excellent pitcher's body."

Round 3: Vance Worley, RHP, Long Beach State University
The first college player taken by Philadelphia, Worley was also a 20th-round selection by the Phillies in 2005, out of McClatchy High School in Sacramento, Calif. He's risen quite a bit since. Said area scout Tim Kessner: "92 [mph] fastball. Throws a good two-seamer with sink. Good feel on how to pitch with solid secondary stuff. Always battles and competes. Potential to be starting pitcher."

Round 3 (compensation): Jonathan Pettibone, RHP, Esperanza (Calif.) High School
The Phillies received compensation for not signing last year's third-rounder, right-hander Brandon Workman. Said area scout Darrell Conner of Pettitbone: "Long, lean athlete who will fill out and get stronger. Projectible high school pitcher. Played basketball. Can be back end of the rotation starter. Father, Jay, pitched for the Twins (1983)."

Round 4: Trevor May, RHP, Kelso (Wash.) High School
Clocked as high as 94 mph, May posted an 11-1 record with 128 strikeouts in his senior year, a season which that included consecutive no-hitters, six complete games and four shutouts. Also has a knuckle curve. He has signed a letter of intent with Washington State.

Round 5: Jeremy Hamilton, 1B, Wright State (Ohio) University
Named one of 50 semifinalists for the Golden Spike Award, which is presented to the top amateur baseball player. He ended his junior year as one of the top hitters in the nation and was named the Horizon League Player of the Year. The Cincinnati native hit .410 with a .716 slugging percentage and a .515 on-base percentage.

Round 6: Colby Shreve, RHP, College of Southern Nevada
Clocked at 89-90 mph last year, Shreve lit up radar guns in the 92-96 mph range, with a fastball that moved. Has an inconsistent curveball, with a good changeup. He doesn't walk hitters, but will leave balls over the plate.

Overall it seems like a good draft day for the Phillies. I like the Collier pick and if he works out Aaron Rowand's departure will be even more easy to take. The truth though is that you do not really know until years down the road when these players develop into what they really are. Only time will tell!

Upcoming Draft

The Philadelphia Phillies have 8 picks in the first 5 rounds of the draft which begins on June 5, 2008. Their first pick is number 24 which is the lowest number pick the team has had since draft inception in 1965. The team is not looking for anything in particular but to refresh the farm system with the best players available. Some hopefuls for the Phillies are  Tim Melville (Holt H.S., Wentzville, Mo.), Ethan Martin (Stephens County H.S., Toccoa, Ga.), Gerrit Cole (Orange Lutheran H.S., California) or Alex Meyer (Greensburg H.S., Indiana).

Here are the Phillies draft picks:

#24 overall 1st round
#34 overall Sandwich Pick/ Aaron Rowand
#51 overall Sandwich Pick/ Aaron Rowand
#71 overall 2nd round
#102 overall 3rd round
#110 unsigned draft pick compensation/ Brandon Workmen
#136 overall 4th round
#166 overall 5th round

The draft will be televised again on ESPN2 on June 5 from 2:00pm to 6:00pm.