Results tagged ‘ Phillies ’
Howard Speaks
Ryan Howard spoke to reporters this afternoon for the first time since Game 5 of the 2011 NLDS.
Here are some of the highlights (including some baseball and non-baseball talk):
Q: Are you ahead of where you thought you’d be?
A: I feel good, where I am right now. I mean, I don’t know what everybody else’s expectations were for me to be at this point, but I feel good. Not exactly where I want to be yet, there is still a lot of strengthening that needs to take place, change of direction and working on those kinds of things, but I feel all right.
Q: Realistic to be back in May?
A: We’ll see. Ask me in May. I’m not going to put a time limit on it. I’m going to listen to my body and see where we are.
Q: What did you do for those two months you were immobile?
A: Watch a lot of TV. A lot of TV. Lots of (Real) Housewives shows and sporting events.
Polanco Says He’s Healthy
Placido Polanco got to camp this morning and reporters had the opportunity to ask him (countless) questions about his health, which is a big issue entering the season.
“I’ve been taking ground balls, hitting, running,” he said. “I think I’m good to go.”
Polanco had offseason sports hernia surgeries to repair two abdominal tears. He said he is confident he can remain healthy the entire season.
“You can’t think, ‘Oh, I’m going to get hurt,’” he said. “I got fixed. I did a good rehab. So, we’ll see. I think I’m going to stay healthy.”
He said he is not limited in any way entering camp.
He also said the injuries affected him last season. He said he wasn’t in pain as much as he felt weak. He said it affected him everywhere on the field.
“When you have a tear in the abdominal, you know it’s there,” he said. “When you’re hurt in that area, you know how much you use it. Sometimes you take it for granted. When you hurt your elbow, you can’t move. You use your abdominal for everything. And when I had surgery, I really noticed it. Every time I coughed, every time I laughed, it hurt. It’s a small muscle, but you really use it.”
Hamels Isn’t the Only Potential Phillies Free Agent
Guess who else becomes a free agent following this season?
Shane Victorino.
It seems 100 percent of the attention has been on Cole Hamels, but the Phillies’ All-Star centerfielder could walk following the 2012 season, too. Victorino arrived in camp today to a red carpet, director’s chair and lights in front of his locker following last night’s appearance on Hawaii 5-0. (Photo courtesy of Jimmy Rollins.) That’s all fun and games, but here’s some of what Victorino said about his potential free agency.
“You definitely think about it, but you’ve just got to stay focused on what’s ahead of you,” he said. “It’s a big year for all of us, not just because of free agency. Getting back to where we need to be is very important. There are a lot of expectations. I don’t want to use the word disappointment, but last year ended so quick. We want to keep this team as long as we can, but there’s a certain point when all that stuff starts coming into play.”
Victorino said there haven’t been any contract negotiations yet, but he said he plans on it.
“I don’t plan on going anywhere else,” he said.
Victorino said he would “like to stay focused on the season and not worry about that kind of stuff, but you never know what’s going to happen. I never put a time frame on anything, but I just want to stay focused on playing the season out and seeing what happens. We’ll go from there. But I don’t think you should put a time frame on it. But is it going to be a distraction if you’re talking about it during the year? Yeah, I think sometimes it does.”
So, much like Hamels, Victorino said he wants to stay in Philly and has no timetable to reach an extension …
Hamels: No Deadline, Wants to Stay
Cole Hamels just finished up his news conference this afternoon at Bright House Field.
Here are a few highlights:
Q: Are you setting a deadline to reach an extension?
A: No. No, I don’t have any deadline. I think the only deadline that is set is by Major Leauge Baseball with (exclusive negotiating rights) five days after the World Series.
Q: So nothing needs to be settled by Opening Day or anything?
A: No, no, no. I’m just going out and getting ready for this year. that’s my main focus. It’s to get as strong as possible throughout spring training and go into the season and try to help this team win. That’s everything I’ve always been able to focus on, especially since we haven’t been back to the World Series in a couple of years, that’s kind of the main focus that I’m going to put every ounce of energy going toward.
Q: In your heart, do you want to be a Phillie for a long time?
A: I was very fortunate enough to be drafted to an organization that is trying to win and obviously has won. Every day, every year we seem to get some top players. So that kind of shows the value and the direction the team wants to go. I’ve just been very fortunate to be a part of it. And it’s also something where I don’t know any better, I live in Philadelphia. I’ve been here for I guess 10 years now, so that’s been something that’s been kind of nice, kind of something I’ve been focused on. It’s a great organization to play for and I’d love to be a part of it.
The Number Shuffle
If you have any interest about the numbers on the back of the Phillies’ uniforms …
We know Jonathan Papelbon‘s alter ego “Cinco Ocho” is based on the No. 58 on the back of his jersey.
But when he came to Philadelphia he knew Antonio Bastardo had the number. No big deal. Papelbon and Bastardo have the same agents, so Bastardo had no problem handing his number to the Phillies’ new closer. (Papelbon gave Bastardo a Rolex for the effort.) Of course, then Bastardo needed a new number. Phillies director of team travel and clubhouse services Frank Coppenbarger gave Bastardo a few options, and Bastardo finally settled on No. 37.
Now, Justin De Fratus wore No. 37 the final couple weeks of the 2011 season. But that’s not enough service time to keep it, so he handed the number to Bastardo. Not that he minded. Because when Coppenbarger started to rattle off a few numbers for De Fratus, he blurted out, “How about 79?”
“Are you serious?” Coppenbarger said.
“Yeah,” De Fratus replied. “I wore it in the (Arizona) Fall League (in 2010).”
Coppenbarger said he had no problem with that. In fact, he liked it because De Fratus will never have to worry about any player asking him for his number ever again. But he also made sure De Fratus really wanted it. Coppenbarger said, “Hey, if you pick this you’ve got to stick with it. If your teammates start giving you a hard time you can’t start switching around.” De Fratus said he wanted it.
So he’s got it.
And that’s how Papelbon got 58, Bastardo got 37 and De Fratus got 79.
“I wore it in the Fall League and I had a good Fall League,” De Fratus said. “So why not?”
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From Sunday in Clearwater:
Cinco Ocho’s Intro Music? It’s A Secret
Greetings from Clearwater.
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you know I have an unhealthy obsession with players’ intro music. And no intro music is bigger than a closer’s intro music. So after Jonathan Papelbon‘s news conference ended this afternoon and after he finished a couple TV interviews, I asked him if he had chosen his song. Papelbon had the Dropkick Murphys I’m Shipping Up to Boston while he closed for the Red Sox, but that won’t work in Philadelphia for obvious reasons.
So?
“I’ve got one,” he said.
And?
“I cannot share it,” he said. “That stuff is top secret, man.”
Papelbon said it’s a hard rock song, one he planned to use in Boston before he got asked to use I’m Shipping Up to Boston.
“That’s about as much as I can give you,” he said.
He said it’s not Philly related like I’m Shipping Up to Boston is Boston related. But then there really aren’t any popular Philly-type songs like that, are there? The Rocky theme song is played so much it just wouldn’t work. I mentioned Eye of the Tiger, which is kind of Philly related, and Papelbon said, “I feel like that might be a little bit too corny.”
So I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Single Game Tickets On Sale Tomorrow
From the Phillies:
Phillies single game tickets, including the On-Deck Series on April 2-3, go on sale tomorrow beginning at 8:30 a.m.
All single game orders will be limited to eight tickets per game.
Note: Opening Day vs. the Miami Marlins (April 9) and the Boston Red Sox series (May 18-20) are available through an online ticket opportunity at phillies.com. In addition, starting tomorrow at phillies.com, Opening Day will be available for purchase through a six-game pack and the May 18 game against Boston through a three-game pack.
How to Purchase Tickets
- Online, 24 hours a day, at www.phillies.com.
- Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.by calling 215-463-1000.
- Tomorrow: In person at the Phillies West Ticket Windows at Citizens Bank Park, starting at 8:30 a.m.
- After tomorrow: In person at the First Base Gate ticket windows at Citizens Bank Park, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Mark Your Calendar: Victorino on Hawaii Five-O on Feb. 20
Shane Victorino is appearing on the Feb. 20 episode of Hawaii Five-O on CBS.
According to CBS, Victorino stars as a business executive on a company retreat. Olympic speed skater Apolo Ohno also appears in the episode as a Hawaiian history buff. The episode centers around the murder of a man dressed as a Hawaiian NaKoa warrior.
The Phillies have been well represented the last couple years on television. Ryan Howard has appeared on HBO’s Entourage and FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Chase Utley appeared in the same episode of It’s Always Sunny. The Phanatic just appeared in a recent episode of NBC’s 30 Rock.
Jimmy Rollins said last year he did voice work for an episode of FOX’s The Cleveland Show, although an airdate is unknown.
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The theme song to Hawaii Five-O is great. But where’s the love for Magnum, P.I?
Details of the Rollins Deal
Here are the specifics of Jimmy Rollins‘ new deal with the Phillies:
2012: $11 million
2013: $11 million
2014: $11 million
2015: Club option for $8 million. If not exercised, Rollins has a player option for $5 million.
The club option automatically vests for $11 million if Rollins has 600 plate appearances in 2014; or if he has 1,100 plate appearances in 2013-14 and (1) he is not the disabled list at the end of the 2014 season OR (2) if he is on the disabled list at the end of 2014, a mutually agreed upon doctor deems him available for the Opening Day 2015 roster. His salary increases by $1 million if he wins the MVP in the immediately preceding season ($500,000 if he finishes second or third). Other bonuses: $50,000 for All Star; $1 million for MVP ($500,000-2nd or 3rd; $250,000-4th or 5th); $100,000 for World Series MVP; $50,000 for League Championship Series MVP; $50,000 for Gold Glove; $50,000 for Silver Slugger.
Phillies Sign Qualls (Chad, Not DJ)
The Phillies believe they made a low-risk move today when they signed Chad Qualls to a one-year, $1.15 million contract.
“Chad was one of those guys that was available to us at a reasonable price for what he can do,” Ruben Amaro Jr. said. “He has the ability to pitch in the seventh and the eighth. We’ll see where he fits. Charlie (Manuel) and (Rich) Dubee and Chad will decide that, but he’s certainly a guy with a power-sinker and power-slider combination. He was throwing very well at the end of the year. He’s had some battles with consistency, but he clearly has ability and some durability. And those are pretty important elements.”
Qualls, 33, went 6-8 with a 3.51 ERA in 77 appearances last season with the San Diego Padres. He had a 1.96 ERA in his final 19 appearances, but also went 4-5 with a 5.05 ERA in 38 appearances on the road compared to 2-3 with a 2.09 ERA in 39 appearances in pitcher-friendly PETCO Park.
Can he pitch outside PETCO?
“We looked at it. We saw it,” Amaro said. “We took a look at some of that data and information, but at the end of the day when we discussed it with our scouts we just felt like this type of a risk on a guy was not all that big of a risk. We kind of know what we’re going to get out of him.”
Right-handers hit just .218 with a .537 OPS against him last season, while left-handers had much better success, hitting .320 with an .881 OPS.
“If he’s throwing strikes regularly he’ll do some damage for us,” Amaro said.
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Amaro offered some other updates last night at the Philadelphia Sports Writers’ Association dinner, including an injury update on Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell possibly retiring a Phillie. Click here for more.
Todd Zolecki
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