6/18/25 : A note of thanks

I may or may not get back to the Clearwater area once we have moved back home in early July but wanted to take the time to thank and acknowledge some good folks at the Complex and in the organization whom we’ve come to know over the past ten years or so. My interaction with the Phillies all started with a note to then Director of Player Development (PD) Joe Jordan about a minor league pitching prospect in the Dominican Republic. I later got to meet Mr. Jordan in Clearwater and found him to be a most considerate and thoughtful person. During his tenure we discussed ideas about player nutrition programs, minor league administration and of course players. It began a un-solicited writing endeavor where I sent emails to various folks in the Phillies management chain where I wrote about all things minor leagues - mostly about players that I saw play in person or processes that might be improved upon. Joe told me at one of the meetings he attended in Philly new GM Matt Klentak asked him “who was this Steve Potter person?”  He told him and asked if Matt wanted him to tell me to quit sending the notes and the answer was no, that he actually appreciated them 😎.

Joe left the organization to turn to scouting, first with the Braves organization and now the Rangers - I run into him every now and again at Clearwater. When Josh Bonifay took over the PD role he was kind enough to meet me in front of the complex shortly thereafter and we chatted for a good bit about players and such. Josh was charged with the task of incorporating analytics into the player development process, it was not an easy one as it was met with resistance by many. During his tenure he was open to my interaction as well, I remember the day Danny Brito collapsed in Rochester texting him about it, he called back almost immediately and along with Brian Minnitti and others kept me up to speed on Danny’s progress. Speaking of Mr Minnitti I met him one day at a Threshers game when he was Assistant GM, he’s a very intelligent young man who’s passionate about baseball - is now a successful player agent. Brian has always been one of the most supportive people in my writing endeavors, when he was with the Phillies he even had thoughts of creating a role for me, just never came to fruition. Btw Josh became the Rangers PD Director after he left the Phillies and is still in that role.

When Mr. Dombrowski took over the Baseball Operations leadership I sent him a copy of my annual Phillies Minor League Digest (which I used to publish) and to my surprise he responded with a note of thanks. Over the years since he’s always been very cordial in responding to any notes I have sent him, I added him to my email distribution of my daily articles along with multiple coaches, managers, front office folks, media and others. I’ve just recently discontinued all of those email strings. Mr. D hired a bright young fella named Preston Mattingly to take on reorganizing and re-building a stronger PD organization platform with more effective communication. I was once again surprised when Preston called me a few days after being hired to introduce himself, that was indeed an honor. He established the “Protect the Standard” platform as a PD charter creating not only a document of expectations and rules but an article of adherence. There is no ambiguity on conduct and it’s well known. This year Preston moved into the General Manager role with Luke Murton taking on the PD role, Luke has a different style and personality but has continued much of the standard of operation, when it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

I’ve watched the PD front office at the Complex grow as well - I actually remember the day that Edwin Soto was hired as an Administator in Minor League operations and later writing a note to Mr D that he was a rising star. When Preston came aboard Edwin was promoted to Manager and then once again to Assistant Director. He’s a vital piece to the puzzle, especially in Latin American development. In my opinion there are additional administrative rising stars at the Complex in Jake Primack and Jose Hidalgo (both recently promoted to Coordinator roles) - these young fellas are dedicated and smart with very bright futures, both very professional and helpful in any interactions I’ve had. Ray Robles is perhaps one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met - he’s also a key cog in international operations as the Director, very informed and intuitive on how things work abroad and the rules that need to be followed - puts me very much in mind of a person I had work with me at Pfizer in a similar role. Ray also has a rising star in his group in Francisco Hernandez.

Nothing gets done in the Complex facility operations without the multi-tasking work of Director Joe Cynar. The Jack of all trades is a whirlwind worker/manager whom I’ve seen handle just about everything. He’s also got great stories whenever he’s had the opportunity to chat (which isn’t often) that make folks laugh. Joe is essential to the team, without him doing what he does things would be a mess. He also has some rising stars on staff - Vinnie Pezzino being one of my favorites - he keeps the clubhouse running smoothly as the Coordinator.

I’ve been able to meet multiple coaches and scouts during my time living in Clearwater - the stories they’ve shared have made me giggle like a school boy but their knowledge of the game has also been something I’ve truly appreciated. Often times it’s not been any particular conversation but observations of how they interact with players during practices/games to teach and get them engaged/motivated. I’ve been both a recruiter and field manager of men’s amateur teams in my past so truly appreciate the roles, not near the same as what these folks do but enough to get the jest, it’s been a great learning experience for me watching the pros do their jobs. Dominican Republic Field Coordinator Manny Amador will always be one of my favorites - just a genuinely good man who cares about people.

The security team at the complex and stadium is dedicated and hard working, it’s mostly staffed by part time retirees but they are very professional. That’s due to the leadership -Manager James Vondras runs a tight ship. A special shout out to Gary Kay, John and Jimmy who’ve been there for most or all of the time I’ve been doing my writing endeavor - all good people.

On the business side Dave Buck was always an advocate for me while he was in the organization, he even got my articles published on the Phillies website for a bit. John Brazier, Tom Burgoyne and Scott Palmer have also always been encouraging.  Former PR VP and legend Larry Shenk has been great in offering both friendship and advice, he even co-wrote a book with me about the history of the Phillies minor leagues and got it placed into the Cooperstown Hall of Fame - how cool is that! 😎.

Lastly the players - I can honestly say that I’ve gotten to know most everyone who’s come thru the complex gates and played baseball on the fields. That’s often includes interactions with their families and friends along with daily notes of encouragement during camp, the season and off-season. It’s fun to see fellas ya know reach the top but it’s also just as great a feeling to witness them realize each step along the way thru their pro careers regardless of where that may conclude.

The Clearwater chapter of daily interactions of my writing endeavor will soon end - I don’t know how long exactly I will continue writing about the Phillies PD process but I do still enjoy it so will very likely proceed for at least a bit. Both the IronPigs and RPhils have been kind enough to offer me media credentials.

Just wanted to express my thanks to those who have acknowledged what I do and allowed interactions over the years at the Complex and beyond, it’s been one of the highlights of my life thus far and is very much appreciated.

Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️

Gotta love the ice cream truck - maybe one day I can actually get a milkshake 😂

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