There hasn’t been much interest in the “Around the Horn” series or in my Phillies game recaps I’ve been posting so I thought I’d take a different angle and combine elements of those with some other tidbits ... a fresh perspective so to speak 🤓.
Some of the items may be repetitive or things you’ve heard/read elsewhere ... in those cases it won’t be so fresh, apologies for that. I can promise that whatever I post will be as true to speak as I can verify it ... no fake news here 👌... that’s if I don’t botch it a bit with a misspelling or two 🤪.
Anyways ... here it goes.
The Phillies Game :
Our team took an ass whooping last night in Atlanta ... an 11-2 loss. One bright spot was the major league debut of LHP Jo Jo Romero ( yes I watched the whole game 🥴 ). Jo Jo struck out the side in a perfect inning and touched 97 on the radar with his fastball. He threw strikes with three different pitches and was excellent. When Jo Jo commands his emotions and repertoire he’s very capable ... we were very happy for him ! It certainly should earn him another look in the not so distant future.
Personally I continue to see a lack of energy and having fun amongst our crew ... they just seem pressed, tight and subsequently flat. That’s perhaps just me 🤪.
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The Trades :
Matt Klentak spoke with the media during the game ... about 20 minutes in length. Takeaways were that with the money received from Boston in addition to the player exchanges the Phillies remain under the luxury tax threshold but are close. They also were working on the deal with the Red Sox for about a week, the David Hale transaction with the Yankees was concluded in the early hours of the AM yesterday but announced later.
He said he didn’t feel pressured to stay under the salary threshold but it indeed was a guideline. More moves may come within the days remaining till the deadline, those will be dictated by what happens on the field ... they will stay in contact with other clubs.
In regards to JT and his contract status he said that JT had requested that whatever negotiations may be ongoing that they be kept private and that he would honor that request.
Asked if he felt pressured to “win now” he said the club has always looked to improve and that this season’s approach is no different.
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The Post Game Remarks :
Skipper Girardi was asked about the trade and said he was excited to have the three veteran hurlers join the club but that it would take each player that’s already here to dig deeper in order for the team to win. In regards to Alec Bohm’s struggles at third base in the game ( two errors ) he said that due to the wet conditions the coaching staff didn’t have an opportunity to work with Alec pre game on his fielding ... that they will continue to do so and that he’s confident in Alec ... they will work it out.
Aaron Nola said that pitching behind in the count was an uphill battle and that his lack of command was his downfall.
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Alternate Site Update :
With the trades yesterday the Allentown site roster has been diminished to 21 players.
Enyel De Los Santos and Trevor Kelley cleared waivers and are back in Allentown.
David Robertson and Ranger Suarez are working with the Allentown group.
There will be an additional 40 man roster transaction when the two Boston acquisitions are added and two active roster transactions when they are activated. Of course one of those transactions could accomplish both actions.
Here’s the current Alternate Site Roster :
Pitchers : ( 11 )
Victor Arano
Garrett Cleavinger
Enyel De Los Santos
JD Hammer
Damon Jones
Trevor Kelley
Mauricio Llovera
Adonis Medina
Christopher Sanchez
Ranger Suarez
David Robertson
Catchers ( 3 ) :
Deivy Grullon
Logan O’Hoppe
Rafael Marchan
Infielders : ( 4 )
Austin Listi
Nick Maton
Bryson Stott
Ronald Torreyes
Outfielders : ( 3 )
Kyle Garlick
Mikie Mahtook
Nick Martini
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League News :
The Blue Jays won their sixth straight game by defeating the Rays in ten innings. Their victory ended Tampa’s five game winning streak.
Miguel Rojas returned to action for Miami after battling Covid and hit a home run that propelled them to a win over Washington. The Marlins intend to be buyers approaching the trade deadline and are seeking bullpen help. They have their eye on Kansas City and their pending free agency hurlers.
The White Sox hit six home runs in their 10-1 win over the Cubs and have won six games in a row. Jose Abreu hit two taters and Dallas Keuchel went eight innings ... they are now 16-11 for the season.
Walker Buehler struck out eleven hitters in six innings in a 5-1 win over the Rockies to push the Dodgers record to 20-8. The Dodgers are the first team to 20 wins this season.
The A’s won their ninth straight game at home with a 5-3 victory against the Angels. It’s their longest home field winning streak since 2013 ... the Cardboard Cutout fans there were very excited 😁
Evan Longoria hit the 300th home run of his career for the Giants in their 6-2 win against Arizona.
The Minor Leagues :
The Minor League office adjusted their negotiations team by adding additional team owners to the group. Ongoing talks with Major League Baseball’s contingent continue with management control as one of the sticking points. Minor League baseball’s current management would like to maintain their independence. Contraction of teams is considered a definite from both sides of the table ... how many and which cities are also a talking point. In a somewhat related bit of news the Yankees furloughed multiple player development personnel yesterday ... it’s a telling sign of things to come when minor league contraction occurs.
Editorial Opinion :
It’s mind boggling to me the mean spirits of some on social media when players don’t play so well or if trades occur. I’ve gotten to know many of the folks in the organization and albeit many say that such remarks are ignored it doesn’t make writing or saying them right. Some comments are so idiotic as to suggest physical harm ... that’s just stupid and contemptible. It’s not being a “real fan” to say those things, it’s being a flat out jerk 🤬. Please keep in mind that if you feel compelled to make a comment that it might just be read by a friend, family member or the person themselves ... it’s a game and yes we all have emotions but to go beyond that to an extreme isn’t acceptable in any forum.
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Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️
Jo Jo Romero
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