At the Complex
Stopped by the complex this morning and got to see two bullpen sessions by a couple of young pitchers in the rehab process. Lefty Erubiel Armenta (23 years old) and right hander Micah Ottenbreit (20 years old) both missed the entire 2023 season and are working towards returning for 2024 spring camp. Both threw about twenty pitches off the mound on Roberts Field under the fine tutelage of rehab pitching coach Aaron Barrett. Erubiel was focused on finding his release point on his slider it seemed, threw all of his pitches though in the session. Micah is someone we feel could do really well next season, today he threw the ball with both pop and movement - really good action on the slider and consistently on his target. Good stuff!
Micah Ottenbreit bullpen session - Jose Colmenarez catching
2023 European Baseball Championship
The 2023 European Baseball Championship started on September 24th and runs thru October 1st in five cities across the Czech Republic. Current or former Phillies listed below are playing in the tourney. Today Great Britain is playing Italy, Nick Ward is playing shortstop and hit a home run in his first AB for Great Britain, fellow Phillie Vito Friscia is the DH in the game for Italy.
Catcher Gabriel Lino - Spain
Infielder Nick Ward - Great Britain
Catcher/1B Vito Friscia - Italy
Infielder Roger Bernadina - Netherlands
Infielder Didi Gregorius - Netherlands
Outfielder Jiandido Tromp - Netherlands
UTL Ty Kelly - Israel
Nick Ward homers for Great Britain against Italy
Attendance Champs :
“The Lehigh Valley IronPigs have officially finished the 2023 Minor League Baseball season as 2023 attendance champions, leading the entirety of the minors in total attendance (567,322 fans) and in average attendance (7,990). This is the first time since 2012 that the IronPigs have led MiLB in both categories. For the 2023 season, the IronPigs had 71 openings during their 15th anniversary season and totaled 31 sellouts and 15 capacity sellouts (10,100 in attendance). The IronPigs return to the top spot in MiLB for attendance for the 3rd time overall, having led the minors in both average and total attendance in 2011 and 2012, while leading in average attendance in 2010."
Sam Jellinek - Iron Pigs Manager of Broadcasting and Media Relations
Eastern League All-Stars :
“Oliver Dunn and Carlos De La Cruz, both members of the 2023 Reading Fightin Phils, were selected to the Eastern League All-Star team, announced by Minor League Baseball.
Dunn spent the entirety of the season with Reading and hit a team-best .271, with 21 home runs and 78 RBI, a mark that also led the team. He set career highs in runs, hits, extra-base hits, home runs and walks. Dunn played 119 games this season, marking the first time in his pro career he played in over 100 games in a season. He also led the league in on-base percentage, OPS, walks, and extra-base hits. He also ranked within the top five in batting average, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, hits, doubles, and total bases. The Phillies acquired Dunn in the Minor League portion of last year's Rule Five Draft after he had been in the Yankees' organization since 2019.
De La Cruz, selected as a first baseman, also spent all of 2023 with Reading, appearing in a team-high 129 games. He hit .259 with a team-best 24 home runs and drove in 67 runs. He had the most hits in the Eastern League with 132 and also led the league with 231 total bases. He also ranked in the top five in home runs, doubles, and extra-base hits. He signed with the Phillies in 2017 as a free agent. He spent all of 2019 with Single-A Lakewood and was limited to just 63 games in 2021. He had a strong 2022 with Jersey Shore before earning a late-season call-up to Reading, where he then he turned in the best season of his career in 2023.”
Jake Starr - Fightins Media Relations and Press Box Manager
Just had to write something even though the minor league games are over - it’s engrained in me 😎.
Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️
Erubiel Armenta bullpen session - Jose Colmenarez catching - Coach Aaron Barrett looking on
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