Breaking: IronPigs Initial Roster Announced

The IronPigs have announced their initial 2012 roster! Notice that there are only 22 players listed with 25 roster spots available. We should see more added before Opening Day. The final roster does not have to be set until 5:00 Wednesday. I'll break it down later today or tomorrow.

Pitcher	B/T	HT	WT	Age	2011 Team(s)	Notes
Phillippe Aumont	L/R	6-7	255	23	LV, Reading	#5 Prospect
Dave Bush	R/R	6-2	205	32	LV, Texas, Iowa	Starter
Tom Cochran	L/L	6-2	195	29	Louisville	Starter
Jake Diekman	L/L	6-4	190	25	Reading	First season at Triple-A
Scott Elarton	R/R	6-7	240	36	DNP	Starter
Jeremy Horst	L/L	6-3	220	26	Cincinnati, Louisville	Acq. in trade for Wilson Valdez
Austin Hyatt	R/R	6-2	180	25	Reading	27-11 lifetime in Minors
Pat Misch	R/L	6-2	190	30	NY Mets, Buffalo	Starter
David Purcey	L/L	6-4	240	29	Detroit, Toledo	2.57 ERA this Spring
Brian Sanches	R/R	6-1	190	33	Florida	3.94 ERA w/FLA in 2011
Michael Schwimer	R/R	6-8	240	26	LV, Philadelphia	9-1 w/LV in 2011

Catcher	B/T	HT	WT	Age	2011 Team(s)	Notes
Tuffy Gosewisch	R/R	5-11	180	28	Reading	66 RBI w/REA in 2011
Erik Kratz	R/R	6-4	255	31	LV, Philadelphia	2011 IronPigs Hitter of the Year
John Suomi	L/R	5-11	200	31	LV, Reading, Clearwater	19 G w/LV in 2011

Infielder	B/T	HT	WT	Age	2011 Team(s)	Notes
Andres Blanco	S/R	5-10	190	27	Texas, Round Rock	36 G w/TEX in 2011
Kevin Frandsen	R/R	6-0	185	29	LV	Pigs best .303 AVG in 2011
Cody Overbeck	R/R	6-1	200	25	LV, Reading	72 career Minor League HR
Joe Thurston	L/R	5-11	210	32	Florida, New Orleans	w/PHI organ. in 06 & 07

Outfielder	B/T	HT	WT	Age	2011 Team(s)	Notes
Domonic Brown	L/L	6-5	205	24	LV, Philadelphia	Continuing transition to LF
Derrick Mitchell	R/R	6-3	210	25	Reading	19 HR, 79 RBI w/REA in 2011
Luis Montanez	R/R	6-1	195	30	CHI Cubs, Iowa	69 RBI w/Iowa in 2011
Rich Thompson	L/R	6-3	185	32	LV	IL-best 48 SB in 2011

Source: Lehigh Valley IronPigs Official Website

Phantoms Phriday; Blog Updates; Transactions

Michael Leighton made 42 saves
Wednesday vs. Syracuse

The Phantoms have only played one game since our last check in and it was a big one. On the road at Syracuse the Phantoms got an important point, but lost in a shootout. The point put them in a tie for 9th place with Portland and three points behind Syracuse and Manchester for the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Phantoms and Syracuse have a big rematch tonight in Glens Falls. Faceoff at 7:05. You can listen online here.
---------------------------------------------------------------
I've added an IronPigs roster page and an IronPigs schedule page to the blog. The roster page is unofficial for now until we learn more sometime this weekend or early next week.

It's not new, but just a reminder that you can like B&B on Facebook. I will be using that more this season for pictures and updates.

There's also some new stuff on the wallpaper page.

Thurston playing with the
Ottawa Lynx in 2007

In Pigs related news, Erik Kratz was optioned down yesterday. A lot of fans were hopeful he'd be the back-up in Philly after hitting .409 this Spring. Juan Pierre was given a spot on the Phillies Opening Day roster which will likely send Scott Podsednik to the Valley to start the year.

Infielder Chin-lung Hu was released after failing his physical. 32 year old veteran Joe Thurston was signed for infield depth. If the name sounds familiar, Thurston played with the Phillies organization in 2006 and 2007.

Don't forget to vote in IronPigs March Madness! Elite Eight voting is open until 8:00 AM Saturday. Click here to vote.

Only 6 more days until baseball!

Four Years Of Baseball In The Books

5th year anniversary patch
(IronPigsBaseball.com)

You may notice a new patch on the IronPigs' jerseys this season. Believe it or not, 2012 is the fifth anniversary of the IronPigs franchise. With Opening Day eight days away the next week will be a busy time in Pigs Nation. So while we have the time, let's quickly look back at the first four years of IronPigs baseball.

The efforts to bring baseball back to Allentown go back to the early 2000's. For the sake of time, let's jump ahead to 2006. That was the year the franchise we now know as the Lehigh Valley IronPigs started to take shape. After the '06 season the Phillies ended their 18 year affiliation with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with the plan to move the team to Allentown. With the team on its way, The Morning Call began a contest for future fans to name the team. In November, Northampton resident Ron Steele's submission of "IronPigs" was selected from among 3,500 entries as the team's nickname. The other seven finalists were the Woodchucks, Vulcans, Keystones, Gobblers, Crushers, Phantastics, and Phillies. Although it seemed odd at the time, looking back it was the right decision.

While there were some who disliked the IronPig name originally, it didn't spark the outrage that occurred after the team named its mascot "Pork Chop" in December. Unbeknownst to the team "pork chop" is an offensive term sometimes aimed at the Puerto Rican community. Two days later we got Ferrous. On August 14, 2007 we got our first look at the four uniforms the IronPigs still wear today.

The view from left field in March 2008 prior to CCP's opening

With all that out of the way, the action on the field kicked off in March 2008. The Phillies came to Coca-Cola Park and played an exhibition against the IronPigs on March 30. Then at 7:07 PM on April 3, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's Kei Igawa threw the first pitch of the season to IronPigs outfielder Brandon Watson, beginning four years of up and down (mostly down) baseball.

In 2008 the Pigs went 55-89, losing their first 11 games. It wasn't fun baseball to watch, but some big names did pass through the Valley which kept people interested and excited about the team. Shane Victorino was the first Phillies player to rehab with the Pigs on April 26. Daisuke Matsuzaka made a rehab start on June 16 with Pawtucket that drew 8,803 fans despite heavy rain. Brett Myers turned around his season with a demotion to the IronPigs in July. He went back up to the Phillies and helped them win the World Series.

VIDEO: Dice-K warming up before his appearance at Coca-Cola Park on June 16, 2008

2009 and 2010 were not much better although the team went a respectable 71-73 in 2009 and drew the most fans in Minor League Baseball in 2010. The Pigs were filled with veterans who manager Dave Huppert eventually called out for caring only about their next contract. 2010 saw the Triple-A All-Star Game come to Coca-Cola Park, putting the stadium and the IronPigs in the national spotlight. Pigs first baseman Andy Tracy put on a show in the Home Run Derby, but fell to Durham's Dan Johnson in the finals.

The Phillies replaced Huppert and the veterans after the 2010 season. In came Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg to manage a made-over roster featuring talented young pitchers and younger veterans who had opportunities to be promoted and help the Phillies. The change worked as the Pigs went 80-64, made the playoffs for the first time, and advanced to the Governors' Cup Finals. The fans fell in love with the team who were talented and entertaining both on and off the field.

Now here we are about to begin 2012 and the IronPigs have two fan blogs covering them, are near the top in all of Minor League Baseball in terms of attendance and merchandise sales, and have the number one ranked stadium in Triple-A baseball. As I've said before, I think some MLB teams would be jealous of the IronPigs success.

Here's to another five great years.

Slideshow: Through the years: 2008-2011



Pigs To The Bigs
Antonio Bastardo (2009-2010)
Brian Bocock (2010-2011)
T.J. Bohn (2008)
Domonic Brown (2010-2011)
Miguel Cairo (2009)
Drew Carpenter (2008-2011)
Fabio Castro (2008)
Mike Cervenak (2008-2009)

Justin De Fratus (2011)
Sergio Escalona (2009)
J.A. Happ (2008-2010)
Paul Hoover (2009-2010)
Erik Kratz (2011)
Lou Marson (2009)
Scott Mathieson (2009-2011)
John Mayberry, Jr. (2009-2011)
Brandon Moss (2011)
Pete Orr (2011)
Juan Perez (2011)
Cody Ransom (2010)
Nate Robertson (2010)
Dane Sardinha (2010-2011)
Joe Savery (2009-2011)
Michael Schwimer (2010-2011)
Chris Snelling (2008 - first Pig call-up)
Mike Stutes (2010-2011)
R.J. Swindle (2008)
Jack Taschner (2009)
Andy Tracy (2008-2010)
Wilson Valdez (2010)
Tyler Walker (2009)
Les Walrond (2008 & 2010)
Vance Worley (2010-2011)
Mike Zagurski (2010-2011)

Rehab Appearances
Danys Baez (2010)
Jose Contreras (2011)
Chad Durbin (2009)
J.A. Happ (2008 & 2010)

Raul Ibanez (2009)
Brad Lidge (2010)
Ryan Madson (2010)
Pedro Martinez (2009)
Brett Myers (2008 & 2009)
Roy Oswalt (2011)
Placido Polanco (2011)
J.C. Romero (2009 & 2010)
Carlos Ruiz (2009 & 2010)
Brian Schneider (2010)
Rudy Seanez (2008)
Shane Victorino (2008 & 2010)

Phantoms Win Three Straight, Just Two Points Out Of Playoffs

In Friday's update the Phantoms playoff hopes seemed pretty slim. But after a very tough weekend that saw the Phantoms win all three games, they are now just two points behind Syracuse for the 8th and final playoff spot in the AHL's Eastern Conference! They have a home-and-home with Syracuse starting Wednesday with the opportunity to pull ahead of the Crunch for the 8 seed.

Big news for the Phantoms in the Valley as well. The (Lehigh Valley? Allentown?) Phantoms will be opening up a ticket office on Hamilton Street in the near future. Fans will be able to get information on ticket packages as well as view models of the arena and potentially check out an actual-size club box.

I also just got my first e-mail from the Phantoms in which they say they've already received over 1,500 season ticket requests. You can sign up for their e-mail list here.

Josh Barfield Signs With Baltimore

Just a quick note that 2011 IronPigs second baseman Josh Barfield has signed with the Baltimore Orioles. Barfield played in 123 games for the Pigs last season where he hit .257 with 6 HR, 55 RBI, 12 SB, and a .984 FLD%. In my opinion he was the most underrated player on last year's team. Hopefully he can get an opportunity with the Orioles. He's still on the good side of 30 at age 29.

Barfield was one of three remaining free agents from last year's team along with pitchers Eddie Bonine and Les Walrond, both of whom remain unsigned.

1B Jeff Larish, C Dane Sardinha, and LHP Ryan Edell (retired) also signed with Baltimore this offseason.

IronPigs March Madness: Elite 8

After one round of voting, the field narrows to eight players in the contest to determine the most popular Pig in franchise history. There was only one upset in the Sweet 16 with #12 Michael Schwimer beating #5 Andrew Carpenter. Elite Eight voting will be open all the way to next Saturday when the field goes down to four.

Your Elite 8 match-ups are...

1. Andy Tracy
12. Michael Schwimer

3. J.A. Happ
7. Scott Mathieson

2. Rich Thompson
6. John Mayberry, Jr.

4. Mike Cervenak
8. Mike Zagurski

CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

Phantoms Phriday Update

The Phantoms hopes of a playoff bid are slipping away after losing three straight games and five of their last seven. They have not been eliminated by any means, but they will have to put together a special final 12 games to make the postseason. The Eastern Conference playoff race is incredibly tight with 7th and 14th place being separated by just six points.

The Phantoms are sitting in 13th place as of Thursday night. That puts them five points behind 8th place Syracuse for the final playoff spot. The Crunch beat the Phantoms 5-2 last Saturday in Adirondack. The Phantoms also dropped a home game against Hershey last Friday, 6-3.

Tim McManus - the Glens Falls beat writer - wrote an article detailing the Phantoms playoff odds after their last game which was the loss to Syracuse on Saturday.

The Phantoms signed 18 year-old forward Derek Mathers yesterday. He'll add some physicality to the team as he was third in the Ontario Hockey League with 177 penalty minutes.

They will also be helped by the return of defensemen Erik Gustafsson and Brandon Manning who were both with the Flyers.

The Phantoms are at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (have to get used to the reverse name for hockey) tonight at 7:05 if you want to go check out some hockey.

IronPigs March Madness: Sweet 16

In honor of March Madness, here's your chance to vote for your favorite players in IronPigs in history in a bracket-style tournament that starts today and lasts through April 2. I compiled a list of 16 players from throughout IronPigs history and seeded them based on a combination of name recognition, performance, and time as an IronPig. Each round of voting will follow the NCAA Tournament schedule.

Sweet 16: Thursday (today)-Friday
Elite Eight: Saturday-Sunday
Final Four: March 31-April 1
Championship: April 2
Winner Announced: April 3

Here are the first round match-ups:

1. Andy Tracy
16. Brian Mazone

8. Mike Zagurski
9. Nate Bump

5. Andrew Carpenter
12. Michael Schwimer

4. Mike Cervenak
13. Brandon Moss

6. John Mayberry, Jr.
11. Paul Hoover

3. J.A. Happ
14. Brian Bocock

7. Scott Mathieson
10. Brian Gordon

2. Rich Thompson
15. Brandon Watson

Voting is now open! You do not need to register for anything and you can vote as many times as you like!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

Ryan Feierabend Cut

Lefty Ryan Feierabend has been released by the Phillies according to Baseball America, the link to which I first saw on The Horn and Bell.

Feierabend (10-8, 5.39) had his well known struggles keeping the ball in the park (gave up a team-high 20 home runs in 2011), but became just the second pitcher in franchise history to reach the 10 win mark (Andrew Carpenter also did it in 2009). The team was 15-8 in games he started and his strikeout total of 92 was second only to Brian Bass (105) among 2011 starters.

He was projected to be back in the IronPigs rotation this season.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Performers In Phillies Camp

The Phillies are 8-9 this Spring, but Spring Training is more about individual performances and some potential IronPigs have been playing very well in Clearwater...

10. David Purcey - Purcey has a save and 2.57 ERA in 7 innings this Spring. He's allowed two earned runs, both of which were solo home runs.

Elarton (Phillies.com)

9. Erik Kratz - Kratz has caught 8 games for the Phillies this Spring (twice for Cole Hamels). He's hitting .313 at the plate, but his defense has struggled (1 PB, 4 SB, 0 CS). Kratz has always been an offensive catcher though.

8. Scott Elarton - Elarton got hit around yesterday against Detroit in his first chance to start, but he had been doing a solid job in his first three games. His 10.1 innings are second highest on the team. He likely has played himself into a spot with the Pigs.

7. Kevin Frandsen - Frandsen has been getting a lot of opportunities to play this Spring. He's only hitting .172, but he has a home run and 6 RBI. He's played at every infield position.

6. Joe Savery - Savery (1-0) has pitched 5.1 shutout innings this Spring (4 games). He's struck out 7 and walked just 2.

5. Lou Montanez - Montanez is hitting .448 this month (highest among players with at least 10 games played) and they haven't been cheap hits. His .655 SLG% is also the highest among regulars. He's only got one homer, but it was a big win - a 10th inning walk-off against the Pirates.

4. Raul Valdes - Valdes is 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA in 6 games. In 6.2 innings he has struck out 8 and allowed just one run and four hits. The lefty is looking like an attractive option for the Phillies this summer or perhaps even earlier.

Kevin Frandsen signing autographs (Getty Images)

3. Scott Podsednik - "The Podfather" entered Spring Training in a battle with Juan Pierre for a spot on the Phillies bench and right now he's winning. In addition to stealing a team-high 5 bases, Scott is hitting .371 with 4 walks, 5 doubles, and a .964 OPS in 17 games.

2. Hector Luna - Luna has been leading the Phillies offense this Spring. He's hitting .300 with 8 RBI (2nd on team), 2 homers, and a .930 OPS. He delivered the game winning single on St. Patrick's Day against Toronto.

1. Freddy Galvis - Galvis leads all players with 10 RBI to go along with a .282 batting average, 6 runs (t-2nd), and no errors in 57 chances in the field. Oh and it looks like he has played his way into the Phillies' Opening Day second base position due to Chase Utley's bad knees.

Utley Leaves Clearwater, Galvis May Be Replacement

Very bad news coming out of Clearwater this morning that Chase Utley has left camp to see a specialist about his knee that has been bothering him for a long time now. Originally the news was just that he left, but now Ruben Amaro, Jr. has said Utley is "very unlikely to start Opening Day."

Starting at second base in Pittsburgh on April 5 could very well be Freddy Galvis who was expected to begin 2012 with the IronPigs. Galvis is of course a shortstop, but he has played second base in 8 of his last 10 games. Probably not an accident.

The transition has been smooth so far as Galvis has not committed an error in 32 chances (59.1 innings). His offense has been great too. In 15 total games this Spring, he's hitting .278 with 8 RBI (t-1st on team with Hector Luna) and a 9th inning, game-tying home run on Saturday.

I don't think the Phillies are hesitant about having him play in the majors despite him being 22 and playing just a quarter of a season above the Double-A level. The talent is there so I'd expect him to start at second base on Opening Day if Chase isn't healthy (which unfortunately he won't be for what looks like quite some time).

Alumni Monday

Back to regular posting this morning. I've been consumed by March Madness this past week. Congrats to Lehigh University on a great run. The shots just didn't fall in the second half last night against Xavier.
--------------
Jason Grilli has been lights out for the Pirates this Spring. In 5 games, he's given up just 1 hit and no runs in 6 innings. The Pittsburgh-Post Gazette has a great article on Grilli getting his career back on track (complete with a Pigs mention).

Brandon Moss led the A's to a victory yesterday with 4 RBI against the Diamondbacks. In 11 games he is hitting .526 with a HR and 7 RBI.

On Saturday Brian Bocock launched a go-ahead home run in the top of the 9th against the Phillies. In 7 games Bocock is hitting .455 with that HR, 2 RBI, a triple, and 4 walks for the Blue Jays.

Donald (Indians.com)

Bocock's current and former teammate Andrew Carpenter has been doing well for the Jays. He's appeared in 3 games allowing just a hit and a run in 4 innings.

Jason Donald drew two walks and scored two runs in his last game which came Thursday. Donald says he'll be happy to play anywhere the Indians put him.

J.A. Happ has had two bad starts in a row. Last Wednesday he allowed 3 runs on 7 hits in 4 innings. He has a 7.27 ERA for the Spring.

Terry Tiffee hasn't been lighting it up in Marlins camp, but at least he's getting a chance. He's played in 11 games going 3 for 27 at the plate (.111).

Jeff Larish got to play in both of the Orioles' games this weekend. He's hitting .250 for the Spring.

Lou Marson is hitting .462 in 7 games for the Indians.

Mike Zagurski has lowered his Spring ERA to 1.80 after three straight shutout performances. He's given up just one hit in his last three games (3 IP).

17 days 'til Opening Day!

Phils AAA'ers Win Opener; 9 Cut

Cody Overbeck has the early (very early) lead in the battle for 1B

The Phillies Triple-A squad played the first of their 16 Spring Training games yesterday and they won, shutting out the Blue Jays Triple-A team 4-0!

Cody Overbeck and Matt Rizzotti - the two guys battling for the Opening Day first base position - both played with Overbeck going 1 for 2 with a double and a run while Rizzotti went 0 for 2.

Rich Thompson had an RBI single.

The starter was lefty Tom Cochran who the Phillies signed recently. He pitched a perfect three innings and Ryan Feierabend followed that with a scoreless 6th and 7th.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Phils cut 9 players this morning including Dave Bush, Austin Hyatt, and Pat Misch.

Phils Minor Leaguers Sweep Canada Juniors

Picture from @BaseballCanada on Twitter

The Phillies minor league camp opened up their schedule of Spring Training games on Sunday against the Canadian Junior National team in St. Petersburg, FL. There's very little information online about the game, but the Phillies did win the game 17-12.

On Monday the Phillies won again - this time 11-1 - and the details are equally as hard to find. The Phillies used some players from the Canadian team in both games and Canadian Phillippe Aumont paid a visit to the team's dugout after the game.

The minor leaguers begin the real part of their Spring Training slate with a game against the Triple-A Blue Jays at 1:00 Tuesday afternoon. Details from those games are usually easy to find.

Wildcard Wednesday: Top Ten

It was a busy day yesterday so I didn't get a chance to post a Top Ten Tuesday column. I'll do it today instead.

Top ten things to look forward to during the 2012 IronPigs season:

10. Getcha popcorn ready: the PBS documentary IronPigs: Fan-tastic premieres April 4 at Coca-Cola Park.
9. Red Robin Tiki Terrace: you might not get a chance to sit out there since it's for groups, but it will be interesting to see it out there in left field for the first time
8. Being at the Park: it'll be great to be back outside watching baseball and enjoying the great food at CCP
7. Free stuff: giveaways this summer include a Rich Thompson bobblehead, a Harry Kalas statue, IronPigs drink pitcher, Vance Worley replica glasses, and of course an appearance by the Phanatic.
6. Indecision 2012: Ferrous or FeFe? The IronPigs kicked off the race for President of the Lehigh Valley last week. They say we can look forward to VP picks, endorsements, where they stand on pork barrel issues, and the two candidates talking with fans about the issues. That last part should be interesting.
5. Ryan Rehab: there's a strong possibility Ryan Howard will be in an IronPigs uniform at some point early in the season as he makes his way back from injury.
4. Domonic Brown: in my list countdown I said the Domonic Brown circus would be a distraction. But circuses are also fun and Brown is still a promising young prospect with a lot of talent.
3. Empire State of Mind: the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Empire State Yankees are hitting the road this year as PNC Field undergoes a $40 million renovation. They will be the home team for eight games at Coca-Cola Park this summer.
2. Freddy Galvis: the future Phillies shortstop showed us why he is so highly regarded last summer and will likely excel even more this season.
1. Playoffs!: not to get ahead of ourselves, but the IronPigs appear poised to make another run at the Governors Cup

Alumni Monday

A weekly look at what some former IronPigs are up to...

J.A. Happ (HOU) started and got the win yesterday against the Nationals. Happ pitched 2 innings, allowing a run on 3 hits. Click for highlights and interview with Happ.

Brian Bocock (TOR) drew two walks in two at-bats against the Pirates yesterday after taking over for Brett Lawrie at third base.

Brandon Moss (OAK) played in both games this past weekend. The MossHog went a combined 1 for 2 with an RBI and a walk.

Cody Ransom (AZ) also played in two games this weekend, but failed to produce anything in 3 at-bats.

Jason Donald poses during photo day at Indians camp

Jason Donald (CLE) started at 2B and went 0 for 3 against the Reds yesterday.

Jason Grilli (PIT) pitched a perfect 8th inning with a strikeout against Toronto on Sunday.

Lou Marson (CLE) had a good game against Cincinnati on Sunday going 2 for 2 as the starting catcher. He'll be the back-up come April, but in an article by the Akron Beacon Journal he says he prepares everyday like he's the starter.

Michael Taylor (OAK) went 1 for 7 against Seattle Friday and Saturday.

Mike Zagurski (AZ) had a good showing in his first appearance with the Diamondbacks. Big Z struck out 2 in an inning of work against the Rockies. Zagurski, likely to start the year at Triple-A, was one of very few players to show up to camp on the first Sunday of practice.

Here's video of R.J. Swindle throwing his trademark curveball at Cardinals camp in Jupiter:

Spring Training Weekend Recap

Despite the Phillies losing both games to the Yankees by three runs, several IronPigs (or potential IronPigs) had a good weekend.

Scott Podsednik appeared in both games, starting Sunday's game as the DH. He went a combined 2 for 4 with 2 runs, a walk, and a stolen base. His opponent for a bench spot with the Phillies, Juan Pierre, did just as well (2 for 3, run, walk, stolen base).

Kratz talks with Cole Hamels
(US Presswire)

Kevin Frandsen was the only Phillie to hit a home run besides Hunter Pence. Frandsen hit a 2-run home run on Saturday in the 9th inning.

Lefty Raul Valdes struck out two in a perfect inning of work on Saturday.

Freddy Galvis played in both games including the entire Sunday game. He went 2 for 7 with an RBI.

Hector Luna went 1 for 1 with a walk on Saturday and followed it up with an RBI on Sunday.

Erik Kratz got the start Saturday and Tuffy Gosewisch started Sunday. Neither did much. Kratz went 0 for 2 while Gosewisch went 1 for 3 with 2 strikeouts and allowed a stolen base.

Scott Elarton and Austin Hyatt are scheduled to pitch tomorrow against the Yankees in relief of starter Joe Blanton.

OVERALL SPRING STATS (through 3/4)

Catchers

Player	Pos	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	AVG	OBP	CS%	PB
Tuffy Gosewisch	C	1	3	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	.333	.667	0%	0
Erik Kratz	C	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	--	0

Infielders

Player	Pos	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	AVG	OBP	E
Kevin Frandsen	2B/1B	2	3	1	1	1	2	0	1	0	.333	.333	0
Freddy Galvis	SS	2	7	0	2	0	1	0	1	0	.286	.286	0
Hector Luna	3B/1B	2	2	0	1	0	1	1	0	0	.500	.667	0
Pete Orr	2B/3B	2	3	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	.000	.000	0

Outfielders

Player	Pos	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	AVG	OBP	E
Domonic Brown	LF	2	6	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	.333	.333	1
Lou Montanez	RF	1	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	1.000	1.000	0
Scott Podsednik	RF/DH	2	4	2	2	0	0	1	0	1	.500	.600	0

Pitchers

Player	Pos	W-L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	WHIP
Phillippe Aumont	RHP	0-0	9.00	1	0	0	1.0	4	3	1	0	2	4.00
Dave Bush	RHP	0-0	4.50	1	0	0	2.0	1	1	1	0	2	0.50
Justin De Fratus	RHP	0-0	0.00	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
Jake Diekman	LHP	0-0	0.00	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
Scott Elarton	RHP	0-0	0.00	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
Jeremy Horst	LHP	0-0	0.00	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
Austin Hyatt	RHP	0-0	0.00	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
Pat Misch	LHP	0-0	0.00	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
Joel Piniero	RHP	0-1	4.50	1	0	0	2.0	3	3	1	1	0	2.00
David Purcey	LHP	0-0	0.00	1	0	0	1.0	0	0	0	1	0	1.00
Chad Qualls	RHP	0-0	27.00	1	0	0	1.0	3	3	3	0	1	3.00
J.C. Ramirez	RHP	0-0	0.00	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
B.J. Rosenberg	RHP	0-0	0.00	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
Brian Sanches	RHP	0-0	0.00	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
Joe Savery	LHP	0-0	0.00	1	0	0	1.0	0	0	0	2	2	2.00
Michael Schwimer	RHP	0-0	0.00	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
Raul Valdes	LHP	0-0	0.00	1	0	0	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0.00

Injured

Player	Pos	Injury	Return Date
Justin De Fratus	RHP	Elbow Soreness	3/5

Couple Of IronPigs In Action Today

Happy weekend Pigs fans!

Today's the fist real Spring Training game for the Phils and a few of our guys will get a chance to play against the Yankees at 1:05. The game will be live on Comcast SportsNet.

Dave Bush, Raul Valdes, and Chad Qualls will be mixed in with Dontrelle Willis and new closer Jonathan Papelbon following the start by Cole Hamels. Mike Stutes will close the game according to Phillies.com.

No word on the line-up, but you can expect some Pigs will be in it or will come off the bench.

Phantoms Phriday Update

It's a little too early to cover the Phantoms on a daily basis, so we'll dedicate Fridays to them for the time being.

With about a month left in the regular season, what was the Phantoms best season since moving to Adirondack has fallen apart. At 26-26-2, they are 13th in the 15 team Eastern Conference and five points behind Albany for the 8th and final playoff spot. The Phantoms have won three of their last four games so maybe things are turning around. A 4-8-0 January really hurt them.

Last Week
2/24: @ Rochester, 0-2 L
2/25: @ Binghamton, 2-1 W (SO)
2/26: vs. Syracuse, 4-3 W

Leading Scorers
Jason Akeson (F) - 10 G, 32 A, 42 pts, -8
Matthew Ford (F) - 16 G, 19 A, 35 pts, -5
Denis Hamel (F) - 16 G, 17 A, 33 pts, -24
Ben Holmstrom (F) - 11 G, 20 A, 31 pts, -10

In Goal...
Michael Leighton: 17-20-0, 2.76 GAA, 91.1 SV%
Jason Bacashihua: 8-8-1, 2.81 GAA, 90.9 SV%

This Week
Tonight: @ Providence, 7:05
Saturday: @ Albany, 5:00
Sunday: vs. Wilkes/Barre-Scranton, 3:00

In The Valley
Arena May Add Hotel, Offices

Hector Luna Homers; Handful of Potential Pigs Pitchers Allow Just One Unearned Run vs. FSU; Links

Austin Hyatt warms up before yesterday's game against Florida State
(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Yeah it doesn't mean much in the grand scope of things, but it's exciting to be able to report on a game for the first time since September.

A number of past and likely future IronPigs helped the Phillies to a 6-1 win over Florida State yesterday down in Clearwater. On the mound 25 year-old Austin Hyatt got the start and pitched two perfect innings while striking out three and not allowing a base runner. Tuffy Gosewisch also got to start behind the plate and went 1 for 2 before giving way to Erik Kratz who drove in a run and scored another.

The seven pitchers who followed Hyatt all have a shot of being IronPigs come April. Among them are guys we already know like Michael Schwimer (1 IP), Joe Savery (1 IP, 2 H, 1 K), and Phillippe Aumont (1 IP, 1 H, 1 K).

Hector Luna led a five-run 7th inning with a 2-run home run. Freddy Galvis, Lou Montanez, Domonic Brown, Scott Podsednik, Kevin Frandsen, and Peter Orr also got a chance to play.

Pigs-Related Box Score

Player	Pos.	AB	R	H	RBI	Misc.
Freddy Galvis	SS	2	1	0	0	1 K
Lou Montanez	RF	1	0	0	0	1 BB
Hector Luna	3B	1	1	1	2	HR
Domonic Brown*	LF	1	0	0	0	SB
Scott Podsednik	LF	2	0	1	1	2 TB
Kevin Frandsen	1B	1	0	0	0	--
Pete Orr	2B	2	1	1	0	1 E
Tuffy Gosewisch*	C	2	0	1	0	2B
Erik Kratz	C	2	1	1	1	1 K
Pitcher	Pos.	IP	H	R	ER	BB/K
Austin Hyatt*	RHP	2.0	0	0	0	0/3
Jake Diekman	LHP	1.0	0	0	0	1/2
Jeremy Horst	LHP	1.0	0	0	0	0/0
Michael Schwimer	RHP	1.0	0	0	0	0/0
Joe Savery	LHP	1.0	2	0	0	0/1
J.C. Ramirez	RHP	1.0	1	1	0	0/1
Phillippe Aumont	RHP	1.0	1	0	0	0/1
B.J. Rosenberg	RHP	1.0	2	0	0	0/0

*denotes starter

Other stuff to read:
Phillies.com Recap
Highlights (including quick interview with Hyatt)
Domonic Brown OK After Getting Hit in Right Wrist
Better Mentality Aids Aumont
Podsednik vs. Pierre
Hyatt Eyes Triple-A Spot