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Tag: Philadelphia Phillies

  • Lenny Dykstra’s Son Selected by Braves in MLB Draft

    In 1993, former New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Lenny Dykstra broke the hearts of many Braves fans when he crushed a 3-2 pitch in the top of the 10th inning for a home run to give the Phillies the 4-3 win in Game 5 of the 1993 NCLS, helping to bring a halt to the Braves 104-win season and preventing the Braves from winning their third consecutive World Series. Twenty-one years later, Dykstra hopes his son will help alleviate the pain of that memory for the Braves organization.

    Luke Dykstra, shortstop and second-baseman for the Los Angeles Westlake High School, was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the seventh round of the 2014 MLB First-Year Player draft. The 6’1′, 195 pound athlete impressed the Braves with his consistent approach at the plate and his discipline during the game, leading on scout to remark that “He plays like his daddy.”

    Tony DeMacio, the Braves’s director of scouting, agrees with the scout’s assessment: “He’s just like his dad, he plays with his hair on fire.”

    For some, that comparison may be a negative. While Lenny Dykstra was known for his determination and spirit on the field, assets which helped him win one World Series title and compete for another, he was not without his controversies off the field. In 2007, Dykstra’s name was mentioned in the MLB’s Mitchell Report – an investigation into the use of performance-enhancing drugs by major league players. Upon the release of said report, Dykstra would admit to his use of steroids in order to gain a leg-up on the competition. In 2012, Dykstra plead guilty to bankruptcy fraud, concealment of assets, and money laundering. He would serve 6 months in prison for his crimes.

    Despite his tainted life, however, Dykstra has high hopes for his son:

    I’m very excited that he’s with the Atlanta Braves. They’re a great organization. I know they don’t like me very much because I kicked their [butt] all the time. But they’re a first-class organization. They win. They are obviously doing a lot of things right there. They keep bringing players up there like the Cardinals. It’s almost like the Braves and Cardinals have some kind of factory where they clone these [players].

    When speaking about his son on a personal level, Dykstra was not afraid of praising his athletic prowess: “The kid can flat out play. I’m not telling you that because he is my kid. I’m telling you that because it’s the truth. He’s 6-foot-2, 190, can fly and he’ll hit 25 to 30 home runs in the big leagues. I think the Braves stole him at that spot. I think the other teams are going to pay for passing him up.”

    Luke Dykstra will receive an opportunity to show the Braves what he is made of rather soon as the Braves expect Dykstra to report to their Spring Training Facility in Lake Buena Vista, Florida within the next week.

    Image via YouTube

  • Cole Hamels Could Return To MLB Action In Two Weeks

    If the Philadelphia Phillies are going to have any chance of competing in the National League East this season, they are going to need a healthy Cole Hamels back in the rotation. The 30-year-old lefty started the season on the disabled list due to biceps tendinitis, but things could be looking up for the ace in terms of recovery time.

    Hamels, who was in Philadelphia yesterday for opening day, said that he could be back in the rotation in just two weeks. That would put him one week ahead of schedule. Hamels and the Phils now believe that he could return to the major league mound on April 22 in Los Angeles to face a tough Dodger squad. Hamels said, “I do feel really great. Everything has been going really well in between days, the day after, my bullpens. I feel nothing is in the back of my mind. There’s nothing lingering. I’m ready to go, and they’re letting me go.”

    The pitcher is steadily building up arm strength, by 15 pitches every outing, at the minor league level in Clearwater. He could throw around 75 pitches during a minor league start as soon as Friday. Manager Ryne Sandberg is happy with Hamels’ progress, “He’s feeling good about everything, so that’s going well.”

    Due to gaps in the MLB schedule at the beginning of the season, the Phils won’t need a fifth starter until April 17. The frontrunners for that spot are currently Jonathan Pettibone and David Buchanan. “It’s more . . . performance-based and who we think is the right guy and ready for the task and who makes sense as far as quality, giving us a chance to win,” Sandberg said. “We have two or three choices. We’ll make a decision in the next day or two on that.”

    The former number one draft pick signed a six-year $144 million contract in July of 2012, which made Hamels the highest paid player in the history of Philadelphia sports. However, he had a disappointing 2013 and ended the season with a 8-14 record. Meanwhile, the Phils finished with a dismal 73-89 record last season despite having one of the highest payrolls in the National League.

    Hamels and the Phils hope that the injury is just a minor blip, and he can join ace Cliff Lee to re-establish a dominate top of the rotation. The aging Phils are not expected to be a huge offensive juggernaut this season and will need excellent starting pitching to make a run against NL East rivals and World Series contenders in the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Philadelphia Phillies Announcers Are Stepping Down

    The Phillies have signed a new contract with NBCUniversal and Comcast SportsNet that is supposedly worth $2.5 billion over 25 years. According to the Associated Press, the network has made the decision for broadcaster Chris Wheeler and color analyst Gary Mathews to step down from their current positions.

    The team released the following statement:

    As the longest-tenured member of the Phillies broadcasting team, Chris Wheeler will return to his club roots after stepping down from his role as a Phillies broadcaster. With 37 years of broadcasting experience, combined with his front office background where he began his Phillies career, ‘Wheels’ will take on a new role allowing the organization to continue to benefit from his knowledge, experience and dedication to the game. Additionally, Gary Matthews will continue to work with the Phillies bringing his exceptional background as a major league ballplayer, broadcaster and commenter to new roles at the Phillies.

    Wheeler says that he is excited for the new role that he will be taking on. “It’s been an honor and a privilege to be a part of the Phillies broadcast team for 37 years,” Wheeler said in a statement. “I certainly respect the decision that was made and I look forward to my new role in the Phillies organization.”

    Mathews had a similar reaction, and says that he is excited to be staying with the Phillies. “I enjoy working for the Phillies and want to retire as a Phillie,” Matthews said. “This is a great opportunity for me to remain in the area and also do my charity work.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Darren Daulton: 2 Brain Tumors Successfully Removed

    Former Philadelphia Phillies all-star Darren “Dutch” Daulton has successfully made it through a 7-hour surgery to remove two brain tumors.

    According to a WPVI report, Daulton was awake and speaking after the surgery on Monday. No complications were reported along with the surgery, and the all-star catcher is expected to be released sometime this week.

    Despite earlier reports that one of the glioma tumors was inoperable, doctors at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia were able to remove both. Daulton will now have to endure radiation treatments and participate in speech therapy,

    Daulton was drafted by the Phillies in the 1980 MLB draft, and became the team’s full-time catcher in 1989. He became a three-time MLB all-star with the Phillies, in ’92, ’93, and ’95. Daulton was traded to the Florida Marlins in 1997 and won a World Series with that team before retiring that same year.

    (Image courtesy Dealphungo/Wikimedia Commons)

    (via WPVI)

  • Jayson Werth Breaks Wrist: Twitter Reacts

    Jayson Werth, right fielder for the Washington Nationals, broke his left wrist during the Philadelphia Phillies game on Sunday night. According to doctors, the break is severe enough that Werth may not return to the field for several months. To fully understand the extent of the injury, Werth will need to visit a specialist.

    During the sixth inning, Werth made a dive to catch a ball hit by Placido Polanco. In the process, the right fielder’s glove got caught beneath him, causing his wrist to bend backward. It was apparent right away that something was wrong; Werth remained on the ground momentarily before finally tossing the ball back infield. Afterwards, he promptly headed off to have someone examine his injury.

    “It’s a clean break,” Washington manager Davey Johnson explained. “He’s going to be out for a while.” Werth was unavailable for comment after the game.

    Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time the right fielder has experienced troubles from a damaged wrist. Back in 2006, Werth missed the entire season with the Dodgers when an injury to his left wrist completely derailed his ability to play.

    Twitter reaction to the news has been particularly interesting, as there are some people who are pleased with the fact that he hurt his wrist yet again. What’s wrong with these people, you ask? I honestly have no idea. You can sample some of these tweets below.

    (image)@philliesnation
    Phillies Nation    Just because Jayson Werth left your favorite team doesn’t mean you should be happy when he gets injured. Lets get real people.(image) 13 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@bduffking44
    Billy Duffield    Good luck to Jayson Werth of the Wash Nationals on a speedy recovery he broke his wrist last night makin a sliding catch vs the phillies!(image) 4 minutes ago via Twitter for Android ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@ajcolello
    Anthony Colello    Jayson Werth out for 12 weeks is devastating for the Nats already anemic offense. More Bryce!(image) 37 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@Timstobrazil
    Tim McAndrew    RT @thedugssports #phils fans @ #Nats Park booed a special olympics athlete, then booed Jayson Werth breaking his wrist http://t.co/Gf0zPge9(image) 57 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@Pritch_48
    Riley Pritchett    Nothing makes me happier than seeing jayson werth get hurt(image) 2 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

  • Philadelphia Phillies Sign Robot Pitcher?

    Apparently, having the best pitching rotation in Major League Baseball isn’t enough. In order to address that desire for more, the Philadelphia Phillies have signed a new member to their pitching staff, one that could change the balance of power in baseball for years to come. Instead of depending on delicate, organic entities to collect pitching wins, it’s clear the Phillies are looking towards the robotics industry with the addition of a pitching robot to their roster.

    The newest edition to the Phillies roster shouldn’t have a hard time adjusting to its new surroundings, seeing how the Phillies already have a robot as a pitcher:


    So this new robotic pitcher shouldn’t be anything new to Phillies fans.

    Er, that’s not quite right, is it? Wait? You mean the robot pitcher is merely throwing out the first pitch and not joining the already-killer pitching staff? That is different then. Let’s try this again:

    A pitching robot developed by Penn University’s General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception (GRASP) Lab will be throwing out the first pitch for Phillies/Milwaukee Brewers game later this afternoon (April 20th). According to the institute’s release, the machine is essentially a modded Segway vehicle that’s been fitted with an additional wheel and a pneumatic pitching arm. Additional details of the pitching robot, courtesy of Penn University:

    The team modeled the robot’s custom scoop on a toy jai-alai cesta (link added by editor), fashioning it out of carbon fiber to reduce its weight. After programming the arm’s throwing motion, they plotted the ideal release point for the ball. When the arm reaches that point, the piston on the wrist fires, causing the scoop to snap forward and deliver the pitch.

    “You know what they say, it’s all in the wrist,” says Kumar.

    The robot will also be outfitted with a motion-tracking camera “head” that could be used to locate the strike zone on a given batter, though it will only be tossing to the Phillie Phanatic. The robot will roll itself onto the field atop a modified Segway platform.

    Whatever the case, with the presence of Roy Halladay, the pitching robot should feel right at home with the Phillies. Who knows, maybe the thing will become sentient and decide its own fate, instead of being limited to ceremonial pitches with the club mascot. Keep in mind, Skynet was supposed to become self-aware on April 19th, a day before the pitching robot takes over Philadelphia while hunting for Sarah Connor makes its professional debut.

    Coincidence? Are you willing to take that chance?

    Lead image courtesy of James Cameron and the Terminator movie.