Injuries Pile Up; So Do The W's

A rash of injuries as of late have left the Flash scrambling to assemble a 25-man team, but you wouldn't know it by looking at their recent stretch of games. Despite losing 3B Cozy Thomas to a tight groin and SP Benny Aybar to a strained shoulder, both essential pieces to the team, the Flash have streaked to a 10-2 record over their last 12 games. And, of course, CF Willie Campos remains on the DL with his torn knee ligament.

How have they done it? The Flash have gotten contributions from everyone available, despite the grind of the long season. SP Julio Reynoso, acquired earlier this season from Colorado Springs, will temporarily man Aybar's position on the squad after receiving a callup from AAA. The 25-year-old made his ML debut one to remember by spinning a complete-game victory in which he looked dominant until the later innings, when his slider flattened out a bit.

Used to being surrounded by talented hitters like Thomas and Campos, SS Richard Takada has put the offense on his back of late. He leads all players in the majors in both HRs and RBIs, and his steady production in the middle of the lineup amid an ever-growing cast of characters hitting around him has kept the team not only afloat, but prospering.

1B Davy Hausmann, who was the benefactor of a callup when Campos went down, personifies the total-team effort the Flash have gotten out of their roster en route to the NL's best record. Hausmann has announced his major league arrival with authority, hitting .327 with 1 HR per 11 ABs during his limited playing time. "This is something that's instilled in us at AAA all the time. Especially at that level, the call could come at any time, and you've got to be ready to contribute for your team. I'm just doing the best I can, hoping to build off the success of the guys already up here who have brought the team this far," said Hausmann.

Those interested in the return dates of the injured Flash should expect to see Thomas back in action first, in about a week. Following him will be the much anticipated return of Campos a few days later. Aybar, unfortunately, will likely miss his next 3 starts, all of which should fall into Reynoso's hands.

All-Star Reliever Added for Stretch Run

Reports indicate that the Philadelphia Flash and Detroit Great Lake St have agreed to a deal that would bring RP Earle Edmonds to the Flash in exchange for 2 minor league pitchers, pending league approval. With the Transaction Deadline fast approaching it seemed the Flash might remain idle, but their long search for an affordable reliever finally bore fruit in the eleventh hour.

Edmonds, most notably famous for the trademark sunglasses he wears while he's on the mound, has been the Closer in Detroit for 3+ seasons, and has enjoyed much success in that role. Edmonds has 125 career saves, and a 91% save success rate. He also is a 3-time former all-star. It is unclear if Edmonds will usurp RP Rafael Perez' closer role, either immediately or during the playoffs.

For their part, the Flash packaged High A SP Nick Beck and Low A RP Chris Graves. Those in the know might remember Beck as the 49th overall draft pick in Season 1. He has posted good numbers in the minor leagues, and could very well be an important cog in a big league rotation someday. Graves, already 24 and still in Low A ball, also posted servicable numbers during his work in the Philly farm, but management has said he was not a part of their long-term plans.

The rest of the NL East had been rather busy in recent weeks picking up pieces for the final portion of the schedule while the Flash had stood pat. But GM Sour Surfer said this deal made too much sense to pass up. "Detroit had a lot of high payroll guys that weren't producing, so they needed to get younger, and we needed to tool up for the playoffs. Our bullpen is a bit of a soft underbelly for us, but we think Edmonds really gives us a shot to do big things this year."

As for that "beleaguered" Flash bullpen, only 25-year-old RP Albert Rosado has an ERA over 4 at 5.40, though he has only worked 5.0 innings this season. It seems likely that Rosado will be optioned to AAA once Edmonds joins the club.

Midsummer Classic Invites 3 Flash

The Philadelphia Flash send 3 representatives to this year's All-Star Game, up from one solitary honoree from a year ago. Each Flash All-Star is enjoying the honor for the first time in their career. It becomes the second consecutive year the Flash have sent no offensive players to the event.

First and foremost is SP Maximo Lemon, who had a Cy Young-caliber first half. Signed as a free agent from the Augusta Black Bears in the offseason, Lemon has really flourished in the senior circuit. At the break he is 10-3 with a 2.07 ERA, which leads the majors. He also touts an unheard of sub-1 WHIP at 0.99. That stat also leads the majors. It becomes obvious pretty quickly why he earned this nomination. At 35, Lemon could not be more excited to earn his first All-Star Game invitation.

Next up is RP Rafael Perez, the 24-year-old wunderkind the Flash managed to snag in last season's Rule 5 Draft. Last season, at the tender age of 23, he stole the closer's job away from Flash career saves leader, RP Duke Monroe, and has never surrendered it since. In this, his first full season as closer, Perez has successfully converted 20 of his 23 save opportunities. His 2.78 ERA is exactly where the Flash want it for a kid who can only get better as he matures.

Lastly, SP Willie Rodriguez has spun his best season in Philadelphia. Signed before Season 1 as a free agent and under the final year of that deal this season, Rodriguez's arm has suddenly come alive (perhaps because he is making a pitch for another lucrative contract). The 32-year-old has seen only 38 runners cross the plate on his ledger, good for a 10-4 record and a 2.72 ERA. If this is his final year in the red and gold, he is certainly giving the Philly fans something to remember him by.

Petersen Joins Webs' Pitching Arsenal

Anyone who follows the Wailing Onions Baseball League knows the name Mel Petersen. But now the Flash will get to know the SP a little more intimately over the second half of this season. The Charlotte Webs completed their second blockbuster trade of the year on Saturday. Petersen spent 3 and a half years in with the Detroit Great Lake St, where he went 62-24 (a .721 win percentage) with a 2.62 ERA. He also won the AL Cy Young in Seasons 2 and 3.

Anytime a pitcher of Petersen's caliber switches hands, you expect a pretty penny to have been paid. But none of the three pitching prospects Charlotte sent to Detroit (SP Alberto Barrios, SP Slick Sosa, and RP Danny Campbell) have scouts drooling over them. All three have questions about their control above all else. Sure Petersen is just a rental player, but considering he will also bring compensation draft picks to Charlotte when he leaves, the ransom for yanking the reigning Cy Young away from Detroit was certainly an affordable one.

Though Petersen bolsters a fearsome starting rotation for the Webs, some insiders have said Charlotte should have looked for bullpen aid instead. While every starter except SP Garrett Collins has a shimmering sub-3 ERA, no bullpen man has a sub-4 ERA. Even their closer, RP William Lui, has posted a 4.34 this season.

Still, the bold move may provide the necessary spark to push a 43-35 Webs team into the playoff picture, where anything could happen with such a dominant starting rotation. After 3 years and no playoff berths, the Web management has made it very clear that that result is no longer acceptable.

Webs Snag Wood: Perhaps following the advice of this very blog, reports indicate that the Charlotte Webs have agreed to a deal that will bring RP Steven Wood to them for two prospects, pending league approval. Wood has never done anything other than close games for the Santa Fe Booze Hounds, a task he successfully completed 81.7% of the time in a very tough ballpark for pitchers, earning him the distinction of being an all-star in seasons 2 and 3. The Webs packaged two power-hitting prospects to complete the upgrade, giving them yet another bullet with which to gun down the Flash, just days after bringing Petersen to the National League.

Campos Tears Knee Ligament

Philadelphia laid claim to the best record in the National League with a 9-6 win over the Augusta Black Bears. But there was a somber mood in the locker room after the game, as the team awaited word on the status of CF Willie Campos, a former all-star who left the game due to injury in the bottom of the 7th inning.

After heading back to Philadelphia to undergo an MRI, Campos got the devastating news that he would not be playing any baseball for a while. A torn knee ligament will sideline one of the Flash's everyday players for 2-3 months.

"Crushed, devastated, there's all kinds of words I could use," said ML Bench Coach Harold Willoughby after the game. "But, at the end of the day, it's part of the game, and the executives plan for exactly this kind of thing. Well, the good executives, anyway. We've got a Plan B and we'll put it into action starting tomorrow."

Replacing Campos is no easy task for a Flash club already bumping elbows with the salary cap. As Campos was placed on the 60-day DL, AAA 1B Davy Hausmann received the call-up he thought he was entitled to at the start of the year. "This is not the pretense I would like leading up to my big league Flash debut. But as an individual, this is an opportunity to get myself seen, so I have to make the most of it."

Campos was batting .293 this season with a .372 OBP, and he had also chipped in 8 HRs and 33 RBIs, while scoring 47 runs. His average is one of the highest on the team, and not having him on base in front of SS Richard Takada and 3B Cozy Thomas could cut offensive production for the club. But 2B William Saitou offered a positive spin, "We're the best team in the National League, and it's not just because of Willie. You hate to lose a teammate like that, but he'll be back, and I'm confident we can hold down the fort over the next couple of months."

Philly Management Disappointed by Amateur Draft

After a string of solid draft classes, upper-management in the Flash organization seemed a little downtrodden after the recent Amateur Draft. Of course, the Flash cut back on their scouting budget this season due to a reduction of draft picks caused by no compensation picks this season. Even so, and this is no sleight against some of the players included in the class, the Flash felt this was one of their worst drafts. Below is a quick summary of their selections in the first 5 rounds.

Round 1, Pick 28 - Ethan Rivera, 1B, Pepperdine University, 22-years-old
The Flash hope this mature player will eventually become their long-term solution at 1B. However, though he is pretty solid at the plate, he struggles against left-handed starters. While not terribly deficient, it does seem as though a better 1B could come around by the time hometown boy Rivera is ready to make the leap to the bigs.




Round 2, Pick 74 - Woody Flaherty, C, San Diego State University, 21-years-old
Another solid hitter with some upside, but a couple of flaws as well. For a catcher, he does not handle pitching staffs as well as major league Bench Coach Harold Willoughby would like. He, too, suffers from a slight deficiency when facing left-handed pitching, but is otherwise a very complete hitter, and could easily be a solid bench player some day. He does not seem to have the stamina to play every game in the bigs anyway.



Round 3, Pick 106 - Jake Hogan, SP, Truman State University, 22-years-old
Nothing but a career minor league starter, Hogan brings a lot of heat and a nasty screwball, but his control problems will make him prone to big innings, and he just cannot seem to get premiere hitters out. Still, with five pitches in his arsenal and the ability to pitch deep into games, he should eat plenty of innings throughout his career, wherever he ends up.

Round 4, Pick 138 - Tike Duncan, SP, Aiken Technical College, 19-years-old
The first player drafted by the Flash younger than 20, Duncan brings more control and about equal velocity to the table as Hogan, but Duncan's pitches are just too flat to ever sniff the majors either. Opposing hitters will likely post a high OAV against him, if his brief collegiate career is any indication.

Round 5, Pick 170 - Bruce Corbin, RF, Mott Community College, 19-years-old
While he plays a very servicable RF and has a lot of pop in his bat, Corbin is too streaky of a hitter to be considered a major league prospect either. Of course, power hitters tend to have the edge in the minors, so he could post big numbers during his career, but the higher he climbs, the sharper his AVG and OBP will fall.

For the second year in a row, the Flash drafted exclusively college players in the first 5 rounds. It seems likely they will go in a different direction next year, given the lack of top prospects as you go deeper into the draft at the collegiate level.

Triple Threat in Triple-A

The Flash finalized a minor league trade two days ago that sent slugging 3B prospect Gil Crow to the Chicago Cubbies, of course in exchange for SP Tony Diaz and cash considerations. The Flash made the move to continue to expand their options for future starters now that their ML arms are aging.

Diaz, along with SP Julio Reynoso, acquired earlier this season from Colorado Springs, and SP Kareem Duckworth provide the Flash with a solid core of young arms, all of which look capable enough to jump to the big leagues as early as next season. As it stands right now, the Flash could have a 5-man rotation next year where only SP Maximo Lemon would be over the age of 28.

SP Louie Dali, SP Willie Rodriguez, and SP/RP Carl Oliver all seem likely to depart at year's end. When the Cubbies put Diaz on the market, the Flash did not hesitate to add him to their collection of options for next season. He has been in the majors before and has posted a 3.25 career ERA in 69.1 innings, and is still only 24-years-old.

He does not come without a drawback, though. Scouts say his inability to recover quickly between starts could force him into a long relief/spot starter role instead of being an actual starter. Still, that is the same role Oliver is likely to free up when he departs next season.

As for the other half of the deal, Crow is a respectable defender at 3B and should put up big power numbers in the majors. Last year at AAA he blasted round-trippers 34 times, and scouts expect he has not yet peaked in the power department. The Flash viewed him as expendable, however, because they do not think he will ever hit for much of an average. He is a career .259 hitter throughout his minor league career. Crow is already 26 and blocked by 3B Cozy Thomas as well, another factor working against him.

Around the Farm: Profiling Philly's Top Prospects

AAA: SP Kareem Duckworth, 21-years-old
Stats this season: 1-1, 3.86 ERA, 1.22 WHIP
- Duckworth was the #2 overall pick of the amateur draft during Season 1. Though some scouts were concerned by his occasionally requesting extra days of rest in high-school, the Flash snagged him anyway due to his all-world potential. Though he has plenty of maturing left to do, ML Pitching Coach Howie Zoltan, who worked with Duckworth during Spring Training, says he could already be an all-star on the big club. "Problem is, the team just doesn't need him with all their strong starters. I'd suspect he'd be the backup in case of injury, though."
Expected Debut: Season 5

AA: LF Don Driskill, 22-years-old
Stats this season: .371 AVG, .400 OBP, 9 HR, 24 RBI
- The AA Flash team is pretty thin in terms of talent that could make the big leagues some day. Driskill does have an outside shot, but his impatience at the plate could doom his career. Still, he knows how to make good contact when he finally swings at his pitch, and his batting average has never been below .300 at any level thus far in his development. Though he is only 22, he seems to be near his peak, another factor working against him ever getting to the show.
Expected Debut: Season 7, if ever

HiA: 3B/RF Freddie Quinn, 21-years-old
Stats this season: .350 AVG, .399 OBP, 5 HR, 22 RBI
- It's much harder to single out one top prospect at the High A level, as a number of players have major league potential. None, however, have pleased coaches the way Quinn has since he was drafted in the 2nd round of Season 2. "Quinn's got a ballplayer's work ethic. We expect big things out of him some day," said High A Bench Coach Diego Lopez. Perhaps not an all-star due to a few too many strikeouts, Quinn has put up big numbers at every stop on his minor league tour so far, especially against lefties. Add to that his versatility on defense and you can see why his coaches are so high on him.
Expected Debut: Season 7

LoA: RP Kiki Diaz, 22-years-old
Stats this season: 0-1, 8/9 SV/SVO, 2.45 ERA, 0.64 WHIP
- The Flash felt they did a great job in last year's amateur draft, resulting in a talented Low A squad this season. And while 2B Sparky Stevens draws most of the headlines on the team, the buzz among those in the know is around Diaz. Low A Pitching Coach Orber Bonilla says, "Stevens will be a very complete hitter when his day comes. But of the two, I think Diaz has a higher ceiling." Though his pitches don't have as much bite as the coaching staff would like, he has unparalleled control and velocity, plus the ability to get almost everyone he faces out.
Expected Debut: Season 6 or 7

Philly Explodes out of Buffalo with Sweep

The Philadelphia Flash management entered this season with high expectations for their revamped offense, but even those were exceeded during the opening 4-game sweep of their division rival Buffalo Hot Wings. They outscored the Hot Wings 44-13, an average of 11 runs per game, en route to their 4-0 start.

The sweep was punctuated by a 22-0 throttling that was over before Buffalo SP Ivan Cortes could wipe the sweat off his brow. Cortes, making his major league debut, had already surrendered a 3-run home run to SS Richard Takada when he recorded the second out of the inning by striking out CF Willie Campos. By the time the last out of the inning was recorded, it was 13-0.

The Flash sent 17 men to the plate in that 1st inning, and 12 of them got hits. Takada had 6 RBIs courtesy of 2 3-run home runs (he would finish the day with 11 RBIs). Speedsters 2B William Saitou, LF Lefty Hodges, and RF Denny Katou had all been plated twice. SP Maximo Lemon recorded his first RBI as a Flash before throwing his first pitch.

Lost amid the offensive display that drew lusty boos from the Hot Wing fans was Lemon's own equally impressive performance. In his first regular season start for Philadelphia, he spun a 4-hit shutout, striking out 5 and walking only 2. The only time Buffalo even put a man in scoring position was in the 9th, but a double play ball ended a bases loaded rally.

Of course the sample size is small and other opponents will have tougher pitching staffs, but flying out of the gates like this has the Philly players abuzz with excitement about what the rest of this year might bring. And if this opening series is any indication, the sky is the limit.

New Offense Stuns Buffalo in Season Opener

The slightly tweaked and modified Philadelphia Flash offense woke up just in time in the season opening game, as the Flash rallied from 6 runs down with 3 outs to go to win 10-9 over the Buffalo Hot Wings. The 7-run 9th inning saw contributions from the entire lineup and prevented the Flash from dropping to 0-1.

LF Lefty Hodges started the inning by striking out, only to hit a 2-run triple later in the same inning that provided the tying and go-ahead runs. "Yeah, that inning had just about everything," Hodges said after the game. "I came in as a pinch-hitter and was a little too aggressive in my first at-bat. I was facing a different pitcher the second time around, so I felt like I was pinch-hitting again, but saw a fastball I liked and let my legs do the rest."

The inning featured, in order, a strike out, a home run, a triple, an infield single, another infield single, a bloop single, an error, a sac fly, a single, a triple, and a ground out. Whew! Quite the inning.

The game was actually a pitcher's duel until the 7th. SP Donovan Leiter and Buffalo's SP Midre Navarre had battled to a 2-1 score until Leiter was pulled for pinch-hitter C Jorge Ayala, who hit a 2-run double that ended Navarre's day. Both bullpens went to work and both looked shaky by the time it was all said and done.

"It's not how you win them, that's for sure. I'll take 10-9 as often as I'll take 1-0. Especially on the road," said manager Harold Willoughby after the game. The Flash were returning to the scene of their demise in last year's playoffs in this game, and as Willoughby mused, "It was good to exorcize some demons out there today."

Flash Land Big Fish and Finish 25-Man

After a long bidding war, the Flash succeeded in bringing their one big offseason target to the city of brothery love. SP Maximo Lemon, a former Augusta Black Bear, is a lifetime 43-37 pitcher with a 4.15 ERA, and once won 17 games. His deal is a 2-year, $10.1 million deal, though it includes a $4.9 million signing bonus and a mutual option for the second year.

Lemon fills the final hole in the rotation, allowing SP Carl Oliver, who is a solid innings eater but not a power arm, to move to the bullpen as a long reliever. Top to bottom, if SP Benny Aybar builds off his Season 3 success, the Flash could be as strong as ever 1 to 5 in their rotation.

The Flash snagged 1B Ray Kent off the Waiver Wire to play the position against right-handed pitching this year. AAA 1B Davy Hausmann was disappointed by the news, as he had to journey back to the minors, but his numbers against right-handers are not there.

Philly also signed RP Macbeth Porter to complete their bullpen. While not the reliever Sour Surfer wanted, really all the Flash needed was a final arm to make sure they had enough bodies in the pen, especially given the low innings capability from some of their feature arms like RP Rafael Perez and RP Felipe Martin.

The Flash also promoted AAA RP Albert Rosado to the major league bullpen for the same reasons. Rosado likely will only pitch if he is the last option available on a given day.

Phil Brock Climbs On Board

The Flash let one of their best role players go in the offseason in CF Brady Pickett. A speedy defender who could only hit lefties, Pickett actually led the team in batting average (with limited at-bats, of course) for most of the season. To fill the hole, however, the Flash were very pleased to find CF Phil Brock on the open market for 3-years and $10.0 million.

Brock is another solid defensive CF, with blazing speed and good IQ on the basepaths. He is much younger than Pickett, and actually a bit cheaper as well. And he can switch hit, as if all of that were not enough. Brock has spent the past 3 years in the minor leagues of the Minnesota North Stars franchise, and will be making his big league debut with the Flash this year when the time comes. But management believes he can hit lefties even better than Pickett, and is likely to post a high OBP as well.

At 25, Brock provides versatile backup to the already talented Philly outfield, though he does not come without risk. He has been injury-prone throughout his career and enjoyed two DL stints during his 3 years in the North Stars minors. However, given the limited reps he is likely to receive this year as a bench player, the Flash believe it is a lessened risk than otherwise.

Takada Receives Extension: Coming off a Silver Slugger year, SS Richard Takada, 27, received a 5-year extension as opposed to going through the arbitration process. The deal features a mutual option for the 5th year at $7.8 million, and the remaining 4 years are worth $22.1 million. Takada has become, over the years, the most dangerous power threat in the Flash lineup. While not the surest defender, the Flash felt it proper to reward one of their best homegrown talents with a deserving long-term contract, both to lock up his big bat and to show the younger kids that talent does get rewarded in Philadelphia.

Flash Make a Trade Splash

The Philadelphia Flash wasted no time making some noise at the Winter Meetings this year, negotiating a deal with the Los Angeles Stars that brings both RF Cozy Thomas and RP Rod Duvall to the Flash. In return, the Flash gave up one of their top pitching prospects, SP/RP R.J. Manuel, and former compensation round pick 2B Victor Furcal. Completing the deal was RP Mark Ming, who the Flash acquired from the Atlanta Mad Dogs near last season's trade deadline.

Surrendering R.J. Manuel meant the Flash wanted big returns, and they believe they got just that. Cozy Thomas has the makings of a big-time bat in the Philly lineup. He is a career .260 hitter, but the Flash think his swing will really benefit by moving to Philadelphia's more home run prone ballpark. More importantly, if he can make the shift from outfield to infield, he fills the void left by 3B Ramon Martin, who is set to become a free agent in the morning. The potential starting lineup for the Flash is now an intimidating blend of power hitters and on-base guys.

Duvall is not an electric reliever, but he certainly has big league stuff and will help fill one of the holes vacated by all of Philly's free agent relievers. Getting Duvall on top of a solid offensive player sealed the deal for the Flash.

The Flash were reluctant to give up Furcal since they like to build through the draft, but his inability to hit left-handed pitching led the Flash to believe he would only become a platoon player some day. "There's a lot to like in Furcal, but if he only gets to play part of the time, his value becomes quite a bit diminished," said general manager Sour Surfer.

Thanks, Readers

Thanks to anyone and everyone who read this blog throughout the course of our season. Hopefully some of you even got some enjoyment out of it. Can't wait to see you next year.

Citizen Bank Turns Off Its Lights

After a 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Hot Wings that eliminated them from the NL Division Play-In Series, a dejected Flash team arrived home in Philadelphia approximately 1 a.m. last night. The swift elimination at the hands of their division foe drops the Flash to 0-3 all-time in playoff series. They are fast becoming the Los Angeles Angels of the Wailing Onion league--perennial contenders only to get bounced out in Round 1.

As always, the end of a season brings uncertainty as to the makeup of next year's club. 3B Ramon Martin is up for free agency and is likely to part ways with the Flash. But Philly has no reliable option behind him, and may have to look to the expensive world of Free Agency to fill that hole. On the other corner of the diamond, 1B Richard McMasters, also up for free agency, has likely played his last game in the red and gold. AAA 1B Davy Hausmann appears poised to push McMasters out the door. Between Martin and McMasters, the Flash will let 65 HRs walk.

SS Richard Takada and SP Donovan Leiter are likely to command huge chunks of cash in their arbitration hearings. CF Willie Campos, dangled as trade bait a year ago, has one year left on his $7.5-million per year contract. That could make him easier to move, but given that he may be a Type A Free Agent when he leaves, the Flash seem likely to keep him around.

SP Willie Rodriguez, who has a $13.5-million mutual option for next year, has not been told whether or not that option will get picked up. If he goes, the Flash are almost certain to call up top pitching prospects SP Kareem Duckworth and SP/RP R.J. Manuel. There's a lot to like about the potential pitching staff the Flash could field next year, but Duckworth and Manuel will only be 21- and 24-years-old, respectively.

Lastly, CF Brady Pickett, a fan favorite and big contributor off the Flash bench, will probably find greener pastures as well. That means the Flash will need to find a replacement, and early indications are that if they can land a stud RF, they will let Campos play all 162 games next season.

Flash fans are certainly not pleased with the Flash's efforts in the playoffs the past 3 seasons, but season 4 of their existence could very well be the year the Flash finally break through.

Leiter's Shaky Outing Dooms Flash

The Philadelphia Flash expected to see either the Austin City Limit or the Washington D.C. Senators in their first-round playoff matchup. Instead, the Buffalo Hot Wings played as their name implies down the stretch. One of the hottest teams in the entire league was able to snag the 6-seed away from the Senators by completing a 3-game sweep over them and earning a berth on divisional record tiebreak.

Of course, a really hot team just sneaking into the playoffs is often not a good omen for the "favored" team. In baseball, it is not always who you play so much as when you play them. The Hot Wings took 2 out of 3 from the Flash just over a week ago, and much to the chagrin of Philly fans, the Flash's home playoff woes continued to open the best-of-5 set against the division rivals from New York.

SP Donovan Leiter did not have his best stuff in this one, surrendering 2 runs before the Flash even got to swing the bats. CF Cesar Fernandez for the Hot Wings hit a triple and would later score on a sac fly from 1B Trenidad Ramirez to give the Hot Wings the early lead. It would become a lead they would never surrender.

Leiter labored through 5 innings of work while throwing 110 pitches and allowing 5 runs to score. The Flash really wanted to get a solid start from their ace, because in Game 2, Buffalo will send SP Midre Navarre to the mound. The Flash counter with SP Louie Dali. The same 2 pitchers met in Philly early on in the season, with each allowing 4 runs over about 6 innings of work. The Flash bullpen would wind up responsible for the loss.

Given the magnitude of falling behind 2-0 in a best-of-5 series, expect the Flash bats to attack Navarre early in counts, in the hopes of displaying the type of offensive prowess that made them the 2nd highest scoring team in the National League this season.

Leiter Becomes Franchise's First 20-Game Winner

Needing a shutdown start from their ace to cut their magic number to 2, the Flash got just that from SP Donovan Leiter. Leiter took the mound knowing another win would make him a 20-game winner on the year, and that this start would be his only opportunity to reach that milestone. Additionally, after dropping the first 2 games of a set against the Buffalo Hot Wings, the Flash shifted gears back into "must-win" mode in order to seal up the division.

Leiter turned in one of his best starts, going 8.0 innings against the high-powered Hot Wings offense while allowing just 1 run. He struck out a career-high 13 batters and needed just 103 pitches to do it.

"It means a lot, definitely," said Leiter after the game. "It feels so much better to do it in a game that meant so much to our team's playoff seeding. And having the home crowd behind me was even sweeter."

Leiter, 25, will be eligible for arbitration for the first time next season and will likely command a pretty penny given his position as the ace of the staff despite being its youngest member. But the Flash know his importance to the team. General Manager Sour Surfer said, "We'd be nowhere without him. Any time we need a big win, he's right there delivering for us. Tonight was no different, and hopefully it gives him a nice confidence boost heading into the playoffs."

If the Flash can secure the NL East Championship over the next few days, it will be their 3rd consecutive division title. While an impressive feat in its own right, the Flash are hungry for their first ever postseason series victory. Two years ago they fell in 5 games to the Cincinnati Motorboaters in the NLDS, and it took just as many games for the Santa Fe Booze Hounds to dispose of them last year in the NL Play-In Series.

More Franchise Firsts?: The Flash are also hoping they can produce their first .300 hitter(s) this season. With 3 games to play, 1B Tony Moraga, CF Brady Pickett, CF Willie Campos, and 1B Richard McMasters all have averages above .300. Campos is the only every day player on the list, but not even a platoon player has accomplished the feat for Philly in the past, so it will be no less meaningful if Campos is not one of the .300+ hitters at year's end.

Flash In NL East Driver Seat

Thanks to the recent struggles of the Washington D.C. Senators, the Philadelphia Flash have reclaimed the NL East lead with only 24 games left to play. The Flash bats have come to life and propelled the team to an 8-2 run over their last 10 games.

Of course, as is always the case, the Flash will close their schedule with contests against all 3 NL East opponents. The NL East lead is a paper-thin 1 game at this point, so those tilts retain heightened importance. But after keeping an eye in the rearview mirror in terms of the Wild Card race for most of the season, the Flash have quite a bit more breathing room.

Tonight, the Flash will go for the 4-game sweep over the Chicago Cubbies, of course. SP Donovan Leiter (17-6) toes the rubber for the Flash against SP Joe Childers (0-0). Childers has spent the entire season in AAA, and will be making his first major league start of the year. He does have previous big league experience, however, going 10-14 with a 5.72 ERA. The 25-year-old has been a minor-league journeyman between the San Fransisco Slingers and the Chicago clubs.

Tonight's game is a sell-out, but good tickets remain for the next homestand, which features what promises to be a meaninful 3-game set against the Washington D.C. Senators. Call 1-800-4-PHI-TIX for ticket information.

Aybar Laughs About Wild 2 Days

SP Benny Aybar endured an old lesson in baseball over the past 2 days: every time you come to the ballpark, you've got a chance to see something new. One day after Aybar failed to record an out en route to allowing 7 of the 11 first-inning runs the Atlanta Mad Dogs used to drub Philadelphia 12-0, Aybar recorded his first save. We sat down with the young, rising star to discuss the improbable set of games in which he recorded very different results.

Philly NewsFlash: First off, thanks for being here.

Benny Aybar: My pleasure, any time.

PNF: Alright, tell us about your start the other day. What goes through a pitcher's mind when he's enduring a start like that? (0.0 IP, 4 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB)

BA: It's so frustrating. Honestly, you take 4 days off between starts and get so revved up to take the ball again, then the whole thing blows up in your face. I have one job on this team and that's to record outs. To exit an outing with 0 outs in the 1st...it's as if I called in sick. No, it's worse than that, because it was 7-0 already. I can't even come up with an analogy for that.

PNF: Who do you feel you let down the most? Manager [Lawrence] McIntyre, or the bullpen?

BA: Oh, the bullpen, definitely. McIntyre just sits in the shade all day...[laughter] But yeah, those guys in the bullpen are so important to us, and they needed a day off. It certainly doesn't increase my stock in McIntyre's eyes to come up lame in a crucial start like that, though.

PNF: Speaking of the bullpen, though, you got a little taste of that yourself, didn't you?

BA: Yeah. [laughter] McIntyre comes up to me the next day and goes, "How's your arm?" I think I'd only thrown 25, 26 pitches the day before. So it felt pretty live. "Get out to the bullpen, then." [laughter] It was a totally new role for me, but honestly I really wanted to get in that next game and get the bitter taste out of my mouth.

PNF: Understandable. You would go on to record the final out of a 5-3 win, notching your first career save and sealing up a series win against a tough NL foe. Was that vengeance enough for the previous day?

BA: Well, I only recorded one out on a handful of pitches, but it still felt good. That save's something I can tell my grandkids about. [laughter] It worked out for the best though. I helped protect some of those arms in the bullpen I tore up the day before, and I'll make my next start easy. So all in all, a pretty good deal I ended up with.

PNF: Well, again, thanks for taking the time out to talk with us. Good luck the rest of the way. Bring the pennant home!

BA: Oh, you know I want one. I'm still a rookie after all.

Leiter Contributes to NL Beatdown

The Philadelphia Flash only sent one representative to this year's midsummer classic, and by the time SP Donovan Leiter got to contribute, the game was all but won. Leiter would get a chance to record the final 2 outs of the 8th inning with the score already 15-7 in favor of the National League. Most of the damage by the senior circuit had been done in the 4th inning, when they exploded for 11 runs, highlighted by a grand slam off the bat of Washington D.C.'s RF Johnny Costello that earned him MVP honors.

The Flash organization was disappointed to only send one player to the All-Star game, but they will be the first to say no one else had the eye-popping numbers required to earn the honor. Bench coach Lawrence McIntyre said, "[CF Brady] Pickett's had a good year, but platoon players never get the nod. Maybe [SP Benny] Aybar, but the NL is dripping with talented pitchers."

The general consensus around the clubhouse is that the Flash sending only one player to the All-Star game while holding the National League's 4th best record is exactly the reason the Flash have managed such success. SS Richard Takada, an all-star a year ago, said, "We didn't send a lot of guys because no one guy is the reason we're winning. Everyone is making contributions. It's a very fun brand of baseball." Though RP Duke Monroe did not agree, "How Raffy didn't get in is beyond me.", referring to RP Rafael Perez who took Duke Monroe's closer job earlier this year. Perez is 23-years-old but has gone 11-for-16 in save opportunities with a 1.76 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP, and was at one time in the running to earn an all-star roster spot. He has yet to give up a home run this season.

More than anything, the all-star break is a chance to pause, ponder, and party. The Flash players all love the time off, and are excited to jump back into the heated division race with a 4-game set against the Buffalo Hot Wings awaiting them to kick off the 2nd half of the schedule.

Flash get Katou for Stevenson

In an effort to upgrade their offense and alleviate the workload the pitching staff has carried all year, the Flash shipped away SP Quinn Stevenson and got RF Denny Katou of the Cleveland Wahoos in return. Both teams are hoping that the new players will give them a leg up in tight divisions.

As for the newest Flash, Katou struggled in limited playing time this season, but he is a career .285 hitter. Scouts call him a more polished Lefty Hodges. He should hit for high average and give the power hitters some bodies to drive in. He has already made his Flash debut, going 2-5 and scoring 2 runs in an 8-7 loss to the Cincinnati Motorboaters.

Stevenson's departure does decrease the quality of the Flash's starting rotation. Stevenson had been 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 11 starts. However, SP Carl Oliver is a solid innings eater, and with SP Donovan Leiter, SP Benny Aybar, and SP Louie Dali still in the folds, it is not as though the rotation is devoid of the ability to win games. For those interested, Stevenson is expected to make his Cleveland debut against the Seattle Steelheads in the 8/25 PM matchup.

Carl Oliver to Make Spot Start

SP Benny Aybar and SP Quinn Stevenson are the two pitchers responsible for the last two Flash wins. Unfortunately, neither feels rested enough to try and buck the 3-game losing streak Philadelphia is enduring. The two losses to start the set against the Atlanta Mad Dogs put the Flash in danger of losing only their second series in their last ten. Meanwhile, SP/RP Carl Oliver, who was a starter through much of the previous two seasons, will take to the mound in Game 3 to make his second emergency start of the year.

His previous start came while Quinn Stevenson was on the DL. In that outing, against the Portland Beavers, he served up 3 home runs in the 3rd inning, at which point bench coach Lawrence McIntyre made the call to the 'pen for RP Junior Martin. Oliver's line included 2.2 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, and 3 HR. The Flash maintain hope that he can be better, despite facing a tougher lineup this time around.

Oliver has been a successful starter in the past for Philadelphia, so management is not nervous about tossing him out there. Of course, ideally spot starts would not occur in the middle of a series in which the team has dropped the first two contests, and the last three overall. To make matters worse, the entire NL East is red-hot, only exacerbating the problem and really putting the spotlight on Oliver.

Stevenson to be Dealt?: If possible, the Flash would like to upgrade their lineup, and they may be willing to part with one of the top arms in their rotation to do so. SP Quinn Stevenson, who is 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 11 starts this season, has been an essential cog in keeping the Flash in the mix in the very competitive NL East division. Still, an extra bat would push an offense that ranks right in the middle of the pack in the NL over the top.

Amateur Draft Interrupts Exciting Season

With the NL East being as competitive from top to bottom as it has ever been, Flash brass had to turn their attention away for a bit to tend to the Amateur Draft. An exciting event in its own right, the draft once again provided glimpses into the baseball of the future. Yet again, Philadelphia had 3 selections in the first round, including the compensation round. Here is a look at the most talented of the new crop of Flash players, those drafted in the first 5 rounds of this year's draft.

Round 1, Pick 22 - Kiki Diaz, RP, Arizona State, 21-years-old
This former Sun Devil is an incredibly versatile relief pitcher with electric stuff. Durable enough to pitch multiple innings per outing, the sky is the limit for Diaz. It is hard to pinpoint any weakness in his arsenal, other than a tendency to get injured during his collegiate career. With proper training, however, Diaz will be a dominant back-end weapon in the years to come.




Round 1, Pick 24 - Sparky Stevens, 2B, Weatherford, 20-years-old
Though he came two picks later than Diaz, Sparky Stevens may actually have been the crown jewel of this year's draft class for the Flash. Though he's not likely to be a Gold Glover at 2nd base, Stevens is a wizard with a bat in his hands. He has got some pop to his swing as well, which is a nice bonus to a very complete offensive player.





Round 1, Pick 37 - Wesley Reynolds, RP, Le Moyne, 22-years-old
Reynolds is a nice pick-up at #37, as he is another major-league quality relief pitcher. Though he is not as useful against right-handed hitting as he is against left, he still throws hard and under control, and his 4-seam fastball and slider can both retire big league hitters. If he reaches his potential, he will be a very competent set-up man.





Round 2, Pick 77 - Jerrod Ramirez, 2B, Union County, 20-years-old
Though his defense is a notch above Stevens, Ramirez will not put up the kind of numbers at the plate that his 1st-round counterpart will. Still, there's a lot to like about his game, particularly how he handles left-handed pitching. And considering how the Flash are absolutely dominating left-handed pitching at the big league level this season, he'd fit right in.

Round 3, Pick 109 - Jack Jordan, C, Texas Christian, 22-years-old
Those familiar with the Flash big league club can compare Jack Jordan to current backup C Jorge Ayala. Though his defensive limitations make him a bench player at best, his discipline at the plate will get him into the lineup quite a bit. He can hit for power and for average, making him very useful off the bench. Luckily his low durability will not come into play if he indeed becomes a bench lifer.

Round 4, Pick 141 - Buck Barber, 1B, Angelina, 20-years-old
Buck is a solid pick considering 140 other players went before him. He is not a power-hitting 1B like most are; instead he relies on making good contact and making the contact count. He's also a unique player in that he's a right-handed hitter who fares better versus right-handed pitching. Tracking his development will be interesting, as he very well could make the major leagues at some point.

Round 5, Pick 173 - Howard Richard, SP, Indiana, 22-years-old
His inability to get right-handers out, as well as his lack of a plus pitch make Richard nothing more than a minor-league innings eater. Still, as those go, he could be worse. He never seems to give up long balls, which should help keep his ERA a bit lower than comparable pitchers. Still, his best pitch is his slider and it lacks enough bite to navigate him through tough innings.

It is worth noting that all of the Flash picks in the first 5 rounds were players out of college, but those in the know will not be surprised by this fact, given that the scouting department scours college campuses a lot more often than it visits high schools.

Reynoso Deal Stabilizes Club

The cost was the Flash's 1st round pick of a year ago, 2B Bubba Fox. But the reward has been tangible already. A trade that brought RP Giomar Reynoso and minor league RP Mark Ming to the Flash has served as a springboard to the big club. Since the swap, Philadelphia has gone 9-5. But that includes an active 7-game win streak that can be contributed to Reynoso's addition to the roster.

When the Reynoso trade was accepted, the Flash offered Rule 5 draft pick 3B Gabby Trujillo back to his original franchise, the Seattle Steelheads. The Steelheads would refuse him, sending him to the Flash AAA team. This meant that the Flash would be reverting to a 13-man pitching staff, as they had used in the first 2 seasons. Twelve pitchers simply had not proved enough through the early portion of the schedule.

It has not been the quality of work that Reynoso has provided that has propelled the club back to their winning ways. Rather, what he brings is stability. More bullpen arms get more rest, more often. The big guns like RP Duke Munroe, RP Felipe Martin, and RP Rafael Perez are able to enter games more frequently. Reynoso's job is simply to work a few quality innings, which he has done well to this point. His own numbers are favorable, with a 1.13 ERA since coming to Philly, although he possesses a WHIP of 1.63 that will need to come down.

Their recent hot streak has drawn the Flash to within 4 games of torrid division leader, the Washington D.C. Senators. They are also 2 games behind the Buffalo Hot Wings, who are tearing the cover off the ball offensively. But quietly, slowly, the Flash are building momentum of their own and are ready to climb to the top of the NL East yet again if they have it in them.

Catcher Controversy?

In years past, every day C Henry Wyatt never had to worry about losing his starting job to backup C Lyle Herzner. While Herzner was a great veteran bench presence, he wasn't the type of player who could make consistent contributions.

Now however, 24-year-old Wyatt, who is still learning the ins-and-outs of the game himself despite 4+ years of major-league service time, might have someone breathing down his neck. 22-year-old C Jorge Ayala received the call up to the big club during spring training, and though he is still designated as the backup catcher, he's seeing more and more of the field as the season continues.

Ayala has hit .302 in limited at-bats, and it is that consistency at the plate that has found him earning more playing time. His style at the plate is completely different from Wyatt's. While Wyatt is a pure-slugger who cannot hit for average, Ayala is a more complete player, from an offensive standpoint. Despite having 20 fewer at-bats than Wyatt, Ayala has an equal number of hits and RBIs.

The one area in which Wyatt has the advantage--and the reason it makes the coaches' decision as to who should get each start difficult--is the way he handles the pitching staff and plays defense. The starters much prefer the way Wyatt controls a game, both in the way he calls it and when he chooses to hold a mound conference. So for now, the two have had to get used to sharing playing time a bit more evenly.

Stevenson Strains More Than Shoulder

After an electrifying start to the year for the pitching staff in which they allowed just 54 runs over the first 20 games (an average of 2.7 runs against per game), the first bit of bad news struck during a 2-1 loss to the San Fransisco Slingers. SP Quinn Stevenson, who is spending the entire year as a starter for the first time, had gone 2-0 with a 0.37 ERA and a 0.70 WHIP in 4 starts. Then, however, in the 5th inning of the game he strained his shoulder after allowing a single to Slinger CF Corky Kapler.

Beyond the obvious loss of a stud starter, the injury also put a large strain on the bullpen. Needing a new 5th starter, SP/RP Carl Oliver had to jump out of his long relief role, forcing a chain reaction of promotions to new roles. RP Brett Ramirez got called up from AAA to complete the bullpen, but immediately struggled. So, as a stopgap and possible long-term addition to the bullpen, the Flash signed free-agent RP Junior Martin.

Martin has posted a 4.53 ERA over 47.2 innings for his career. The Flash won't ask much of him this season, but he should prove valuable over the next 14 days as Stevenson recovers. Once Stevenson returns, Martin may stay in the bullpen to alleviate some of the strain caused by the Flash carrying one fewer pitcher than a year ago. Until then, the offense will just have to pick up some of the slack.

Flash Get First Look at Navarre

The Philadelphia Flash are alone atop the NL East for the first time this season after a 3-0 win over the Buffalo Hot Wings. However, that doesn't mean the road gets any easier, as the Flash will now square off against newly-acquired SP Midre Navarre in the second game of the Hot Wings series. Navarre was traded from the Kansas City Monarchs to Buffalo during this year's winter meetings.

Navarre spent 2 years in Kansas City being the second ace behind SP Benny Pujols (who also moved on this season, via free agency). Navarre went 40-13 for the Monarchs for a lofty .755 win percentage as a starter. A season ago he was a dominating 23-5, including a 3.29 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP, as well as pitching his team to two wins in the World Series.

In 2 starts with his new team, he has shut down the other teams in the division, the Charlotte Webs (4.0 IP, 1 ER) and the Washington D.C. Senators (7.0 IP, 1R, 0 ER).

Home Opener Special for Players

After alternating wins and losses to the tune of a 4-3 record during their opening 7-game road trip, the Philadelphia Flash players are all excited to see the inviting walls of Citizens Bank Park again. The opponent for the home opener will be the Los Angeles Stars, who come in stumbling a bit after being swept at home by the surprising San Fransisco Slingers.

The Flash sluggers in particular should be excited to head home again, as the offense continues to lag behind during these April games. Through the first 7 games of the year, the Flash offense is tied for last in the NL in terms of runs scored. But, by that same token, the pitching staff is tied for first in the NL in terms of runs allowed. It is for that reason alone that the Flash reside above the .500 mark.

Sour Surfer is not concerned yet with his struggling offense. The lineup continues to shapeshift daily as the new platoons and position battles play out. "Our key guys are still producing, and as long as the new guys are giving us good at-bats, the offense will catch up to our pitching eventually." CF Willie Campos leads the team in RBIs even after talks that he was nearly traded away during spring training and 1B Richard McMasters has come up with clutch hits in a number of games.

Aybar Outduels Merritt: For those who were not yet certain that SP Benny Aybar has a chance to be very special, all they needed to do was watch his major-league debut. Facing one of the best in the game in SP Kyle Merritt of the Charlotte Webs, Aybar spun a gem and outdueled him. Aybar allowed 2 hits over 8 innings, striking out 7 and allowing no runs. When McMasters broke up the scoreless tie in the 7th inning with a solo home run, it would be all the support Aybar would need. Duke Monroe worked a clean 9th to secure a huge win for the Flash's rookie pitcher.

Ailing Offense Welcomes Back Takada

How much do the Flash miss SS Richard Takada? The typically prolific Flash offense, which is of course adjusting to a number of new regulars this season, ranks 14th in the NL in terms of runs scored through the first 4 games of the season. Only CF Willie Campos has hit a home run thus far, accounting for both Flash long balls.

Luckily for the Flash, the pitching was staunch enough to earn them a road-series split with divisional rival Washington D.C. Senators. The Senators, who finished second in the NL East a year ago and earned a wild card berth, were tormented offensively through the first 3 games of the set. No Flash starter had an OAV higher than .167, and each went at least 6 innings. Willie Rodriguez got banged around in the 4th game due to a 7-run 2nd inning set up by defensive errors, but other than that, the Flash pitching looks pretty firm. The bullpen never gave up a run during the series, accounting for 8.0 innings of work.

Up next for Philadelphia is the Charlotte Webs. Unfortunately, they shuffled their rotation to put SP Kyle Merritt, the all-time strikeout leader, on the mound for the opener. Takada will be back from injury, but he'll have his work cut out for him against such a wizard on the mound. SP Benny Aybar will make his major-league debut and is immediately tasked with outlasting Merritt. Welcome to the bigs, kid.

Patchwork Lineup Does Enough on Opening Day

With SS Richard Takada nursing an injured knee, the Philadelphia Flash didn't exactly trot out their ideal opening day lineup. That said, however, the role players inserted into the lineup produced admirably en route to a 4-3 win over the Washington D.C. Senators to get the season off on the right foot.

SS Weldon Reed, the direct fill-in for Takada, hit out of the 8-hole but led the way in terms of RBIs. He opened the scoring in the 2nd inning after the Flash loaded the bases with no outs. His grounder to 3rd was sent home by 3B Greg Ramirez, but C Mark Chen couldn't record the force out in time, and LF Lefty Hodges scored. Reed came up with the bases loaded again in the 3rd inning, this time with 2 outs. He drew a key walk to plate 3B Ramon Martin, which enabled SP Donovan Leiter to contribute a base hit and RBI of his own.

The Flash never trailed, but staff-ace Leiter had a wild 4th inning. After surrendering back-to-back HRs to RF Johnny Costello and Chen, CF Charlie Swann singled and worked his way around the bases via a passed ball, a steal, and a wild pitch. But that was the end of the scoring for the home Senators, and the Flash moved into the division lead already at 1-0.

New Faces: There were 6 players making their Flash and/or major-league debut today. Here is a summary of some of their days:

RF Javier Moya, brought in to replace Jerome Clontz, had a forgettable day at the plate, going 0-for-5. He was hitting from the 2-hole today, but with the entire lineup being liquid at this point, he certainly won't remain there with repeat performances.

1B Gabby Trujillo reached base one time, on a walk, going 0-for-3 otherwise. He did come around to score in the 2nd inning on a walk by 2B William Saitou.

RP Felipe Martin took the ball out of Leiter's hand in the 8th inning. He worked a scoreless inning of relief, inducing 2 groundouts and a flyout from the Senators 2-, 3-, and 4-hitters.

Rule 5 Draft Summary

For the first time in their history, the Philadelphia Flash made a selection in the Rule 5 Draft as they aim to make the ball club younger. And they didn't select just one player, but two. Here's a review of who they scooped away from other teams last night.

1st Round, 24th Pick - RP Rafael Perez, 23 years old, San Juan Epsteins
Rafael has not produced shimmering numbers in the minor leagues, and he hasn't played above AA ball yet in his career. But now, thanks to the Rule 5 Draft, he'll be asked to be a major contributor to the big league club all season long. The Flash are not worried about his youth or struggles in the minor leagues, however, because his raw stuff is as good as anyone in their bullpen, and he has made tremendous strides this offseason.

2nd Round, 56th Pick - 3B Gabby Trujillo, 23 years old, Seattle Steelheads
Gabby should be a valuable member of the much stronger bench the Flash will enjoy this season. He can play the corner infield spots when the regulars need a rest, and has a big power bat that will make the homer-friendly Citizens Bank Park a nice fit for him. With Ramon Martin likely departing next season, the Flash now have two good, young options behind him in Trujillo and recently acquired 3B Tony Moraga.

Campos Trade Falters: Trade talks that would have sent CF Willie Campos to the Milwaukee Malt Liquors have grinded to a complete halt. The Malt Liquors simply did not have enough prospects left to pry Campos away after their recent string of deals with Boston, Memphis, and Atlanta. As the Flash continue to enforce a youth movement this season, Campos may be dangled in front of contenders at the trade deadline if the Flash find themselves out of contention. But management is not willing to admit this will be a "lost" season, as the pitching staff should be as strong as ever.

Keeping Up with the Revolving Door

Philadelphia's management has really gotten the motor running now as the Winter Meetings wind down. Let's quickly take inventory on the recent moves, as well as what may be ahead for the Flash.

Clontz gives way to Moya: One 36-year-old outfielder was cut from the roster to make room for another today. LF Jerome Clontz was cut depite a resurgent year for the Flash last season by posting a .272 avg, as well as slugging 28 HRs. That said, he was a virtual statue in the outfield, and his new replacement, LF/RF Javier Moya, should solve that issue while swinging a serviceable bat himself. Last season he batted .285 with an OBP of .365. The latter stat is particularly enticing, because it would have led the team a year ago.

Felipe Martin rounds out bullpen: RP Felipe Martin can't fill the void left by RP Luke Swindell, but should be a valuable set-up man in front of closer Duke Munroe, nonetheless. Martin struggled a year ago, going 1-4 with a 5.85 ERA, which the Flash believe scared off other potential bidders and kept him surprisingly cheap on the free agent market. The season before that, however, he saved 17 games with a 3.51 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. If anything, his mechanics have only improved since that season, so bullpen coach Enrique Gonzalez looks forward to guiding him back to form.

Campos' short stint nearing an end?: CF Willie Campos, a feature player on the Flash roster, may be headed to an AL team in exchange for prospects, according to a local media report. Talks have not reached anything substantial yet, but the dialogue continues. The Flash are beginning to face the fact that their minor league teams are depleted of major-league potential talent, and are hoping to begin fixing that problem.

Flash Begin Bullpen Rebuilding

It was no secret heading into the offseason that the bullpen was going to be a major area of focus for the Flash. With RP Jose Maduro, RP Luke Swindell, RP Gail Becker, and RP Duke Munroe all slated for free agency, new faces coming in were all but inevitable. After signing Jose Maduro and Duke Munroe to 1- and 2-year deals, respectively, and making a bid at Luke Swindell that fell short, it was time to hit the free agent market.

The first new face down in the 'pen is going to be Hal Clark. Clark has been a journeyman of late, as this stint with the Flash will be his 3rd team in as many years. Coming over from the Arizona organization, Clark worked just 20.2 innings a year ago, but posted a 1.11 WHIP and a 3.05 ERA. The Flash plan to use him similarly: not in a bunch of innings or premiere innings, but more as a very good option on days that the regular relievers need a day off. In other words, the hope is that he will be Gail Becker from a year ago, only with much better numbers.

Clark's contract is of the 1-year variety and sees him earning $1.8 million this season. At 37-years-old, it is unclear how much longer he will bounce around the league if he is only going to find limited work wherever he goes.

Deal Sends Webster to Monterrey for Moraga

With the emergence of both Quinn Stevenson and Benny Aybar, a AAA call-up, the Philadelphia Flash were very deep at the starting pitching position. Having such a luxury enabled them to hit the trade market, looking for a young, big-league ready 3B who could help platoon with Richard McMasters and Ramon Martin at the corners. After the Flash let Wallace McIntyre, a very big contributor to last year's success, leave via free agency, a move was all but certain to follow.

So, the Flash packaged SP Chief Webster and cash to the Monterrey Sand Dawgs in exchange for 3B Tony Moraga. Moraga is 26-years-old and coming off a disappointing season in which he hit .258 and drove in only 50 runs. Moraga is not as much of a power threat as the departing McIntyre, but the Flash do hope he can hit for average for them against left-handed pitching. He has always fared better against south paws in his career, and the Flash are looking to take advantage of that.

The lone sticking point for the Flash was the fact that Moraga had already been signed to a 5-year, $25 million contract. However, since he is only 26-years-old, Philly's management felt they would certainly get value out of him throughout the duration of his contract.

As for the other half of the deal, Chief Webster went 28-18 in 2 year's as a part of the Flash rotation. His ERA over that span was 4.02, very serviceable given the amount of home runs hit in Citizens Bank Park. Before leaving the organization he was quoted as saying, "I understand this is a business and management has to make the decisions they feel are best for the franchise. That doesn't mean I won't miss the guys, though. My teammates, the coaches. I felt very lucky to be a part of the success the past 2 seasons here in Philly."

Cincinnati Motorboaters Claim NL Reins

On the strength of a 1-hit shutout from Lon Costello over the San Fransisco Slingers, the Cincinnati Motorboaters moved into the coveted top spot in the NL. Philadelphia Flash fans will remember the Motorboaters as the team that dashed all hopes for the local ball club in the playoffs last season. Worse, home fans were absolutely tortured in that series last year, as the road team won every game, giving Cincinnati the 3-2 series win.

The Atlanta Mad Dogs jumped out to an 11-3 start to the season, and have held the best record in the NL ever since. But a steady and slow decline has drawn both Cincinnati and Philadelphia closer to them. If the Mad Dogs slide continues, the Flash may yet get a first-round bye in the playoffs, even without having to catch Cincinnati.

And so, as they say, the race is now on. In just a few hours the trading deadline will pass and the stage will more or less be set. These 3 World Series hopefuls will begin the stretch run, all looking to claim one of those coveted free passes through the first round.

Standings as of 6:07 PM Eastern Daylight Time:

Cincinnati Motorboaters: 75-31 -.- GB
Atlanta Mad Dogs: 74-32 1.0 GB
Philadelphia Flash: 70-36 5.0 GB

It should be noted that Philadelphia is playing .660 baseball, which is up from the .636 winning percentage they posted a year ago. Last year, a .636 winning percentage was good enough to claim the NL's top seed. It just goes to show you how impressive the competition is at the top of the NL this season.

Venezuelan Right Hander Signs with Flash

SP Rolando Andjuar, an 18-year-old native of Venezuela, accepted a contract that included a $1.2 million signing bonus to climb on board the Flash organization today. Andujar is a sinkerballer, and a very good one, though he will give up a few more hits than most pitchers of his stock.

Assigned to the Rookie League team, Andujar was given the 3rd slot in the starting rotation, leaving former Rookie League SP Nicky White out in the cold. White was released upon Andujar's signing.

The Flash will get their first look at the promising young pitcher against the Columbus Come From Behinders tomorrow. The pitch count limit on Andujar will be in the neighborhood of 75, which is certainly an upgrade from what Nicky White was contributing. The Flash are hoping Andujar's added stamina will boost a team that, at 20-15 on the season, is only one game out of the NL East lead.

Cox's Debut: It wasn't the prettiest outing, but Russell Cox made it 3-in-a-row for relievers earning wins in their major league debut for the Flash this season. Gail Becker and Xavier Brooks did it earlier this year, and Cox continued that trend in a 5-4 win over the Charlotte Webs. When Louie Dali exited his start having worked 6 innings, the Webs led 4-1. Cox tiptoed his way through the 7th, allowing a single and a double, and becoming the benefactor of an outfield assist by Willie Campos that saved a run. In the bottom half of the inning, the Flash bats woke up and plated 4 runs, putting Cox in line for the win, which would stand.

McIntyre's Return: After spending 23 days off the field with a hamstring injury, Wallace McIntyre proved the injury would not limit his production in his first at-bat. Charlotte Webs SP Garrett Collins could only watch as McIntyre turned on a pitch and watched it sail beyond the left field wall. It was the lone bright spot on a day in which neither the Flash pitching or defense showed up. The Flash made 3 errors leading to 2 unearned runs and the Webs had 9 men touch home plate while producing only 9 base hits. The 9-2 loss was the only defeat the Flash took during a 4-game "home and home" series with the Webs.

Russell Cox Patiently Waits

After RP Xavier Brooks failed to make the leap from AAA to the majors earlier this year, Russell Cox, another promising relief arm, earned the final bullpen spot. That was on May 17. Now, 35 games later, Cox has yet to make his major league debut.

"Our starting rotation is so good at getting deep into the ball games that our go-to relievers don't get used up that often. It's my job to be ready if the situation calls, but it simply hasn't yet. I'm keeping my arm strength up by throwing on the side, and when I finally get the call, I'll be ready."

Despite his seemingly calm exterior, Cox certainly must be itching to finally pitch to the big boys. Flash manager Sour Surfer has stated that he thinks the lack of work for Cox could potentially haunt him, and so he is going to make an effort to get him into more ball games.

"The kid's got a live arm and could certainly contribute. We've got (SP Quinn) Stevenson on the mound today, and so there should be some innings available. (RP Jose) Maduro's earned his day off, so Cox is gonna get his shot if there's anything I can do about it."

"If we need to, we can even use him in different spots. He can stretch out a bit and give you 2, 3 innings of long relief if we need it. He'll have his opportunities soon."

Standings Update: After defeating the Washington D.C. Senators 5-3 today to split the first series after the All-Star Break, the Flash moved ahead of the division by 10 games. The entire NL East Division is playing .500+ baseball though, so the Flash cannot afford to coast their way into the playoffs in the back half of the schedule. The race for the first-round byes could also get interesting. The Flash are 3 games out of the 2-seed and 4 games out of the 1-seed as of today, and with the Atlanta Mad Dogs slumping a bit, that race could get even tighter before long.

7 Flash Players Club 8 Home Runs

After dropping 2 of 3 to the defending AL East Champions, the Flash re-flexed their muscles against the current AL East leader. No pitcher on the Augusta Black Bears staff was safe from the long ball, as every Flash run was generated via the big fly. C Henry Wyatt, who continues to be an all-or-nothing hitter, added 2 HRs in the 3rd and 4th innings to open up the game, and 6 other players found the power stroke en route to a laugher of a win over Augusta.

The Flash enjoyed back-to-back-to-back HRs in the 4th inning when 1B Richard McMasters, LF Jerome Clontz, and C Henry Wyatt all went yard in succession. CF Willie Campos, SS Richard Takada, DH Wallace McIntyre, and 3B Ramon Martin all got into the act over the span of 9 innings.

When C Henry Wyatt hit his first HR of the game in the 3rd inning, the contest appeared to be a pitcher's duel. After 3 innings of play the score was 1-0 Philadelphia, with only 2 hits allowed per side. But the 4th inning ignited a HR parade as the Flash cruised to the win.

Oliver's Return: Still very impressed with Quinn Stevenson's numbers in his starts, the Flash reassigned Carl Oliver to the starting rotation for today's ballgame. Oliver certainly had something to prove after serving a brief long relief stint, and he emphatically silenced his critics against Augusta by throwing a complete game, 1-run game. Even more impressive than his actual performance was the fact that he did it on a day that the Flash bullpen absolutely required a day off. So kudos to Oliver for making a successful return to the rotation.

Bubba Fox Highlights Draft Day for Flash

The hope and promise of another amateur draft has bitten baseball analysts yet again. Management for the Flash were very pleased with their draft, especially considering that they are not very aggressive in scouting young talent. But there's plenty to go around and the Flash believe they picked up a lot of the pieces that they needed, aided by the fact that they had 3 selections in the first round. Here is a round by round analysis of the picks from the first 5 rounds.

Round 1, Pick 23 - Bubba Fox, 2B, Harper Woods HS, 18-years-old
With William Saitou getting older, the Flash thought it would be a good idea to start developing more talent at the middle infield positions in their minor league system. Bubba Fox is a speed demon already at 18-years-old and could easily develop into a .300 hitter at the big league level some day. He's also pretty sound defensively, with the lone weak point being his arm strength.

Round 1, Pick 30 - Victor Furcal, 2B, Garden City HS, 18-years-old
Furcal is actually cut from the exact same mold as Bubba Fox. Speedy, smart on the base paths, and with great bat control, he and Fox could conceivably jockey for starting jobs all through the minor leagues. The Flash believe having such competition will only make the two better, as the GM has great hopes that each of these players can contribute to the big league club someday.

Round 1, Pick 38 - Happy Demaree, RP, Auburn, 22-years-old
After selecting 3 SP with their first 3 picks last season, Demaree was the only pitcher selected by the Flash in the first 5 rounds this year. Bullpen arms are always an asset, and the Flash are a little bit thin this year, both on the major league club and on the developmental teams, so they wanted to go out and grab one they could develop in the first round. Demaree has a very good 4-seamer, a workable curveball, and he pounds the strike zone -- a key for any good reliever.

Round 2, Pick 84 - Freddie Quinn, 3B, Blinn College, 19-years-old
The Flash were both surprised and pleased to see Quinn still on the board after 83 other selections. With Ramon Martin and Wallace McIntyre both getting on in years, the time is now to work on their heir. Quinn devoured left-handed pitching in his brief college career, and he's got enough pop in his bat to make him a viable major leaguer some day.

Round 3, Pick 116 - Walt McDonald, RF, Bradley, 21-years-old
Not the best defensive right fielder, and not the best at the plate either, McDonald does still bring a few things to the table. He has no glaring weakness with a bat in his hand, meaning he could easily be a backup outfielder some day when other players need a day off. He would not be a terrible option off the bench, either, if he continues to develop as he did in college.

Round 4, Pick 148 - Christopher Winchester, CF, Aiken Technical College, 19-years-old
Winchester seems more suited to play one of the corner outfield spots than his natural position of center field. He makes good contact at the plate but has not yet developed very good plate discipline. He'll have a long road to go if he hopes to make the big club, but if he can hit for average down in the minors, he may make a decent pinch hitter some day.

Round 5, Pick 180 - Curt Sweeney, 3B, Hill College, 19-years-old
As the talent pool thinned out after Round 4, the Flash selected Curt Sweeney, another 3B option down the line. Sweeney is a nice little player who could prove valuable to a minor league club, but he would have to really turn it around in order to ever play at the highest level. Still, he has some potential, and the Flash will likely sign him up.