Games have begun

fish 2018-03-26 17:43:28 UTC #81

I'm not sure which way that comment was meant to lean towards, because there is no way that kid is 215 pounds. He's massive- I wouldn't call him fat, but certainly not lean either.

Freemzy 2018-03-26 22:38:50 UTC #82

I saw Moniak about 8 times last season at Lakewood. At the beginning of the season, he looked tremendous. By the midway point, he was gassed. I think coming from high school to the Gulf Coast League was fairly easy. But his first full season last year was hard. The long bus rides, the 140-game schedule, better pitching, the intense East Coast humidity. It just all hit Moniak at once, IMO. Hopefully, he got stronger in the offseason, physically and mentally, and will be ready for the grind this summer. Good they’re challenging him.

Freemzy 2018-03-26 22:45:43 UTC #83

I realize it’s a numbers game, but Coppola deserves to be at Lehigh Valley, IMO.

allentown 2018-03-26 23:18:27 UTC #84

We all have our own favorite players, but I just don't see Coppola having earned his way onto the Allentown roster. His season at Reading was really very poor offensively for Reading. He had stolen bases and a good steal percentage, but apart from that, not much else. In any case, he has only half of a AA season and his stats declined sharply between CLW and Reading. Per your comment on Moniak being gases halfway through the season, I think the same could be said for Coppola. Reading is a stadium which accentuates extra base hits, but Coppola's ISO was halved to .035 in moving to Reading and his BA and OBP both dropped by nearly 100 points. In any event, with Quinn having been sent down to the minors, the Allentown CF position belongs to him, as long as he is healthy.

We talk about Carlos Tocci not having enough strength to succeed, but age 21 Tocci hit better across the board at Reading than age 23 Coppola did. Base stealing seems to be Coppola's only advantage over Tocci.

Freemzy 2018-03-26 23:24:05 UTC #85

Did OF Mark Laird, who was at high Class A Clearwater last season, get released?

Freemzy 2018-03-26 23:27:47 UTC #86

Very good points. I like Coppola because he’s s grinder. A 13th-round pick from South Dakota State, which isn’t exactly a baseball factory. He’s probably a fringe prospect, but there is something I like about the kid. But you make some excellent points.

julio 2018-03-27 00:40:38 UTC #87

This was kind of my reaction. Coppola deserves to be in AAA? On the basis of what, exactly? He runs fast. He's good defensively. But IMHO he's not a prospect, period. He'll never do enough with the bat to hold a major-league job (well, except on a club that's just awful offensively). He never has.

I have no idea why he was in the game this afternoon. He looked seriously overmatched (I saw the first several innings on replay). But he's just filling a space until camp breaks; he's not on the roster, and not going to be on the roster. Jiandido Tromp was in left field; he's not knocking on the major-league door either.

baseballoldie 2018-03-27 00:40:40 UTC #88

Pretty sure I saw a comment on PhuturePhillies or on a Fans View that Laird retired.

fish 2018-03-27 00:48:23 UTC #89

Part of it too was a bad approach that caught up with him. He started the season looking to swing at fastballs early and seemed to guess after that. I don’t know about his approach so far, but his bat speed has really jumped out at me this spring- looking really good.

On the flip side, the game video of Halesey on the 23rd showed him reverting to doing the big leg kick and lunge forward again like when he was drafted. Not a fan of that.

Austinfan 2018-03-27 01:04:24 UTC #90

Watched Singer today in the ML game, his fastball varied from 90-95, wonder if he was trying different grips or is just that inconsistent with his mechanics. Slider is a true old fashioned slider, not a fast curve, breaks hard down and away from lefties and makes RH hitters dive for it.

Great feel good story, local kid signed out of the Independent leagues and has the stuff to be a ML RP, and not just a LOOGY. Someone to keep an eye on.

Squire 2018-03-27 01:23:12 UTC #91

In the Phillies never ending quest to convert each of their 3B prospects into other positions prospects, Lucas Williams played CF for the AAA squad and went 3-4. He's another guy who seems to have hot well. Moniak had a triple in his game too.

Freemzy 2018-03-27 04:18:13 UTC #92

That would be tremendous. He looked wiped out last season by the time he got to Lakewood, but he had a long college season as both a pitcher/OF. Then he played at three levels after being drafted: Rookie Level GCL Phillies, Short Season Williamsport and low Class A Lakewood. That’s a grind.

I know he got real strong working out over the winter, so hopefully, he’s ready to break out. Jumping to Double A Reading would really acccellerate his career. Plus, he’ll be 22 this season, so why not challenge him.

Freemzy 2018-03-27 04:49:19 UTC #93

Maybe DESERVE was a bad choice of words when I said Coppola should be at Triple A Lehigh Valley to start the season. What I meant was that I HOPED he would be at LV.

Obviously, he has no power and is a slap hitter. I just like the kid’s effort.

Jeff05 2018-03-27 11:56:14 UTC #94

Yep, I saw it on PhuturePhillies that Laird has retired.

bigegypt0417 2018-03-27 12:30:48 UTC #95

Zach Coppola has 32 XBH in over 1000 AB's.

He shouldn't be clogging up space...

andyb 2018-03-27 12:53:08 UTC #96

It does not really matter that much where Coppola is placed. On performance he belongs back at Reading, but he is really there for speed and defense and depth. Maybe he gets a cup of coffee, maybe even a Quintin Berry type career, but he is just depth at this point. Ben Revere with less speed and a lesser hit tool.

He'll get some AAA chances this year when Quinn and others are promoted. His chances go down if Tocci comes back but that is the luck of the draw for him.

Squire 2018-03-27 14:24:08 UTC #97

jeez.....the guy is a fan of Coppola posting for the first time and the entire board groupthink jumps all over him.

bigegypt0417 2018-03-27 14:40:33 UTC #98

It is a message board. I mean if we aren't going to share our opinions the board would be fairly boring.

No?

At this point coppola would be a bench piece in AAA. I'm not really sure that's an insult based on his total lack of power.

phillychuck 2018-03-27 16:18:56 UTC #99

Monday's games...vs. the Yankees:

AAA game (3–1 loss)
Brandon Leibrandt started and gave up one run on five hits over five innings.
RF Luke Williams went 3–4 with an RBI (and played CF!--unusual for a guy with ++ defense at 3B). 3B Mitch Walding and DH Andrew Pullin had hits.

AA game (4–4 tie)
Ranger Suarez started and gave up one walk, and no hits, over five scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
CF Mickey Moniak went 2–4 with a double and a triple while DH Cord Sandberg was 3–4 with two home runs.
1B Kyle Martin and RF Jan Hernandez each doubled. Nice to see Moniak with a multi-hit game. Suarez's start is encouraging, as was Liebrant's at AAA.

Hi-A game (6–2 win)
Mauricio Llovera started and went four innings of one-run ball, adding four strikeouts and one walk.
Felix Paulino followed with two scoreless innings.
CF Adam Haseley went 3–5 with three singles and a run scored. RF Jose Pujols went 3–4 with a double and two RBIs. 1B Jake Scheiner was 2–4 with a double. Anyone else notice that Pujols is playing a lot and hitting? That would be a real boost for a guy who fell off a cliff prospect-wise last year.

Lo-A game (7–6 loss)
Luis Carrasco started and gave up three hits over four scoreless innings.
CF Simon Muzziotti had two hits, a double and a triple.
SS Nick Maton and LF Josh Stephen added two hits apiece with Stephen driving in two runs.
I'm getting very excited about Stephen's spring. Muzziotti, too.

Note that Moniak actually played a level above Haseley yesterday. I still think Moniak should be in CLW and Haseley in Reading. Thanks once again to Blueclaws Backstage.

Squire 2018-03-27 16:55:44 UTC #100

With regard to that AA game, I'm pretty amazed that in a game with at least 3 doubles, a triple and 2 home runs we managed all of 4 runs. I'll be disappointed if Muzzioti/Stephen /Ortiz isn't Lakewood's OF at this point. I don't know how many of Markham, Mayer and Gurrola they can carry.