2010 Winter Meetings Update

Welcome Kevin Lincoln to Philadelphia, fans. Lincoln signed his 2 year 11.8 million dollar deal early this morning, saying he feels he can add something to this pitching staff and is hoping to have one of his best seasons yet. I'm not really sure this was the best move for the Flying Fish, but hey what do I know I'm just a sports writer. I'm not saying Lincoln is a bad pick up, I do think he will help us out but I don't think he is a guy thats going to change the Fish tremendously, I mean I really hope he does I just don't see it happening. He also is costing us the 21st overall pick in this years draft as he was a Type A free agent, so he needs to perform. He is coming off his one of his worst season statistically going 8-14 with 2 saves and a 4.31 ERA.

Onto some other winter news, the Fish lost out on superb closer Pat Yamamoto after he signed with the Buffalo Lebowskis over night. GM matthewm3 said he was willing to pay Yamamoto more than 10 million a year. "If I had known Yamamoto was going to decline our offer of 9.5 mil and immediately sign with Buffalo in a matter of hours we would have thrown alot more money his way along with a bonus, to bring him in. We thought he was the best closer available and hate that we couldn't close a deal," matthewm3 stated.

John Cho was also reportedly on the the Flying Fish list, but also slipped out of their grasp. The Fish were also apparently interested in Russ Jerchower but thought the 5 years at 8.3 million was alittle excessive. Junior Weston is reportedly in talks with the Fish and is looking forward to coming back to Philadelphia if the front office can work all the details out with him. Weston would probably be used mostly as a pinch hitter but possibly could earn himself a spot in the lineup should his play allow. A few other guys are on Philly's radar but nothing major is really happening. It is unknown if they are looking to make any trades.
-Kelly Denner

Sullivan Gets First Win

John Sullivan put in a terrific effort last night against a tough Ottawa team to secure his first victory as a ML starter. He gave up 4 hits and struck out 6 in his 7 shutout innings at Citizens Bank Park. Sullivan was followed by Jesse Holliday, who was brought up just the day before to fill in for Reggie Rapp as he recovers from a recent injury. Holliday struck out two to get the save in his first appearance in the big leagues. Holliday could secure himself a stay in the majors should he continue to play like that as Rapp recovers.

Philadelphia Takes Over First

The Flying Fish are soaring beautifully. Since they started the season 1-5, the Fish have gone 12-4 working themselves into the division lead and giving some life to a stadium that's been filled with boos in recent years. The Fish are being lead by a revitalized bullpen who are refusing to throw games away. Matthewm3 said at the end of last season that he wanted to better this pitching staff, especially the bullpen who blew alot of leads last season, and he seems to have done that. He also wanted to get some more offensive weapons into the lineup and on the bench and he did that as well. Not only did he bring in a couple guys who could produce offensively but also defensively. Everything matthewm3 did in the offseason is paying off now as the Fish have taken the division lead for the first time since the first week of last season. "Everything that has been going on with this team is great, I just hope it continues. I've been very impressed with the bullpen and our batting has been significantly better than last season as a whole. We are actually scoring runs without having to hit a HR", matthewm3 said, "Baseball fever is making its way back into Philly! We have a series with the (St. Louis Cardinals) coming up and the tickets are already sold out!"

The Fish look to complete a sweep of the Cinners tonight in Cincinnati before they come home to a packed house to face their hated conference rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cards have had the Fishes number the past few seasons but with a sold out Citizens Bank Park and the division lead Philadelphia looks to change that starting tomorrow. So come out tomorrow night and help us give the Cardinals a warm Philadelphia welcome into the park. Game 2 of the series is the 'dead bird' giveaway to all in attendance. For those who don't know it is one of the newest promotions, and it is a stuffed toy cardinal with X'ed out eyes and looks to be drowned in a small fish bowl which its head is stuck in.
-Kelly Denner

Fish Win Streak Continues!

The Philadelphia Flying Fish have been putting on a great show in the past week and a half. They are currently 9-7, tied for the NL East lead, and 8-2 in their last ten games. As of today the Fish have put together a great streak of six consecutive victories and not only that it is coming against solid competition, their last two series have been against playoff teams from last season. Philadelphia was expecting some good things to happen this season but this has definitely been a pleasant surprise. We all know its a long season and in a division such as the NL East you have to remain competitive or you will be left in everyone else's dust, as we have seen in recent years. We are only 16 games into the season but so far, so good and lets hope it continues this way!
-Kelly Denner

Rule 5 Alert

Using their 7th pick in the Rule 5 draft Philadelphia took Desi Perez from the Louisville Derbies. Since Perez is a Rule 5 draftee he must be put on the ML roster, but since the Fish have no room for him on their roster he is likely to be offered back to the Derbies for 25k. Should Louisville not want him back Philly will waive him and hope he doesn't get picked up, so they can send him to their AAA squad to show what he can do. Perez has not played at a level any higher than AA, making the front office alittle more hesitant to make room for him on the ML roster. Desi Perez was pretty good in AA last season for Louisville when he started 29 games going 10-9 while pitching 172.1 innings with a 3.24 ERA.
-Kelly Denner

The Sullivan Era Begins!

John Sullivan has been promoted to the ML for the start of the season. Spring training will help the Fish decide if he will begin the season as a SP or a LRP. The Fish have high expectations for Sullivan, although they are prepared for any possible bumps in the road, and are looking for him to help them get back to the playoffs. He is probably the most highly anticipated player to reach the ML in the history of the Fish and we can only hope that he goes down as the greatest also.

Jason Hayes is back in a Philadelphia uniform this season. "I went into the offseason unsure about what I was going to do (about his mutual option), but when matthewm3 expressed how much he wanted me back and explained his plans for me and this team, I felt very comfortable coming back and hopefully I'll get an opportunity to be here for the rest of my career", Hayes said. Fish fans are glad to have Hayes back on a team that looks to be more competitive in 2009 than in recent years. It is rumored that the Fish are currently in talks to sign Hayes to a long term contract that would keep him in Philadelphia through atleast 2012, if not longer.

Brook Palmer (RP), Patrick Gordon (IF/OF), and Trevor Phillips (IF/OF) are the new faces on this team. All are looking to make an impact on a team looking to get back to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. Gordon and Phillips are both solid guys that could be starting most anywhere in the league but will be coming off the bench as pinch hitters and defensive replacements. They will also be filling in throughout the season for guys that are being given a day off or just used to mix up the lineup. It should be interesting as both guys have solid gloves.

Sam Hall has also been brought back up to share the catching duties with Ray Painter. Hall was last seen in the majors in 2006 when he batted a poor .198 in 106 at bats with 4 HR's and 15 RBI's. He looks to make the most of his second chance opportunity in the big leagues. Starting pitcher Robert Weston also gets a shot to prove himself in the Show. The 24 year old won 13 games in AAA last season but had a 6.07 ERA, his worst in the minors to date. Management feels that he can perform well enough to bring that winning record into the majors.

Let's get ready Philadelphia Flying Fish fans! Spring Training is here in 2 HBD days!
-Kelly Denner

The Pitching Staff

Today we are going to take a look at which pitchers will be with us next season, who may be here, who may be gone and who might be a new face. The pitching staff, as you all know, has been a major weakness for the Fish the past two seasons and matthewm3 is looking to change that this offseason if he can. He is looking to hopefully find a solid starter in free agency or possibly bring someone in with a trade. Matthewm3 has been known to be 'trigger-shy' when it comes to 'pulling-the-trigger' on a deal, so don't get your hopes up on seeing a blockbuster trade over the winter.

First I would like to take a look at the pitchers we know will be returning next season. (Unless our GM does something stupid, which has happened before...)

STARTING PITCHERS
Cory Brooks - Did not perform as well has he did his rookie season but has shown some promise at times. Look for him to finally end a season with more wins than losses.

Kirk Cooper - Pitched in more games and innings than his rookie season, but did not progress in the way management thought he would. He has the stuff to be a good pitcher in this league, but will he make that transition?

Rodrigo Unamuno - Here is a guy who is great to have around. He doesn't have the skills of an ace, but he can keep you in a game. He has struggled at times but should continue to be a strong middle of the rotation pitcher for a few more seasons.

Willie Tatis - Came to Philly via a trade and underperformed. He went 4-4 in 12 games to end the season 15-9 overall. With a fresh start next year, he should reproduce those numbers all for Philadelphia this time.

RELIEF PITCHERS
Brian McDonald - Did an excellent job in relief work. Expect him to be the number one long relief pitcher next season.

Francis Murray - Played good enough baseball to win himself a roster sport next season. He was acquired in a trade with Cleveland and actually performed better than expected.

Now that we know who is coming back for sure, let's take a look the guys who may or may not be returning next season.

THE MAYBE'S
Tony Byrne - Philadelphia management would love to have him back and they just might depending on how arbitration goes.

Lucas Banks - Another arbitration guy who Philly wouldn't mind keeping around.

Reggie Rapp - The teams closer and also another guy in arbitration. Management will do what they can but there are no guarantee's he'll be back.

Benji Slaughter - This guy is going to be released. Everyone in Philadelphia should be happy when he is gone. In his 3 seasons here he has gone 4-15 with a 6.95 ERA and has lost 15 of his 41 save opportunities.

Glenn Gibbons - Management loves this guy but his injuries kill his production. The team has an option for this season. It is unknown whether they will take it or not.

Bryan Jennings - Has a team option also, which can be bought out for 1.2 million.

Brooks Kingman - Mutual option. You can say goodbye to Kingman as the team is going to pay the 1.4 million to let him go.

Turk Hillenbrand - He is a 39 yr old soon to be Free Agent and you can expect it to stay that way. He is reportedly asking for 1.6 million for next season.

Finally we will look at the Minor Leaguers who are hoping to get their shot in 2009.

John Sullivan - Great kid, great pitcher. Hello to the future of the Flying Fish. Don't get to excited just yet, he may be spending some of next season in AAA, but it is very likely he will be in the ML next season.

Kennie Moss - A fantastic prospect who will continue his career in AAA this season. He will be a Major Leaguer though so keep your eye on him.

Robert Weston - He might just make the move to the ML before the first pitch.

Jesse Holliday - This kid is good and looks to bring his nasty knuckleball to the Fish bullpen in the very near future.

Louis Stoddard - Will spend atleast one more season in AAA.

Jamey Stieb - This kid can be brought up but probably won't be unless he is needed. Don't be surprised though if you do see this kid in a ML uniform sometime next year.

Thats it for the Pitching Staff report. Look for my Position Player outlook soon! Later Fish fans!
-Kelly Denner

Philly Phrustration

Another season ends as the Fish sit at the bottom of their bowl looking out into an offseason of unknowns and hostile fans. "The fans want to win and have shown their frustration in emails, letters, and at the games", matthewm3 continues, "It's gotten to the point where the fans are booing before the game even starts, the grounds crew is getting booed, the umpires, the mascot Franky Phin, everybody for any reason. I think the fans come out just to be angry, seriously." I've seen it myself as I've been at the games and you fans really don't give the players a break. I recall a game a couple weeks ago where Kirk Cooper was pitching and he had struck the first 2 batters out to start the inning and the 3rd batter was up with an 0-2 count and he threw a ball to far outside and you booed him like he had just given up the game winning run in the bottom of the ninth to a division rival. I know its been a frustrating season, trust me I know, I've got to write about these guys after every game. It's hard when I have to write that we blew the game due to our bullpen, a Bocachica error, or because our bats were colder than ice. And I know everyone hates GM matthewm3 at the moment and wants him to walk away, but give him a chance to turn this thing around. I honestly think he can, he's been doing a decent job in the draft the past 2 seasons and he did get us an international stud pitcher in John Sullivan, who was solid in AAA this season. He's been trying to put the pieces together and I think he will, but he needs a couple more seasons. Although I do agree with all you fans out there that he needs to field a team that this city can be proud of. I would love nothing more than to see the Fish go into next season and pull out 90-some wins but I would be happy to settle with an unlikely amount of 80+.

Onto some offseason news: the biggest story of the offseason for the Fish will be how they deal with Ernest Dougherty and Joaquin Bocachica in arbitration. They are definitely looking to hang on to Dougherty, but things could get interesting with Bocachica. Fish GM matthewm3 said he was frustrated with all the errors (61) from him this season, especially when they came at some very inopportune times. The GM did stat however, should Bocachica be back he will most likely not be playing at SS. Bryan Jennings and Glenn Gibbons both have team options for next season and Jason Hayes has a mutual option. Hayes has already said he is not sure if he will stay or check out the free agent market, he said if he had to make his decision today he would be leaving Philadelphia. "I love this city and the fans, when they aren't booing me", Hayes said chuckling, "But its been harder than ever this year and I think it might be best if I find a new home."
Glenn Gibbons is a guy I'm not sure about. The Fish front office likes him alot and he has performed great, but he is injury-prone and that could hinder him from returning to Philly next year.
-Kelly Denner

Fish Trade Leary

Louis Leary is headed to Anaheim. "I was alittle surprised about getting traded but Anaheim is a great city and organization and I'm looking to do good things there," Leary said. The Flying Fish also sent second year 1B Garret O'Neill as part of the package for SP Willie Tatis and RP Jesse Holliday who has a nasty knuckleball. Holliday has been sent to AAA to pitch as the closer for the rest of the season, while Tatis has been placed in the Fish rotation and will have his first start in a few days. Willie Tatis brings a 4.35 ERA along with an 11-5 record and alot of potential. Matthewm3 said, "We are hoping (Tatis) can continue pitching the way he has been for Anaheim and help us get a few more wins around here, he's a great kid and we are happy to have him." Matthewm3 also said that Pedro Mangual would be brought up from AAA to help out at 3B for the remainder of the season and possible become a fixture in the lineup for years to come.

Sullivan Sweepstakes Over

And the winner is... Your Philadelphia Flying Fish! Thats right Philly, get ready to hear the name John Sullivan alot in the next few seasons! Philadelphia went out and spent nearly all their prospect budget on Sullivan but they feel like it was money well spent. 'We were looking at a couple other guys but when we got word of Sullivan being available we dropped everything and got right on trying to bring him here. It's a great feeling to know we have this kid in our system, he's going to be one of the best the Fish have ever had', matthewm3 stated.
John Sullivan is with the AAA team for the rest of this season and may just be sent to the majors at the beginning of next season, if not near the end of this season. Sullivan will get his first start in 4 days against the Oklahoma City Rams (22-25).

Changes possible

The Flying Fish front office is looking to shake things up a bit in an attempt to get their team back into winning form. A few days ago they let the league know that everyone except Ernest Dougherty, Joaquin Bocachica, Timo Coleridge, Kirk Cooper, Cory Brooks, and Brian McDonald, are available to be traded. The Fish are looking for youth and cash in return.
Fish fans things could begin to look alot different around here in the coming weeks as the Fish have already been entertaining offers from several clubs. The interested parties have been kept anonymous thus far, but when something solid is available for discussion we will report right away.
We also have some other news regarding team transactions. Word has come around that Philadelphia is actively pursuing international free agent John Sullivan. Sullivan is a left-handed, 21 yr old, four pitch potential superstar from Galway, IE. Should the Fish win in the bidding for his rights they will most likely start him out in AA or AAA this season and then look to bring him to the ML at the start of next season.

Bocachica has HUGE game in loss

Joaquin Bocachica had a huge game in St. Louis in the 6/8 PM game. Bocachica sent two shots over the fence and had a 3-run, inside-the-park homerun. In the top of the 1st inning with noone on, he got his tremendous game going by sending one deep into the seats. He would ground out in the 2nd with the bases loaded. Bocachica would not get to the plate again until the 5th but crushed another ball into the stands in left center field, although the Fish would end the inning losing badly 10-4. Joaquin struck out in the 6th, but made up for it in the 8th with a wonderful hit. With Leary and Hayes on first and third, Bocachica stepped to the plate and knocked a ball up and over an outstretched Junior Weston, giving him enough time to round the bases for a 3-run, inside-the-park homerun. "When I hit the ball I took off running right away and didn't realize it had gotten past (Weston) until I heard Rijo (first base coach) screaming at me to 'move it!'", Bocachica stated chuckling. He was excited to get the in-the-park homerun, but he said he hopes that next time it enables the Flying Fish to win and he wants to do it at home the next time so he can hear cheers instead of boos.

Fish Win Again!

Make that four in a row! This time its in the W column and not the L. Kirk Cooper took a no decision in tonights victory as he gave up 14 hits and 8 earned runs in 4.1 innings of work. Although he struggled early his teammates bailed him out in the 8th when Bocachica dropped a flyball in for a 2-run double. He would score the final run of the evening as Duke Thompson stepped to the plate and hit a liner into LF for a double, ending the scoring at 11-9 in favor of Philadelphia. Brian McDonald received his first win of the season after he allowed just one hit in 3.2 innings, then R. Rapp came in to claim his first save of the season. Player of the Game went to Gregory Richard after having a solid night with 2 hits, 3 RBI's and a homerun in the 5th to pull Philly within one. Come out tomorrow night and cheer them on as they go for their 5th straight victory against the Louisville Derbies (9-9).