New name, players in town, profiles
Spring training for pitchers and catchers begins five weeks from today (February 14). Same place but the ballpark has a new name, Spectrum Field.
When the Phillies opened their new Clearwater ballpark in 2004 Bright House Networks purchased the naming rights, thus Bright House Network Field. Later, the name was shortened to Bright House Field.
Spectrum is a suite of advanced broadband services offered by Charter Communications, Inc., a leading broadband communications company and the second largest cable operator in the United States. Charter Communications, Inc., and Bright House Network merged last spring.
This Week
Nine selected Phillies minor league players are currently at Citizens Bank Park for four days as part of the team’s annual Prospect Education Program. Included are seminars with front office executives, representatives and guest speakers, including former Phillies players.
The group includes C Jorge Alfaro, RHP Drew Anderson, RHR Victor Arano, OF Dylan Cozens, LHP Elniery Garcia, 1B Rhys Hoskins, 2B Scott Kingery, RHP Nick Pivetta and OF Andrew Pullin.
Wednesday includes a 1:30 p.m. media availability in the Phillies clubhouse. Look for multiple media stories then.
Next Week
The Phillies are back in town next week. No, the season isn’t starting. No, you haven’t overslept by three months. It is still frigid January but time for community appearances throughout the Delaware Valley and social media opportunities.
Included are four banquets in four nights in Williamsport, Reading, Lakewood and Lehigh Valley. Lots of chicken dinners complete with peas, mashed potatoes, cold gravy and apple pie. Don’t forget the hard dinner rolls and frozen butter cubes. Then, the speeches begin.
Phillies Profile
SS Freddy Jose Galvis . . . 27 years old . . . B-B, T-R . . . 5–10, 186 . . . Birthplace: Punto Fijo, Falcon, VZ . . . Signed as an international amateur free agent by Sal Agostinelli and Jesus Mendez, 7/2/06, at age 16, $90,000; Cesar Hernandez also signed the same day . . . Wears same number (13) as Omar Vizquel, his childhood hero . . . twitter: @freddygalvis10.
2016 In Review
Established career highs in games (158), doubles (26), HR (20), XBH (49), TB (233), RBI (67) and SB (17) . . . Joined Jimmy Rollins as the only shortstops in Phillies history with at least 20 2B & 20 HR in a single season (Rollins did it 4 times) . . . Led all NL shortstops in starts (153) & fielding % (.987) and ranked 2nd in innings (1,350.0); had fewest errors (8). A finalist for the Rawlings Gold Glove Award.
MLB Firsts
At-bat: starting at 2B on opening day, 4/5/12, in Pittsburgh; 2nd inning, grounded into DP.
Hit: 2-run double, 7th inning, 4/9/12, off Miami’s Anibal Sanchez in home opener.
Home run: 3rd inning, 4/13/12, off Mets’ R. A. Dickey at home.
Five Questions
What is your favorite activity to do when you have a day off?
Watch a movie.
What is the app on your phone you use most often?
Instagram (@freddygalvis13).
What is your favorite place to go shopping?
Fifth Avenue in New York City.
What was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid?
I was a mouse.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Venezuela.
Did You Know?
He played for the Venezuela team in the 2004 Junior World Series (13–14 year olds) in Taylor, MI. Source: Carlos R. Pagan, Latin America Region Director, Little League Baseball.
Under The Radar
(Another preview of a Phillies minor league player not listed in the MLBpipeline.com list of top 30 prospects but still considered potential big leaguer).
RHP Mark Leiter Jr. . . . 25 years old . . . B-R, T-R . . . 6–0, 195 . . . Born: Ft. Lauderdale, FL . . . Graduate of Toms River North (NJ) HS. Selected by the Phillies in the 22nd round (2013) out of New Jersey Institute of Technology; signed by Paul Murphy . . . Dad, Mark, pitched 11 years in the majors including 1997–98 with the Phillies; uncle, Al, was a major league pitcher for 19 seasons . . . 2013: First pro season split between GCL Phillies, Clearwater and Lakewood, 4–0, for 16 G; Phillies minor league pitcher of the month (August), 4–0, allowing two R in 28 IP . . . 2014: Combined 9–12 for Lakewood and Clearwater; led Phillies minor leaguers in SO (141) . . . 2015: Combined 8–7, Clearwater/Reading, again leading in SO (121); Florida State League midseason All-Star . . . 2016: Was on the DL to begin season recovering from right rotator cuff surgery. Reinstated on 5/9 and assigned to Reading. Allowed 3 ER or fewer in 14 of his 17 starts. Finished 6–3, 3.39 ERA for 23 G (17 GS), 1.17 WHIP. In 6 relief appearances, 0.83 WHIP . . . 4-year totals: 27–22, 3.39 ERA, 93 G (69 GS), 440.1 IP, 406 SO, 1.21 WHIP . . . Pitches: fastball (90–93), split-finger (83–86), curve (68–70), change (80–83) and slider (84–87) . . . Twitter: @Leiter Jr
