Pleased Fourth of July weekend!
Were back at Citizens Bank Park on this picture-perfect Friday early morning for the start (or restart) of Phillies training school– three weeks of workouts and intrasquad video games prior to the 60-game sprint-to-October commences later this month.
The goal here is to provide some semi-live or live observations throughout this very first workout. Keep checking back for updates.
I started the early morning in the garden, where I worked up a fresh five-gallon batch of critter repellent. Red pepper flakes, cayenne, chili powder, meal detergent, milk, a few eggs, a whole head of garlic. Fill with water and let that stuff being in the sun and get all funkalicious. Spray some around the garden every night. Guaranteed to keep the deer away. Chosen a summer and a zuke squash on my method out the door and headed for the ballpark– with a quick stop at Wawa for a 16-ounce cup of rocket fuel.
Delighted Baseball!
Its great to be back and I hope everyone stays healthy so we can see this thing through.
Here we go:
9:45 a.m.– I examined into CBP. Had my temperature level taken through a face imaging device.
9:50 a.m.– Arrived in press box. Very same excellent view of Center City. Field is green and beautiful.
10 a.m.– Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer shows up in press box. He is wearing shorts. Legs are quite unathletic and he has actually obviously been taking the quarantine seriously since he hasnt gotten much sun.
10:04 a.m.– The premises team has actually ended up prepping the field. Music is playing over the PA system. The ball bags are on the field. The batting cage is out..
10:05 a.m.– There is some action in the going to dugout. A coach has actually popped his head out. For spacing reasons, both clubhouses are being utilized..
10:15 a.m.– A premises crew member is nailing the rubber spike scraper to the mound..
10:16 a.m.– Black Smoke Rising by Greta Van Fleet is playing on the PA system. Hmm.
10:17 a.m.– Catching coach/bullpen catcher Bob Stumpo is heading out to the pen with a huge equipment bag.
10:26 a.m.– Joe Girardi emerges briefly on the field. Hes in shorts and a T-shirt, huge cup of Joe in his hand. Yes, he is masked.
10:27 a.m.– The premises team is putting down tarpaulins around the batting cage.
10:29 a.m.– Good to see Brookie.
10:30 a.m.– Robert Palmers Addicted to Love is playing. Ah, the 80s.
10:40 a.m.– Nick Pivetta, Vince Velasquez and Zach Eflin pop out of the dugout. Appears like theyre heading to the concourse for some conditioning work. The concourse is being used as a work area to ease overcrowding in the weight space.
10:45 a.m. — The view from colleague John Airport …
Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins walking to the auxiliary locker space.
Bryce is still using that JT Realmuto shirsey #Phillies pic.twitter.com/eBoGDml9Ad— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) July 3, 2020.
10:50 a.m.– Grounds crew is watering the infield dirt. So enthralling and relaxing. Any person whos ever done it knows what Im discussing..
10:53 a.m.– Just discovered– just one flag flying in center field. Destiny and Stripes. No champion flags, state or city flag.
10:54 a.m.– Andrew McCutchen just strolled from the stands down into the dugout. He is masked. Looks like hes invested a long time in the weight space.
11:04 a.m.– J.T. Realmuto and Andrew Knapp have taken the field and are chilling out their tubes.
11:06 a.m.– Several coaches– Dusty Wathan, Juan Castro, Bobby Meacham, Mike Calitri– are on the field playing catch. Distanced and masked. Not all players are wearing masks, but they are distanced.
11:07 a.m.– Just saw a fist bump. Call the police officers.
11:15 p.m.– Batting practice commences. McCutchen, Realmuto and Knapp in the first group.
11:20 a.m.– McCutchen strikes one into the left field seats.
11:22 a.m.– Realmuto hits one out to right-center.
11:23 a.m.– Jake Arrieta is walking through the outfield. Hes doing some extending. Hes using a muscle t-shirt and looks prepared to damage some skulls.
11:27 a.m.– Realmuto powers 2 in a row into the left field seats. Line drives..
11:35 a.m.– First round of BP is total. Standard fare.
11:36 a.m.– Realmuto and Knapp are putting the equipment on. Looks like Arrieta is getting ready to throw a pen.
11:40 a.m.– Realmuto and Knapp are doing receiving drills with the aid of a pitching maker. Stealing low strikes..
11:42 a.m.– McCutchen is long tossing. Intrigued to see how he relocates outfield drills, if they are on the docket.
11:43 a.m.– Realmuto and Knapp headed to the bullpen to capture Arrieta and Im unsure who the other person is. Gamers are not using numbers.
11:45 a.m.– Arrieta certainly set to toss a bullpen.
11:46 a.m.– McCutchen headed to left field for drills.
11:54 a.m.– McCutchen is taking fly balls in left. He looks a lot better than he carried out in March. Still finding a minor hitch in his giddyup, but he seems on the best course with 3 weeks to prepare.
Twelve Noon– Phil Gosselin in the cage taking some hacks.
12:01 p.m.– Really could utilize a za.
12:03 p.m.– Adam Morgan and Vinny Velo are playing catch. There are additional catchers here.
12:12 p.m. — Some brand-new art work in the press box. Pretty cool..
12:14 p.m.– Adam Morgan and Vinny Velo are tossing in the bullpen. A Josh Harrison sighting. Appears Like Zach Eflin might be preparing to throw a pen.
12:16 p.m.– Rhys Hoskins appears for BP. Lotta hair.
12:17 p.m.– Phil Gosselin wears first basemans mitt and takes ground balls at the position. Kinda fascinating.
12:20 p.m.– Now playing: Pour Some Sugar on Me. One lump or more?
12:21 p.m.– Coaches/staff are using masks. Many players are not, at least on the field while doing drills.
12:26 p.m.– Bryce Harper is in the batting cage. Hes using his No. 10 Realmuto T-shirt. Hoskins is striking in this group, too. Jean Segura, too. I understand that short stroke.
12:32 p.m.– Harper hits three bombs in five swings, one the opposite method.
Then Bryce Harper begins squashing it #Phillies pic.twitter.com/4WJoKTqW6u— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) July 3, 2020.
12:35 p.m.– Segura is hitting with a mask on. Among the couple of players wearing one on the field.
12:54 p.m.– Roman Quinn sighting. Hes headed up to the concourse with a bat in his hands. Must be a tee and an internet up there. Again, its out of my view.
12:55 p.m.– Hoskins, Segura and Josh Harrison getting in some infield work. Segura is at third.
1 p.m.– Things appear to be unwinding, at least in the early session. Hoping to talk with a few of the participants in a little while. So well call this a wrap for now. Thanks for following along. Happy baseball, happy gardening, stay safe. And, Breen, get some sun on those legs.
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10:04 a.m.– The premises team has actually completed prepping the field. 10:26 a.m.– Joe Girardi emerges briefly on the field. 10:53 a.m.– Just discovered– only one flag flying in center field. 11:06 a.m.– Several coaches– Dusty Wathan, Juan Castro, Bobby Meacham, Mike Calitri– are on the field playing catch. 11:54 a.m.– McCutchen is taking fly balls in.
