RED PINSTRIPES; THE PHILLIES FAN UNION'S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
The July 12th, 2010 Edition Membership as of July 11th, 2010: 150,734
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FEATURE STORY
In a recent statement, Phillies general manager Ruben
Amaro intimated that his first five position players were
not playing with what he called a sense of urgency. In-
deed, that seems to be the story for the Phillies this year.
This is a team that has had its own way for the past four
seasons, and specifically in the last two. They know they
are one of the best, but for whatever reason, they don't
present themselves as the same hungry, "want to be the
best" team in baseball. Injuries have been a problem,
but so has the level of play for just about everyone on
the team.
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THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION
Sponsored By  , and
Supporting the Philadelphia Chapter of the ALS Association
***Do whatever you can***This Week's Question:
What Phillies player held the most franchise records as of the end
of the 2009 season? Scroll down for the answer.
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UNION NEWS:
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THE HARRY KALAS MEMORIAL STATUE
Don't forget. There's a way for Phillies fans to show their love
to Harry Kalas. Phillies fans are getting together to fund the
construction of a statue to commemorate the life of the beloved
Phillies broadcaster. This a non for profit group set up solely to
raise the funds needed to erect The Harry Kalas Memorial Statue
which will be gifted to the Phillies from the fans, when complete.
Learn more Here.
| PFU HALL OF FAME VOTINGHave a favorite Phillie? Nominate him for
the PFU Hall of Fame. The top two make it in.
Feel free to use the Phillies All-Time Roster
Courtesy The Sports Cube | |
THE 2010 PFU HALL OF FAME VOTING.
THE TOP TWO WILL BE ENSHRINED AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
THE TOP TEN VOTE RECIPIENTS , SO FAR, ARE:
Harry Kalas 15948 Votes
Juan Samual 6149 Votes
Many Trillo 5972 Votes
Curt Simmons 5296 Votes
Jim Konstanty 4456 Votes
Bake McBride 4019 Votes
Gavvy Cravath 2829 Votes
Granny Hamner 1782 Votes
Sam Thompson 1651 Votes
Cy Williams 1395 Votes
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VOTE HERE for 2010. View the PFU Hall of Fame HERE.
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PHILLIES NEWS: THE LEAD STORIES
 | RUIZ ACTIVATED
For Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz, the time off has given all his other injuries a chance
to heal. Among them: a right knee sprain, a sore right shoulder, and a sore left ankle.
"During the course of a season, catchers get banged up a lot," Manuel said. "You
have to be tough. At the same time, when you keep getting banged up - one injury
after another - pretty soon it's time for you to sit down and take a break. Chooch was
probably there, especially after getting hit in the head with a bat." Entering Saturday,
Ruiz was hitting .275 with a .398 on-base percentage. Before his first injury of the
season, the sprained knee in Colorado, Ruiz was hitting .345 through 28 games.
In his absence, the Phillies pitching staff has struggled. |
 | GETTING CLOSE
Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco is nearing a return to the lineup. Polanco, who
said last week that he was targeting the Phillies' series against St. Louis that starts July
19th as a possible return, will begin baseball activities Monday in Clearwater, Fla.
Charlie Manuel said Polanco would take infield and batting practice when he goes to
the Phillies' spring-training complex over the all-star break. He also could play in a rehab
game for single-A Clearwater. He hopes to only need to play in two Minor League rehab
games. Polanco was hitting a team-high .318 with 5 home runs and 27 RBI this season
for the Phillies. Polanco said he is hopeful that the treatment and rest will alleviate the
injury, but he acknowledged that it could be a lingering issue for the rest of the season.
He elected not to have surgery on it -- something a doctor in Cincinnati suggested in a
first opinion, but said it might be needed after the season. |
 | MAGE McDONNEL PASSES
The last thing Robert "Maje" McDonnell would want is for anyone to be too sad for
too long. Mr. McDonnell, a former Phillies coach and longtime community relations
whiz, died Thursday at his home in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia. He was 89.
Mr. McDonnell joined the Phillies as a batting practice pitcher in 1947. He eventually
became a coach and spent 57 years with the organization as a scout, camp instructor,
stadium tour guide, and community relations speaker. He finally retired last year. He
also worked from 1966 to 1973 as a "goodwill ambassador" for Ballantine Beer. His
ever-present ball and glove prompted friends and neighbors to call him the "little major-
leaguer," and that eventually became "Major" and then "Maje." |
 | TRADE WINDS
The Phillies could be both buyers and sellers at the trading deadline, with Jayson
Werth being the main piece they might barter off. Werth is a free agent after the
season, and the Phillies almost surely will not re-sign him. At least, tghat's what
most baseball people think. The team also has a history of not offering players
arbitration, so they risk losing the right-fielder for nothing over the off-season. It
would be very risky for them to move Werth, since he is a big part of an offense
that has sputtered at times, but with top prospect Domonic Brown lurking at AAA,
a trade is possible. The Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays have all expressed interest
in Werth. |
 | EARLY RETURN?
Phillies second baseman Chase Utley's timetables have been accurate in the past,
and he believes this one is accurate, too. Utley had surgery Thursday for a torn
ligament in his right thumb. The Phillies estimated he will miss approximately eight
weeks. He said he could be back earlier than that. Utley has an appointment this
week to have his cast removed, which will be replaced by a smaller cast which he
can remove as needed. He said he needs five weeks to let the ligament heal and
one week to get his mobility back. He hopes to begin baseball activities after that.
Utley played just three rehab games with AA Reading in 2007, when he missed a
month with his broken hand. He went 1-for-10 for Reading, rejoined the Phillies and
hit .321 with five home runs, 21 RBI, a .397 on-base percentage, and a .519 slugging
percentage to help the Phillies win their first National League East championship since
1993. Utley said because his thumb will be immobile longer than his broken hand, he
might need an extra rehab game or two, but not much more. |
ORGANIZATIONAL NEWS:
Garcia, Way win June honors as Phils Minor League Players of the Month - From The Phillies
Four IronPigs Named to All-Star Game - From The Lehigh Valley IronPigs
Rizzotti Named E.L. Player of the Month for June - From The Reading Phillies
Threshers' Hyatt dominating league after 'fixing' changeup - From the Clearwater Threshers
Cutters Close-Up with Perci Garner - From the Williamsport Crosscutters
July 21st: Phillie Phanatic / World Series Trophy - From The Lakewood BlueClaws
PHIL-INS
- Second baseman Wilson Valdez said he was healthy and ready to play after missing Friday's game with a sore left wrist.
Manuel said he kept Juan Castro at second base because the Reds went with Wood, a lefthanded pitcher. . . .
- J.A. Happ allowed three runs on six hits and three walks in five innings for AAA Lehigh Valley. He needed 101 pitches
to complete those five innings. . .
- Antonio Bastardo and Chad Durbin began their rehabilitation for single-A Clearwater on Saturday. Each pitcher struck
out two in a scoreless inning. . . .
- The Phillies won consecutive games Thursday and Friday on walk-off home runs for just the second time in franchise
history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The other time was in 1962, when Johnny Callison hit a walk-off homer in
two straight games, Sept. 13-14 against the Milwaukee Braves and St. Louis Cardinals.
- Saturday marked the first time in team history the Phillies have won three straight games in extra innings against the
same team.
- After pitching nine more innings Saturday, Roy Halladay is at a league-high 148 for the season, the most by a National
League pitcher before the All-Star break since Arizona's Randy Johnson (152 2/3) and Philadelphia's Curt Schilling
(149 2/3) in 1999.
- Phillies Active Roster
- Phillies Regular Season Schedule
BASEBALL RULE OF THE WEEK - Get Educated
HELMETS
1.16 A Professional League shall adopt the following rule pertaining to the
use of helmets:
(a) All players shall use some type of protective helmet while at bat.
(b) All players in National Association Leagues shall wear a double ear
flap helmet while at bat.
(c) All players entering the Major Leagues commencing with the 1983
championship season and every succeeding season thereafter must wear a
single ear flap helmet (or at the player's option, a double ear flap helmet),
except those players who were in the Major League during the 1982 season,
and who, as recorded in that season, objected to wearing a single ear flap
helmet.
(d) All catchers shall wear a catcher's protective helmet, while fielding
their position.
(e) All bat/ball boys or girls shall wear a protective helmet while
performing their duties. If the umpire observes any violation of these rules, he
shall direct the violation to be corrected. If the violation is not corrected within
a reasonable time, in the umpire's judgment, the umpire shall eject the
offender from the game, and disciplinary action, as appropriate, will be
recommended.
Source: MLB Rule Book
PHILLIES QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"I know we're going to get hot. I know we're going to get a run at
our division. I'll be surprised if we don't."
- Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel |   |
PHILLIES: DID YOU KNOW?
The 1973 Phillies:
The Philadelphia Phillies' 1973 season was the 91st season in the history of the franchise.
The team, managed by Danny Ozark, played their third season at Veterans Stadium and
finished last in the Eastern Division 11.5 games behind the Mets.
Offseason:
October 31st, 1972: Don Money, John Vukovich, and Bill Champion were traded to the
Milwaukee Brewers for Jim Lonborg, Ken Brett, Ken Sanders, and Earl Stephenson.
November 30th, 1972: Oscar Gamble and Roger Freed were traded to the Cleveland
Indians for Del Unser and Terry Wedgewood (minors).
November 30th, 1972: Joe Lis, Ken Sanders and Ken Reynolds were traded to the
Minnesota Twins for César Tovar.
January 10th, 1973: Rick Bosetti was drafted by the Phillies in the 7th round of the
1973 Major League Baseball Draft. Player signed January 17, 1973.
Regular season:
Steve Carlton, the highest paid pitcher in the game at $165,000, never recovered from
a spring training illness and went 13-20. Pitchers Jim Lonborg and Ken Brett, both
obtained in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, won 13 games each, as did Wayne
Twitchell, whose 2.50 ERA was third in the league. Leftfielder Greg Luzinski led the
team with 29 home runs, 97 RBI, and 76 runs, and hit .285. In his rookie season, Mike
Schmidt hit just .196 and struck out 136 times in 367 at-bats.
PHILLIES CHARITIES - Help If You Can.
 | THE PFU FEATURE OF THE WEEK
Sponsored by 
Phillies First Baseman RYAN MADSON
GET THE FOTW HERE! |
ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION:
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Chuch Klein (8).
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