Threshers Start Four Game Homestand Against the Cubs

Game Time: 7:00pm      Gates Open: 6:00pm

Tonight's Lineup
Burgamy, CF; Harman, 2B; Thayer, LF; Slayden, RF; Marson, C; Blalock, DH; Donald, SS; Harris, 1B; Antoniato, 3B

Tonight's starting pitcher is Carpenter

Quench your Thirst
It's Thirsty Thursday where all drinks are 2 for 1.

Silver Sharks Club Meets Tonight
It's Silver Sharks Night. Seniors 55 and over receive 2 for 1 Senior Field Box tickets on Thursdays. That's 2 tickets for just $4.

Road Trip Recap
The bats came alive in Vero as the Threshers took three of four from the Devil Rays. The Threshers twice scored 12 runs in a game and at least three players had two hits or more in each game. Six players had multi-hit games yesterday.

Stars of the Trip
Hard to pick just one with everyone picking up so many hits. Who do you think had the best trip?

Jake Blalock - Had one game in which he had three hits including two home runs. His five hits in 16 at-bats was good for a .313 batting average. He had one other home run on the trip. This was his first home run as a Thresher since August 14, 2005.

Jason Donald - Had three multi-hit games. His seven hits in 15 at-bats was good for a .467 batting average.

Brad Harman - Had three multi-hit games. His six hits in 19 at-bats was good for a .316 batting average. He also hit his 10th home run of the year on the trip.

Lou Marson - Had two multi-hit games including one game with four hits. His six hits in 18 at-bats was good for a .333 batting average. He also hit is fifth and sixth home runs of the season on the trip.

Jeremy Slayden - Had two multi-hit games including one game with three hits. His six hits in 19 at-bats was good for a .316 batting average. He also had a grand slam on Tuesday which was his eleventh home run of the season.

Matt Thayer - Had three multi-hit games. His six hits in 13 at-bats was good for a .462 batting average.

Bonus Baseball
Due to heavy rains in our region throughout the month, we are playing a doubleheader here against the Flying Tigers on Wednesday, August 15 and Friday, August 31. The third game is TBD. They are seven-inning games. Game 1 on August 15 and August 31 will now start at 5:00pm with Game 2 scheduled to start approximately 30 minutes after the completion of Game 1.

Pitch for Pink is Friday, August 10
Early Gates
Gates Open at Bright House Networks Field at a special time of 5:30pm. The first 2,500 women recieve a commemorative pink beach bag or pink baseball cap.

Survivor Lap
Get here early for the pre-game ceremony that includes a walk for breast cancer survivors. The lap is scheduled to start at 6:35pm. Survivors are to meet at the bottom of Section 102 at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the lap.

Raffles and Auctions
During the game, a silent auction will be held to auction off pink baseball bats autographed by players from the Philadelphia Phillies and Threshers, and pink jerseys worn by the players. Winning bidders will receive the jersey and a chance to meet the Threshers player who wore it during the game.

There will also be several other types of items offered in auctions and raffles throughout the night.

The raffles and auctions open at 5:30pm and will close just after the first pitch in the top of the sixth inning.

Launch-A-Ball Special
Launch-A-Ball will be at a special price of $2. There will also be 150 pink tennis balls in addition to our regular yellow tennis ball selection.

Extra! Extra!
It's another St. Petersburg Times Family Friday on Friday, August 10. Check your local St. Petersburg Times for the coupon that gets you 4 Field Box seats, 4 hot dogs, 4 sodas, and 4 bags of chips for only $25!

Boom Boom Boom
Fireworks will light up the sky post-game on Saturday, August 11.

Plug in your Toaster
Sara Lee Bread Giveaways continue on Saturday, August 11. Be sure to get your Sara Lee coupon and free loaf on your way out of the ballpark.

Prepare to get Wet and Wacky
Wear Your Swimsuit on Sunday, August 12! Wet-N-Wacky Day features all types of water activities including a water slide, water balloons, water guns, water games, sprinklers, showers, misters, and more!

Kids 13 and Under receive a Box Seat at a special Wet-N-Wacky price of $1.

Bring the Family for just $25
As you've probably seen all over your TV, Sundays are Bright House Networks Family Days. You can choose between the $25 pack for 4 people or the $15 pack for just 2. The 4-pack includes 4 Premium Box Seats, 4 Hot Dogs, 4 Sodas, 4 bags of Cracker Jack, and 2 Game Programs.

Get to the Bookstore
There is a brand new book out about former Clearwater star Ryan Howard. It's written by Robert Merz and it's called, Ryan Howard: King of Swing. It's 120 pages and retails for just under $10. Click here to read the press release.

Jeff Crupper's 2007 Awards Moves On to Voting Phase

The nominations have closed for Jeff Crupper's 2007 Clearwater Threshers Awards.

The voting page is now active.

Ron Hill makes the Wilmington Star-News

Chuck Carree of the Wilmington Star-News writes about Ron Hill in this story.

Slayden's Hot Bat

Jeremy Slayden is currently riding a nine game hitting streak. He's hitting .455 (15-33) over the entire hitting streak and has also scored 12 runs.

Slayden also has a streak of four multi-hit games in a row (.600 batting average).

Updated 8/7/07 at 2:10pm: Slayden was named FSL Offensive Player of the Week. Look for a story on the Official Site later.

Former Threshers lead Ottawa to Shutout

Former Threshers J.A. Happ and Mike Zagurski combined for eight innings of shutout baseball on Friday, August 3 as the Ottawa Lynx beat the Syracuse Chiefs 5-0.

Happ struck out eight and only allowed one hit in 6.2 innings, while Zagurksi struck out three in just 1.1 innings in relief.

Let the Dogs Out

Game Time: 6:30pm      Gates Open: 5:00pm

Tonight's Lineup
Burgamy, CF; Harman, 2B; Thayer, LF; Slayden, RF; Marson, C; Blalock, DH; Harris, 1B; Made, 3B; Antoniato, SS

Tonight's starting pitcher is Carpenter. He is 2-0 against the Yankees this season.

Woof Woof
Bark at the Ballpark returns to Bright House Networks Field.

Vendor Tables
Be sure to stop by the Pedigree table located by the West Gate where they will be giving away Doggie Ice Cream Sandwiches. Several other companies like PetSmart and Animal Planet will also be participating in the evening’s activities. Plus there will be a Pet Adoption table.

Contests
Beyond Pampered is sponsoring a Dog/Owner look-a-like Contest (sign-up from 5:00-7:00 pm). Also, take part in the Ruffable Raffle throughout the evening. Tickets will be sold up until the sixth inning.

Demo
At 5:30pm there will be a dog frisbee demonstration by Central Florida Dog and Disc Club.

Post-Game Treat
Dogs run the bases

Dog Free Zones
Section(s) 114, 115, and 116 are set aside for guests who may not enjoy the company of your favorite furry friend.

Plug in your Toaster
Sara Lee Bread Giveaways continue tonight. Be sure to get your Sara Lee coupon and free loaf on your way out of the ballpark. Sara Lee Bread Giveaways wrap up on August 11.

Road Trip Recap
Clearwater dropped both games of a doubleheader in Tampa on Friday, August 3. Brian Burgamy, Jeremy Slayden, and Jason Donald all had two hits in Game 1 and Brad Harman hit his ninth home run of the year. Slayden and Matt Thayer both had two hits in Game 2 and Zac Stott gave up only one earned run but was still tagged for the loss.

Bonus Baseball
Due to heavy rains in our region throughout the month, we are playing a doubleheader here against the Flying Tigers on Wednesday, August 15 and Friday, August 31. The third game is TBD. They are seven-inning games. Game 1 on August 15 and August 31 will now start at 5:00pm with Game 2 scheduled to start approximately 30 minutes after the completion of Game 1.

Golson Honored
Former Thresher Greg Golson was named Phillies Minor League Player of the Week for July 23-29. His statistics for the week combine his last two games with Clearwater as well as his first four at Reading.

No Baseball in Tampa Tonight

It's official. The game over in Tampa tonight has been rained out. They will try for a doubleheader at Legends Field tomorrow.

The Last Time It Happened...
The last time the Threshers played a full nine-inning game was Saturday, July 28. It was an 8-2 victory over the Sarasota Reds in front of 4,000+ fans at Bright House Networks Field. The game lasted two hours and thirty-two minutes.

Injuries in Phillies Outfield Good News for Former Thresher

The Phillies placed Shane Victorino and Michael Bourn on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday. To take their place, they re-instated Jayson Werth from the disabled list and also called up former Thresher Chris Roberson from Ottawa.

Werth played in four games for the Threshers during his rehab assignment.

Roberson spent the 2004 season with the Threshers.

Spend your Lunch Hour with the Threshers

Doubleheader Postponed Due to Heavy Rain

Game Time: 1:30pm (Game 1)      Gates Open:12:30pm

Today's Lineup
TBA

Bonus Baseball
Due to the rain in Lakeland yesterday we are playing a doubleheader here against the Flying Tigers today and on Wednesday, August 15. They are seven-inning games. Game 1 on August 15 will now start at 5:00pm with Game 2 scheduled to start approximately 30 minutes after the completion of Game 1.

Free Parking
There will be no charge for parking at today's game.

Dollar Dogs
Got a buck? Get a hot dog.

Woof Woof
Bark at the Ballpark returns to Bright House Networks Field on Saturday, August 4.

Vendor Tables
Be sure to stop by the Pedigree table located by the West Gate where they will be giving away Doggie Ice Cream Sandwiches. Several other companies like PetSmart and Animal Planet will also be participating in the evening’s activities. Plus there will be a Pet Adoption table.

Contests
Beyond Pampered is sponsoring a Dog/Owner look-a-like Contest (sign-up from 5:00-7:00 pm). Also, take part in the Ruffable Raffle throughout the evening. Tickets will be sold up until the sixth inning.

Demo
At 5:30pm there will be a dog frisbee demonstration by Central Florida Dog and Disc Club.

Post-Game Treat
Dogs run the bases

Dog Free Zones
Section(s) 114, 115, and 116 are set aside for guests who may not enjoy the company of your favorite furry friend.

Jeff Crupper's 2007 Clearwater Threshers Awards

Threshers' season ticket holder Jeff Crupper has put up the nominations page for his 2007 Clearwater Threshers Awards.

Participate by visiting the Award Nominations page on his web site.

According to the page, nominations will be accepted until August 12th.

Former Threshers in the News: Kyle Kendrick

Mike Sielski of PhillyBurbs.com has a nice long article about former Thresher Kyle Kendrick that can be found here.

Threshers Hit the Road for 4 games in 2 Days

The Threshers head back to Lakeland today and tomorrow and will attempt to play four games in two days. The reason for the back-to-back doubleheaders is that the series was washed out on July 4, 5, and 6.

There is another doubleheader scheduled for August 14 in Lakeland to make up the remaining game from the earlier series.

Gear up for Motorcycle Night

Game Time: 6:30pm      Gates Open:5:00pm

Tonight's Lineup
TBA

Tonight's starting pitcher is Cruse. This is his first start since being promoted from Lakewood.

Boom Boom Boom
Fireworks will light up the sky post-game.

Vrrrm Vrrrm Vrrrm
Participate
Motorcycle Night returns to Bright House Networks Field. Ride your motorcycle to the game and take part in the Pre-Game Lap around the Field at 6:00pm and during the National Anthem. Participants receive a voucher for one free draft beer (post-lap), a free ticket, free parking, and drink specials at the Frenchy's Tiki Pavilion. Participants should check in with Dan McDonough near the fountain at the West Gate upon arrival to the ballpark.

There will also be a motorcycle show contest judged by Full Throttle Magazine. The contest is FREE to enter. First prize is $500. Second Prize is $250. Third Prize is $100

Register to Win
Fans can register at the booth behind home plate to win a Harley Davidson Dyna Family motorcycle courtesy of Fletcher's Harley Davidson. A name will be drawn if a Threshers player hits for the cycle. Also, motorcycle-related prizes will be given away between innings.

First Start
Nate Johnson picked up his first win of the year yesterday in his first start since he was a member of the Lakewood BlueClaws in 2005. He gave up four hits and struck out three in five innings of work.

Harman's Hot Bat
Brad Harman was two for four yesterday against Sarasota. He hit his seventh home run of the year last night that bounced off the roof of Frenchy's Tiki Pavilion. He's batting .450 over his last six games.

Headed Across the Border
The Phillies optioned former Thresher Michael Zagurski to Ottawa on Friday, July 27 after they activated Brett Myers from the disabled list.

Get Your Utley Bobblehead Tonight!

Game Time: 7:00pm      Gates Open: 6:00pm

Tonight's Lineup
Burgamy, CF; Harman, 2B; Thayer, LF; Slayden, RF; Marson, C; Blalock, DH; Donald, SS; Urick, 1B; Made, 3B

Tonight's starting pitcher is Johnson. This is Nate's first start since he was with Lakewood in 2005.

Bobblehead Mania
The Chase Utley bobblehead, sponsored by the St. Petersburg Times, is the last of the 2007 Bobblehead Series. It is scheduled to be given away tonight (Friday, July 27). There is a limit of one per person, and vouchers will be given to the first 1,500 fans through the gates.

Extra! Extra!
It's another St. Petersburg Times Family Friday on Friday, July 27. Check your local St. Petersburg Times for the coupon that gets you 4 Field Box seats, 4 hot dogs, 4 sodas, and 4 bags of chips for only $25!

TV Time
Updated at 10:55am: Tonight's ballgame against the Reds is scheduled to be broadcast live on Catch 47. Catch 47 is only on Bright House Networks.

Happy Birthday!
Updated 12:25pm: Be sure to wish Cory Sipe a Happy Birthday at the ballpark tonight!

Harman's Hot Bat
Brad Harman went three for three last night in the 6-4 loss against Sarasota. This is the second time in the last week that he's accomplished the feat.

Boom Boom Boom
Fireworks will light up the sky post-game on Saturday, July 28.

Vrrrm Vrrrm Vrrrm
Participate
Motorcycle Night returns to Bright House Networks Field on Saturday, July 28. Ride your motorcycle to the game and take part in the Pre-Game Lap around the Field at 6:00pm and during the National Anthem. Participants receive a voucher for one free draft beer (post-lap), a free ticket, free parking, and drink specials at the Frenchy's Tiki Pavilion. Participants should check in with Dan McDonough near the fountain at the West Gate upon arrival to the ballpark.

There will also be a motorcycle show contest judged by Full Throttle Magazine. The contest is FREE to enter. First prize is $500. Second Prize is $250. Third Prize is $100

Register to Win
Fans can register at the booth behind home plate to win a Harley Davidson Dyna Family motorcycle courtesy of Fletcher's Harley Davidson. A name will be drawn if a Threshers player hits for the cycle. Also, motorcycle-related prizes will be given away between innings.

Threshers Return Home Tonight Minus Golson and Outman

Game Time: 7:00pm      Gates Open: 6:00pm

Tonight's Lineup
Burgamy, CF; Harman, 2B; Werth, LF; Slayden, RF; Marson, C; Blalock, DH; Donald, SS; Harris, 1B; Made, 3B

Tonight's starting pitcher is Stott.

Quench your Thirst
It's Thirsty Thursday where all drinks are 2 for 1.

Silver Sharks Club Meets Tonight
It's Silver Sharks Night. Seniors 55 and over receive 2 for 1 Senior Field Box tickets on Thursdays. That's 2 tickets for just $4.

Plug in your Toaster
Sara Lee Bread Giveaways start up tonight. Be sure to get your Sara Lee coupon and free loaf on your way out of the ballpark. Sara Lee Bread Giveaways are also coming up on August 4 and August 11

Road Trip Recap
The Threshers went 0-1 at Dunedin. Sunday's game was rained out and will be made up on August 23. John Urick hit his seventh home run, while Greg Golson his his 11th on Saturday (7/21).

The Threshers went 2-1 at Tampa. Golson went four for five on Monday (7/23) and Tuesday (7/24). He also picked up home run number twelve on Tuesday. Other home run hitters over in Tampa include Lou Marson (4) and Jason Donald (5). Marson and Jeremy Slayden each had two-hit games, while Hector Made had two hits on Monday and Wednesday (7/25). Jayson Werth went hitless in three at-bats in his first rehab appearance on Wednesday. Meanwhile, on the mound, Brett Myers continued his rehab with two starts in Tampa. He struck four in 2.1 innings. Josh Outman and Andrew Carpenter continued their winning ways while Alex Concepcion picked up his first loss as a Thresher.

Moving On Up
Greg Golson was promoted to Reading yesterday (July 25). Lakewood Blueclaws' pitcher Andrew Cruse has left Lakewood and joined the Threshers to fill the roster spot. In addition, Jayson Werth has joined the Threshers as part of his rehab assignment.

Updated at 1:00pm: Josh Outman has been promoted to Reading. Check the Official Site later for the release. Also, Brett Myers is no longer on the Threshers roster.

Cruse'n
Andrew Cruse joins the Threshers after a season-long stint with Lakewood. He was a ninth-round pick of the Phillies in the 2006 draft after playing at the University of South Carolina. He made his pro debut with Batavia and was a NY-Penn League All-Star in 2006. He primarily came out of the bullpen this season, but did start nine games this season, including his last 6 appearances. He likely will be the newest member of the Threshers starting rotation.

Updated 2:35pm: Cruse is scheduled to make his first start for the Threshers on Saturday, July 28.

Another Pitcher Honored
Andrew Carpenter was given the Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Week Award for July 16-22 after striking out 10 and only giving up three hits in a complete-game shutout of Dunedin on July 19.

Bobblehead Mania
The Chase Utley bobblehead, sponsored by the St. Petersburg Times, is the last of the 2007 Bobblehead Series. It is scheduled to be given away on Friday, July 27.

Extra! Extra!
It's another St. Petersburg Times Family Friday on Friday, July 27. Check your local St. Petersburg Times for the coupon that gets you 4 Field Box seats, 4 hot dogs, 4 sodas, and 4 bags of chips for only $25!

Boom Boom Boom
Fireworks will light up the sky post-game on Saturday, July 28.

Vrrrm Vrrrm Vrrrm
Participate
Motorcycle Night returns to Bright House Networks Field on Saturday, July 28. Ride your motorcycle to the game and take part in the Pre-Game Lap around the Field at 6:00pm and during the National Anthem. Participants receive a voucher for one free draft beer (post-lap), a free ticket, free parking, and drink specials at the Frenchy's Tiki Pavilion. Participants should check in with Dan McDonough near the fountain at the West Gate upon arrival to the ballpark.

There will also be a motorcycle show contest judged by Full Throttle Magazine. The contest is FREE to enter. First prize is $500. Second Prize is $250. Third Prize is $100

Register to Win
Fans can register at the booth behind home plate to win a Harley Davidson Dyna Family motorcycle courtesy of Fletcher's Harley Davidson. A name will be drawn if a Threshers player hits for the cycle. Also, motorcycle-related prizes will be given away between innings.

Golson Promoted to Reading

Greg Golson is on his way up north right now. He will be joining up with the Reading Phillies, the Phillies Double-A affiliate in the Eastern League. Check the Official Site for the full release.

Check back tomorrow for more information on the player(s) that are taking his place on our roster.

Outman becomes second 10-game winner

Josh Outman became just the second Threshers 10-game winner ever yesterday after picking up the win on the road at Tampa.

His record now stands at 10-4 after 18 starts and two relief appearances for the Threshers. His ERA is a spectacular 2.45. Outman currently has the third most wins of any pitcher in the Florida State League.

Since the FSL All-Star break, he is 4-1 with a 2.05 ERA.

Former Clearwater star Ryan Howard named NL Player of the Week

Ryan Howard was just named National League Player of the Week. The award is presented by Bank of America.

He had five multi-hit games including two games in which he hit two homers. He also led the NL in several categories including RBIs (13).

Howard was honored with this award once last season.

Another former Clearwater star, Chase Utley, was also nominated for the award this week.

Both Howard and Utley are part of the 2007 Clearwater Threshers Bobblehead Series. The Chase Utley bobblehead is scheduled to be given away on Friday, July 27.

Note to folks using RSS readers: I apologize to those of you using RSS readers. You will probably notice 5 or so old posts showing up several times today. I made a couple changes to some labels which required re-publishing. I apologize for any confusion.

Welcome Back Football

Game Time: 7:00pm      Gates Open: 6:00pm

Tonight's Lineup
Burgamy, LF; Golson, CF; Blalock, DH; Slayden, RF; Marson, C; Donald, SS; Harris, 1B; Harman, 2B; Made, 3B

Tonight's starting pitcher is Myers.

Phillies pitcher Brett Myers will be starting tonight as part of a rehab assignment.

Football is Around the Corner
Celebrate the return of football, get 2 for 1 box seats, and drink specials at Frenchy's Tiki Pavilion by wearing your favorite team's jersey to the game tonight. Be one of the first 1,000 guests through the gate and get a football! Also, former Florida State star and current Tampa Bay Buccaneer Greg Spires will be on hand to sign autographs from 6:00pm to 7:00pm.

Extra! Extra!
It's another St. Petersburg Times Family Friday. Check your local St. Petersburg Times for the coupon that gets you 4 Field Box seats, 4 hot dogs, 4 sodas, and 4 bags of chips for only $25!

TV Time
Updated at 11:18am: Tonight's ballgame against the Blue Jays is scheduled to be broadcast live on Catch 47. Catch 47 is only on Bright House Networks.

First Place on the Horizon
The Threshers could take first place away from the Yankees tonight with a win over the Blue Jays and a Yankees loss in their game against the Flying Tigers. The Threshers are 8-2 in their last 10 games.

Shut 'em Down
Andrew Carpenter picked up his league-leading eleventh win of the season yesterday against the Blue Jays. He struck out 10 batters and gave up only three hits en route to a complete game shutout.

Double Trouble
Greg Golson and Lou Marson both went 2 for 4 with an RBI. All four hits were doubles.

Quick Game
Last night's game against the Blue Jays lasted two hours and nine minutes. That was the quickest nine-inning game at Bright House Networks Field since April 29 (2:07).

Recent Moves
Jeremy Slayden was activated from the disabled list on July 13. Brett Harker (July 13) and Ben Pfinsgraff (July 14) were placed on the disabled list. Shaun Boyd was promoted to Reading while Cory Willey was sent back from Reading on July 15.

What's Next?
The Threshers hit the road for a two-game series in Dunedin on July 21 and 22. They follow that up with a three-game series in Tampa. The Threshers return home on Thursday, July 26 for a three-game homestand against the Sarasota Reds.

Bobblehead Mania
The Chase Utley bobblehead, sponsored by the St. Petersburg Times, is the last of the 2007 Bobblehead Series. It is scheduled to be given away on Friday, July 27.

Phillies Top Pick Savery Signs

The Phillies signed top pick Joe Savery last night.

His signing bonus is over $1.3 million and the contract also includes a college scholarship.

He was assigned to the Williamsport Crosscutters. The Crosscutters play in the New York-Penn League.

The Dunedin Blue Jays return to Bright House Networks Field

Game Time: 7:00pm      Gates Open: 6:00pm

Tonight's Lineup
TBA

Familiar Foes
The Threshers and Blue Jays have met up 12 times so far this season. The Threshers lead the season series 8-4.

Hot Bats
Clearwater hitters are batting .304 against Dunedin. Jeremy Slayden has played in 11 of the games against the Blue Jays this year and has 14 hits in 40 at-bats which is good for a .350 batting average. He also has nine RBIs against Blue Jays pitchers.

Bobblehead Mania
The Cole Hamels bobblehead, sponsored by Buena Vista Hotel, is set to be given out today (Thursday, July 19). The Chase Utley bobblehead, sponsored by the St. Petersburg Times, is the last of the 2007 Bobblehead Series. It is scheduled to be given away on Friday, July 27.

Quench your Thirst
It's Thirsty Thursday where all drinks are 2 for 1.

Silver Sharks Club Meets Tonight
It's Silver Sharks Night. Seniors 55 and over receive 2 for 1 Senior Field Box tickets on Thursdays. That's 2 tickets for just $4.

Game Changing Triple
Jason Donald's triple in the eighth inning scored two runs and gave the Threshers a 4-2 lead over the Mets yesterday. He scored the fifth and final run of the afternoon after Clay Harris singled.

Striking Out
Josh Outman's 12 strikeouts yesterday were his most in a game this season. He struck out 12 batters in a game once last season with Lakewood.

Blalock Returns
Jake Blalock scored one run in his first game back with the Threshers on Wednesday.

Another Delay
The game yesterday was delayed in the fifth inning again. This time due a rain shower. The delay only lasted 23 minutes.

Racking up the Honors
Jason Donald was named Phillies Minor League Player of the Week for July 9-15. He also won this award in Week 4 (April 30 - May 6). Donald was the Phillies Minor League Player of the Month award winner in May prior to his promotion to Clearwater from Lakewood.

Football is Around the Corner
Celebrate the return of football, get 2 for 1 box seats, and drink specials at Frenchy's Tiki Pavilion by wearing your favorite team's jersey to the game on Friday, July 20. Be one of the first 1,000 guests through the gate and get a football! Also, former Florida State star and current Tampa Bay Buccaneer Greg Spires will be on hand to sign autographs from 6:00pm to 7:00pm.

Noon Game Concludes Series with Mets

Game Time: Noon      Gates Open: 11:00am

Today's Lineup
TBA

Camp Day # 2
Campers from all over the Bay Area will be enjoying the afternoon at the ballpark

Cheap Eats and Free Parking
Come to the ballpark for lunch. Enjoy $1 hot dogs and FREE parking.

Walk for the Win
The Threshers scored twice in the ninth to pick up the 4-3 win over the Mets on Tuesday night. Hector Made scored the winning run after Matt Thayer walked with the bases loaded.

One Team Leaves, Another Arrives
The Threshers and Dunedin Blue Jays start a two-game series tomorrow (Thursday, July 19). Both games are set for 7:00pm starts.

Bobblehead Mania
The Cole Hamels bobblehead, sponsored by Buena Vista Hotel, is set to be given out on Thursday, July 19. The Chase Utley bobblehead, sponsored by the St. Petersburg Times, is the last of the 2007 Bobblehead Series. It is scheduled to be given away on Friday, July 27.

Football is Around the Corner
Celebrate the return of football, get 2 for 1 box seats, and drink specials at Frenchy's Tiki Pavilion by wearing your favorite team's jersey to the game on Friday, July 20. Be one of the first 1,000 guests through the gate and get a football! Also, former Florida State star and current Tampa Bay Buccaneer Greg Spires will be on hand to sign autographs from 6:00pm to 7:00pm.

Jake Blalock returns to the Threshers

Jake Blalock has signed with the Phillies as a minor league free agent and is re-joining the Clearwater Threshers roster.

He spent the 2005 season with the Threshers, batting .279 with 11 home runs and 65 RBIs. He was the focus of one of the two cover shots on the Threshers game program in 2006.

Jake was originally a fifth round pick of the Phillies in 2002. He was working his way up the organizational ladder from the GCL Phillies, to Batavia, and finally Lakewood before arriving in Clearwater in 2005. He saw some action for the major league club in Spring Training and was traded just prior to the beginning of the 2006 season. He was part of the deal with the Texas Rangers that brought David Dellucci to the Phillies. He was assigned to Frisco (Double-A) and stayed there for the whole 2006 season.

This season, Jake has split the season between Bakersfield (Single-A), Frisco (Double-A), and Wichita (Double-A).

His brother is major-leaguer Hank Blalock.

Series versus Mets continues tonight

Game Time: 7:00pm      Gates Open: 6:00pm

Tonight's Lineup
Burgamy, LF; Golson, CF; Thayer, DH; Slayden, RF; Marson, C; Donald, SS; Urick, 1B; Made, 3B; Antoniato, 2B

Tonight's starting pitcher is Stott.

Play Catch
Parent-Kid Catch returns tonight starting at 6:20pm.

Who Likes Ice Cream?
The Lil' Anglers activity tonight is Make Your Own Ice Cream Sundae. Your child can still join the Lil' Anglers at tonight's ballgame for just $15.

Two-hit Pack
Greg Golson, Jason Donald, and Clay Harris each had two hits in yesterday's game against the Mets. That was the third game in a row that Golson has had two hits.

Home Run Derby
Clay Harris hit his seventh home run of the year yesterday.

Solid Relief
Nate Johnson and Will Savage didn't give up any runs in their combined three innnigs of work out of the bullpen yesterday.

Delay(s)
Yesterday's game started over 30 minutes late due to adverse weather in the area. There was also a 13-minute delay in the fifth inning due to a power outage.

Still have a shot at First
The Threshers are still a half game out. Dunedin also lost yesterday and Tampa was rained out. The Yankees will play two today.

Hot Hot Hot
Jason Donald is hitting .341 (15-44) in the month of July.

Tomorrow is Only a Day Away
The Threshers and Mets finish up their 4-game series tomorrow (Wednesday, July 18) with a special Noon Start for Camp Day. Parking will be free and hot dogs are only $1. Gates open at 11:00am.

Bobblehead Mania
The Cole Hamels bobblehead, sponsored by Buena Vista Hotel, is set to be given out on Thursday, July 19. The Chase Utley bobblehead, sponsored by the St. Petersburg Times, is the last of the 2007 Bobblehead Series. It is scheduled to be given away on Friday, July 27.

Football is Around the Corner
Celebrate the return of football, get 2 for 1 box seats, and drink specials at Frenchy's Tiki Pavilion by wearing your favorite team's jersey to the game on Friday, July 20. Be one of the first 1,000 guests through the gate and get a football! Also, former Florida State star and current Tampa Bay Buccaneer Greg Spires will be on hand to sign autographs from 6:00pm to 7:00pm.

Game Two vs. St. Lucie Mets Tonight at 7pm

Tonight's Lineup
Burgamy, LF; Golson, CF; Thayer, DH; Slayden, RF; Marson, C; Donald, SS; Harris, 1B; Made, 3B; Antoniato, 2B - Tonight's starting pitcher is Villarreal

Poll Question
Visit Phillies.com and vote for former Thresher Cole Hamels as the Phillies first half MVP.

It's a Frenzy
Dagwood's Sandwich Shoppes and HoneyBaked Ham are tonight's guest restaurants. The next Feeding Frenzy isn't until Monday, August 20.

The Move to First
A win tonight coupled with a Dunedin loss at Brevard County would put the Threshers in first place in the FSL West Division.

More Firsts
The 115,000th Threshers fan of 2007 will walk through the gates prior to tonight's ballgame. The Threshers currently lead the FSL in attendance with a 2,538 average through 45 openings.

Back with a Bang
Jeremy Slayden is four for 13 (.308) since coming off the disabled list during the road trip at Palm Beach.

Updated at 6:00pm: The Gates to Bright House Networks Field are open and the Feeding Frenzy has begun.

Updated at 7:00pm: The game will now start at 7:30pm.

Former Thresher update: Michael Zagurski

Former Threshers pitcher Michael Zagurski has now appeared in 19 games for the Philadelphia Phillies.

He has struck out 16 batters in 16.1 innings of work and has given up one or more runs in five of his outings, giving him a 4.41 ERA. Batters are hitting only .238 against him.

Tom Gordon has left Clearwater

Phillies pitcher Tom Gordon has finished up his rehab and has been activated from the Phillies disabled list.

Get your Clearwater Threshers team sets now!

The 2007 Clearwater Threshers team sets have just arrived.

They should be on-sale now at Diamond Outfitters for just $10.

Carpenter gets 10th win

Threshers All-Star pitcher Andrew Carpenter became the first Threshers 10-game winner ever yesterday after picking up the win on the road at Palm Beach.

His record now stands at 10-5 with one save after 16 starts and two relief appearances for the Threshers. The win also puts him tied at the top of the FSL in wins.

Since the FSL All-Star break, he is 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA.

Reminder: Sunday, July 15 game starts at 4:00pm

Bringing back a post from the archives:

July 15th game against St. Lucie pushed to 4:00pm

It's HOT in July

At this moment, the Threshers team bus is somewhere near the East Coast closing in on Palm Beach. The Weather Channel reports that it 'feels like' 96 degrees right now near their destination. It's hot in July.

That said, which position player sitting on that bus right now has the hottest bat so far in the month of July? Would it be All-Star Greg Golson? What about All-Star Lou Marson? How about Jason Donald? If you answered none of the above, you would be correct. Through six games in the month of July, Brad Harman has eight hits in 20 at-bats which is good for a .400 batting average. He also has one home run and four RBIs.

Former Thresher Cole Hamels pitches one inning in 2007 MLB All-Star Game

Former Thresher Cole Hamels pitched the fourth inning for the National League All-Stars yesterday in the 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in San Francisco.

The first batter that Hamels faced was Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez singled to left and then stole second. Hamels then got Vladimir Guerrero and Magglio Ordonez to both ground out to Jose Reyes. Ivan Rodriguez then singled to right, but Alex Rodriguez was thrown out at home to end the inning.

Greg Spires will be here on July 20

Current Tampa Bay Buccaneer and former Florida State defensive lineman Greg Spires is scheduled to be here on Friday, July 20 as part of Back to Football Night. He's set to sign autographs from 6:00pm to 7:00pm.

There will be a 2 for 1 box seat ticket special for fans who wear their football jerseys to the ticket window when they purchase their tickets. Also, these same fans will be able to get drink specials at Frenchy's Tiki Pavilion.

The first 1,000 fans through the gates will get a football!

Only Three Fireworks Shows left in 2007

Fireworks are one of the most popular promotions that we have at Clearwater Threshers games at Bright House Networks Field and there are just three more shows left on the schedule during the 2007 season.

The remaining dates are:

Saturday, July 28

Saturday, August 11

Saturday, September 1

Beat the crowd and get your tickets now at the Bright House Networks Field Ticket Office, by phone at 727.467.4457, or online at the Official Site.

Tom Gordon continues his rehab with the Threshers

Phillies reliever Tom Gordon is still continuing his rehab with the Threshers. He started yesterday's game against the Ft. Myers Miracle at Bright House Networks Field. He threw for 1.2 innings giving up only one hit before making way for regular Threshers starter Andrew Carpenter.

Updated at 3:35pm: This article in the Cherry Hill Courier-Post says that Gordon will make an appearance for the Threshers again on Wednesday, and possibly return to Philadelphia by the weekend.

Matt Thayer returns to Threshers lineup

Matt Thayer returned to the Clearwater Threshers lineup yesterday after missing over a month with an injury.

Thayer last saw action with the Threshers on May 21 in St. Lucie.

He played both DH and LF yesterday in the win against the Miracle, getting one hit in his four at-bats.

Thayer rehabbed with the GCL Phillies on July 3 and 4. He hit .333 and scored four runs in Gulf Coast League action.

Phillies reliever Tom Gordon rehabs with Threshers

Phillies relief pitcher Tom Gordon started for the Clearwater Threshers yesterday in a rehab outing in Lakeland. He pitched one inning against the Flying Tigers striking out one and walking one.

Former Thresher Cole Hamels picks up 10th win

Former Thresher Cole Hamels picked up his 10th win of the year yesterday in Houston against the Astros.

Brad Penny, Ben Sheets, and Carlos Zambrano join Hamels in a tie for the most wins in the National League so far this season.

Josh Outman named Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Month

The Phillies have recognized Josh Outman as the Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Month for June. Look for a story on the Official Site soon.

Were you a part of the largest crowd in Clearwater Threshers history?

We set a Clearwater record on Tuesday, July 3 with an announced attendance of 8,906. Over 4,000 tickets were sold that day.

Former Thresher Hamels named to NL All-Star Team

Former Thresher Cole Hamels was named yesterday to the 2007 National League All-Star Team.

Also, former Clearwater Phillies All-Star Chase Utley was voted to the NL All-Star Team as the starter at second base.

Look for a story on the Official Site soon.

Happ loses Major League debut

Former Thresher J.A. Happ lost his Major League debut against the New York Mets yesterday. Despite his struggles, he did strike out five.

J.A. Happ's Major League Firsts:

Hit - Jose Reyes (single in the first inning)
Home Run - Paul Lo Duca (2-run shot in first inning)
K - Carlos Beltran (first inning)
Walk - Shawn Green (fourth inning)

Updated at 1:15pm: The Phillies optioned Happ back to Ottawa today.

Former Thresher Mathieson transferred to Phillies 60-day DL

Former Thresher Scott Mathieson has been transferred to the Phillies 60-day disabled list.

Former Thresher J.A. Happ to make Major League debut

It appears that former Thresher J.A. Happ is going to be making his Major League debut for the Phillies on Saturday against the New York Mets.

Ken Mandel from MLB.com has a bit about it here, including some quotes from Happ.

Bright House Networks Field closed on July 4

Bright House Networks Field will be closed on Wednesday, July 4 due to the holiday. We will resume normal hours on Thursday, July 5.

Cory Willey's promotion noted by Chesapeake College

The Chesapeake College Athletics web site has this release about Cory Willey's promotion from the Threshers to Reading a few days ago.

Check it out here.

FSL names Burgamy Offensive Player of the Week

Brian Burgamy was named FSL Offensive Player of the Week on June 25. Look for a story on the Official Site shortly.

Thanks to Ticket Office staffer Garrett for the tip!

Will Jiwan James start his pro career with the Threshers?

John Patton's article in the Gator Sports portion of the Gainesville Sun quotes Williston High School coach Jim Smith talking about Florida Gator signee and Phillies draft pick Jiwan James. He says that James has been visiting with Phillies officials in Clearwater and has decided to sign with the Phillies instead of going to play baseball at the University of Florida. According to the article, his high school coach also expects him to start his professional career with the Threshers.

You can read the whole article here.

Marson named Phillies Minor League Player of the Week

Lou Marson just received a birthday gift from the Phillies organization. He was just named Phillies Minor League Player of the Week for June 18-24. Look for a story up on the Official Site soon.

Roster Update

It's been a few days since our last roster update.

Here are the recent transactions:

June 23
Nic Jackson placed on the DL.

June 25
Arlon Quiroz sent to the GCL Phillies.

June 26
Javon Moran sent to Reading.

Cory Willey promoted to Reading.

Alex Concepcion promoted from Lakewood.

Shaun Boyd signed as a minor league free agent.

John Suomi acquired in a trade with Washington.

Some background on our new players:

Alex Concepcion - Concepcion is a 6'1" 180lb right-handed pitcher from the Dominican Republic. He signed with the Phillies in 2003 and spent his first two professional seasons in the Dominican Summer League with Guanuma. He played for the GCL Phillies in Clearwater in 2005 and with Batavia in 2006. Prior to his promotion, he spent the 2007 season coming out of the bullpen for Lakewood. He was 3-1 with a 3.83 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 40 innings.

Shaun Boyd - Boyd is a 5'10" 175lb outfielder from Las Vegas. A former first round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals, Boyd spent seven years in their minor league system starting with Johnson City (Rookie) in 2000 to Memphis (Triple-A) in 2006. The Cardinals released him after the 2006 season. Prior to his signing with the Phillies, he had been playing for the Bridgeport Bluefish of the indepedent Atlantic League. He leaves the Bluefish with a .345 batting average and an active 11-game hitting streak.

John Suomi - Suomi is a 5'11" 199lb catcher from Toronto. He played his college ball in Canada at Caribou University-College in British Columbia. He was drafted by the A's in the 22nd round of the 2000 draft. By 2004, he had risen as high high as Modesto (Single-A) where he was a California League All-Star. His career came to crashing halt when he suffered a major knee injury during a play at the plate during the playoffs. The injury caused him to miss the entire 2005 season. By 2006 he was back in Single-A in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. Prior to the trade between Philadelphia and Washington, he had been splitting the season between Harrisburg (Double-A) and Columbus (Triple-A).

Labels are updated

Regular readers may have noticed that the labels selection on the right side of the screen has been growing daily. I have been working on a project to label all the posts made previous to that feature being available to this blog. That project is now complete.

Updated June 28 at 2:00pm: I apologize to anyone who views the blog with an RSS reader. When I added the labels, it republished items. That may cause a little confusion since many things that were labeled during the project were over a year old and re-published out of order.

Former Thresher Costanzo the focus of a Reading Eagle story

Former Thresher Mike Costanzo was the focus of this story by Mike Drago in the Reading Eagle. Several current and former Clearwater Threshers were also mentioned in another part of the article.

Check out the whole article here.

Who was the Threshers first half MVP?

The Official Site's current poll question asks, "Who was the Threshers first half MVP?"

Through 55 votes, the leader is Carlos Carrasco with nearly 35% of the vote.

Greg Golson, Andrew Carpenter, and Jeremy Slayden are all at a virtual tie at around 17% of the vote. Lou Marson follows with nearly 10% of the vote. Josh Outman has fallen to the back with just over 5% of the vote.

Who did you vote for? Do you think anyone was missing from the list of choices?

If you haven't voted yet. Visit the Official Site now to make your choice!

Former Thresher Charlie Weatherby III the topic of a story

Former Thresher Charlie Weatherby III was the topic of a story in the Wilmington Star News yesterday. Chuck Carree was the writer.

Mike Arbuckle was quoted a few times discussing Weatherby's progress in the system.

Check out the whole article here.

Roster Update

Have some time to recap some of our recent transactions. Reader SF Fan in FL noted one of them (Moran) in a comment from another post.

June 22
PJ Antoniato added from Lakewood.

Jesus Sanchez sent back to GCL Phillies.

Arlon Quiroz added from the GCL Phillies.

June 23
Javon Moran added from GCL Phillies rehab assignment.

Some background on our new players:

PJ Antoniato - Antoniato is a 5'9" 1865lb third baseman from Levittown, NY. He turns 24 one week from today. He split time playing college ball with Briarcliffe College and St. John's University. The Phillies selected him in the 15th round of the 2005 draft. Antoniato should look familiar to Threshers fans, as he did play 16 games for Clearwater in 2006.

Arlon Quiroz - Quiroz is a 6'0" 170lb outfielder from Venezuela. He signed with the Phillies as a free agent before the 2005 season. This is his first professional season outside the Venezuelan Summer League.

Javon Moran - Moran is a 5'11" 175lb outfielder from Valdosta, GA. He played his college ball at Auburn before being selected by the Phillies in the fourth round of the 2003 draft. He was traded to the Reds in 2004 and since then has spent time going betweeen Dayton and Sarasota (Single-A), as well as Chattanooga (Double-A). The Reds sent him back to the Phillies after the 2006 season as part of the Jeff Conine trade. Moran was batting .308 in 42 games with Reading (Double-A) prior to the injury that sent him to Clearwater for a rehab assignment with the GCL club and the Threshers.

Threshers LIVE on Catch 47 tonight

Tonight's Clearwater Threshers vs. Dunedin Blue Jays game at Bright House Networks Field is scheduled to be broadcast live on Catch 47. The game is set for a 7:00pm start.

Catch 47 is only available on Bright House Networks.

St. Petersburg Times gives some ink to the Threshers

Chris Girandola had a story about the FSL in today's St. Petersburg Times and information about the Clearwater Threshers took up most of the article.

Jeremy Slayden's HR Derby championship last weekend was the focus of the article, but former Thresher Carlos Carrasco and the rest of our All-Stars were also mentioned.

Check out the whole article here.

Jim Salisbury covers the Phillies Minor League System

Philadelphia Inquirer writer Jim Salisbury takes a look at the whole Phillies minor league system in this article on Philly.com.

Many current Threshers such as Jason Donald and Josh Outman are mentioned, and former Threshers Mike Zagurski and Patrick Overholt are also among those with ties to the Threshers who were discussed.

Check out the rest of the names at the whole article here.

Roster update

There were a few moves made yesterday, June 21, that we started to discuss in one of the comment threads. Here is a little more information.

Ben Pfinsgraff was promoted from Lakewood (more info below)

Welinson Baez was sent to Lakewood.

Kevin Howard was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Still haven't seen any details of the trade. The Dodgers assigned him to the Jacksonville Suns (Double-A).

Jesus Sanchez was added from the GCL Phillies. I haven't seen any transactions for today, but I expect he will be headed back to the Complex very soon.

Some background on Ben Pfinsgraff:

Ben Pfinsgraff - Pfinsgraff is a 6'0" 180lb pitcher from Annapolis, Maryland. He played his college ball at Allegheny College before transferring to the University of Maryland-College Park. He was selected by the Phillies in the 22nd round of the 2006 draft. After signing with the Phillies, he was assigned to Batavia. Near the end of the year he was promoted to Lakewood. He primarily has come out of the bullpen for the BlueClaws this year, and had a 2-1 record with a 2.43 ERA in 33.1 innings before his promotion. He has struck out 38 and only walked six in 2007 which is good for a strikeout to walk ratio of 6.3 to 1.

Tiki Seats rank second in ESPN.com travel story

Thanks to Ticket Office staffer Emanuel, who alerted me to this story from ESPN.com.

Bob Carson, publisher of the popular Minor Trips directory and newsletter, believes this is the kind of oasis Florida teams need to attract fans to their often sweltering ballparks. "If any franchise can shake the attendance lethargy that plagues the Florida State League it is the Threshers at Bright House Field," Carson said. "Sure it's hot in Florida, but sitting in the Tiki Seats down the left-field line for a beverage or two is a cool deal. Strolling to the Tiki Seats is a trip to Margaritaville."

Check out the whole story from travel writer Josh Pahigian here.

Former Thresher Carlos Carrasco named to World Team for the 2007 Futures Game

Former Threshers pitcher Carlos Carrasco has just been named to the World Team for the 2007 All-Star Futures Game.

The game will be played on Sunday, July 8 during the Major League All-Star Weekend in San Francisco. The game is scheduled for a 4:00pm start and will be shown live on ESPN2.

See the whole World Team roster here.

2007 Clearwater Threshers – First Half in Review

The first half of the 2007 Clearwater Threshers season is officially in the books.

Record and Attendance
The Threshers finished the first half with a 39-31 (.557) record which was good for third place just four games behind the division-winning Sarasota Reds.

At home the Threshers were 20-14 (.588). The Threshers road record was 19-17 (.528).

The Threshers had 32 openings at Bright House Networks Field and announced a total of 79,525 guests which works out to an average of 2,485 which puts us slightly behind the Daytona Cubs.

Hitting
Greg Golson led the team in games (69), at-bats (292), runs (45), hits (77), doubles (19), total bases (121), and stolen bases (20). These stats also put him near the top of the FSL in the all of those categories.

Jeremy Slayden led the team in home runs (8), RBIs (42), walks (43), and on-base percentage (.398). Those stats also put him near the top of the FSL in all of those categories. He also has the longest hitting streak of any Threshers player this season. He was 20 for 42 for a .476 batting average during a twelve game period between April 28 and May 9. He also hit three home runs during that span. He made it on-base at least once 24 games in a row between April 23 and May 17.

Mike Spidale led the team in triples with four. That puts him in eighth place in the FSL. He also had the best batting average on the team with runners on base (.312) and with runners in scoring position and two outs (.323).

Clay Harris was the best hitter with the bases loaded. He hit .333 and had eight RBIs in those situations.

Lou Marson was the best hitter (.328) with runners in scoring position. Marson also had the fourth-best caught stealing/stolen bases efficiency stats in the FSL (.333).

Matt Thayer was the best hitter at home (.321).

Welinson Baez was the best hitter on the road (.286).

Threshers batters combined to put Clearwater in the top half of the FSL in runs (314), doubles (116), triples (19), RBIs (293), walks (226), and stolen bases (56).

Pitching
Andrew Carpenter led the FSL in wins with seven.

Josh Outman led the team in ERA (2.79), Innings Pitched (80.2), and Strikeouts (78). Those stats put him near the top of the FSL in all of those categories. His opponents batting avereage of .143 led Threshers pitchers when facing a situation with runners in scoring position.

Brett Harker led the team in saves with 11.

Carlos Carrasco led the team in WHIP (1.02). He was the best pitcher on the mound with runners on base on allowing them to hit .195 against him in those situations.

Threshers pitching was in the top half of the FSL in ERA (3.69), hits allowed (555), runs allowed (285), earned runs (250), strikeouts (520), and WHIP (1.31). The Threshers led the league or were tied for the league lead in shutouts (8) and saves (26).

All-Stars
Carlos Carrasco, Andrew Carpenter, Patrick Overholt, Lou Marson, and Jeremy Slayden were named to the 2007 FSL West Division All-Star Team. Patrick Overholt did not make the trip due to his promotion to Reading, and Greg Golson was added to the team later as an injury replacement. Slayden won the Home Run Derby.

Award Winners
FSL Pitcher of the Week - Josh Outman

Phillies Minor Leauge Pitcher of the Week - Daniel Brauer, Patrick Overholt, Zac Stott, Carlos Carrasco (twice)

Phillies Minor League Player of the Week- Clay Harris

Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Month - Patrick Overholt (April), Zac Stott (May)

Phillies Minor League Player of the Month - Greg Golson (April)

Fun Facts
The Threshers were undefeated (33-0) when leading after eight innings.

The Threshers were 33-11 when scoring first.

The most runs that the Threshers scored in a game was 11. This happened April 26 at Lakeland and June 14 at Dunedin.

The most hits that the Threshers recorded in a game was 15.

The Threshers best month in the win-loss column was April. Their record was 16-8 (.667).

Threshers batters were hottest in the month of May with a .266 combined batting average.

Threshers pitchers were hottest in the month of April with a combined 2.29 ERA.

Carrasco named Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Week again

Good news keeps rolling for Carlos Carrasco. Not only was he promoted to Reading (Double-A) today, he was also named Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Week for June 11 through June 17.

You might recall that Carrasco was honored with this same award two weeks ago, but it's hard to pass up a guy who had a three hitter in a complete game shutout during his one start of the week. He also had seven strikeouts that night.

Look for a story on the Official Site shortly.

Sorting out the roster

Just looked back into the blog archives and it appears that I haven't updated the transaction list since the end of May.

Here's what's happened since then, sorted by player (alphabetical by last name) rather than date.

Dominic Brown was promoted from Extended Spring on June 13 and then returned on June 15.

Brian Burgamy was added from Reading on June 19.

Carlos Carrasco was promoted to Reading today (June 20).

Jason Donald was promoted from Lakewood on June 4.

Sergio Escalona was added from Extended Spring on June 13 and then returned on June 14.

Orlando Guevara was placed on the DL on June 14.

Brett Harker began serving 3 game suspension on June 12.

Fidel Hernandez was sent to Lakewood on June 8.

Kevin Howard was added from Lakewood on June 18.

Tim Kennelly was added from Extended Spring on June 14. He was returned on June 15, and then sent back to us on June 18.

Hector Made was activated from the suspended list on June 8.

Patrick Overholt was promoted to Reading on June 14.

Carlos Pena was added from Extended Spring on June 14 and then returned on June 15.

Pete Shier was released on June 4.

Michael Spidale was promoted to Reading on June 13.

Matt Thayer was placed on the DL on June 18.

Luis Villarreal signed as a minor league free agent on June 18.

Charlie Weatherby promoted to Ottawa on June 4.

To recap from last update:
Currently on the Threshers roster: Brian Burgamy, Jason Donald, Kevin Howard, Tim Kennelly, Hector Made, and Luis Villarreal.

No longer on the Threshers roster: Carlos Carrasco, Fidel Hernandez, Patrick Overholt, Pete Shier, Mike Spidale, and Charlie Weatherby.

Some background on our new players:

Brian Burgamy - Burgamy is a 5'10" 190lb outfielder from Oklahoma. He played his college ball at Wichita State before being selected by the Padres in the ninth round of the 2002 draft. He came to the Phillies via the Rule 5 Draft in 2005. He will be celebrating his 26th birthday one week from today. He should look familiar to Threshers fans as he did spend most of the 2006 season with us in Clearwater before being called up to Reading to finish the year.

Jason Donald - Donald is a 6'1" 190lb shortstop from California. He was drafted by the Angels in the 20th round of the 2003 draft but decided to go to school instead. He played his college ball at Arizona before being selected by the Phillies in the third round of the 2006 draft. He was batting .310 for Lakewood through 51 games which helped him earn South Atlantic League Player of the Week and Phillies Minor League Player of the Week honors before his promotion. He was an All-Star for Batavia in the New York-Penn League in 2006.

Kevin Howard - Howard is 6'2" 190lb infielder from California. He was drafted by the Padres in the 22nd round of the 1999 draft, but decided to go to school instead. The Reds selected him in the fifth round of the 2002 draft after he played several years for Miami. He was traded to the Yankees prior to the 2006 season. He signed with the Phillies as a minor league free agent in 2007. He has been honored with numerous awards throughout his career in high school, college, and the minors including Baseball America's Freshman of the Year award in 2000. He has also seen time with major league clubs during Spring Training. He was batting .317 for Lakewood prior to the promotion.

Tim Kennelly - Kennelly is a 6'0" 180lb catcher from Australia. He was signed as an a free agent by the Phillies near the end of the 2003 season. He started his professional career with the Phillies as part of the GCL Phillies in 2005 and since then has moved his way up through Batavia and Lakewood. He will turn 21 in December.

Hector Made - Made is a 6'1" 155lb infielder from the Dominican. He came to the Phillies in the Sal Fasano trade with the Yankees nearly 11 months ago. He was immediately assigned to the Threshers stayed with us through the rest of the season.

Luis Villarreal - Villarreal is a 6'1" 215lb left-handed pitcher from Texas. He was originally selected out of Northwood University by the Red Sox in the 20th round of the 2002 draft. He was released by the Red Sox just after Spring Training in 2004 after just two seasons in the system. He spent the next three seasons playing Independent ball in the Frontier and Northern Leagues before being signed by the Brewers prior to the 2007 season. He split the season between their Triple-A and Double-A affiliates before being released.

Kyle Kendrick picks up his first Major League win

Former Thresher Kyle Kendrick got his first Major League win yesterday in Cleveland against the Indians.

Kendrick only gave up five hits and three earned runs on the night. He left the ballgame after six innings and with the Phillies leading 4-3. He tossed 55 strikes out of 93 total pitches. Out of the the 25 batters he faced, eight grounded out and nine flied out. He struck out one and walked one.

Roster Reconstruction

It appears that our roster is undergoing many changes. I'll update with names once I hear for sure what is going on.

Former Thresher in SAL All-Star Game today

Former Thresher Tuffy Gosewisch is on the roster representing the Lakewood BlueClaws for the SAL All-Star Game which will take place later today in Rome, Georgia.

Gosewisch caught in 95 games for the Threshers in 2006.

Update: Former Threshers in Reading

Eleven former Threshers are currently on the Reading Phillies (Double-A) roster.

Here is an update of how they are doing with Reading so far this year.

Allen Davis - Given up zero hits in five out of his 10 relief appearances

Julio De La Cruz - Strictly a reliever this year. In 25 appearances he's got a 1-1 record with a 3.78 ERA. He also has three saves. Hitters are batting .224 against him and he's got a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.2 to 1.

Chris Key - 4-0 with a 2.31 ERA in 24 appearances out of the bullpen. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 4 to 1.

Patrick Overholt - Scattered eight hits over five innings in his debut with Reading on Saturday.

Chris Coste - Joined Reading after a month with Ottawa (Triple-A). He is hitting .288 in his 19 games with Reading. Against lefties he is 7 for 17 (.412) with three home runs.

Mike Costanzo - Batting .325 in his last ten games. In five of those games he has gotten two hits. His 13 home runs lead the Eastern League. He has 29 extra-base hits which ranks him tied for fourth in the Eastern League. Leads Reading in walks with 27.

Michael Garciaparra - He is 12 for 36 (.333) with runners in scoring position.

Jesus Merchan - Leading the Eastern League in hitting with a .356 batting average in 48 games. Only struck out eight times in 163 at-bats. Hitting .410 on the road. His on-base percentage of .422 is third best in the Eastern League.

Peeter Ramos - Was three for five with two runs scored in a game on June 7 against Harrisburg. Has nine hits in 22 at-bats (.409) with runners in scoring position.

Branden Florence - Still on the disabled list. Injured in April and missed the entire month of May. Close to missing the whole month of June as well.

Mike Spidale - Was two for four with a stolen base in his second game with Reading (vs. Trenton) on June 15.

2007 All-Star Game Photo Gallery started

Just started to fill the Photo Gallery on the Official Site with pictures from FSL All-Star Weekend in Daytona. It currently has 14 photos that I took.

Here are a couple samples:

Carpenter warms up (below)

Slayden walks (below)

Check out the 2007 FSL All-Star Game Photo Gallery now!

Slayden slugs his way to Home Run Derby victory

Jeremy Slayden was the overall winner of the Home Run Derby this past Friday night in Daytona.

He was very patient at the plate, and as luck would have it, his two home runs in Round One were enough to advance to the next round. I believe that I was enjoying a snow cone and the Riverwalk at Jackie Robinson Ballpark during Round Two, so I missed most of his eight home runs there. I did make it back up into the stands for the Championship Round. Slayden's opponent went first and hit two late home runs. Slayden got the three he needed to win the challenge, and then stayed around to hit two more to cap off the night.

While at breakfast at a nice diner on Atlantic Avenue Saturday morning, I read this article by Sean Kernan about Slayden and the Home Run Derby in the Daytona Beach News-Journal. Check it out.

Updated at 12:30pm: Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com had this story with some more great quotes from Slayden.

Updated at 2:00pm: Don't miss Mayo's video interview of Slayden linked in the story above.

Look for Greg Golson in Daytona

Greg Golson will be making the trip to Daytona tomorrow for this weekend's FSL All-Star Game festivities. The League Office has selected him to potentially replace an injured player.

Patrick Overholt promoted to Reading

Patrick Overholt has been promoted to Reading (Double-A). He was scheduled to pitch tonight for the Threshers in Dunedin, but the new plans have him starting for the R-Phils against the Trenton Thunder on Saturday.

Overholt will also miss the 2007 Florida State League All-Star Game this weekend in Daytona. He was originally selected as a member of the West Division All-Star team. No word yet on who the League office has selected to replace him, but it likely will not be another Threshers pitcher.

Slayden and Marson to take part in Skills Competitions at Daytona

Jeremy Slayden and Lou Marson have both been selected to take part in the Skills Competitions as part of the FSL All-Star Game Fanfest tomorrow.

Slayden will hit for the West Division in the Home Run Derby while Marson will be a part of the Catcher Throwing Contest.

Gates at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona open at 5:00pm for the Fanfest.

Call the Daytona Cubs at (386) 257-3172 for ticket information.

First half of FSL season near an end

The first half of the 2007 Florida State League season is nearing the end, but it's not today, despite the FSL All-Star Weekend in Daytona starting tomorrow. The official end of the first half for the Threshers will be June 20 in Sarasota.

With four games remaining in the first half, the Threshers are just three games back in the standings. Sarasota currently holds the lead, but the Tampa Yankees are just one and a half games back from the Reds.

Kendrick has solid Major League debut

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has decided to pinch-hit Aaron Rowand for Kyle Kendrick ending Kendrick's Major League debut after six innings.

In six innings, Kendrick faced 25 batters and gave up six hits. He struck out four and walked two. His three earned runs give him a 4.50 ERA. Of his 92 pitches, 55 were strikes.

Kyle Kendrick's Major League Firsts:

Out - Jerry Owens (first inning)
Hit - Alex Cintron (double in the first inning)
K - Juan Uribe (second innning)
Hit by Pitch - Luis Terrero (second inning)
Stolen Base - Luis Terrero (second inning)
Intentional Walk - Jim Thome (fifth inning)

He also singled off of John Danks in the second inning for his first Major League hit.

Updated at 3:33pm: Ryan Madson took Kendrick's place on the mound. Aaron Rowand, who pinch hit for Kendrick in the sixth inning, hit a grand slam in the seventh inning, giving the Phillies an 8-3 lead.

Updated at 3:50pm: Former Thresher Michael Zagurski has come in to relieve Madson in the eighth.

20 draft picks signed

The Phillies have announced that they have signed 20 of their 52 draftees from last week.

You can read the release here.

A few of the guys (Karl Bolt, Nolan Mulligan, and Richard Austin) have been around the ballpark the last few days watching the Threshers.

Bright House Networks Field Closed Friday, June 15

Bright House Networks Field will be closed on Friday, June 15 due to Florida State League All-Star Weekend in Daytona.

We will resume normal hours on Monday, June 18.

Updated at 11:30am: Paychecks will be available for pickup until 4pm at the Admin Office. Paychecks not picked up by 4pm on Friday will be mailed unless otherwise directed by your supervisor.
Ticket Office employee paychecks will not be automatically mailed after 4pm.

Former Thresher Kendrick to make Major League Debut tomorrow

The Phillies are set to purchase the contract of former Threshers pitcher Kyle Kendrick from the Reading Phillies and have him make his first Major League start against the Chicago White Sox tomorrow.

Kendrick, 22, spent the majority of the 2006 season with the Threshers. He was 9-7 with a 3.53 ERA. FSL batters hit .241 against him and he had a 2.1 : 1.0 strikeout to walk ratio. Kendrick started once for the Threshers in 2005.

The Phillies selected Kendrick in the seventh round of the 2003 draft.

Updated at 4:30pm:

Media Reaction
Phillies.com, Philly.com, Cherry Hill Courier Post

Unfortunately it appears that we won't get the game broadcast here, unless you subscribe to MLB.TV.

Photo Gallery update

It's ready. Check the Official Site now for the ThreshersBaseball.com Photo Gallery update I mentioned last week.

We joined Twitter

Check the right sidebar for more information. Join now!

Outman named FSL Pitcher of the Week

The Florida State League named Josh Outman as FSL Pitcher of the Week yesterday.

From their release:

Outman led the Florida State League in innings (13 2/3) and ranked second in strikeouts (14) on the week. This season, Outman ranks in the top 10 in ERA (2.71) and innings (73 1/3).

You can read their whole release here.

Former Thresher Costanzo named Phillies Minor League Player of the Week

Former Threshers infielder Mike Costanzo was just named Phillies Minor League Player of the Week for June 4 - June 10. Costanzo is currently with the Reading Phillies (Double-A).

He hit safely in all seven games during the week which was good for a .370 batting average. He had two hits in three of the games. Five of his 10 hits on the week were doubles.

He is tied for second in the Eastern League with 11 home runs on the season.

Former Thresher Derek Griffith now with Slippery Rock

Former Threshers pitcher Derek Griffith joined the Frontier League's Slippery Rock Sliders on May 30.

In two starts for Slippery Rock, he has a 1-1 record with a 1.64 ERA. Opposing batters are hitting .147 against him.

The pitching coach for the Sliders is former Thresher Adam Shafer.

The Frontier League is an Independent League that includes 12 teams from several midwestern states.

Former Thresher Joe Bisenius put on DL

Former Threshers pitcher Joe Bisenius has been put on the DL by the Ottawa Lynx (Triple-A).

Bisenius started the season with the Philadelphia Phillies but was sent to Ottawa after two relief appearances. He's struggled on the road this season with the Lynx, but has a 2.81 ERA at home.

The Ottawa Lynx official site has a story here.

Our friends at the Ottawa Lynx blog have a bit about it here as well.

Hector Made is back

I know the question was asked not to far back about the status of Hector Made.

I was out Friday afternoon and all day Saturday and I missed that he got activated on Friday (6/8).

Welcome: Ft. Myers Miracle

The Ft. Myers Miracle are here for a three game set starting today (Sunday) at 1pm. They come in to the series with a 27-34 record and on a two game winning streak. They are 6-4 in their last 10 games. Ft. Myers is 0-3 at Bright House Networks Field in 2007.

Reliever Eddie Morlan is the lone FSL All-Star representative who is still on their current roster. He is 4-2 with a 2.48 ERA and has eight saves. He has struck out 46 in 32.2 innings. In his four appearances against the Threshers, he is 1-1 with a 11.81 ERA. He has one save. He has struck out nine Threshers in just 5.1 innings. Morlan was a third round pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2004.

Since the promotion of Ryan Mullins to Double-A, Oswaldo Sosa appears to be the ace of the current bunch. In 12 starts, Sosa's record is 2-3 with a 2.61 ERA. In three starts against the Threshers, Sosa is 0-1 with a 3.46 ERA. He has struck out 13 Threshers in 13 innings of work.

As a team, the Miracle have the worst batting average in the entire FSL. They are hitting .223 with just 22 home runs. They are batting .208 with one home run in their nine games against the Threshers this season. Outfielder Erik Lis leads Miracle batters in games against the Threshers. He is batting .323 with six RBIs in eight games against the Threshers.

The pitching stats are polar opposite. Miracle pitching is statistically the best in the league with a 2.93 ERA. Despite that stellar ERA, you find two Ft. Myers pitchers (Jay Rainville and Zachary Ward) tied for last in the league in losses with seven. Neither Rainville or Ward has a loss against the Threshers.

Lou Marson (.391) and Greg Golson (.333) lead Threshers batters against Miracle pitching. The Threshers have yet to hit a home run against the Miracle this season.

Josh Outman leads Threshers pitchers against the Miracle. In his two starts against the Miracle, he is 2-0 with a 0.77 ERA. He has struck out 12 and given up just six hits in 11.2 innings. Miracle batters are hitting .154 against him.

Threshers closer Brett Harker has three of his 11 saves against the Miracle.

Phillies and the Draft

There are 22 players that the Phillies have drafted that were on Major League Opening Day rosters in April 2007.

First round picks (6) include: Pat Burrell, Mike Lieberthal (now with Dodgers), Adam Eaton, Brett Myers, Chase Utley, and Cole Hamels.

Second round picks (5) include: Marlon Anderson (now with Dodgers), Scott Rolen (now with Cardinals), Jimmy Rollins, Zack Segovia, Randy Wolf (now with Dodgers).

Fourth round picks (2) include : Michael Bourn and Jason Michaels (now with Indians)

Fifth round picks (2) include : Ryan Howard and Derrick Turnbow (now with Brewers)

Sixth round pick is: Taylor Buchholz (now with Rockies)

Ninth round pick is: Ryan Madson

Eleventh round pick is: Gary Bennett (now with Cardinals)

Fifteenth round pick is: Geoff Geary

Seventeenth round picks (2) include: Johnny Estrada (now with Brewers) and Scott Mathieson

Twenty first round pick is: Nick Punto (now with Twins)

Picks out of High School (12) - Mike Lieberthal, Adam Eaton, Brett Myers, Cole Hamels, Scott Rolen, Jimmy Rollins, Zack Segovia, Derrick Turnbow, Taylor Buchholz, Ryan Madson, Gary Bennett, and Scott Mathieson

Picks out of College (10) - Pat Burrell (Miami), Chase Utley (UCLA), Marlon Anderson (South Alabama), Randy Wolf (Pepperdine), Michael Bourn (Houston), Jason Michaels (Miami), Ryan Howard (SW Missouri State), Geoff Geary (Oklahoma), Johnny Estrada (College of the Sequoias JC), and Nick Punto (Saddleback CC)

Zagurski picks up first Major League win

Michael Zagurski picked up his first Major League win of his career yesterday against the New York Mets.

How it happened: Zagurski replaced reliever Yoel Hernandez in the bottom of the ninth inning with the scored tied 3-3. The first two batters that he faced popped out and grounded out. Julio Franco came in as a pinch hitter and walked. Jose Reyes singled, but that only moved Franco to second. Zagurski than struck out Ben Johnson. Phillies batters knocked in three runs in the Top of the 10th to make the score 6-3. Antonio Alfonseca came in for the Mets half of the 10th and picked up his fourth save.

Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard, all part of the 2007 Clearwater Bobblehead set, were the Phillies that crossed home plate in the 10th to give the Phillies the win. The fourth member of the set, Cole Hamels, was the starter. He struck out five in his seven innings of work.

Threshers make The Times

St. Petersburg Times writer Demorris A. Lee came out to Bright House Networks Field last week and filed this report after seeing the Clearwater Threshers take on the Palm Beach Cardinals. Several Threshers fans are quoted in the story.

Recapping Day 1 of the Draft

The Phillies made six more selections after Joe Savery yesterday on Day 1 of the Draft.

Here is a little about each of the picks:

Pick # 37 - Travis D'Arnaud
Travis is a 6'2" 195lb catcher out of Lakewood HS in California. He's committed to play baseball at Pepperdine, but it is likely that he will go pro with the Phillies.

Pick # 83 - Travis Mattair
Travis is a 6'5" 210lb third baseman out of Southridge HS in Washington. Received Division II interest as a point guard and also had schools interested in him as a wide receiver. Committed at one point to play baseball for Oregon State, but it is very likely that he will go pro with the Phillies.

Pick # 107 - Brandon Workman
Brandon is a 6'4" 195lb right-handed pitcher out of Bowie HS in Texas. He did sign a letter of intent with the University of Texas.

Pick # 113 - Matthew Spencer
Matthew is a 6'4" 225lb left fielder out of Arizona State. He's a junior and a lefty. Played two seasons for the University of North Carolina. Watch him this weekend in NCAA Super Regional play against Ole Miss.

Pick # 143 - Tyler Mach
Tyler is a 6'1" 195lb second baseman out of Oklahoma State. Played his freshman year at the University of Washington. Watch him this weekend in NCAA Super Regional play against Louisville.

Pick # 173 - Michael Taylor
Michael is a 6'6" 250lb right fielder out of Stanford. He is a junior. He has excelled in athletics despite suffering with Type 1 diabetes. Baseball America considers him to be the 38th-best prospect out of California (HS or College), but he was much higher rated coming out of high school.

Baseball Draft is today!

Going to use this post to update any draft information. Feel free to use the comments section.

Hopefully I will get a chance to watch some of the first round of the draft on ESPN2 today. How about you? Are you planning on watching any of it?

Like I mentioned yesterday, MLB.com will be covering the whole draft. Their main draft page is located here and their draft tracker is located here.

Updated at 10:45am: Hall of Famer Robin Roberts and Dallas Green are scheduled to join Lee McDaniel in Orlando today representing the Phillies organization.

Updated at 1:50pm: Draft time is almost here. Should the Phillies take someone with college experience or a high schooler?

Updated at 3:55pm: ESPN2 showed a shot of the draft table in Orlando with Lee on the phone prior to the pick. They also showed the draft room back in Philadelphia. The Phillies selected Joe Savery from Rice. He played first base and was the Sunday pitcher for the Owls this past season while recovering from an injury. He's 6'3" and weighs 215lbs. He throws and bats from the left side. Rice takes on Texas aTm in NCAA Super Regional play this weekend.

Changed time stamp in comments area

I've finally updated the comments area to make it easier to tell exactly when a comment has been posted. Previously it only included the time of the post, but made no indication what day the comment was made.

I know it will help me. I hope it helps you as well.

Baseball draft tomorrow

Clearwater Threshers of the future will be drafted starting tomorrow (Thursday, June 7) and Friday at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando.

The draft starts at 2pm and the first round will be televised for the first time ever on ESPN2. MLB.com will have the entire draft. Look for Lee McDaniel (Assistant Director, Minor League Operations/Florida) to man the phone for the Phillies at Disney.

The Phillies have the 19th pick in the first round.

Last Five Phillies Top Picks
2006 - Kyle Drabek (Lakewood)
2005 - Former Thresher Mike Costanzo (now with Reading)
2004 - Current Thresher Greg Golson
2003 - Former Thresher Tim Moss
2002 - Former Thresher Cole Hamels (now with Philadelphia Phillies)

Who do you think the Phillies should take with their first pick?

How long do you think it will take this first pick to make it to the Threshers roster?

Look for new addition to Threshers Photo Gallery soon

Keep an eye out on the Official Site for an announcement about a new feature in the Threshers Photo Gallery. The Threshers Photo Gallery can be found on the Official Site by mousing over the Bright House Networks Field menu option or by clicking the link on the right-side of the blog.

A CITIZEN'S BLOG profiles Jeremy Slayden

Jeremy Slayden continues to grab the headlines.

A CITIZEN'S BLOG has this post.

Carlos Carrasco named Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Week

Carlos Carrasco was just named Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Week for May 28 - June 3. This marks the fourth time this season that a current Thresher has been honored with this award.

He has yet to give up a run to the Dunedin Blue Jays. In two starts against the D-Jays he has given up a total of five hits and struck out nine.

Check the Official Site later for a full release.

Stott named Phillies Pitcher of the Month

The awards keep rolling in for Threshers players this year. Pitcher Zac Stott has just been named Phillies Pitcher of the Month for May. You might recall that Patrick Overholt was honored with the same award for the month of April.

Look for a story on the Official Site soon.

Updated 5:00pm: The Player of the Month for May was Jason Donald (Lakewood). He was also honored today with a promotion to our roster. I'll have more information on Jason Donald and other recent roster moves over the next couple of days.

Five Threshers named to FSL West Division All-Star Team

The Florida State League has announced the 2007 East and West All-Star Teams.

Five Clearwater Threshers players are on the list for the West Division All-Stars:

Pitchers:
Carlos Carrasco
Andrew Carpenter
Patrick Overholt

Catcher:
Lou Marson

Designated Hitter:
Jeremy Slayden

The 2007 FSL All-Star Game will be on Saturday, June 16 at 7:05pm. This year's All-Star Game will be hosted by the Daytona Cubs at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

Updated at 1:10pm: Check the Official Site for the full release.

We're planning on playing tonight...

I'll update if I hear anything different.

Only slight damage to the Ticket Office so far

Decided to come in an hour early this morning to start drying things off and to check the status of the office. Luckily most of the rain and wind was moving from south to north and our windows are facing west and east. That said, we still had some water overflow the trays, but fortunately it looks like no electronics were soaked. The floor is flooded in a few places, but I don't think it is as bad as it has been in the past.

In my walk around the ballpark this morning, the only thing that doesn't look good is the scoreboard, but I don't know enough about it to say how bad that is.

It's very calm now, so I decided to check Bay News 9 and they say that the center of circulation of the storm is going over Pinellas now. Hopefully the rest of the storm will be relatively mild and everyone and everything will come out ok.

Good luck!