Infielder Kevin Frandsen proved to be one of the most pleasant surprises for the Phillies in 2012.  In a season that saw the infield struggle with injuries, the team called up the California native to fill a void at third base and he proved to be a worthy addition.  Frandsen, who was an International League All-Star last year for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, joined the Phillies in late July and proceed to notch a .338 average with two homers and 14 RBI in 55 contests.

The 30-year-old Frandsen, who is a .267 career big league hitter, is slated to be the key reserve for a Phils infield that projects to be at full health headed into the 2013 season.

Last week, I spoke with Kevin about his success with the Phillies, his two managers from last season, his unique foundation and more.  Read ahead to check out the full interview.

-Kevin, you had a lot of success last year at the Triple-A level and in the majors.  I just wanted to get some thoughts from you on what you would attribute the great output last year.

Just playing.  I’ve always done well in the minor leagues, ’cause I played every day and I finally got an opportunity to play every day in the big leagues and it’s taken six, seven years up there, you know, fighting and doing stuff to finally get that opportunity and, you know, that’s all it is.  You ask a basketball player how they’re gonna get a chance to shine and it’s to get minutes.  It’s the same thing, just getting innings in there and at bats and, hopefully, things go right and they did.  I felt like- I’ve always asked if I could sink or swim up there and I felt like I swam.  Hopefully, that will continue and I’ll help out the team this year and, obviously, the main goal is to get hardware and winning championships here is the number one goal.

- You got to play for Ryne Sandberg last year with Lehigh Valley and he’s going to take a step upward to be on the Phillies coaching staff this year.  Some guys might feel an individual like him could have more impact on players because of the things he has done, the legacy he has built.  Do you agree with something like that, where a guy like him will have more impact on young players?

Yes and no.  The thing that’s gonna get by with him more than anything is how awesome he is, personally.  He’s so humble.  You’re not going to find a Hall of Famer with more credentials than him and not talk about himself.  That alone makes you want to listen.  When he speaks, it’s never about himself.  It’s about how you can make your game better.  Not about, “Oh, well I did this…”- No!  He’s never about that.  He’s about making you a better player, (getting) you to respect the game more, by playing harder, by preparing yourself so you’re never going to be in a wrong spot.  I think it’s only going to help, having the experience with the coaching staff that we do have already, this just adds a little bit more.  I’m excited because I got to play for him for two year and we got really close and I know what type of man he is and I feel like having a good person in the dugout and a good leader to add to what we have here is only going to be key to making big things happen.

- You mentioned that ultimate goal of obtaining some hardware and clearly that would all start in spring training.  When do you expect to head down to Clearwater and do you have anything in mind as far as goals in spring training go?

I don’t set goals.  I just want to get out there and do what I normally do and that’s play hard.  You get the rust off the first week, or so.  I’m going to get down there on February 9th.  I always get down early, ’cause I like getting situated.  There’s no reason to be rushed.  I miss being in the clubhouse, ultimately, and it’s nice to get down there early and get into all that.

- You eluded to being a pro veteran with time spent at various levels.  What would you consider among some of your career highlights?

Number one is being in “756″, playing shortstop for when Bonds hit (the record breaking home run).  Jonathan Sanchez had a no-hitter and I was playing second base that night.  (Those were) two incredible moments.  And I think last year I made a play against the Reds, it was a play at home and I got a standing ovation, and it was one of the first “standing o’s” I had for a play, or anything like that.  You’re not looking for those things as a player, but when it happens, it hits you hard and you just want to play even harder.  Not to get more of those, but because you know people appreciate you, and to show that you appreciate them by playing harder.

- We talked about Ryne, but Charlie Manuel is, of course, another manager with a big time reputation that surrounds him.  What are your thoughts on Charlie and maybe how he compares to some other guys that have managed you?

Good man.  And he’s upfront with you right away.  He’s not trying to lie to you and tell you things and then go the opposite way.  You know what you’re getting out of him and I think as a player, as a man, it doesn’t matter what your job is, you want to know what your role is and he defined it for me.  And he defined it by remembering that I love college basketball in spring training and when I got called up, that’s all we talked about for a day and a half.  It means a lot to me that he remembers that, because I know it was in February when we first talked about it, so when he brings it up in July, it means that much more.  So, I think you know what type of human being he is and, for me, that goes farther than what you are as a manager and what-not, because I think being a good person will lead you to being a good manager.  At some point, you’re going to have people following you because you’re a leader and that’s number one.

- So, you mentioned ideal qualities in a coach meaning a lot to you and I know something else that means a lot to you is your foundation and it’s relation to your brother.  Talk about that a bit.

19 For Life, we started eight years ago, just after my brother, DJ, passed away and it’s a foundation that we started to keep his legacy alive, which was never complain, never worrying about himself.  It was always about others, and, so, we have a couple events that draw some money for us, so we can spread it around to kids that have battled adversity and to continue to succeed in sports.  It’s just a way of giving to the children’s hospital up in Stanford, in Palo Alto, where he was pretty much all 19 years of him battling cancer.  So, 19 For Life stands for a lot of stuff.  He was born on May 19th, he battled cancer for 19 years, his favorite number was 19, his favorite player was Dave Righetti, who wore 19 and my first number in pro ball was 19.  And it means a lot that a lot of people are starting to ask more and more about it because I love talking about my brother.  I love talking about what he stood for in his 25 years of living.  His 25 years of living was more living than most 80-year-olds.  He lived it completely full and it’s just fun to be able to pass that along.

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Image- Philly.com

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Kelly Dugan was the Phillies’ top draft pick (2nd round, 75th overall) back in 2009.  Since then, it’s been a bit of a slow progression in the pro ranks, but after a solid season with Class A Lakewood in 2012, the California native has shown that he is ready to make an impact in the organization.

Much hype surrounded Kelly upon being drafted to the Phillies, as an image of him on the set of his director father Dennis Dugan’s film Grown Ups, with many of Hollywood’s comedy elite, made the rounds.  Through his career, though, Dugan has dealt with a collection of injury concerns that have prevented the 6-foot-3-inch 195-pounder from fully establishing himself as a potential rising star.

After signing his first professional contract, Dugan, who was working on being a switch-hitter at the time, debuted with the Gulf Coast League Phillies, posting a .233 average with eight doubles, a triple and eight RBI in 45 games.   The following year, with the GCL team and short-season Class A Williamsport, Dugan batted .366 with a homer and eight RBI in 28 combined games.  He missed roughly two months of action that year after he was hit in the leg with a batted ball during batting practice in June and later developed a staph infection that required draining.

Dugan returned to Williamsport in 2011 and represented the club in the New York-Penn League All-Star Game.  With the Crosscutters, in 47 games, he sported a .284 batting average along with two home runs and 21 RBI.

Last season with Lakewood, Dugan displayed improved power and steady production, as he notched a .300 batting average, 12 homers and 60 RBI in 117 games.  Additionally, his OPS, at .857, was
.127 points higher than his mark from the previous season.

A refined approach at the plate was a big reason for improved offense and it was all Dugan’s own doing. As he dealt with the struggles involved with developing an ability to switch-hit, Dugan chose to discontinue his efforts from the right side, wanting to focus solely on being a lefty batter.  Dugan felt as though his ability to hit left-handed pitching would improve quickly from his natural side, if he gave it a chance, and he was pleased with the results, as his splits (.305/.386/.496 vs righties, .291/.390/.419 vs. lefties) were fairly balanced.

Overall, Dugan is a consistent and confident hitter.  He showed abilities to drive the ball well and hit the other way during his breakout season in Lakewood.  In order to ensure further improvements, Dugan spent time this off-season privately working on his hitting with seven-time big league All-Star Reggie Smith.

In 2012, concerns with Dugan’s hamstring during preseason and then an ankle sprain in April had the youngster resigned to manning first base for the BlueClaws.  Once he was fully healthy, however, Dugan moved back to the outfield, where he feels more comfortable.

The 22-year-old displays average speed on the bases, but has a strong ability to read balls off the bat and get solid jumps on fly balls while on defense in the outfield.

Dugan is now back to where he and the Phillies feel he belongs, among a group of prospects that are on the rise and worthy of being talked about in the future plans of the big league club.  In the coming season, expect Dugan to take a step upward and man the outfield for the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers.

On Saturday, the Peoria Javelinas won the Arizona Fall League championship in a winner-take-all one-game match up with Salt River, following a season in which the club posted a league-best 19-13 record.

Peoria, which was made up of prospect from the Phillies, Reds, Twins, Padres and Mariners, featured many highly regarded prospects.  Phils minor league outfielder Zach Collier was among them and was a certainly key contributor all throughout the five-week long season.  In 19 games, the 22-year-old California native posted a .371 batting average with four doubles, three triples, 10 RBI and three steals.

Collier, who began the 2012 regular season serving a 50-game suspension following a positive test for a banned substance in 2011, has had a slow rise in the developmental ranks after he was selected by the Phillies in the supplemental first round on the 2008 draft out of Chino Hills High School (CA).  Along with missing time this year, Collier sat out the entire 2010 season following an injury to the hamate bone in his right hand, a left quadriceps issue and surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right wrist.

This past week, prior to the AFL title game, I had the opportunity to interview Zach about his time in the AFL, bouncing back from the suspension, his manager Dusty Wathan, his future and plenty more.

- I think this is something I asked you about in 2011, after your injuries, but, coming off your suspension and time missed in 2012, did you feel a greater sense of urgency to make an impact and post some solid offensive numbers?

I felt the need to perform well, of course, but I didn’t want to put pressure on myself like I have in the past.

- You performed extremely well in the Arizona Fall League for the Javelinas. Is the competition there what you expected and what do you attribute to your excellent output?

Thank you. The competition was at a very high level and everyone here in the AFL is gifted. It was a blessing to be here and my mindset was to absorb as much as possible and compete the way that I know I can and focus.

- Plenty of players move up to the majors very quickly after participating in the AFL.  After setbacks with your developmental time during your career, does being there, in Arizona with many top tier prospects, make you feel closer to the big leagues?

Yes, I have yet to see Double-A pitching until now and I like what I’ve seen so far. Every pitcher (in the AFL) is a prospect and I feel I have done very well. In my mind, the bigs are not far away at all.

- Presumably, you would begin the season next year with the Double-A Reading team.  What do you hear from your AFL teammates and other friends about playing ball in Reading?

They all love it and really enjoyed the experience. As fun as it would be to play there, I don’t plan on spending very much time there…

- Dusty Wathan, your manager in the AFL, is Reading’s manager now and managed you with Lakewood a few years ago.  What can you tell me about playing for Dusty?

Dusty is a great manager, hands down. In my opinion it’s super important for players to feel comfortable with the manager and know that he is about making his players better. He does just that. His vibe in the club house and on the field makes it fun and easy to go out and compete daily.

- With the AFL title game on Saturday…how important is that contest, after weeks of hard work?

To me this is huge! I want to win…as always. But, I love this game and the feelings I get. Saturday will be a great day. We grind hard on the daily to get where we are.  It will be a great reward to walk away champions of the AFL.

- Coming off a successful 2012, what are your goals for next year?

BIG LEAGUES!

In the early going this season, one of the Phillies’ Baby Aces hasn’t been very sharp.  Through 5 starts with the Double-A Reading Phillies this season, Jonathan Pettibone has posted a 1-3 record with a 4.33 ERA and a .357 batting average against.  In addition, Pettibone’s strikeout to walk ratio (13:11, in 27 innings of work) is of concern.

Fresh off a solid season with Class A Advanced Clearwater in 2011, when he went 10-11 with a 2.96 ERA and a .248 batting average against while striking out 115 and walking just 34 in 161 innings, the expectations were high for the California native that ranked 9th on the PhilliesNation.com off-season prospect rankings.   Pettibone, a 6-foot-5-inch 200-pounder that was a 3rd round draft selection by the Phillies in 2008, isn’t worried.

I spoke with Jonathan last week about his less-than-ideal start, his progress along with battery mate Sebastian Valle, the fans in Reading, his pitch repertoire and plenty more.  Check out the media player below to hear that full interview.

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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league insider.  You can check out more from Jay by visiting his site, PhoulBallz.com.

As right-handed reliever Justin De Fratus recovers from an elbow ailment that kept him out of action throughout all of spring training, the California native has been checking in, on a regular basis, and providing exclusive updates directly to the fans right here on PhilliesNation.com.

The 24-year-old reliever went 6-3 with 15 saves, a 2.99 ERA and 99 strike outs in 75 1/3 innings in his time with Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley last year before making his Major League debut in September and holding opponents to a .083 batting average in 5 appearances. Heading forward, De Fratus, who was ranked 5th on the 2012 PhilliesNation.com prospect rankings, hopes to be an impact contributor in the Phillies bullpen for years to come.

For Justin’s most recent thoughts on his progression to full health, Phils’ rookie infielder Freddy Galvis and more, read ahead and step inside the J-Bone Zone…

On his progress and what the next steps will be-

Everything’s been great. The ball’s coming out of my hand really well and I’m going to have my first live B.P. session (on Friday) and we’ll see where it goes from there. I mean I feel great and I expect to be back pretty soon.

The plan is still that I’ll pitch a couple games with the extended spring training team and then maybe a couple with Clearwater and then hopefully, after that, that’s when I’ll be good to go.

On if he gets to bond with any other rehabbing players, in Florida-

The two other guys that are here are Michael Martinez and Jose Contreras. As far as hanging out, no. We just kind of go to the field, get our work done and then go home for the day.

On how he’s able to keep up with the big league Phillies from so far away-

I use that MLB At Bat app, so I catch all the games whenever I can. I’ve been watching all of the games on that application on my iPad. I’ve been following the guys, definitely.

On Freddy Galvis, his teammates from the past two seasons, getting a chance to impact the big leagues-

It’s no surprise to me. I’ve seen the guy play for a couple years now. It’s really exciting for me to get to see him play and especially with that hit he got (on Wednesday) night against Josh Johnson in a big spot. It’s just really cool to see that happen and after that, there’s going to be some definite confidence in him now. He’s gonna start playing really well. That’s what I think. I’m just really happy for the guy. He’s a great guy and he deserves everything he has.

On his very own MLB rookie cards being in circulation and if he’s got any-

I’ve seen them. I get a ton of them in the mail to sign, so I’ve definitely seen them. But as far as me having any, no I don’t have any. I know my family has bought a few. That’s more for them. If the time ever comes, when at the end of my career, I want to have a few baseball cards of myself, I know my family will have them, so I’ll be able to get them from them. It’s definitely cool, but I’m not gonna start my own collection of my own baseball cards.

As always, thanks to Justin for taking time to address the fans and provide exclusive inside looks at his life and his progress. Check back each week for more J-Bone Zone.

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Righty hurler Justin De Fratus was selected in the 11th round in the 2007 amateur draft by the Phillies, and since then has been one of the organization’s most steady ascenders.

After signing his first pro contract in 2007, as a member of the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies, De Fratus posted a 2-3 record with a 4.30 ERA and a .273 batting average against in 10 games, 8 of which were starts.

The following season, the Oxnard, CA native pitched with the short season Low A Williamsport Crosscutters. In 14 games as a starter, the California native went 6-5 with a 3.67 ERA and a .260 batting average against.

In 2009, De Fratus was a key piece of the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws pitching staff, taking on both starting and relief duties. In 36 games (12 starts) that season, De Fratus went 5-6 with 3 saves, a 3.19 ERA and a .258 batting average against.

After beginning the 2010 regular season with Class A Advanced Clearwater and posting a 2-0 record with 15 saves and a 1.79 ERA in 29 games, De Fratus was promoted to Double-A Reading in early July. Over the last two months of the season, as a member of the R-Phils, he went 1-0 with 6 saves and a 2.19 ERA in 20 games. Combined at the two levels and pitching exclusively out of the bullpen, opponents batted .208 against De Fratus.

De Fratus stayed hot throughout the 2010-2011 off-season, pitching for Team USA in the Pan-American qualifiers held in Puerto Rico, helping the Americans finish with a 9-1 record. He also posted exceptional statistics for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League, holding opponents to a .125 batting average in 7 scoreless outings.

In 2011, combined at two levels with Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley, the man known to family and friends as “J-Bone” posted a 6-3 record with 15 saves, a 2.99 ERA and a .227 batting average against. The exceptional efforts during his minor league campaign, last year, earned De Fratus a promotion to the big leagues in September.

During his stint with the Phillies, De Fratus proudly wore the pink backpack assigned to the newest/youngest member of the team’s relief corps and held opponents to a .083 batting average and posted a 2.25 ERA.

Equipped with top notch control, De Fratus sports a repertoire that includes a fastball that tops out at 96 MPH, a strong slider and a deceptive change up. In recent years, the 6-foot-4-inch 220-pounder has seen his minor league K/9 rate go from 8.84 combined in 2008 and 2009, to 9.83 in 2010, then to 11.86 in 2011.

Currently sidelined with a bit of elbow tightness, De Fratus still stands as one of the Phillies’ best young relief arms. With the arm ailment potentially standing in the way of making the opening day roster, De Fratus is a lock to be one the club’s premiere options to fill an inevitable void on the pitching staff and make an impact out of the bullpen this year.
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Our 2012 prospect countdown index can be found HERE.

Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league insider. You can check out more from Jay by visiting his site, PhoulBallz.com.

From time to time this off-season, we’ll take a look at young players within the Phillies organization that could impact the big league roster in 2012. In this edition, relievers Justin De Fratus and Phillipe Aumont will be the focus, as they target filling out a Philadelphia bullpen that has multiple potential vacancies.

With the Phillies’ refusal of Brad Lidge‘s option and with free agent Ryan Madson possibly on the move out of town, the club has some openings up for grabs in the coming season. A pair of young fireballers stand a great shot at filling those voids on the roster for the five-time defending National League East division champions.

Righty hurlers Justin De Fratus and Phillippe Aumont are two of the top candidates to make a big splash on the Phillies pitching staff next year. Each of the two relievers looked sharp at two levels of the developmental ranks this year.

De Fratus was drafted in the 11th round of the 2007 amateur draft by the Phillies. Often praised for his control, De Fratus has seen his stock rise based on his improved abilities to get batters to swing and miss. In recent years, the 6-foot-4-inch 220-pounder has seen his K/9 rate go from 8.84 in 2008 and 2009, to 9.83 in 2010, then to 11.86 in 2011.

The California native, De Fratus, has a repertoire that includes a fastball that tops out at 96 MPH, a slider which he improved in the Arizona Fall League last year after working with former Major Leaguer Ricky Bones and a deceptive change up.

Combined with Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2011, De Fratus posted a 6-3 record with 15 saves, a 2.99 ERA and a .227 batting average against.

The exceptional efforts during his minor league campaign earned De Fratus a promotion to the big leagues in September. In 5 games with the Phillies, the 23-year-old held opponents to a .083 batting average and posted a 2.25 ERA.

Another relief pitcher on the verge of cracking the big league roster is Quebec native Phillippe Aumont, who was acquired as part of the return from Seattle in the December 2009 Cliff Lee trade. Initially, Aumont struggled in the Phils’ system, as he was moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation. He began the 2010 season in Double-A Reading and went 1-6 with a 7.43 ERA in 11 starts before being demoted to Class A Advanced Clearwater. Back in his more familiar role as a reliever, in 2011, Aumont shined.

The 22-year-old held opponents to a .216 batting average and struck out 78 batters in 53 2/3 innings pitched in 43 combined games for Reading and Lehigh. In addition, Aumont posted a 2-5 record with 7 saves and a 2.68 ERA.

Aumont is an imposing figure that overpowers the competition not just physically, but with his intensity as well. The 6-foot-7-inch 255-pounder sports a four-seam fastball that registered at 97-98 MPH regularly throughout the 2011 season. Originally a first round draft choice of the Mariners in 2007, Aumont’s repertoire also includes a strong curveball, a sinker and a split, all of which give Aumont the type of focus and swagger that should translate well as he continues to ascend up the developmental ranks.

Together, De Fratus and Aumont helped lead the Lehigh Valley IronPigs into the postseason in 2011. Each of these youngsters have much to prove in order to earn a spot with the Phillies, but both are focused on earning a roster spot next year. With some veterans on the move, arms like De Fratus’ and Aumont’s will be closely watched in spring training and given opportunities to become the next pitchers to rock those red Phillies pinstripes and make an impact.
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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league insider. You can read more from Jay by visiting his site, PhoulBallz.com.

Recently, we took a look at the return the Phillies acquired when they traded Cliff Lee to Seattle in December 2009. So why not take an updated look at the talent the Phillies traded away to obtain Roy Halladay?

The biggest key to the deal with Toronto was righty hurler Kyle Drabek, who made the Blue Jays’ opening day roster this season. The Phillies’ first-round draft selection from 2006, Drabek was a force in the minors after bouncing back from Tommy John surgery in 2008, posting a 13-6 record and a 3.03 ERA in 33 outings from 2008-2009 at four levels of the Phillies’ developmental system.

After joining the Toronto organization, Drabek had a strong 2010 with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, leading the team to the post-season with a 14-9 record and a 2.94 ERA. The 6-foot-1-righty rode that string of success right into a September call-up, making three starts for Toronto, all of which he lost.

In an exclusive interview last August, Drabek stated that he felt he was ready for Major League competition, however this season, he has struggled. He lasted on the Blue Jays’ big league roster until mid-June, but was demoted to Triple-A Las Vegas after getting torched to the tune of a 15.30 ERA and a .404 batting average against in his final 3 starts. Things haven’t gotten better for the 23-year-old as a member of the 51′s in the Pacific Coast League. Through 14 starts at the Triple A level, Drabek has gone 4-4 with a 7.41 ERA and a .361 opponent’s batting average.

While the young fireballer isn’t a bust quite yet, he certainly hasn’t had the sort of impact over the past 12 months that Toronto fans would have hoped for.

Another highly regarded prospect in that trade was catcher Travis d’Arnaud, also a 1st round draft pick by the Phillies (supplemental round, 2007). The 6-foot-2-inch 195-pound California native was already among the top ranked prospects in the Philadelphia organization before he helped lead the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws to their first of two consecutive championship. Guiding the pitching staff and leading the team in RBI with 71, d’Arnaud rode a trophy clinching high into an off-season that would see him change affiliations.

Since joining the Blue Jays organization, d’Arnaud has been on a steady rise upward, spending an entire season each at Class-A Advanced in 2010 and at the Double-A level in 2011. After having missed some time last season due to injury and posting a .256 average with 6 HR and 38 RBI in 71 games, d’Arnaud really exploded as an offensive force this year. En route to locking down the Eastern League MVP Award, d’Arnaud produced for the playoff bound New Hampshire Fisher Cats, batting .313, mashing 20 HR and driving in 77 runs through 112 games.

Speaking this week about his career high power numbers, d’Arnaud credited his hitting coach, Justin Mashore with helping him maintain a steady approach.

“(The difference this year has been) me and Mashore, just banging it out every day, making sure I stay consistent with my swing and my approach,” d’Arnaud said. “And that’s pretty much it, I mean I don’t try to hit homeruns. I think before I would try and it’s harder to try to do it instead of just accidentally running into one. And this year, I ran into twenty of them and I still can’t believe I have twenty. I feel like a little kid. I always feel like a kid, but I still can’t believe it.”

d’Arnaud’s brother Chase made his Major League debut with the Pirates this year, so Travis is hoping to accomplish the same feat soon.

The third piece in that deal was outfielder Michael Taylor, who was quickly flipped by Toronto to Oakland for first baseman Brett Wallace.

In the Athletics system, Taylor, who will turn 26-years-old this coming offseason, has spent two seasons with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats.

In the PCL last year, Taylor posted a .272 average with 6 HR and 78 RBI in 127 games just a year after his .320 avg/20 HR/84 RBI season with the Double-A Reading Phillies. Clearly a step back.

This season, having missed some time due to injury, Taylor’s average is the same at .272 through 92 games, but his power seems to have bounced back a bit, as he has slugged 15 homers.

While some of the future stars that Philadelphia gave up for Roy Halladay have fizzled and others have shown bust-out progress, the Phillies have clearly seen the Toronto deal pay off. Halladay has won one NL Cy Young, is a frontrunner for a second straight, and has wrecked the competition in nearly every start.

Stay tuned early next week for a current look at the prospects traded for Roy Oswalt.
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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league insider. You can read more from Jay by visiting his site, PhoulBallz.com.

LAKEWOOD, NJ- As the 2011 minor league regular season began and players were assigned to their full-season clubs, infielder Carlos Alonso stayed behind in extended spring training. For months, Alonso, a 32nd round draft pick out of the University of Delaware in 2010, would split playing time with other players, hoping to get an opportunity and get noticed enough to join a roster.

The chance came for the 5-foot-11-inch 205-pound Alonso, once the short-season Williamsport Crosscutters came north in June. Through 5 games in the New York-Penn League, Alonso went 6-for-14 (.429 avg) with 2 doubles and 4 RBI. However, even then, Alonso had difficulty cracking the lineup on a daily basis.

Luckily for Alonso, some roster maneuvering landed the 23-year-old on the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws roster by July 10th. Since joining the two-time defending South Atlantic League champions, Alonso has played in 35 games and sports a .327 batting average with 1 HR, 16 RBI and a .446 on-base percentage.

Alonso, a California native, feels as though the regular playing time with Lakewood has enabled him to develop a greater level of belief in himself which has assisted in his overall development on the diamond.

“I came here with a new confidence,” Alonso said, having earned a spot as the BlueClaws’ everyday second baseman. “I wasn’t playing much in Williamsport and now I’m playing every day. And I’m just taking each day like it’s a new start and enjoying it. I’m just confident that I’m going to go out there and have good at bats every day.”

Alonso made his professional debut last year with Williamsport, under his current manager Chris Truby, who has expressed excitement over the contributions Alonso has brought to the BlueClaws this year, while asserting his appreciation for the style of Alonso’s efforts.

“I had Carlos last year and I like Carlos, the way he plays his game,” Truby stated. “He plays hard. He’ll run through a wall for you, if he has to. He’ll do whatever you ask and he’s one of those guys that goes out there and just competes.”

Alonso perfected his hard-nosed style at the University of Delaware, where as a senior in 2010 playing primarily as a third baseman, he posted a .389 batting average with 16 home runs. Alonso started all 99 games of his Blue Hens career after transferring from Santa Barbara City College.

In recent years, his proximity to the Philadelphia media market provided Alonso, who grew up as a Giants fan, with considerable exposure to the Phillies, which he hadn’t gotten on the west coast. He references the fashion of baseball that the parent club has become best know for and admits that it has rubbed off on him.

“I’d watch the Phillies games on TV every day. I’m a huge baseball fan and it’s hard to not enjoy watching those Phillies. (They’ve been) one of the best teams in the Majors, so it’s just fun to watch those guys play,” Alonso admitted with a smile.

“They really talk about, in this organization, doing it the Phillie way. And they’re just trying to breed winners. I mean, I’ve been watching the Phillies for a couple years now, three years, four years, and they have winning guys. They’re just all about winning. So, I think that’s the type of atmosphere they’re trying to brew here in the minors too.”

In the most recent seasons, playing baseball the Phillie way has included going to the postseason each year. The BlueClaws have lived up to that expectation, locking down SAL titles in each of the past two seasons. To get back to the playoffs, the team has a tough road ahead, over the remaining two weeks of the season, as Lakewood sits in a tie for third place, 4 games behind second half division leader Hickory.

However, with two teams to leap frog, a third club in a dead heat and just 13 games remaining, Alonso and his teammates have confidence that the team can make a run toward a three-peat with the help and support of their local Jersey shore area fans.

“We’re not thinking so much about the teams we need to jump, we’re just thinking about us. We’re just trying to bring energy to the park and just trying to play well down the stretch and we always feed off the energy at home. The crowd is awesome, always. We’re gonna push it and see if we can get back (to the postseason).”

Lakewood’s final homestand of the season begins this Friday, as the ‘Claws play host to the second place Hickory Crawdads for a huge five-game series with the season on the line.

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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league contributor. You can read more from Jay by visiting his site, PhoulBallz.com.