R-Phils Opening Day Roster Announced
Brown, 22, finished the 2009 campaign in Baseballtown, compiling a .279 average with three home runs, 20 RBIs, and eight stolen bases over 37 games played. Selected by Philadelphia in the 20th round of the June 2006 First-Year Player Draft, Brown, a native of Florida, began 2009 with Clearwater (A+), where he was an FSL Mid-Season All-Star. In 66 games with the Threshers, he hit an impressive .303 with 11 home runs, 44 RBIs, and swiped 15 bases, earning himself a promotion to the R-Phils in August. This spring, Brown made a lasting impression on the big club, batting .417 with two home runs and eight RBIs in 11 Major League spring training games.
Rounding out the R-Phils 2010 Opening Day outfield are two top prospects -- Gillies and Berry, and two veterans - Michael Spidale and Brian Stavisky. Spidale, who returns for his fourth-season in Reading, hit .297 for the R-Phils last season. Stavisky, 29, will begin the season on the disabled list
Acquired as part of the Cliff Lee trade, Gillies, a native of Canada, hit an impressive .341 with seven homers, 41 RBIs, and a remarkable 41 stolen bases in 2009 - giving the R-Phils another stolen base threat at the top of their lineup in 2010. Gillies, 21, spent the entire 2009 season with High Desert (A+), where he excelled at the plate and on the base paths - earning California League Player of the Week honors twice (6/8-14 and 7/20-26).
Berry, who made his Baseballtown debut in 2009, returns to FirstEnergy Stadium, looking to build upon a solid 2009 campaign. The 25-year-old hit .266 with five home runs, 28 RBIs, and a team-high 48 stolen bases in 135 games with the club - good for second overall in the Eastern League. Among some of his other accomplishments, Berry, a native of San Diego, CA, finished second on the team in hits with 137, first in runs with 89, and first on the club with 63 walks. In 2008, as a member of Clearwater (A+), he led the Florida State League in stolen bases with 51 and finished fourth in hits with 139.
Staying on the offensive side of things, the R-Phils 2010 infield will consist of three 2009 returnees - Ozzie Chavez, Freddy Galvis, and Kevin Mahar -- as well as three newcomers to the organization - Tagg Bozied, Melvin Dorta, and Brandon Pickney.
Galvis, 20, began the 2009 season with Clearwater (A+), where he was named Phillies Minor League Player of the Week, hitting .417 with four stolen bases during the week of April 20-26. Promoted to Reading on August 24, Galvis hit .197 with a homer and five RBIs for the R-Phils in 16 games. A slick-fielding shortstop with a solid arm, the Venezuelan native will be the club's shortstop in 2010.
Mahar, who was originally signed as a free agent in 2008, returns for his second season in Reading, and looks to build-off of a solid 2009 campaign. In 117 games with the R-Phils, he hit .314 with 12 home runs, and 54 RBIs.
Chavez, who began his pro career with the Dominican Summer League Brewers in 2000, returns for his second-straight season in Baseballtown. A native of Villa Mella, DR., Chavez appeared in 112 games with the R-Phils last season, hitting .259 with a home run and 34 RBIs.
Bozied, who was originally selected by San Diego in the 3rd round of the June 2001 draft, is one of three infielders new to the organization. Last season, Bozied, 30, spent the 2009 campaign with Indianapolis (AAA), where he hit .288 with five home runs and 18 RBIs. In 2008 with Albuquerque (AAA), Bozied hit .306 with a career-high 26 home runs and 80 RBIs.
Dorta, 28, was signed by the Phillies as a Minor League free agent back in December, and brings with him 11 years of professional experience. The Venezuelan native spent part of the 2009 in the Eastern League with Bowie (AA), where he hit .327, before spending the rest of the year with Norfolk (AAA), where he hit .252.
The catchers for the Opening Day squad includes two returnees to Baseballtown --
Tuffy Gosewisch and Kevin Nelson. Gosewisch, 26, was originally selected by the Phillies in the 11th round of the June 2005 draft, and hit .244 for the R-Phils in 2009. Defensively. Gosewsich, a native of Freeport, IL, threw out 22 of 60 potential basestealers in Reading. Nelson, 28, hit .253 over 53 games with the R-Phils in 2009, and was promoted to Lehigh Valley on July 30, where he hit .250 in four games. A native of Arlington Heights, IL, Nelson made his pro debut back in 2003 with the GCL Yankees.
Aumont, a newcomer to the organization, courtesy of an off-season blockbuster trade, will join two members of the Philadelphia Phillies' 40-man roster -
Yohan Flande and Drew Naylor, to headline an impressive starting rotation for the R-Phils in 2010.
A native of Gatineau, BC, Aumont, 21, split the 2009 season between High Desert (A) and West Tennessee (AA), where he combined to save 16 games, which was tied for third among Seattle minor leaguers. Strictly a reliever in 2009, Aumont will be used as a starter for the R-Phils, adding to an already solid rotation. In 15 games with West Tennessee (AA) in 2009, he posted a 1-4 mark with a 5.09 ERA and four saves and was ranked as a top ten prospect in the Seattle organization before the trade.
Flande, 24, returns to Reading after posting a 4-4 mark with a 4.57 ERA in 13 starts for the R-Phils in 2010 to finish the season. The lefty began 2009 with Clearwater (A+), where he posted a 7-1 record with a 2.52 ERA and was named the Phillies Minor League Player of the Week twice, and Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Month once (April).
Naylor, 23, spent the entire 2009 season with Clearwater (A+), where he went 8-11 with a 4.22 ERA over 25 starts. He led the Florida State League in complete games with four, tied for first in innings pitched with 158, and finished eighth in the league in strikeouts with 115.
Rounding out the expected rotation are returnees Michael Cisco and Vance
Worley, both of whom were contributors on last year's playoff team. Cisco, 22, posted a 7-3 mark with a 3.31 ERA in 14 games started for Clearwater (A+), before being promoted to Reading on August 1. Cisco, the grandson of former Philadelphia pitching coach, Galen Cisco, appeared in seven games for Reading in 2009, compiling a 2-4 record with a 4.58 ERA.
Worley, 22, spent the entire 2009 campaign in Reading, posting a 7-12 record with a 5.34 ERA over 27 starts. Selected by Philadelphia in the third round of the June 2008 draft, Worley finished fourth in the Eastern League in innings pitched, and was named as a mid-season All-Star.
Last year's saves leader and a member of the Phillies 40-man roster will be back to anchor a solid bullpen for the 2010 R-Phils.
Sergio Escalona, who posted a 2-1 mark with a 1.77 ERA and a team-high 12 saves, joins returnees
Chance Chapman, Matt German, B.J. Rosenberg, Michael Schwimer, and
Michael Stutes, as well as newcomer Jason Stephens.
Chapman, 26, began the 2009 campaign with Clearwater (A+), and was a solid contributor out of the Threshers bullpen. A native of San Luis Obispo, CA, Chapman compiled a 3-1 record with a stunning 0.77 ERA and one save over 11 games (1 start). Promoted to Reading in mid-May, he continued his rise through the organization, posting a 7-1 mark with a 2.73 ERA over 38 games (1 start).
German, 25, began the 2009 season in Reading, posting an 0-1 mark with a 1.17 ERA over 11 appearances, before spending the remainder of the season on the disabled list with a left oblique strain.
Rosenberg, who was originally selected by Philadelphia in the 13th round of the 2008 draft, began 2009 with Lakewood (A), where he was a mid-season All-Star. The 24-year-old finished the 2009 campaign in Reading and complied an 0-1 record with a 2.53 ERA over ten appearances.
Schwimer, 24, who appeared in five games for Reading last season, posted a 2-1 mark with a 7.71 ERA. A native of Fairfax, VA, Schwimer was the Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Week (8/17-23) last season while with Clearwater.
Stutes, 23, began his pro career in 2008 with Williamsport after being selected by the Phillies in the 11th round of the 2008 draft. He posted an 8-8 mark with a 4.26 ERA over 27 games started in 2009 for the R-Phils.
The lone newcomer to the bullpen, Stephens, 25, split the 2009 season between three clubs - Tampa (A), Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA), and Trenton (AA). Originally selected by the NY Yankees in the 6th round of the June 2003 draft, Stephens went 1-1 with a 2.98 ERA for Trenton last season.
As announced back in December, the R-Phils will be led by manager Steve
Roadcap, who returns for his second season at the helm. Joining Roadcap on the staff are pitching coach
Bob Milacki, hitting coach Frank Cacciatore, trainer Chris
Mudd, and strength and conditioning coach Nick Bender.
The 2010 season presented by Pepsi begins on Thursday, April 8, at 7:05 p.m. against the Portland Sea Dogs. Full season and partial season ticket packages, as well as single-game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased in person at FirstEnergy Stadium, by calling (610) 375-8469 or by visiting the brand new www.readingphillies.com. Fans can also add the all-you-can-eat Deck Buffet to any ticket for only $11. "Bring the Fam to America's Classic Ballpark".