rolex wrote:

jerseyhoya wrote:I hope the rest of the division sucks this bad when we're a functional team again in another few years

It's hard to believe that a team with the talent that Washington has isn't running away with things. They should blow up that roster. Sometimes the whole isn't worth the sum of the parts. There are way too many egos there that aren't meshing into being a team. Adding Papelbon was probably the finishing touch.

Joseph came from the Giants almost exactly three years earlier in the Hunter Pence trade. The 6-foot-1, 254-pound catcher was rated the Phillies' third-best prospect at the end of 2012.

Three years later, he is trying to revive his career as a first baseman and teaming up with the organization's latest top draft picks and can't-miss prospects.

"Just playing with all the new guys that we just drafted was awesome," said Joseph, who was promoted back to the IronPigs on Friday.

It was only a few weeks earlier when Joseph was ecstatic about playing catch, swinging off a tee, taking batting practice.

Since coming into the Phillies system, Joseph played only 125 games through Friday.

Concussion. Concussion. Concussion. And, just to break up the monotony, left wrist surgery. It hasn't been a grind for the promising prospect, rather more of one heartbreaking setback after another.

The last concussion came when he took a foul tip off the bottom of his mask in the first inning of a May 11 game against visiting Columbus.

It was shutdown time again. No baseball activities for weeks. He eventually was cleared to play golf and throw the football around the outfield, all the while seeing Dr. Michael Gallaway in Marlton, N.J.

Gallaway set Joseph up with a special pair of glasses to wear during workouts and a set of contact lenses to wear in games.

In early July, Joseph began taking grounders and swinging a bat. A couple of weeks later, it was back to Florida, where yet another season of potential began five months earlier.

"He's spent quite a bit of time down there in the GCL [Gulf Coast League] the last few years," IronPigs manager Dave Brundage said.

In Joseph's latest GCL stint, he hit .452 in 13 games with five extra-base hits and nine RBIs. Before the latest injury, he was struggling to the tune of a .123 average and a .313 OPS with Lehigh Valley.

The right-handed hitter will see regular action at first base and designated hitter, considering his one-game trial at third base on Aug. 6 didn't go as planned.

In the last inning of Joseph's five-inning stint at the hot corner, he saw one ground ball hit his way. It didn't end up where it was supposed to.

"Couple steps to my left," he recalled. "Just clanked it. Ball went into left field.

"I don't know if I've ever felt worse on a baseball field. I felt so helpless. I thought everyone was staring at me."

Joseph made only one error in his eight games at first base (he was the designated hitter in four contests). It came hours before GCL manager Roly de Armas told him he was returning to the Lehigh Valley.

Chris McGuiness, who hit .223 in 101 games with IronPigs, was the roster casualty.

"Obviously, we're here to develop," Brundage said. "It's a good time to get Tommy some at-bats.

"It's going to be a full go."
Tommy Joseph, who hasn't played as many as 117 games since 2011, hopes he's a full go for the rest of this year and beyond.

stevelxa476 wrote:Not a bad read. My 1944 Phils jersey is one of my favorites that I own.

Grotewold wrote:Makes me appreciate our heroes and CHARLIE.

stevelxa476 wrote:Who wants to chip in?

Todd Zolecki ‏@ToddZolecki
Manuel Franco has small non-displaced fracture on left wrist. Placed on DL. Altherr to take his spot on the roster.