9/29: HOU @ PHI

1) J.A. Happ: 119 pitches. (FB, Cut, CU, CB). 11 strikes swinging. 7 Fastballs, 2 Cutters, 2 Changeups.

• Happ came from an over the top release and showed a pretty straight 4-seam fastball, a straight change that looks like a fastball out of his hand that he will throw in 2-0., 3-0 and 3-1 counts, a cutter with good downward action to it and a 11-5 curve with average depth.

1st: FB (89-92), Cut (81-83), CU (80-81) - FB (Matsui), Cut (Berkman)

2nd: FB (89-91), Cut (84-85), CU (78-81), CB (74) - 2 FB (Pence - 2), Cut (Michaels)

3rd: FB (87-89), Cut (81-83), CU (79-80), CB (72)

4th: FB (88-92), Cut (81-83), CU (79-81) - CU (Michaels)

5th: FB (87-91), Cut (81-83), CU (79-81) - 2 FB (Matsui, Keppinger)

6th: FB (88-91), Cut (80), CU (79-80) - 2 FB (Johnson, Matsui), CU (Johnson)

2) Wilton Lopez: 57 pitches. (FB, SL, CU). 3 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs.

• Lopez came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and some sink, a change with some fade from lefties and some sink and a 2-7 with a little bite.

1st: FB (90-94), CU (83-84)

2nd: FB (90-95), CU (85) - 3 FB (Howard - 2, Ibanez)

3rd: FB (90-93), CU (83-84)

4th: FB (89-93), CU (82-85), SL (83-84)

3) Wesley Wright: 27 pitches. (FB, SL, CB). 2 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs.

• Wright came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties, a 11-5 slider with good bite and a sharp 11-5 curve with slightly below average depth.

4th: FB (91)

5th: FB (90-93), SL (84-86), CB (81-82) - 2 FB (Howard, Werth)

4) Chad Paronto: 19 pitches. (FB, SL, CU). 0 strikes swinging.

• Paronto is a 6-5, 285 pound righty. The 34 year old righty has a big frame that is maxed out with quite a bit of bad weight and he has a gut. He probably needs to get his weight down to about 270. He came from a high 3/4 release working predominately from the stretch with solid mechanics. His fastball has some run in on righties and some sink. His slider is a 2-7 with a hint of bite. His change has some fade from lefties and a little sink. 4-A pitcher at best. Left the game with an apparent knee injury.

6th: FB (87-90), SL (83)

7th: FB (89-91), SL (81-85), CU (83)

5) Jamie Moyer: 24 pitches. (FB, CU, Cut, CB). 0 strikes swinging.

• Moyer came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and some sink, a change with some late fade from righties and some sink and a cutter with good cut. Left the game with an apparent groin injury.

6th: FB (83-84), CU (77)

7th: FB (79-84), CU (74-77), Cut (77-82)

6) Jeff Fulchino: 7 pitches. (FB, SL, Split). 1 strike swinging. Splitter.

• Fulchino came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with a little run in on righties and a splitter with some dive.

7th: FB (94-95), Split (85-87) - Split (Ibanez)

7) Ryan Madson: 27 pitches. (FB, CU, Cut). 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• Madson came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and some sink, a cutter with some cut and a change with good fade from lefties and good sink that he will throw to righties.

8th: FB (95-97)

9th: FB (94-97), Cut (90), CU (83) - FB (Lee)

8) Sam Gervacio: 14 pitches. (FB, SL, CU). 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• Gervacio came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a 3-8 slider with good bite and a straight change with a touch of fade from lefties.

9th: FB (89-92), SL (83-86), CU (84) - SL (Bako)

8/28: ATL @ PHI

1) Tommy Hanson: 29 pitches. 7 strikes swinging. 3 Sliders, 2 Fastballs, 2 Curveballs.

• Hanson came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a 2-7 slider with good bite, a sharp 12-6 curve with above average depth

1st: FB (92-93), SL (84), CB (77) - CB

2nd: FB (91-93), SL (79-82), CB (74-80) - 2 FB, 3 SL, CB

2) Pedro Martinez: 25 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Changeup.

• Martinez came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and some sink, a cutter with good cut and some sink, a change with good fade from lefties and solid sink that he will throw to righties and a 12-6 curve with above average depth.

1st: FB (87-88), Cut (79-82), CU (76)

2nd: FB (87-89), Cut (79-82), CU (74-78), CB (68-69) - CU

3) Jamie Moyer: 61 pitches. 9 strikes swinging. 7 Changeups, Cutter, Fastball.

• Moyer came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and some sink, a cutter that moves like a 11-5 slider with good bite, a change that has some fade from lefties with good sink that he will throw to lefties and a 11-5 curve with above average depth.

3rd: FB (80-84), Cut (79), CU (76) - FB, 3 CU

4th: FB (81-83), Cut (78), CU (75-76), CB (71) - 3 CU

5th: FB (82-83), Cut (79), CU (75-76), CB (70) - Cut, CU

6th: FB (82-83), Cut (77-78), CB (69)

7th: CU (76)

4) Kris Medlen: 33 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. Fastball, 2 Changeups.

• Medlen came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and some sink, a 12-6 curve with slightly above average depth, a change with above average sink and good fade from lefties.

3rd: FB (90-93), CU (81-83), CB (78) - CU

4th: FB (90-92), CU (81-84), CB (81-82) - FB, CU

5) Eric O'Flaherty: 24 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 Sliders, Fastball.

• O'Flaherty came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and a little sink, a change with some fade from righties and good sink that he will throw to lefties and a 11-5 slider with good bite. He will throw 2-0 sliders.

5th: FB (89-91), CU (83), SL (85) - SL

6th: FB (87-91), CU (83-85), SL (82-86) - FB, SL

6) Chan Ho Park: 7 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• Park came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and some sink, a change with some fade from lefties and good sink that he will throw to righties, a 12-6 curve with above average depth and a 2-7 slider with good bite.

7th: FB (91-94), SL (88), CB (79), CU (84) - SL

7) Peter Moylan: 11 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Slider, Changeup.

• Moylan came from a sidearm release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and some sink, a 3-8 slider with good bite and a change with some fade from lefties and some sink.

7th: FB (89-92), SL (80), CU (81) - SL, CU

8) Ryan Madson: 25 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 3 Changeups.

• Madson came from an over the top release and showed a cutter with good cut and some sink, a straight 4-seam fastball that flashes some run in on righties and a change with good fade from lefties and solid sink that he will throw to righties.

8th: FB (93-97), Cut (89-91), CU (84-86) - 3 CU

9) Mike Gonzalez: 12 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• Gonzalez came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and some sink and a 11-5 slider with good bite.

8th: FB (89-94), SL (78-86) - SL

10) Brad Lidge: 12 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Sliders.

• Lidge came from an over the top release and showed a sharp 2-7 slider with good bite and a straight 4-seam fastball.

9th: FB (93-94), SL (83-85) - 2 SL

Chart Observations: 8/14 PHI @ ATL

1) Jair Jurrjens: 103 pitches. 10 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (2nd, 4th), 3 Sliders (3rd, 2 in 5th), 5 Changeups (2 in 4th, 2 in 6th, 7th)

• Jurrjens came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties with good sink, a change with above average fade from lefties with above average sink that he will throw to righties (and is his best offering) and a 2-7 slider with good bite.

1st: FB (89-90), CU (82)

2nd: FB (89-93), CU (83), SL (80-81)

3rd: FB (88-92), SL (78-80)

4th: FB (89-94), CU (81-84), SL (78-81)

5th: FB (90-93), CU (82-84), SL (78-81)

6th: FB (89-94), CU (81-84), SL (78-80)

7th: FB (90-92), CU (82-84), SL (80)

2) Joe Blanton: 108 pitches. 6 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs (2nd, 3rd, 4th), 3 Changeups (1st, 2 in 2nd)

• Blanton came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties with good sink, a change with some fade from lefties with above average sink, a 2-7 slider with solid bite and a big breaking 12-6 curve with above average depth. He will throw his change to righties.

1st: FB (87-90), SL (82-83), CU (81-83)

2nd: FB (87-91), SL (82-84), CU (82-84), CB (73)

3rd: FB (87-91), SL (80-81)

4th: FB (87-90), SL (81-82), CU (82-83), CB (74)

5th: FB (88-91), SL (81), CU (80-82)

6th: FB (87-88), SL (82-84), CU (80-83), CB (72-75)

7th: FB (87-90), SL (85), CU (81), CB (73-75)

3) Ryan Madson: 6 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Cutter.

• Madson came from an over the top release and showed a change with above average fade from lefties with good sink, a fastball with some run in on righties with good sink and a cutter with good cut and some sink.

8th: FB (95), Cut (91), CU (85)

4) Mike Gonzalez: 14 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Gonzalez came from a high 3/4 release and showed a loopy 11-5 slider with okay bite and a fastball with some run in on lefties.

8th: FB (88-94), SL (76-84)

5) Rafael Soriano: 14 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs, 2 Sliders.

• Soriano came from a high 3/4 release and showed a 2-7 slider with good bite, a fastball with a little run in on righties and some sink and a cutter with some cut.

9th: FB (94-95), SL (80-84), Cut (91-92)

6) Brad Lidge: 19 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. Fastball, 2 Sliders.

• Lidge came from an over the top release and showed a 2-7 slider with good bite and a straight 4-seam fastball.

9th: FB (94-96), SL (85-87)

Chart Observations: 8/7 FLA @ PHI

1) Ricky Nolasco: 101 pitches. 11 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs (3rd, 2 in 6th), 5 Sliders (2nd, 3rd, 3 in 6th), Curveball (4th), 2 Splitters (6th, 7th)

• Nolasco came from a high 3/4 release with a fastball with good run in on righties and some sink, a 12-6 curve with above average depth, a 2-7 slider with good bite and a splitter with good fade from lefties with a little diving action (I think it is more of a split-change then a splitter). He will throw 3-1 sliders.

1st: FB (89-93), SL (82-84), CB (75)

2nd: FB (89-94), SL (82-85), CB (74-76), Split (85)

3rd: FB (90-94), SL (82-85), CB (75-76), Split (84)

4th: FB (92-93), SL (85), CB (72-77), Split (85)

5th: FB (90-93), SL (81-83), CB (75), Split (83-84)

6th: FB (90-94), SL (83-84), CB (74-76), Split (85)

7th: FB (91-93), SL (83-85), CB (73-76), Split (83-86)

2) Joe Blanton: 112 pitches. 10 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs (2nd, 2 in 7th), 4 Sliders (1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th), 3 Changeups (2nd, 3rd, 4th)

• Blanton came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with a little run in on righties with some sink, a 12-6 curve with above average depth, a 2-7 slider with good bite and a change with good fade from lefties with good sink. He will throw 2-0 sliders, 2-1 changeups and will throw his change to righties.

1st: FB (88-91), SL (82-83), CU (83), CB (74)

2nd: FB (88-89), SL (82-84), CU (82-84), CB (74-75)

3rd: FB (88-91), SL (82-83), CU (83), CB (75)

4th: FB (86-92), SL (81-83), CU (83-84)

5th: FB (89-92), SL (79-83), CB (74)

6th: FB (87-92), SL (83-84), CU (83)

7th: FB (88-91), SL (81-83), CU (82), CB (75)

3) Chan Ho Park: 4 pitches. 0 strikes swinging

• Park came from a 3/4 release and showed a 2-7 slider with good bite and a fastball with above average run in on righties.

7th: FB (93-94), SL (87-88)

4) Renyel Pinto: 23 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball, Changeup.

• Pinto came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good sink and some late run in on lefties and a change with some fade from righties with sink. He will throw 3-2 changeups and will throw the pitch to lefties as an out pitch.

8th: FB (91-93), CU (82-86)

5) Ryan Madson: 16 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 4 Changeups (3 in 8th, 9th)

• Madson came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball and a change with above average fade form lefties with above average sink.

8th: FB (94-97), CU (83-85)

9th: FB (93-95), CU (82)

6) Scott Eyre: 16 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball, Slider.

• Eyre came from a high 3/4 release and showed a 11-5 slider with good bite and a fastball with some run in on lefties.

9th: FB (89-91), SL (74-82)

7) Tyler Walker: 4 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• Walker came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with a little run in on righties and a little sink and a 2-7 slider with good bite.

9th: FB (90-92), SL (83-84)

8) Leo Nunez: 5 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Nunez came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties and some sink and a change with above average fade from lefties with good late sink that he will throw to righties.

9th: FB (94), CU (85-87)

Chart Observations: PIT @ PHI

1) Virgil Vasquez: 48 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball (1st), Cutter (1st)

• Vasquez is a 6-3, 205 pound righty. The 27 year old has a medium frame that can get up to 215. He comes from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties with sink, a cutter with some cut and a little sink, a big breaking 12-6 curve with above average depth and a change with above average fade from lefties with sink. He had zero command in this game and he is a guy that can't be consistently pitching behind in counts. Still looks like a back of the rotation guy to me.

1st: FB (88-91), Cut (84-88), CB (71-75)

2nd: FB (86-90), CB (73), CU (79)

2) J.A. Happ: 103 pitches. 8 strikes swinging. Fastball (2nd), 5 on Cutters (1st, 2 in 2nd, 3rd, 5th), Changeup (6th)

• Happ came from an over the top release and showed a cutter that moves like a 11-5 slider with good bite that keeps moving down, a big breaking 11-5 curve with above average depth, a fastball with a little late run in on lefties and a change with some fade from righties with average sink. He will throw his change to lefties and will almost always follow a high fastball with a curveball and this seems to be his preferred method of setting up hitters. Probably a # 3 down the road.

1st: FB (89-91), Cut (82), CU (81), CB (73-75)

2nd: FB (87-92), Cut (79-83), CU (79), CB (71-72)

3rd: FB (88-90), Cut (79-81), CB (72)

4th: FB (86-90), Cut (81)

5th: FB (87-90), Cut (82-84), CU (80)

6th: FB (88-91), Cut (80-84), CU (79-84), CB (72-74)

7th: FB (89-92), Cut (80), CU (81), CB (71-73)

3) Jeff Karstens: 35 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. Fastball (3rd), Curveball (2nd), Slider (3rd)

• Karstens came from a high 3/4 release with a whipping arm action. His fastball has some run in on righties with a little sink, his curve is a big breaking 12-6 pitch with above average depth, his slider is a 1-7 that is sharp with good bite and his change has good fade from lefties with good sink.

2nd: FB (90), CB (71-73), CU (79-80)

3rd: FB (91), CB (71-73), CU (80), SL (77)

4th: FB (89-91), CB (71-73), SL (76)

5th: FB (87-92), CB (72-73)

4) Evan Meek: 11 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Cutter

• Meek came from an over the top release and showed a cutter with good cut, a straight 4-seam fastball, a 12-6 curve with average depth and a sharp 2-7 slider with good bite.

6th: Cut (90-94), FB (96), CB (81), SL (84)

5) Donald Veal: 16 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Veal is a 6-4, 230 pound lefty. The 24 year old has a big frame that is maxed out. He comes from a high 3/4 release. He showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and a 11-5 curve that starts its break early and should be easy for hitters to pick up due to that, but it would be a good pitch if it didn't do that. Don't think he will ever have the command to be a consistent major league pitcher.

7th: FB (90-93), CB (74-75)

6) Joel Hanrahan: 11 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider

• Hanrahan came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and a little sink and a sharp 2-7 slider with above average bite. This was the 1st time I have seen him with his good slider and the Pirates may have made some progress with him.

8th: FB (93-95), SL (83-84)

7) Ryan Madson: 6 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Madson came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball and a cutter with good cut and some sink.

8th: FB (94-95), Cut (93)

8) J.C. Romero: 20 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 3 on Fastballs, Slider

• Romero came from a high 3/4 release and showed a 11-5 slider with good bite that can look like a CB on occasion, a fastball with late run in on lefties with good late sink and a change with good fade from righties with a little sink. He will drop down sidearm to throw fastballs on occasion.

9th: FB (91-93), SL (78-83), CU (82)

Will have more after my baseball game, including my 1st look at Clayton Kershaw this season, as well as a report on Cardinals rookie reliever P.J. Walters.

Chart Observations (7/8): CIN @ PHI

Picked up this extra chart on the day of, so that is the reason I chose not to update last night (that and the fact I played tennis, but the above sounded more professional)

1) Homer Bailey: 95 pitches. 6 strikes swinging. 4 on Fastballs (2nd, 4th, 2 in 5th), 2 Sliders (3rd, 5th)

• Bailey is a 23 year old who stands 6-3, 210. The righty has a medium frame that can get up to 220. He comes from an over the top release with a little Ubaldo Jimenez like arm action where he likes to straighten the arm on the backtake, but fairly quiet delivery. He throws 2 different types of fastballs, a 4-seam that is fairly straight and a 2-seam that can flash above average run in on righties with some sink, but it can flatten out. His curve is a big breaking 12-6 with good depth. His split has some dive, but can look more like a straight change and it served as his out pitch to lefties early until he realized it literally wasn't moving... His slider is a hard, sharp 2-7 with solid bite. Bailey will never reach the expectations he has had, but it isn't out of the realm of possibility for him to be a middle of the rotation guy. He threw all 3 of his off-speed pitches between 5 and 10 % of the time and will always rely on his fastball, which he had good command of. I think he will be an above average # 3 starter in about 3 or 4 years.

1st: FB (91-95), CB (76-78), Split (87)

2nd: FB (92-96), CB (76), SL (86)

3rd: FB (92-95), SL (85-86), Split (86-89)

4th: FB (91-96), CB (76), SL (85-87), Split (86-89)

5th: FB (94-96), CB (78-79), SL (86-88), Split (89-90)

6th: FB (90-96), CB (76-77), SL (86-88)

2) Rodrigo Lopez (He's Back!): 69 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. Fastball (4th), 2 on Sliders (1st, 2nd)

• Lopez is a 6-1, 185 pound righty. The 33 year old has a medium frame that can get up to at least 200. He comes from a high 3/4 release. His fastball has some run in on righties. His change has some fade from lefties with some sink. His slider is a 2-7 with some bite. His cutter has some cut that he can throw to either corner, but prefers to throw it in on the hands of lefties. He will throw his change to righties. Won't kill you in the NL as a 5th starter.

1st: FB (86-90), CU (83-84), SL (81-84), Cut (89)

2nd: FB (88-91), CU (85), SL (80-84), Cut (88-91)

3rd: FB (86-91), SL (80), Cut (89)

4th: FB (86-91), CU (83-84), SL (81-82), Cut (88-89)

5th: FB (82-84) *left the game following this inning due to an injury and his arm speed was noticeably slower.

3) Chad Durbin: 32 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Cutters (6th, 7th)

• Durbin came from a high 3/4 release and showed a cutter with good cut and sink, a 2-seam fastball with good run in on righties, a sharp 12-6 curve with good depth and a change with good fade from lefties with a little sink.

6th: FB (89-92), Cut (87-89), CB (77), CU (80)

7th: FB (89-93), Cut (86-89), CB (77-78), CU (80)

4) J.C. Romero: 3 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Romero came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good late run in on lefties.

7th: FB (90-91)

5) Nick Masset: 15 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. Fastball, 4 Splitters.

• Masset is a 6-4, 235 pound righty. The 27 year old has a big frame that is maxed out. He comes from an over the top release. His fastball has good run in on righties with good sink. His splitter has above average dive and is a late breaking pitch. I am a huge fan of him and think he can be utilized similar to Scot Shields was with the Angels.

7th: FB (93-96), Split (88-90), SL (86)

6) Arthur Rhodes: 29 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 3 Sliders.

• Rhodes is a 6-2, 210 pound lefty. The 39 year old has a medium frame that can add a little more muscle. He comes from a high 3/4 release with a straight 4-seam fastball and a 11-5 slider with good bite. Solid lefty setup man.

8th: FB (91-93), SL (80-84)

7) Dave Weathers: 28 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider (8th)

• Weathers is a 6-3, 240 pound righty. The 39 year old has a medium frame that is maxed out. He comes from a high 3/4 release. He showed a 2-7 slider with good bite, a 4-seam fastball with a little run in on righties and a change with good fade from lefties and solid sink. Another solid set-up guy.

8th: FB (89-90), SL (83-85)

9th: FB (87-90), SL (82-85), CU (85-86)

8) Ryan Madson: 17 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Madson came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball, a cutter with good cut and a change with good fade from lefties with good sink.

8th: FB (96-98), CU (84-85), Cut (93)

9th: FB (94-96), CU (83), Cut (90-93)

TOR @ PHI: PHI

• Joe Blanton comes from an over the top release with a 4-seam fastball with a little run, a change with good fade and a little sink that he will throw to righties, a sharp 2-7 slider with solid bite and a big breaking 12-6 curve that can be just a floater. Struggled with his command today and was behind quite a bit.

1st: FB (87-92), CB (76), SL (81-85), CU (81)

2nd: FB (86-91), CB (76), SL (82-83), CU (82)

3rd: FB (88-91), CB (74), SL (81-83), CU (81)

4th: FB (87-90), SL (79-83), CU (80-81)

5th: FB (86-93), CB (77), SL (82-83), CU (82)

6th: FB (90-92), SL (79-80), CU (81-82)

• Chan Ho Park came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good sink and fade, a slider with good bite that was a 2-7 pitch and a 12-6 curve that had good depth.

6th: FB (91-96), SL (84-89), CB (81-84)

7th: FB (92-94), SL (82-87)

• J.C. Romero came from a high 3/4 release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball, a straight change and a slurvy 10-4 slider.

7th: FB (89-93), SL (79), CU (80-81)

• Clay Condrey comes from an over the top release and showed a 1-8 slider with good bite, a cutter with good cut and some sink and a fastball with good run and sink. Struggled to get ahead and keep the ball down.

8th: FB (89-91), SL (82-86), Cut (88-90)

• Tyler Walker is a 6-3, 265 pound righty. The 33 year old has a medium frame that is maxed out and looks to have some bad weight, as he labors through his delivery. Hs comes from an over the top release. His fastball is a 4-seam with some run. His slider is a 2-7 pitch with good bite and his change has some sink and fade. Should be a serviceable middle reliever.

8th: FB (89-92), SL (82-85), CU (79)

• Ryan Madson comes from an over the top release and showed a fastball that was a straight 4-seam, a cutter with good cut and a change with great sink.

9th: FB (95-96), Cut (90-91), CU (85)

• John Mayberry Jr. is a 6-6, 230 pound man beast. The 25 year old has a big frame that can add a little more muscle. He has a slightly closed and crouched stance with a bat tap. His trigger is a stride and a cocking of the bat. He has good bat speed, but his swing can get a little long. He is a slightly above average runner, though he will probably be average as he continues to add muscle. He has above average raw power and a plus arm from the outfield. He has all the tools to be an everyday player, but he is not yet ready. He needs some more seasoning at AAA to improve his pitch recognition and keep a consistent swing.

Chart Observations: PHI @ NYM

• Tim Redding is a 31 year old right hander who stands 5-11, 230. He has a small frame that is maxed out. He comes from a high 3/4, almost over the top release. His fastball shows some fade and sink, though it can flatten out and he mixes in a straight 4-seam on occasion. His change moves just like his fastball, just a little bit slower. He throws a hard curve as his preferred strikeout pitch and its a 12-6 pitch with late bite and he will also throw a bigger breaking curveball with good depth for strikes. His slider is a 1-7 offering that can be slurvy or sharp and it flashes late bite. His command is above average and he is your typical # 5 starter.

1st: FB (87-90), CB (78), CU (83)

2nd: FB (88-92), CB (73-76), SL (81-84)

3rd: FB (88-90), CB (75), CU (81), SL (81-82)

4th: FB (87-91), CB (76), CU (80-83), SL (81-84)

5th: FB (86-89), SL (80-84)

6th: FB (84-90), CB (75), CU (78-81), SL (81-82)

7th: FB (87-90), CU (80-82), SL (79-84)

• Jamie Moyer opposed him and came from a 3/4 release. His fastball is a 2-seam with good sink and fade. His cutter is an 11-4 pitch that moves more like a slider with decent bite. His change moves like his fastball, but has more sink. His curveball is a big breaking 11-4 pitch with good depth. He will throw changes in on lefties.

1st: FB (82-83), Cut (78)

2nd: FB (81-83), Cut (78), CU (76)

3rd: FB (81-83), CU (75), CB (70)

4th: FB (80-83), CU (74-75), CB (67-70)

5th: FB (80-83), CB (71)

6th: FB (80-82), CU (74-75)

• Clay Condrey is a 6-3, 225 pound right hander. The 33 year old has a medium to big frame that is maxed out. He comes from a high 3/4 release with a 2-seam fastball with good fade and sink and a cutter with late cut and some sink on occasion. Solid middle reliever.

7th: FB (89-92), Cut (87-89)

8th: FB (90-91), Cut (89)

• Pedro Feliciano is a sidearmer who showed a cutter with good cut and sink, a change with good fade and sink, a fastball with good late sink and some fade and a sweeping 9-3 slider.

8th: FB (87-88), Cut (81-83), SL (76-77), CU (74)

• Bobby Parnell comes from a high 3/4 release with a 4-seam fastball wtih some fade that will flash sink and a sharp 2-7 slider with good bite.

9th: FB (94-98), SL (84-88)

10th: FB (94-97), SL (87)

• Chad Durbin comes from a 3/4 release with a fastball that had good fade, a cutter with good cut and a slider that is more of a downward pitch then a side to side pitch (12-6ish)

9th: FB (90-92), Cut (86-88), SL (87)

• Scott Eyre comes from a high 3/4 release with a straight 4-seam fastball and 10-4 slider with decent bite.

9th: FB (89), SL (82)

• Ken Takahashi is a 40 year old who stands 6-0, 200. The lefty won't be adding any more muscle to his frame. He comes from a high 3/4 release. His slider is a 10-4 offering that can just hang or show good bite. He throws a 2-seam with good fade and some sink and uses it against lefties primarily. He will mix in a straight 4-seam. He accomplished his goal of pitching in the bigs and can't see him pitching past this season.

10th: 4-FB (90), 2-FB (82-84), SL (79)

• Sean Green is a sidearmer who features a sweeping 3-8 slider and a fastball with good fade and sink.

10th: FB (88-89), SL (74-75)

• Ryan Madson comes from an over the top release with a fastball that has some fade and flashes as a pitch with good sink as well and a change with good fade and sink that looks like a fastball out of his hand.

11th: FB (92-96), CU (83-86)

Diamondbacks-Astros later tonight featuring Dan Haren and Mike Hampton. Hampton is incredibly difficult to chart, let alone try and follow his stuff while scoring. I will try to give the best velocities I can for him.

Chart Observations: PHI @ NYM

• Cole Hamels is a 6-3, 190 pound lefty. The 25 year old has a medium to big frame that has room to add a lot more muscle. He comes from an over the top release that generates a good downhill plane for his pitches. His fastball has some natural sink and run, though it will also flash some fade at times. His change looks like a fastball out of his hand and has excellent sink and some run (though he threw it way too much in this game). His curveball is an 11-5 offering with good depth. He will throw all his pitches to any hitter and any count. Hamels has plus command, but was working in the middle of the plate a little too often. I think Hamels is a # 2 right now (cue the debate again) and I want to see him utilize his above average curve more before I call him a legitimate ace.

1st: FB (88-93), CU (79-82), CB (76)

2nd: FB (89-92), CU (79-82)

3rd: FB (87-93), CU (79-83), CB (75)

4th: FB (88-91), CU (78-82)

5th: FB (85-90), CU (76-81), CB (74-75)

• Mike Pelfrey comes from a 3/4 release. He has a 2-seam sinker that shows good fade and sink and will mix in a rare straight 4-seam fastball. His slider is a 2-7 offering with decent bite. It can be very inconsistent and hang at times. His curveball is a bigger breaking SL and is a 1-7 type pitch. His changeup moves like his fastball, just slower. His command continues to be above average and he is a # 4 right now with the ability to develop into a 3 if he can tighten his slider.

1st: FB (92-94)

2nd: FB (91-94), SL (84-86)

3rd: FB (91-94), SL (85), CB (77)

4th: FB (92-94), SL (87), CU (83-84)

5th: FB (93-95), SL (81-85)

6th: FB (92-94), SL (86), CU (83)

7th: FB (91-93), CB (76)

• Jack Taschner is a 6-3, 205 pound lefty. The 31 year old has a medium to big frame that can add a little more muscle. He comes from a high 3/4 release. He has some wrist pronation when he brings the ball back at the bottom of his arm circle. His fastball is a 4-seam with some run. his slider is a sharp 10-4 wtih good bite and his change is straight with a little sink and run. Best fit is as a LOOGY, though he wouldn't kill you every once in awhile throwing a full inning.

6th: FB (90-91), SL (82-84), CU (83-84)

• Chad Durbin comes from a high 3/4 release and showed a 2-seam fastball with good fade and sink and a cutter with good cut that flashed some sink.

7th: FB (89-92), Cut (87-89)

• Scott Eyre came from a high 3/4 release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball with a little run and a slurvy 11-4 slider with decent bite.

7th: FB (90-92), SL (82)

• Sean Green is a 6-6, 225 pound right hander. The 30 year old has a big frame that can add more muscle, especially in the lower half. The sidearmer shows a fastball with good fade and sink, a 3-8 sweeping slider with some bite and a change with more sink then his fastball. Solid ROOGY.

7th: FB (88-91), SL (72-73), CU (82-83)

• J.C. Romero came from a high 3/4 release and showed a 4-seam fastball with some run, a slurvy 11-4 slider and a change with good sink and fade. He will add and subtract from his SL, as he has a loopy one for strikes and a sharp one for strikeouts.

8th: FB (88-93), SL (75-83), CU (81-82)

• Pedro Feliciano is a sidearmer who showed a fastball with some sink and run and a cutter with good cut and a little sink.

8th: FB (87-89), Cut (82-84)

• Francisco Rodriguez comes from an over the top release and showed a 4-seam fastball with some sink and run. His curveball is a sharp, late-breaking 2-7 offering while his change has excellent fade and sink.

9th: FB (92-95), CB (79-81), CU (85)

10th: FB (91-94), CB (80-81), CU (85)

• Chan Ho Park comes from a 3/4 release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball, a 2-seam that has good fade and sink, a 12-6 curveball with okay depth, a 2-7 slider with okay bite, a change with good fade and sink and a cutter with decent cut.

9th: FB (92-95), SL (83-85), CB (77-80), CU (83), Cut (88)

10th: FB (91-93), SL (82-87), CB (77), CU (82), Cut (88)

• Bobby Parnell took the loss after allowing a home run to Chase Utley. He came from a high 3/4 release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball and a loopy 1-8 slider.

11th: FB (95-100), SL (87-89)

• Ryan Madson came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball, a change with late fade and sink and a cutter with decent cut and a little sink.

11th: FB (94-97), CU (83-85), Cut (92)

PHI @ SD

Am supposed to make my Happ report detailed. As if my scouting reports aren't detailed enough...

• J.A. Happ is a 26 year old who stands 6-6, 200. The left hander has a big frame that can add a ton more muscle and can probably get up to 215 very comfortably. He comes from a high 3/4 release. He pauses when he is at the bottom of the arm circle with a straight arm. His arm action is similar to that of Ubaldo Jimenez, though not to as big of an extent. His fastball is a straight 4-seam with a little run, though he will also mix in a 2-seamer with a little fade. His cutter is similar to Jamie Moyer's, in that it moves and looks more like a slider on most occasions. It can be anywhere from a 2-7 to a straight side to side pitch. His curveball is a big breaking 11-5 offering that he didn't throw much, but is a pitch he will need to be succesful as a starter. His changeup looks like a fastball out of his hand with good sink and fade, but he didn't throw any after Nick Hundley singled off it. His cutter looks like a fastball out of his hand, but keeps going down. His cutter is his out pitch, but it isn't a swing and miss offering. Likes to throw high fastballs with an 0-2 count or throw a cutter. Looks like he could be a back of the rotation starter, as his frame shows the ability to add a ton more muscle and add velocity. Strikes me as a classic pitching tweener though, one who doesn't have enough pitches to be a starter and no true out pitch to be a strong reliever.

1st: FB (88-90), Cut (82-84), CB (73)

2nd: FB (89-92), Cut (83-85), CU (79-81)

3rd: FB (88-92), Cut (82-85)

4th: FB (88-91), Cut (82-85)

5th: FB (88-91), Cut (80), CB (75)

6th: FB (88-92), Cut (83-85)

7th: FB (87-91), Cut (81-82)

• Chris Young is a 30 year old who stands 6-10, 280. The right hander has a big frame that appears to be maxed out. His gloves goes really high after separation, way over his head. He comes from an over the top release. His fastball has some cutter movement to it while his slider is a 2-7 pitch that can be inconsistent break-wise. He can hang some spinning sliders. His curveball is a big breaking 12-6 pitch that he doesn't throw enough, though it is a little loopy. His command can be inconsistent and he can leave fastballs up. PETCO forgives a lot of his mistakes and I believe he could only be a major league starter playing half his home games at PETCO.

1st: FB (85-89), SL (78-79), CU (79), CB (70)

2nd: FB (85-87), SL (75-78), CU (79)

3rd: FB (85-87), SL (77-78), CU (75-77), CB (68)

4th: FB (84-87), SL (75-76)

5th: FB (85-86), SL (74-78), CU (73-75)

6th: FB (84-86)

• J.C. Romero is a 33 year old who stands 5-11, 205. This was the left hander's first appearance since being suspended for steroids. He has a small frame that is maxed out. He comes from a high 3/4 release, though he will drop down to 3/4 and will go sidearm to throw 0-2 sliders to lefties. His fastball is a 2-seam with some fade and sink. His change shows some fade and sink. His slider is a 10-4 offering that can be slurvy. He has a classic drop and drive delivery as a reliever. Solid reliever who can bounce between quite a few roles in a pen.

8th: FB (91-94), SL (80-83), CU (78-81)

9th: FB (91-93), SL (82)

• Ryan Madson finished the game for the Phils. The right hander showed a high 3/4 release with a straight 4-seam fastball and one changeup that was in the dirt.

9th: FB (95-96), CU (83)

• Greg Burke attacked hitters from a high 3/4 release. His fastball has good fade and movement. His slier is a 2-7 offering that is average. He is your classic sinker/slider reliever. He did not have his best command tonight and got hit harder then he had been.

7th: FB (89-91), SL (82-83)

• Luke Gregerson attacked from a 3/4 release with a fastball that showed excellent fade and sink, a sharp 2-7 slider and a changeup with good fade and sink.

8th: FB (91-92), SL (81-85), CU (80)

• Edward Mujica attacked from a 3/4 release with a straight 4-seam fastball, a 2-7 slider with good bite and a split with above average fade and sink. He had good command of his off speed stuff for the most part tonight, though struggled to hit spots with his fastball.

9th: FB (92-94), SL (81-86), Split (87-88)

• Will Venable has returned to the big leagues. The 26 year old who stands 6-2, 210 has a medium frame with room to add more muscle. The lefty hitter/swinger has a slightly open stance. He just doesn't look comfortable in the box. He holds his hands a little behind him and a touch in front of his body. His trigger is a little toe turn. He has an average arm and average speed. He has a double trigger in his swing, as he cocks the bat twice and his swing can get long as a result. He dropped a ball in LF and missed a mistake pitch that he should have hammered. A 4th OF who will need to show a lot more to stick in the bigs.

Chart Observations: FLA @ PHI

• Andrew Miller is a 24 year old with a massive frame (6-6, 210). The left hander can add a ton of his muscle to his frame and should be able to carry weight around 230 to 240. He is extremely long and very lanky, making it difficult for him to consistently repeat his mechanics. From a high 3/4, almost over the top release he featured a fastball at 86-94 (sat at 89-91), a hard slider at 77-79, a softer slider at 73-75 and a changeup at 82-83. He has some wrist pronation as he takes his arm back in the arm circle. He doesn't move his hands much in the wind-up and they only move when he kicks his leg. He trying to have a drop and drive delivery and it looks like his arm is lagging behind. He throws 2 fastballs, a 2-seam that has some run and a little sink and a 4-seam fastball that is pretty straight. SL is a 10-4, 11-5 type offering that is pretty loopy when used as a get ahead pitch (pretty much only threw these on the first pitch of at bats). His harder slider is sharper and has much better depth, but it looks as if he can only bounce it. His changeup is a pretty straight offering with a little sink and preferred this to his slider in most situations. Miller is a definite project, as his velocity is down from when he was drafted. His slider and changeup are just average offerings right now and his command is a tick below average. I would prefer Miller to get more time in AAA before pitching in the majors, but he is making improvement, as slow as they may be. Miller has the potential of a # 2 (a TON of projection there) and I think his realistic upside at this stage is a # 4. Disappointed in what he showed last night.
• Joe Blanton somehow struck out 11 and it sure didn't seem like it while charting the game. The 28 year who stands 6-3, 250 has a medium frame that is maxed out. From an over the top release, the right hander showed a fastball at 87-92, a slider at 81-85, a curveball at 75-79 and a change at 82-86. Blanton works very fast on the mound and has very good tempo on the mound. His curveball is a 12-6 offering with good bite and depth and will use it as a strikeout pitch or get ahead pitch, but it is better served as a get ahead offering. His fastball is a 2-seamer that shows good fade and sink. His slider is a 1-7 pitch that can be sharp and has good bite. His slider can be anywhere from average to plus in an outing. His changeup moves just like his fastball and I actually thought he should have thrown more changes away then sliders in to the lefties on the Marlins. Blanton is a good middle of the rotation starter, though I think he would fit better in another ballpark. Slightly above average # 4 who is pitching to his potential.
• Chris Leroux made his major league debut last night. The 25 year old who stands 6-6, 210 has a big frame to add more muscle and he can probably get up to 225 or 230 without sacrificing anything. The right hander showed a fastball at 92-95, a slider at 84-87 and a changeup at 86-87. He generates a good downhill plane for all his pitches. His slider is a 2-7 offering with decent bite. His fastball is a 2-seamer with good natural sink and some fade. His changeup shows good late and good sink. His fastball, slider and change all flashed above average in this outing and he looked to have above average command. This is a guy that you can see eventually becoming a closer. However, the Phillies hit his good stuff fairly well and didn't appear to be that fooled by his offerings. Still, I think his upside is that of a closer.
• Ryan Madson is a 28 year old who stands 6-6, 200. The right hander has a big frame that has room to add a lot more muscle. From a high 3/4 release, he showed a fastball at 94-97, a cutter at 90 and a changeup at 82-83. His changeup has excellent fade and above average sink and is a plus pitch. His cutter has good late cut in on lefties and is thrown hard and is an above average pitch. His fastball flashed some late fade, but it looks to be a straight 4-seam. The best pitcher in the Phillies bullpen right now, he should be closing.
• Chad Durbin is a 31 year old who stands 6-2, 220. The right hander has a medium frame that is maxed out. From a high 3/4 release, he showed a fastball at 88-91, a cutter at 85-90 and a changeup at 77. His fastball is a 2-seam with above average fade and decent sink and is a slightly above average offering. His cutter has decent bite, but is just an average offering. His changeup doesn't do much of anything and is just a show pitch. He is a pitcher who is greater then the sum of his parts due to his typical above average command (didn't show it tonight) who is likely a solid 10th or 11th guy to have in a bullpen.
• Scott Eyre is a 37 year old who stands 6-1, 225. The left hander has a medium frame that is maxed out. From a high 3/4 release, the lefty showed a fastball at 88-89 and a slider at 81. Both of his pitches are average offerings, as his slider is a frisbee slider and his fastball is a straight 4-seam. A LOOGY who seems to be getting by more on reputation then stuff, he probably has another 1 or 2 major league seasons left.
• Brad Lidge is a 32 year old who stands 6-5, 215. The right hander has a big frame that is maxed out. From a high 3/4 release he showed a fastball at 92-95 and a slider at 85-86. His slider is a plus, borderline plus-plus pitch that is very sharp and is a 1-7 offering. It plays up due to his innate command of it. His fastball is a straight 4-seam that he has struggled to command this season and has a tendency to leave it up in the zone. He should be setting up Madson while he works out the kinks.

Peavy vs. Buckner tonight. After a Baseball game.

A lot of Observations

Yesterday afternoon's game was blacked out, so I just scored it from Gameday. Charted the Mets-Phillies game and live scored the Rays-Red Sox game today.

• Oliver Perez has lost a lot of his stuff and almost all his command. This is no longer a pitcher who sat in the mid 90's and teased with you a great slider. This new version of Perez sits in the low 90's and teases with you a wildly inconsistent average slider. The main problem is all the old command issues remain. He struggles to control his stuff, let alone command it in the strike zone. You could also tell he was upset and frustrated with his performance yesterday (he was getting squeezed quite a bit as well). He has the look of a pitcher who doesn't know what else to do to try and get results. The Mets must tread carefully here, as he may be close to just losing the mental side of it as well.
• Jamie Moyer is a freak. The guy has a tremendous 2-seam fastball that sits in the low 80's. He complements this with an above average low 70's curveball, a high 70's cutter and a mid 70's changeup. He has above average command of all his pitches and looks to be ready to have another solid year as a back-end starter.
• Ken Takahashi made his major league debut. The 40 year old (no typo) lefty sits with a fastball at the high 80's, a decent changeup in the low 80's, a decent slider in the mid 80's and a curveball at the low 70's. He is an extra arm. He has good command, but nothing about his package jumps out at you. Plus, what team has much time for a 40-year old rookie (and only the Mets would have time if he was Latino)
• Pedro Feliciano threw a 1st pitch changeup to Raul Ibanez (who hit it out of the balpark to knot the game at 5) for some reason. Made zero sense.
• This leads me to my next point in regards to why Jerry Manuel may favor Omir Santos over Ramon Castro: game-calling. Castro called many questionable pitches, like changeups out of Perez when behind in the count and obviously struggling to command everything. Castro also rarely visited the mound to try and reassure his pitcher. Not saying anything for sure, but that was my observation. Castro is a very useful bat.
• Bobby Parnell has a big arm, sitting in the middle to high 90's with his fastball. He showed zero ability to command either of his off-speed pitches though (a mid 80's change and a high 80's slider). He can be a strong late inning reliever, but you have to wish that the kid could have gotten half a season in AAA to try and develop an off-speed pitch. You can't do that in the big leagues.
• I am going to echo what a lot of other people have said this season: Ryan Madson is the best reliever in the Phillies bullpen. Madson is throwing a high 90's fastball (sat at 95-96), a tremendous change that is effective to hitters on both sides of the plate at the low 80's with good bite and fade and a low 90's cutter. If Brad Lidge's struggles continue (and his slider lacked the same bite it showed last season again yesterday), then Madson is in the driver's seat for the closer's gig.
• Brad Penny was very strong for the Red Sox. He settled in, pumping in low to mid 90's fastballs, mid 70's curveballs and a mid 80's splitter. If he pitches to his potential (and he showed today that it is still a strong # 3 starter), then the Red Sox staff will be that much better.
• James Shields was on. Featuring a low 90's fastball, a devastating low 80's change, mid 70's curveball and a mid 80's cutter, he can be dominant when he is commanding all his pitches and he was doing just that. His change is a plus-plus pitch with tremendous fade and sink, causing many hitters to swing over the top of it. He can throw it to both right handers and left handers with equal success. Theo Epstein said it best on the telecast: "James Shields keeps proving he is a frontline starter in this league."
• Manny Delcarmen had some control issues, which the announcers say may be related to a hip flexor. I don't buy it, but he definitely struggled commanding his low to mid 90's fastball and low 80's changeup.
• Hunter Jones is an extra arm. The kid has a solid low 70's curveball, but with a fastball sitting in the mid 80's (mostly 86), he will get hit hard once teams just sit on that. A low 70's curveball is not a good pitch to have as your out pitch when you are trying to become a LOOGY.
• Ramon Ramirez is a very, very good reliever. Hard for me to fathom that both the Rockies (Huston Street and Manny Corpas are inferior pitchers) and Royals (though they did get Coco Crisp) dealt him away. He attacks with a mid 90's fastball and a mid to high 80's changeup that is just filthy. He is a luxury as a 7th inning guy with the likes of Saito and Papelbon ahead of him in the pecking order.
• Carl Crawford stole 6 bases to go with a 4-4 day. The guy knows how to use his legs by pounding the ball on the ground and just running. Of his 6 steals, only 1 was close (not Jason Varitek's fault, he was stealing them on the pitchers and twice stole the pitch after pitchouts, the best time to run).

I have copies of every game played thus far this season at my disposal at work, so if there is someone specific you would like for me to get a read on for you, let me know.