Chooch Was Run Over in Phils Win

David Norris.  That is the name of an accountant, your UPS guy, or perhaps a royal navy officer.  With the addition of the alias “Bud,” he becomes a marginal major league pitcher.  There’s Bud Black and …. well, there’s Bud Norris.  Thank God this is the last spring training game.  But wait!  There are two more games that don’t count following the previous thirty eight games that didn’t count.  The big difference is that these next two games are played in Pennsylvania, edging ever closer to the precipice of real baseball.

Bud Norris opposed random pitcher number four, Nate Bump.  Norris got the shit knocked out of him giving up seven runs and six hits in his five innings of work, including a three run home run to the Phillies prospective starting right fielder Ben Francisco.  Bump was solid giving up one run in five innings of work.

Francisco has absolutely made the most of his opportunity by ending the spring with a .385 batting average with four home runs and thirteen RBI.  Noted dork and sabermatricain Bill James projects Benny to have a .270 average with ten home runs and thirty-eight RBIs.  Based on a bunch of at bats that don’t mean anything, Francisco looks like he should easily exceed these expectations (the injury to Dom Brown helps too).  Maybe Ben should have his own cult.

Luis Castillo got an extra base hit today avoiding any sort of crippling leg explosions that you would expect from good ole’ Luis.  He was 1-1 with a walk and two runs scored.  Here is the question that you have to ask yourself:  Do you want Pete Orr, or do you want Luis Castillo?  I know that Pete Orr is probably a nice man, he might be fun to go grocery shopping with, or maybe he makes a really good gin and tonic, but based on his ability to play baseball, I will go with Castillo.

Who the hell runs over a catcher in a spring training game?  I am sending this question to the newest object of the Philadelphia fans venom; Humberto Quintero.  If Chooch was injured in said collision, I think that Mr. Quintero would have been summarily destroyed upon arrival on opening day.  He must have really wanted to win that pointless game today.

The Phils held on to win the game 7-6 after a series of players that you haven’t heard of gave up a combined five runs.  The pitchers you have heard of, Jose Contreras and Danys Baez pitched a scoreless inning a piece.

Next up the Phillies play two games against the Pirates back in Philly.  This is probably the only time of the baseball season that it is comfortable to be the Phanatic.