With Ty Wigginton, Michael Martinez, and most of the coaching staff, the Phillies have spent the past few weeks trimming the fat, or in the case of David Herndon, watching the fat get trimmed.  By Blue Jays.

It sounds awful, but what actually happened is that the 27-year-old righty was out on waivers, like you do, and the Blue Jays decided he was exactly the kind of pitcher they need in Toronto. Which is not surprising.  Herndon, along with Michael Stutes, spent most of 2012 being the “Oh yeah; that guy,” of the Phillies’ “DL Updates” throughout the year.  The assumption was, he’d be part of a giant pitching collective in 2013 that would be molded in the preseason to fit the best possible bullpen scenario.

It is not to be; now, Herndon is gone, and all we have left to remember him by is that play in the 19-inning Wilson Valdez Fiasco of 2011.  The Blue Jays had recently claimed Tyson Brummet off waivers as well, then DFA’d him to make room for Herndon, indicating either poor planning or a case of mistaken identity by their scouting department.

Either way, let us salute ‘Ol Herndy’s departure with a nickname he never received and a video clip of his finest hour.

March 6, 2011; Dunedin, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino (8) hits a two run single during the third inning of a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

Everyone, I think spring training is the perfect time to break out an Only Ones reference.  It also  bears mentioning that having to explain a headline probably destroys a whole bunch of rules for writing etiquette.  So anyway, the point of the aforementioned headline was to illustrate that the Phillies have a bunch of really good pitchers in their rotation and another one of them made his spring debut today.

There are times that I forget that the Phillies signed Cliff Lee.  I realize that it has been well over a year since their coup to sign the free agent pitcher, but I continue to have a difficult time rationalizing that there are this many great pitchers on the Phillies.  Regardless, Cliff Lee is a member of the Phillies and he pitched for the first time this season.  Unsurprisingly he threw two scoreless innings.  Surprisingly he issued a walk. (more…)

Unlike most players, Benny actually existed prior to playing for the Phillies.  We know this not because he was spectacular in any way, but because his name was oft-mentioned in the same breath as “Cliff Lee,” having been the garnish on that trade deadline feast.  Then, he gets to play for the Phillies, for a few years, which was anywhere from pretty fine and good to forehead-massagingly bad. (more…)