We kicked off our recap season yesterday, here is part 2 of the GCL recap an interview with Baseball Betsy.
Before we jump into talking about the players on the field, introduce yourself and how you came to be covering the GCL Phillies and where people can find your work?
I’m Baseball Betsy, I live in Clearwater and am a follower of the Phillies at all levels. I have my own site www.baseballbetsy.com and a blog at http://baseballbetsy.
The GCL Phillies went 36-23 this year and missed the playoffs by a game and a half. Outside the wins and losses sum up the season for the team?
I found the GCL Phillies interesting to watch this year because they really came together as a team. They really seemed to have a “never say die” attitude.
Who was the top hitter you saw for the GCL Phillies this year?
The top hitters I saw were Tim Zier (2B) who hit .324 for the season. William Cuicus (SS 2B) hit .394 over his last 10 games. Carlos Duran (CF, LF) hit .299. Jose Pujols led the team with 28 RBIs and 5 home runs, however he only hit .232. Grenny Cumana was one of the top hitters early in the season but only hit .081 in the last ten games.
Who was the top pitcher for the team?
The top pitchers were Denton Keys, a ground ball pitcher who throws strikes and had the lowest ERA 2.20 of the pitchers. Franklin Kilome was 3-1, 3.12 ERA. Elniery Garcia was also interesting to watch. He had been in Williamsport but was sent back to GCL where he did rather well, 2.08 ERA, 2-2.
The team as a whole lacked names that casual fans are familiar with, who are a couple of players that fans should be paying attention to?
As far as a player whom people may not be aware of but will be one to watch, I think Josh Taylor was 2-0 in three relief appearances. He pitched 9 innings, struck out 13 and gave up no runs.
Is there anything else Phillies fans should know about the GCL, Extended Spring Training, or the Florida Instructional League?
The best thing about the GCL is that the players really appreciate you. There are only 5-7 of us that show up day in and day out so they get to know us. One of my favorite things of the year was on the last day, almost all of the players came over to me and shook my hand, hugged me or kissed me on the cheek. It was so special to me. It really was amazing to know they cared.
Image by Baseball Betsy