Left Field Lite: Minor League Travels Round Two

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Reading’s FirstEnergy Stadium provides cheap eats and entertainment for the whole famiy. Photos by Tom Hagan, ’11

In the continuing travels of a father and son exploring the minor and independent league  stadiums  within an hour of Philadelphia,  this weekend’s decision brought me to Reading, PA, home of the Reading Phillies, the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Left Field Lite: Say Goodbye to the Beard?

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Jayson Werth could soon find himself on another team if the Phillies get the right deal

When you’re a defending NL Champion seven games out of first place, it’s time to make a trade.

Right now, Ruben Amaro, Jr. and the Phillies’ front office are looking to get some pitching, preferably someone who will be more than a rental player. As of today, the only two people who fit those guidelines are the Astros’ Roy Oswalt and the Diamondbacks’ Dan Haren. Both of these players are top of the line pitchers, which means the Phillies will once again have to sacrifice some of their top prospects in order add rotation strength.

What this means for fans, however, is that one of the Phils’ prominent players will be saying goodbye in the near future. The man I’m speaking of is outfielder Jayson Werth.

Left Field Lite: An Alternative to the Big Ballpark (Part 1)

A view of one side of the home of the Wilmington Blue Rocks

Well folks, being a college student I must admit that as much as I love the Phillies, going to the ballpark can be downright expensive. For those who lack their own automobile, an R5 trip and subway ride can cost over $10, parking (for those who have cars) is up to $15, tickets in the cheapest seats can cost up to $19 (with processing fees), hot dogs are $3.50 a piece, and for those of us over 21, beer comes in at $7.25 a bottle. As much fun as major league baseball is to watch in person, for those of us in school it can be a serious strain on the wallet.

That is where this post comes in. This week, I was inspired to find every minor league and independent league ballpark within an hour (or so) of Philadelphia when my dad and I were looking for something to do this weekend. After a successful trip tonight to Delaware, I now begin the first of what I hope will be many posts presenting you, the readers, with some alternatives to the big ballpark that still provide major league entertainment.

Dwayne Jones is Moving North of the Border

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In an NBA offseason full of blockbuster moves, the Phoenix Suns made their own today, acquiring Josh Childress from Atlanta and Hedo Turkoglu from Toronto. Going to the Raptors in today’s deal was former Hawk Dwayne Jones, ’05, who signed with the Suns before the 2010 playoffs. Along with Jones, the Raptors also acquired Leandro Barbosa in the deal.

During his brief stint with the Suns, Jones saw little action, playing in two games for a total of 3.5 minutes, with his single stat being a defensive rebound. In the playoffs, Jones played in two games against Portland for a total of five minutes, scoring five points with a total of five rebounds.

The Raptors will be Jones’ fifth teams in the past six years of a career that saw brief stints in Boston and Charlotte, with a longer stay in Cleveland in between. So far in his career, Jones has played in 82 regular season games averaging 7.8 minutes per game with a career 107 points.

Jones will add depth to a Raptors team bereft of a big man after center Chris Bosh left to join Dwayne Wade and Lebron James in Miami.

-Tom Hagan ’11

Left Field Lite: All the king’s agents and all the king’s men couldn’t put the franchise back together again.

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See? Even LeBron James is confused about where he’ll land.

Well folks, tonight’s the night: LeBron’s decision night, brought to you by Nike, Powerade, and anyone else who wants to jump in on the deal. With every team with a speck of cap room making their moves in order to sign King James, the world is abuzz with ideas of what LeBron’s new  (or old) jersey will look like, and surely what headband will match best.

But amidst all this excitement, has anyone thought about the backlash for the team and players who aren’t fortunate enough to land the king?