Tag Archives: MiLB

A New Start: Pirates and Rehab in 2016

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JTB-First Pirates Head Shot photoshoppedYou could make a movie worth watching about almost every young guy who gets a chance to become a professional baseball player. It’s not easy trying to make it to The Show. Heck, it’s not easy moving up from AA ball. Few players just fly through the minor leagues without going through some crazy tough times. Jesse Biddle’s struggles these past three years have been interesting, to say the least. But what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Right?

It seemed like it was going to be an uneventful 2016 for him living down in Clearwater and working to get back on track after October Tommy John surgery. Up until about two weeks ago. Then Jesse got a call from the Phillies front office saying they were designating him for assignment (DFA) and taking him off the 40-man roster. They needed the spot to pick up left-handed relief specialist Bobby LaFromboise off the waiver wire.

That was a bit of a difficult thing to swallow. It meant Jesse was being re-assigned to full minor Continue reading →

2015 Baseball Season Underway in Reading: Finding the Groove and Walk-Off Wins

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Reading Fab Five (l to r): Zach Eflin, Ben Lively, Jesse Biddle, Tom Windle,

Reading Fab Five (l to r): Zach Eflin, Ben Lively, Jesse Biddle, Tom Windle, Aaron Nola (Source: Reading Eagle)

Jesse Biddle’s first 2015 home start was last night (Saturday) in front of a Reading crowd of about 7,000, with a slight breeze and game time temperature in the 70s. It was deemed the match-up of the night by many minor league prognosticators around the country. Biddle was going head-to-head with the Richmond Flying Squirrels’ Kyle Crick, the San Francisco Giants’ #1 prospect. Crick has electric stuff. Continue reading →

An Early Exit to a Tough Year: The Heart and the Knee

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Warming up as always in far right field.

Warming up as always in far right field. Saturday night, August 16, 2014. Knee feeling fine.

Jesse was set to make his comeback in Reading on Saturday evening, August 16. After seven-weeks of rehab, it was likely we were going to see something interesting. Not only had he just proven to the Phillies that he is still all that and then some with two excellent performances in Clearwater during the 10 days prior, but the Fightin Phils were facing the Binghamton B-Mets with rehabbing pitching great, Daisuke Matsuzaka, on the mound. Yes, folks, the legendary, 34-year-old Japanese phenom, Dice-K facing off against little Jesse Biddle.

Jesse got his chance to show how hard he’d worked in July and the first part of August. But it was an inauspicious night for him, too. After warm-ups where he looked Continue reading →

A Report from Clearwater on a Pretty Good Evening

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JTB 2014 Thresher Game 1

On the mound again in Clearwater. (Source: BaseballBetsy.wordpress.com)

This is one of those times it’s far better to read an eye-witness account than our distant musings. Baseball Ross provides personal reports on minor league baseball at his blog written mostly out of Clearwater, Florida. If you want to know what’s really happening in the minor leagues (especially in the Phillies’ organization), this is one of the best sources of information we know of. Baseball Ross calls it as he sees it. Not much supposition and hearsay (like most so-called journalists out there). If you’re a Jesse Biddle fan, you’re going to enjoy reading this one.

Members Of The Phillies Starting Rotation of The Future Jesse Biddle, Aaron Nola And David Buchanan All Pick up Wins Last Night

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Baseball Ross

Jesse Biddle overmatched the Daytona Cubs last night. It was just that simple. He pitched like he belonged at Citizens Bank Park not Clearwater’s Bright House Field. Aaron Nola had a nice debut with Reading but is was not as impressive.

With a low 90’s fastball, the change up and the big curve, Biddle kept the left-handed dominated D-Cubs lineup off balance. He retired 15 of the 16 batters he faced, allowing only a base on balls in the five innings he worked. He struck out …Read The Rest Here…

You should also check out the thoughts of Baseball Ross’s better half, Baseball Betsy. She ran a great piece on Jesse’s Wednesday night herself here.
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Still Lights Out, But Miles to Go

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Thanks to Walt Hilsenbeck for this photo.

Thanks to Walt Hilsenbeck for this photo.

Two weeks ago, Jesse had pitched in three games, registering an ERA of 5.10 and a record of 0 – 2. The pundits speculated that he was struggling. Those of us who know him understood that he was still trying to find his groove on the mound. Statistics are an interesting thing: they tell you very little about what’s going to happen next Tuesday. The numbers are only about what has already happened. It’s never been clear what part probability should play in baseball — and yet, of course, somehow the numbers mean everything to all of us.

In his past two starts Jesse has only allowed one earned run and given Continue reading →

Figuring It Out in Reading

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On the mound in April. (Source: Tug Haines/Reading Fightin Phils)

On the mound in April. (Source: Tug Haines/Reading Fightin Phils)

After struggling some in Harrisburg last Sunday, Jesse was on the mound again Friday night against the Senators, but this time in Reading. And this time he had spent four days working on focus and command. Sometimes at the start of the season it takes a few games for pitcher’s to get the right feel on the mound. It seems that Biddle had the right feel last night.

He has been very quick to point out Friday night’s 6-2 win with 11 strikeouts Continue reading →

No-Decision But Biddle Sharp: Fightins Feisty and Fun

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Source: Reading Fightin Phils' Facebook Page

Source: Reading Fightin Phils’ Facebook Page

Jesse pitched on Tuesday night in front of a very sparse crowd in Reading. It was his old nemesis, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Here’s the line: 7 innings, 93 pitches, 6 strikeouts, 1 walk, 6 hits, 4 runs, 1 home run. The Fightin Phils would win 6-5 with a walk-off single by Anthony Hewitt in the bottom of the 9th.

A couple blog posts out there say Jesse had a “rough start” and/or was “shaky.” Apparently they weren’t at the game. Yes, he gave up two singles in the 3rd with one out and then left a change-up hanging, belt-high for a three-run homer. He would also allow a single to lead off the 6th, then a one-out triple. Tough innings happen.

Other than the 3rd inning, though, he pitched a good game. Even in the 3rd Continue reading →