Big Phils World Series run started 
in Reading 10 seasons ago

In living color: It may seem like Milt Thompson (left), Pat Burrell (right) and Jimmy Rollins (on the ground)
have been together since the 60s but they haven't.  This photo is from the R-Phils 60s night held in 1999.  
Photo by David M. Schofield

Reading, PA -- Since 1999, the furthest back the Phillies active playoff roster can be traced to Reading, 4.6 million fans have passed through the gates at FirstEnergy Stadium, the most in the Eastern League. If you’re part of that total, you’ve witnessed in person the core of the sixth World Series team in Philadelphia Phillies history come together the past decade. Let’s take a look back. 

Pat Burrell spent his first full-season in professional baseball with the R-Phils in 1999. With the big club scuffling and him being the No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 draft he generated more hype than any Phillies prospect in many years. He didn’t disappoint in Reading (.333, 28 HR, 90 RBI) and made it to the big leagues to stay the following season. He topped 30 home runs for the Phillies for the 4th time this season and with 251 in his career ranks 3rd in Phillies history. 

While Burrell dominated on the field and in the headlines in 1999, a 20-year old shortstop would lead the R-Phils in games (133), at-bats (532) and hits (145). He also established himself as a fundamentally sound/highlight reel defender. Like Burrell, Jimmy Rollins made it to the big leagues for good in 2000. In the Majors he’s been an All-Star, a Gold Glove winner, the National League MVP and the Phillies heartbeat. 

Former R-Phils manager and Phillies bench coach Gary Varsho fought like heck during spring training in 2001 for the Phillies farm bosses to skip a 20-year old right-hander over Clearwater and throw him into the fire at Double-A. Varsho felt that the phenom, Brett Myers, would be challenged in the E.L. and that he would respond. He was right. Myers went 13-4 with a 3.87 ERA. At the time AA was Myers’ biggest professional challenge. Fast forward to this season. The Minors, including a stop back in Reading, would again be Myers biggest professional challenge. He was sent down mid-season to work on his fastball command and find himself as a pitcher. He accepted the challenge, responded again, and was one of the best pitchers in the N.L. after being recalled. 

The guy popping 97 mph fastballs in the 8th inning this October toed the rubber at the start of games for the R-Phils in 2002. Ryan Madson went 16-4 with a 3.20 ERA in 26 starts for Reading on his way to E.L. Pitcher of the Year honors. Madson’s 16 wins are tied for the 2nd most in R-Phils history. No one has had that many wins in Reading since 1980. 

Burrell and Madson both came to the Phillies organization in 1998. For them it was never a question of will they make it to the big leagues, the question was when. That wasn’t the case with another 1998 amateur acquisition.  We're talking about the generously listed five foot ten inch former second baseman turned catcher named Carlos Ruiz. “Chooch” as he was called even during his Reading days in 2003-2004 turned himself into prospect right here. Ruiz came to Reading from Clearwater during the ’03 season for the same reasons many catchers move up, an injury to someone else. He held his own hitting .266 in 52 games. In 2004 he made the team as a backup but wrestled away playing time for himself with his toughness and by hitting .284 with 17 HR in 101 games. 

Speaking of guys that put themselves on the map here in Reading, have you heard about Ryan Howard? Sure, he was the Florida State League MVP in 2003 and came to Reading in 2004 expecting a lot of himself. But with Jim Thome in place in Philadelphia outside expectations were reasonably mild and anything you got out of Howard was considered a bonus. Maybe he’d play his way into being tradable or help out in a pinch. Shoot, it was Gavin Floyd that shouldered all the pre-season hoopla and not Howard. Well, after blasting a Reading record 37 homers in just four months Howard thrust himself into the regional spotlight being featured by just about every media outlet within in two hours of Baseballtown. He was a September call-up and suddenly became a good problem for the Phillies to have. In 2005 Thome was injured and Howard stepped in and won Rookie of the Year. The Phillies had to choose between a future Hall of Famer in Thome and the budding star they’ve developed. Compounding the decision was that they’re both class acts on top of being great players. They chose Howard and he’s rewarded them with an N.L. MVP award, two home run crowns and has become the face of the franchise. 

No pitcher’s arrival in Reading had been as anticipated as Cole Hamel’s since Tyler Green brought his knuckle curve to town in the early 90s. That anticipation would be given plenty of time to build. Hamel’s long-awaited Reading debut took until midway through the 2005 season instead of Opening Day 2004 as many had hoped. When he finally made it to Baseballtown a cranky back limited him to just three starts (2-0, 2.37). Only once did he take the hill at FirstEnergy Stadium. But that one time was electric. July 6, 2005 was Hamels AA debut. If you’re looking for a good omen for the Phillies and their ace here it is. Hamels may have added to his many blessings on this night. You see, this was the day that are dearly departed friend “Broadway” Charlie Wagner received his 2004 World Series ring on the field during the pre-game from his lifelong employer the Boston Red Sox. We’re pretty sure Hamels noticed. 

In 2005 we were introduced to another lefty, J.A. Happ. After a strong season at Lakewood the Northwestern University product was summoned to Reading to start the last game of the season, which he won. He returned midway through the 2006 season and went 6-2 in 12 starts with a 2.65 ERA. Happ won the Paul Owens Award this year as the best pitcher in the Phillies Minor League system. He’s the designated long-man this October but don’t be shocked if he’s a starter in 2009. 

In 2007 Kyle Kendrick went directly from Reading to the Majors in June. Since his call-up he's 21-13 in 51 starts.  Although he’s not on the playoff roster, they wouldn’t be here without him. 

For the players mentioned here Reading was a critical place in their development. That’s probably not the case with Chris Coste but Reading just might be the reason he’s catching in Philly today. After finally making it to the big leagues in 2006 as a 33-year old with a dozen seasons in the Minors and the doldrums of Indy ball, Coste was optioned back down twice in 2007. Upon the second demotion he asked to come to Reading. Opportunities to catch in Triple-A were few and far between and the atmosphere surrounding the club, then in hockey-crazed Ottawa, wasn’t the greatest. Coste was familiar with Reading, having played here as a visiting player with Akron. So for him, staying sharp as a catcher in a better baseball environment was a no-brainer. The decision to go a level lower than he had to, just to catch and feel like a ballplayer, is a big reason he’s got a shot at a ring today. 

Though he wasn’t on the active roster for either of the first two post-season series Lou Marson has been with the team the whole time. One of the great stories to come from this year’s R-Phils, Marson is with the big club because as a catcher he’s just a foul tip or a nasty home plate collision away from being active. The R-Phils Co-MVP, Olympic bronze medallist and Paul Owens Award winner, hit .314 for Reading and led the E.L. with a .433 on-base percentage.

INTERESTING ENOUGH TO PRINT
Player development people always say, and rightfully so, that the game at the Minor League level is not about winning and losing. 

That being said, every time the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand to start a play the men on the field are without a doubt busting their humps to win the game. However, winning occurs in the Minors against great odds. 

Rosters and lineups aren’t set to win, they’re set to make talented guys better players. A struggling player often remains in the lineup in the Minors because it’s the only way he’s going to realize his potential. A struggling player in the big leagues sits if he’s not helping the team win. That’s the difference. 

We point this out because of all the players mentioned above not one played for the 2000 edition of the Reading Phillies.  That team won a Double-A best 85 games, the most for the R-Phils in the last 25 seasons. 

That 2000 club put a lot of guys in the big leagues. Several are still there, just none that are currently in Philadelphia. The closest tie from the 2000 R-Phils to this year’s Phillies? Geoff Geary. Geary was one of the three players traded to Houston for Brad Lidge and was an important pitcher for the 2000 Reading team. 

EXTRA BASES
Others with ties to Reading as Phillies include: Manager Charlie Manuel spent a lot of time in Reading during the 2003-04 season when he was a special assistant to Ed Wade. Manuel worked with Howard and Ruiz on many of his visits … Hitting coach Milt Thompson served the R-Phils in the same capacity in 1998-99 and was a roving instructor who visited Reading often from 2001-2003 … From 2000-2003 catching instructor Mick Billmeyer frequented Reading in the same role as a Minor League coordinator … Bullpen coach Roly deArmas played for the R-Phils in 1975 and visited Reading often as a roving instructor 2005-2006 … Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas has been the MC for the Phillies last two Winter Tour stops in Reading … Broadcaster Larry Andersen was a player/coach for the R-Phils in 1995-96 … 2B Chase Utley and CF Shane Victorino played in the Phillies farm system but never as R-Phils. However, both played for Reading on rehab assignments. Victorino has also been to Reading on the Winter Tour … 3B Pedro Feliz also rehabbed with Reading this season … LHP Jamie Moyer never played in the Phillies farm system but we when he came to Philadelphia via trade in 2006 he shared memories of coming to Reading games as a kid during his Little League days in Souderton with the Philadelphia Inquirer … Closer Brad Lidge was part of the Phillies winter Tour stop in Reading back in January as was lefty J.C. Romero. Romero pitched in the Eastern League for New Britain in 1998-1999.

HERE’S THE STRETCH
RHP Chad Durbin rehabbed in the Eastern Leauge with Akron in 2003 when he was with the Indians … Game 4 hero Matt Stairs played for Harrisburg in 1991 and New Britain in 1994 … So Taguchi remembers the pilgrims having played for the New Haven Ravens in 2002 … Jayson Werth was Bowie’s catcher 1999-2000 … Phillies broadcasters Tom McCarthy and Jim Jackson have both done play-by-play from Reading for the Trenton Thunder. 

This story was posted on October 16, 2008