Hook Line & Splitter, a Jersey Shore BlueClaws Podcast

We're joined b BlueClaws RHP Daniel Harper on our latest episode. The right-handed pitcher from the University of Kentucky has three saves to lead the team. He talks about his baseball journey from the Kansas City suburbs to Kentucky and now to the Phillies. Plus, he tells a great story about that year's draft, when the Phillies took back to back Kansas City-area pitchers including Harper.

We're joined by BlueClaws Development Coach Beth Greenwood on Episode 95 of Hook Line & Splitter. Beth is the first female coach in BlueClaws history and talks about what that means to her. Plus, we talk about her baseball career, from high school through the University of Rochester, her path to the Phillies, playing for Team USA's Women's National Baseball team, and much more!

We're joined by BlueClaws LHP Braeden Fausnaught on our latest Hook Line & Splitter. The southpaw grew up in Danville, Pennsylvania as a huge Phillies fan, and his baseball journey led him into the organization. We talk about his season, his time at West Chester University, playing in the MLB Draft League with the Trenton Thunder (for former BlueClaws manager Jeff Manto), signing with the Phillies, playing this past winter in Adelaide, and much more!

BlueClaws pitcher Charles King got the last five outs for a save in his professional debut Saturday, a debut that has been a long time coming! The right-hander graduated from TCU with a biology degree before working for the Padres for two years as a pitching analyst.

After changing paths, he decided he wanted to pitch again, so he went to Driveline this winter and ended up signing with the Phillies in February. He talks about his story, what he learned from his time as an analyst, his professional debut, and much more!

We're joined by BlueClaws manager Greg Brodzinski on Episode 92 of Hook Line & Splitter. It's Opening Week, so we go through the roster with Bull and help preview the season.

The BlueClaws open the season on Friday with Aberdeen at 6:35 pm. Opening Night at the Jersey Shore includes post-game fireworks and is presented by Jenkinson's Boardwalk.

From Georgia Tech to the Jersey Shore! We're joined by new BlueClaws groundskeeper Steven Guertin on the latest Hook Line & Splitter podcast. Steven, who got to the BlueClaws in March, talks about his time in New England, working for the Red Sox grounds crew, Georgia Tech, come up north, getting the field ready for the season, and we play 20 questions!

Baseball season is here and we go through a Phillies minor league preview with Phillies Assistant GM Preston Mattingly.

We cover many players that could be with the BlueClaws this year, talk about the depth of the system overall, and talk development philosophies in general.

Any Phillies fan will learn a great deal about the organization from listening to Preston and we thank him for a few minutes on the eve of the season!

We're joined by BlueClaws OF Cade Fergus on the latest episode of Hook Line & Splitter. The Florida native talks about his experience this winter in Australia, where he helped the Adelaide Giants in the ABL title and hit a playoff game-winning home run in the process.

He also talks about his baseball journey, his goals for 2024, and much more.

We're joined by 2011 BlueClaws catcher Cameron Rupp on Ep. 88 of Hook Line & Splitter. Rupp played for the BlueClaws 13 years ago and reached the big leagues in 2013. We talk about his baseball career including his time with the BlueClaws. Later, he tells us how he found out he was going to the big leagues and about his first big league home run, which came at Yankee Stadium off CC Sabathia in 2015.

We're joined by BlueClaws manager Greg Brodzinski, who will return as manager of the BlueClaws this year after leading Jersey Shore to a league-best 73-58 record and the SAL Northern Division Second Half Championship in 2023! We talk about his first year in charge, what he learned last year that will make him a better manager this year, what's going on at the Phillies complex in Clearwater, and much more.

Sal Agostinelli, now the Phillies Senior Advisor for International Scouting and their longtime Director of International Scouting, is our guest on the latest Hook Line & Splitter. He talks about how he ended up with the Phillies, becoming a scout, how he became an international scout, the industry in general, and tells some great stories about finding and signing Phillies players including Carlos Ruiz, Ranger Suarez, Seranthony Dominguez, and others.

We're joined by Luke Murton, the Phillies Director of Hitting, on our latest episode. Murton is in charge of the Phillies minor league hitting development, and also works with the amateur scouting department finding hitters before the draft. We talk about this unique, two-sided role, his background, some players within the organization that you could see with the BlueClaws this year, and much more.

Our annual Best Of episode includes clips from eight of our episodes this year. Hear from Orion Kerkering, Trevor May, Andrew Walling, Nick Ward, Otto Kemp, Christian McGowan, Mitch Neunborn, and Gunner Mayer.

These are just some of our favorite clips, so be sure to head back and listen to all eight of these episodes and others in full.

Thanks for your continued support and have a Happy New Year!

We're pleased to be joined by Phillies right-handed pitching prospect Christian McGowan on our latest episode. He details his rehab from Tommy John Surgery, his 2023 season including time with the BlueClaws, a playoff start, a Triple-A start, and time in the Arizona Fall League. We also touch on his baseball influences, and much more.

We're joined by Preston Mattingly, Phillies AGM of Player Development, on our latest episode. We talk about the 2023 season around the organization, the amazing run of Orion Kerkering up the ladder and all the way to the big leagues, touch on some players that played for the BlueClaws this year, some that will play for the BlueClaws next year, plus general organizational tidbits.

Thanks to Preston for taking part of his day to talk.

Former BlueClaw Trevor May retired after the 2023 season, ending a 16 year professional career which included two seasons and two championships (2009-10) with the BlueClaws.

He joins us on our latest episode where we talk about his career, his time with the BlueClaws, influences on his career, why he decided to retire now, and what's next.

We're joined by broadcasters from all over the system as we wrap up the Phillies minor league season! Thanks to Sam Jellenik from Lehigh Valley, Jake Starr from Reading, and Josh Sperber from Clearwater who sat down for a roundtable discussion about the 2023 Phillies minor league season.

We talk about, of course, Orion Kerkering, who pitched at all four levels. Plus we give our Hitters and Pitchers of the Year at each level, breakout players from 2023, breakout picks for 2024, and shoutout players that had great years. It's a great way to wrap up the Phillies minor league season. Enjoy!

A magical BlueClaws season, one which included a furious finish to the regular season, a ninth-inning comeback in the final game of the regular season just to qualify for the playoffs, and a game-winning go-ahead home run in a playoff win, came to an end in Game 3 of the SAL Northern Division Championship Series at Hudson Valley. Greg Giombarrese and Tony Graham go through and recap the season while looking ahead to 2024!

We're joined by BlueClaws IF Otto Kemp who shares his baseball journey and talks about his time with Clearwater earlier this year, his call-up to the BlueClaws, his baseball journey, and much more.

We're joined by BlueClaws LHP Andrew Walling on our latest episode of Hook Line & Splitter. Walling pitched last summer in the MLB Draft League with Williamsport, making him the latest player to play for Williamsport before the BlueClaws - of course the 'Cutters used to be the Phillies short-season affiliate and sent many players to the BlueClaws over the years.

We also talk about his journey from the Pacific Northwest to Oklahoma to Mississippi and eventually the Phillies.

We're pleased to be joined by BlueClaws Strength & Conditioning Coach Mark Jesse on our latest episode. Mark grew up a Phillies fan and joined the organization last year. He finished last season with the BlueClaws and has been here all of 2023.

We talk about his time in the system, how he and the Phillies build out workout plans and regimens for each individual player, their work in conjunction the the coaching staff in working with players, and much more!

From Canada to the Claws - we're joined by BlueClaws LHP Wesley Moore on our latest Hook Line & Splitter. The left-hander from British Columbia talks about his baseball journey, playing at a Canadian baseball academy while in high school, his collegiate career and the roller coaster that was the end of his time at Kansas State into signing with the Phillies, and much more.

Hook Line & Splitter is presented by Judd Shaw Injury Law.

We're pleased to be joined by BlueClaws Athletic Trainer Meaghan Flaherty on the latest Hook Line & Splitter. She is the first female athletic trainer in BlueClaws history and talks about that, how she got started in the industry, her previous roles, a day in the life of a minor league baseball athletic trainer, and much more!

We're joined by Edwin Soto, Phillies Assistant Director of Player Development, on our latest episode. He joined us during the game on Sunday, July 30th and talked about his role in the organization, the Phillies thriving teams in the Dominican Summer League, some of the younger players to keep an eye on, and much more!

We're joined by BlueClaws RHP Mitch Neunborn on the latest episode of Hook Line & Splitter. We talk about his time with Team Australia in the World Baseball Classic, his time with the Adelaide Giants and winning the ABL title this February, signing with the Phillies, his development as a pitcher, and much more.

We're pleased to be joined by Travis Hergert, Phillies Minor League Pitching Coordinator, on our latest episode of Hook Line & Splitter. We talk about his background, coming from the collegiate ranks, and into the Phillies system. Other topics include the integration of the "Art of Pitching" with the "Science of Pitching" and how that works in the Phillies system. We also touch on some former BlueClaws, some current BlueClaws, and some future BlueClaws pitchers, among many other topics.

We're joined by BlueClaws LHP Jordan Fowler on our latest episode of Hook Line & Splitter, presented by Judd Shaw Injury Law! We talk about his season, coming to the Phillies, what he's learned over the last year, his time in Adelaide with the Adelaide Giants, and much more.

We're joined on our latest episode by BlueClaws LHP Matt Osterberg. The left-hander from Coleman, Wisconsin is off to a great start this year and gave up one run in a career-long seven innings last week. He's scheduled to start tonight (June 21st) against Rome. He talks about growing up in Wisconsin playing baseball in a town with a population of just over 800, his collegiate career at St. Cloud State in Minnesota where he studied engineering, and much more.

BlueClaws RHP Matt Russell sits down on our latest episode. The right-hander talks about going to the same college as Ryan Howard (Missouri State), how he found out he was going to sign with the Phillies, pitching eight innings in a game - across two weeks - last year, and much more.

We're joined today by BlueClaws RHP Orion Kerkering. The hard-throwing right-hander from the University of South Florida sits down to talk about his season, his rise in 2023, and much more. Kerkering grew up in Venice, Florida and was a 5th round pick of the Phillies this year. At the time this episode went up, he had 31 strikeouts in 19.2 innings this year between the BlueClaws and Clearwater.

Hook Line & Splitter is presented by Judd Shaw Injury Law.

How many people have played baseball in 10 countries? How many have simultaneously been the team's groundskeeper and relief pitcher? How many still have played for their international team? Mitch Hillert, now the BlueClaws groundskeeper, has done all of that! He's played professionally in Germany, he's played for the Irish National Team, he's played independent baseball in the US and Puerto Rico, and all over the world. Now, he's the BlueClaws head groundskeeper and our next guest on Hook Line & Splitter.

Hook Line & Splitter is presented by Judd Shaw Injury Law.

We're joined by BlueClaws RHP Gunner Mayer on today's episode. The right-hander from northern California talks about his baseball journey, how he did not start pitching until his junior year of high school, after which he went to a junior college for one season and then was taken in the 5th round by the Phillies in the 2019 draft. This is his first year with the BlueClaws and he talks about his growth as a pitcher over the last few seasons in the system and his goals for 2023.

Hook Line & Splitter is presented by Judd Shaw Injury Law.

We're joined by BlueClaws RHP Chase Antle on our latest episode. The right-hander from Ohio signed with the Phillies out of Coastal Carolina in 2020 but missed 2021 and 2022 with injuries. He made his pro debut with the BlueClaws on April 8th. We talk about the winding road of his career from Bowling Green to Coastal Carolina to the Covid year, to a pair of missed seasons after surgeries, and now to the mound.

Hook Line & Splitter is presented by Judd Shaw Injury Law.

We're joined by BlueClaws RHP Tommy McCollum on the latest Hook Line & Splitter and talk about his baseball journey, winning a national title in college, the Cape Cod League, signing with the Phillies, meeting Roger Clemens, and much more.

Hook Line & Splitter is presented by Judd Shaw Injury Law.

It's been quite a journey for Kennett Square, PA native Nick Ward. He grew up a big Phillies fan, played in the A's system, then two years in the independent Frontier League, for the Adelaide Giants, Team Great Britain in the WBC, and is now playing in his hometown organization with the BlueClaws. We talk to Nick about his baseball journey on this week's Hook Line & Splitter.

Hook Line & Splitter is presented by Judd Shaw Injury Law.

We're joined on Episode 60 of Hook Line & Splitter by BlueClaws IF Jamari Baylor. Jamari, from Richmond, shares his baseball journey, which began when he learned the game with his grandfather at the age of 10. Baylor was a 3rd round pick in 2019 and after spending last year with Clearwater, joins the BlueClaws for the first time this season.

Hook Line & Splitter is presented by Judd Shaw Injury Law.

Opening Day is right on the doorstep and we're joined by BlueClaws manager Greg Brodzinski who takes us through the Break Camp Roster, spring training, and talks about his excitement for starting his first season as a professional manager.

Hook Line & Splitter is presented by Judd Shaw Injury Law.

We're joined by 2022 BlueClaws C Anthony Quirion, who has had a whirlwind few months - going to Adelaide, where he was a member of the champion Adelaide Giants of the Australian Baseball League, back to Canada for six days, and now to Florida for spring training and the 2023 season. We talk about his time in Australia, how he's grown as a player since last summer, his baseball journey from Canada to Texas and the Phillies, to his growth as a catcher and learning how to call a game and manage a pitching staff. We also talk about catching Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter, which he did much of last year, including a 14 strikeout game with Clearwater in April. 

Hook Line & Splitter is presented by Judd Shaw Injury Law. 

We're joined by BlueClaws manager Greg Brodzinski for part two of our interview with the 31 year old, just appointed as BlueClaws skipper earlier this month. We talk about his baseball journey, growing up a Phillies fan in New Jersey (he played at Bishop Eustace), his managerial style, and much more. 

Hook Line & Splitter is presented by Judd Shaw Injury Law. 

We're joined by new BlueClaws manager Greg Brodzinski on episode 56 of Hook Line & Splitter presented by Judd Shaw Injury Law. We talk about his background growing up, his baseball journey, how he plans to approach managing the BlueClaws, his baseball influences, and much more. We're also joined by Judd Shaw, and he tells both his story and that of Sterling, the knight in shining armor! 

With Spring Training on the horizon, we're joined by Matt Gelb, Phillies beat writer for The Athletic. We cover a lot of ground around the organization including: 

• Andrew Painter and his chances to make the team out of camp
• Mick Abel, Griff McGarry, Andrew Baker, and some of the other organization young arms
• Former BlueClaws including Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, Rhys Hoskins, Connor Brogdon, Seranthony Dominguez, and Ranger Suarez, among others
• Expectations and storylines for the spring
• Rob Thomson's impact last year
• And more! 

Hook Line & Splitter is presented by Judd Shaw Injury Law. 

We go all the way down to Adelaide, Australia where we welcome in 2022 BlueClaws OF Jared Carr. Carr is spending the winter playing for the Adelaide Giants, who lead their division in the Australian Baseball League with two weeks left in the season. We talk about his time there, how he enjoys Australia, best off-day activities, his 2022 season with the BlueClaws - including two appearances on SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays of the Night - the draft process, goals for 2023, and much more. 

For our final episode of 2022, we look back at some of our favorite clips from the season. Hear from the following players: Baron Radcliff, Carlos De La Cruz, Andrew Baker, Jason Ruffcorn, Mick Abel, and Andrew Schultz. We thank everyone for listening and supporting the BlueClaws this season. Have a very Happy New Year and we'll see you in 2023! 

We're joined by Steve Potter of PhilliesBaseballFan.com. Steve covers the Phillies minor league system and has insight on players throughout the organization. We touch on several players that played for the BlueClaws this year or will in the next season or two, his time down at the complex, the Phillies system at large, and much more. 

We're joined by a very special guest, Phillies Farm Director Preston Mattingly as we go over the Phillies system and the 2022 season! We talk about Andrew Painter, Mick Abel, and Griff McGarry among the starting pitching depth at the top of the system, players from the Arizona Fall League, how he integrated himself into the system, learning 200 players and 40+ coaches after joining the Phillies last year, his goals for the system in 2023, and much more. 

Thanks for listening, and have a Happy Thanksgiving! 

The Phillies are going to the World Series! BlueClaws broadcasters Greg Giombarrese and Tony Graham break it all down from a BlueClaws point of view. We go through the players and coaches that spent time at the Shore and talk about their impact on the 2022 Phillies. We also look at Bryce Harper's home run among the biggest hits in Phillies history, and offer our World Series picks. Go Phils! 

We're joined by BlueClaws RHP Brett Schulze, live from the Arizona Fall League. He talks about following the Phillies from Arizona with several fellow Phillies prospects, playing on the same team as some Astros farmhands with the World Series about to begin, what he's learned as a pitcher in Arizona and this season, his recovery from Tommy John Surgery, growing up in Minnesota playing baseball, and much more. 

We're joined by 2022 BlueClaws OF Marcus Lee Sang on Episode 48. We talk about the Phillie that he connected with as a younger player upon being drafted, his 2022 season, plans and goals for 2023, playing other sports in high school and growing up, hitting two home runs in a game, and much more! 

We wrap up the Phillies minor league season with our annual Year in Review episode, joined by broadcasters Emily Messina of the Reading Fightin' Phils and Mike Ventola of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Each of us offers our Hitter and Pitcher of the Year from each level, some under-the-radar players to watch, and much more!