On the Beat: Phillies Raise Ticket Prices

PBR - The Phillies will have a $2 to $5 increase for the price of most tickets for the 2011 season.

Tickets in the first level in the first six rows behind the Phillies' and visitors' dugouts (sections 115-132) will increase from $60 to $65. Tickets along the right field foul line (sections 112-114) and the left field foul line (sections 133-135) will increase from $45 to $50, with a $2 increase in the sections in the corners (108-111 and 136-139). Tickets in the first level of the outfield (sections 101-107 and 140-148) will increase from $33 to $36.

Prices for pavilion sections (201-205, 206-211, and 306-310) terrace sections (312-329 and 330-333) and the arcade section (233-237) will increase $2 to $3. Prices for the pavilion deck (301-305), terrace deck (430-434), rooftop bleachers, and standing room only tickets will remain the same.

The Phillies set a home attendance record of 3,647,249 in 2010 and will enter the 2011 season with a streak of 123 consecutive sellouts.

Nooks from Cranney

The Flyers beat the Rangers Thursday night, 4-1. They are on a five game winning streak and currently are in the points lead in the NHL.
Here are some notes and nooks from Thursday night's game...


Rangers Offense
-The Rangers only took 21 shots, a season low.
-Longtime Rangers enforcer Sean Avery was more involved with Rangers' scoring opportunities rather than any fighting. Avery whiffed on a scoring opportunity in the first minute and was later pickpocketed late in the first by Ville Leino on an attempted centering pass in the Flyers' zone.

Who is that kid?
-Eric Wellwood played very well in just his second career professional hockey game. His hustle play on a loose puck early in the second period drew a penalty on Daniel Girardi that led to Mike Richards' power play goal.

The Fighting
-Round 1 (16:44 in 1st) Derek Boogaard (6'8, 257 lbs) vs. Jody Shelley (6'4, 230 lbs)
         -Advantage: Boogaard.
-Round 2 (16:27 in 3rd) Brandon Prust (5'11, 191 lbs) vs. Daniel Carcillo (5'11, 202 lbs)
         -Advantage: Prust, in a good, long, close fight.

Vengeance
-Nikolay Zherdev and Blair Betts both had good games against their former team. Zherdev scored a goal and was all over the ice all night and Betts had a fantastic individual effort on his goal in the second period.

Flyers' Power Play
-After going 0-2 on the power play in the first period, the Flyers responded by scoring on two of three power play opportunities in the second and third period.

Did You Notice?
-The lazy Flyers turnover in their own zone in the tenth minute of the second period on a delayed penalty. The Rangers gained control of the puck and ended the man advantage.
-Claude Giroux's check on 6'4, 194 lb Artem Anisimov behind the Rangers net late in the first period.
-Ville Leino's sprawling-on-the-ice play to keep possession of the puck on the Flyers first power play of the second period. Leino got the puck to Giroux, whose backhanded, cross ice pass to Richards set up the game-tying goal.
-Scotty Hartnell appeared to deliberately throw his stick across the ice for no reason when trying to make a defensive play late in the second period.
-Zherdev's goal in the second period hit Henrik Lundqvist's stick, rolled up his body and over his shoulder into the net.
-Carcillo avoided a fight with Boogaard early in the third period before moving on to the much smaller Prust.

On the Beat: Sparky Anderson Dies at 76

PBR - Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson died today at the age of 76 of complications as a result of dementia.

Anderson managed the Cincinnati Reds' "Big Red Machine" from 1970-1978, winning consecutive World Series from 1975-76 to go along with four National League pennants. Anderson also was the first manager to win a World Series with two different franchises after he led the Detroit Tigers to a championship in 1984. He is sixth all time in wins by a manager with 2,194 and is the only manager in history to lead two different franchises in wins (Reds and Tigers).

Anderson played for the Phillies in 1959 in his lone season as a player. He batted .218 with 34 RBI's and 42 runs scored in 477 at-bats.

Anderson is survived by his wife, Carol; sons Lee and Albert; daughter Shirley; and nine grandchildren.

On the Beat: De Fratus-Rising Star

PBR - Right handed relief pitcher Justin DeFratus will represent the Phillies this Saturday in the Arizona Fall League's Rising Stars game.

DeFratus, 23, has pitched in five games this year for the Mesa Solar Sox, allowing no runs in five innings to go along with 10 strikeouts and two walks.

ESPN scout Jason Grey reported on Monday that DeFratus "absolutely looks like a big league bullpen arm" and that DeFratus is not far from a call up.

With the possible loss of free agent right handed relief pitchers Jose Contreras and Chad Durbin, the Phillies could look to DeFratus as a bullpen solution come this spring.

On the Beat: Phillies Considering Rowand and Ordonez

PBR - According to SI.com's Jon Heyman, the Phillies have targeted outfielders Aaron Rowand and Magglio Ordonez as possible replacements for Jayson Werth.

Rowand, 33, played for the Phillies from 2006-2007 and batted .290 to go along with 39 homeruns and 136 RBI's in his two years with the club. In 2010, his third season with the San Francisco Giants, Rowand lost his starting job in centerfield and batted .230 with 11 homeruns and 34 RBI's in just 331 at-bats. Rowand is primarily a centerfielder, so if the Phillies are serious about acquiring him they may have to move Shane Victorino to right field.

Ordonez, 36, has a lifetime .312 average and hit .371 off left handed pitching last year with the Detroit Tigers, so he would represent a formidable right handed bat in the middle of the lineup to replace Werth. Ordonez can play left or right field, so depending on how Raul Ibanez plays next year, the Phils could use Ordonez in left while developing Domonic Brown in right.

However, the Phils might be more serious about re-acquiring Werth than originally thought. Heyman also reported that the Phillies presented the idea of a Jason Bay-type contract (four years, $66 MM) to Werth this Summer and he declined.