Kendrick 4-1 since allstar break as Manuel sys "i call him the guy that just won't go away, you think, nah, it's over and then he does a surprise" But actually he may have found out falling in love with the that knew pitch he was made to learn, is bad news, a cutter is to be used SPARINGLY just to keep hitters off balance, he is now throwing like 80% sinkers and change-up and if he has control he is a pitcher that can give a lot of zero innings.
He will be a Phil next here, are #5 or reliever--he can't be both, imho. One forgets he came up at age 22 6 years ago, and is 49-39 and just turned 28--if he finally masters his game--he could surprise as he has never been on DL(i think) and isn't a fast ball pitcher--he is first a foremost a sinker pitcher.
Here is possible Good News from the minors, we have a slugger in Double A. But he is 26 as he was a pitcher in minors earlier.
Philadelphia Phillies' Prospect 'Babe Ruf' Slugging His Way to the Majors?:
Philadelphia Phillies' prospect Darin Ruf hit a home run yesterday against the Harrisburg Senators, who are the Double-A affiliate of the first-place Washington Nationals.
The recently converted outfielder has now tied Willie Darkis, who hit 31 home runs for the Phillies' Double-A affiliate in 1983, for third-place on the team's all-time leader board. Only Greg Luzinski (33 in 1970), and Ryan Howard (37 in 2004) have ever hit more home runs in one season in Reading Phillies' history.
The Reading Bambino
Setting minor league records offers no guarantee of a major league career, or even of a major league opportunity. But, the Phillies moved 'Babe Ruf' from first base to left field recently because they have a current need for outfielders and because Howard isn't likely to leave his position at any point in the near future.
Savvy fans know that showcasing this 2009 twentieth round draft pick at a different position may serve to further increase his offseason trade value. Leveraging the 26-year-old's current success to potentially land proven major league talent could be wise, as Double-A exploits can be deceiving.
Most Phillies' fans are hoping that Ruf's future more closely resembles the career of Luzinski, or Howard, rather than Darkis. "The Bull" and "The Big Piece" earned nicknames due to their consistent major league production. Unfortunately, Darkis never played one game in 'The Show'.
The Phillies' fifteenth round pick in the 1979 amateur draft hit 20 home runs in 69 games for Helena in the Pioneer League that year. In 1980, he hit 25 home runs in 63 games for Central Oregon in the low-A Northwest League. That mark is considered to be a short-season minor league record.
Darkis hit a combined 13 home runs in 114 games for Spartanburg (6) and Peninsula (7) in A-ball in 1981. He remained in Peninsula in 1982 and hit 22 home runs in 90 games. After his great Eastern League year in 1983, he hit six home runs in 89 games for Triple-A Portland in 1984, before moving on to play in the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers' minor league systems. He hit a total of 137 home runs in 675 minor league games through the 1986 season, later played in the Mexican Leagues and ended his career after the 1988 season.
The fact that Darkis didn't become a major leaguer doesn't diminish his accomplishments. Many people who make a meaningful connection with baseball (players, coaches, employees, fans) understand that all professionals demonstrate their superb athletic abilities to varying degrees of success.
Ruf's fans and other foes
Some who have seen, or have learned about, Ruf might aggressively say something like, "He'll never make it!" Of course, these personality types are using emotional logic. Their open envy serving as a cover for whatever supposed failures they think (most likely falsely) their own lives represent.
It's certainly okay to offer a seasoned judgment about whether any prospect has a chance to succeed. But, it's also very obvious when someone simply wants to believe (or even hopes) that another person won't make progress in life.
Then, there are the rest of us. We love the game, are naturally enjoying Ruf's smooth ride, and are hoping that his great 2012 summer story produces many seasonal sequels.
Sean O'Brien's professional writing career began in 1990, when he first began working in the Philadelphia Phillies farm system. He was a freelance sports writer for five years and is currently a Featured Contributor for Yahoo! Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @SeanyOB and read his daily Sports Blog: Insight.
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