After about eight hours of baseball today, here's what I produced: 

First up is a short feature about Cody Johnson, the slugging outfielder who needs to cut down on his strikeouts, a lot. For all of his faults at the plate, Cody is an incredibly forthcoming and honest interview. He tells you exactly what is on his mind, and he does so rather eloquently, and without a great deal of cliches.

He'll probably be back with the Thunder this year, and that's good for the team, because the Thunder are always looking for someone to make Waterfront Park look small, and Cody can do that with jaw-dropping ease.

Now, here are some notes from the day: 

- Because Phil Hughes was pitching for Tampa this afternoon, Nik Turley was bumped from the High-A work group to the Double-A work group. This didn't appear to go well for him. He walked about a half dozen hitters and recorded one strikeout that I saw, and that was against the opposing pitcher, Jon Pettibone, who'll be with Reading this year.

-Walter Ibarra had himself a day. The infielder who's spent the past two seasons with Tampa popped a two-run home run and a triple and was generally one of Trenton's few bright spots this afternoon.

- Ronnier Mustelier started a double play at third base.

- Phil Wetherell relieved Turley. After striking out the first man he faced, Steve Lerud, he ran into big trouble in his next frame. He started by walking the pitcher Pettibone, then compounded it by walking the next three, forcing Pettibone around to score. The Phillies charting the game were flabbergasted.

- Cory Arbiso relieved Wetherell and induced an inning-ending DP. Nifty work from Arbiso on the whole today.

- Manager Tony Franklin said he expected Zoilo Almonte (no surprise) as well as Abraham Almonte and Mitch Abeita to make the trip north with the Thunder.

- Longtime Thunder reliever Grant Duff and former Thunder second baseman Reegie Corona were released by the Yankees. Best wishes to the both of them in their future endeavors. The Phillies need infielders. Maybe they could invest in a Reegie.

- Former farmhand Jonathan Hovis, a Thunder pitcher very briefly, was in camp today to talk to Dante Bichette. Why? Hovis is now the head of baseball promotions at Spalding Sporting Goods and was trying to snatch Bichette as a client.

Now, here are a bunch of videos I took over the course of the day. Enjoy:

























The Phillies make the drive to Tampa tomorrow to finish their home-and-home set with the Thunder. Graham Stoneburner will be on the bump for that one against either Trevor May or Tyler Cloyd. Should be fun.