The Phillies have started setting their pitching rotations for Spring Training in Florida. The first game is this week.

Thursday’s exhibition game vs Florida State University will see Drew Naylor start the game. Through the innings, pitching coach Rich Dubee says that the following hurlers will take the mound: Eddie Bonine, Juan Perez, Michael Stutes, Michael Schwimer, Justin De Fratus and Scott Mathieson.

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The Phillies haven’t always been in Clearwater for spring training. They’ve been there since 1947.

Here are the other venues that hosted spring camp for the Phils over the years:

Philadelphia (1901)

Washington, N.C. (1902)

Richmond, Va. (1903)

Savannah, Ga. (1904)

Augusta, Ga. (1905)

Savannah, Ga. (1906-1908)

Southern Pines, N.C. (1909-1910)

Birmingham, Ala. (1911)

Hot Springs, Ark. (1912)

Southern Pines, N.C. (1913)

Wilmington, N.C. (1914)

St. Petersburg (1915-1918)

Charlotte (1919)

Birmingham, Ala. (1920)

Gainesville (1921)

Leesburg, Fla. (1922-1924)

Bradenton (1925-1927)

Winter Haven (1928-1937)

Biloxi, Miss. (1938)

New Braunfels, Texas (1939)

Miami Beach (1940-1942)

Hershey, Penn. (1943)

Wilmington, Del. (1944-1945)

Miami Beach (1946)

Clearwater (1947-present)

Is Al Golden headed to the Twin Cities?

A column in the St. Paul (MN) Pioneer Press on Thursday says that the “hot rumor” in the frostbelt is that Temple University’s Al Golden is being considered for the head football coaching job at the University of Minnesota.

During Golden’s five years as the Owls head coach in North Philly, he’s struck up a 27-34 win-loss record, but the Owls wound up at 8-4 this year and are awaiting their second bowl berth in a row. Read more

For 127 years, the Philadelphia Phillies have been playing baseball. They’ve endured more than 10,000 losses over that timeframe.

However, even though the Phillies lost to Atlanta in a slugfest at Turner Field today, don’t lose sight of one stat. The Phillies lead Major League Baseball in number of wins for the first time ever. They closed out the season with a win-loss record of 97-65, 32 games over .500 ball.

The 97 wins is the first time the Phillies have ever had the most number of wins in baseball for a season. It’s hard to believe that even the 101 wins that the 1976 and 1977 Phillies collected didn’t lead baseball back then. But in the year of the pitcher, 97 wins is enough to be tops in baseball.

Not even the New York Yankees or Tampa Bay Rays will surpass the Phillies’ 97 wins.

Few thought the Phillies would be in such a position early on in the season, especially when they were besting .500 ball. But now, as we enter the post-season, the Phillies are the best in baseball and are set up for a great post-season run. They’re still red-hot and we’re ready for a new World Championship.

It’s becoming impossible for the Phillies to give Cole Hamels some run support this month. It’s not getting any better anytime soon.

Before tonight’s 5-2 loss to the Giants, Hamels lost two straight 1-0 decisions.

Let’s look at some numbers:

Hamels has a 1-2 record and a 1.81 ERA over his past seven starts. Since April, he’s gone a paltry 5-7 with a 2.85 ERA. But here’s the scary number for Hamels: He ranks 47th out of 50 pitchers in the National League in run support with only 3.33 runs per nine innings played.

But with the Phillies, the numbers don’t get any better too quick. Who’s No. 50 in the lack of run support this season? Um, Roy Oswalt, packing a 2.61 runs per game. But keep in mind, he racked up most of that while tossing in an Astros jersey. Read more