The Phillies Fan Union Newsletter The November 6th, 2006 Edition Membership as of November 5th, 2006: 109,531

___ FEATURE STORY Alfonso Soriano, Gary Sheffield, Aramis Ramirez, Randy Wolf, Pat Burrell, John Lieber, Carlos Ruiz, Chris Coste, and Aaron Rowand are just some of the names that we may see involved in movement for the Phillies during the off-season. The off- season is beginning with Sir Patrick and Company laying the foundations, pathways leading to the what we hope is a playoff season for the Phillies? GET THE FULL STORY

 THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION Supporting the Philadelphia Chapter of the ALS Association ***Do whatever you can***This Week's Question: I was born on August 27th, 1970, in Peoria, Illinois. I once jumped onto Wrigley Field and into the Cubs dugout before a game, hoping to get Dave Kingman to sign a ball. I broke into the majors as a 3B, but didn't stay at that position. I have a career .565 career slugging
percentage, and a career .408 on-base- percentage. I was a Phillie. Who am I? 

UNION NEWS:  NOT A MEMBER OF THE UNION YET? Join Us And spread the word! PFU HALL OF FAME VOTING - Have a favorite Phillie? Nominate him for the PFU Hall of Fame. The top two make it in. Feel free to use the Phillies All-Time Roster - Courtesy The Sports Cube THE NOMINEES ARE: Andy Seminick 11,993 Votes Mickey Morandini 11,801 Votes Dave Cash 11,052 Votes Jim Fregosi 10,689 Votes VOTE HERE RESULTS OF THE WEEKLY SURVEY Should the Phillies let Randy Wolf go to free agency? Yes 9% No 79% Nor Sure 12%  GET THE BEST IN PHILLIES MERCHANDISE    PHILLIES NEWS: 
THE HOWARD MVP WATCH - Week 10 Ryan Howard is in line for yet one more award. Howard is a finalist for the overall Player of the Year Award and the National League Outstanding Player in the Players Choice Awards. The awards are a result of votes from ML players and will be announced on November 8th. Balloting for the Players Choice Awards, presented annually since 1992, was conducted on September 12th-13th at Major League Baseball parks under the supervision of the accounting firm KPMG.
 
NO OPTIONS HERE Aaron Rowand and the Phillies declined their respective options last Wednesday, meaning
that barring a trade, the center fielder will return to Philadelphia in 2007. Rowand had until Wednesday to accept his $3.25M player option. He declined and the Phillies also declined their $5 million club option. Unless the sides reach an agreement, Rowand's salary will be determined by an arbitrator. In an injury plagued 2006, Rowand batted .262 with 12 home runs and 47 RBI.
 
VOTE FOR RICHIE The voting for the annual Ford C. Frick Award is upon us again. Three Phillies are on the ballot; Richie Ashburn, Chris Wheeler, and Andy Musser. Of the three, Ashburn has the best chance. Ashburn was enshrined in Cooperstown as a player in 1995 by the Veterans Committee. After his retirement in 1962, he joined the broadcast team of By Saam and Bill Campbell. He later teamed up with
Harry Kalas, beginning in 1971. His 35-year broadcasting career ended when he passed away on September 9th, 1997. Fans can get in on the voting Here.
 
PHILLIES EYEING SORIANO Former Washington Nationals LF Alfonso Soriano is on General Manager Pat Gillick's radar screen. Soriano may be the Phillies best option to bat behind Ryan Howard next season. He hit 46 home runs last season, including 24 at spacious R.F.K. Stadium. That total could be exceded by playing half his games at cozier Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Soriano, who has played for three teams since 2003, is looking long-term security and will seek a multiyear deal that could exceed $100 million. This means the Phillies may need to move
Pat Burrell's hefty contract before Soriano could move into the red pinstripes. Look for Soriano to be one of the hotter commodities in the off-season. The Phillies can't make an official offer until November 12th. 
 
LIEBER ON THE MOVE? Former number one starter Jon Lieber, who has been inconsistent in his tenure as a Phillie, is one of the names being mentioned as the Phillies attempt to sure up the starting rotation and the bull pen. The Phillies are considering moving the 36-year-old right-hander, who is due to earn $7.5 million this season. He was a disappointing 9-11 with a 4.93 earned-run average this season, arguably his worst full season in the majors. The Phillies shopped Lieber last season. The Yankees have expressed some interest in reacquiring the veteran. Moving
Lieber back to New York could be part of a potential Gary Sheffield package.
BURRELL BUDGING Pat Burrell's representatives now indicate that he would accept a trade to the San Francisco Giants. The Giants might ask Burrell to switch back to first base, the position he played in 2000. Burrell, 30, is owed $13 million this season and $14 million next season. He hit .258 with 29 home runs and 95 RBI this season, but he struggled in the clutch. The Giants might want the Phillies to take closer Armando Benitez, who has a $7.6 million salary for this season. Benitez, 34, had 17 saves in 25 chances and was 4-2 with a 3.52 ERA. He spent time on the 60-day DL due to an arthritic right knee which limited him to 41 games this season.
 
DELLUCCI OPTS FOR FREE AGENCY Phillies OF David Dellucci elected to go the way of free agency on Thursday. Dellucci, 33, hit .292 with 13 home runs and 39 RBI in 264 at-bats. He received the bulk of his playing time after July 31st, when Bobby Abreu was dealt to the Yankees. While the Phillies would like Dellucci to return, he wants the security of a full-time job, a scenario that likely won't play out in Philadelphia. Dellucci earned $900,000 in 2006.
Jordan Speaks To Young Players - From The Phillies Linx Official Merchandise - From The Ottawa
Linx Reading Phillies Roster - From The Reading Phillies Lil' Anglers Club - From the Clearwater Threshers Crosscutters Forum - From the Williamsport Crosscutters Meet Buster - From the Lakewood BlueClaws PHIL-INS
David Montgomery said the team's budget would stay in the $91 million to $95 million range it has been in since 2004, when the club moved into Citizens Bank Park. 
In addition to Alfonso Soriano, the Phillies are also interested in Gary Sheffield and Aramis Ramírez. 
The Phillies also have considerable interest in Japanese third baseman Akinori Iwamura. Iwamura, 27, a lefthanded hitter, batted at least .300 with 30 homers the
last three seasons for the Yakult Swallows. 
Josh Kroeger went 2-for-6 with a homer for the Aguilas of the Venezuelan Winter League on Tuesday. Kroeger, trying to shake off a very rough season at AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, is batting .300/.386/.420 in 50 at-bats. He cleared waivers after being removed from the Phillies' 40-man roster in September, so it looks like he'll be back in AAA with the team next year. 
Speculation is that the Phillies think Randy Wolf is worth between $6 million and $10 million per season over two years with vesting options in the deal. 
Zack Segovia pitched a scoreless frame against the Scottsdale Scorpions last Saturday to lower his ERA to 0.93 over 9 2/3 innings. Segovia, a 23-year-old right-hander, left the team in order to get married in Mexico. 
The National League Golden Glove winners were announced on Friday. No Phillies were among the recipients. 
Gio Gonzalez pitched three scoreless innings and
struck out three Thursday for the Saguaros of the AFL. Including his start in the Rising Stars game, Gonzalez has allowed three earned runs in 10 1/3 innings. 
Gavin Floyd started Saturday against Scottsdale and allowed just one hit over four scoreless innings. Floyd's ERA is 6.35, but take away a disastrous outing on October 16th and it drops to 0.93. 
OF Chris Roberson, who played in 57 games for the Phillies in 2006, is struggling as the starting center fielder for the Naranjeros de Hermosillo. As of Friday, the 27-year-old is hitting just .155 (11-for-71) with one home run and six RBI. 
2B Danny Sandoval: Sandoval, who appeared in 28 games for the Phillies in 2006, is hitting .237 (14-for-59) with a home run and four RBI for the Pastora de los Llanos. 
C Jason Jaramillo went 0-for-1 with a walk in the Rising Stars Showcase, but also logged time for the Saguaros as well. He collected five hits in 15 at-bats to raise his average to
.311. 
The Tug McGraw Foundation, a national organization that supports research to improve the quality of life for brain tumor patients and their families, sold out its second annual fund-raiser, "An Evening with Tim McGraw and Friends: Honoring Those Who Make a Difference," within days. The event was held on Friday. 
David Dellucci is the seventh of nine eligible Phillies to file, with Randall Simon and Alex Gonzalez, who retired in May, remaining. Randy Wolf, Mike Lieberthal, Aaron Fultz, Rick White, and Arthur Rhodes filed on Saturday, and Jose Hernandez filed on October 31st. 
As far as the Phillies free agents are concerned, David Dellucci, Mike Lieberthal, and Aaron Fultz all have A rankings. Arthur Rhodes has a B ranking, and Randy Wolf, Rick White, amd Jose Hernandez have a C ranking. 
Find the complete list of 2006 player rankings compiled
by Elias Sports Bureau. - Courtesy USA Today 
The Phillies are said to be interested in Miguel Batista, a 35-year-old righthander who went 11-8 in 33 starts with the Diamondbacks last season after pitching exclusively in relief for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2005. 
The 2006 Major League Baseball Post-Season Awards; get the info Here. 
Ryan Howard had two home runs on Friday as Major League Baseball outslugged Nippon Professional Baseball, 8-6, to take a 2-0 lead in the five-game series. He is 7-for-10 with three homers in three games after hitting a three run shot Sunday.. 
Seventy women were chosen from a pool of more than 300 applicants to try out at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday for a chance to be a Phillies ballgirl in 2007. Ground balls, batting practice, and a written test were all part of the process PHILLIES DID YOU KNOW? Phillies 1983 World Series Run The Weeze Kids won 11 in a row in mid-September to run away with the Eastern Division, and crushed the favored Dodgers in a four-game NLCS. They won the first game of the World Series in Baltimore on an 8th-inning home run by Garry Maddox before losing four straight to the Orioles. Achievements: John Denny won the Cy Young Award for his 19-6 season. Mike Schmidt was home run champion with 40 and won a Gold Glove. Steve Carlton finished only 15-16 but won his 300th career game in September. Al Holland finished second in the league with 25 saves. Other career milestones include 2B Joe Morgan's 2500th hit and 250th home run, Schmidt's 350th home run, 1000th run, and 1000th RBI, and Rose's 2000th run. Due to the advanced age of many stars of the team, the 1983 Phillies were known as the "Wheeze
Kids", a takeoff on the 1950 Phillies' nickname, the "Whiz Kids". Phillies 2006 Player Contracts - Courtesy Cot's Baseball Contracts MLB Standings - Courtesy Sports Illustrated Phillies 2006 Schedule/Results - Courtesy USA Today Up-To-Date Phillies Transactions - Courtesy Fox Sports Baseball Statistics 101 - Courtesy Baseball Almanac MLB Team Stats - Courtesy USA Today Phillies Farm Report - Courtesy Baseball America 
 
THE PFU FEATURE OF THE WEEK
 PHILLIES 3B COACH ART HOWE
 GET THE FOTW HERE! ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION: 
 Former Phillies 1B Jim Thome. 

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