Hook Line & Splitter, a Jersey Shore BlueClaws Podcast

Andrew Baker joins us for Episode 44 of Hook Line & Splitter. The hard-throwing right-hander from Alabama was an 11th rd pick last year out of Chiopla Junior College and has struck out 35 hitters over 18 innings since the beginning of July. We talk about his development this season, his time with the BlueClaws, at Chipola JC, and learn which Phillies prospect would make an excellent NFL punter...

We're joined by 6-8 BlueClaws OF Carlos De La Cruz on Episode 43 of Hook, Line & Splitter. De La Cruz homered twice on Saturday against Brooklyn and added home runs in each of the first two games against Wilmington (July 27-28). The right-handed hitting OF talks about his time growing up in New York, playing at George Washington HS, signing with the Phillies, how he's grown as a player over th...

We're joined by BlueClaws C Karl Ellison on Ep. 42 of Hook Line & Splitter. Ellison talks about his baseball journey from high school in Ohio to Vanderbilt to Lynn University in Florida to the Lake Erie Crushers to the BlueClaws. He didn't join the Phillies until just a few days before Spring Training. We talk about his role as a mentor for the BlueClaws young arms and he talks about what they...

We're joined by BlueClaws RHP Andrew Schultz on our latest Hook Line & Splitter podcast. The right-hander was a 6th round pick from the University of Tennessee and talks about his recovery from Tommy John Surgery, his 2022 season, what he missed most about not pitching last year, and much more. 

We're joined by BlueClaws 1B Rixon Wingrove, a native of Newcastle, Australia. Wingrove joined the BlueClaws on May 24th and hit three home runs in his first series. Today, we talk about growing up as a baseball player in Australia, other sports he played, his time in the Australian Baseball League, coming over to the Phillies, his 2022 season, and much more. 

We're joined by Jason Ruffcorn, the Sally League saves leader, on today's episode of Hook Line & Splitter. The right-handed reliever was drafted in last year's 8th round out of the University of Oklahoma. We talk about his baseball journey, including getting drafted by the Phillies, the last team his father, Scott, played for. Additionally, we talk pickleball, pitch clocks, and much more.&nbsp...

We're joined by BlueClaws SS Casey Martin on Hook Line & Splitter this week. Martin was a 3rd round pick in 2020 from the University of Arkansas. We talk about his season so far, the transition to professional baseball, playing for manager Keith Werman, how he's grown as a player and person in the two years since the draft, Dustin Pedroia (his favorite player to watch growing up), playing in t...

We're joined today by Mick Abel, BlueClaws right-hander and Phillies first round pick in the 2020 draft. We talk about the start to his 2022 season, his 2021 season, facing fellow Oregonian Adley Rutschman in Aberdeen last week, the draft process, collecting baseball cards (including what it was like to open his own Mick Abel card) and much more. 

We're joined by BlueClaws OF Ethan Wilson on today's Hook Line & Splitter. The outfielder from Andalusia, Alabama was a 2nd round pick of the Phillies last year out of the University of South Alabama. We talk about his first 10.5 months in the system, going through the draft process, his newfound stolen base prowess, and much more.  The BlueClaws are back home on Tuesday to welcome in the...

We're joined by BlueClaws RHP Ben Brown on our latest Hook Line & Splitter. Brown was the BlueClaws Opening Night starter in 2021 and again in 2022. We cover a lot of topics including his health coming back from injury, his spring, his use of analytics, his development as a pitcher, the draft process, the Long Islanders in the Phillies system, and much more. A right-hander from Long Island, Br...

The BlueClaws have a roster and we're joined by BlueClaws manager Keith Werman to preview the season. The BlueClaws roster includes seven of the top 30 prospects in the system per MLB Pipeline and five of the top nine. #2 prospect RHP Mick Abel, Phillies first round pick in 2020, is the 13th former first-round pick to play for the BlueClaws. We go through spring training, the roster, who he's most...

We're joined by BlueClaws Team President Joe Ricciutti to preview the season from the fan's perspective. We talk about the new Blue Wave Bar, Reel Claw - our new team beer, 8-million fans, bringing the best of the Jersey Shore to the ballpark, Marvel nights with the BlueClaws, and much more. The BlueClaws open the season on Friday night against Aberdeen. Tickets are on sale now at BlueClaws.com.&n...

We're excited to be joined today by Keith Werman, earlier today named the 15th manager in BlueClaws history. Werman spent the last four years as the major league development coordinator with the San Diego Padres and this will be his first year in the Phillies system. We talk about his time with the Padres, his philosophy, his relationship with new Phillies Director of Player Development Preston Ma...

It's part two of our interview with Negro League historian Dr. Larry Hogan. Dr. Hogan was a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame committee to help elect 17 Negro League players and executives to the Hall of Fame in 2005.  We talked about that, Buck O'Neil's entry this year, the Newark Eagles, and much more.  Hook, Line & Splitter is presented by NJR Home Services. 

We are pleased to be joined today by Dr. Larry Hogan, Negro League baseball historian, to talk about Pop Lloyd and the Atlantic City Bacharach Giants for Black History Month. This is the first of two episodes with Dr. Hogan. Today, we talk about Lloyd and the Bacharach Giants and next time we'll talk about the Newark Eagles and more teams and players around the Negro Leagues.  Hook Line &...

We're joined by 2021 BlueClaws pitcher Josh Hendrickson. The left hander from Perth recaps his off-season, talks about his time in Australia and the growth of baseball in that country, what other sports he played growing up, and much more.  Hook Line & Splitter is presented by NJR Home Services. 

He began the season by hitting the first home run in Jersey Shore BlueClaws history on Opening Night, and ended the year with promotions to AA Reading and later AAA Lehigh Valley before a productive autumn in the Arizona Fall League. Logan O'Hoppe is our guest on episode 28 of Hook Line & Splitter, presented by NJR Home Services.  We talk about his excellent season with the BlueClaws, gai...

Today we say "Goodbye," for now, to longtime BlueClaws Head Groundskeeper Mike Morvay, who is stepping away from his full-time role with the team. We look back on his more than 15 years with the BlueClaws, starting with his time on the grounds crew, to being the assistant groundskeeper, to his role as Head Groundskeeper for the better part of the last decade.  We also talk groundskeeping, the...

Neil Solondz, the original 'Voice of the BlueClaws,' is our guest on Episode 26 of Hook Line & Splitter, a Jersey Shore BlueClaws podcast, presented by NJR Home Services. Solondz worked for the BlueClaws from 2001 to2003 and broadcast players like Carlos Ruiz, Ryan Howard, Gavin Floyd, and Cole Hamels. We also talk about opening the ballpark here in Lakewood, his time with the Rays, and much m...

We're joined in Episode 25 of Hook Line & Splitter, a Jersey Shore BlueClaws podcast, by 2021 BlueClaws RHP Billy Sullivan. The University of Delaware product opened the season, and his professional career, with the BlueClaws in May before a promotion to Double-A Reading after just five appearances. Sullivan, who went to Delaware, grew up a Phillies fan and talks about that, his Tommy John Sur...

On our latest Hook Line & Splitter, presented by NJR Home Services, we catch up with Mike Adams. The right-hander, from Holy Spirit High School, signed with the Phillies in January and has run Baseball Performance Center in Pleasantville for the last several years. We talk about his time as a baseball trainer, getting a tryout for scouts, signing with his hometown team, pitching at the Jersey...

We go through 2021 around the Phillies minor league system today on Hook Line & Splitter. We're joined by Emily Messina from the Reading Fightin' Phils plus Mike Ventola and Pat McCarthy from the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. In the episode, we hand out our Player and Pitcher of the Year Awards from each level, breakthrough players from each level, players we're looking forward to seeing more of in...

We're joined by BlueClaws RHP Griff McGarry, the first (and only) member of the 2021 Phillies draft class to reach the BlueClaws this season. McGarry was a 5th round pick in the 2021 draft out of the University of Virginia, where he threw two near no-hitters in the NCAA Baseball Tournament in his final two collegiate starts. McGarry struck out 21 opposing hitters in his 13.1 Jersey Shore innings....

We're joined by Luke Williams, current Phillies player and 2017 BlueClaw! It's been a crazy year for Williams, who hit a walk-off home run in his second big league game. He also helped the US qualify for the Olympics, and played earlier this year in Australia where his manager was current BlueClaws manager Chris Adamson. We talk about all of those things, plus how he found out he got called up to...

We're joined by BlueClaws closer Blake Brown on Episode 20 of Hook Line & Splitter, a Jersey Shore BlueClaws podcast, presented by NJR Home Services. Brown, signed as a non-drafted free agent after the five-round draft of 2020, is from Dallas, NC and played collegiately at UNC-Asheville. We talk about his season, goals for the future, technology and analytics in baseball and how he uses them t...