Phillies hit golf balls as a unique method to determine the order in fantasy football

Around this time last summer, the Phillies came up with an unusual method for determining the order of their fantasy football drafts. They stuck a flag in center field and took turns hitting from a tee at home plate. Whoever got closest to the flag – or pin – got to go first.

The idea originally came from first baseman Rhys Hoskins, who signed with the Milwaukee Brewers in January. Hoskins’ former teammates have since expanded on his idea. On Tuesday afternoon, players streamed onto the field with their golf clubs in hand. Phillies physical therapist Alex Plum jogged to center field, dressed head to toe in Garrett Stubbs’ catcher’s gear.

” READ MORE: His grandfather hit the first home run at the Vet. Now Millville’s Buddy Kennedy is getting his chance with the Phillies.

“Plum was our golf pin,” Stubbs said. “He didn’t volunteer. He was volunteered.”

Kyle Schwarber added, “I thought about cutting it off from Plum, but I didn’t.”

Plum crouched down while first-base coach Paco Figueroa stood behind him (simulating an umpire). The players took turns getting hit from home plate. There are a lot of golfers on this team, and things got heated at times.

“We talk a lot (swear words) to each other,” said reliever Jeff Hoffman.

Schwarber added: “We’re all talking rubbish. Bryson (Stott) was closest to the pin last year and just knocked it off the wall. So he’s the last choice now.”

JT Realmuto came home first and made sure everyone knew it. Larry Bowa, leaning against the batting cage, called out to the catcher as he left the field.

“Were you the first to draw?” asked Bowa.

“What did you expect?” Realmuto replied.

Realmuto added: “Me first. (Brad) Flanders second.”

Flanders is one of the team’s two bullpen catchers. Pitching coach Caleb Cotham finished third, Schwarber fourth and Hoffman fifth, which he was happy about since he finished last in 2023.

“I told myself this year that I would do better next year,” Hoffman said.

It’s a way to break the monotony of the season.

“It’s very competitive,” Stubbs said. “There’s a lot of talking. Just typical fantasy football.”

” READ MORE: The Phillies place José Alvarado on the restricted list; Michael Mercado is recalled from Triple A

Thomson: Alvarado will return

José Alvarado, who was placed on the restricted list on Monday for personal reasons, does not yet have a timetable for his return, but coach Rob Thomson said Alvarado will rejoin the team by the end of the season.

Thomson said he doesn’t think losing a left-handed reliever would change much in the bullpen. Many of the Phillies’ relievers have similar splits against right- and left-handed hitters.

“(Orion) Kerkering is also more of a left-hander because he has good splits against lefties,” Thomson said. “So I think we still have three lefties in the bullpen. (Left-hander Tanner) Banks is going to have to take on a bigger role.”

Additional bases

Taijuan Walker, who is scheduled to make his next start Wednesday, has been working on his control of his fastball, according to Thomson. Asked how Walker looked in his recent bullpen sessions, Thomson said he heard it was one of Walker’s best sessions in recent memory. “Hopefully that carries over,” Thomson said. … Dylan Covey (right shoulder strain) was activated from the 60-day injured list on Tuesday. He was released from waivers and sent directly to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.