All Things Bubba

Andy Phillips had another pretty good day at the office. He went 2 for 2 with one RBI and a run scored. After a slow start, he's hit every day for the past three days, pulling his averaage up to .333.

The Pirates fell to the Reds anyway, when prospect Darnell McDonald hit a 10th inning walkoff grand slam. What a rush it must have been for the kid, even if it was only spring training.

Andy also got a brief mention in this article from the Bradenton Herald:

Andy Phillips has been fighting for a spot his entire career. After debuting with the New York Yankees in 2004, the infielder has had stints with the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds before signing with the Pirates Dec. 29.

He’s honed his spring-training, learning to balance the ability to play hard with the ability to play smart.

“You try to accelerate hitting a little bit, and even your defensive stuff, getting around, moving a little bit,” said Phillips, who turns 32 in April. “At the same time, you still can’t really do a whole lot different. You’re still trying to get yourself ready for a season.

“You don’t want to get out there and get crazy and get yourself hurt.”

The 10 Team USA players taking part in the Top Ten List are: Derek Jeter from the New York Yankees; David Wright from the New York Mets; Chipper Jones from the Atlanta Braves; Ryan Braun from the Milwaukee Brewers; Jimmy Rollins from the Philadelphia Phillies; Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis from the Boston Red Sox; Curtis Granderson from the Detroit Tigers; Roy Oswalt from the Houston Astros; and Adam Dunn from the Washington Nationals.