The same person cuts my hair and Jesse Biddle's hair.

I'm a Phillies fan and I've only heard of three of these guys. (Biddle, Asche, Ruf of course)

Let's see ... Roman Quinn was taken in last year's draft and has not played above Williamsport.

Tommy Joseph was acquired in the Pence trade.

Jon Pettibone was voted "best changeup" and "best control" which never turns into a big-league pitcher.

Adam Morgan was taken in last year's draft. Should know who he is. I blame the generic name.

Ethan Martin was acquired in the Victorino trade.

Even the writer of this article doesn't mention who Franco and Tocci are. Upon further inspection Franco was the starting 3B at Lakewood this year and turns 21 next August. Tocci was their big international signing in 2011, super CF prospect out of Venezuela, and turns 18 next August!

Biddle's a veddy, veddy old-money Philadelphia surname. Wonder if he'll be worth it on the mound.

"Biddle grew up in the Mount Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,[2] and he attended the Germantown Friends School, a Quaker School in the neighboring Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia."

Your story checks out.

Isn't Cody Asche supposed to be ready by 2014? Supposedly Michael Young is just keeping the seat warm next year.

That's the idea. Asche coming from Nebraska, the new hotbed of great Phillies players, means he's on the fast track to the majors.

As the 10th player in the childhood-mind-blowing 10-player trade between the Red Sox and Brewers during (during!) the 1971 World Series, Pat Skrable holds a place in my life equally as powerful as, and analogous to, Jarvis Tatum. And, for that matter, Joe Zanusi.

Thanks Crispix. I'm especially curious about how Darin Ruf will do. He kinda reminds me of a RH Garret Jones. Late-blooming 1B/OF with power. If the gushing by some of our posters holds true, he could be better than that.

My sister also went to GFS and graduated with Biddle in 2010. She is currently paid somewhat less. Heh.

I don't follow prospects like I used to, but I seem to hear Darin Ruf's name a lot. Is he someone to watch out for?

I don't follow prospects like I used to, but I seem to hear Darin Ruf's name a lot. Is he someone to watch out for?

Until he hit 20 HRs in August at AA last year, just after turning 26, he was a high average, moderate power 1B, i.e., organizational filler.

He hit 3 HRs in 37 PAs for the Phils and another 10 in a partial Venezuela League season this fall. The ball does seem to explode off his bat and he seems to have an idea of what he is doing at the plate. I'm wishcasting a huge season for him. I'm seriously hoping for a reasonable RH half of a platoon. He aspires to be Greg Luzinski in LF.

EDIT: I need to read more carefully. Carry on.

Asche coming from Nebraska, the new hotbed of great Phillies players

Nothing particularly new about it -- Grover Cleveland Alexander and Richie Ashburn both came from the Cornhusker State.