While the jury will be out for some time on this year’s Phillies trades, one aspect of these moves is clearly developing.  In addition to getting highly regarded minor league players and prospects, the players they’re acquiring seem to be versatile—in terms of ability, skill set and potential roles they could have in this club.

This is even more important on a rebuilding team as it’s not locked in stone which players will be playing which positions as the team continues to evolve…and hopefully improve.

Can you imagine Ryan Howard playing another position?  Remember the failed attempts to move Chase Utley to third base?  How about the lack of quality catchers behind Carlos Ruiz the last several years?  The Phillies had to move Jim Thome and Placido Polanco to part ways with some valuable veterans in order to open up spots for the next generation of Phillies players.  The current crop of prospects in the Phillies farm system will find it to easier to reach the Major Leagues, not just because of the present holes on the roster, but also because a good number of up-and-coming players have the ability to play different positions.

Maikel Franco, Odubel Herrera and Cesar Hernandez have had good seasons and look to have starting positions waiting for them in 2016.  Freddy Galvis—at least for the moment—has played well enough to hold down the shortstop spot until J. P. Crawford arrives.  But most positions going forward are very much up for grabs.

The advantage of the young players now in the Phillies’ fold is not just that they have Major League potential, but they have the ability to move around and play different roles, should the need arise.  Franco can also play first base.  Hernandez has played shortstop, third base and outfield, even though he looks more comfortable at second.  Newly acquired Darnell Sweeney projects as a utility guy, but has some pop and speed and played regularly at second, short, third and center field.  Galvis, too, has looked like an above-average defender, regardless of where he’s placed on the diamond.

Fans already can see the benefits of having different players’ ability to play multiple positions.  Interim Manager Pete Mackanin has frequently double-switched in games, allowing more flexibility with his batting order late in games, while not sacrificing anything defensively.

Here’s a look at the younger players in the upper-level of the Phillies farm system.  Top prospects are listed in BOLD, and players, at least at the beginning of the season, projected as “super utility” (or not quite everyday) players are in italics.

Nick Williams (acq. in the Cole Hamels trade) – projects to be a left fielder per Baseball America, but has played all three outfield positions and has a blend of speed, power and the ability to hit for average.

Roman Quinn (drafted by Phila, 2^nd round) – Despite an injury, Quinn had a great season at Double-A after making the transition from shortstop to the outfield.  MLB.com suggests he can be an above-average defender in center field with more experience.

Cornelius Randolph (draft by Phila., 1^st round) – An MLB “Top #100 Prospect” who has bat speed, strength and patience (according to MLBPipeline.com), coming on a solid season in the Gulf Coast League.  Randolph has played the middle infield positions with some believing he could play 3d base, but with Franco occupying that position, he saw time in left field this past summer.

Jorge Alfaro (acq. in the Cole Hamels trade) – The key piece in the Hamels’ trade, boasting perhaps the greatest potential of anyone acquired in the deal, was hurt for much of the year.  With raw power, he’s currently listed as the #2 catching prospect in all of minor league baseball.  However, he can also play first base and some feel he could also be an everyday right fielder, or even play first base.  This is important with the development of Phillies’ farmhand Andrew Knapp, who had a strong second half in Double-A and might be closer to the Major Leagues than Alfaro is at present.

Odubel Herrera (Rule 5 selection) – Per his Rule 5 status, Herrera had to stay on the Big League roster all season or be offered back, but the Phillies had no problems finding a spot for him, and even felt comfortable moving Ben Revere for him at the trade deadline.  He’s a quality MLB bat and seems to be improving as the year has gone along, both offensively and defensively.  However, if Quinn has another big season in 2016 and makes the jump to the Big Leagues, Herrera can also play left field and is a natural infielder.  The Phillies should be able to find a way to get plenty of “ABs” for him going forward.

Aaron Altherr (draft by Phila., 9^th round) – While not everyone in the Phillies organization viewed him as a blue chip prospect, I was impressed from what I saw in Altherr’s play in Triple-A this season.  More importantly, some of the guys who saw Aaron play on an everyday basis said they felt he could be an everyday MLB outfielder—at least on the current Phillies team.  He has nice range and a strong arm, which lends him to playing all three outfield positions.  Offensively, he was one of the top hitters at Lehigh Valley.  Supposedly, the Phillies wanted him to continuing playing every day and was not promoted once Revere was traded.  I am glad he received a “pre-September” call-up and hope that he gets even more of a chance to showcase his skills (and hope he doesn’t turn into another Darin Ruf, who really never did seem to get an extended look).  If he continues to play as well as he has at the Major League level, he may force the team to have him in the lineup every day.

Cody Asche didn’t exactly shock and awe anyone with his offensive outputs.  But if Asche and Ruf remain on the team beyond their arbitration years, both can play a couple different spots defensively and could see themselves as platoon or bench options as the other young players develop.

Trying to predict an everyday lineup is nearly impossible at this point, which is a good thing.  The future Phillies manager (whether it’s Mackanin or not) will have many different options where to bat and position players in the field.  This will also help the front office in trying to improve the team.  If/when they assume the team is ready to challenge for a playoff spot, it will keep options open in trying to acquire additional players through trades and free agency.

Even the most skeptical Phillies fan has to be impressed with the moves being made by the Phillies front office over the last several months.  While it might still be a stretch to be in playoff contention next summer, outgoing CEO Pat Gillick’s ominous warning that the team may not be a contender until 2017 or 2018 may not be correct after all.

To be perfectly honest, I take great pride in an important and popular aspect of our fall football season here at RCN.

For quite some time, I was given the responsibility of putting together the District XI/RCN HS Football Poll, and I have enjoyed building this into what I believe is the most comprehensive scholastic football poll in the region.

Unlike polls that consist of a couple representatives within the same organization, our poll is much more varied with input from many different people over a wider scope.  Our voting panel consists of local media members from different outlets, along with local coaches and athletic directors from across the entire district.  The voters are not identified so they can give their honest impressions without any worry of outside pressures or “bulletin board” material, and we rotate different pollsters from different schools each year, including guests from our biggest to our smallest schools.

As in previous years, we take the 400-male enrollment number as the cutoff for schools within the District XI/RCN footprint.  All schools above that number qualify as “big schools” in our poll. The “Big Schools” consist of Parkland, Liberty, Allen, Easton, Emmaus, Liberty, Dieruff, Freedom, Stroudsburg, Pleasant Valley, Northampton, Nazareth, E. Stroudsburg-South, Whitehall, Southern Lehigh and Bangor.  The “Small Schools” (below 400-male enrollment) consist of Saucon Valley, Central Catholic, Bethlehem Catholic, Northwestern, Wilson, Palisades, Palmerton, Salisbury, Notre Dame, Pen Argyl, Northern Lehigh and Catasauqua.  Each pollster will identify their top five teams in each group—the top school gets five points, the second team gets four points and so on, with an average score determining the order of teams in the poll.

With the particulars out of the way, here’s a look at how our preseason poll shakes out…

BIG SCHOOL FB Poll (10 pollsters)
1) Parkland – 50 total votes ( 10 -1^st place votes)
2—tied) Easton — 28
2—tied) Freedom — 28
4)  Liberty — 16
5)  Whitehall – 11

Other schools receiving more than one vote:  Emmaus, Stroudsburg

SMALL SCHOOLS FB Poll (9 pollsters)
1)  Bethlehem Catholic – 43 total votes (8  -1^st place votes)
2)  Saucon Valley – 36 (1 – 1^st place vote)
3)  Northern Lehigh — 20
4)  Central Catholic — 11
5)  Northwestern – 10

Other schools receiving more than one vote: Notre Dame, Pen Argyl, Salisbury

I have a few initial thoughts on this poll, which we’ll be addressing in much more detail on this week’s “RCN SportsTalk.”  One thought is that Emmaus looks to be flying under the radar so far this preseason.  They did not have a great 2014 season and graduated a number of skilled position players, including one of the top all-around football stars (Andrew Davidson) in the area.  However, they have added a new quarterback (who has shown great ability in the preseason workouts), they have their entire offensive line returning, and their JV team from a year ago had a TON of speed that should be showcased at the varsity level this fall.  Don’t be surprised if the Hornets move up into one of the “top five” positions at some point this season.

Some may be surprised to see Central Catholic ranked lower than they usually are in previous years.  Without asking any of the pollsters, I believe a major reason for this is the Vikings schedule.  For the second year in a row, they really get hammered out of the gate, playing several of the top five teams (all large school programs) in the first half of the season.  Central Catholic has its work cut out for them to stay even this year, and will probably have to pull off an upset or two in order to make a run at the playoffs this season.  That being said, the Vikings have some nice pieces returning from last year and still could have a better record this fall than they did a year ago.

Another team to watch out for is Salisbury.  After several years of finishing at or near the bottom of the Colonial League standings, they very quietly put together a nice 2014 campaign and bring back many talented players this fall.  They were one of the schools we interviewed over the last week and the Falcons coaches and players seem determined to continue improving, both on the field in and in our poll.

Feel free to send us your opinions on our poll to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and join us this Thursday, live at 7pm on RCN-TV for our “HS Football Preview Show.” We might read your emails live on the air during this program, along with our panelists’ insights and predictions on the new football campaign, plus interviews with local players and coaches.  We’ll also have a segment devoted to NFL “fantasy” football, with tips and strategies on preparing your team for the upcoming season.  And don’t forget to check back to the “SportsTalk Shop” as the high school football season unfolds for the latest results of our bi-weekly high school football poll.

I had the pleasure of interviewing two of the most professional and highly regarded people in the sports world recently for our “RCN SportsTalk” show (you can see these shows in their entirety through RCN On-Demand and on our podcasts.

Merrill Reese is the longest-serving current team announcer in the NFL and has become the sports voice of the entire Delaware Valley region.  Growing up in a region that already featured broadcasting icons By Saam, Bill Campbell, Gene Hart, Harry Kalas and Richie Ashburn, Reese’s calls are as memorable as nearly any Eagles play on the field since 1977.  Like Kalas, many of the Birds’ greatest moments and team highlights are accompanied by Reese’s calls, and the Eagles’ main radio affiliate, WIP, synchronizes their broadcast with television stations, so that people watching the game can turn down the TV announcers, and hear Merrill’s calls in real time.  Many local stations’ nightly sportscasters, when showing highlights of the Eagles, will stop talking so viewers can hear Reese’s voice and opinions as a play unfolds.

It wouldn’t be a true Eagles game if their fans couldn’t hear Merrill’s calls either during or after the game.  It was great to speak with him recently and get his thoughts on the Eagles training camp, the team’s biggest roster additions, and his outlook on the Redskins, Cowboys and Giants.

Tony Gwynn, Jr. is the son of baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, Sr., and has carved out a nice career for himself–currently playing with the Washington Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate.  Like his dad, Gwynn, Jr. plays the game hard and rarely makes mental mistakes, and has always treated his teammates, coaches, fans, and the game itself, with the upmost respect.  I had a chance to interview both father and son a few times over the years when they were in Philadelphia—Tony, Sr. as a visiting player and Tony, Jr. when he played first against, and then for, Philadelphia.  Few people come close to this pair who combined professionalism with great baseball insights.  It was my pleasure to once again catch up with Tony, Jr. recently to speak with him about some current baseball issues, along with his memories of his father.

Here are samples of both of our interviews.

It’s wonderful enough to get an opportunity to spend a few minutes with a “big name” in the sports world, but it is incredibly rewarding when you have an opportunity to meet a special person in the sports world and revisit with them from time to time.  Both Merrill and Tony not only have a world of knowledge regarding their respective sports, but also they turn out to be great people when the cameras are turned off.

Keep watching our “SportsTalk” shows and check in for more special interviews here at the “SportsTalk Shop” as we continue to feature more of the great sports personalities in the RCN region.

Recently here at the “Shop,” we took a look at some of the predictions I made last winter to see how I did.  Today, I look ahead to the next several months and guarantee* they come true!

1)  PREDICTION:  This fall’s HS football season will be more competitive than last year’s.
Last year, it was virtually Parkland and Easton as the favorites in District XI’s EPC league and Northwestern and Southern Lehigh, with Saucon Valley rising to prominence in the Colonial League.  There seemed to be a “next level” of several teams right below the top squads, and then another grouping of teams below them.  This made for a rather predictable season, with hardly any upsets or teams beating other squads not quite at the same talent-level.  While the Trojans and Red Rovers are the early favorites once again in the EPC, I see several teams stepping up and providing tougher competition, making for a more balanced schedule this fall.  Also, among the Colonial teams, Saucon Valley is the only one of the top three that didn’t suffer a huge number of graduate losses and many of the league’s teams that struggled in 2014 will be improved.  After the Panthers?  I could see Northern Lehigh, Northwestern, Southern Lehigh, Pen Argyl, Palmerton and maybe even Salisbury, Wilson or another team all playing competitive football.

I think it will be much more difficult for the football prognosticators to accurately figure out which teams will have the most success, and make for many more “even” games to watch this fall.  For more on the upcoming high school football season, make sure you tune into our “SportsTalk: HS Football Preview” show on RCN-TV on Thursday, August 27, at 7pm—complete with coach and player interviews, insights, analysis, and predictions on many of the teams in the RCN coverage area.

2)   PREDICTION:  Emotions will be running at an all-time high for Eagles fans this season.
We’ll be talking more about the Birds on this Thursday’s “SportsTalk” show with legendary play-by-play broadcaster Merrill Reese, complete with his thoughts on the team’s offseason moves and updates from Eagles training camp.  But regardless of how Philadelphia does this fall, when you tear apart a team—personnel-wise—and move some of the region’s most popular players for ‘high-risk’ returns (see Kiko Alonso’s concussion injury this weekend), fans have been stirred-up for this team well before training camp even started this summer.  The overly passionate fan base has been building emotional steam for months and it won’t take much for people to start boiling over and voicing their excitement/anger (based on a win or loss) with Chip Kelly early and often this fall.

3)  “Stone-Cold Lock” PREDICTION:  The next 12 months will be a banner year for DC sports fans.
I think the Nationals will persevere through an incredible amount of injuries.  The Mets did make some nice moves at the non-waiver deadline, but I still believe that quality pitching—and Washington has a ton—must get the edge.  The impressive return of Stephen Strasburg this weekend can only help, and I think the Nats will soon gain momentum and retake the NL East League.  Even if they don’t and have to settle for a Wild Card berth, with the arms the Nationals have, I think they can challenge any potential National League opponent, perhaps with the exception of the Dodgers, the team that scares me the most.

But the Nats’ potential deep run in the playoffs won’t be the only reason for optimism for Washington sports fans in the near future.  The Redskins will have six wins and improved play (and boast closer margins in their losses than last year).  I also think Georgetown—in both football and basketball—will have solid campaigns.  If you haven’t noticed, Mike Lonergan has transformed the George Washington men’s basketball program and shows no signs of slowing down, and American will again be a major force in what’s shaping up to be another competitive Patriot League season.

I also think the Wizards and Capitals will also continue to improve on the court and ice, respectively, all making for what I feel could be the best stretch of professional and collegiate sports action the DC area has seen in decades.

And even if the Nats don’t get to the World Series—which, granted, will be a major disappointment, they still have a boat-load of talent that will return.  The Nats will still have work to do in the off-season picking and choosing which of their free agents they will bring back, but I think with Max Scherzer in tow, anchoring the staff, there won’t be a major drop-off in 2016.

There you have it.  Mark it down…and we’ll check back to see in a few months how these predictions fared.

*NOTE: ”guaranteed” is used in the most relative-term possible.

With a flurry of activity for both the Nationals and Phillies prior to the non-waiver MLB trade deadline, here’s a rundown on what happened, why it transpired, and what to watch for going forward.

(Because of all the MLB news affecting teams in the RCN coverage area, my “2^nd half predictions” blog entry teased last week, will be posted next week).

• Papelbon to the Nationals

There may never have been a more successful Phillies pitcher whose departure stirred less emotion than Jonathan Papelbon.   Even as he takes a couple shots at the Phillies after the trade (his latest rant on 106.7 “The Fan” in DC includes being labeled “the scapegoat” for Philly’s failings), Philadelphia’s all-time saves leader never caught on with the fan base and always seemed to say the wrong things at the wrong times.  His ill-fated comments included openly championing for his trade for the last year (or more), which obviously killed the Phillies’ chances of an equal value exchange.  Given all these obstacles in trying to get anything for the highest-paid reliever in baseball history, the Phillies got a nice piece (Nick Pivetta) in return.

Despite Papelbon’s off-field antics, adding a reliever was a move the Nationals HAD to do.  In a year in which so much is riding on the team’s success, and so many free agents-to-be looming this offseason, Washington has to go all-in.  The friction Pap will cause (or perhaps has already caused with former closer Drew Storen), is an unfortunate side effect the team will have to deal with.  The team gave up very little—prospect-wise–and got salary relief on a first-rate closer while avoiding drastically overpaying in any trade involving other available top relievers (Aroldis Chapman, Craig Kimbrel).  In fact, the only thing Washington could have done was to try to get a diamond-in-the-rough/middle-relief option (like Jeanmar Gomez?) to help out their bridge to the later innings.  Baggage included, and with regret to Storen, (who unjustly gets bumped from his closer role for the third time in his career), this was a solid move for Washington.

Look for the Nats to continue searching for hidden gems over the next few weeks (prior to the waiver deadline on Aug. 31^st) as they try to add talent, especially with the Mets making a huge splash of their own.

• Cole Hamels to the Rangers

This was a far more emotionally draining move for the Philadelphia fan base, and the initial impressions were that the Phillies didn’t get enough for Cole (this spring on “SportsTalk,” I suggested a Hamels-for-Joey Gallo and another prospect swap, or maybe Hamels for Nomar Mazara and Chi Chi Gonzalez).

When breaking down this deal, one must remember the landscape for making trades has changed.  There is a greater emphasis on teams keeping young, blue-chip talent.  A “controllable” position player is a premium, and if the Phillies demanded one of the Rangers top prospects (Gallo, Mazara, Gonzalez), they ran the risk of not getting an adequate haul for their ace.  Who could forget the Cliff Lee-to-Seattle trade?  Imagine the outcry if the return for Hamels would result in another three players who did squat for the franchise.  Learning from their mistake in that deal (and also the ones dispatching Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino), the Phillies settled for lesser prospects (according to Baseball America) in exchange for more bodies.  The hedge is that, the more young players available in the organization, the greater the chance that some will help the parent club one day, thereby substantiating the return for Cole Hamels was worth the move.

The final analysis of this trade will take at least two to three years to properly evaluate.  But on the surface, it looks like the deal was a solid decision for Philadelphia.  They clearly weren’t winning with him, through no fault of Hamels, and as I said on this blog this past spring, their prime need in a few years may be to acquire a Hamels-like ace, and they might have to overpay to get him.   However, the Phillies have clearly shown that money will not be a hindrance to moving forward with the organization’s on-field success (as evidence by their taking on cash in all recent moves).  When the Phillies do feel ready to make a run at the playoffs, they can add a big money guy through free agency.

• Ben Revere to the Blue Jays

While you usually have to wait to rate a prospect-filled trade as a success or failure, I feel comfortable in saying this was another “win” for Philadelphia, given the following:

• They already have a centerfielder with a similar skill set in Odubel Herrera. Revere is more established, a better base stealer and contact hitter, but Herrera has more upside potential, a better arm, more power and is cheaper.   On a winning team, it’s doubtful both players could play at the same time on a regular basis, so Revere’s exodus opens up a spot for a more “tool-sy” player.
• Revere is arbitration-eligible and probably would have gotten a nice raise based on his statistics for next season.  Now, that money can go to fill in one of the other short-term goals the Phillies will need to address.
• Revere is a complementary piece on a team that is close to a playoff race. By the time the Phillies are heavy contenders again, Revere will probably be a free agent.
• While neither pitcher they got in return is a blue chipper, the one (Jimmy Cordero) is a high risk-high reward guy, who has potential, to be a Major League closer some day. But even if neither Codero nor Alberto Tirado reaches the Big Leagues, they add much needed pitching depth to the organization.

What are your thoughts on the Nationals and Phillies deadline deals?  Should Storen have been bumped from the closer role?  Should the Phillies have held on to Hamels until at least the offseason and try to get a greater return?  Email your comments to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and we might read your comments on the Thursday, August 13^th edition of “RCN SportsTalk,” live at 7pm.  Our guests will include Philly.com Sports Writer Jeff Moeller and WGPA host Jack Logic to analyze these deals further and look ahead to the playoff race.  You can also catch the podcast of the show at rcn.com/atvn/sports-talk .

Sure, anyone can do predictions at the beginning of the year.

Making bold predictions is a natural column/blog post/show host monologue for media members to produce at the end of December and the beginning of January.  Coming on the heels of all the “year-in-review” stuff, it makes a natural segue to predicting things for the upcoming year.  (BTW, a neat trick among radio hosts is to make several earth-shattering predictions at this time, then bring them up if they come true.  If they don’t, how many people have remembered what you falsely predicted months before??)

But it takes a true prognosticator —or at least a very good imposter—to re-examine those predictions made in January, and then, in the interest of full disclosure, follow up on how those predictions are fairing.

So before we make predictions for the rest of the year (which will come in next week’s blog entry), here is a listing of predictions/observations I made this past winter on “SportsTalk,” and the truthful, and sometimes painful, realities of each one.

• PREDICTION:  The Phillies will be bad.

OUTCOME:  While I could certainly brag that I got this one correct—especially after the Phillies had a six game winning streak and people started arguing with me that they had a shot to make the playoffs—I must admit that I didn’t think that they would be THIS horrific.  We’re talking “Sam Hinkie Year-One Tanking” bad here.  True, by being historically dreadful, they’ve allowed themselves a very realistic opportunity to snarl the number-one pick in next year’s draft.  But a top MLB draft pick isn’t always a guarantee as in the NFL or NBA, and there are a lot of empty seats that need to be filled at Citizen Bank Park for the team to be this horrendous.  Whether bandwagon-jumping is appropriate or not, fans will return when this team eventually gets good again.  In the meantime, however, the organization is taking some well-placed slings-and-arrows by media pundits from around the country for its putrid play, and racking up more losses at a pace faster than any other squad in the franchise’s history.  Even with this mirage of an 8-1 record since this All-Star break, I didn’t think the team would lose as many games as they will eventually accumulate—assuming, of course, that the team unloads its top players this week as they appear they’d like to do.

• PREDICTION:  The Redskins will have a successful NFL Draft under new GM Scot McCloughan.

OUTCOME:  I would again say I was correct, but I’m not sure I was completely convinced that it was as highly successful a draft as I thought it would be.  Brandon Scherff is a good choice for a team that needed a major boost on the offensive line and I really liked Preston Smith to improve the defense.  However, I wasn’t overly enthralled with any of the other picks.  One can argue that the top picks are the ones that count the most, but I could argue that the first couple rounds are also the easiest (along with the most risky) to successfully select.  From the experts I talked with who covered the Redskins’ mini-camp sessions this summer, the team will definitely be improved this fall.  However, I didn’t see them make that “diamond-in-the-rough” addition that I thought the ‘Skins might be able to pick up…not yet, anyway.

• PREDICTION: The Flyers will bounce back.

OUTCOME:  While I would love to lay down a verbal bait-and-switch here and say that by “bouncing back,” I meant that GM Ron Hextall would pull off a flurry of post-season moves, clearing cap space and acquiring young talent.  However, since I have hooked my fingers to a truthometer here on my keyboard, I must admit that I was referring to the team playing better in the second half of the ’14-’15 campaign.  While it ultimately proved better for the team to not make the playoffs and get a better slot in the NHL draft with a lower, out-of-the-playoffs finish, I still have to withstand a blow for this incorrect prediction and admit that the team did not rebound enough to qualify for the post-season, as I had suggested in late December.

Be sure to check back next week here at the “SportsTalk Shop” for part two of our “predictions” series, as I’ll address some scholastic prognosis, as well as a “Stone Cold Lock” I’ll present for the sports fans in the Washington DC area.

It’s always a little unusual that the hottest time of the year usually coincides with a sport most closely associated with the winter sports season.  However, July is a time when there’s a number of basketball tournaments played in both the Washington, DC and Pennsylvania areas.

I had the chance this weekend to check out one of them—the “A-town Throw Down”—and see some of the action, as well as uncover some developing storylines worth watching as we head closer to the scholastic regular season.

OBSERVATION #1: I would NOT categorize Nazareth’s championship as a “major upset.”
This was quite the topic of conversation on Sunday as the Blue Eagles dispatched the defending Eastern Pennsylvania Conference & District XI champs—and the favorites to win this tournament—before going on to defeating Central Catholic in the final.  Anyone who watched Nazareth during the final weeks of last winter’s season—and I had the chance to see them four times—could tell you that this team was maturing…and building confidence…as a unit.  Yes, a look at the box scores of their last two meetings with the Trojans indicates Parkland blow-outs.  However, Nazareth had to overcome a couple key injuries, had athletes playing varsity for the first time ever, and had to play guys out of position…and still put together a very impressive run to first qualify, then to advance deep, in the District XI playoffs.

Furthermore, Nazareth had won three of its five games in the previous week’s tournament, and the underclassmen (Johan Dotson, Kevin Wagner) look much more comfortable playing against the other top teams in the area over this past weekend.  Both Dotson and Wagner exhibited great skill during the regular season and seemed like they would emerge as standout players in the area…and that time came on Sunday with impressive showings in both their semifinal and final contests.  Parkland will still clearly be the team to beat this winter, but the Eagles will not be sneaking up on any teams next season.

It was a good tournament for all the Allentown teams.  Central Catholic also had an impressive showing in advancing to the tourney’s last contest (a fact that also should not be a surprise—if you read my blog on the Vikings last month, that is).  The Vikings are mixing some returning players with new talent.  Dieruff had a nice showing and recorded an impressive win over Reading.  Although Allen didn’t make the final two games, they did feature a number of returning players and had some impressive moments this past weekend and look to be among the top EPC teams again in the coming months.

OBSERVATION #2:  Bethlehem Catholic will be better this season.
I doubt teams will be able to beat up on the Golden Hawks again this season.  While they didn’t make it to the semifinals, I was impressed by the confidence—offensively—I saw among the Becahi players.  They were matched up against some strong competition this weekend, and constantly attacked the basket and acted aggressively in both passing and taking shot attempts.  I think they still have to work on their defense and develop a little more consistency overall, but after a very disappointing season, I think the future is very bright for the Hawks as they embark on a new era under new Head Coach Ray Barbosa.

OBSERVATION #3:  The Return of the “Big Bangers”
There is no way to unequivocally say that what one sees over the summer will translate into the winter, indoor season.  However, for a couple days, I was impressed by several big men who seem to play “Old School” and demand the basketball—then knew what to do with it when they got it.  The game has evolved so that guards and small forwards are usually the go-to players, but a few centers really seemed to battle and work hard in the paint this past weekend.

One of the players who fit this bill was Whitehall’s Logan McKinley. 

Against Del Val Charter and Hempfield, McKinley was constantly contested, hooked and bumped around by his opposing big men, but held his own and gave a shove-or-two in return.  Just as impressively he showed excellent footwork and good fundamentals in providing solid offense for his Zephyrs.  In fact, even when he was on this bench, it was Eric Johnson coming in and exhibiting some nice inside moves.  Whitehall graduated nearly its entire team from last year, but if they can get quality minutes from their big men to go along with rising sophomore Mikey Esquilian, the Zephs could be right back in the district playoff hunt again this winter.

OBSERVATION #4:  Defense is still important.
While stressing defense is always a key to winning teams, the defensive efforts sometimes wane during the summer leagues—especially on a weekend as hot as it was this year.  However, I have to give a shout-out to Liberty’s Amir Griffin.

The Hurricanes were in a tied ballgame with their tournament future up for grabs and found themselves on defense at the end of their game.  When the team came over to its huddle during the timeout, it was the players who wanted Amir to guard CB West’s top player with the game on the line.

There’s no question the Hurricanes have some big-time offensive weapons returning for the 2015-16 season and will once again be among the area’s elite teams, but it always good to recognize the top defensive players, as they don’t always seem to get the publicity that the top offensive players do.

Don’t forget, you can see more great summertime basketball.  Coming up next week will be the 26^th Annual Catasauqua Tournament of Champions to be held at the Catty Playground once again this season.  RCN-TV will once again broadcast the title game on Thursday, July 30^th.

One of my most treasured benefits of my job is the opportunity to meet and interact with so many outstanding personalities on the East Coast.  There are many sports legends who reside in, or from time-to-time pass through, the RCN-TV coverage areas.  I could probably fill several blog entries just sharing the names and stories of the nationally-known athletes, coaches and broadcasters whom I have had the incredibly good fortune of sharing a few minutes (or sometimes longer) with, and hearing about so many wonderful experiences.

One of those truly special people I have had a chance to meet was former Olympic track-and-field star, Joetta Clark Diggs.  Here is just a sample of her athletic accomplishments:

• 4-TIME OLYMPIAN: 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000
• SELECTED AS USA TEAM CAPTAIN (2000)
• RANKED IN TOP 10 IN THE WORLD FROM 1991-2000 (Until Retirement)
• SELECTED TO “WHO’S WHO” OF AMERICAN WOMEN — 2000
• INDUCTED INTO THE US TRACK & FIELD HALL OF FAME
• INDUCTED INTO THE NJ HALL OF FAME
• INDUCTED INTO THE UNIV. OF TENNESSEE HALL OF FAME
• INDUCTED INTO PENN RELAYS HALL OF FAME

Actually, her title is not just a “former Olympian”, a title which, for many of us, would be a wonderfully special title to own.  Joetta is an accomplished motivation speaker, author, coach, social affairs advocate and spokesperson.  She is an incredibly engaging personality who has done remarkable work both in and out of the sports world.  Clark-Diggs was also inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame (not just the “Sports” Hall of Fame) for all of her efforts.

She is one of the true diamonds in the RCN viewing area, not just for her past work, but I found out that she is continuing to do work with young people in the Eastern Pennsylvania regions.  She continues to talk about her life lessons with middle and high school athletes, in addition to being one of the top track-and-field minds you will ever find.  In fact, she is running a new camp and will be giving us more details on this and other exciting new projects she is working on when she stops by our “SportsTalk” set for this Thursday’s show (live, 7-8pm).  Joetta also has some great insights on current regional and national sports issues that she will be sharing with us on the program’s “roundtable” segment.

“SportsTalk” co-host Joe Craig and I had the honor of interviewing Joetta previously, to learn about her tremendous career, her experiences participating in four Olympic games, her family’s support, and their accomplishments and relationship with each other.  She also shared her unique experience of having her father portrayed in a major motion picture (her dad is Joe Louis Clark, who was portrayed by Morgan Freeman in the 1989 film “Lean On Me.”)  Here is a sample of that interview.

Which other sports personalities who live and work in the RCN viewing area deserve extra attention for their efforts and accomplishments?  Is there a former or current athlete you’d like us to invite on our “SportsTalk” show?  Send us an email at RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com with your suggestions and keep tuning in as we talk with more great sports personalities each Thursday on RCN-TV and catch our recent shows on our podcast and through RCN On-Demand.

First of all, I hope everyone had a wonderful Independence Day weekend.  I’m not sure if it was just that this year’s “Fourth” fell on a Saturday, but it seemed like I encountered more energy, patriotism and general feelings of goodwill throughout my travels…and I hope the same was true for you!

Now, the post-July 4^th season kicks in…which is usually an interesting time, pro sports-wise, in our DC/Philadelphia coverage area.  There was the trade…or, more appropriately, the ‘diamond-mine heist,’ that 76ers GM Sam Hinkie pulled off.  In case you were on vacation, Philadelphia secured a promising shooting guard, two solid role-playing forwards, an additional first-round selection and a unique, but brilliant, draft-swap option from the Kings.  They gave up two lower-level 2015 draft picks who probably would not have even been on the team’s Opening Day roster.  The Wizards made a great pick-up themselves in adding sharpshooter Gary Neal with various rumors swirling about Paul Pierce, Kevin Seraphin and others.  The Flyers were not outdone as they made some tremendous moves clearing cap space while adding young talent, which has revitalized their fan base after a disappointing season.

And that’s just the pro sports in the RCN region that WON’T be playing this month!

The Major League Baseball season of course is in full swing with the non-waiver trade deadline looming, and within a few weeks, the pads will be colliding across the country as all NFL training camps will be open.  We had the good fortune of speaking with sports writer extraordinaire, Associated Press’ Rob Maaddi, to get his insights on the latest developments with the Phillies, the Nationals’ hunt for a championship, and his thoughts on the storylines to watch for the Eagles, Redskins and the teams in the NFC East.  Here’s a portion of our interview (the entire show is available to watch on RCN On-Demand).

The Phillies were also active in the international market.  Philadelphia already selected highly-prized power hitter Jhailyn Ortiz, along with catcher Rafael Marchan, pitcher Manuel Silva and middle-infield prospect Keudi Bocio.  They also shipped two lower-level minor leagues and their number-nine international slots to the Diamondbacks to acquire the number-one international position, which allows the team to spend a greater allotment of money on signing free agents without being subject to drafting penalties.  Expect more Phillies moves over the next couple of weeks.

Whether your team has a mountain of expectations (Nationals, Eagles), or they’re building for the future (Redskins, Phillies), the next several weeks will be interesting for local sports fans and something to monitor in-between enjoying your summer activities!

One of the great things about my job and working at RCN is our involvement in the local community.  I’m very proud that RCN sponsors so many community events and our staff spends countless hours participating in charity functions and activities throughout the year.  I was also thrilled to hear that our own “SportsTalk” show gets to play a small part in a fund raising event going on this summer with our shows from Buffalo Wild Wings in Whitehall, PA .

I also have the good fortune to speak with young students from the college level down through middle schools, discussing the broadcasting industry, sports of all sorts, and on working in today’s fast-paced media environment.  One of my favorite experiences is being asked to participate in charity sports events…and I had that pleasure once again very recently, thanks to the Diocese of Allentown.

Each year they have a “Catholic Schools Week,” in which many events take place highlighting students’ abilities during the five–day stretch.  I participated again this year in their annual “celebrity” (and I DO use that term lightly) basketball game, playing against up-and-coming basketball talents—as well as teachers and administrators—from their Sacred Heart Middle School.  Our team was comprised of local head basketball coaches, including new Dieruff Head Coach Joe Jarjous (who was raining-in three-point shots all afternoon), politicians and media members. 

In addition to getting great exercise (the other team seems to gets better every year), I get an opportunity to get a sneak peak and do some scouting for the not-too-distant-future Central Catholic high school  team—a program we see regularly on our RCN-TV broadcasts.  I know the Vikings had a good year this past season, but  this year’s group of young athletes might just be the best collection of basketball players I’ve seen at this event.  If the players I saw continue to work hard and play like they did against us (I know, we’re not the toughest competition in the world), Central Catholic will definitely be in the conversation of league favorites in the next couple of seasons.

More importantly, this event is an opportunity to meet young people up-close-and-personal and get to talk with them.   It’s wonderful to hear students’ great achievements from their teachers and administrators, and to interact with a new generation of wonderful people.  Here are some of the photos from this year’s event.

If, by chance, you’re looking for photos of  me, or video of my “highlights” (and I also use that term EXTREMELY lightly), I’m saddened to report that those files were destroyed by a rapidly moving fire outdoors behind my office.   And the final score is not important and should take a back seat to just enjoying the experience (yes, we lost).  Besides, it’s more important that we focus on the young people here in today’s blog entry…right?

In all seriousness, my thanks to Principal Jim Krupka and his wonderful staff and colleagues within the Diocese for inviting me each year and for making us visitors always feel very welcomed at their school.  It is great to see our young students getting together, screaming their lungs out for a meaningless game, and being involved in a community event.  I charge everyone to try to get outside this summer and get involved in your community…whether it’s participating in a charity event, or just going to see a show or youth sports event in the upcoming months.  It does feel good to see positive young people doing something they love.

Don’t forget, we’re always on the lookout for outstanding achievements by today’s young people and big events that you would like the public to hear about.   Send us an email to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and we might just include your comments on our “ShoutOut” segment on an upcoming “RCN SportsTalk” episode!