CLEARWATER, Fla. – Andy MacPhail could not wait to talk about all the new, shiny red apples the Phillies have stockpiled in recent years. All it took was one question about anything to launch his eight-minute promotion that offered extensive details about the “R&D” department, analytics, a second Gulf Coast League team, and the new “series prep” room in the home clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park, where the players and coaches can go to discuss the upcoming opponent.
The third-year team president really seemed to like the addition of that room a lot.
“It always used to annoy me to no end when a team would come in and we would have to go over their starting pitchers and we’d have to adjourn to the weight room with a piece of paper,” MacPhail said.