John Mayberry Jr. News

Harry Dwier had heard Phillies chairman Bill Giles speak before. So the Bethlehem resident wouldn't have been surprised if Giles repeated a story or two.

Want to know the best thing about covering the winter meetings? Every executive, scout, manager , player agent, mover and shaker in baseball is here, and there is always the opportunity for a chance encounter.

The Phillies are making calls to agents, general managers and players, trying to construct a 25-man roster that will take them back to the World Series in 2010.

So, the GM meetings have ended, the winter meetings don't begin until Dec. 7, and teams can't begin to sign free agents until Friday.

Yankees lefthander Andy Pettitte is 2-2 with a 2.87 ERA in six career World Series road starts.

By JEFF WILSON The players, coaches and key front-office personnel who are from Texas, went to college in the Lone Star State or have spent time with the Rangers.

With baseball reaching a fever pitch in Philadelphia, ita s time to dial it down a notch with some buzz-killing minor league updates.

The Phillies' Paul Hoover connects for a game-winning RBI single in the 10th inning.

Philadelphia Phillies' Paul Hoover swings through for an RBI-single that scored John Mayberry Jr.

John Mayberry Jr. is greeted by Ben Francisco after scoring the game-winning run in the Phillies' extra-inning win over the Marlins.

Former Lehigh Valley IronPigs catcher Paul Hoover follows through on an RBI-single that scored John Mayberry Jr.

How sure was I the Phils would have wrapped up the division by now? I just got back from a quick trip to Barcelona I booked in late August.

He ended it by hitting cleanup for the IronPigs in his first Triple-A game after Andy Tracy was a late scratch due to illness.

Second in a three-part series When you analyze the success of the IronPigs' season, Mike Cervenak says, you have to look beyond the International League.

Injuries to Phillies pitcher Ryan Madson and outfielder Shane Victorino prompted the team to summon right-hander Kyle Kendrick and outfielder John Mayberry Jr.

The boxscore showed that the IronPigs had just four hits in a 2-1 loss to Syracuse Wednesday night, a setback that ends their faint hopes of finishing the season with a better-than-.500 record.

The Phillies have a history of calling up a speed-first player once rosters expand, and manager Charlie Manuel hinted yesterday that this year would be no different.

Andrew Carpenter threw seven strong innings and Andy Tracy went 3-for-4 with two RBIs to lead Lehigh Valley to a 4-1 victory over Pawtucket at Coca-Cola Park.

Analysis: Mayberry was 2 for 9 with a double, a home run and three RBIs in his first stint with the Phillies last month.

The cause of Michael Taylor's oblique injury and his flexible timetable for a return to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs' lineup are equally understandable.