I started working at The Morning Call in February of 2004. I have covered high school and college sports and am currently the Phillies beat writer.

I'm originally from Northeastern Pennsylvania and started writing for The Times Leader in Wilkes-Barre (a daily) when I was 16. I graduated from Syracuse University with a B.S. in Newspaper in 3 1/2 years and have now covered three straight Phillies' playoff runs.

These injuries really shouldn't be surprising...to anyone 5/22/2013
Is anyone really surprised with all these injuries facing the Phillies?If you are, you shouldn't be.When the season opened, the average age of the Phillies starting eight (which included Dom Brown, 25, and Delmon Young, 27), is 29.6. That's two years older than the Washington Nationals’ eight starters (27.5) and three years older than the Atlanta Bravers’ (26.5).Injuries will creep up more often and with more severity as athletes age. Heck, I'm not a professional athlete and I don't get nearly t...

Two pitching greats to be honored Alumni Weekend 5/22/2013
Two pitchers from two of the most memorable Phillies teams in the last 20 years will be honored during Alumni Weekend in August at Citizens Bank Park.Brad Lidge, one of the many heroes on the 2008 World Champion Phillies, will ceremoniously retire as a Phillie before the 7:05 p.m. game against San Francisco on Thursday, Aug.1. Lidge recorded the final out of the World Series when he struck out Tampa Bay’s Eric Hinske in Game 5. “I had my greatest moment at Citizens Bank Park and I would like to ...

Mike Adams placed on the D.L. 5/20/2013
It seemed like only a matter of time before this happened.Reliever Mike Adamswas placed on the disabled list with a right mid-back strain today. The move is retroactive to May 11. To take his place on the Phillies' 25-man roster, catcher Humberto Quintero was called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.That move tells me that Carlos Ruiz will either be out for at least a few days because of his strained right hamstring or may even go on the disabled list. Ruiz left after the second inning of Sunday's ...

The injury updates keep growing 5/19/2013
Sunday's game ended on a high note for the Phillies.The news that followed about players' health didn't.Ryan Howard did not play because of a sore left knee. He is having an MRI on Monday."Yesterday is when it kicked in more than normal," he said. "It's been acting up since spring training. But I’ve been able to tough my way through it."Charlie Manuel said Howard was available to pinch hit today, but added that he was trying to stay away from him. And his availability tomorrow is in question."I'...

Ruiz pulled with hamstring injury after second inning 5/19/2013
At first, it looked like maybe it was just a charley horse.Carlos Ruiz didn’t get that lucky.The Phillies catcher limped as he headed to third base in the second inning on Freddy Galvis’ single. A trainer and manager Charlie Manuel came out to check on Ruiz, who stayed in the game.In between innings, though, Ruiz was replaced by backup catcher Erik Kratz. A little while later, the Phillies announced Ruiz has a strained right hamstring.Ruiz hasn’t really warmed up this season since being activate...