Complete the following IronPigs sequence: Brandon Moss, Joey Meneses, ???
As the 2011 IronPigs began play under new skipper, Hall of Fame member Ryne Sandberg, their roster was a nice mix of prospects and veterans. It was the veteran free agents who pushed the team not only to their first ever winning record, but also to their first ever playoff bid and first ever (only) playoff series victory. Chief among those veterans was RF Brandon “Moss Hog” Moss. In 124 games and 506 plate appearances Brandon Moss hit .275/.368/.509/.877 for the 2011 IronPigs. He added 62 BB, 23 HR, and 31 doubles. The Phillies saw fit to include him on their big league team for a grand total of five games and six plate appearances. Moss went on to see significant Major League time with Oakland, Cleveland and St Louis before finishing up in Kansas City. He barely ever played in the minors again. In 2013 he was 8th in the American League with 30 HR, and in 2014 he made the MLB All Star Game.
The story goes, prior to the 2018 season, IronPigs hitting coach Sal Rende wanted another right-handed bat in the lineup and the IronPigs could also use a first-baseman. The Phillies signed minor league free agent Joey Meneses who played in 2017 for the AA Braves. While not much was made of the signing at the time, things clicked for Joey in 2018 as he appeared in 130 IronPigs games and posted a stat line of .311/.360/.510 adding 40 BB, 23 HR and 31 doubles. He won the International league MVP and let the IronPigs to their only division title in team history, before losing in the playoffs. Meneses never got an opportunity to play for the Phillies whatsoever, as they never called him up. He was released so that he could pursue an opportunity overseas. While that didn’t work out, and the global pandemic impacted his choice of opportunities, he finally made his way to the Washington Nationals last season, playing in 56 games and slashing .324/.367/.563 while adding 13 HR in about 35% of a season. While his numbers aren’t as eye-popping this season, he continues to play well for the Nationals in the big leagues.
Jake Cave was claimed on waivers by the Phillies from Minnesota by way of Baltimore. He has 355 games of MLB experience, including 20 games with the Phillies at the start of the 2023 season. However, since he was optioned on May 4, he’s played in 47 games with the IronPigs without getting even a look from Philadelphia for an opportunity to return and contribute. As of this writing he’s hitting .368/.446/.715 with 13 HR. That’s good enough to lead the International League in both batting and slugging, while in 23rd in HR despite missing all of April.
Things can change in a second, with injuries and trades and the like. We love Darick Hall around here and want to see him contribute with the big club as well. But it’s time for the Phillies to find a spot to give Jake Cave another shot. Another note from watching him play every day: He plays hard and hasn’t pouted or dogged it in any way since coming down to the minors. He’s fun to watch but he belongs at the next level.
See you at the park,
@Kram207
Featured Image of Jake Cave by Jack Mitroka
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