Amaro_contractI'm great

– Ruben Amaro released a statement today on the "progress" of Chase Utley. The Phillies don't plan on doing this daily – PR! – so here goes: [transcription via Ryan Lawrence of the Daily Times]

"We've done some consultations with some doctors and right now, after consulting with Dr. Cicotti as well, we're comfortable with the progressions we're doing right now. He's actually been able to do some more exercises that he had not been doing before. He showed some progression in some of the exercises. I don't think he's taking ground balls quite yet. Some of the work he's been doing with Scott Sheridan on his rehab — he's done some more things. I don't know if that's necessarily a huge progression, but he's started to take baby steps forward, we hope, and I think he's feeling a little bit better."

 

So he's maybe, not really, kind of, sort of better.

– Amaro received his 4-year contract extension today. Well earned.

– Cole Hamels would use a personal photographer to help hone his skills. There's video on Phillies.com of photographer Walter Looss, whose photos are being used by "visual learner" Cole Hamels. Looss describes Cole:

He's a very nice man… he's got great stature, height and body. He's a handsome guy. He's personable, a good pitcher. Classic athlete body, long and slender. It's good for a photographer to have someone like that. You need a good subject to start with. He's got all the attributes.

 

Wow, that's like the "Step 2" description on eHarmony. Watch the video here.

Cole_hamels_photosLong… slender