CLEARWATER, Fla. - They assemble each day in the predawn dark, crowding into the Paul Owens Clubhouse of the Phillies' minor league complex. Many eat their breakfast on the stools or floor in front of their lockers, the seats and tables in the small kitchen already filled with players.
Sprinkled among this mess of hopefuls are the hoped-fors - players belonging to a much smaller subgroup, some already familiar to Philadelphia baseball fans thirsty for the next era of good baseball to begin.
Names like Nick Williams, J.P. Crawford and Roman Quinn.
Like Andrew Knapp and Jorge Alfaro.