Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel is raving about the talent of closer Phillippe Aumont during Spring Training.
"The ball jumps out of his hand, man," manager Charlie Manuel said. "I love his talent. Once he gets consistent with his command, his stuff will play real big." (via CSN Philly)
Aumont, the 23-year-old righthander, is expected to begin the season at Triple-A. His talent was on display on Wednesday in the Phillies Spring Training exhibition against Florida State University. Aumont struck out one batter and allowed a single in one inning of work. He also only needed 13 pitches.
Aumont posted an ERA of 2.68 and had 13.1 strikeouts per 9 innings in the minors last season. The big pitcher (6-7, 255 pounds) went through a failed stint as a starter in 2010. Now he's back in the bullpen, where he says he belongs.
"The bullpen is where I want to be," Aumont said. "It's what suits me. I feel more comfortable. I'm able to be aggressive. As a starter you need to be more relaxed."
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