Just 13 games into the 2006 season, outfielder Mike Spidale became the sixth T-Bones player to have his contract purchased by a major league franchise when the Philadelphia Phillies signed him on June 8, 2006.

Spidale spent the first six seasons in the White Sox organization after Chicago drafted the Illinois native in the 12th round of the 2000 amateur draft.  After struggling during the 2005 campaign, where he split time between Triple-A Charlotte and Single-A Winston-Salem, Spidale was released and joined Kansas City for his only career appearance in the independent leagues to this date.

While with the T-Bones, Spidale posted a .346 average and a .905 OPS while displaying solid defense in centerfield.  The Phillies quickly signed him and sent him to Class A Lakewood where he hit .345/.418/.435 over 80 games for the BlueClaws.

Spidale continues to prosper in the Phillies organization, rising as high as Triple-A Lehigh Valley in each of the last two seasons.  In his stint with the IronPigs last year, Spidale posted a .289/.340/.333 line.  He enters the 2010 season with a lifetime mark of .283/.359/.361.

The next player in our “where are they now” series is pitcher Byron Embry, the hard-throwing closer from the 2006 squad.