Time To Hit The Road

Cole Hamels bounced back. The rest of his teammates did not.

On a night when much-maligned leadoff batter Jimmy Rollins jump-started two different innings with solid base hits, no one else remembered to bring a bat to the game. In their defense [sic], the Phils were facing Jaret Wright, that world-beater who entered the game with a 3-4 record and an ERA of 4.45 (6.19 for June). In the process they wasted a fine effort from Hamels, who was coming off his worst performance since joining the Phils. I guess he hasn’t been around this team long enough to realize every game doesn’t count, especially against the Bronx Bombers.

So chalk up another desultory loss, their seventh in nine games during the home-stand that just ended. Things are looking up, however; the Phils’ itinerary for the coming days takes them to Boston, Toronto and Baltimore.

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Chris Coste was the feel-good story of the Spring, but we are in June now and Coste, the current backup catcher while Mike Lieberthal tries to return from his latest stint on the DL, has hardly set the world on fire with two hits in sixteen at bats. I guess he isn’t as overmatched in the eyes of the Phillies’ alleged brain trust as Carlos Ruiz was. Or maybe he is a better defensive catcher. Or maybe he can play more than one position. Or maybe the Phillies have decided to bury Ruiz. Or maybe they really do love the way Sal handles pitchers.

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I read in a few different places that Dallas Green, he of the lone World Series ring and big mouth, said on some radio show that the Phillies stink.

Dallas Green has been saying the Phillies stink for approximately 25 ¾ years, or ever since he stepped down as manager of the team. I don’t know why anyone would waste time re-interviewing him provided, of course, tapes from his previous rants are available, which I assume they are. I guess the keep dragging him before the mike just to hear him lay the blame for the latest stench he detects on someone new.

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The Yankees hit triples over Aaron Rowand’s head on consecutive nights and led directly to the loss Tuesday night and essentially cemented the loss on Wednesday. Rowand plays too shallow. I assume he feels he can go back on the ball better than he can come in, but the real reason may be compensation for his arm, which is his greatest weakness. This isn’t the first series during which Rowand has had some problems with balls hit over his head, THE CATCH notwithstanding.

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No one on the Phillies can complain about fan support during the last home stand. Sure, the Mets and Yankees were expected to draw extremely well considering the carloads of New Yorkers who inevitably make the trip to Philadelphia, but the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, hardly household names even in Florida, drew very well, too. Not even Pat Burrell complained about the turnouts.

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Last night wasn't a total loss. As I surfed the dial in search of some relief from the Phillies, I tuned in at precisely the moment Billy Wagner was blowing a save in the Mets' loss to Cincinnati.

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I go back and forth on Bobby Abreu with the best of them, but I am finally convinced his act has grown a bit old in Philadelphia. Reports that he told Larry Bowa a "change of scenery" might not be bad have been denied by Abreu. Bowa, of course, is a first-class troublemaker, but in this case I am inclined to believe him. I have grown weary of hearing about Bobby's OBP, number of walks, great sense of the strikezone, total number of pitches he sees, etc.. He no longer brings much heart to the game, at least not while wearing red pinstripes.

I can see it now. The Phillies will finally trade him, either in July or after the season, and get a middle-of-the-rotation guy or the number two propect in some organization. It may not be solely a case that Abreu's value has fallen; rather, everyone seems to think he wants out, a situation that hardly puts the Phillies in the driver seat.