I went away for a long weekend and returned to discover disarray.
One might suppose the Phillies three straight losses in Atlanta would head the list, but no. Rather, I am struck by the complete about-face by the Phillies’ alleged brain trust on the status of Gavin Floyd, who is being sent down to AAA. Charlie Manuel is quoted in today’s Inquirer as saying (I paraphrase here) Floyd needed to know he was starting every fifth day both for his sense of equilibrium not to mention his command.
Why is it every blogger, cab driver, hotel doorman and hot dog vendor knew this was the best decision for Floyd’s future weeks ago? Let us hope the two week misadventure in the bullpen didn’t completely undermine Floyd’s self-confidence. It is noteworthy the usually accessible youngster declined to speak with reporters following his latest disaster in a relief role. Ed Wade & Co. deserve a hearty round of boos for this blunder.
I didn’t see a single inning of any of the losses in Atlanta and can only rely on reports and box scores. They suffice for me to conclude that the other note of special alarm was rung by Randy Wolf. Randy is officially a major source of concern now. He isn’t fooling anyone with his assortment of breaking stuff and average fastball. Even our cab driver, hotel doorman and hot dog vendor could hit him now.
In less than two weeks the Phils have gone from an embarrassment of riches on the mound to an embarrassment period. In less than two weeks the Phils bats have fallen silent. In less than two weeks players have used words like “panic” in their conversation, albeit only to insist there is no need for it…yet.
Monday, April 25, 2005
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Patterns
After sixteen games a few patterns have emerged.
Charlie Manuel appears determined to give playing time to everyone on the roster. Whether you are the hero or goat, the next day your spot could be taken by someone who swings from the other side of the plate. Nothing personal. Far from it. Just need to get everyone involved and play the percentages.
While some may question the merits of such a strategy, it does keep the entire squad happier than one on which players sit week in and week out. On the other hand, sitting David Bell after he finally starts to find his stroke after a miserable start is a highly questionable decision.
The Phillies need to work on their base running. In Wednesday night’s game Jim Thome was doubled off second on a soft liner caught by the shortstop in shallow left field. In Thursday’s game, Bobby Abreu wandered too far off second and should have been picked off except the Colorado pitcher threw to the wrong man covering. Earlier in the season Jason Michaels ran the Phillies out of a bigger inning trying to reach third on a ball hit to left field. He was out by the proverbial mile. There have been a few other blunders I cannot recall at this writing. The most disturbing aspect of these lapses is the number of times players have used poor judgment on plays in front of them. That shouldn’t happen at this level.
John Lieber is more than the staff ace thus far; he’s been their stopper. When the Phillies need a pitcher to right the ship, Lieber is there. He isn’t flashy and he certainly isn’t overpowering. But he take the ball, works fast and always seems to have a plan. Lieber is also pitching deep into each outing since the season opener and that counts a great deal given this team’s bullpen woes.
Re-signing Todd Pratt was a great decision. During Spring Training there were hints he would be released and A.J. Hinch would be the backup. Pratt was reported to be very upset about that prospect and grew testy when the subject was broached, walking out in the middle of one TV interview. (He might be excused for being touchy about his own future, but Pratt doesn't appear to like questions from reporters on any subject.) He has always handled the pitchers very well and from all indications is the sort of presence whose influence is very positive. He may look like he will screw himself into the ground on every other swing he takes, frequently ending those violent swings by stumbling across the plate to the other side, keeping himself upright only by sticking the end of the bat into the ground like a cane, but he gets his principal job, catching and calling a game, done well. And every once and a while he comes through with the bat to the great joy and surprise of everyone, especially himself.
Re-signing Tomas Perez was another excellent decision. In the Thursday win over Colorado he played third base and started a crucial double play on the sort of hot smash that tends to handcuff David Bell. Perez can play any infield position very well and does. And every team needs a shaving cream pie expert.
Charlie Manuel appears determined to give playing time to everyone on the roster. Whether you are the hero or goat, the next day your spot could be taken by someone who swings from the other side of the plate. Nothing personal. Far from it. Just need to get everyone involved and play the percentages.
While some may question the merits of such a strategy, it does keep the entire squad happier than one on which players sit week in and week out. On the other hand, sitting David Bell after he finally starts to find his stroke after a miserable start is a highly questionable decision.
The Phillies need to work on their base running. In Wednesday night’s game Jim Thome was doubled off second on a soft liner caught by the shortstop in shallow left field. In Thursday’s game, Bobby Abreu wandered too far off second and should have been picked off except the Colorado pitcher threw to the wrong man covering. Earlier in the season Jason Michaels ran the Phillies out of a bigger inning trying to reach third on a ball hit to left field. He was out by the proverbial mile. There have been a few other blunders I cannot recall at this writing. The most disturbing aspect of these lapses is the number of times players have used poor judgment on plays in front of them. That shouldn’t happen at this level.
John Lieber is more than the staff ace thus far; he’s been their stopper. When the Phillies need a pitcher to right the ship, Lieber is there. He isn’t flashy and he certainly isn’t overpowering. But he take the ball, works fast and always seems to have a plan. Lieber is also pitching deep into each outing since the season opener and that counts a great deal given this team’s bullpen woes.
Re-signing Todd Pratt was a great decision. During Spring Training there were hints he would be released and A.J. Hinch would be the backup. Pratt was reported to be very upset about that prospect and grew testy when the subject was broached, walking out in the middle of one TV interview. (He might be excused for being touchy about his own future, but Pratt doesn't appear to like questions from reporters on any subject.) He has always handled the pitchers very well and from all indications is the sort of presence whose influence is very positive. He may look like he will screw himself into the ground on every other swing he takes, frequently ending those violent swings by stumbling across the plate to the other side, keeping himself upright only by sticking the end of the bat into the ground like a cane, but he gets his principal job, catching and calling a game, done well. And every once and a while he comes through with the bat to the great joy and surprise of everyone, especially himself.
Re-signing Tomas Perez was another excellent decision. In the Thursday win over Colorado he played third base and started a crucial double play on the sort of hot smash that tends to handcuff David Bell. Perez can play any infield position very well and does. And every team needs a shaving cream pie expert.
A Game of Picas
An old family friend once described a particularly sensitive person we knew as someone “always willing to meet an insult more than half way.”
I recalled her observation more than once as I perused the NL East standings published over the last few days in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
It is customary when listing the home team to place them in the uppermost position when tied with other clubs, but the editors at the Inky have consistently placed the Phils at the lowest position even when they have the same record as teams listed above them. A trivial matter, to be sure, but telling. This hasn’t been a baseball town for years, especially in the Inquirer.
Maybe I'm being too sensitive.
* * * * * * * * *
It may be early in the season but indications are that Ryan Madson is experiencing some sophomore blues. Madson has been violating the cardinal rule of relievers, giving up runs consistently, inherited runners and those of his own doing. In the process his ERA has ballooned to 7.71.
The Phillies could afford the luxury of waiting for Madson to work his way through this rough stretch were it not for the fact that the rest of the relief corps has been equally unimpressive. With the exception of Billy Wagner, whose numbers may be good but whose luck is the far more telling statistic, the Phils relievers are giving up runs at an alarming pace. Tim Worrell’s ERA is 9.00; Gavin Floyd’s is 11.48; and Rheal Cormier’s 9.00.
It is fair to say the Phillies would have a better record if their relievers could hold the line.
* * * * * * * * *
It would also be fair to say the Phils would climb higher in the standings if they would hit with runners in scoring position. Last night they stranded eleven base runners. One clutch hit early in the game when the opportunities were ample would have changed the complexion of the game significantly. Chase Utley must have stranded more than half that total all by himself. His open stance leaves him vulnerable to breaking stuff in and major league pitchers are quick to take advantage, busting him inside. Utley is going to have to adjust. He is striking out nearly once every fourth at-bat (six times in 28 appearances).
I recalled her observation more than once as I perused the NL East standings published over the last few days in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
It is customary when listing the home team to place them in the uppermost position when tied with other clubs, but the editors at the Inky have consistently placed the Phils at the lowest position even when they have the same record as teams listed above them. A trivial matter, to be sure, but telling. This hasn’t been a baseball town for years, especially in the Inquirer.
Maybe I'm being too sensitive.
* * * * * * * * *
It may be early in the season but indications are that Ryan Madson is experiencing some sophomore blues. Madson has been violating the cardinal rule of relievers, giving up runs consistently, inherited runners and those of his own doing. In the process his ERA has ballooned to 7.71.
The Phillies could afford the luxury of waiting for Madson to work his way through this rough stretch were it not for the fact that the rest of the relief corps has been equally unimpressive. With the exception of Billy Wagner, whose numbers may be good but whose luck is the far more telling statistic, the Phils relievers are giving up runs at an alarming pace. Tim Worrell’s ERA is 9.00; Gavin Floyd’s is 11.48; and Rheal Cormier’s 9.00.
It is fair to say the Phillies would have a better record if their relievers could hold the line.
* * * * * * * * *
It would also be fair to say the Phils would climb higher in the standings if they would hit with runners in scoring position. Last night they stranded eleven base runners. One clutch hit early in the game when the opportunities were ample would have changed the complexion of the game significantly. Chase Utley must have stranded more than half that total all by himself. His open stance leaves him vulnerable to breaking stuff in and major league pitchers are quick to take advantage, busting him inside. Utley is going to have to adjust. He is striking out nearly once every fourth at-bat (six times in 28 appearances).
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Not Quite An Embarrassment of Riches After All
So much for what to do with all of those quality starters.
Vicente Padilla’s 2005 debut wouldn’t have had to share top billing for the disaster du jour with Gavin Floyd’s inaugural outing as a relief pitcher if both of them hadn’t given up eight runs. Padilla might get the nod only because he allowed five home runs while Floyd held the Mets to a mere two.
It is difficult to assess Padilla’s performance given that this was his first big league start since suffering biceps tendonitis. Watching catcher Mike Lieberthal set up on the outside only to have Padilla come inside clearly indicated he lacked command at this stage. He also didn’t appear to have that much zip on his fastball, when he threw it. One start, no matter how terrible, provides insufficient data with which to evaluate Padilla’s recovery. The next start should tell all of us a lot more.
Gavin Floyd’s performance was another matter. We can endlessly debate whether or not it was a wise decision to relegate the youngster to the bullpen (I vote an unequivocal “no”), but two things are indisputable. One, this is his second straight poor performance, marked in large part by a complete lack of command of all of his pitches. Second, Floyd’s mechanics and delivery look all screwed up to this observer. He seems to be laboring in his delivery, pushing the ball up to the plate and following through in an awkward manner. In sum, he looks uncomfortable on the mound and the results show it. On the job training is bad enough; working fitfully out of the bullpen rather than on a predictable every fifth day is worse. The prediction here is that Floyd will be sent down to AAA where he can work regularly and out of the glare of the big-league spotlight. Let’s just hope he sees the “demotion” for what it should be, namely, a chance to gain more experience. The Phillies continue to be lousy at managing players’ psyches.
Vicente Padilla’s 2005 debut wouldn’t have had to share top billing for the disaster du jour with Gavin Floyd’s inaugural outing as a relief pitcher if both of them hadn’t given up eight runs. Padilla might get the nod only because he allowed five home runs while Floyd held the Mets to a mere two.
It is difficult to assess Padilla’s performance given that this was his first big league start since suffering biceps tendonitis. Watching catcher Mike Lieberthal set up on the outside only to have Padilla come inside clearly indicated he lacked command at this stage. He also didn’t appear to have that much zip on his fastball, when he threw it. One start, no matter how terrible, provides insufficient data with which to evaluate Padilla’s recovery. The next start should tell all of us a lot more.
Gavin Floyd’s performance was another matter. We can endlessly debate whether or not it was a wise decision to relegate the youngster to the bullpen (I vote an unequivocal “no”), but two things are indisputable. One, this is his second straight poor performance, marked in large part by a complete lack of command of all of his pitches. Second, Floyd’s mechanics and delivery look all screwed up to this observer. He seems to be laboring in his delivery, pushing the ball up to the plate and following through in an awkward manner. In sum, he looks uncomfortable on the mound and the results show it. On the job training is bad enough; working fitfully out of the bullpen rather than on a predictable every fifth day is worse. The prediction here is that Floyd will be sent down to AAA where he can work regularly and out of the glare of the big-league spotlight. Let’s just hope he sees the “demotion” for what it should be, namely, a chance to gain more experience. The Phillies continue to be lousy at managing players’ psyches.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
All of Those Quality Starters
Welcome aboard, Randy. You’re next, Vicente.
Prior to last night’s appearance against a good hitting NY Mets team, Randy Wolf had struggled in his first two outings, his numbers inflating the Phillies starters’ overall ERA. Not anymore. Wolf used his assortment of big, slow curves, sneaky fastballs and change of speeds to hurl shutout ball through eight plus innings. Then he allowed three straight singles and a run to begin the ninth inning and was relieved by Tim Worrell.
Wolf’s performance was critical to him as well as the team. The Phillies only left-handed starter and senior member in terms of tenure on the club, Wolf is being counted on heavily. This outing was vintage Wolf as he kept Mets’ hitters off balance all night until he tired to open the ninth inning.
By the way, Worrell came in with two runners on and yielded a 3-run homer to Cliff Floyd making the game close. For his less than impressive effort, Worrell recorded a save. Something needs to be done about that sort of miscarriage of statistics. And something else needs to be done about Worrell’s ineffectiveness. The sight of him coming into a game hardly inspires confidence anymore.
Tonight, Vicente Padilla makes his 2005 debut following a lost Spring with biceps tendonitis and a stint on the Disabled List to open the season. Padilla will be watched very closely in his first few starts. If he falters, Gavin Floyd’s stint in the bullpen, a terrible decision in the first place, will be over and Padilla’s time in a Phillies uniform may be drawing to a close. In today’s Philadelphia Inquirer, Jim Salisbury writes that those close to Padilla, a very small group by any standard, say he looks sharp and is ready to fulfill his potential.
Padilla has suffered many of the same problems that plagued Brett Myers prior to this season: a short fuse and shorter attention span. Myers has made huge strides in both departments and is off to a tremendous start. Now comes Padilla’s turn to prove he can shrug off adversity, maintain his composure and learn to pitch not just throw. If he comes through, the Phils will be faced with a pleasant dilemma, namely, what to do with all of these quality starters.
Prior to last night’s appearance against a good hitting NY Mets team, Randy Wolf had struggled in his first two outings, his numbers inflating the Phillies starters’ overall ERA. Not anymore. Wolf used his assortment of big, slow curves, sneaky fastballs and change of speeds to hurl shutout ball through eight plus innings. Then he allowed three straight singles and a run to begin the ninth inning and was relieved by Tim Worrell.
Wolf’s performance was critical to him as well as the team. The Phillies only left-handed starter and senior member in terms of tenure on the club, Wolf is being counted on heavily. This outing was vintage Wolf as he kept Mets’ hitters off balance all night until he tired to open the ninth inning.
By the way, Worrell came in with two runners on and yielded a 3-run homer to Cliff Floyd making the game close. For his less than impressive effort, Worrell recorded a save. Something needs to be done about that sort of miscarriage of statistics. And something else needs to be done about Worrell’s ineffectiveness. The sight of him coming into a game hardly inspires confidence anymore.
Tonight, Vicente Padilla makes his 2005 debut following a lost Spring with biceps tendonitis and a stint on the Disabled List to open the season. Padilla will be watched very closely in his first few starts. If he falters, Gavin Floyd’s stint in the bullpen, a terrible decision in the first place, will be over and Padilla’s time in a Phillies uniform may be drawing to a close. In today’s Philadelphia Inquirer, Jim Salisbury writes that those close to Padilla, a very small group by any standard, say he looks sharp and is ready to fulfill his potential.
Padilla has suffered many of the same problems that plagued Brett Myers prior to this season: a short fuse and shorter attention span. Myers has made huge strides in both departments and is off to a tremendous start. Now comes Padilla’s turn to prove he can shrug off adversity, maintain his composure and learn to pitch not just throw. If he comes through, the Phils will be faced with a pleasant dilemma, namely, what to do with all of these quality starters.
Monday, April 18, 2005
Bailed Out
Placido isn’t going quietly. Neither is Chase. And apparently Billy intends to use all of the ballpark for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, Bobby still approaches the wall as if it intends him bodily harm. And Brett has arrived.
It was quite a weekend series with Atlanta.
After Friday night’s meltdown, it appeared the Phils were slipping into a serious funk. They looked lethargic and outclassed by a Braves team that entered the game with an anemic offense. Five home runs later, the Phils had a three-game losing streak and the Braves had their two best pitchers on tap.
But the Phils had their two best pitchers scheduled as well. John Lieber, unflappable and largely unhitable thus far just takes the ball, throws strikes, works quickly, and departs a winner. At 35 years of age he has become the Phillies elder statesmen chronologically and temperamentally.
Brett Myers used to be at the opposite end of the spectrum on both of those counts, but no more. There is little doubt that when the season began, Myers was the great unknown of the starting rotation. Possessed of youth and great stuff, Myers only lacked the emotional maturity to work through difficult spots. Whether by osmosis or a change in pitching coaches or the arrival of Lieber or all three, Myers has been outstanding in April. Though 1 – 0, he could easily be 3 – 0. The bullpen cost him one win and a lack of support cost him another. Not only has he pitched brilliantly, he has also pitched deep into each game. And he appears more comfortable and confident.
Charlie Manuel seems determined to stick with the platoon setup at second base. Chase Utley’s heroics on Saturday, at bat and in the field, didn’t earn him another start with lefty Mike Hampton pitching for Atlanta. Utley did enter the game as a pinch hitter in the ninth with a chance to make it two-for-two in the heroics department, but he failed to deliver. So Placido Polanco seized the opportunity and knocked in the winning run in the bottom of the tenth.
With no rumors to suggest either player is unhappy with the situation at present, it appears Manuel is sticking to his guns and playing each strictly by the book.
Billy Wagner, working for the third day in a row, again made things interesting. He gave up a one-out double to Brian Giles and then ignored him allowing Giles to steal third. After striking out Chipper Jones, Wagner induced Andruw Jones to hit a slow roller on which David Bell made a fine play to end the threat. The double by Giles might have been caught by a right-fielder who is able to play the wall better than Bobby Abreu can; as it was, the ball was a few feet from being a back-breaking home run. After serving up two warning-track fly balls the day before, Wagner is developing quite a tight-rope act. Last season he was overworked by Larry Bowa early in the year and ended up on the DL twice. Saturday’s performance, his second in two days, could hardly be attributed to overwork; yesterday’s might be another matter. But nothing can excuse ignoring the runner at second base and allowing him to steal third with one out. Fortunately, his infield bailed him out defensively for the second game in a row and then, an inning later, bailed out the entire team offensively.
Meanwhile, Bobby still approaches the wall as if it intends him bodily harm. And Brett has arrived.
It was quite a weekend series with Atlanta.
After Friday night’s meltdown, it appeared the Phils were slipping into a serious funk. They looked lethargic and outclassed by a Braves team that entered the game with an anemic offense. Five home runs later, the Phils had a three-game losing streak and the Braves had their two best pitchers on tap.
But the Phils had their two best pitchers scheduled as well. John Lieber, unflappable and largely unhitable thus far just takes the ball, throws strikes, works quickly, and departs a winner. At 35 years of age he has become the Phillies elder statesmen chronologically and temperamentally.
Brett Myers used to be at the opposite end of the spectrum on both of those counts, but no more. There is little doubt that when the season began, Myers was the great unknown of the starting rotation. Possessed of youth and great stuff, Myers only lacked the emotional maturity to work through difficult spots. Whether by osmosis or a change in pitching coaches or the arrival of Lieber or all three, Myers has been outstanding in April. Though 1 – 0, he could easily be 3 – 0. The bullpen cost him one win and a lack of support cost him another. Not only has he pitched brilliantly, he has also pitched deep into each game. And he appears more comfortable and confident.
Charlie Manuel seems determined to stick with the platoon setup at second base. Chase Utley’s heroics on Saturday, at bat and in the field, didn’t earn him another start with lefty Mike Hampton pitching for Atlanta. Utley did enter the game as a pinch hitter in the ninth with a chance to make it two-for-two in the heroics department, but he failed to deliver. So Placido Polanco seized the opportunity and knocked in the winning run in the bottom of the tenth.
With no rumors to suggest either player is unhappy with the situation at present, it appears Manuel is sticking to his guns and playing each strictly by the book.
Billy Wagner, working for the third day in a row, again made things interesting. He gave up a one-out double to Brian Giles and then ignored him allowing Giles to steal third. After striking out Chipper Jones, Wagner induced Andruw Jones to hit a slow roller on which David Bell made a fine play to end the threat. The double by Giles might have been caught by a right-fielder who is able to play the wall better than Bobby Abreu can; as it was, the ball was a few feet from being a back-breaking home run. After serving up two warning-track fly balls the day before, Wagner is developing quite a tight-rope act. Last season he was overworked by Larry Bowa early in the year and ended up on the DL twice. Saturday’s performance, his second in two days, could hardly be attributed to overwork; yesterday’s might be another matter. But nothing can excuse ignoring the runner at second base and allowing him to steal third with one out. Fortunately, his infield bailed him out defensively for the second game in a row and then, an inning later, bailed out the entire team offensively.
Saturday, April 16, 2005
He'd Rather Be Luck Than Good
Make no mistake about it. Billy Wagner would absolutely rather be lucky than good. And he was. For the second time in three outings Wagner was far from dominant as he gave up two hits, two long fly ball outs, a wild pitch and one sinking liner that second baseman Chase Utley dived for to record the final out as the Phillies hung on to snap a three-game losing streak by beating Atlanta 2-1.
Wagner is beginning to remind me a little of former Orioles relief pitcher Don “Full Pack” Stanhouse, so named because he allowed too many base runners or ran too many full counts in the opinion of O’s manager Earl Weaver, who allegedly smoked a full pack of cigarettes just during Stanhouse’s appearances.
Either Wagner has lost something on his fastball or batters are starting to catch up with it, but whatever the explanation, he has been hit hard in two of his last three appearances. Fortunately for him and the Phils it was Utley’s turn to start since right-hander John Smoltz was on the mound. Utley made the most of his opportunity going two for three, driving in a run and preserving the win with his glove. He earned the right to start tomorrow night when the Phils face left-hander Mike Hampton on national television in the series finale. And it’s time for Charlie Manuel to throw away the book on platooning and give the kid a chance to play every day.
Wagner is beginning to remind me a little of former Orioles relief pitcher Don “Full Pack” Stanhouse, so named because he allowed too many base runners or ran too many full counts in the opinion of O’s manager Earl Weaver, who allegedly smoked a full pack of cigarettes just during Stanhouse’s appearances.
Either Wagner has lost something on his fastball or batters are starting to catch up with it, but whatever the explanation, he has been hit hard in two of his last three appearances. Fortunately for him and the Phils it was Utley’s turn to start since right-hander John Smoltz was on the mound. Utley made the most of his opportunity going two for three, driving in a run and preserving the win with his glove. He earned the right to start tomorrow night when the Phils face left-hander Mike Hampton on national television in the series finale. And it’s time for Charlie Manuel to throw away the book on platooning and give the kid a chance to play every day.
Not Overburdened
Uncanny. Once again, the Phillies’ alleged “brain trust” is true to form.
After last night’s disastrous outing by Gavin Floyd, but not due to it, the Phils announced the young starter would be taking up new digs in the bullpen to make room for Vicente Padilla, who returns from the Disabled List.
Thus, faced with a choice of sending Floyd down to AAA where the youngster could get regular work as the starter he is or sticking him in an admittedly shaky Phillies bullpen where he has absolutely no place being, the baseball men who run this organization made the wrong choice. Normally, one might say the odds were even they’d make the right one, but “normal” isn’t in the cards where Ed Wade et al are concerned.
For his part, Floyd seems to have accepted his new assignment with an equanimity belying his youth. I hope his agent is less sanguine and raises a ruckus.
* * * * * * * * *
Last night against the Braves, Jimmy Rollins blew a chance to lead the Phillies right back into the game after Floyd surrendered four runs in the top of the first inning. Rollins was on second base and Placido Polanco was on first when Bobby Abreu hit a shot off the left centerfield wall. Rollins misjudged how far the ball was hit and retreated to second base preparing to tag instead of playing it at least half way. Even Andruw Jones had no chance to make the catch, but he did play the carom perfectly (maybe he could offer Kenny Lofton some lessons), threw a perfect relay to Raphael Furcal who gunned Rollins down at the plate. Had Rollins not retreated to within a few steps of second, he would have beaten the throw. Instead of having one run in, men or second and third and no outs, the Phils settled for two runs when Jim Thome followed Abreu and doubled.
Rollins blunder, a momentum buster despite the rbi double by Thome, recalled Jason Michael’s poor base running against the Nationals two weeks ago that also proved costly. It may be early in the season, but these are the fundamentals good teams are supposed to have worked on in Spring Training and execute right out of the gate.
After last night’s disastrous outing by Gavin Floyd, but not due to it, the Phils announced the young starter would be taking up new digs in the bullpen to make room for Vicente Padilla, who returns from the Disabled List.
Thus, faced with a choice of sending Floyd down to AAA where the youngster could get regular work as the starter he is or sticking him in an admittedly shaky Phillies bullpen where he has absolutely no place being, the baseball men who run this organization made the wrong choice. Normally, one might say the odds were even they’d make the right one, but “normal” isn’t in the cards where Ed Wade et al are concerned.
For his part, Floyd seems to have accepted his new assignment with an equanimity belying his youth. I hope his agent is less sanguine and raises a ruckus.
* * * * * * * * *
Last night against the Braves, Jimmy Rollins blew a chance to lead the Phillies right back into the game after Floyd surrendered four runs in the top of the first inning. Rollins was on second base and Placido Polanco was on first when Bobby Abreu hit a shot off the left centerfield wall. Rollins misjudged how far the ball was hit and retreated to second base preparing to tag instead of playing it at least half way. Even Andruw Jones had no chance to make the catch, but he did play the carom perfectly (maybe he could offer Kenny Lofton some lessons), threw a perfect relay to Raphael Furcal who gunned Rollins down at the plate. Had Rollins not retreated to within a few steps of second, he would have beaten the throw. Instead of having one run in, men or second and third and no outs, the Phils settled for two runs when Jim Thome followed Abreu and doubled.
Rollins blunder, a momentum buster despite the rbi double by Thome, recalled Jason Michael’s poor base running against the Nationals two weeks ago that also proved costly. It may be early in the season, but these are the fundamentals good teams are supposed to have worked on in Spring Training and execute right out of the gate.
Friday, April 15, 2005
Give Us a Break
ESPN’s obsession with the Yankees and Red Sox continues unabated. As is frequently the case in our society, cable television takes a cultural phenomenon, in this case an historic rivalry that over the years moves in and out of the nation’s consciousness, and overexposes it until the majority of the country resents everything about it.
Perhaps nothing better symbolizes how out of proportion the whole preoccupation has become than the focus on Curt Schilling’s bloody sock, which at various times is reported headed either to Cooperstown or to Ebay. Does anyone really care, except, of course, Schilling?
MLB accommodated ESPN and scheduled Boston and New York to meet in six of their first nine games. Viewers were [mis]treated to endless replays of Alex Rodriguez swatting the ball away from Bronson Arroyo in last year’s playoffs and, after last night’s contest, will no doubt be [mis]treated to endless replays of Gary Sheffield tussling with some of the Boston faithful in the stands.
The long-suffering and insufferable fans of Boston have been granted their championship at long last. Now, how about granting the rest of us a respite from hearing all the bloody details?
* * * * * * * * *
No one has been a bigger fan of Placido Polanco than I. On merit he should be a starter on some major league team. I have come to the conclusion, however, that team shouldn’t be the Phillies at this juncture. It is time to give Chase Utley a chance to play every day rather than shuffling him in and out of the lineup. How else will he find his groove at the plate and, more importantly, in the field? If that means throwing him in there against a Dontrelle Willis, so be it. The best every day players have to learn to hit all kinds of pitching.
As it stands now, Charlie Manuel has focused on centerfield and second base as his platoon positions. He is hardly the first manager to employ such a strategy. Casey Stengel and Earl Weaver are two notable managers who thrived on platooning. But it is too early in Utley’s career to use him as a part-time player.
Perhaps nothing better symbolizes how out of proportion the whole preoccupation has become than the focus on Curt Schilling’s bloody sock, which at various times is reported headed either to Cooperstown or to Ebay. Does anyone really care, except, of course, Schilling?
MLB accommodated ESPN and scheduled Boston and New York to meet in six of their first nine games. Viewers were [mis]treated to endless replays of Alex Rodriguez swatting the ball away from Bronson Arroyo in last year’s playoffs and, after last night’s contest, will no doubt be [mis]treated to endless replays of Gary Sheffield tussling with some of the Boston faithful in the stands.
The long-suffering and insufferable fans of Boston have been granted their championship at long last. Now, how about granting the rest of us a respite from hearing all the bloody details?
* * * * * * * * *
No one has been a bigger fan of Placido Polanco than I. On merit he should be a starter on some major league team. I have come to the conclusion, however, that team shouldn’t be the Phillies at this juncture. It is time to give Chase Utley a chance to play every day rather than shuffling him in and out of the lineup. How else will he find his groove at the plate and, more importantly, in the field? If that means throwing him in there against a Dontrelle Willis, so be it. The best every day players have to learn to hit all kinds of pitching.
As it stands now, Charlie Manuel has focused on centerfield and second base as his platoon positions. He is hardly the first manager to employ such a strategy. Casey Stengel and Earl Weaver are two notable managers who thrived on platooning. But it is too early in Utley’s career to use him as a part-time player.
Monday, March 21, 2005
Meanwhile, Back at the Ballpark
Some of the Phillies starting pitchers need more work on the logic than their stuff.
Randy Wolf had another shaky outing last week, allowing six runs in just over four innings. Afterwards, Wolf told reporters he had his best command of the Spring. Yikes!
Brett Myers had another lousy outing over the weekend but with a logic known only to himself declared he was pleased with his fastball. The line score read: 11 hits, six runs, 3 1/3 innings pitched. Myers now sports an ERA of 9.56. But, oh that fastball!
* * * * * * * * *
Poor Marlon Byrd. He has had a fantastic Spring and appears to be a cinch to head north with the club. Moreover, with Kenny Lofton still nursing a hamstring, Byrd looked like a good bet to begin the season as the starting centerfielder. So what happens? He dives back into first base to avoid a pickoff and dislocates a finger. As of yesterday, the finger was merely dislocated not broken, and no ligament damage seems to have occurred; but Marlon could be out as many as two weeks. Whatever the final diagnosis, it makes sense for him to sit until fully recovered. Jim Thome injured a finger last spring, tried to play through it, and never fully healed. But Byrd and the Phils must be disappointed.
* * * * * * * * *
Indications are David Bell will be in the starting lineup come opening day. That leaves our old friend Placido Polanco without a spot. I’ll spare readers my usual litany of Polanco’s virtues and simply predict he will get a lot of playing time before too long.
Randy Wolf had another shaky outing last week, allowing six runs in just over four innings. Afterwards, Wolf told reporters he had his best command of the Spring. Yikes!
Brett Myers had another lousy outing over the weekend but with a logic known only to himself declared he was pleased with his fastball. The line score read: 11 hits, six runs, 3 1/3 innings pitched. Myers now sports an ERA of 9.56. But, oh that fastball!
* * * * * * * * *
Poor Marlon Byrd. He has had a fantastic Spring and appears to be a cinch to head north with the club. Moreover, with Kenny Lofton still nursing a hamstring, Byrd looked like a good bet to begin the season as the starting centerfielder. So what happens? He dives back into first base to avoid a pickoff and dislocates a finger. As of yesterday, the finger was merely dislocated not broken, and no ligament damage seems to have occurred; but Marlon could be out as many as two weeks. Whatever the final diagnosis, it makes sense for him to sit until fully recovered. Jim Thome injured a finger last spring, tried to play through it, and never fully healed. But Byrd and the Phils must be disappointed.
* * * * * * * * *
Indications are David Bell will be in the starting lineup come opening day. That leaves our old friend Placido Polanco without a spot. I’ll spare readers my usual litany of Polanco’s virtues and simply predict he will get a lot of playing time before too long.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Hot Links
Looking for a new-age sign that the seasons really do turn? Take a glance at the list of hot links to the various sports that resides on the left side of ESPN’s opening splash page. Sure enough, MLB has moved up to the number three slot, right behind the NBA and College Basketball.
In Philadelphia, however, MLB would only rank number four. The locals can’t or won’t let go of the Eagles. As Grapefruit League play gets underway, most of the talk-show junkies -- hosts, guests and callers alike -- are far more preoccupied with whom the Eagles have signed, re-signed, declined to sign, tendered offers to, or not tendered offers to. The Phillies? Oh, yeah, the Phillies. Camp has opened, right?
The Inquirer’s Jim Salisbury devotes his entire column today to the region’s lack of enthusiasm for the Phillies. “This winter, you needed a high-powered stethoscope to detect a Phillies buzz,” Salisbury writes.
What is it going to take to turn a few more heads? How about winning? The Eagles have been to four straight NFC championship games and one Super Bowl. True, they lost all four of them, but they have routinely advanced deep into the playoffs. The Phils last made a playoff appearance in 1993. Since then, they have had seven losing seasons. Five managers have come and gone. Great players have been signed and lost. The one constant has been disappointment and mediocrity.
Will this be the year things change? Few if any observers are predicting an end to the futility. A lot of good things must happen, especially among the starting rotation, and already one on whom much hope is riding, Vicente Padilla, has been shut down for the remainder of spring training with recurring tendonitis.
The bright spot may be their offense. Much of its success will depend on two players, Pat Burrell and Mike Lieberthal. If the left fielder can regain his confidence and hit between .270 and .280, the heart of the order – Abreu, Thome and Burrell – will be potent. If Lieberthal can start as fast as he finished last season, the Phils won’t strand so many runners in scoring position. And with Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and (I predict) Placido Polanco surrounding those three, the Phils should score runs.
Admittedly those are a lot of “ifs”, but, allowing for this big one, if the offense produces heads will surely turn and by the time the Eagles open training camp in July and the hot link to the NFL begins to rise over at ESPN, the locals will be too engrossed in a pennant race to be distracted.
In Philadelphia, however, MLB would only rank number four. The locals can’t or won’t let go of the Eagles. As Grapefruit League play gets underway, most of the talk-show junkies -- hosts, guests and callers alike -- are far more preoccupied with whom the Eagles have signed, re-signed, declined to sign, tendered offers to, or not tendered offers to. The Phillies? Oh, yeah, the Phillies. Camp has opened, right?
The Inquirer’s Jim Salisbury devotes his entire column today to the region’s lack of enthusiasm for the Phillies. “This winter, you needed a high-powered stethoscope to detect a Phillies buzz,” Salisbury writes.
What is it going to take to turn a few more heads? How about winning? The Eagles have been to four straight NFC championship games and one Super Bowl. True, they lost all four of them, but they have routinely advanced deep into the playoffs. The Phils last made a playoff appearance in 1993. Since then, they have had seven losing seasons. Five managers have come and gone. Great players have been signed and lost. The one constant has been disappointment and mediocrity.
Will this be the year things change? Few if any observers are predicting an end to the futility. A lot of good things must happen, especially among the starting rotation, and already one on whom much hope is riding, Vicente Padilla, has been shut down for the remainder of spring training with recurring tendonitis.
The bright spot may be their offense. Much of its success will depend on two players, Pat Burrell and Mike Lieberthal. If the left fielder can regain his confidence and hit between .270 and .280, the heart of the order – Abreu, Thome and Burrell – will be potent. If Lieberthal can start as fast as he finished last season, the Phils won’t strand so many runners in scoring position. And with Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and (I predict) Placido Polanco surrounding those three, the Phils should score runs.
Admittedly those are a lot of “ifs”, but, allowing for this big one, if the offense produces heads will surely turn and by the time the Eagles open training camp in July and the hot link to the NFL begins to rise over at ESPN, the locals will be too engrossed in a pennant race to be distracted.
Friday, February 25, 2005
Notes and Comments
Among the early reports out of Clearwater was an item regarding David Bell’s fragile back. The 32-year old third baseman said it was nothing, but similar woes cost him most of the 2003 season and several games last year. Just one more reason the unexpected presence of Placido Polanco may provide needed insurance. Polanco has previously filled in for the oft-injured Bell at third. Bell told reporters he has spasms about once a year and they pass. Speaking as someone who has had spasms and disc surgery, one can lean over in the shower to pick up the soap and suddenly. . . .
* * * * * * * *
Let me be among the first to pronounce the Ryan Howard outfield experiment a failure, not for lack of determination or effort on his part, but because the 6-foot-4, 230 pound left handed slugger is just not outfielder material. The move smacks of desperation on the Phillies ‘part, to get his bat into the lineup somehow and to keep the kid happy. But Howard doesn’t appear to be unhappy and I believe he still has options. The best thing for Howard would be to start the season at AAA, where he can play every day at first base and get his at-bats. And it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to keep in mind item number one above (see Bell-Polanco) just in case Jim Thome, who played hurt all of last season, goes down for a stretch.
* * * * * * * *
I saw an item where Rafael Palmeiro is considering suing Jose Canseco over allegations the former used steroids. The interesting aspect of the story is that were Palmeiro to pursue the suit, it is rumored he would hire the law firm of O’s owner Peter Angelos to represent him. Angelos made his fortune litigating asbestos cases, not defamation of character suits. Indeed, Angelos has arguably made a baseball career of destroying if not defaming the character of entire franchises, namely his own. Nevertheless, payment plans in such an arrangement would be easy, I guess; Palmeiro could simply have the fees deducted from his salary checks. On the other hand, were Angelos to lose the case, it might be awkward for Palmeiro to do any public relations for the team.
* * * * * * * *
Just a minor digression here. The 76ers made two trades Wednesday just before the deadline and in the process left themselves shorthanded with a league-mandated minimum of eight players for a game they eventually lost to the Knicks last night. For a team that is struggling to play .500 ball to “give away” a game seems inexcusable. I’ve heard the expression to “have a game in hand”, but that usually refers to teams who have the luxury of losing a game and still maintaining their advantage. The 76ers hardly qualify.
* * * * * * * *
Let me be among the first to pronounce the Ryan Howard outfield experiment a failure, not for lack of determination or effort on his part, but because the 6-foot-4, 230 pound left handed slugger is just not outfielder material. The move smacks of desperation on the Phillies ‘part, to get his bat into the lineup somehow and to keep the kid happy. But Howard doesn’t appear to be unhappy and I believe he still has options. The best thing for Howard would be to start the season at AAA, where he can play every day at first base and get his at-bats. And it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to keep in mind item number one above (see Bell-Polanco) just in case Jim Thome, who played hurt all of last season, goes down for a stretch.
* * * * * * * *
I saw an item where Rafael Palmeiro is considering suing Jose Canseco over allegations the former used steroids. The interesting aspect of the story is that were Palmeiro to pursue the suit, it is rumored he would hire the law firm of O’s owner Peter Angelos to represent him. Angelos made his fortune litigating asbestos cases, not defamation of character suits. Indeed, Angelos has arguably made a baseball career of destroying if not defaming the character of entire franchises, namely his own. Nevertheless, payment plans in such an arrangement would be easy, I guess; Palmeiro could simply have the fees deducted from his salary checks. On the other hand, were Angelos to lose the case, it might be awkward for Palmeiro to do any public relations for the team.
* * * * * * * *
Just a minor digression here. The 76ers made two trades Wednesday just before the deadline and in the process left themselves shorthanded with a league-mandated minimum of eight players for a game they eventually lost to the Knicks last night. For a team that is struggling to play .500 ball to “give away” a game seems inexcusable. I’ve heard the expression to “have a game in hand”, but that usually refers to teams who have the luxury of losing a game and still maintaining their advantage. The 76ers hardly qualify.
Friday, February 18, 2005
Be Optimistic
Every time I resolve to be optimistic about the Phillies’ playoff chances they pull me back in.
Granted, I am a major league worrier by nature and thus prone to looking for trouble, but the Phils always oblige by presenting me with ample opportunities to act in character.
Even before he was officially scheduled to arrive in camp, there was Pat Burrell, already weary of unconfirmed and, according to him, completely unfounded reports that his wrist was still sore. Moreover, Pat made it clear he is sick and tired of all of the advice he’s been offered the last few seasons on how to cure his now chronic hitting woes, pointing out that new batting coach Milt Thompson will be his fifth such instructor since reaching the majors.
Walk softly, Milt.
Pitching remains the name of the game and on that front the key starter may be Randy Wolf. Randy would like to put last season behind him. Who can blame him? The line on Wolf has always been that he possesses four or five major league pitches and mixes them up well, keeping batters off balance. In addition, Wolf has one of the best pick-off moves in the league and fields his position extremely well. I like Randy and want him to succeed, but his assortment of junk and off-speed pitches don’t impress me that much since he doesn’t really possess all that great a fastball to offset them. It seems to me batters lay off the 70 mph lobs and sit on that fastball. More troubling, he is prone to giving up fly balls in a ballpark that is, well, you know where I’m going with this one. What concerns me the most, however, is Randy’s health. He has made a few trips to the DL over the last two or three seasons and has been shut down at other times. His left arm just might not be built to take the strain. On the other hand, did we mention this guy can hit? Three home runs and eight RBI’s last season in a mere 45 at-bats. Randy may be a candidate for retrofitting.
What would the Spring be without a little controversy? Having dumped Larry Bowa, I would have guessed that whatever controversy there was to be had in Clearwater would not emanate from the manager’s office, but lo and behold, on the first official day Charlie Manuel opined that he would expect Placido Polanco not only to get his ab’s this season, but who knows, he could even start come April. Ed Wade, no stranger to the misstep himself, quickly countered the next day that he never even expected Polanco to re-sign with the Phils in the first place and that as far as he was concerned, Chase Utley was penned in to start at second.
Dare I say I am optimistic Utley will indeed be given every chance to prove he can handle the job?
Granted, I am a major league worrier by nature and thus prone to looking for trouble, but the Phils always oblige by presenting me with ample opportunities to act in character.
Even before he was officially scheduled to arrive in camp, there was Pat Burrell, already weary of unconfirmed and, according to him, completely unfounded reports that his wrist was still sore. Moreover, Pat made it clear he is sick and tired of all of the advice he’s been offered the last few seasons on how to cure his now chronic hitting woes, pointing out that new batting coach Milt Thompson will be his fifth such instructor since reaching the majors.
Walk softly, Milt.
Pitching remains the name of the game and on that front the key starter may be Randy Wolf. Randy would like to put last season behind him. Who can blame him? The line on Wolf has always been that he possesses four or five major league pitches and mixes them up well, keeping batters off balance. In addition, Wolf has one of the best pick-off moves in the league and fields his position extremely well. I like Randy and want him to succeed, but his assortment of junk and off-speed pitches don’t impress me that much since he doesn’t really possess all that great a fastball to offset them. It seems to me batters lay off the 70 mph lobs and sit on that fastball. More troubling, he is prone to giving up fly balls in a ballpark that is, well, you know where I’m going with this one. What concerns me the most, however, is Randy’s health. He has made a few trips to the DL over the last two or three seasons and has been shut down at other times. His left arm just might not be built to take the strain. On the other hand, did we mention this guy can hit? Three home runs and eight RBI’s last season in a mere 45 at-bats. Randy may be a candidate for retrofitting.
What would the Spring be without a little controversy? Having dumped Larry Bowa, I would have guessed that whatever controversy there was to be had in Clearwater would not emanate from the manager’s office, but lo and behold, on the first official day Charlie Manuel opined that he would expect Placido Polanco not only to get his ab’s this season, but who knows, he could even start come April. Ed Wade, no stranger to the misstep himself, quickly countered the next day that he never even expected Polanco to re-sign with the Phils in the first place and that as far as he was concerned, Chase Utley was penned in to start at second.
Dare I say I am optimistic Utley will indeed be given every chance to prove he can handle the job?
Thursday, February 17, 2005
The Eleventh Hour
(Editor’s Note: This is the second digression from our principal topic, baseball, in the last few weeks. With catchers and pitchers reporting today, we expect to be more focused going forward.)
We baby-boomers have been accused of lacking perspective in most matters historical; our progeny are deemed even less conversant with the past. So when the NHL cancelled its entire season yesterday, a first for major league sports in North America, baby-boomers and their offspring everywhere, whether hockey fans or not, surely shook their heads and concluded that current labor relations in hockey must represent a new low in professional sport.
We may be right this time.
Recent history gave us the 1994-95 baseball seasons during which a strike lasting 232 days finally forced cancellation of the ’94 World Series, the first such cancellation in 92 years. (The strike began in August, 1994, and lasted through the end of the regular and post-seasons and all of Spring training in 1995. A few regular-season games were also lost at the start of the 1995 season before both sides put a halt to further self-inflicted wounds.) The NBA strike of 1998-99 lasted 191 days and cost 928 games. The NHL lockout of 1994-95 ran for 103 days and resulted in the cancellation of 468 games. And, of course, there was the infamous 1987 NFL strike during which the owners hired replacement players two weeks into the walkout before a settlement was reached.
Eventually the antagonists in these sports reached enough of an accommodation to salvage a portion of each season, though the cancellation of the ’94 playoffs and World Series after two months of a walkout certainly ended that season unceremoniously (pun intended).
A few things seem axiomatic about most labor negotiations, inside and outside the world of sport. For one thing, preliminary exchanges of positions seem largely a waste of time; most serious negotiations seem to take place at the eleventh hour. Second, final offers are rarely that. And third, both parties might say a lot of nasty things about each other but such behavior is considered posturing with at least one eye on the public.
At this stage, no one is sure what will happen with the NHL next season. Having allegedly come close to a settlement at their eleventh hour, both sides stiffened and refused to go further. Now, everyone associated with hockey is understandably reluctant to predict when, let alone if, the two sides will start negotiations regarding next year. The degree of bitterness is palpable, especially on the players’ side. And despite some “defections”, especially by European-born players who could and did sign with European clubs and played during the negotiations, the Union appears determined not to make more concessions.
For their part, management is expressing the customary sadness and disappointment, but in the final analysis they held the power to cancel an entire season and they exercised that authority. Their next collective decision is to determine whether or not they can afford to lose the lucrative sponsorships, media revenue and, yes, season-ticket revenues anticipated for next year. The guess here is they cannot.
Stay tuned . . . for developments at the eleventh hour.
We baby-boomers have been accused of lacking perspective in most matters historical; our progeny are deemed even less conversant with the past. So when the NHL cancelled its entire season yesterday, a first for major league sports in North America, baby-boomers and their offspring everywhere, whether hockey fans or not, surely shook their heads and concluded that current labor relations in hockey must represent a new low in professional sport.
We may be right this time.
Recent history gave us the 1994-95 baseball seasons during which a strike lasting 232 days finally forced cancellation of the ’94 World Series, the first such cancellation in 92 years. (The strike began in August, 1994, and lasted through the end of the regular and post-seasons and all of Spring training in 1995. A few regular-season games were also lost at the start of the 1995 season before both sides put a halt to further self-inflicted wounds.) The NBA strike of 1998-99 lasted 191 days and cost 928 games. The NHL lockout of 1994-95 ran for 103 days and resulted in the cancellation of 468 games. And, of course, there was the infamous 1987 NFL strike during which the owners hired replacement players two weeks into the walkout before a settlement was reached.
Eventually the antagonists in these sports reached enough of an accommodation to salvage a portion of each season, though the cancellation of the ’94 playoffs and World Series after two months of a walkout certainly ended that season unceremoniously (pun intended).
A few things seem axiomatic about most labor negotiations, inside and outside the world of sport. For one thing, preliminary exchanges of positions seem largely a waste of time; most serious negotiations seem to take place at the eleventh hour. Second, final offers are rarely that. And third, both parties might say a lot of nasty things about each other but such behavior is considered posturing with at least one eye on the public.
At this stage, no one is sure what will happen with the NHL next season. Having allegedly come close to a settlement at their eleventh hour, both sides stiffened and refused to go further. Now, everyone associated with hockey is understandably reluctant to predict when, let alone if, the two sides will start negotiations regarding next year. The degree of bitterness is palpable, especially on the players’ side. And despite some “defections”, especially by European-born players who could and did sign with European clubs and played during the negotiations, the Union appears determined not to make more concessions.
For their part, management is expressing the customary sadness and disappointment, but in the final analysis they held the power to cancel an entire season and they exercised that authority. Their next collective decision is to determine whether or not they can afford to lose the lucrative sponsorships, media revenue and, yes, season-ticket revenues anticipated for next year. The guess here is they cannot.
Stay tuned . . . for developments at the eleventh hour.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Access
Access.
Most people want it at one time or another. Some of them need it. Few ever achieve it.
The baseball blogger lives on the periphery, part of a community but far removed from its inner circles. His greatest advantage? Independence. His greatest disadvantage? Independence.
Years ago, as a young investor, I read an article on stock analysts and the difficulties they faced balancing responsibility to their employers (largely brokerages and mutual fund companies), the industries they followed, and the investing public. Needless to say their employers were interested in ratings that generated order flows. The industries they followed, and who provided them with some of their data and much of their guidance, were available as long as the resultant reports were not too negative. And the public? Well, let’s just say there are generally few “sell” ratings issued, at least not by analysts who want to remain employed or wish to maintain access to the companies they follow.
Bloggers, analysts of a sort, are not beholden to the teams they follow nor to any individuals – players, management, media or fans – associated with them. They are free to express their opinions, outrage and adoration. By the same token, as far as I know bloggers rarely if ever have access to most of these people either. The day may come when bloggers are poised by a player’s locker, PDA or electronic tablet in hand, taking down what he or she says and posting it nearly simultaneously, but for now that kind of access is unavailable. So, we tend to react to secondary sources, a newspaper column here, a radio or television commentary there, an internet post. What we lack is an opportunity to go directly to a source and ask our own questions. We are, perforce, observers and commentators not interlocutors.
Many bloggers might prefer to maintain their independence, but there are already precedents for others seeking and gaining access, the most notable being those bloggers who were accredited at the Democratic Party national convention last summer.
A few weeks ago I sought “press” credentials from MLB and the Philadelphia Phillies and was turned down ostensibly because, as the PR department of the Phillies told me, they have an exclusive online relationship with MLB that precludes “credentialing any online sources other than ESPN such as bloggers.” So for now, at least, I remain independent, without access, free and willing to express myself.
Most people want it at one time or another. Some of them need it. Few ever achieve it.
The baseball blogger lives on the periphery, part of a community but far removed from its inner circles. His greatest advantage? Independence. His greatest disadvantage? Independence.
Years ago, as a young investor, I read an article on stock analysts and the difficulties they faced balancing responsibility to their employers (largely brokerages and mutual fund companies), the industries they followed, and the investing public. Needless to say their employers were interested in ratings that generated order flows. The industries they followed, and who provided them with some of their data and much of their guidance, were available as long as the resultant reports were not too negative. And the public? Well, let’s just say there are generally few “sell” ratings issued, at least not by analysts who want to remain employed or wish to maintain access to the companies they follow.
Bloggers, analysts of a sort, are not beholden to the teams they follow nor to any individuals – players, management, media or fans – associated with them. They are free to express their opinions, outrage and adoration. By the same token, as far as I know bloggers rarely if ever have access to most of these people either. The day may come when bloggers are poised by a player’s locker, PDA or electronic tablet in hand, taking down what he or she says and posting it nearly simultaneously, but for now that kind of access is unavailable. So, we tend to react to secondary sources, a newspaper column here, a radio or television commentary there, an internet post. What we lack is an opportunity to go directly to a source and ask our own questions. We are, perforce, observers and commentators not interlocutors.
Many bloggers might prefer to maintain their independence, but there are already precedents for others seeking and gaining access, the most notable being those bloggers who were accredited at the Democratic Party national convention last summer.
A few weeks ago I sought “press” credentials from MLB and the Philadelphia Phillies and was turned down ostensibly because, as the PR department of the Phillies told me, they have an exclusive online relationship with MLB that precludes “credentialing any online sources other than ESPN such as bloggers.” So for now, at least, I remain independent, without access, free and willing to express myself.
Monday, February 14, 2005
Mere Mortals
I’m sorry but Kyle Lohse just isn’t worth it. Last week, the Twins’ 26-year old starter, who earned $395,00 in 2004, won his arbitration case with the club and will receive $2.4 million in 2005. That's a raise of slightly more than a $2 million for those who are counting. This after going 9-13 with a 5.34 ERA last season. In four big league campaigns the right-hander is 40-39 with 4.86 ERA. I’d love to see a transcript of the arbitration panel’s deliberations if for no other reason than I haven’t read any good fiction in a while.
* * * * * * * *
Larry Bowa turned down the opportunity to despoil the Florida Marlins’ clubhouse for, what else, the bigger bucks and audience he will reach by appearing regularly on XM radio’s baseball channel and on ESPN. Don’t look for him to last more than a season at either venue. Four years of listening to the occasional post-game press conference convinced this observer Bowa has little insight to offer about the game and even less about those who play it.
* * * * * * * *
Curt Schilling, ever gracious, has donated his bloody sock to the baseball Hall of Fame thus sparing us a potentially awkward replay of the debate that gripped the entire Route 128 corridor concerning ownership of that other relic to enter Red Sox lore, “the ball” Doug Mientkiewicz gripped at the end of the World Series. Schilling, keenly aware of baseball history and his place in it, must have peeled off the sock immediately following his appearance on prime time television and forbidden the clubhouse laundry service from including it among the uniforms of his teammates, mere mortals that they are.
* * * * * * * *
Larry Bowa turned down the opportunity to despoil the Florida Marlins’ clubhouse for, what else, the bigger bucks and audience he will reach by appearing regularly on XM radio’s baseball channel and on ESPN. Don’t look for him to last more than a season at either venue. Four years of listening to the occasional post-game press conference convinced this observer Bowa has little insight to offer about the game and even less about those who play it.
* * * * * * * *
Curt Schilling, ever gracious, has donated his bloody sock to the baseball Hall of Fame thus sparing us a potentially awkward replay of the debate that gripped the entire Route 128 corridor concerning ownership of that other relic to enter Red Sox lore, “the ball” Doug Mientkiewicz gripped at the end of the World Series. Schilling, keenly aware of baseball history and his place in it, must have peeled off the sock immediately following his appearance on prime time television and forbidden the clubhouse laundry service from including it among the uniforms of his teammates, mere mortals that they are.
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Rush to Judgment
It’s too easy to sit back and take pot shots at Jose Conseco. I am as guilty of the next party in assuming his allegations are unfounded and unscrupulous at best and his motives vengeful and base.
As I wrote yesterday, at this juncture it may be prudent if not fair to await comments by the main targets of those allegations before reaching any conclusions. My greater willingness to take a more even-handed approach to Conseco, whom I do not admire in the slightest, is prompted by comments made by Ron Rappaport, the sports commentator, on NPR’s Weekend Edition. Rappaport argued persuasively that the public was more than willing to accept the story by BALCO founder Victor Conte that Barry Bonds used steroids he supplied but has been equally quick to dismiss Conseco’s allegations as those of desperate man seeking to make a buck. Conte, Rappaport points out, may be motivated by a far greater need than that of Conseco, namely, staying out of prison.
Bonds is not well liked by much of the public and most of the media. Conseco’s reputation is even worse. But Victor Conte’s behavior hardly rises above that of either man. In the end the entire steroid matter is far too complicated and its implications too great to rush to any judgments.
As I wrote yesterday, at this juncture it may be prudent if not fair to await comments by the main targets of those allegations before reaching any conclusions. My greater willingness to take a more even-handed approach to Conseco, whom I do not admire in the slightest, is prompted by comments made by Ron Rappaport, the sports commentator, on NPR’s Weekend Edition. Rappaport argued persuasively that the public was more than willing to accept the story by BALCO founder Victor Conte that Barry Bonds used steroids he supplied but has been equally quick to dismiss Conseco’s allegations as those of desperate man seeking to make a buck. Conte, Rappaport points out, may be motivated by a far greater need than that of Conseco, namely, staying out of prison.
Bonds is not well liked by much of the public and most of the media. Conseco’s reputation is even worse. But Victor Conte’s behavior hardly rises above that of either man. In the end the entire steroid matter is far too complicated and its implications too great to rush to any judgments.
Friday, February 11, 2005
Coming Clean or Not
Jason Giambi apologized. . . sort of.
The public rehabilitation of the Yankee first baseman got off to a rocky start with the media because he failed to specifically mention what he was sorry about. Giambi and his handlers attributed his omission to a court order forbidding him to mention specifics. The press are all over him largely because they see Giambi’s mea culpa as less an honest attempt to seek redemption and more a consequence of being outed and thus forced to seek the public’s forgiveness. Of course if Giambi had hit 73 home runs in a season while leading the Yankees to a World Series victory, a single “sorry” would have been sufficient for many people.
Giambi strikes me as being a decent guy who isn’t particularly overburdened. Whether or not his apology was thorough enough or prompted by the best intentions, he is the only high-profile figure willing to speak publicly at all. That is more than can be said for Bonds, McGwire, Sosa et al.
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Speaking of the above sluggers, one of those dreaded instant internet polls on ESPN yesterday was revealing if utterly unscientific. Asked whom the voters considered the single season home run champ (the choices were Roger Maris, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds), 45.9 % of 99,269 voters chose Maris. The results reflect several attitudes: disgust in general with the steroids allegations surrounding three of the choices and the ongoing antipathy towards Bonds, the undisputed single-season record holder until another asterisk says differently
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Nearly every Law and Order junkie knows it is very difficult if not impossible to make a case based on hearsay. Don’t tell Jose Canseco, who is doing just that with his new book. I’m hardly in a position to assess the allegations Canseco makes, but I would hazard a guess his last desperate effort to make a buck from baseball will have one result: some of the people he names are going to have to step up and face the court of public opinion more squarely. At this juncture, their teammates and former managers and coaches are doing most of the talking.
The public rehabilitation of the Yankee first baseman got off to a rocky start with the media because he failed to specifically mention what he was sorry about. Giambi and his handlers attributed his omission to a court order forbidding him to mention specifics. The press are all over him largely because they see Giambi’s mea culpa as less an honest attempt to seek redemption and more a consequence of being outed and thus forced to seek the public’s forgiveness. Of course if Giambi had hit 73 home runs in a season while leading the Yankees to a World Series victory, a single “sorry” would have been sufficient for many people.
Giambi strikes me as being a decent guy who isn’t particularly overburdened. Whether or not his apology was thorough enough or prompted by the best intentions, he is the only high-profile figure willing to speak publicly at all. That is more than can be said for Bonds, McGwire, Sosa et al.
* * * * * * * *
Speaking of the above sluggers, one of those dreaded instant internet polls on ESPN yesterday was revealing if utterly unscientific. Asked whom the voters considered the single season home run champ (the choices were Roger Maris, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds), 45.9 % of 99,269 voters chose Maris. The results reflect several attitudes: disgust in general with the steroids allegations surrounding three of the choices and the ongoing antipathy towards Bonds, the undisputed single-season record holder until another asterisk says differently
* * * * * * * *
Nearly every Law and Order junkie knows it is very difficult if not impossible to make a case based on hearsay. Don’t tell Jose Canseco, who is doing just that with his new book. I’m hardly in a position to assess the allegations Canseco makes, but I would hazard a guess his last desperate effort to make a buck from baseball will have one result: some of the people he names are going to have to step up and face the court of public opinion more squarely. At this juncture, their teammates and former managers and coaches are doing most of the talking.
Monday, February 07, 2005
Commercial Coda
As the Hot Stove League winds down and Spring Training looms on the horizon it seemed an appropriate time to stand back from all the off-season commerce we witnessed and revisit Baseball’s Greatest Quotes (compiled by Kevin Nelson) for some perspective on the business of baseball. (Though long out of print, this book occasionally shows up at www.alibris.com. )
Starting off is this now legendary quote from Philip Wrigley, no stranger to hard bargaining:
Baseball is too much of a sport to be called a business, and too much of a business to be called a sport.
The last people who went broke in baseball were Roy and Earle Mack, Connie’s sons. And I claim they did it on merit. – Red Smith (columnist)
I'm going to write a book, How to Make a Small Fortune in Baseball. First, you start with a large fortune. -- Ruly Carpenter (former owner of Phillies)
I’m the most loyal player money can buy. -- Don Sutton (pitcher)
This loyalty stuff is a bunch of bull. Anybody should have a chance to make it while they can. --Wayne Garland (pitcher)
It isn’t the price of stars that’s expensive. It’s the high price of mediocrity. -- Bill Veeck (former owner of White Sox among others)
We live by the Golden Rule. Those who have the gold make the rules. -- Buzzie Bavasi (GM with Dodgers among others)
Barring the discovery of oil wells under second base, financial losses in the next five year will be nearly ten times greater than in the last five. -- Bowie Kuhn, Commissioner, 1981 (“citing skyrocketing players’ salaries in the free agent era.”)
Baseball as at present conducted is a gigantic monopoly, intolerant of opposition and run on a grab-all-there-is-in-sight policy that is alienating its friends and disgusting the very public that has so long and cheerfully given. . .support. -- Cap Anson (Hall of Fame player speaking near the turn of the 20th century)
All football has to do is play its games, and the baseball owners will chase their public to them with their ignorant greed. – Jimmy Cannon (sportswriter)
Starting off is this now legendary quote from Philip Wrigley, no stranger to hard bargaining:
Baseball is too much of a sport to be called a business, and too much of a business to be called a sport.
The last people who went broke in baseball were Roy and Earle Mack, Connie’s sons. And I claim they did it on merit. – Red Smith (columnist)
I'm going to write a book, How to Make a Small Fortune in Baseball. First, you start with a large fortune. -- Ruly Carpenter (former owner of Phillies)
I’m the most loyal player money can buy. -- Don Sutton (pitcher)
This loyalty stuff is a bunch of bull. Anybody should have a chance to make it while they can. --Wayne Garland (pitcher)
It isn’t the price of stars that’s expensive. It’s the high price of mediocrity. -- Bill Veeck (former owner of White Sox among others)
We live by the Golden Rule. Those who have the gold make the rules. -- Buzzie Bavasi (GM with Dodgers among others)
Barring the discovery of oil wells under second base, financial losses in the next five year will be nearly ten times greater than in the last five. -- Bowie Kuhn, Commissioner, 1981 (“citing skyrocketing players’ salaries in the free agent era.”)
Baseball as at present conducted is a gigantic monopoly, intolerant of opposition and run on a grab-all-there-is-in-sight policy that is alienating its friends and disgusting the very public that has so long and cheerfully given. . .support. -- Cap Anson (Hall of Fame player speaking near the turn of the 20th century)
All football has to do is play its games, and the baseball owners will chase their public to them with their ignorant greed. – Jimmy Cannon (sportswriter)
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Take a Good Look in the Mirror
Boys will be boys, but Cole Hamels had better grow up fast.
After breaking his pitching hand the other morning in a fight outside a bar, Hamels, one of the Phillies’ top pitching prospects, is expected to be out of action for about three months. With pitchers and catchers scheduled to report to camp in a few weeks, that means Hamels would miss all of Spring training.
To make matters worse, Hamels lost most of last year to injury, so it is safe to say he is far behind whatever schedule the parent club envisioned for him. To make matters even worse, this may be he second injury he has suffered that is fight-related. The Inquirer’s Jim Salisbury reports there were rumors Hamels suffered a broken arm in high school because of a fight. Hamels denied it.
Hamels is one in a series of hot-heads the Phils seem to attract. Brett Myers and Vicente Padilla often lose their cool to the detriment of the club, but they at least have completed their minor league apprenticeships and pitched well at times in the majors. In Hamels case, management has made him one of the cornerstone of their future plans, refusing to include him in any trade discussions. Having let the side down, he is in real danger of upsetting the Phils best laid plans and in the process never making it to the big leagues. He needs to take a good look in the mirror.
After breaking his pitching hand the other morning in a fight outside a bar, Hamels, one of the Phillies’ top pitching prospects, is expected to be out of action for about three months. With pitchers and catchers scheduled to report to camp in a few weeks, that means Hamels would miss all of Spring training.
To make matters worse, Hamels lost most of last year to injury, so it is safe to say he is far behind whatever schedule the parent club envisioned for him. To make matters even worse, this may be he second injury he has suffered that is fight-related. The Inquirer’s Jim Salisbury reports there were rumors Hamels suffered a broken arm in high school because of a fight. Hamels denied it.
Hamels is one in a series of hot-heads the Phils seem to attract. Brett Myers and Vicente Padilla often lose their cool to the detriment of the club, but they at least have completed their minor league apprenticeships and pitched well at times in the majors. In Hamels case, management has made him one of the cornerstone of their future plans, refusing to include him in any trade discussions. Having let the side down, he is in real danger of upsetting the Phils best laid plans and in the process never making it to the big leagues. He needs to take a good look in the mirror.
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