I am beginning to discern a pattern to Pat Gillick’s acquisition of utility players. The GM seems convinced last year’s bench wasn’t up to the task and that a key pinch hit here or there would have gotten the Phils over the hump. On record as believing five more wins would do the trick this season, Gillick has been tinkering around the edges ever since. Gillick has also made it clear on numerous occasions he wants his manager to have lots of interchangeable parts. A piece by Todd Zolecki in today’s Inquirer underscores Gillick’s determination to help Charlie, noting that a few recently acquired infielders may also see time in the suddenly short-handed outfield.
We may see lots of platooning at third base, catcher and in the outfield. A few sources have even suggested the Phils would use Pat Burrell to spell Ryan Howard at first base when a tough left-hander is on the mound. And everyone knows Chase wore down toward the end of the season and could have used a day or two off. Now, at least, there will be six guys qualified to step in temporarily.
There is much to be said for keeping everyone on the bench happy. Players like coming to the ballpark every day believing they have a chance to start or get into the game. I wouldn’t even know where to begin to find out how much difference a strong bench really makes, so I will assume that while it probably matters, pennants are largely won by starters, all nine of them.
Which brings us to pitching, which remains a big problem. I don’t need to recapitulate the individual issues. Suffice it to say many of the arms Pat inherited and even more of those he has acquired don’t impress. Can they replace Billy Wagner’s 12 win shares? By my calculations that would leave the team more than five games shy of the magic number Gillick believes it will take to win.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Over Under
The overhaul of the Phillies continues abated with reports of the likely addition of yet another middling ballplayer, aka, the other Alex Gonzalez.
Now there will be at least three candidates for the third base job, or portions of it, none of them exactly likely to make us forget Mike Schmidt, Scott Rolen or Puddin’ Head Jones.
The Phillies are becoming a collection of budding stars, fading run-of-the-millers, and guys who always flew just under the radar. Come to think of it, that last image is the perfect metaphor for a team that is in a perennial holding pattern. The only difference with this year’s installment is that the General Manager admits as much.
The motley collection of pitchers and utility infielders Pat Gillick continues to assemble will surely test Charlie Manuel to the limit, not as a hitting guru but as an in-game strategist. History is not on the affable skipper’s side.
Despite all, however, I am optimistic about 2007. At that stage the Phils will have more money to work with, fewer albatrosses on the 25-man roster, and hopefully a well-established nucleus of players coming into their prime. And if the newly reconfigured Cititzens Bank Park turns out to be even a little more pitcher-friendly, some free agent hurlers who heretofore have avoided Philadelphia like the plague might be enticed to sign
As for 2006, I expect a trying year. Still, with Aaron, Jimmy, Chase and Ryan in town, I expect plenty of excitement.
Now there will be at least three candidates for the third base job, or portions of it, none of them exactly likely to make us forget Mike Schmidt, Scott Rolen or Puddin’ Head Jones.
The Phillies are becoming a collection of budding stars, fading run-of-the-millers, and guys who always flew just under the radar. Come to think of it, that last image is the perfect metaphor for a team that is in a perennial holding pattern. The only difference with this year’s installment is that the General Manager admits as much.
The motley collection of pitchers and utility infielders Pat Gillick continues to assemble will surely test Charlie Manuel to the limit, not as a hitting guru but as an in-game strategist. History is not on the affable skipper’s side.
Despite all, however, I am optimistic about 2007. At that stage the Phils will have more money to work with, fewer albatrosses on the 25-man roster, and hopefully a well-established nucleus of players coming into their prime. And if the newly reconfigured Cititzens Bank Park turns out to be even a little more pitcher-friendly, some free agent hurlers who heretofore have avoided Philadelphia like the plague might be enticed to sign
As for 2006, I expect a trying year. Still, with Aaron, Jimmy, Chase and Ryan in town, I expect plenty of excitement.
Friday, January 27, 2006
State of the Team
With a few short weeks remaining before the first players trickle in to Spring Training, where do the Phillies stand?
The Top Man
New GM Pat Gillick started his tenure boldly, moving Jim Thome and a portion of his huge salary to Chicago for centerfielder Aaron Rowand. Since then, Gillick has made a number of minor moves all of which could charitably be described as lateral at best.
His boldest move of all, however, was to announce that he didn’t think the Phillies could win their division as currently constituted. No one wanted to hear that, but it is likely true. From the outset Gillick wanted to shed salary and improve his pitching staff. He has been partially successful on the money side though the Phils remain hamstrung by some lingering long-term deals that mercifully conclude with the end of this season.
Gillick doesn’t appear to be inclined to tell the fans what they want to hear. Some might label his candor self-preservation, i.e., don’t raise expectations you have little hope of meeting. I’d call it realism. Gillick isn’t foolish enough to tell everyone to skip 2006 and check back with him in 2007, but in his own mind he is already looking ahead.
The Manager
As our intrepid reporter ne’ blogger Jason Weitzel of Beerleaguer makes amply clear, Charlie Manuel loves the game. Unfortunately, that and $5.50 will buy you a beer at the Bank. Manuel is generally credited with being a fine hitting coach and last year’s emergence of Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and re-emergence of Pat Burrell might owe more than a little something to their manager’s tutelage. But Charlie isn’t much of an in-game strategist (the double switch is particularly nettlesome to him) nor is he particularly adept at handling a pitching staff.
As I wrote last summer, it cannot be underestimated how much a manager contributes to the mental health of a ball club. By the same token, it is difficult to know how many games are won and lost by strategies. Manuel was hired instead of Jim Leyland to manage the Phillies largely because he was the anti-Bowa and the latter wasn’t. But while nice guys may not finish last every time, they do finish at least a game out of first.
Pitching
If pitching is still the name of the game this club still shall remain largely nameless. The absence of a dominant number one guy is only part of the problem. Brett Myers may still assume that role as early as this season, but he has a lot of growing up to do first. Randy Wolf’s successful return would also contribute to the overall improvement of the starting rotation, particularly from the left side, but realistically only somewhere in the middle. Reports that he is ahead of schedule in his rehab are encouraging, but let us not forget he is coming back from Tommy John surgery and though fairly common now, it is still major surgery.
Jon Lieber has to at least match last year’s performance for the Phillies to be competitive and Cory Lidle has to even out his. The rest of the pretenders are unknown quantities beginning with Ryan Madson and ending with Ryan Franklin. I wouldn’t count on Gavin Floyd, who continues to fail to impress versus less than major league hitting. The Phils haven’t given up on Floyd, but I’d be surprised if they didn’t listen to inquiries about his availability going forward.
The relief corps will be anchored by Tom Gordon. His setup help will come from a cast of characters still to be settled. Two-thirds of last year’s TROIKA on whom Manuel depended heavily have departed for greener pastures or state-run facilities and the lone remaining member, Madson, is being pushed for a starting role., where he excelled in the minors.
Opponents are not going to be looking ahead to the arrival of the Phillies believing they will be facing at least one if not two very tough starting pitchers in a three or four game series. Rather, they are likely to think they have a good chance in every outing.
Offense
The Phillies will score runs this season but how many will depend on four players: Pat Burrell, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Burrell has to consolidate last year’s recovery; anything less could be disastrous. Rollins has to step up finally and be the dependable leadoff hitter the Phils have desperately needed for a very long time. Jimmy’s run at the end of last season meant far more than personal triumph. In every game he played during his 36-game hitting streak he and more importantly his mates believed he would come through. That kind of energy is incalculably important. Utley and Howard have to maintain or exceed their production as first-year starters in 2005. Everyone is excited at the prospect of a full year from Howard, who by all accounts has the determination and equanimity to succeed.
The Black Hole made famous throughout the blogosphere by commenter extraordinaire George S. remains intact at the bottom of the order. The Phils may have added some occasional alternatives to this abyss with the acquisition of Abraham Nunez and, perhaps, the emergence of Carlos Ruiz, but Lieberthal and Bell will see a lot of action.
Bobby Abreu represents a special case. Everyone knows he was dangled before a number of clubs during this off-season. Everyone knows Bobby had an awful second half of last season. Explanations ranged from a Home Run Derby-ruined swing to late season leg injuries. Whatever the causes of his batting funk, Abreu’s average plummeted more than fifty points following the All Star game. Implausibly, Bobby won his first Gold Glove award last season prompting all of us who watch him daily to wonder what tapes the voters were watching. Bobby is an adequate fielder. They don’t pay him for his glove.
The most troubling development in his second half of 2005 was the appearance that he had lost his feel for the strike zone, always one of his greatest strengths. At times Bobby looked a little lost at the plate and his expression grew more and more pained. He continued to draw a lot of walks, but he also struck out a lot and failed to get good wood on the ball. His power numbers fell off precipitously. Without a recovered Abreu the Phils aren’t going anywhere, not matter how the aforementioned key players perform.
The Park
Everyone knows Citizens Bank Park is a hitters’ park. The Phils finally decided to do something about the cheap home runs to the petunias in left field and moved the wall back ten feet and planned to install a fence on top of it. Not only will Phillies’ pitchers appreciate the new dimensions, so will potential acquisitions and free agents who heretofore agreed with statements such as those from the Braves’ John Smoltz, who publicly criticized the park’s dimensions on numerous occasions.
The Phillies enjoyed one honeymoon season in their new surroundings. A year later, 600,000 fewer fans attended games there even though their team was in the pennant race until the last game of the season. [The players noticed this, too, and weren’t too happy about it, especially the now-departed Billy Wagner, who was never happy about very much in Philadelphia. Of course, the pennant race heated up just as the Eagles hit training camp following their Super Bowl appearance and everyone in this town, especially baseball players, knows where the local fans’ allegiances lie. Will the Phillies capitalize on the Eagles’ dysfunction of this past season? Hard to say it they have the horses.]
Ownership has responded to the dramatic falloff in revenues with personnel changes in the front office and dugout to little effect thus far. More to the point, they have joined several other major league clubs in raising the price of tickets during the prime time of the season and for games with more appeal. Games with Colorado, Cincinnati and other also-rans will no doubt be shored up with bobble-head offers, free beach towels and other trinkets. Based on last year’s experience, fans don’t fall for those enticements too often.
The Top Man
New GM Pat Gillick started his tenure boldly, moving Jim Thome and a portion of his huge salary to Chicago for centerfielder Aaron Rowand. Since then, Gillick has made a number of minor moves all of which could charitably be described as lateral at best.
His boldest move of all, however, was to announce that he didn’t think the Phillies could win their division as currently constituted. No one wanted to hear that, but it is likely true. From the outset Gillick wanted to shed salary and improve his pitching staff. He has been partially successful on the money side though the Phils remain hamstrung by some lingering long-term deals that mercifully conclude with the end of this season.
Gillick doesn’t appear to be inclined to tell the fans what they want to hear. Some might label his candor self-preservation, i.e., don’t raise expectations you have little hope of meeting. I’d call it realism. Gillick isn’t foolish enough to tell everyone to skip 2006 and check back with him in 2007, but in his own mind he is already looking ahead.
The Manager
As our intrepid reporter ne’ blogger Jason Weitzel of Beerleaguer makes amply clear, Charlie Manuel loves the game. Unfortunately, that and $5.50 will buy you a beer at the Bank. Manuel is generally credited with being a fine hitting coach and last year’s emergence of Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and re-emergence of Pat Burrell might owe more than a little something to their manager’s tutelage. But Charlie isn’t much of an in-game strategist (the double switch is particularly nettlesome to him) nor is he particularly adept at handling a pitching staff.
As I wrote last summer, it cannot be underestimated how much a manager contributes to the mental health of a ball club. By the same token, it is difficult to know how many games are won and lost by strategies. Manuel was hired instead of Jim Leyland to manage the Phillies largely because he was the anti-Bowa and the latter wasn’t. But while nice guys may not finish last every time, they do finish at least a game out of first.
Pitching
If pitching is still the name of the game this club still shall remain largely nameless. The absence of a dominant number one guy is only part of the problem. Brett Myers may still assume that role as early as this season, but he has a lot of growing up to do first. Randy Wolf’s successful return would also contribute to the overall improvement of the starting rotation, particularly from the left side, but realistically only somewhere in the middle. Reports that he is ahead of schedule in his rehab are encouraging, but let us not forget he is coming back from Tommy John surgery and though fairly common now, it is still major surgery.
Jon Lieber has to at least match last year’s performance for the Phillies to be competitive and Cory Lidle has to even out his. The rest of the pretenders are unknown quantities beginning with Ryan Madson and ending with Ryan Franklin. I wouldn’t count on Gavin Floyd, who continues to fail to impress versus less than major league hitting. The Phils haven’t given up on Floyd, but I’d be surprised if they didn’t listen to inquiries about his availability going forward.
The relief corps will be anchored by Tom Gordon. His setup help will come from a cast of characters still to be settled. Two-thirds of last year’s TROIKA on whom Manuel depended heavily have departed for greener pastures or state-run facilities and the lone remaining member, Madson, is being pushed for a starting role., where he excelled in the minors.
Opponents are not going to be looking ahead to the arrival of the Phillies believing they will be facing at least one if not two very tough starting pitchers in a three or four game series. Rather, they are likely to think they have a good chance in every outing.
Offense
The Phillies will score runs this season but how many will depend on four players: Pat Burrell, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Burrell has to consolidate last year’s recovery; anything less could be disastrous. Rollins has to step up finally and be the dependable leadoff hitter the Phils have desperately needed for a very long time. Jimmy’s run at the end of last season meant far more than personal triumph. In every game he played during his 36-game hitting streak he and more importantly his mates believed he would come through. That kind of energy is incalculably important. Utley and Howard have to maintain or exceed their production as first-year starters in 2005. Everyone is excited at the prospect of a full year from Howard, who by all accounts has the determination and equanimity to succeed.
The Black Hole made famous throughout the blogosphere by commenter extraordinaire George S. remains intact at the bottom of the order. The Phils may have added some occasional alternatives to this abyss with the acquisition of Abraham Nunez and, perhaps, the emergence of Carlos Ruiz, but Lieberthal and Bell will see a lot of action.
Bobby Abreu represents a special case. Everyone knows he was dangled before a number of clubs during this off-season. Everyone knows Bobby had an awful second half of last season. Explanations ranged from a Home Run Derby-ruined swing to late season leg injuries. Whatever the causes of his batting funk, Abreu’s average plummeted more than fifty points following the All Star game. Implausibly, Bobby won his first Gold Glove award last season prompting all of us who watch him daily to wonder what tapes the voters were watching. Bobby is an adequate fielder. They don’t pay him for his glove.
The most troubling development in his second half of 2005 was the appearance that he had lost his feel for the strike zone, always one of his greatest strengths. At times Bobby looked a little lost at the plate and his expression grew more and more pained. He continued to draw a lot of walks, but he also struck out a lot and failed to get good wood on the ball. His power numbers fell off precipitously. Without a recovered Abreu the Phils aren’t going anywhere, not matter how the aforementioned key players perform.
The Park
Everyone knows Citizens Bank Park is a hitters’ park. The Phils finally decided to do something about the cheap home runs to the petunias in left field and moved the wall back ten feet and planned to install a fence on top of it. Not only will Phillies’ pitchers appreciate the new dimensions, so will potential acquisitions and free agents who heretofore agreed with statements such as those from the Braves’ John Smoltz, who publicly criticized the park’s dimensions on numerous occasions.
The Phillies enjoyed one honeymoon season in their new surroundings. A year later, 600,000 fewer fans attended games there even though their team was in the pennant race until the last game of the season. [The players noticed this, too, and weren’t too happy about it, especially the now-departed Billy Wagner, who was never happy about very much in Philadelphia. Of course, the pennant race heated up just as the Eagles hit training camp following their Super Bowl appearance and everyone in this town, especially baseball players, knows where the local fans’ allegiances lie. Will the Phillies capitalize on the Eagles’ dysfunction of this past season? Hard to say it they have the horses.]
Ownership has responded to the dramatic falloff in revenues with personnel changes in the front office and dugout to little effect thus far. More to the point, they have joined several other major league clubs in raising the price of tickets during the prime time of the season and for games with more appeal. Games with Colorado, Cincinnati and other also-rans will no doubt be shored up with bobble-head offers, free beach towels and other trinkets. Based on last year’s experience, fans don’t fall for those enticements too often.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Rogue's Gallery Awaits 2006 Additions
Jose Offerman. Tim Worrell. Roberto Hernandez. Michael Tucker. Paul Abbott. Jim Crowell. Shawn Wooten. Lou Collier. Terry Adams. Aquilino Lopez. Pedro Liriano. Amaury Telemaco. Elizardo Ramirez. A.J. Hinch.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Insider Information?
A report in this morning’s Inquirer that the Phils are on the verge of trading Jason Michaels to Cleveland for Arthur Rhodes raises a potentially troubling trend with Pat Gillick. The new GM is bringing in players he knows, but all of them have above-average baggage. The Ryan Franklin signing was one such deal; the potential Rhodes acquisition is another. While Rhodes had a fine year for Cleveland in 2005, the piece in the Inquirer noted he was unable to pitch for most of the last two months of the season due to an inflamed knee. At 36 years of age, the fifteen year veteran has to be considered another gamble given his health and the number of stickers on his luggage. The Phils would be his fourth club in four consecutive years.
Gillick may know something about these two players the rest of the GM’s are less privy to, but their track records are public knowledge. Rhodes had a fine season for Cleveland when able to pitch, going 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA and zero saves as a set-up man, but his career 4.26 ERA is hardly inspiring and ankle and knee problems over the last three seasons are worrisome at least.
Another disturbing aspect of this trade is the feeling that Michaels could fetch more in the way of prospects than this deal would yield, namely, settling for some stop-gap measure. With Rhodes, Gordon and Cormier in the pen, the Phils have lots of experience to be sure. Of course, another word for experience is age.
Gillick may know something about these two players the rest of the GM’s are less privy to, but their track records are public knowledge. Rhodes had a fine season for Cleveland when able to pitch, going 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA and zero saves as a set-up man, but his career 4.26 ERA is hardly inspiring and ankle and knee problems over the last three seasons are worrisome at least.
Another disturbing aspect of this trade is the feeling that Michaels could fetch more in the way of prospects than this deal would yield, namely, settling for some stop-gap measure. With Rhodes, Gordon and Cormier in the pen, the Phils have lots of experience to be sure. Of course, another word for experience is age.
Friday, January 20, 2006
Frozen Ropes
Though he hasn’t said it in so many words, Phils GM Pat Gillick has lowered his expectations for 2006. Quoted the other day as believing the Phillies cannot win with their current pitching staff, Gillick nevertheless intends to field a team as far as we know. Gillick was put in an impossible situation when he took over for Ed Wade. Too many albatrosses (final years on big salaries for Lieberthal and Bell and a huge portion of Jim Thome’s salary), a lousy free agent class to pick from, especially in the pitching department; a sharp drop-off in revenues due to the dramatic decline in attendance (600,000 less fannies). There was no way Gillick could fix all of those holes in one off-season.
Right now the team to beat in the NL East is New York. They have the best overall combination of offense and pitching. The latter depends on the continued health of Pedro Martinez and Billy Wagner, but should they remain formidable the Mets will be tough.
After them, the rest of the division members have big problems. In Atlanta, the Braves biggest hurdle to overcome will be the health of Mike Hampton and the departure of Leo Mazzone. The Marlins are mere shadows of their former selves and the Nationals haven’t improved themselves significantly from last season’s over-achievers. Indeed, their most important off-season acquisition, Alfonso Soriano, is already unhappy and pitchers and catchers haven’t even reported yet.
What could change the situation for the Phillies? Several things:
* * * * * * * *
The Phillies have joined several other major league clubs in announcing they now have a special pricing schedule for mid-season and/or prime games. The rise in ticket prices as the temperature warms is deplorable but irreversible. Other teams are doing it and once underway these sort of trends are unstoppable. So, get ready to fork over more money just when a weeknight game in, say, July is scheduled and the kids don’t have school the next day. The variable rates affect games scheduled for between May 19 and August 20 and naturally cover the period of interleague play. This year the Red Sox and Yankees are scheduled to visit Citizens Bank Park. Lower prices should be available to watch Colorado and Cincinnati.
Among other notable dates the Phils released is Fan Appreciation Day, Sept. 24, vs. Florida, the final regular-season home game. Lord knows the Marlins will need some fan appreciation, too, even if it is in someone else’s ballpark. Fewer, if any, fans should show up in Miami to watch the locals than in the recent past.
Right now the team to beat in the NL East is New York. They have the best overall combination of offense and pitching. The latter depends on the continued health of Pedro Martinez and Billy Wagner, but should they remain formidable the Mets will be tough.
After them, the rest of the division members have big problems. In Atlanta, the Braves biggest hurdle to overcome will be the health of Mike Hampton and the departure of Leo Mazzone. The Marlins are mere shadows of their former selves and the Nationals haven’t improved themselves significantly from last season’s over-achievers. Indeed, their most important off-season acquisition, Alfonso Soriano, is already unhappy and pitchers and catchers haven’t even reported yet.
What could change the situation for the Phillies? Several things:
- Gavin Floyd could fulfill all the promise and hype, but don’t count on it.
- Brett Myers could grow up but not out. The comment he made about getting winded whenever he climbed a flight of stairs last season was either disingenuous or pathetic. He was fat and out of shape.
- The change in the left-field wall dimensions could make a difference. My recollection of the number of fly balls landing in the petunias suggests this could indeed be the most significant ten feet in recent Phillies history.
- Randy Wolf, the forgotten man on the Phillies staff, could come back stronger and better. Though he won’t be available before mid to late season under the best of circumstances, Wolf’s recovery of form could dramatically alter the picture for the Phillies, giving them a veteran left-handed presence they sorely lack as of now.
- Aaron Rowand could rediscover his batting stroke and avoid running through the very outfield walls his predecessor, Kenny Lofton, studiously avoided.
- Hopefully, Chase Utley will avoid getting too tired in the late season. Anyone who plays as hard as Utley does is bound to wear down. It wouldn’t hurt to give him a few days off every now and then.
- Ryan Howard could pick up where he left off last season. There is no secret that Howard’s continued emergence is critical to the Phils’ success. He seems to have the temperament and ability to come through.
- Jimmy Rollins could also pick up where he left off. Frankly, this must be his breakout year as a leadoff batter.
- Cory Lidle could pitch effectively for an entire season, not just stretches. This is another one of those “don’t hold your breath” situations. Lidle is a career .500 pitcher.
* * * * * * * *
The Phillies have joined several other major league clubs in announcing they now have a special pricing schedule for mid-season and/or prime games. The rise in ticket prices as the temperature warms is deplorable but irreversible. Other teams are doing it and once underway these sort of trends are unstoppable. So, get ready to fork over more money just when a weeknight game in, say, July is scheduled and the kids don’t have school the next day. The variable rates affect games scheduled for between May 19 and August 20 and naturally cover the period of interleague play. This year the Red Sox and Yankees are scheduled to visit Citizens Bank Park. Lower prices should be available to watch Colorado and Cincinnati.
Among other notable dates the Phils released is Fan Appreciation Day, Sept. 24, vs. Florida, the final regular-season home game. Lord knows the Marlins will need some fan appreciation, too, even if it is in someone else’s ballpark. Fewer, if any, fans should show up in Miami to watch the locals than in the recent past.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Winners and Losers
The election of Bruce Sutter to the Hall of Fame was interesting on many fronts.
First, there was the issue of an unusually weak overall ballot of newly eligible players. No one among them deserved election.
Then there was the issue of several eligible players who have long been on the ballot, most notably Sutter, Goose Gossage, Jim Rice, Bert Blyleven, Tommy John and Andre Dawson. All of these men had failed to receive sufficient support over many years despite impressive credentials. How impressive was only part of the debate. Antipathy toward the voting press (Rice), less than impressive won-loss percentages (Blyleven and Johns), a career batting average one point shy of the mythical .280 cut-off (Dawson), and general bias towards closers and the Yankees (Gossage) all figured in the voting.
Finally, there was the prospect of not electing anyone. The baseball gods let alone Commissioner’s office, shuddered at that prospect! A summer without an induction ceremony? No way! By comparison, the prospects of election for Rice, Blyleven et al next season are deemed considerably less because of the presence of first-time eligible Cal Ripken, Tony Gwynn and Mark MacGwire, the first two of whom are locks to enter.
Sutter’s election was deserved. Gossage’s failure was undeserved. One need only look at the premium placed on current closers who were eligible for free agency this off-season and the angst created at the prospect of losing one to a rival to realize how crucial the role has become.
Since we are speaking about the Billy Wagner’s of the baseball world, it is also worth noting that unlike Sutter and Gossage, Wagner-types pitch one inning if that these days and balk at the prospect of coming into a game unless there is a clear save situation. Contrast that with Gosssage, for instance, who regularly pitched twice as many innings per season as Wagner and was certainly as effective.
First, there was the issue of an unusually weak overall ballot of newly eligible players. No one among them deserved election.
Then there was the issue of several eligible players who have long been on the ballot, most notably Sutter, Goose Gossage, Jim Rice, Bert Blyleven, Tommy John and Andre Dawson. All of these men had failed to receive sufficient support over many years despite impressive credentials. How impressive was only part of the debate. Antipathy toward the voting press (Rice), less than impressive won-loss percentages (Blyleven and Johns), a career batting average one point shy of the mythical .280 cut-off (Dawson), and general bias towards closers and the Yankees (Gossage) all figured in the voting.
Finally, there was the prospect of not electing anyone. The baseball gods let alone Commissioner’s office, shuddered at that prospect! A summer without an induction ceremony? No way! By comparison, the prospects of election for Rice, Blyleven et al next season are deemed considerably less because of the presence of first-time eligible Cal Ripken, Tony Gwynn and Mark MacGwire, the first two of whom are locks to enter.
Sutter’s election was deserved. Gossage’s failure was undeserved. One need only look at the premium placed on current closers who were eligible for free agency this off-season and the angst created at the prospect of losing one to a rival to realize how crucial the role has become.
Since we are speaking about the Billy Wagner’s of the baseball world, it is also worth noting that unlike Sutter and Gossage, Wagner-types pitch one inning if that these days and balk at the prospect of coming into a game unless there is a clear save situation. Contrast that with Gosssage, for instance, who regularly pitched twice as many innings per season as Wagner and was certainly as effective.
Monday, January 09, 2006
In No Particular Order
We are fast approaching the twilight zone of professional sports, aka the dead of winter (despite the 60 degree weather outside this January 9th). Football has begun its second season which will culminate at the end of January with the Super Bowl; NBA basketball hasn’t reach the half-way point and isn’t worth watching yet (or ever, in my humble opinion); hockey, shoot outs notwithstanding, hasn’t cracked our consciousness; and baseball’s hot stove league is just smoldering embers at this stage.
Still, the bloggers have recovered from their holiday celebrations and like seed catalogs in the mailbox, are showing up in fits and starts with hints of spring.
* * * * * * * *
Now that the Marlins have served notice they will be pulling up stakes in Miami as soon as legally possible, the principal contenders to become their new home are lining up. Portland, OR, and Las Vegas are generally considered the leading candidates at this juncture. This article makes the Portland case rather persuasively.
* * * * * * * *
What’s with Miguel Tejada? He wants in; he wants out. He’s going; he’s staying. He’s disgusted with the Orioles; he wants to make them a winner. While Tejada’s erratic behavior is disconcerting to say the least, it isn’t altogether surprising given the state of the Baltimore Orioles.
Once considered an admirable franchise, the Orioles have disintegrated into perennial losers under the meddling ownership of Peter Angelos. An article by Murray Chass in yesterday’s NY Times explains only one of the many reasons most ball players will do anything to avoid signing with the Orioles these days. Read it here.
* * * * * * * *
The Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets have gotten most of the publicity about off-season signings and trades, but the Dodgers have also made a number of improvements. With Bill Mueller and Rafael Furcal on the left side and Nomar Garciaparra and Jeff Kent on the right side, the Dodgers will have a good infield if everyone stays healthy. If Brad Penny and Eric Gagne can return to earlier form and if JD Drew can stay healthy and Kenny Lofton can approximate last year’s performance, Los Angeles will be tough.
Still, the bloggers have recovered from their holiday celebrations and like seed catalogs in the mailbox, are showing up in fits and starts with hints of spring.
* * * * * * * *
Now that the Marlins have served notice they will be pulling up stakes in Miami as soon as legally possible, the principal contenders to become their new home are lining up. Portland, OR, and Las Vegas are generally considered the leading candidates at this juncture. This article makes the Portland case rather persuasively.
* * * * * * * *
What’s with Miguel Tejada? He wants in; he wants out. He’s going; he’s staying. He’s disgusted with the Orioles; he wants to make them a winner. While Tejada’s erratic behavior is disconcerting to say the least, it isn’t altogether surprising given the state of the Baltimore Orioles.
Once considered an admirable franchise, the Orioles have disintegrated into perennial losers under the meddling ownership of Peter Angelos. An article by Murray Chass in yesterday’s NY Times explains only one of the many reasons most ball players will do anything to avoid signing with the Orioles these days. Read it here.
* * * * * * * *
The Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets have gotten most of the publicity about off-season signings and trades, but the Dodgers have also made a number of improvements. With Bill Mueller and Rafael Furcal on the left side and Nomar Garciaparra and Jeff Kent on the right side, the Dodgers will have a good infield if everyone stays healthy. If Brad Penny and Eric Gagne can return to earlier form and if JD Drew can stay healthy and Kenny Lofton can approximate last year’s performance, Los Angeles will be tough.
Friday, January 06, 2006
No Kidding, Pat
“Gillick said any further pitching additions would likely come through trades because the free-agent market, weak from the start, has been picked over.”
No kidding, Pat. And we might add you certainly did your part in the proceedings.
It's difficult to determine what, if any, strategy the Phillies' new GM is employing. Other than the Rowand-Thome trade, virtually every other move Gillick has made is either lateral or backwards. If he is positioning the Phils for the future it would be nice to hear him put a date on when that might begin. From the cold perspective of early January, the future doesn't appear to be this coming April. On the other hand, what GM is going to publicly admit as much?
No kidding, Pat. And we might add you certainly did your part in the proceedings.
It's difficult to determine what, if any, strategy the Phillies' new GM is employing. Other than the Rowand-Thome trade, virtually every other move Gillick has made is either lateral or backwards. If he is positioning the Phils for the future it would be nice to hear him put a date on when that might begin. From the cold perspective of early January, the future doesn't appear to be this coming April. On the other hand, what GM is going to publicly admit as much?
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Sunday, August 07, 2005
And The Envelope, Please
We can no longer sit by idly as the evidence mounts. Something must be done to address the issue before it’s too late. A clear pattern has been established and there is no denying its impact on the game. We must acknowledge the truth, face it head on, come to some decision about the next step, and act!!
Steroids? Nope. We’re talking the Swing And A Miss Reverse Curse.
That’s right, Phillies fans, the Reverse Curse. A quick tour through the Swing And A Miss Archives is all it takes to see the RC in action. Some highlights:
1. I predicted JRoll would test free agency rather than re-sign with the Phils and, voila, a new five year deal. Earlier I had predicted he wouldn’t even think of negotiating during the season. He signed the deal in June.
2. I provided a list of predictions and analyses regarding several players most of which proved to be off the mark at the time.
3. I suggested Chase Utley may need a day off and, of course, he drives in three runs the next night.
4. I lamented Bobby Abreu's prolonged slump and he hit home runs in his next two games including a game-winning grand slam off of Mark Prior in his first at-bat of the day.
5. I annointed Cory Lidle the Phils most reliable pitcher and in his next start he was bombed in Miami. Since then he has been anything but consistent.
6. I resisted making predictions earlier in the season and with this post one can learn why I should have refrained even longer.
I could go on but why bother? Are these coincidences or is something deeper and more mysterious at work? Should I quit while I am ahead or can the Phillies handle another intallment of the Reverse Curse?
Of course, all of this ruminating begs the larger question: should I branch out into other untapped areas? Would any of my readers like a list of non-winning Powerball numbers? Would they like to know which small cap stock is going to miss its earnings by a wide margin? Stay tuned.
Steroids? Nope. We’re talking the Swing And A Miss Reverse Curse.
That’s right, Phillies fans, the Reverse Curse. A quick tour through the Swing And A Miss Archives is all it takes to see the RC in action. Some highlights:
1. I predicted JRoll would test free agency rather than re-sign with the Phils and, voila, a new five year deal. Earlier I had predicted he wouldn’t even think of negotiating during the season. He signed the deal in June.
2. I provided a list of predictions and analyses regarding several players most of which proved to be off the mark at the time.
3. I suggested Chase Utley may need a day off and, of course, he drives in three runs the next night.
4. I lamented Bobby Abreu's prolonged slump and he hit home runs in his next two games including a game-winning grand slam off of Mark Prior in his first at-bat of the day.
5. I annointed Cory Lidle the Phils most reliable pitcher and in his next start he was bombed in Miami. Since then he has been anything but consistent.
6. I resisted making predictions earlier in the season and with this post one can learn why I should have refrained even longer.
I could go on but why bother? Are these coincidences or is something deeper and more mysterious at work? Should I quit while I am ahead or can the Phillies handle another intallment of the Reverse Curse?
Of course, all of this ruminating begs the larger question: should I branch out into other untapped areas? Would any of my readers like a list of non-winning Powerball numbers? Would they like to know which small cap stock is going to miss its earnings by a wide margin? Stay tuned.
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Far From Peaking
For a team built around offense, the last few weeks have made it painfully clear the master plan simply isn't working.
Everyone is slumping at once. Only a long overdue Bobby Abreu is showing any signs of life at the plate over the last couple of games; otherwise, it should be noted, he remains the same tentative, average outfielder to whom we’ve grown accustomed.
Ironically, except for a two bad outings, one each by Cory Lidle in Houston and Jon Lieber in Colorado, the starting pitching has been good overall and excellent on occasion.
The Phils have been shut down by some pretty good pitchers themselves during this stretch, but they haven’t helped their own cause by swinging at bad pitches, taking good ones, and failing to deliver when scoring opportunities present themselves.
Everything on this club seems out of sync. Even Chase Utley is struggling at the plate and in the field. He is 1 for 14 during this home stand and has made a few miscues in the field. The sight of him turning and walking back to the dugout after striking out is occuring more frequently. He could probably use a day or two off, but can the Phillies afford such a move? Ryan Howard, who seems to have altered his stance slightly (he is crouching less and standing more upright than when he first arrived) is seeing a lot more breaking balls lately, most of them for called strikes.
Charlie Manuel has overused his bullpen to such a degree the Phils decided to send newly-acquired Matt Kata to the minors and bring up lefthander Eude Brito from Scranton to help out. It should be noted that Brito, a 27-year old, had a poor record out of the pen at Scranton before being moved into the starting rotation where he fared much better. So, it figures they plan to use him in relief here.
Everyone is slumping at once. Only a long overdue Bobby Abreu is showing any signs of life at the plate over the last couple of games; otherwise, it should be noted, he remains the same tentative, average outfielder to whom we’ve grown accustomed.
Ironically, except for a two bad outings, one each by Cory Lidle in Houston and Jon Lieber in Colorado, the starting pitching has been good overall and excellent on occasion.
The Phils have been shut down by some pretty good pitchers themselves during this stretch, but they haven’t helped their own cause by swinging at bad pitches, taking good ones, and failing to deliver when scoring opportunities present themselves.
Everything on this club seems out of sync. Even Chase Utley is struggling at the plate and in the field. He is 1 for 14 during this home stand and has made a few miscues in the field. The sight of him turning and walking back to the dugout after striking out is occuring more frequently. He could probably use a day or two off, but can the Phillies afford such a move? Ryan Howard, who seems to have altered his stance slightly (he is crouching less and standing more upright than when he first arrived) is seeing a lot more breaking balls lately, most of them for called strikes.
Charlie Manuel has overused his bullpen to such a degree the Phils decided to send newly-acquired Matt Kata to the minors and bring up lefthander Eude Brito from Scranton to help out. It should be noted that Brito, a 27-year old, had a poor record out of the pen at Scranton before being moved into the starting rotation where he fared much better. So, it figures they plan to use him in relief here.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
I Didn't Begin Life As A Phillies Fan
[Editor’s note: The Baltimore Orioles fired Lee Mazilli yesterday, making him the sixth manager owner Peter Angelos has fired since buying the team in October, 1993. The seventh skipper, Sam Perlozzo, is being called an “interim” manager. That is appropriate.]
I grew up in Baltimore at a time when baseball was still the national pastime. For my generation, baseball was the game of our forefathers. All the other professional sports now populating the landscape, even football, were either non-existent then, in their infancy, or had not yet captured the nation's imagination. Certainly none of them exercised the exclusive hold on our hearts that baseball enjoyed.
Personal history -- not just childhood memories of going to games with a father or grandfather, but also hearing them speak about the stars and ballparks of their youth – served to deepen our loyalty and affection for the hometown team.
In my youth the Colts (1953) and Orioles (1954) arrived in Baltimore within a year of each other, but the only history my father could relate to his then six-year old son was of the various minor league Orioles teams of his childhood and of old Orioles Park, the predecessor to Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards.
In 1954 Baltimoreans of all ages rejoiced at the arrival of a new major league team, with the oldest voices in the chorus intoning the legendary names associated with baseball in their city: Babe Ruth, Wee Willie Keeler, John McGraw, and Hughie Jennings, star of the National League Champion Orioles of 1894-96.
My father's fondest baseball memories were of going with his father to see Jack Dunn's celebrated Orioles teams which won seven straight International League pennants between 1919 and 1925. Dunn's teams were considered on a par with or superior to most major league teams of the day and he maintained their extraordinary level of excellence by holding onto players when a lot of major league teams sought to purchase their contracts. Prior to the 1926 season Dunn finally broke up the team by selling a number of his star players including Lefty Grove to the Philadelphia Athletics. Grove would later be at the core of the championship A's teams of the 1930's.
The Colts, by comparison, had no such legacy to draw on. In fact, professional football was just beginning its national expansion and, as yet, hadn’t replaced baseball as America's greatest sports passion. It is generally agreed that it wasn't until the dramatic sudden death championship game in 1958 between the Colts and the Giants that the public's interest in the NFL exploded.
Throughout my youth I adored the Orioles. Whenever I was going to the ballpark, I would leave home early and arrive at Memorial Stadium in time to watch infield practice. Batting practice held no special appeal for me, but watching Brooks Robinson, Mark Belanger, Davey Johnson and Boog Powell take grounders was pure joy. The rituals of their infield practice remain vivid to me to this day. (I don’t know whether or not teams even take infield practice any longer.)
In those days my brother, nearly three years older than I, was a devoted Yankees fan. He must have been switched at the hospital, I thought, but his fifth column presence in our household turned out to be good training for my subsequent years in the wilderness. At college in New England I was thrown together with baseball fans from across the country. Being in Connecticut, there were obviously more Red Sox and Yankee fans than partisans of the Birds, but this melting pot of boosters only deepened my affection for the Orioles.
After finishing college in the late '60's I lived in several different cities around the country, none of which had a major league team. Only when I moved to Cambridge, MA, could I see the Orioles in person, and given my instincts for survival I contained my enthusiasms whenever I went to Fenway Park.
Compounding my frustration at keeping in touch with the Orioles during these peregrinations, this was the era before cable television, super stations, and Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and sometimes Thursday games of the week to say nothing of watching MLB on one's computer. Even when the networks began to broadcast more games nationally, the Orioles, who do not play in one of the larger TV markets, made few appearances other than during those years when they were perennial playoff and World Series participants. During the late '60's and early '70's it was hard to keep the Orioles off national television in October, but their appearances during the regular season were precious few. I mostly relied on radio to keep in touch, but the Orioles network was beamed toward the South as befit the cultural heritage of Baltimore. I was seldom able to hear these broadcasts, and when I lived in New Mexico and Texas, not at all..
The Orioles of my youth and young adulthood developed into a much-admired franchise, known for its strong organization from top to bottom. So good was its reputation, the term “The Oriole Way”, denoting an emphasis on fundamentals and pitching from the lowest minor league team right up to the big league club, was well-known throughout the baseball world. Between 1958 and 1975 the franchise had the highest winning percentage in baseball. Its ownership was respected. Players were eager to join the club. The fans were fiercely loyal when a player was active and perhaps even more so after one retired and remained in Baltimore. People named their children after Brooks Robinson.
When I moved to Philadelphia in 1978, I was still a loyal Orioles fan. Indeed, I hadn't lived this close to home in thirteen years and looked forward to going to Baltimore to see a few games in person and to listening to their radio broadcasts whenever I chose. No sooner had I settled into my apartment on 19th Street in Center City and determined the optimum room for radio reception when I discovered to my dismay that the Orioles had switched their radio affiliation from long-time flagship station WBAL, whose 50,000 watt signal reached far up and down the Eastern seaboard, to a smaller station, whose 10,000 watt signal failed to even reach Philadelphia.
Wistfully looking over the schedule for the upcoming season I noticed that WTOP in Washington, another 50,000 watt station, would be carrying virtually all of the Orioles games. Without a team of its own in those days, Washington had adopted the O’s as their own. But Washington was forty-five miles south of Baltimore.
Desperate to learn whether or not I could tune in a Washington station, I was tempted to listen to the Orioles season opener. Unfortunately, it was scheduled for daytime and I knew better than to try. For some reason day games are virtually impossible to tune in over long distances. I was certain there was a scientific explanation for these difficulties, but the ardent fan is no more consoled by discourses on radio waves and sunlight than the .200 hitter is by treatises on whether a curve ball really curves.
The evening of the first night game, however, I was prepared. I turned on my radio in great anticipation and to my unending delight, the signal came in more than adequately. Many years later the Orioles were reunited with WBAL but for reasons I cannot nor care to decipher, the Washington station still came in more clearly. I stayed with WTOP; after all, there was the matter of loyalty.
Over the next several years things gradually began to change. In 1979 the Orioles were sold by the Hoffberger family, who headed the original ownership group, to Edward Bennett Williams, the famous Washington trial lawyer. Slowly but surely the front office changed; then came the on-field changes. Managers came and went at a faster pace. (Earl Weaver retired, un-retired, and retired again during this period). Impatience replaced slow, deliberate development. Harvard Business school types replaced baseball people without much accompanying grace or success. To be fair, baseball itself was undergoing rapid change, too, with free agency being the most significant development. But the atmosphere surrounding the franchise was palpably different.
A few years after Williams sold the team to Baltimore attorney Peter Angelos in 1993, the Orioles would become perennial also-rans. Angelos, an extraordinarily impatient man by all appearances, was hardly a hands-off owner. He meddled constantly in day-to-day operations and personnel decisions including the misguided Albert Belle and Sammy Sosa signings. Soon, players avoided coming to Baltimore. As noted above, managers turned over at a rapid pace (seven in twelve years). “The Oriole Way” was no longer mentioned let alone practiced.
Some time in the mid 1990’s I had had enough. I no longer recognized the Orioles as the franchise of my youth. I was prepared for lean years on the field, but not the chaos that surrounded the entire franchise. At the same time I couldn’t help but be familiar with the Phillies after living here for more than fifteen years. One Spring day I awoke and decided the Phillies were more worthy if not in need of my support. I didn’t agonize over the decision; it had been a long time coming. My father had passed away by then and my brother had been living in the Boston area for nearly twenty years. The connections to the Orioles no longer existed.
I never looked back though I continued to be pleased when the Orioles played well, which wasn’t often. I immersed myself in the Phillies and in the early years of my new affiliation I felt some disadvantage at being unfamiliar with the teams of 1950’s, ‘60’s and ‘70’s. Now, after more than a decade of rooting for them and more than twenty-five years as a resident I consider myself a die-hard Phillies fan. It hasn’t always been an unalloyed pleasure, but they are my home team for better or worse.
I grew up in Baltimore at a time when baseball was still the national pastime. For my generation, baseball was the game of our forefathers. All the other professional sports now populating the landscape, even football, were either non-existent then, in their infancy, or had not yet captured the nation's imagination. Certainly none of them exercised the exclusive hold on our hearts that baseball enjoyed.
Personal history -- not just childhood memories of going to games with a father or grandfather, but also hearing them speak about the stars and ballparks of their youth – served to deepen our loyalty and affection for the hometown team.
In my youth the Colts (1953) and Orioles (1954) arrived in Baltimore within a year of each other, but the only history my father could relate to his then six-year old son was of the various minor league Orioles teams of his childhood and of old Orioles Park, the predecessor to Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards.
In 1954 Baltimoreans of all ages rejoiced at the arrival of a new major league team, with the oldest voices in the chorus intoning the legendary names associated with baseball in their city: Babe Ruth, Wee Willie Keeler, John McGraw, and Hughie Jennings, star of the National League Champion Orioles of 1894-96.
My father's fondest baseball memories were of going with his father to see Jack Dunn's celebrated Orioles teams which won seven straight International League pennants between 1919 and 1925. Dunn's teams were considered on a par with or superior to most major league teams of the day and he maintained their extraordinary level of excellence by holding onto players when a lot of major league teams sought to purchase their contracts. Prior to the 1926 season Dunn finally broke up the team by selling a number of his star players including Lefty Grove to the Philadelphia Athletics. Grove would later be at the core of the championship A's teams of the 1930's.
The Colts, by comparison, had no such legacy to draw on. In fact, professional football was just beginning its national expansion and, as yet, hadn’t replaced baseball as America's greatest sports passion. It is generally agreed that it wasn't until the dramatic sudden death championship game in 1958 between the Colts and the Giants that the public's interest in the NFL exploded.
Throughout my youth I adored the Orioles. Whenever I was going to the ballpark, I would leave home early and arrive at Memorial Stadium in time to watch infield practice. Batting practice held no special appeal for me, but watching Brooks Robinson, Mark Belanger, Davey Johnson and Boog Powell take grounders was pure joy. The rituals of their infield practice remain vivid to me to this day. (I don’t know whether or not teams even take infield practice any longer.)
In those days my brother, nearly three years older than I, was a devoted Yankees fan. He must have been switched at the hospital, I thought, but his fifth column presence in our household turned out to be good training for my subsequent years in the wilderness. At college in New England I was thrown together with baseball fans from across the country. Being in Connecticut, there were obviously more Red Sox and Yankee fans than partisans of the Birds, but this melting pot of boosters only deepened my affection for the Orioles.
After finishing college in the late '60's I lived in several different cities around the country, none of which had a major league team. Only when I moved to Cambridge, MA, could I see the Orioles in person, and given my instincts for survival I contained my enthusiasms whenever I went to Fenway Park.
Compounding my frustration at keeping in touch with the Orioles during these peregrinations, this was the era before cable television, super stations, and Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and sometimes Thursday games of the week to say nothing of watching MLB on one's computer. Even when the networks began to broadcast more games nationally, the Orioles, who do not play in one of the larger TV markets, made few appearances other than during those years when they were perennial playoff and World Series participants. During the late '60's and early '70's it was hard to keep the Orioles off national television in October, but their appearances during the regular season were precious few. I mostly relied on radio to keep in touch, but the Orioles network was beamed toward the South as befit the cultural heritage of Baltimore. I was seldom able to hear these broadcasts, and when I lived in New Mexico and Texas, not at all..
The Orioles of my youth and young adulthood developed into a much-admired franchise, known for its strong organization from top to bottom. So good was its reputation, the term “The Oriole Way”, denoting an emphasis on fundamentals and pitching from the lowest minor league team right up to the big league club, was well-known throughout the baseball world. Between 1958 and 1975 the franchise had the highest winning percentage in baseball. Its ownership was respected. Players were eager to join the club. The fans were fiercely loyal when a player was active and perhaps even more so after one retired and remained in Baltimore. People named their children after Brooks Robinson.
When I moved to Philadelphia in 1978, I was still a loyal Orioles fan. Indeed, I hadn't lived this close to home in thirteen years and looked forward to going to Baltimore to see a few games in person and to listening to their radio broadcasts whenever I chose. No sooner had I settled into my apartment on 19th Street in Center City and determined the optimum room for radio reception when I discovered to my dismay that the Orioles had switched their radio affiliation from long-time flagship station WBAL, whose 50,000 watt signal reached far up and down the Eastern seaboard, to a smaller station, whose 10,000 watt signal failed to even reach Philadelphia.
Wistfully looking over the schedule for the upcoming season I noticed that WTOP in Washington, another 50,000 watt station, would be carrying virtually all of the Orioles games. Without a team of its own in those days, Washington had adopted the O’s as their own. But Washington was forty-five miles south of Baltimore.
Desperate to learn whether or not I could tune in a Washington station, I was tempted to listen to the Orioles season opener. Unfortunately, it was scheduled for daytime and I knew better than to try. For some reason day games are virtually impossible to tune in over long distances. I was certain there was a scientific explanation for these difficulties, but the ardent fan is no more consoled by discourses on radio waves and sunlight than the .200 hitter is by treatises on whether a curve ball really curves.
The evening of the first night game, however, I was prepared. I turned on my radio in great anticipation and to my unending delight, the signal came in more than adequately. Many years later the Orioles were reunited with WBAL but for reasons I cannot nor care to decipher, the Washington station still came in more clearly. I stayed with WTOP; after all, there was the matter of loyalty.
Over the next several years things gradually began to change. In 1979 the Orioles were sold by the Hoffberger family, who headed the original ownership group, to Edward Bennett Williams, the famous Washington trial lawyer. Slowly but surely the front office changed; then came the on-field changes. Managers came and went at a faster pace. (Earl Weaver retired, un-retired, and retired again during this period). Impatience replaced slow, deliberate development. Harvard Business school types replaced baseball people without much accompanying grace or success. To be fair, baseball itself was undergoing rapid change, too, with free agency being the most significant development. But the atmosphere surrounding the franchise was palpably different.
A few years after Williams sold the team to Baltimore attorney Peter Angelos in 1993, the Orioles would become perennial also-rans. Angelos, an extraordinarily impatient man by all appearances, was hardly a hands-off owner. He meddled constantly in day-to-day operations and personnel decisions including the misguided Albert Belle and Sammy Sosa signings. Soon, players avoided coming to Baltimore. As noted above, managers turned over at a rapid pace (seven in twelve years). “The Oriole Way” was no longer mentioned let alone practiced.
Some time in the mid 1990’s I had had enough. I no longer recognized the Orioles as the franchise of my youth. I was prepared for lean years on the field, but not the chaos that surrounded the entire franchise. At the same time I couldn’t help but be familiar with the Phillies after living here for more than fifteen years. One Spring day I awoke and decided the Phillies were more worthy if not in need of my support. I didn’t agonize over the decision; it had been a long time coming. My father had passed away by then and my brother had been living in the Boston area for nearly twenty years. The connections to the Orioles no longer existed.
I never looked back though I continued to be pleased when the Orioles played well, which wasn’t often. I immersed myself in the Phillies and in the early years of my new affiliation I felt some disadvantage at being unfamiliar with the teams of 1950’s, ‘60’s and ‘70’s. Now, after more than a decade of rooting for them and more than twenty-five years as a resident I consider myself a die-hard Phillies fan. It hasn’t always been an unalloyed pleasure, but they are my home team for better or worse.
Hitting and Pitching
Lately the only two reliable hitters on the Phillies have been Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard. Even Chase Utley has been in a bit of a funk over the last week or so, striking out 8 times in his last 33 at-bats. Everyone else appears to be uncomfortable at the plate and has the numbers to prove it.
Topping those who are struggling is Bobby Abreu. Most people want to blame his woes on the Home Run Derby, insisting he altered his stroke for that competition and can't rediscover it. But his problems go beyond that. Bobby looks as unsure of the strike zone as I have ever seen him. Not only is he striking out a lot, he isn’t drawing many walks. Abreu has always been among the league leaders in bases on balls including this season, but he has only two in his last ten games.
Pat Burrell has fallen into another one of his prolonged funks. To my eye he seems to be standing further off the plate than ever. If Pat is a guess hitter, and the presumption here is he is, then he is either outguessing himself frequently or hasn’t a clue what to look for. He is taking a lot of pitches lately, many of them for strikes.
As the season wears on Kenny Lofton appears to be wearing down as well. For the month of July Kenny hit .214. More often than not he is swinging late and popping up to the right side of the diamond. He cannot keep up with fast balls.
David Bell and Mike Lieberthal continue to struggle. Nothing new there. Bell is among the league leaders in grounding into double plays. After a brief period of production, Lieberthal’s average has continued its inexorable downward trajectory.
* * * * * * * *
Charlie Manuel may be considered something of a hitting guru, but the only thing he appears to know about big league pitching is that he couldn’t hit it.
Why would he remove Robinson Tejeda from last night’s game when the youngster had thrown four-hit ball over six innings while striking out six and allowing one earned run. Want more? He’d only thrown 79 pitches to that point, 62 of which were strikes. This is a kid with moxie as well as stamina. Why pull him for a pinch-hitter when the Phils were leading the game 3-1? I doubt Tejeda told the manager he was out of gas; he just doesn’t seem to know fear.
Manuel is so locked into using set-up men and relievers in a predictable pattern he can’t bring himself to stick with his starter even when things are going well.
* * * * * * * *
The Raphael Palmeiro case goes from bad to worse with each passing leak and revelation. Not only will the Orioles first baseman likely face charges of perjury from the United States Congress, he has all but lost what little sympathy may have been out there for him.
When the news first broke a few calm and compassionate observers publicly granted him some benefit of the doubt, assuming he would never be so arrogant and reckless to knowing use banned substances while forcefully claiming otherwise.
Few, if any, of those people are coming to his defense now. His chances of making the Hall of Fame have dimmed to practically nil in just forty-eight hours, at least where the current generation of voters are concerned. He may be voted in some day by a committee of veterans who played with and admired him, but his life will remain a sorrowful one no matter what the eventual outcome.
Palmeiro’s predicament will also likely have repercussions far beyond his own fall from grace. Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds should all feel the heat from further scrutiny.
[Addendum: Add Joe Morgan to the growing list of reporters and TV analysts who are piling on now that it is safe to do so. Asked why he didn't speak out years earlier when he heard the ongoing rumors about steroid use, the newly outraged Morgan replied: "It wasn't my job to speak out because I would have been another reporter at that moment, speculating.... But in hindsight, the only thing I wish I would have done is approach the commissioner's office sooner, but I didn't know how they would react." Very courageous, Joe.]
Topping those who are struggling is Bobby Abreu. Most people want to blame his woes on the Home Run Derby, insisting he altered his stroke for that competition and can't rediscover it. But his problems go beyond that. Bobby looks as unsure of the strike zone as I have ever seen him. Not only is he striking out a lot, he isn’t drawing many walks. Abreu has always been among the league leaders in bases on balls including this season, but he has only two in his last ten games.
Pat Burrell has fallen into another one of his prolonged funks. To my eye he seems to be standing further off the plate than ever. If Pat is a guess hitter, and the presumption here is he is, then he is either outguessing himself frequently or hasn’t a clue what to look for. He is taking a lot of pitches lately, many of them for strikes.
As the season wears on Kenny Lofton appears to be wearing down as well. For the month of July Kenny hit .214. More often than not he is swinging late and popping up to the right side of the diamond. He cannot keep up with fast balls.
David Bell and Mike Lieberthal continue to struggle. Nothing new there. Bell is among the league leaders in grounding into double plays. After a brief period of production, Lieberthal’s average has continued its inexorable downward trajectory.
* * * * * * * *
Charlie Manuel may be considered something of a hitting guru, but the only thing he appears to know about big league pitching is that he couldn’t hit it.
Why would he remove Robinson Tejeda from last night’s game when the youngster had thrown four-hit ball over six innings while striking out six and allowing one earned run. Want more? He’d only thrown 79 pitches to that point, 62 of which were strikes. This is a kid with moxie as well as stamina. Why pull him for a pinch-hitter when the Phils were leading the game 3-1? I doubt Tejeda told the manager he was out of gas; he just doesn’t seem to know fear.
Manuel is so locked into using set-up men and relievers in a predictable pattern he can’t bring himself to stick with his starter even when things are going well.
* * * * * * * *
The Raphael Palmeiro case goes from bad to worse with each passing leak and revelation. Not only will the Orioles first baseman likely face charges of perjury from the United States Congress, he has all but lost what little sympathy may have been out there for him.
When the news first broke a few calm and compassionate observers publicly granted him some benefit of the doubt, assuming he would never be so arrogant and reckless to knowing use banned substances while forcefully claiming otherwise.
Few, if any, of those people are coming to his defense now. His chances of making the Hall of Fame have dimmed to practically nil in just forty-eight hours, at least where the current generation of voters are concerned. He may be voted in some day by a committee of veterans who played with and admired him, but his life will remain a sorrowful one no matter what the eventual outcome.
Palmeiro’s predicament will also likely have repercussions far beyond his own fall from grace. Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds should all feel the heat from further scrutiny.
[Addendum: Add Joe Morgan to the growing list of reporters and TV analysts who are piling on now that it is safe to do so. Asked why he didn't speak out years earlier when he heard the ongoing rumors about steroid use, the newly outraged Morgan replied: "It wasn't my job to speak out because I would have been another reporter at that moment, speculating.... But in hindsight, the only thing I wish I would have done is approach the commissioner's office sooner, but I didn't know how they would react." Very courageous, Joe.]
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Hardly A Big Hit
While everyone has been justifiably concerned with the Phillies’ starting pitching, the hitting hasn’t been anything to crow about lately either. In their last eight games the Phils have been shut down three straight times in Houston, once in Colorado and last night at home against the Cubs.
In the process they have wasted some fine starts by among others Vicente Padilla. Their inability to put together good pitching and hitting in something resembling a streak is the primary reason the Phils will not make the playoffs.
* * * * * * * *
Last night’s loss to the Cubs can be attributed largely to the absence of hitting noted above, but at least some of the blame falls on Charlie Manuel. Why did he insert Matt Kata as a pinch runner for Pat Burrell when the run he represented would not have mattered as much (Utley and Abreu were ahead of him on third and second and the Phils trailed by two runs) instead of having the switch-hitting Kata bat for David Bell against right-hander Ryan Dempster? Or, at the very least Manuel could have had switch-hitter Tomas Perez bat for Bell instead of waiting one batter later and substituting him for Mike Lieberthal? Bell, predictably, struck out. His average against right-handers hovers around the Mendoza line.
Perez’s at-bat wasn’t a thing of beauty either. He swung at one pitch at eye level and another one that was clearly a ball. Dempster had already walked the four batters in the inning before their at-bats, but Bell and Perez must have been watching another game at the time.
* * * * * * * *
Secretly, I harbored the fantasy that Placido Polanco would re-sign with the Phillies at the end of this season and play third base next year. But then I read the following:
The Tigers agreed to terms Tuesday with infielder Placido Polanco on a four-year contract extension that will stretch through the 2009 season. Polanco was acquired by Detroit from the Phillies on June 8 in the deal that sent right-handed reliever Ugueth Urbina and infielder Ramon Martinez to Philadelphia.
The 29-year-old second baseman is batting .362 with 22 runs scored, eight doubles, a triple, two home runs and 17 RBIs in 31 games with the Tigers. [He is hitting .337 overall this season.]
I didn’t bother to look up David Bell’s numbers for the comparable period.
In the process they have wasted some fine starts by among others Vicente Padilla. Their inability to put together good pitching and hitting in something resembling a streak is the primary reason the Phils will not make the playoffs.
* * * * * * * *
Last night’s loss to the Cubs can be attributed largely to the absence of hitting noted above, but at least some of the blame falls on Charlie Manuel. Why did he insert Matt Kata as a pinch runner for Pat Burrell when the run he represented would not have mattered as much (Utley and Abreu were ahead of him on third and second and the Phils trailed by two runs) instead of having the switch-hitting Kata bat for David Bell against right-hander Ryan Dempster? Or, at the very least Manuel could have had switch-hitter Tomas Perez bat for Bell instead of waiting one batter later and substituting him for Mike Lieberthal? Bell, predictably, struck out. His average against right-handers hovers around the Mendoza line.
Perez’s at-bat wasn’t a thing of beauty either. He swung at one pitch at eye level and another one that was clearly a ball. Dempster had already walked the four batters in the inning before their at-bats, but Bell and Perez must have been watching another game at the time.
* * * * * * * *
Secretly, I harbored the fantasy that Placido Polanco would re-sign with the Phillies at the end of this season and play third base next year. But then I read the following:
The Tigers agreed to terms Tuesday with infielder Placido Polanco on a four-year contract extension that will stretch through the 2009 season. Polanco was acquired by Detroit from the Phillies on June 8 in the deal that sent right-handed reliever Ugueth Urbina and infielder Ramon Martinez to Philadelphia.
The 29-year-old second baseman is batting .362 with 22 runs scored, eight doubles, a triple, two home runs and 17 RBIs in 31 games with the Tigers. [He is hitting .337 overall this season.]
I didn’t bother to look up David Bell’s numbers for the comparable period.
Friday, July 22, 2005
Spare Us
That 12 – 1 home stand is not only a distant memory at this stage, it has entered into the nether reaches of aberrations and mirages.
The Phils simply cannot string together a series of games that include good pitching and good hitting on the same day.
There is no point in a recap of yesterday’s effort other than to say you know you are in big trouble when Endy Chavez gets half the team’s hits.
So the Phils drop two of three to a Dodgers team that came into the Bank six games under .500 and sporting a lineup that included a fellow who had been in the Mexican League a month before and a few others who had called Las Vegas home until recently. Hardly the stuff of legends.
* * * * * * * * *
I am not here to bury Tim Worrell, who has enough problems without my piling on, but it is a little strange the Diamondbacks wanted a guy with his recent history on and off the field. Not as surprising, however, as the Phillies interest in the player they received in exchange for the 38-year old reliever. Here is the scouting report on the newest Phil, Matt Kata, from Stats Inc.:
"Kata has somewhat of a gliding swing, making it hard for him to adjust to off-speed pitches. He does have some power. Kata has above-average speed and is an intelligent baserunner. He is a very good second baseman, with above-average range. Kata has experience playing shortstop and third base, although his arm is not really suited to much action on the left side of the diamond.”
You want more? Here is Ed Wade on the newest Phillie:
“We thought that Kata was a good fit for us. Our scouts have always liked him. He opened the season with Arizona last season before he dislocated his shoulder. We just think with his versatility that he has a chance to help this season, and going forward, also.”
Wade is really priceless. We sure are going to miss him.
“A good fit for us.” Where? Spelling Chase Utley? The Phillies already know Kata can’t play on the other side. Half a utility infielder.
“With his versatility…he has a chance to help….” Watch out Tomas and Ramon, there’s a new guy in town and his has at least one good arm.
Finally, you want piling on? Try this on for size: the Phillies also sent cash to Arizona in this deal.
Maybe the Phillies do have a plan and I just can’t see it. Let’s call it the Shawn Wooten Plan.
1. First, acquire a player whose career has been marked by modest accomplishments (to be generous) at his previous known addresses.
2. Next, tell the press your scouts have long coveted him.
3. Further, tell the press he brings versatility to the club.
4. Make sure he doesn’t have one specific position at which he excels.
5. Rarely play him.
6. Release him within six months or designate him for assignment he won’t accept.
7. Feign ignorance when the subject is brought up.
The Phils simply cannot string together a series of games that include good pitching and good hitting on the same day.
There is no point in a recap of yesterday’s effort other than to say you know you are in big trouble when Endy Chavez gets half the team’s hits.
So the Phils drop two of three to a Dodgers team that came into the Bank six games under .500 and sporting a lineup that included a fellow who had been in the Mexican League a month before and a few others who had called Las Vegas home until recently. Hardly the stuff of legends.
* * * * * * * * *
I am not here to bury Tim Worrell, who has enough problems without my piling on, but it is a little strange the Diamondbacks wanted a guy with his recent history on and off the field. Not as surprising, however, as the Phillies interest in the player they received in exchange for the 38-year old reliever. Here is the scouting report on the newest Phil, Matt Kata, from Stats Inc.:
"Kata has somewhat of a gliding swing, making it hard for him to adjust to off-speed pitches. He does have some power. Kata has above-average speed and is an intelligent baserunner. He is a very good second baseman, with above-average range. Kata has experience playing shortstop and third base, although his arm is not really suited to much action on the left side of the diamond.”
You want more? Here is Ed Wade on the newest Phillie:
“We thought that Kata was a good fit for us. Our scouts have always liked him. He opened the season with Arizona last season before he dislocated his shoulder. We just think with his versatility that he has a chance to help this season, and going forward, also.”
Wade is really priceless. We sure are going to miss him.
“A good fit for us.” Where? Spelling Chase Utley? The Phillies already know Kata can’t play on the other side. Half a utility infielder.
“With his versatility…he has a chance to help….” Watch out Tomas and Ramon, there’s a new guy in town and his has at least one good arm.
Finally, you want piling on? Try this on for size: the Phillies also sent cash to Arizona in this deal.
Maybe the Phillies do have a plan and I just can’t see it. Let’s call it the Shawn Wooten Plan.
1. First, acquire a player whose career has been marked by modest accomplishments (to be generous) at his previous known addresses.
2. Next, tell the press your scouts have long coveted him.
3. Further, tell the press he brings versatility to the club.
4. Make sure he doesn’t have one specific position at which he excels.
5. Rarely play him.
6. Release him within six months or designate him for assignment he won’t accept.
7. Feign ignorance when the subject is brought up.
Friday, July 08, 2005
Infinite Capacity
My capacity for outrage seems infinite. The only question is where to begin?
I cannot resist a final swipe at the All-Star process, that is until they play the game itself and the Commissioner shows up. Then, I’m sure I will have additional fodder.
Should Jimmy Rollins have been named an All Star? The number of NL shortstops having good let alone great years is admittedly small. Rollins did not finish among the top five in votes at his position, but, then, we know how that works. Jimmy just doesn’t have enough ballot stuffers in his camp at that moment. Maybe if he swung at fewer high pitches and got on base more often he could rectify that. Still, rather than name him, how about Omar Vizquel, who is having a better year? And if we want to reward players regardless of position, I would have chosen Pat Burrell, who despite his ups and downs, has made a significant comeback and is among the league leaders in rbi’s. Burrell earned a spot. So the NL carries one less shortstop. Who cares?
Then there is Billy Wagner. OK, his stats say the southpaw is having a very good year, though some (including me) would say the numbers belie a soft first half. But the real issue is do you want someone representing a team which he holds in disdain? And for those of you who say, lighten up, he’s representing the league I say, he is introduced as a Phillie and wears a Phillies cap. By the end of this month the whole matter of his attitude towards the Phillies will probably be moot anyway. I expect Billy to go bye-bye.
* * * * * * * * *
The just-concluded series against the Pirates was vintage Phillies baseball. Up. Down. Up. Down. So, they return to the less-than-friendly confines of CBP for a three game set against the division leading Nationals. The Phils have a solid shot at entering the All-Star break below .500.
For weeks I have defended the players, insisting they were trying their best. Having lost 19 of their last 26 games I have to conclude their best just isn’t good enough. The split in Pittsburgh did change my mind about one thing, however; I don’t think I have ever watched a less intelligent team. They show an almost universal lack of patience or discipline at the plate. With one or two exceptions they haven’t a clue about how to work the count. Almost no one among them goes the other way with a pitch. Name someone who consistently moves runners along. They don’t hit and run. They are a team that simply lacks the fundamentals when it comes to batting.
As for pitching, I don’t know what to make of Brett Myers. Last night’s outing could have been even worse were it not for some defensive gems including one by Pat Burrell. Myers ran out of gas quickly on a night that wasn’t that warm according to the broadcasters. He took to walking around the mound in a visible and unsuccessful attempt to regain his composure. He didn’t like the calls he was getting. When he stepped back on the rubber he seemed to be in a hurry to throw the next pitch, to literally get it over with since he wasn’t getting it over in the other sense. In sum, he handled himself poorly and the results showed it everywhere but in the total number of runs he gave up. Myers has pitched poorly in three out of his last four outings. Prior to last night he pitched a real gem against Atlanta. But last night’s effort erased that memory quickly. Now in his third season Myers exhibits a lack of consistency one expects from a number one or two starter. Each time out has become an adventure again. He cannot be relied on.
I cannot resist a final swipe at the All-Star process, that is until they play the game itself and the Commissioner shows up. Then, I’m sure I will have additional fodder.
Should Jimmy Rollins have been named an All Star? The number of NL shortstops having good let alone great years is admittedly small. Rollins did not finish among the top five in votes at his position, but, then, we know how that works. Jimmy just doesn’t have enough ballot stuffers in his camp at that moment. Maybe if he swung at fewer high pitches and got on base more often he could rectify that. Still, rather than name him, how about Omar Vizquel, who is having a better year? And if we want to reward players regardless of position, I would have chosen Pat Burrell, who despite his ups and downs, has made a significant comeback and is among the league leaders in rbi’s. Burrell earned a spot. So the NL carries one less shortstop. Who cares?
Then there is Billy Wagner. OK, his stats say the southpaw is having a very good year, though some (including me) would say the numbers belie a soft first half. But the real issue is do you want someone representing a team which he holds in disdain? And for those of you who say, lighten up, he’s representing the league I say, he is introduced as a Phillie and wears a Phillies cap. By the end of this month the whole matter of his attitude towards the Phillies will probably be moot anyway. I expect Billy to go bye-bye.
* * * * * * * * *
The just-concluded series against the Pirates was vintage Phillies baseball. Up. Down. Up. Down. So, they return to the less-than-friendly confines of CBP for a three game set against the division leading Nationals. The Phils have a solid shot at entering the All-Star break below .500.
For weeks I have defended the players, insisting they were trying their best. Having lost 19 of their last 26 games I have to conclude their best just isn’t good enough. The split in Pittsburgh did change my mind about one thing, however; I don’t think I have ever watched a less intelligent team. They show an almost universal lack of patience or discipline at the plate. With one or two exceptions they haven’t a clue about how to work the count. Almost no one among them goes the other way with a pitch. Name someone who consistently moves runners along. They don’t hit and run. They are a team that simply lacks the fundamentals when it comes to batting.
As for pitching, I don’t know what to make of Brett Myers. Last night’s outing could have been even worse were it not for some defensive gems including one by Pat Burrell. Myers ran out of gas quickly on a night that wasn’t that warm according to the broadcasters. He took to walking around the mound in a visible and unsuccessful attempt to regain his composure. He didn’t like the calls he was getting. When he stepped back on the rubber he seemed to be in a hurry to throw the next pitch, to literally get it over with since he wasn’t getting it over in the other sense. In sum, he handled himself poorly and the results showed it everywhere but in the total number of runs he gave up. Myers has pitched poorly in three out of his last four outings. Prior to last night he pitched a real gem against Atlanta. But last night’s effort erased that memory quickly. Now in his third season Myers exhibits a lack of consistency one expects from a number one or two starter. Each time out has become an adventure again. He cannot be relied on.
Friday, June 17, 2005
Hold The Fort
I will be without internet access for the next week or so (shudder), but I can trust the rest of you to hold the fort.
Put me down as definitely from the half empty camp. . . .
How can the Phillies win eight of nine series capped off by a phenomenal 12-1 homestand only to go to Seattle and look about as moribund as they ever have?
Put me down as definitely from the half empty camp. . . .
How can the Phillies win eight of nine series capped off by a phenomenal 12-1 homestand only to go to Seattle and look about as moribund as they ever have?
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Ichiro Redux
Now that Ichiro has crossed one milestone in his American major league career some commentators have questioned whether or not his Japanese statistics should be included should he continue his level of excellence and one day be considered for the Hall of Fame.
My answer to those critics who denigrate Ichiro's prior accomplishments and the quality of ball played in Japan is this: Have you seen any drop off in his performance now that he is competing in the U.S.? If not, suggestions that he amassed a large percentage of hits against inferior competition are insulting in light of his record against "superior" opponents.
No matter who provides the opposition, Ichiro is a terrific player.
My answer to those critics who denigrate Ichiro's prior accomplishments and the quality of ball played in Japan is this: Have you seen any drop off in his performance now that he is competing in the U.S.? If not, suggestions that he amassed a large percentage of hits against inferior competition are insulting in light of his record against "superior" opponents.
No matter who provides the opposition, Ichiro is a terrific player.
Building A Consensus
Opinion among bloggers and those who comment therein is running strongly in favor of the Phillies seeking pitching help and using minor league first baseman Ryan Howard as the bait.
The arguments are persuasive. In no particular order they are:
1. Robinson Tejeda is game, but his minor league record does not suggest he will be the answer to Randy Wolf's loss.
2. Howard's stock has never been higher (depending on whom you listen to) or is at the very least high enough to draw interest and someone of value in return.
3. Jim Thome is blocking Howard's path to the big leagues for the foreseeable future anyway.
4. The Phils not only need to replace Wolf in the starting rotation, they might have to replace Vicente Padilla, too, if he remains ineffective (See below). Padilla will also be a free agent at the end of this season according to one comment I read, so his departure seems assured sooner rather than later.
5. There are few quality starters out there and even fewer are left-handers, but at least one, Barry Zito, fits the bill for most of the bloggers and commentators who weighed in.
6. Based on their impressive play over the last month the Phils have a legitimate chance to win their division, but their chances are diminished significantly with the loss of Wolf. So, they must act now.
7. There isn't any other help down on the farm.
I'm sure I left out some arguments, but the above list addresses the majority of opinions I read.
Here is how I see things unfolding.
The Phils will try to trade Howard, a move I oppose given Thome's fragile health the last two seasons. Howard, you may recall, formally requested a trade at the beginning of the season when he was sent down to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after a stellar year in 2004 and an excellent spring training. He was called up to the big club when Thome was on the DL, but he didn't produce until his final few games, when he started to hit with authority. He can hardly be faulted for struggling when he was given roughly 20 at-bats here and there, some as a pinch hitter, a role veteran players find difficult to fill. Anyone who judges him based on that brief period is kidding himself. The reality is that the 25-year old Howard is a proven hitter at every level at which he has played, one moreover, whose power and swing are ideal for Citizens Bank Park. The consensus is that since he cannot play for the Phils in the next few years, get rid of him while he is still coveted by other teams. The Phils will probably accommodate the majority in this case.
Barry Zito is the favorite object of the local bloggers' desire. Despite a down year in 2004 and a poor start to 2005, he is a proven commodity. Moreover, as many people point out, his record this season is deceiving. Though 3 - 7 overall with a 4.47 ERA, he has a 3.48 ERA for his last 11 appearances and has suffered from terrible run support for much of this year.
Zito, others remind me, signed a contract through 2005 with a club option for 2006, making it much more likely he would be more than a 3-month rental if the Phils were to acquire him. As a lefty, he would also fill that need in what now is an all-righthanded starting rotation here.
School is out on whether or not the lack of a lefthander is really a problem. I would have to defer to Charlie Manuel and Mike Lieberthal on this matter. Both said it could be. They know better than I do.
School is also out on whether or not the A's would even listen to an offer for Zito. They don't have to trade him. Further complicating this particular scenario, Oakland already has a young first baseman of their own, Dan Johnson, who was the MVP of the Pacific Coast League last year. On the plus side for all parties, the Phils play Oakland in a weekend series beginning tomorrow, so Zito wouldn't have to travel far to join his new club. Toppping off everything, in a delicious coincidence no press agent could have ever dreamed up, Zito is scheduled to start against the Phils Friday night. His opponent? It would have been Randy Wolf; instead, he faces Robinson Tejeda.
If Zito is unavailable another possibility would be...are you sitting down?...Eric Milton. OK, I know, he is having a horrendous season. All the more reason the Reds would be willing to let him go. The Phils would be intrigued because Milton pitched effectively here last year. True, he gave up a ton of homers in a Phillies uniform and is on course to give up even more in Cincinnati, but Milton produced here, leading the club in wins. He received tremendous run support last season, but in truth he could expect even more now with the way the Phils have been hitting. He wouldn't be my choice either, but I'll bet Ed Wade is going to make inquiries. This unlikely deal isn't without its own complications. Would Cincinnati want Howard with Sean Casey in residence? Not likely, so don't fret over these remote possibilities.
* * * * * * * * *
Seattle fans can be excused for wondering what all the fuss has been about the red-hot Phillies. In the first two games of the series the Phils managed a lone run in each. On Tuesday night they were held to three hits. Last night they managed eight, though five of them were by two players, Bobby Abreu and Chase Utley.
Jon Lieber pitched well enough to win Tuesday. The same cannot be said of Vicente Padilla, who continues to struggle. Staked to a one run lead in the top of the first he promptly surrendered two runs in the bottom of the inning on way to another loss. He pitched 5.2 innings and yielded three earned runs. Seattle's final runs came on a two run homer off Ryan Madson.
Nothing demoralizes a team faster, especially on the road, than jumping out to a lead only to have their starter give it right back. Padilla, who has often lost his focus during a game has developed a new wrinkle this season: he begins a game without focus.
* * * * * * * * *
Todd Zolecki writes in this morning's Inquirer that the loss of Randy Wolf is going to be far more costly than first thought. Not only will they lose the lefty's services for at least all of next season, they are obligated to pay his entire $9 million salary thus further hamstringing any efforts to sign someone else.
* * * * * * * * *
How quickly can things turn around? The Phils fell an additional two games behind division leading Washington following their losses in Seattle and are now three games back in second place.
The arguments are persuasive. In no particular order they are:
1. Robinson Tejeda is game, but his minor league record does not suggest he will be the answer to Randy Wolf's loss.
2. Howard's stock has never been higher (depending on whom you listen to) or is at the very least high enough to draw interest and someone of value in return.
3. Jim Thome is blocking Howard's path to the big leagues for the foreseeable future anyway.
4. The Phils not only need to replace Wolf in the starting rotation, they might have to replace Vicente Padilla, too, if he remains ineffective (See below). Padilla will also be a free agent at the end of this season according to one comment I read, so his departure seems assured sooner rather than later.
5. There are few quality starters out there and even fewer are left-handers, but at least one, Barry Zito, fits the bill for most of the bloggers and commentators who weighed in.
6. Based on their impressive play over the last month the Phils have a legitimate chance to win their division, but their chances are diminished significantly with the loss of Wolf. So, they must act now.
7. There isn't any other help down on the farm.
I'm sure I left out some arguments, but the above list addresses the majority of opinions I read.
Here is how I see things unfolding.
The Phils will try to trade Howard, a move I oppose given Thome's fragile health the last two seasons. Howard, you may recall, formally requested a trade at the beginning of the season when he was sent down to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after a stellar year in 2004 and an excellent spring training. He was called up to the big club when Thome was on the DL, but he didn't produce until his final few games, when he started to hit with authority. He can hardly be faulted for struggling when he was given roughly 20 at-bats here and there, some as a pinch hitter, a role veteran players find difficult to fill. Anyone who judges him based on that brief period is kidding himself. The reality is that the 25-year old Howard is a proven hitter at every level at which he has played, one moreover, whose power and swing are ideal for Citizens Bank Park. The consensus is that since he cannot play for the Phils in the next few years, get rid of him while he is still coveted by other teams. The Phils will probably accommodate the majority in this case.
Barry Zito is the favorite object of the local bloggers' desire. Despite a down year in 2004 and a poor start to 2005, he is a proven commodity. Moreover, as many people point out, his record this season is deceiving. Though 3 - 7 overall with a 4.47 ERA, he has a 3.48 ERA for his last 11 appearances and has suffered from terrible run support for much of this year.
Zito, others remind me, signed a contract through 2005 with a club option for 2006, making it much more likely he would be more than a 3-month rental if the Phils were to acquire him. As a lefty, he would also fill that need in what now is an all-righthanded starting rotation here.
School is out on whether or not the lack of a lefthander is really a problem. I would have to defer to Charlie Manuel and Mike Lieberthal on this matter. Both said it could be. They know better than I do.
School is also out on whether or not the A's would even listen to an offer for Zito. They don't have to trade him. Further complicating this particular scenario, Oakland already has a young first baseman of their own, Dan Johnson, who was the MVP of the Pacific Coast League last year. On the plus side for all parties, the Phils play Oakland in a weekend series beginning tomorrow, so Zito wouldn't have to travel far to join his new club. Toppping off everything, in a delicious coincidence no press agent could have ever dreamed up, Zito is scheduled to start against the Phils Friday night. His opponent? It would have been Randy Wolf; instead, he faces Robinson Tejeda.
If Zito is unavailable another possibility would be...are you sitting down?...Eric Milton. OK, I know, he is having a horrendous season. All the more reason the Reds would be willing to let him go. The Phils would be intrigued because Milton pitched effectively here last year. True, he gave up a ton of homers in a Phillies uniform and is on course to give up even more in Cincinnati, but Milton produced here, leading the club in wins. He received tremendous run support last season, but in truth he could expect even more now with the way the Phils have been hitting. He wouldn't be my choice either, but I'll bet Ed Wade is going to make inquiries. This unlikely deal isn't without its own complications. Would Cincinnati want Howard with Sean Casey in residence? Not likely, so don't fret over these remote possibilities.
* * * * * * * * *
Seattle fans can be excused for wondering what all the fuss has been about the red-hot Phillies. In the first two games of the series the Phils managed a lone run in each. On Tuesday night they were held to three hits. Last night they managed eight, though five of them were by two players, Bobby Abreu and Chase Utley.
Jon Lieber pitched well enough to win Tuesday. The same cannot be said of Vicente Padilla, who continues to struggle. Staked to a one run lead in the top of the first he promptly surrendered two runs in the bottom of the inning on way to another loss. He pitched 5.2 innings and yielded three earned runs. Seattle's final runs came on a two run homer off Ryan Madson.
Nothing demoralizes a team faster, especially on the road, than jumping out to a lead only to have their starter give it right back. Padilla, who has often lost his focus during a game has developed a new wrinkle this season: he begins a game without focus.
* * * * * * * * *
Todd Zolecki writes in this morning's Inquirer that the loss of Randy Wolf is going to be far more costly than first thought. Not only will they lose the lefty's services for at least all of next season, they are obligated to pay his entire $9 million salary thus further hamstringing any efforts to sign someone else.
* * * * * * * * *
How quickly can things turn around? The Phils fell an additional two games behind division leading Washington following their losses in Seattle and are now three games back in second place.
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