Did the Phillies improve their roster?

Wednesday February 17, 2010 • Leave a Comment 

With Pitchers and catchers having reported to Clearwater, Fla., Spring Training is officially underway.

The Phillies, who are coming off of consecutive trips to the World Series, return much of the same core from the previous two years with newcomers, Roy Halladay, Placido Polanco and Danys Baez now on as additional reinforcements. There will be plenty of debate about how the team’s offseason will affect the team this season. The biggest question is did the team improve?

The Philadelphia Daily News’ Paul Hagen took a stab at answering that question today and the result was a mild yes. Hagen points to the rotation, bench and catcher position as upgrades, with the bullpen a downgraded and the infield and outfield remaining the same.

In regards to the bullpen Hagen writes: “On one hand, Lidge almost has to be better than the guy who was a mirror image of the perfect closer of 2008, blowing a major-league high 11 saves with a 7.21 earned run average. On the other, he is coming off knee and elbow surgery. On one hand, the Phillies should benefit from having Romero for the entire season after he missed the first 50 games of ‘08 while suspended for violating baseball’s performance-enhancing substances policy. On the other, when he did come back he experienced elbow problems, missed the postseason and required surgery. On one hand, veterans Baez and Contreras were signed as free agents. On the other, the dependable Condrey and the occasionally electric Park are gone. It appears that the Antonio Bastardo, Mike Zagurski and Sergio Escalona will compete for the second lefthander’s spot. Keep an eye on RHP Scott Mathieson, coming back after double Tommy John surgery.”

Had the Phillies brough back Park I think they would have gotten a thumbs up here. Baez was a solid addition but there is still inexperience at the end of the pen. However, if Lidge can rebound no one will be talking about whoever it is who lands the final spot in the rotation.

You can read Hagen’s entire report here.

Let the baseball debating begin.



Road to a Dynasty is going to cost $$$

Thursday November 19, 2009 • 3 Comments 

If the Phillies want to become a dynasty, I offer 5 suggestions to send them on their way. They have a good balanced ball club, one that has won the National League east three times in a row, been to 2 World Series and won one. That is a good 500 or so games for the team. But to truly become a dynasty, they need to sustain this level of play for 1000 or so more games.

That is tough in an arbitration filled, salary capped, league unless they plan on spending half a billion dollars each and every off season like the Yankees seem to do. Frankly, as much support as the Phillies get, I still  don’t think they can afford to do this, and I doubt the fans will support them spending that kind of money in the city of brotherly love unless they become perennial champions first.

But short of spending billions there are a few steps they can take to ensure success for years to come, simply by adding the right pieces to the existing nucleus of this years club and securing the worthy pieces they already have in the fold to make sure they don’t find greener pastures elsewhere.   Chase Utley was ranked the 6th best player in baseball, Jayson Werth and Ryan Howard should be in the top ten as well. Cliff Lee is a top five pitcher, and Cole Hamels is probably a top ten pitcher, JA Happ is the runner up rookie of the year.  Beyond that, the team is really a group of utility players, position players, run producers and role models.

In addition to this strong nucleus, now that trading season has begun, here is what I would do if I were Ruben Amaro.

1.) I would do whatever it takes to sign Placido Polanco to play third base next year.  5 years for $40 million perhaps.

2.) I would sign Omar Vizquel to replace Bruntlett as the end all-be all utility middle infielder.  4 years for $10 million.

3.) I would sign Ryan Howard up for the rest of his career, with a rich contract full of performance bonuses and incentives, this is the guy who hits 40 homeruns, drives in 140-150 runs, scores another 100 and has a strikeout total that is dropping and a fielding percentage that is rising.  This is a motivated player, 2005 rookie of the year, 2006 MVP, and in my opinion 2008 MVP as well; we CANNOT let him go.  He has three years secured right now, that leaves him a 32 year old in his prime either arbitrating or shopping himself as a free agent.  Wrong !!  He should get something in the 9 figure area now that he proved himself for the fourth straight year, remember he was asking for $18 million a year, before accepting a three year buyout deal in February for $54 million, but is entitled to  Texiera/ARod/Jeter type money and will go get it elsewhere in 2012 if he doesnt get it here.   Figure 5-6 more years at $130 million.

4.) I would sign Jimmy Rollins for another 5 years, slightly sweeter than his previous 2005 deal, to keep him in the leadoff role through 2015.  Figure $40 million here.

5.) I would sign Victorino to a long term contract as well.  Shane and Rollins are looking to be perennial run scoring gold glove machines, and having them 1-2 or 1-3 or whatever in the lineup in front of Utley, Howard and Werth means opposing pitchers dont stand a chance.  You can lock down Shane for $10 million for 4 years.  $40 more million.

Also, I would tie up Chan Ho Park with a multi year deal.  Park is by far the best deal for the money, and a known prospect who performed as well as any other bullpen hopefuls the Phillies are looking at.  $10 million ?  It seems a lot but in baseball salary terms, a drop in the bucket !

Think of it, Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Howard, Polanco, Ibanez, Werth, Ruiz, with Francisco, and Vizquel occasionally spotting the starters makes one hell of a lineup.   Everyone of those guys could score 100, drive in 100, hit 30 doubles, 20 homeruns,  steal 20 bases, and have an OPS  between .600 and .900.

Then you have Lee, Hamels, Blanton, and Happ as a four man rotation with Park, Madsen, Eyre, Durbin and probably Lidge since Charlie loves the guy in relief. Who thinks that group WON”T win 100 games next year ? And using these numbers plus those already signed onto contracts, that still places you around 8th in the league in overall payroll.

Because I can sense a dynasty in the making, I only hope Amaro and Manuel sense the same thing and are committed to spending the resources to make it happen.  It won’t be billions but it WILL be $250,000,000 +.   But think of it, $250 million is less than the largest contract in baseball for one person, and it secures a championship caliber TEAM potential through 2015 or so !!  The key is to do it now, and get it done, and then reap the rewards for the next 5-8 years to come.   The fans in Philadelphia are long suffering and certainly deserve it !



Chan Ho Park plays role of hero for Phils

Friday October 16, 2009 • 1 Comment 

In Game One of the NLCS it was Chan Ho Park that got the big outs, not George Sherrill.

And as a result, the Phillies have a 1-0 series lead.

Carlos Ruiz and Raul Ibanez each hit a three-run bomb to help lead the Phillies past the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-6, in a slugfest, Thursday night.

The much-maligned Phillies bullpen was good enough as it allowed two runs over four innings to hold the win for an OK Cole Hamels.

The biggest performance was turned in by Park, who entered the game with Adam Either on second an no outs in the seventh and the Phillies protecting a 5-4 lead.

Park proceeded to get Manny Ramirez to ground out, struck out Matt Kemp and finished the inning by getting a groundout off the bat of Casey Blake.

It was clutch in every sense of the word – something fans never would have called Park in the early stages of the season when he struggled as a starter.

Insert Sherrill in the top of the eighth. The star lefthander who had a 0.56 ERA in his 20 appearances with the Dodgers was expected to be a major key in this series. His ability to get lefties out is well documented, as is the Phils reliance on their left-handed hitters.

Sherrill struggled with his control, walking Howard and Jayson Werth to bring up Ibanez. Like he has so many times this season, Ibanez came up with a big hit, a home run to right field that gave the Phillies some much-needed insurance.

Ryan Madson made the game interesting in the eighth, allowing two runs on four hits, but with runners on the corners, he got Ramirez to ground out and end the threat.

Brad Lidge got around a hit and a walk to record his third postseason save in as many chances.

Games like Thursday night’s are why we love sports so much. It was as unpredictable as can be. Who would have thought that given Cole Hamels dominance over the Dodgers (4-0 in six starts) that he would be nearly squander a 5-1 lead and would be lifted in the sixth?

Who knew that while Manny came up with a two-run home run in the fifth, he would fail to come through in big spots in the late innings?

And who knew Park would be the game’s biggest reliever?

If the umpires continue to call the game the way they did Thursday, fans will be treated to some more high scoring games in this series. The strike zone was small giving the hitters an advantage. The hitters on the Phillies and Dodgers are too good to not take advantage of that.

There is little rest for the teams and fans as Game 2 is set for 4 p.m. today. This is likely the game that will determine if the Phils will waltz to the World Series or be in for a dogfight. Look for the Dodgers to come out firing as they can not afford to go in a 0-2 hole. If Pedro Martinez can weather the early storm the Phils have a great chance to come home up 2-0, with three games to be played in The Bank.

The question is who will be today’s hero?



No more blown saves in Philadelphia

Friday September 11, 2009 • Leave a Comment 

It appears as if Charlie Manuel finally heard the rest of us. I find it admirable that he stated Lidge was his guy a few months ago when the closer first started to struggle and was staying with him to the bitter end. I can appreciate his attempt at loyalty and integrity. But at a certain point, even Manuel had to recognize as manager of the defending World Series champions, his primary objective should be to win games. Lidge’s difficulties this season were dangerously close to infecting the rest of the team.

Tonight Cole Hamel’s evened his record at .500 by pitching 6+ strong innings of 1 run ball. Manuel then brought Chan Ho Park and Brett Myers in for middle relief. After that, for the second night in a row, he brought in Ryan Madsen to close. Now here is the strange thing, the last two games Madsen has earned the save, but he is also giving up hits and runs !

What is it this year about this pitching staff. If you pitch in middle relief or long relief, you are effective but the moment they place a “closer” designation on you, the balls start to fly off the bat ? Madsen gave up a double and a single and allowed a run on a fielders choice before completing the save. He came in with a three run cushion though. If he only had a one or two run cushion, tonight could have gotten interesting really quick. He still has an ERA near 3, but he hasn’t been in that many save opportunities yet.

A lot of people don’t realize just how difficult it is to close a game. You only face a couple of batters, but they are generally warmed up and in a do or die situation with a lot more on the line. The managers are manipulating the lineup for all they are worth, trying to bring about the perfect mismatch. At that point traditionally, it has always been a relatively thankless job, except for the rare times like Lidge had last year when he was perfect from start to finish and his team won it all. Those seasons come around sometimes only once in a career for a closer. It is much more common for a closer to throw one bad ball out over the plate and become the goat, frequently when he is not solely to blame for the teams loss.

That being said, getting Lidge out of that role is the right thing to do. I feel bad he is in that position, but the same thing happened to Jamie Moyer earlier this year when he was pulled from the starting lineup. Moyer has pitched as well or better since the manager made that move, so maybe Lidge will find a better role to finish out the season and help this team repeat as champions. This is a team that can do it. Tonight they won on defense, solid hitting in the clutch, and a little bit of luck. I admire Manuel more for admitting by his actions that he had backed the wrong horse. Like I said before, it is his job to manage this team so they win ballgames, not to win a popularity contest.

This team will be in the spotlight the rest of the way. The Rockies are on a tear, as are the Cardinals, with their potential triple crown contender in Albert Pujols. The Angels are better hitters statistically, the Dodgers and Giants are better pitching statistically. It is possible the Phillies are only the fourth or fifth choice to win the World Series this year. The fact they were 2008 champions actually hurts them a bit with the pundits and sportswriters. Take the Yankees out of the picture, and only one other team has won double World Series since the Phillies last title, way back in 1980. I speak of the Toronto Blue Jays. Where are they now ? Near the cellar in their division.

It is no longer an easy thing to do in a league with a lot of parity considering there is no payroll equality, and the Phillies did spend some money this year to add to their World Series defending squad to see if they could be the first to do it in the 21st century. For a team in the spotlight, it is time to settle down, play ball, and everybody do what they do best. At this particular moment, Manuel seems to be coaching, which is what he does, and Lidge is NOT closing which at this point is what he needs to do.



Lidge has definitely outstayed his welcome.

Wednesday September 9, 2009 • Leave a Comment 

Tonight’s headline is not about a Phillies closer blowing another lead. Wednesday was Clippard’s turn to come into a game in the late innings with the score tied and give up two long balls to the first two batters he faced.

The Phillies are back on track. Cliff Lee is still the man. The Phillies continue to crush the long ball just when they need it. After watching another lead vanish in the bottom of the 7th, the Phillies came up to bat in the top of the 8th inning and jumped on Washington’s relief pitcher, Tyler Clippard. The first two batters who faced him, Werth and Ruiz, both went downtown and all of the sudden, the Phillies had a 6-4 lead going into the bottom of the eighth inning.

Tonight it was not the typical 3-4 hitters doing the damage, tonight Ibanez, Werth and Feliz combined to go 6-10 with 4 RBI’s in support of Cliff Lee. Lee pitched 7 more strong innings en route to his 6th win with his new ball club.

The only real fly in the ointment was Alberto Gonzalez who had three doubles in three at bats. For some reason Jim Riggleman chose to pull Gonzalez with the bases loaded in the 8th and sent Orr to the plate instead. I understand wanting to have the right handed batter face the right handed pitcher, but why pull the guy with the majority of your team’s hits and runs with the bases loaded and the game on the line ? For whatever reason, we will thank Riggleman for this win. He is probably just now realizing he over thought his strategy and possibly cost his team the game.

For that matter, why did Manuel have Cliff Lee bat with one out in the top of the inning, only to pull him for Chan Ho Park in the bottom of the same inning ? Wouldn’t that have been a good spot for a pinch hitter ? Maybe Matt Stairs, woefully underutilized this year ?

This was a strange contest where it almost appeared as if neither manager wanted to win it. But at the very least, Manuel resisted trotting Lidge in for the save. I don’t know if my heart could have handled that at this point ! I have been saying Lidge needs to be replaced, just as many of my earlier predictions and comments from the spring and summer are coming true.

J A Happ is missing a start and Jamie Moyer is coming from the bullpen to start in his place.

As I said, Moyer deserves this, he earned it, and has been valuable to this team all year long.

Lidge is self destructing after his perfect season last year, after I commented on how he looked a little scared and tentative even as he helped the Phillies win the world series last year and predicted he would have a much less successful fall in 2009.

The two mid season Cy Young winning pitching acquisitions have combined to go 10-2 with a combined ERA around 3.

The Phillies became the 12th club in MLB history to have 4 30 homer players, and the first to have three left handers achieve the feat in the same season.

The Phillies are in fact the most well balanced over-all scoring machine in this generation.  Put their runs, RBI’s and home run totals up against any one and they are better than or equal to the task.

And the Phillies will be going to the World Series again in defense of their title, but I am no longer sure they will successfully defend it.  It is nice to know some things I observed have come to pass, I just hope Charlie Manuel stays with Madsen at this point.   Having a closer with a 7+ ERA who allows more baserunners than innings pitched will not enable the Phillies to get through the rest of the year and win in the post-season.