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Numbers unjust for Oswalt, Hamels
Disagreement is a major part of sports. After all, what fun would it be to discuss sports if everyone had the same opinion about everything?
It wouldn’t be fun at all.
But every great one in a while a topic comes up that just can’t be debated — at least it shouldn’t be.
This is one of those cases.
I will state is as unquestioned fact (or something like that) that no team in baseball has two pitchers with losing records that are better than the Phillies’ Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels. Oswalt took a no-hitter into the seventh today in the Phillies’ 5-1 win over the Dodgers. With the win he improved to an unjustified 10-13. I guess that’s what happens when you’re stuck on the Astros for 2/3 of the season.
If Oswalt is looking for sympathy he certainly wont get any from teammate Hamels, who somehow only has eight wins this year. One of the big question marks entering the season was if Hamels could find his 208 form, or if he would be the same guy who struggled in 2009. Well, Hamels has pitched like the 2008 version, yet is stuck with 2009-like numbers.
Trust me, when teams go against Hamels and Oswalt they are not licking their lips at the chance to face two guys with a combined 18-23 record. It’s quite the opposite.
Baseball is a team game and Oswalt and Hamels will be the first guys to tell you their numbers don’t matter as long as the team gets back to the playoffs.
Yet it wouldn’t seem justified for either pitcher to end the regular season with a losing record. Hopefully the offense can get on enough of a role to not only propel the team into the playoffs, but also reward a pair of pitchers who’s win totals just don’t seem right.
Trade more than just a rumour now.
It is looking more and more like the Phillies will acquire a new pitcher.
With Victorino, Rollins and Utley on the DL, and Moyer apparently done forever, the Phillies are trying to shore up a roster that looked a lot deeper and stronger at the beginning of the year then it does now.
Roy Oswalt may be the missing piece. Oswalt has not yet waived his no trade clause but appears very unhappy with his standing as the staff ace for the Houston Astros, who, at 42-59 look to have no chance at the post season for 2010. Oswalt, a very capable pitcher has seen his numbers drop to match the team, with a 6-12 record and a 3.42 ERA so far this season.
Since breaking into the big leagues in 2001, Roy Oswalt has 143 victories — 28 more than any other NL pitcher. And his 1,593 strikeouts are the most for any NL pitcher with 100 starts since 2001. The combination of Oswalt and Halladay would give the Phillies their first authentic 1-2 punch in a generation.
Halladay held similar records in the AL prior to the trade to Philadelphia and despite a lack of run support in all his starts, he still is second in the league in ERA and 3rd in victories, and in both these categories he leads the Phillies.
The Astros, in turn, are looking to acquire Happ and Singleton as well as a prospect to be named later from the Phillies. While Happ has not yet lived into his potential, Oswalt is a proven commodity. And Singleton IS a hot prospect for the Phillies at a farm league level, but right now, if the Phillies are going to stay in it for the rest of the year and make a run at the Braves, they need pitching.
Wow. It seems like every time we evaluate this team, it needs pitching.
Fielding is covered; the hitting; comes and goes, that is the nature of the game. Pitching, has long been the area in which the Phillies have lacked world championship caliber players. Consider 2008, their World Series winning season. They had 4 pitchers with 10 or more victories.
Moyer led the team with 16, then came Hamels with 14, Kendrick with 11 and Myers with 10. The team ERA was 3.88 and the lowest ERA by a starting pitcher was Hamels at 3.09. So when the possibility exists the Phillies may end up with 2 pitchers who can record 20 wins with an ERA in the 2’s, fans can sense the excitement. If we can win the world series with the above rotation, imagine how much better we can be with a starting group including Halladay, Oswalt, Hamels, and Kendrick
Missing man is Joe Blanton who had several strong years but is posting a 4-6 record with a 5.86 ERA after 16 starts this year. If we can’t trade back for Lee, I say let Happ go and acquire the veteran that has proven he can fill the staff ace role. Let the 2 Roys, Halladay and Oswalt fight it out to determine who will be ace #1, and who will be ace #2.
Vote for Perdro … again?
Will there be another Pedro Martinez sighting in Citizen’s Bank Park?
Well, maybe.
ESPN.com is reporting that the Phillies have been in contact with Pedro in regards to returning to the team in the second half of the season. Pedro was a pleasant surprise for the Phillies last year, rediscovering his fastball and giving the rotation some much needed depth. He was however tagged with two losses to the Yankees in the World Series.
Bellow is a statement in the story for Ruben Amero:
“We have talked to his agent, but there’s nothing so far,” Amaro Jr. said. “We are not negotiating, but we’ve been talking to him. It all depends on whether he wants to play or not.”
It’s hard to blame the Phillies for contacting Pedro considering the struggles of their rotation behind Roy Halladay and to some extent Cole Hamels. With J.A. Happ’s return still in question, Martinez wouldn’t be a horrible acquisition. And while I’m not sure Pedro can be a difference maker at this point in his career, the Phillies currently find themselves in a position where they need to consider all options.
So would you vote for Pedro?
Soft Hamels lets down team again
If Charmin ever needs a new spokesperson to talk about the how soft its brand of toilet tissue is, they need to look no further than the Cole Hamels.
The lanky left-hander showed once again Tuesday Night that no one knows more about being soft than him.
Hamels allowed a three run homer to Troy Gloss in the first inning then went back into the dugout during a rain delay that lasted all of one hour and four minutes.
When the game restarted, Hamels didn’t. His day was over, leaving 7-plus innings to be pitched by the Phillies bullpen. Nothing like burning up your bullpen with a day game on deck. Meanwhile, Braves starter Tim Hudson came back on the field and continued mowing down Phillies hitters.
Apparently those 64 minutes weren’t too long to make him call it a night. Instead Hudson went on to throw six strong innings and over 100 pitches.
If Orel Hershiser was a Bulldog, then Hamels is a poodle.
It’s not breaking news that Hamels is soft. He has been perceived that way by Phillies fans throughout his career. He has refused to pitch on three days rest when asked and his personality makes him seem like a better fit for a Los Angeles than Philadelphia.
Of coarse the announcers made sure to cover Hamels backside. Wheels said “Usually it’s the managers who decide if the pitcher is going to go back out there, the player doesn’t usually tell the manager.”
I’m sure there’s some truth to that. But can anyone tell me that Roy Halladay would not have come back out?
Of coarse he would have came out, because that’s the type of pitcher he is.
And time and time again Hamels shows what kind of pitcher he is.
Ruiz Walks Off in Style
The Phillies were on the winning side of a pitching duel Tuesday, when they faced St. Louis. Both starting pitchers went 8.0 innings allowing only 1 run, and sending the game into extra innings. Cole Hamels had arguably his best outing of the season striking out eight, and setting Philadelphia up for a win in walk off fashion. The lefty threw 116 pitches and brought his ERA to 4.42. Read more
Philles-Mets overreactions – Take 1
There’s nothing like the first installment of the Phillies-Mets rivalry to bring out the most uneducated comments from Philadelphia and New York fans alike.
This rivalry, which will have 17 more meetings after tonight always gets folks talking on sports talk radio. It becomes more like comedy radio, actually.
The schedule makers have been nice enough to give each team a day of on Thursday leaving fans two full days to call in to 610 or 950 in Philly and 660 in New York. Now the smart baseball fan knows that the calendar reads April and that this series holds little meaning in what will take place this summer. At best the Phillies will finish the series with a 2.5 game lead on New York. At worst they will be 3.5 games back. The end result will likely lie somewhere in the middle. But sports talk isn’t rational. However, as I said earlier it is funny, so here are just a few of the things I have heard stated on the AM dials in both Philadelphia and New York. One or two of these statements might actually prove to be true:
- The Phillies will sweep this series and the Mets will be back to fourth place by next week.
- A series win by the Mets will show that they will be in contention deep into the summer.
- Mike Pelfrey (4-0, MLB-leading 0.69 ERA) has emerged to give the Mets the best No. 2 in baseball.
- Mike Pelfrey is garbage and will be rocked on Saturday.
- The Mets announcers are the worst in the game.
- The Phillies announcers put you to bed.
- Philadelphia wants to be New York.
- New York wants to be Philadelphia.
- Cole Hamels is better than Johan Santana.
- The Mets winning streak means nothing because it came during a home stand.
- The Mets winning streak is a sign of things to come as it coincided with the arrival of Ike – Davis and the return of Jose Reyes.
- Ike Davis is a fluke.
- Ike Davis has a swing comparable to Ted Williams (this after 10 games).
- David Wright’s time has come and gone. He is just an average baseball player.
- All of those flyball outs hit by David Wright at home will be 10 rows deep at Citizens Bank Park.
- This series will set the tone for the entire season.
Ah, let the fun begin.
Phillies offense on a tear
The Phillies put an exclamation point on their quick start this season by loading up early and often on the Nationals in their fifth meeting and winning 14-7.
Amid concerns that with the loss of Jimmy Rollins and Jaysen Werth, the team may struggle on offense; the rest of the team turned in another winning performance. Werth made a late performance as a pinch hitter so it seems obvious his absence from the starting lineup will be brief. Rollins calf injury may be more serious then was at first thought, which is a shame given his extremely fast start.
If there is ANY early question about the Phillies this year, it would have to be their starting pitching. Halladay is a lock, and Hamels is 2-0 but has been shaky. Happ looks as good as he did last year and Moyer just keeps throwing up W’s. But tonight, Kendrick, subbing for the injured Joe Blanton, lasted a mere 1 and 2/3 innings after giving up 6 runs and saw his ERA shoot above 17. We need Blanton back. Hey, where was the last Martinez sighting anyway ?
Three middle relievers combined to hold the Nationals to 1 run from the 3rd inning on.
The bottom line, no matter the injury, the focus is on offense. When one Phillie is out of commission, another simply steps it up a notch and fills the gap. There are many teams that struggle to score 14 runs at all in a game, and I have the feeling we may see this another dozen or more times this year, when the team gets in sync and everyone has a couple hits and a couple RBI.
Tonight, Victorino broke out of his mild slump with a 4-5 day with a triple, homerun, and 5 RBI’s. He was listed on ESPN’s MLB top performers of the day board. Utley went 2-4 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI. He also appeared on the top performers board. Polanco maintained his torrid pace going 2-4 to keep his average in the .480’s
Overall the first four in the lineup were a combined 10-18 with 12 RBI.
It seems clear to me now that the team is off to a 7-1 start that they may be substantially better than they were in 2008. If the pitching solidifies, this offense is lethal. And every new addition to the sluggers row has stepped up and over performed, as in Ibanez, and Francisco and now Polanco. With six guys in the lineup that are each capable of a clutch hit, homerun or other run producing play, it is extremely difficult for a pitcher to work his way through this lineup.
Oh, and by the way, our pitchers can hit too !
Looks like it is going to be a long, enjoyable summer ahead with the Phillies setting the pace the whole way !
Phils win home opener, now 6-1.
The Phillies won their home opener 7-4 behind Cole Hamels to run thier National League leading record to 6-1. They dealt Marquis his second loss of this young season. Hamels and Halladay are now both 2-0 and the Phillies bats are smoking hot.
Jimmy Rollins was a late scratch due to a calf injury but his replacement, Castro, was 1-4 with a double and an RBI. Rightfielder Jayson Werth left the game after the fifth inning due to a sore left hip. Chase Utley ripped a two run homerun with one out in the fifth.
Ibanez and Victorino are the only two starters who have not hit their stride as yet, with the remainder of the starting lineup batting above .290. The team as a whole continued their torrid hitting. They’re averaging 7.1 runs and 11 hits per game.
The fans showed up in force for the home opener, giving the Phillies their 43rd consecutive sellout at home dating to last season.
Game 2 of the series is tomorrow night, and the Nationals have got to be searching for answers after dropping 3 of their first 4 games against the defending NL champion Phillies. Even the new pitcher signed for 15 million after an All Star year with Colorado last year was unable to keep the Phillies hitters in check. Our team now leads all of baseball in hitting.
I limited myself to 2 hotdogs and four beers and had a great time rooting for my Phillies. For some reason a Mets fan sat behind me and booed every time the Phillies had a good play, but after checking the standings, I refrained from comment, the poor guy already has enough going against him and the Mets season is only going to get worse once they starting playing Philadelphia !
I think I will have to get tickets in my normal spot on April 30th and see if he shows up again to watch the Phillies play the Mets for the first time this year. Maybe I will buy him a beer. Who says Philadelphia fans are horrible ?
The extra bad news for my friend in blue; it is likely Halladay will have the start on that Friday night game, in which case, the Mets, who will arrive at Citizens Bank sporting a 6-16 record or so, don’t have the faintest chance !
Strong start for Phitens-home opener today at 3
The Phillies finished thier opening road trip with a 5-1 mark, representing thier best start for a season since 1993 when they started 7-1. Not only did they win 5 of 6 games but did so by outscoring the opponent 43-18.
To be fair, the teams they played were not top echelon teams. The Phillies return for their home opener today at 3pm and face the Nationals for the 4th time already this season. This time the matchup is Cole Hamels against the Nationals Marquis who gave up 6 runs in 4 innings in his first start against the Phillies down in Washington.
The Phillies started strong, leading the majors in hits, runs, slugging percentage and batting average on their first road trip. They rank second with a team 2.72 ERA. They look to continue their success at home.
Halladay is already paying dividends, going 2-0 with a .56 ERA in his first two starts. The offense has returned in force with 5 starters currently batting .348 or better. 7 starters have an OBP of .400 or higher. Polanco, the other off season acquisition is paying equal dividends to Roy Halladay as he is 13-27 with 1 home run and 8 RBI through the first 6 games. Ryan Howard is leading the team in homeruns (3) RBI (10) and is batting .357 with only 4 strikeouts. Jimmy Rollins started the season off looking like the MVP he was several years ago with his batting average pushing .400 and his OBP over .500, exactly what the Phillies need out of their leadoff batter.
The last time the Phillies started the season this strong, they won the NL East, then won the NLCS against the Braves, prior to losing to the Blue Jays in the World Series. More typically of late, this team has started off average and then accelerated through May and June to lead the NL East for the majority of the summer and fall. This year they actually look to lead the division from start to finish. Florida briefly held a game advantage but that was swiftly erased when the Phillies went to Houston and swept the Astros last week.
Even the pitching staff is hitting, with Hamels, Halladay and Moyer all collecting hits on their opening road trip. When the pitching staff is batting 4-15 you get the feeling this may be the year the Phillies put it all together and set many records en route to another World Series victory.
The Phillies started the season ranked #3 in the MLB power rankings, behind the NYY and the Red Sox in the AL. The Yankees are now 4-2 and Boston is at .500 at 3-3 so it is probable the Phillies will move up in the ranking.
Now I have to sign off, and get moving, so I can get to the park in time for some tailgating before the game starts in 2 1/2 hours. I was privileged to watch the season opener in DC and am now going to watch the home opener live at Citizens Bank. I will report on the game once I return home. If you are my boss, and are reading this, I REALLY am sick, and my doctor prescribed an afternoon of $9 beers and fresh air, so I have to go. Just don’t ask me for the note, because I think I lost it already !
Go Phillies !!!!
1 down – 101 to go.
The Phillies got off to a good start, winning their opening game for the first time since 2005 behind new pitching ace, Roy Halladay. Polanco and Howard homered and Halladay held the Nationals to 1 run on 5 hits while continuing the AL pitcher habit of contributing at the plate, albeit with a 30 foot dribble that scored a run when it was put into play at the perfect time.
Tonight is game 2, seeing a matchup between previous staff ace Cole Hamels who had an off year in 2009 but still was good enough to factor in the Phillies push to the World Series last fall and ex Colorado Rockie Jason Marquis, who owned 6 more wins than the Nationals top pitcher (John Lannan) from 2009.
The Phillies organization saw Marquis quite a bit, earlier in his career when he pitched for the Atlanta Braves, but most of the current crew have relatively few plate appearances against him. The Nationals won a division low 59 games last year, even after winning the final 7 games of the season, and opening their 2010 season against the NL champion Phillies may not be the best way for them to get off to a strong start. Washington has made some changes to the lineup this year; only three starters from the 2009 opening day game were on the field as starters Monday.
The Phillies remain a solid favorite to win and should pose problems for all the NL East teams this year with the exception of the Braves. Atlanta has a more solid pitching staff and also made some off season changes to improve upon thier 86-76 third place finish last year.
I am looking forward to tonight’s game, which I will watch, regretfully from home. I was lucky enough to attend the game in Washington but in doing so seriously crippled my sports entertainment budget for the year !! It may have been the money I spent after the game, because the actual expenses to attend were fairly reasonable, I think between tickets, parking, food and gas, I spent $400.00, for myself and a guest. And we had some sweet seats !
I predicted before the season started the Phillies would break the 100 win barrier this year by posting a 102-60 record in winning the National League East once again. After opening day, I am happy to report, a scant 101 more wins to go ! I think it is fairly certain Halladay is going to get in the 20 win range, and Hamels may not be far behind as he seeks to reestablish himself to 2008 staff ace form. JA Happ should have a breakout season with 15+ wins of his own.
Three great pitchers, 6 of 8 position players top five in the league, a new World Series tradition; all add up to one of the most exciting Phillies season to come our way in a long time, perhaps in all time. Can’t wait to see how Hamels looks tonight because if he is as strong as Roy there will be a lot of teams chasing the Phillies with little or no hope this year.
The best and worst of Spring Taining
How do you view spring training numbers?
Spring Training is the time of year where all kinds of opinions get thrown out. A young player who comes up and gets six hits in their first 10 at-bats is referenced as the next Mike Schmidt.
Veteran players who struggle for a couple weeks get titles such as “washed up” and “over-the-hill”.
It’s all part of the baseball landscape. Judgments are made at a time of year when the players aren’t even judging themselves. A pitcher could give up six runs a 3 1/3 and be quoted afterwards as saying “It was a good day. I got my pitches over strikes and I think my command is coming along.”
But maybe you are a stat guy and Spring Training numbers matter to you. If that’s the case, here are the numbers that are the best and worst from Clearwater with 11 days to go until the real baseball starts.
The Best
Roy Halladay — 3 games, 10 innings 1-0 record, 0.90 ERA. He has been everything he was advertised to be. His 14 K’s have given fans a reason to be excited about Doc’s arrival.
Danys Baez — 7 games, 8.2 innings 6 K’s, 1-0 record, 1.04 ERA. The Phillies bullpen has been the most questioned aspect of this team this Spring. Baez was the only big acquisition to the group and could be the man in charge of the 8th inning. He could also close if the 2009 Brad Lidge shows up.
Placido Polanco — 39 at-bats, 16 hits, 1 SO and a .410 average. Like the two before him, Polanco is new to the team and has started strong. His ability to put the ball in play in 38 of 39 at-bats is just what the Phillies offense needs.
The worst
Cole Hamels — 14.2 innings, 10 runs, 8 earned, 4.91 ERA. Hamels hasn’t technically been the worst pitcher in camp, but he also hasn’t shown much to show he will bounce back from a bad 2009.
Raul Ibanez — 37 at-bats, 4 hits, .108 average. Ibanez insists he is fine and there is no reason not to believe him. This guy has been around long enough to know Spring Training stats are worth nothing. That said, fans would feel a lot better if he started swinging the bat like he did in the first half of last season.
Chase Utley — 31 at bats, .258 average, 0 extra base hits. Utley was not himself the second half of last season as an injury held down his power. So far that power has not shown its face this Spring. Thirty-one at-bats is a long stretch for a player of Utley’s quality to go without an extra-base knock.
So there you have it, the best and the worst with 10 days to go. Do of it what you want.
Just remember, on April 5, everyone’s stats go back to zero.
Pleading the fifth: Moyer of Kendrick?
Having won three straight NL East titles and appearing in the World Series the last two years, few questions surround the Phillies as they embark on the 2010 season next month.
And the questions that do exist — bounce back seasons from Brad Lidge and Cole Hamels — don’t pertain to the first week of the season so much as they do the season as a whole.
The team’s starting eight are assured. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley don’t exactly have their jobs on the line.
But there is one bit of competition that has the interest of the team’s followers.
The old soft throwing lefty vs. The promising, yet inconsistent young buck.
Jamie Moyer vs. Kyle Kendrick.
On one end you have a 47-year old who’s fastball is looks like a changup, but has always found a way to get the job done. Since being acquired by the Phillies in a deal with Seattle, Moyer has been a great presence in the locker room. His work on the mound has been equally as impressive. He is 47-31 in three seasons and has given his team a chance to win the vast majority of the time. With the Phillies offense, they usually have.
He tied for the team lead with 12 wins last year, though his ERA bloomed to 4.94.
On the other hand you have Kendrick who pitched well in 2007 — surprising the organization with a 10-4 record and a 3.87 ERA — but struggled in 2008, finishing with a 5.49 ERA. Kendrick doesn’t overpower hitters and doesn’t have amazing stuff, but he is a Major League pitcher and does appear ready.
This Spring, Kendrick has put forth a strong audition, posting a 1.29 ERA. In 14 innings he has allowed just seven hits and two runs, while striking out 6. Moyer made his first official start of the Spring on Sunday and he to had success, allowing one run on five hits in five innings against the Blue Jays. Moyer previously made three starts in “B” games, and currently has a 3.86 ERA.
This will not be an easy decision by any means.
Although he pitched in relief at the end of last season Moyer does not want to be a reliever. Kendrick could be used in relief but may be better served getting starting experience in the minors if he isn’t chosen as the fifth starter. The team already has Jose Contreras in the bullpen so the need for a long-man is not there.
The Phillies could also try to trade Moyer, but as Philly.com writer Paul Hagen points out, the team would be best served to keep both as there is a lack of starting depth in the minors and injuries are inevitable during a season.
I think that Kendrick’s time has arrived and he should get the nod. I also think he won’t.
If we have learned anything about Charlie Manuel in his time in Philadelphia it’s that he is loyal to his guys. Sometimes for the right reasons and sometimes to a fault.
The Phillies can survive with Moyer in the No. 5 spot and they know it. Kendrick will get his chance, just not during the early part of the season.
And if your rooting for one guy or the other and it doesn’t work out in your favor don’t let it bother you. When a team’s only dilemma is at the No. 5 spot in the rotation, your team is in really good shape.
Hamels shows old form on mound
I believe it is foolish to get wrapped up in Spring Training statistics, particularly when they come from players who have already secured roster spots.
When a player goes through an 0-for 10 stretch at the plate, it’s not something that gets me worked up, and likewise if a young player goes through a 7-for-10 stretch I don’t jump to the conclusion that the Phillies have the next great thing on their hands.
But once in awhile I see something in Spring Training that holds my attention. Today Cole Hamels did exactly that.
The notion that the Phillies chances of winning a second World Series in three years hinges on Hamels being the pitcher of 2008 and not the sub-.500 one of 2009 has been exhausted to death. so I am not going to go into it. Phillies fans know Hamels has to pitch better and become a strong No. 2 behind Roy Halladay. What they want is to see it.
Today we got a taste.
Hamels retired the first nine batters he faced and struck out four in a 3 2/3 innings appearance in the Phillies 4-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. It wasn’t all good news for the young left-hander, as he did give up a solo home run and walked a pair, but the fact that he was able to find a groove is a good sign for the team. Hamels is experimenting with a couple pitches so he could be excused for some troubles, but they have yet to show themselves this Spring.
It was only 3.2 innings and it’s only Spring Training, but Hamels took a step forward in what will be a long quest to prove that an ugly 2009 is behind him.
It should be noted that while Hamels was showing he was ready to be a top of the rotation pitcher, former Phillies prized prospect Kyle Drabek was giving the Blue Jays a taste of why they traded Halladay. Drabek started the game and pitched two scoreless innings, allowing just a hit and a walk. Not much was hit hard against Drabek as five of the six outs came on ground balls.
Like with Hamels, it is much to soon to predict what this season will hold for Drabek.
But for today, the results were very positive.
Whiz Kids or the New and Improved Phitens, who is better ?
From 1976 to 1980 they won 4 NL East titles, 1 National League Pennant and 1 World Series.
From 2005 to present they have won 3 National League East titles, 2 National league Pennants and 1 World Series.
The first team included the group known as the Whiz Kids, with nearly every member of the team either in the hall of fame, or close to it, and known nationally as household names due to the exposure they recieved during their dominance. The second team is still playing so does not have the advantage of securing a historical place in our minds and memories as of yet, but may equal or exceed the ability and statistics of the first group of Phillies superstars.
This article will attempt to compare the two squad’s core group of players, then and now to determine which team is truly the best Phillies team of all time. It might be noted the first team played just prior to the advent of steroid allegations and performance enhancing drugs becoming the norm, whereas the second group has played and does play in “the steroid era” of baseball with equal or better statistical results, yet has received no substantiated press regarding the use of these illegal and banned substances. That by itself in this modern era of sports is remarkable, but what this group has acheived in a short period of time may be more so.
The first group-of Phillies included; Michael Jack Schmidt, Pete Rose, Bob Boone, Greg “The Bull” Luzinski, Tim McCarver, Larry Bowa, Garry Maddox and was led by pitchers Steve “Lefty” Carlton, Tug McGraw and Larry Christensen.
The current group of 21st century Phillies includes; Ryan Howard, Jaysen Werth, Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Raul Ibanez, and has had Brett Myers, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, Jamie Moyer, JA Happ and Brad Lidge leading the way from the mound.
For purposes of a direct comparison, I am not selecting players that only played 2 years or less with either team during the peak, hence the noticable lack of names such as Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Juan Samuel, Pedro Martinez and the like.
The 1976 to 80 team, over their five seasons averaged 747 runs, 113 Homeruns, 696 RBI’s, 136 stolen bases and a .270 batting average while the pitching staff posted an ERA of under 3.50 for the span. The two offensive leaders would have to be Rose and Schmidt, with Rose batting .291 with 390 runs and 255 RBI and Michael Jack posting over 200 homeruns, 600 RBI and 600 runs scored over the same 5 year span.
The leaguewide change of focus from defense to offense over the ensuing 30 years is evident when one realizes the Whiz Kids pitching staff ranked 7th league wide with an ERA around 3.00 while the 2008 staff was ranked 4th league wide while the ERA had risen to 3.88.
The offensive numbers of todays Phillies correlate to this change. The current team is averaging 837 runs scored, 207 home runs, including a team record 224 last year, 706 RBI’s and 120 stolen bases. Todays squad is led by Ryan Howard, with 220 homeruns, 630 RBI’s, and 460 runs scored over his first 5 full seasons.
The Phillies offensive output has increased by 30-40% while the team ERA has risen by 20% at the same time the league ERA has risen accordingly. Between the Phillies dominance in the late seventies and early eighties and the current Phillies rise to prominance, the National League East was owned by the Atlanta Braves. But those Braves dominated by virtue of their excllent pitching staff led by Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz. There has not been a National League team that has ever had the dominant lineup from 1st to 7th position that the current Phillies possess.
Last years Phillies saw 4 players hit 30+ homeruns and drive in 90+ runs, as well as six players score 90+ runs and 8 hit 25 or more doubles. They also had 4 players steal 20 or more bases. This is the most balanced team to play in the National League in 50 years. The Whiz Kids were famous simply because the perennial basement dwelling Phillies went to and won the World Series. The current club should be afforded more respect because they are a better rounded and higher achieving team, and I for one, can not wait for them to close out the National League for 2010 so they can return to the World Series and go 2 for 3 as they take the championship away from the hated NY Yankees and return it to it’s rightful place, in Philadelphia. This is a team that could easily win 3 or 4 of the next 5 World Series and establish itself in history as a baseball dynasty.
Based on these numbers, I would have to state, the current Phillies ballclub is the best statistical team ever to play baseball in Philadelphia, and I have a feeling the best is yet to come.
There is a new Ace in town
After starting last year against the perennial rival Atlanta Braves, the Phillies will have a chance to start off strong an immediately separate from the rest of the National League East. Their first 9 games come against 2 teams that went a combined 133-191 in 2009. With the addition of staff ace Roy Halladay and 5 of their first 8 series coming against sub .500 teams from 2009, the Phillies may have a real shot at the best start in team history. Halladay may have 3 starts against National League bottom feeders before he is put to his first true test.
It is funny though, from all the reports I have read, and out of all the quotes attributed to Halladay, he seems to have a sense of nostalgia regarding his days with Toronto in the American League. Here is one of his quotes: ”I think I’ll miss a little bit of going into Yankee Stadium and Boston, where you’re expected to lose every time you go in there, and being able to walk out with wins.”
This is a man who is not only capable, but confident. He holds the best record for a starting pitcher against the Yankees in the past 55 years among pitchers with 22 or more starts in that span. He won 1 Cy Young and seriously competed for 2 others in the last decade in the American League, and now he gets to face teams who average fewer hits, a lower slugging percentage and less home runs. He will also get to totally confound the oppositions pitchers when their turn at the plate arrives. We haven’t had that kind of swagger here since the days of Mitch Williams, and in my opinion, Halladay has earned the right to swagger more than “The Wild Thing” ever did.
What I am most curious about however, is how will he do at the plate ? He has faced an opposing pitcher at the plate rarely if ever in his career. I mean, we all know he can pitch, but he is arriving in the city of brotherly love as the second highest paid player on the team, behind Ryan Howard, and what the fans really want to know is that they got good value for their money.
I mean, really, when the Phillies traded for Cliff Lee midseason last year, they knew he could pitch too, but who would have guessed he would go 7-33 with 2 doubles ? It wouldn’t have surprised me if he had gone without a hit in his 12 starts as he got used to taking a stance at the plate as opposed to his accustomed place on the mound. And how about his nonchalant fielding prowess on comebackers and infield pop ups late in the season and during the playoffs ? And his exuberant dash to and from the mound every time out ? Are we going to get a show from Halladay or just solid relentless pitching ? His regimen already indicates he has an extremely strong work ethic, showing up at 5:30 each morning to begin his workout, normally ahead of the rest of the staff. But the important question is, will he entertain us as he wins games, or will he just shut ‘em down and send them packing ?
Obviously I want to see some wins, I really feel he has to have at least a 15 win season to validate his salary and contribute to this team making a run at a fourth straight NL East title. But it would also be nice to see a show. Get the crowd into it, in the way Lee did last year, and Hamels did the year before. After all, the Phillies may finally be in a position to get some national respect; after being a laughingstock for a century, they are seriously being considered a strong contender for not only the post season this year, but to return to the World Series.
Seriously, if Halladay bats .050 and goes 15-5 with an ERA under 3.5 or better, it will still be an enormous upgrade for this team. They are finally getting a solid staff in place that will enable them to dominate any team in a 5 or 7 game series, and that is what matters. The only real question mark that remains is closing games. Will we get the Lidge of 2008 who was nearly flawless, or the Lidge of 2009 who posted a 7+ ERA and set the record for blown saves ? That, more than any one factor will most likely contribute to the Phillies successful return to the World Series. I can’t wait for the baseball season to get underway so we can get some answers to these questions and get a chance to check both Halladay and Lidge out.
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