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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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Just don’t tell me these guys cheated the game
The inevitable and the disappointing happened on Monday when Mark McGuire finally came clean and admitted to taking steroids.
That McGuire chose now to disclose the truth on his steroid usage is not all that surprising given that he will be in his first year serving as the hitting coach for the St Louis Cardinals. Questions would have followed both the former slugger and his team throughout the upcoming season.
During his apologies McGuire seemed a bit naïve saying “I truly believe (I could hit those home runs without any PEDs). I believe I was given this gift. The only reason I took steroids was for health purposes.”
Like many baseball fans I wanted to hope that McGuire was clean and that his 1998 home run chase with Sammy Sosa was real and not a product of juice. I also wanted to believe that Many Ramirez and Rafael Palmeiro were clean.
They were not and who knows who else has cheated the game.
That got me thinking about which Philadelphia Phillies player I least would like to find out is or was on performance enhancing drugs. It is not easy or fun to think about your favorite athletes in a smog-filled manner. No one wants to think that the guy whose poster hung in his room for 15 years is a cheat instead of a hero. But in the reality of today’s game, no one passes without suspicion.
On that note, here is one current and one past Phillies’ player who it would break my heart to find out has cheated the game:
Current Phillie: Chase Utley: While there are a few players on the team that can hit the ball harder and farther, no one represents the hardworking, blue collar nature of the city like Utley. He runs out every ground ball and gives maximum effort on defense. That combined with his natural ability has turned him into the NL’s top second baseman. He plays the game the way it was meant to be played and that’s why finding out he took steroids would sting so bad.
Past Phillie:Jim Thome: Before Ryan Howard brought his big swing – and figure — to the Phillies organization it was Thome who put the fans in the seats. An owner of 564 home runs, Thome hit moon shots in his three-year tenure in Philadelphia. His large size and natural swing gave Thome the appearance of an all-American power hitter. He never looked cut, just strong and his power was evident from his rookie season in 1991. With guys like McGuire, Sammy Sosa, A-Rod, Barry Bonds and Palmeiro all linked to steroids, Thome (564 home runs) joins Ken Griffey Jr. and Frank Thomas as the greatest “clean” power hitters of the era. But beyond that, Thome had a great presence in the community and came off as one of the few “good guys” in the game.
Hopefully we never here these names linked with steroids. There are too few heroes left in baseball.
So who are your choices?
Road to a Dynasty is going to cost $$$
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 !
Should the Phillies take the Stairs?
There may not be a more exciting player to see come up to the plate than Matt Stairs.
When he swings, all of Citizen bank Park shakes. He swings for the fences with no outs or two outs and it doesn’t matter the score. He is looking for a fastball every time. And when he get’s one, he can send it a mile.
But at age 41, those swings producied a lot more misses than they did highlight reel dingers last season. He hit .198 and went hitless for a stretch of two months. Stairs said he still believes he can get it done and wants to play one more season.
The question is: Does Stairs deserve to be a member of the 2010 Phillies opening day bench?
The Phillies will likely start the season with a five man bench — two infielders, two outfielders and a catcher. As things currently stand, Ben Francisco and Greg Dobbs will occupy two of those spots, and a new catcher is likely to be brought in. We also know Stairs has little to offer defensively and Dobbs can’t play shortstop so another bench player will be brought in as a reserve infielder. That leaves one spot.
I think the Phillies will pass on bringing Stairs back. The reason being that he provides the illusion of power more than he provides actual power. In 103 at-bats last year Stairs hit five home runs. That is an average of less than one home run per 20 at-bats. While with the Phillies, Francisco also hit five home runs in 97 at-bats. We don’t look at Francisco as a big time power hitter, so why do we look at Stairs that way?
Yes Stairs has had great moments, (the 2008 NCLS home run, and 9th inning bombs against the Pirates and Rockies this season) but his poor average and uselessness in the field can not be ignored.
The Phillies vowed to upgrade the bench this offseason and if they plan to follow through with that splan, Stairs can not return. Besides, with Ryan Howard on the roster there promises to be no shortage of long home runs.
Phillies World Series hopes rest on Lee
While the Philadelphia Phillies former ace is already talking about next season, the current staff ace will do his best to keep this season alive.
Cliff Lee takes the mound tonight at Citizens Bank Park as the Phillies hope to extend the World Series to six games against the New York Yankees.
New York is on quite a run winning three straight contests, taking the Phillies home crowd out of play. Tonight Lee will look to slow down the Bronx Bombers and repeat his Game 1 performance when he pitched a complete game and allowed just one unearned run.
He will be opposed by A.J. Burnett, who also has a victory in the series, as he held the Phillies in check for seven innings in Game 2. Burnett will be throwing on two-days rest.
Philadelphia fans had hoped this day would not come. Coming into the World Series everything seemed to be clicking. Ryan Howard was as hot as he had ever been, the offense was clicking in unison and the pitching was superb. Now Howard is swinging and missing at breaking balls, the offense is getting solo home runs instead of three-run shots and the pitching has been spotty both in the rotation and the bullpen.
Baseball is a funny game. You can be as hot as fire one week and as cold as ice the next. The Phillies don’t have a week to catch fire though; they have a matter of hours. When their backs are against the wall the Phillies have shown their character and punched back. With the threat of the Yankees celebrating a World Series championship on their own field, I would expect that trend to continue.
There are plenty of question marks surrounding the Phillies for Games Six and Seven, but the biggest is whether they will get there.
By the end of the night the season could be over. Or, the Phils could be two wins away from a second-straight World Series title.
Game Time: 8:07
Lights out on Philadelphia?
It wasn’t a blown save, it was something much worse.
Bard Lidge allowed three runs in the ninth inning and the New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-4, to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the World Series, Sunday night.
Pedro Feliz hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 8th off Joba Chamberlain to tie the game at 4-4 and give the Phillies the momentum heading in to the ninth. Lidge came in and got the first two hitters out, as it appeared his postseason reconciliation was going to continue.
Then it all fell to pieces.
Johnny Damon hit the blooper of all bloopers to keep the inning alive. Damon, not the fastest runner these days, stole second and third on the same play as the Phillies were playing a shift against Mark Teixeira, as no one was covering third.
This was Lidge’s first big mistake. With Feliz accepting the throw down to second, there was no one to cover third except for Lidge who never even attempted to get over there. From there he hit Texeiria, let up a double to Alex-Rodriguez, a single to Jorge Posada and it was all over.
While Lidge will take most of the heat for this loss, there is plenty to go around.
- The Phillies hit two home runs, again solo shots, as the team had trouble getting men on base.
- In the fifth inning Chase Utley tried to toss the ball to Rollins with his glove in an attempt to start a double play instead of taking his time to transfer the ball and just get one out. As a result he got no outs and the Yankees would score two runs that innings.
- Joe Blanton pitches OK, but took the crowd out of the game early by allowing two runs in the first inning.
- What is going on with Raul Ibanez?
- Ryan Howard had a broken-bat single, but again looked helpless against the breaking ball.
It is now desperation time in Philadelphia as the Phils must win three straight to defend their World Series title. It can be done, certainly, but the Phils will need to play a lot better than they have through four games. Cliff Lee takes the ball tonight against A.J. Burnett.
The Phillies have been a team that plays well when their backs are against the wall, but this is bigger than any test they have had this season.
We will see if there is any magic left, or if it is “lights out” for the Phils.
World Series offensive breakdown
We are now just one day away fro Game 1 of the World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees. There promises to be plenty of drama as these two teams face off in the World Series for the first time in 50 years.
Bellow is a breakdown of how the teams match up position-by-position.
First Base: This would be the marquee position with two players who are not only of All-Star caliber, but MVP worthy. Ryan Howard has been a monster year after year, producing 40-plus home runs and 140 RBIs a season. His defense has improved and he defines the word clutch. Most people credit Jimmy Rollins for being the engine of the team but it became clear this season that the Phillies would go as far as Howard takes them.
On the other side, Mark Teixeira has been as good as advertised. The Yankees paid him big money in the offseason and he delivered with 39 homers and 122 RBIs. He has also delivered Gold Glove play at first base. Howard’s knack for getting the big hit gives him a slight edge on offense, but Teixeira seems to save a run a game with his glove, making this a toss up.
Verdict: draw
Second base: Robinson Cano has developed into the type of players that could be a cornerstone for the Yankees for many years. He hits for average (.320) and power (25 home runs).
Chase Utley also had a strong regular season, though his average dipped to .282. Something just doesn’t seem quite right with his swing right now and he only has two RBIs in the postseason. Utley may just be the hardest-working player in baseball and if there is something wrong there is a good chance he will fix it.
Verdict: Slight edge Yankees
Shortstop: This was nowhere near Jimmy Rollins’ best year, but his second-half was certainly acceptable. Rollins is hitting just .244 in the postseason, but it was his two-run double in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the NLCS that all-but finished off the Dodgers.
Meanwhile Derek Jeter is having a career year, which is saying something given his track record. He hit .334 during the regular season and his playoff performances in the past have been well-documented. If Rollins was having a typical year this would be a tough call. Since he has struggled, the check mark has to go to the Yankees’ captain.
Verdict: Edge Yankees
Third base: Alex Rodriguez finally learned how to hit in the postseason. Like Howard, A-Rod has been an RBI machine with 12 and is hitting .438. Clearly he is making up for lost time.
Pedro Feliz has been a great defensive presence throughout his career and even with his age creeping up continues to play the position well. Offensively Feliz is not a big cog, but had a three-run homer against the Dodgers in the NLCS and has given the lineup great depth.
He’s just not A-Rod.
Verdict: Edge Yankees.
Catcher: Carlos Ruiz or “Chooch” has been a monster this postseason, both behind the plate and as a hitter. Ruiz is hitting .346 and has driven in seven from the eight-hole. His pitchers love throwing to him and he has become one of the best in the league when it comes to throwing out base stealers.
Jorge Posada is not the player he once was. He still had good numbers with 22 homers and a .285 average, but his shortcomings defensively have led to the Yankees using Jose Molina more than anticipated. In fact, the Phillies will likely see Molina in games that A.J. Burnett pitches.
Verdict: Edge Phillies.
Left Field: The Phillies could not have asked for more than what Raul Ibanez gave them this season. He was an NL MVP candidate the first half of the year and hit a career-high 34 home runs. Even at 33, his defense is not a shortcoming. “Rauuuul” instantly became a fan favorite and remains one.
The Yankees counter with Johnny Damon who can still swing the stick, but has nothing in terms of an arm in the outfield. He is a liability out there and is usually replaced in the late innings.
Note: Ben Fransisco will star in left field on the road and Ibanez will DH. We still list Ibanez as the left fielder because he will play there during the home games.
Verdict: Edge Phillies
Center field: Shane Victorino made the first of what is likely to be many All-Star game appearances this season. He led the team in several offensive categories, including hits (181), average .292 and steals 25. He also provided Gold Glove defense. Last season he introduced himself to all of baseball. This year he announced that he isn’t going anywhere.
Melky Cabrera didn’t quite meet the expectations he ha set for himself with a big 2008 season, but still hit a respectable .274 and is an outstanding defender. Cabrera has good speed, but can not compete with Victorino in that department. In fact, there is not one part of his game that is clearly superior to Victorino’s.
Verdict: Edge Phillies
Right field: What a player Jayson Werth has become. Finally healthy, Werth had a huge season and has kept it up in the postseason. Werth is the team-leader in home runs during the playoffs, knocking five out of the park. He is making opposing pitchers pay for pitching around Howard.
Few people would have predicted that Nick Swisher would be starting for the Yankees in the playoffs when the season started. Xavier Nady was the opening day starter but an injury erased his season after seven games. Swisher stepped in and stepped up. He is not the player Werth is, but the pop in his bat still makes him a threat.
Verdict: Edge Phillies
Designated hitter: Ben Fransisco is the extra bat added during games in New York. Seen as a throw-in in the Cliff Lee trade, Fransisco has been solid in limited action. He hit .278 on the year and is 0-for-4 in the playoffs. Matt Stairs could also see a game in this role with Ibanez playing left.
Hideki Matsui is on the south-side of his career, but can still come up with the big hit. He hits lefties and righties about the same and finished with 28 home runs and 90 RBIs.
Verdict: Edge Yankees.
There you have it, a pretty even matchup on paper. The Yankees get the edge of the infield, mostly due to A-Rod at third, while the rest of the infielders are pretty similar. The Phillies get a big edge in the outfield in both fielding and hitting. There is a reason all three players were All-Stars.
Check back later for the breakdown of the pitching matchups.
Phillies pound Dodgers to take 2-1 series lead
Now that was an absolute-LEE beautiful beating!
Led by the pitching of Cliff Lee and the hitting of – well – everyone, the Philadelphia Phillies put an old fashioned beat-down on the Los Angeles Dodgers Sunday night to take a 2-1 lead in the NLCS.
Lee was again amazing, allowing just three hits, while walking none in eight profound innings.
The Dodger hitters looked clueless at the plat all night.
Meanwhile the Phillies offense went to work early and often, scoring four runs in the first inning on a two run double by Ryan Howard and a two-run bomb to dead center by Jayson Werth.
At that point it was already over.
Citizen’s Bank Park was rocking from the very first pitch as “Beat L.A.” and “You took steroids” chants rang down on Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers.
Joe Torre looked helpless in the dugout, surely wishing he was back with the Yankees, a team that actually has a chance of getting to the World Series.
While it may be too early to say this series is over, it is not too soon to say emphatically that the Dodgers are in big trouble. They aren’t pitching, aren’t hitting and would be down 3-0 if Pedro got to finish his gem on Friday.
Tonight the Phillies see an old friend in Randy Wolf. I don’t know if we will see the return of “The Wolf Pack” but I do know Randy will see plenty of hungry wolves in the form of Phillies hitters.
Philadelphia cut Los Angeles deep last night and can smell the blood. These Dodgers want no part of the cold weather. They looked miserable and they played miserable.
In the past the Phillies have struggled in games after they score a lot of runs. It has been a running joke after the Phillies blow an opponent out to say “We’ll I guess we’re getting shutout tomorrow.”
But not this team, not now.
The Phillies learned all about closing last year and today they will take the next step towards advancing to their second-straight World Series.
And by the looks of last night’s game, there is little the Dodgers can do about it.
Phillies and Dodgers set for NLCS showdown
Tonight begins the next step in the Philadelphia Phillies quest to repeat as World Series champions. The Phils take on the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight at 8:07 p.m. in the first game of a best-of-seven NLCS series. Last year the Phillies beat the Dodgers in five games in the NLCS, but how will they fair this year?
He is a breakdown of how the match up:
Phillies Pitching:
Game 1: Cole Hamels: The lefty has had his ups and downs this season and was less than stellar in his outing against the Rockies. Against the Dodgers, however, he has been dominant. In his two starts against them this season, Hamels posted a 1-0 mark with a 0.56 ERA. He also struck out 14 while walking just one. And who can forget last year’s NLCS where Hamels went 2-0, including winning the series clincher in Game 5 and being honored as the series MVP.
Game 2: While it has yet to be confirmed by Charlie Manuel, Phillies.com is reporting that veteran Pedro Martinez will get the nod. It is hard to predict hat Pedro will do in his first playoff outing since he was in a Red Sox uniform.
Game 3: Cliff Lee will return to the mound on his regular day of rest and look to continue what has been a marvelous postseason. Lee has allowed just two earned runs in 16-plus innings of work this postseason and is making it clear that he is indeed an ace.
Game 4: The Phillies will trot either J.A. Happ or Joe Blanton out to the mound. Manuel’s decision may come down to which of the two he needs to use out of the bullpen in the first three games of the series. Blanton has the experience of pitching against the Dodgers in last year’s NLCS, but my guess is that Happ will get the nod here.
Dodgers pitching:
Game 1: Clayton Kershaw: One of the top young pitchers in the game, Kershaw has the kind of stuff that can cause nightmares for hitters. Against the Phillies, that has yet to be seen though. He has a 5.23 ERA in two starts against the Phils this year.
Game 2: Vicente Padilla: The first of the two former Phillies pitchers to take the mound in the series, Padilla has done surprisingly well with the West Coast squad. Acquired in a midseason trade with Texas, Padilla has pitched eight games for L.A., going 4-0 with a 3.20 ERA.
Game 3: Hirokia Kuroda: Kuroda was the only Dodgers pitcher to record a win against the Phillies in last year’s NLCS. He was mediocre this season going just 8-7.
Game 4: Randy Wolf: It is hard to believe that Wolf has been one of the most consistent pitchers for the Dodgers, going 12-7 with a 3.23 ERA. A left-hander, Wolf could be a dangerous pitcher in this series.
Phillies lineup:
There are no surprises when Charlie Manuel brings out the lineup card during the postseason. Just as was the case in four NLDS games, the Phillies will go with Jimmie Rollins, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez, Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz. It is a lineup that as worked for the Phils for the majority of the year.
While Rollins has had a down year by his standards, the career years from Ibanez ad Werth have easily offset that. Werth has joined Utley and Howard to become one of the most feared middle-of-the-order trios in all of baseball.
Philadelphia’s lineup showed in Game 4 against the Rockies, that trailing in the ninth inning on the road is not anything its lineup can not overcome. Despite the team’s strikeout tendencies, one would be hard-pressed to find a better lineup in the National League.
Dodgers lineup: Joe Tore likes to play with the lineup from time to time, but for Game 1 the Phillies will see Rafael Furcal, Orlando Hudson, Manny Ramirez, Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, James Loney, Casey Blake and Russell Martin.
Like Werth, Ethier had a breakout season, posting 31 homers and 106 RBIs. He has been the type of hitter that when paired with Ramirez can bring flashbacks to the Many-Big Pappy years. You don’t want to face that part of the order with the game on the line. Kemp has also been solid, providing great defense in centerfield, while hitting .297 with 26 home runs.
The big letdown for the Dodgers has been the downfall of Martin, who even until last year was one of the top hitting catchers in baseball. This season, Martin’s power disappeared and he hit just seven home runs and limped to a .250 average.
The rest of the Dodgers lineup is solid, although the Phillies should certainly be happy not have to see Jeff Kent anymore.
The Bullpen:
The Phillies: This has been a sore spot for most of the season and has been predicted to be the reason the Phillies don’t repeat as World Champions. The good news is that closer Brad Lidge showed signs of finding his old form, picking up two saves in the NLDS (even if one of them was of the one-out variety). Also promising is that left-hander Scott Eyre appears to be fie after his stumble in Game 4. The bullpen still leaves much to be desired, though, as Ran Madson continues to be hit and miss and it is still impossible to know what can be expected of Brett Myers.
The Dodgers: A team strength all season, the Dodgers’ bullpen really became solidified when the team acquired left-hander George Sherrill from the Orioles at the trade deadline. Sherrill has been remarkable since the trade, posting a 0.65 ERA in 20 appearances. He has also yet to allow a home run to a left-handed batter. Expect to see him in each game this season. The Dodgers have several other quality arms to go to in late innings as they look to get the ball to hard-throwing Jonathan Broxton. The Los Angeles closer had 114 strikeouts in 72 innings, but the Phillies have had success of him in the past, including last postseason.
The Bench:
The Phillies: While there has been little to celebrate about the Phils bench this year, it is impossible not to think of Matt Stairs’ eighth inning, two-out, two-run home run that beat the Dodgers in Game 4 of the 2008 postseason. The Phillies know what they get when they send Stairs up to the plate and they will deal with his well-below par .194 average. The rest of the bench doesn’t offer much as Greg Dobbs, Miguel Cairo and Paul Bako leave a lot to be desired. Ben Francisco is a wildcard, as he has pop in his bat and his late-inning defense is valuable, as evidenced by his diving catch late in Game 4 of the NLDS.
The Dodgers: Like the Phillies with Stairs, the Dodgers have a long ball threat in Jim Thome. Though he is not the player he once was, the Thome can still hit the ball out of the park. Orlando Hudson may also come off the bench from in a couple games as Torre has been giving more starting time to Ronnie Belliard at second than expected. The Dodges also have veterans Juan Pierre Mark Loretta and Brad Ausmus.
Prediction: While the Dodgers have the better bullpen and better depth, the Phillies have a better rotation and a more dangerous lineup. A lot of people see this series going all seven games. The two big factors for the Phillies in this series will be the performances of Hamels and Pedro. Can Cole continue his dominance over the Dodgers and can Pedro muster up one more gem? If they can this series could be short. My guess is that one of them slips up but the Phillies have more-than enough to close out the Dodgers in six games.
Phillies beat Rockies, advance to NLCS
It was everything that October baseball is supposed to be.
The Philadelphia Phillies showed once again why they are “Must See TV” pulling out a dramatic victory that sent them back to the NLCS and put them one step closer to repeating as World Champions.
After giving up three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and facing the prospect of coming home for a Game 5, the Phillies staged one of the greatest ninth innings in team history, coming back to defeat the Colorado Rockies, 5-4 at a chilly Coors Field. With two outs and two on Ryan Howard sent a Houston Street offering to the right field wall, scoring Shane Victorino and Chase Utley with the tying runs. Jayson Werth followed with a bloop single to right center, which plated Howard and gave the Phillies a lead that seemed so improbable just minutes earlier.
All that was left was the save, and as is always the case, it wasn’t easy. Scott Eyre record two outs, but allowed two base runners, prompting Charlie Manuel to go to Brad Lidge for the 27th out.
Lidge got the dangerous Troy Tulowitzki swinging and yet another celebration was on.
Monday’s contest was a game that showed everything that is great about baseball and great about the Phillies. Even after Ryan Madson wasted a great performance by starter Cliff Lee by allowing three runs to score in the eighth, the Phils refused to go down.
Ryan Howard told his teammates to get him a chance to hit in the ninth because he would deliver. Then he came out and did it.
Lee again showed that h is capable of delivering in the postseason, throwing 7 1/3 innings, allowing three runs, though just one scored while he was on the mound. His stuff kept Rockies hitters off-balanced all game. If Lee continues to pitch this well and the Phils continue to win, Ruben Amaro Jr. may bring home an Executive of the Year award for landing Lee instead of giving up the farm for Blue Jays’ ace Roy Halladay.
Of course the job is not finished yet. As great as Monday night’s win was, its historical impact will only be great if the Phillies can get back to the World Series and compete for another ring.
That brings us to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Phillies opponent starting on Thursday. The Dodgers thought they were destined to win a title last year, but the Phillies got in the way. Now they will be looking for revenge.
They won’t have to look far, though. The Phillies are a team that will not be intimidated. They provided evidence of that last night by winning on the road when trailing in the ninth inning.
This series has all the makings of a classic and Phillysportsblogs will be here to break it down for you over the next few days.
Monday marked the second time this month the Phillies got to celebrate in grand fashion.
Let’s hope for two more.
Post Party Blues
The past two nights the Phillies are looking like a team that gave it’s all to clinch the division and are not all that concerned about home field advantage for the championship series. With the exception of another towering homerun by Howard in the bottom of the first (his 44th) the Phillies offense was flat. Joe Blanton looked equally flat as he allowed 5 runs in 6 plus innings and never seemed to be on top of his delivery.
Charlie Manuel rested Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino took over the leadoff spot for the night and went 1 for four. Tracy got his 4th pinch hit in the 7th inning, but was stranded on base as were all the Phillies that reached base after that one blast from Howard. The real story was the bullpen auditions that occurred after Blanton handed it over and took a seat.
All the writers on this blog have commented time and time again about the dire situation looming in the Phillies bullpen that will almost certainly factor into whether this team can repeat as world champions this year. We know they can hit, and we know there are at least four quality starters, and we know they are an experienced, good fielding team.
One also can not help but notice that the relief pitchers loaded the bases two innings in a row, and gave up 2 runs on 5 hits and a walk. If not for several good fielding plays, this game would have been a rout. As it was the 7-2 final score hardly made the Phillies appear to be a 92 win team poised to go to the playoffs.
The bullpen has had a revolving door on it this year, after being one of the primary reasons for the Phillies success last year. The only reason they were able to clinch the division was due to the strength of the offense.
Tonight the Phillies utilized Eyre, Condrey, and new call up Escalona, and finally Durbin, once the game was out of reach, even for our hard hitting Phillies. None of them were particularly effective in doing their job. It is hard to say who can provide middle relief and who can close for this team at this point. I do know the combination of a slow offensive start with a weak bullpen as was evidenced the past two nights can only spell disaster for the Phillies playoff hopes.
Tomorrow I will be reviewing all the remaining ptichers statistically, how they match up against right and left handers, and give you my vote for middle reliever and closer. I must say, with the loss of Moyer and Romero in the past week, the pickings will be slim. It is almost a sure thing that Happ will have to play some sort of role in the post season, and it is possible that his move back to the bullpen, if it happens, could prove to be the action that propels him to a possible MVP with a Phillies series victory.
When was the last time a rookie won MVP ? Has it ever happened ? Wouldn’t that be the follow up to last years championship run, to do it again with the help of a young, untested rookie pitcher who steps in at the last minute to carry the closer load on his shoulders ? I have to admit, although I have been lobbying for Happ to get his chance starting in the post season, I would be equally interested in seeing him back in the bullpen, but in a closer role. He has certainly proven himself to me this year, and I believe he has earned the right to show the team if he can hold down a larger role now that the overall roster depth has so drastically changed.
Well, one thing is for sure, no matter if we play the Rockies or the Dodgers, we are going to be in for one wild ride. I am just glad that for a change, we can actually sit here in October and talk about this and that, instead of the usual “what if”, or “if onlys” that I am used to from most of my late season Phillies watching days ! Let us give credit to this team, for all they have been through, they are one of only four teams in the National League still standing, and who knows how far they can go ? That is why we play all these games ! I will be rooting from the front row, every chance I get !
Phillies going back to the show
The Phillies left no doubt about it tonight as they clinched their third straight division title for the second time in franchise history.
They set various benchmarks, had virtually every starter contribute to the 10-3 score, in a game featuring a rejuvenated Cy Young award winner, an early appearance by a middle reliever who pitched 3 scoreless innings and a beleaguered closer who came in and got the final out in a non save situation. This team appears to be ready for the post season.
The Phillies played small ball, long ball, and all ball as they pounded a home run, two triples and three doubles. They scored in 4 of their 5 final at bats to put this one away and leave no chance for a late inning collapse preventing them from winning the National Laegue eastern division. They still have a shot at home field advantage so there is still some incentive to win their final four games. Unlike last year, the Phillies established themselves early leading the division every day since May 30th.
Rollins and Victorino both scored their 100th run of the season, joining Howard and Utley. This marks the first time the Phillies have had 4 100 run scorers since 1932. Howard drove in his 138th run, to maintain a share of the league lead in that category. Victorino hit his 13th triple to lead the league in that category. Rollins hit his 43th double good for third in the league. Ibanez hit his 34th homerun, a personal career high for him. The Phillies become only the third club in history to have 4 players score 100 runs and 4 players hit 30 home runs in the same season.
The Phillies raised their record to 92-66 to guarantee at least an equal record to their championship season. Manuel may rest some starters, but if the Dodgers lose another game, the Phillies can get home field advantage with best National League record. The Phillies joined the Pirates and Braves as the only two other teams to win three NL titles in a row two times or more. The Braves of course won 14 in a row before the Phillies rose to dominance in the NL east.
The final week of the season will be interesting. The three division winners are set, in the Phillies, Cardinals, and Dodgers, and the Rockies are all but a lock to be the wild card seeing as the Braves lost to Florida after the Phillies had eliminated them. The question is who will play whom ? As it stands right now, the Rockies and Cardinals are tied with 90 wins, the Phillies have 92 and the Dodgers 93, but the Phillies have a game in hand on LA with an equal number of losses, so if they win out, they could equal or surpass the west coast club.
The next few days will certainly be interesting as the managers work on post season matchups and lineups.
The Phillies honored Harry Kalas, who broadcast for the team for over 40 years in the midst of their title celebration.
Now it is time to see if we can add to the three straight division crowns, and add the NL championship and MLB championship to the trophy case. The Phillies are no longer the league laughingstock as perennial losers. Those of us who have been fans for decades with the 1980 whiz kids as the only bragging point can now point to the current team and say with pride, ”These are OUR champion Phillies !”
National League East Winners 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1993, 2007, 2008, 2009
National League Champions 1915, 1950, 1980, 1983, 1993, 2008.
World Series Champions 1980, 2008, ??
No relief in sight for defending WS champions
The Phillies took another game to the wire tonight. With their magic number down to three, they tried to fight for the victory. Moyer pitched 4 in relief of Kendrick, and seems to be becoming the Phillies specialist in long relief. Now all we need is a closer.
The Phillies continue to be an offensive juggernaut. Howard hit his 43rd homerun, Baku chipped in with his 3rd and the Phillies scored 5 runs in the loss to Milwaukee. Walker came in and proved no pitcher can seem to close effectively for these Phillies by allowing 2 runs and getting nobody out in the ninth inning. If Philadelphia had a closer they could be challenging for the best record in the cities baseball history that goes back over 100 years.
This team had the potential to win 110 games this year but they have blown 18 games now with the closers allowing 8th or 9th inning runs. Lidge is responsible for 11 of these, but Madsen has had 6 blown saves and now Walker was initiated with a blown save of his own this evening. It is a shame that this team with such sound fundamentals, offense and starting pitching gets repeatedly let down by the bullpen. Charlie Manuel needs to address this, and he has about two weeks left to do it or I don’t expect the Phillies to get to the second round of the postseason.
It goes down in the books as a 7-5 loss late in a season where the Phillies have essentially secured a playoff spot, but it all but ensures they will not have best NL record for home field advantage and it strikes a blow on this team’s momentum and confidence with little time left in the season to compensate for another loss that should have been a win.
209 Home Runs for 2009 and counting
The Phillies won again. Hit 4 homeruns. Ho hum. We Phanatics are getting spoiled. This is a really good team, with a lot of depth.
Example 1. Pitching : Happ left in the third with a mystery injury, probably reinjured his oblique muscle, and with all the talk about the bullpen, Kendrick comes in and pitches 4 innings of shut out 2 hit relief. The Phillies bullpen for all it’s late inning woes has been notorious this year for clutch long middle inning relief, between Happ early in the year, Madsen all year long, Moyer late in the year and Kendrick tonight, all 4 pitched 4 innings or longer in relief of starters for various reasons.
And these starters are pretty dang good ! Lee, Hamels, Blanton, Martinez, Happ. put those five on any other ball club and at least three would make the starting rotation. Two of the three could be staff aces just about anywhere in the league as well.
Example 2. Fielding : Jimmy Rollins is playing spectacular at shortstop, turning difficult plays into routine, fielding the short hop like the ball is on a string, throwing with incredible accuracy. But Rollins is a horrible offensive weapon right? 1st in at bats, 4th in stolen bases, 7th in doubles, 13th in hits, 13th in runs scored, Hmmmm, low average around .250 for Jimmy, but overall, not really too bad. He just appears to be worse than he is because the rest of the team is batting so well. His 3 run jack in the ninth inning to stretch a 2 run lead into a rout didn’t hurt his playing stock.
Example 3. Power : Ryan Howard hit his 40th home run for the 4th straight year. And he did it naturally. Another day at the ball park.
I mentioned before it is hard to pick out a Phillies as MVP because they are so well balanced and they all contribute. Much has been made of Albert Puhols numbers, Howard is 7 home runs behind him, 6 RBI’s behind him, and raised his average to a quite respectable .272 in tonights game. If he can eliminate 70 or 80 strikeouts he can potentially threaten for the elusive triple crown. He tied Chuck Klein for the second place spot for most multi homerun games as a Phillie in team history.
Example 4. Confidence : The Phillies actually have a better road record than home record, and in the last 7 years they have won 44 games on the road four times. Only a team with a lot of depth can manage to win away from home consistently. It takes a team dynamic, and a real focus to getting the little things done to overcome the inherent home field advantage that frequently.
Example 5. Scoring : The Phillies very well could have 4 30 home run 100 RBI guys on the squad by the end of the year. And 6 players scoring 100 runs. I don’t think that has ever been done. If it has, I couldn’t find an example of it.
Bottom line, on any given day, any given player might display his talents and assist the team to a victory. As they head to the playoffs to defend the championship, on a night when the starting pitcher and starting catcher both left the game early, no one on the Phillies bench looked especially worried, after all, they have depth, and plenty of backup and role players just waiting to come out and show what they can do.
By the way, Howard hit 2, Rollins hit 1, Fransisco hit 1, and the Phillies won going away again 9-4 over the “better luck next year Braves”
We Phillies fans are getting spoiled, and I for one, love it!
Phillies close another close game
The Phillies are back at it again. On a night dominated by the presence of a certain someone playing for another Philadelphia sports team, it is refreshing to note the World Champion Phillies won again. Not only did they win, but they did it without any controversy, or dissent. They did it in much the same way they have won many games of late, with good pitching, solid fielding and a persistent presence at the plate that simply refuses to allow an opposing pitcher to shut them out.
Werth hit his 30th home run, the second Phillie to do so in 2009, and Howard continued his red hot streak and drove in another run. Pedro finally got to pitch deep into a game where the rain didn’t disrupt his rhythm and Lidge pitched the ninth, got a save, and seems to finally have gotten his ERA below 7. This series is all about paying attention to details. It is low scoring and well coached, not allowing for many mistakes. Philadelphia won another series at an important time of year, where the games are magnified in importance. They did this against a San Francisco team that is valiantly fighting for a playoff berth, and at a time when they could probably call in a couple games and not sweat the small stuff. Because this team does indeed sweat the small stuff is precisely why I expect them to repeat as World Series champions.
The Phillies now stand at 77-54. They are 23 games above .500, their best mark of the year, and extended their NL East lead to 8 games. They have the fewest losses in the National League and trail only the Yankees in total losses, The ball is in their court. With the divisional races all but over, it is now a matter of waiting to see who will get the wild card and how the postseason is going to play out. I believe the Phillies have as good a chance as any team in either league to take it all the way this year.
Manuel deserves quite a lot of credit for holding it all together and working with his staff of not quite superstars all season long to get the optimum performance out of them. I mentioned before, the Phillies have no one player that is superlative this year, but 6 starters and 3 or 4 pitchers that all could be considered to be in the top ten or fifteen in the league. I know one thing for sure, I would not want to be the team facing the squad as September rolls to October and things heat up, because it appears the Phillies are hitting their stride at exactly the right time, and they are going to be a force to contend with.
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