124 replies to this topic

[bball831]

After a championship season in 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies are ready to begin their title defense with most of their core pieces from last year returning in 2009. It will be interesting to see how the Phillies deal with injuries early in the season as Chase Utley and Pedro Feliz recover from offseason surgery. Utley is expected to return by opening day, but new GM Ruben Amaro Jr. wants Chase to be fully healthy before he returns, "Frankly, what matters more to us than him being ready for opening day is that he gets physically ready. We need him for the long haul. He's not going to be coming out of the lineup once he gets back, so we have to make sure he's physically ready." Feliz made his spring debut this past week and expects to be ready for opening day.

New Additions:
Raul Ibanez, LF
Mike Koplove, RP
Chan Ho Park, SP
John Mayberry, OF
Ronny Paulino, C

Key Departures:
Pat Burrell, LF
So Taguchi, OF
Tom Gordon, RP

Projected Lineup
1. Jimmy Rollins, SS
2. Shane Victorino, CF
3. Chase Utley, 2B
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Raul Ibanez, LF
6. Jayson Werth, RF
7. Pedro Feliz, 3B
8. Carlos Ruiz, C

Rotation
1. Cole Hamels
2. Brett Myers
3. Jamie Moyer
4. Joe Blanton
5. Kyle Kendrick

The fifth starter is up for grabs, with Kendrick battling it out with Chan Ho Park, J.A. Happ, Carlos Carrasco.

The bullpen will be anchored by closer Brad Lidge but will have some trouble with the loss of lefty JC Romero for the first 50 games of the season serving his suspension for PEDs. They return key contributors Ryan Madson and Chad Durbin.

Key Questions
1. How will Utley recover from injury?
I think GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has the right philosophy with Utley. There is no sense in rushing him back for opening day if he is not ready. The Phillies were lucky with injuries last year as they had they key cogs in the lineup most of the year. Jimmy Rollins missed 25 games, but Howard, Utley, Burrell, and Victorino were all healthy throughout the year. If they can't get the same production out of Utley, whose post all star break power was down, .465 slugging and just 8 home runs, the offense could take a step back from last year.

2. Can Jamie Moyer do it again?
After 4 years of mediocrity and worse (avg. ERA+ of 95), the ageless one posted a terrific 2008 season going 16-7 with 118 ERA+. If Moyer can't duplicate his 2008 season, the Phillies rotation is awful thin with just Hamels as the only dependable starter as Blanton and Myers were both shaky at times last year.

3. How will they deal with the pressure of being defending champions?
It will be interesting to see how the Phillies perform as defending champions, no team has repeated since the 98-00 Yankees. They will deal with increased competition in the NL East as the Mets have improved their bullpen. It should be another interesting battle in the NL East and in the NL as a whole, in my opinion there is no clear team to beat heading into 2009.

Edited by bball831, 23 September 2009 - 10:24 PM.

[bball831]

The biggest Phillies story of the day just made its way to us in Kissimmee, via Ruben Amaro Jr.:

Chase Utley played four innings of an intrasquad game at the Phillies minor league complex in Clearwater today. He was 2 for 4, with a double and two strikeouts, and played four innings at second base.

Amaro said that the team's next move regarding Utley would come after checking in to see how he feels tomorrow. The team has been saying for days that they expect Utley to make his Grapefruit League debut sometime this week.

Utley Plays in a Intrasquad Game, could see Grapefruit league action this week

[bandito0]

Another huge question mark is how the Phillies are going to deal with the loss of P Adam Eaton. He was by far one of the worst FA signings this team has had in a while.

Anyway, I'm amazed that Utley is playing already. If he rushes back and re-injures himself then their offense is going to struggle. There isn't much else on the roster to fill in at 2B for an extended period of time. Pitching is a concern as well, because outside of J.A. Happ there isn't much going on in the minors. The bulk of their talent isn't even close to being ML ready for a couple of years, so an injury would be devastating.

Kyle Kendrick really struggled last year (11-9, 5.49 ERA, 80 ERA+) and isn't off to a good start this spring, so the 5th spot in the rotation isn't very solid either. I think they're going to have a rougher go of it this season.

Edited by bandito0, 15 March 2009 - 08:02 PM.

[bball831]

Cole Hamels will leave Clearwater tonight for the Philadelphia area to have his left elbow examined tomorrow by team doctor Michael Ciccotti. Amaro said that Hamels’ had complained of “a little bit of a persistent soreness” in the elbow. “We thought it was important at this time for Dr. Ciccotti to check it out,” Amaro said, while downplaying his concern.

Hamels has elbow soreness, to see Dr.

Wow. If this is anything serious, say good night to the 2009 Phillies. Their rotation already had it's share of question marks but if Hamels goes down they have no depth and no ace.

[bball831]

UPDATE (10:01 AM): At about 9:45 AM, the Inquirer's Jim Salisbury saw Hamels long tossing at a distance of about 125 feet in the outfield at Bright House. The lefty is currently taking PFP (pitchers' fielding practice) with the team, fielding choppers on a back field. That tells us that the team feels okay about having him on the field and throwing a baseball, at least.

UPDATE 11AM: Hamels just addressed the media. Like Amaro, he downplayed the level of concern. "It's not a big deal," Hamels said, explaining that he was experiencing "inflammation" just below his left elbow. "It's something I don't want to have to deal with through the season...I have it every spring training, but normally it lasts about a week to two weeks." Because the issue hung around longer than usual, Hamels said, "that's when the flashing lights go off."

This is from the same link above.

Looks like things aren't that bad. I think the worry the Phillies should have is something that hampers him during the season will be terrible. They need Hamels to be 100% because the rest of the rotation is pretty thin.

[DanoooME]

More Hamels update:

Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels spent part of Tuesday hearing some good news: An examination revealed his pitching elbow had no structural damage, only inflammation.

Now, the not-so-good news: Philadelphia pitching coach Rich Dubee believes Hamels probably won't be ready to pitch on Opening Day at home against Atlanta.

"I don't know that it's out of the question, but I think it would be a long shot," Dubee said Tuesday, "just because we've got to get him up and running again. We've got to stretch him out ... he's only up to about 52 or 54 pitches. We like our guys if they're gonna pitch [at the start of the regular season]to be up to 100 pitches [by the end of camp].

"But I don't know. This guy has always risen to the occasion."

Hamels received a shot of anti-inflammatory medication on Tuesday in Philadelphia. He was scheduled to rejoin the team later Tuesday, and the staff ace plans to restart his throwing program within two days.

"I can't really speculate on when he'll be pitching on the mound. ... I felt pretty confident it wasn't going to be anything more serious, but it is Cole Hamels," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Tuesday. "Overall, it's pretty good news."

According to Dubee, the Phillies hope Hamels -- who did not miss a start last season and was the World Series MVP -- can throw off a mound Thursday in a bullpen session, play long toss Friday and have another bullpen session Saturday.

"We haven't ruled him out pitching in a game next Monday or Tuesday, but we'll have to see," Dubee said. "If he is delayed -- Brad Lidge was delayed last year -- so it's not the end of the world. ... If we have him for 150 games as opposed to 162, we'll take those 150 games and 30 starts or whatever it is."

Dubee would not speculate on who would start for the Phillies on April 5, a night game, against the Braves, if Hamels isn't ready to go.

The 25-year-old Hamels made his first Grapefruit League start last Wednesday. He pitched in an intrasquad game Sunday and didn't report any pain during four innings. Hamels has felt tightness in his elbow between innings and after he's finished pitching for the day.

"I was able to throw yesterday," Hamels said Monday. "It's just been that kind of mild discomfort, something I don't want to have to deal with during the season."

Hamels is 38-23 with a 3.43 ERA in 84 big league games. The 17th overall pick in the 2002 amateur draft, Hamels finished 14-10 with a 3.09 ERA in a career-high 33 starts in 2008.

Link

[Lose Remerswaal]

Brett Myers is a fine citizen.



It's his kid who may have issues

[ChipperBo]

Some updates on Hamels and some position battles:

http://www.delawareo...s/phillies.html

Pitching coach Rich Dubee said today that Hamels will not pitch the opener but may be ready to go by the Phillies fourth game of the season (thereby not missing a start). His status is still somewhat up in the air however.

The Phillies also demoted Kyle Kendrick and Jason Donald today. Kendrick, who struggled mightily down the stretch last year hadn't pitched well this spring (9.20 ERA!) appears to have beaten out for the 5th starter spot by either 26 year old lefty J.A. Happ (http://www.baseball-.../happja01.shtml - http://minors.baseball-reference.com/players.cgi?pid=21484) and/or Chan Ho Park. Happ made some big starts for the Phils down the stretch last year and with Romero out for the first 50 games, my money is on the Phillies using Happ in the rotation with Park picking up some of the slack in the pen.

Donald, the Phillies 4th ranked prospect according to Baseball America, actually hit the ball well this spring, but with Utley and Feliz looking to be good to go for opening day, it forced Donald out of a potential starting position and the Phillies would rather have someone like Miguel Cairo, Pablo Ozuna, or Marcus Giles occupy the last spot on the bench so Donald can get regular playing time.

The Roster is looking something like this now:

1. Rollins SS
2. Victorino CF
3. Utley 2B
4. Howard 1B
5. Ibanez LF
6. Werth RF
7. Feliz 3B
8. Ruiz C

Werth is likely to move up to the three hole against left handed pitching with Utley moving to second and Victorino sliding to 6th.

Bench

C - Paulino OR Coste
IF - Dobbs
IF - Bruntlett
OF - Stairs
OF - Jenkins

If the Phillies go with 11 pitchers, Marcus Giles, Pablo Ozuna, or Miguel Cairo are likely to be the last man on the bench with John Mayberry Jr. (who has had a nice spring) remaining a dark horse. There is speculation that the Phils will find a way to dump either Stairs or Jenkins which would dramatically increase Mayberry's chance of making the team.

SP - Hamels
SP - Myers
SP - Moyer
SP - Blanton
SP - Happ/Park

CL - Lidge
BP - Madson
BP - C. Durbin
BP - S. Eyre
BP - Park/Happ
BP - Condrey

If they choose to go with 12 pitchers to start the year, NRIs Gary Majewski, Mike Koplove, and Rule Fiver Bobby Mosebach seem to be the front runners. Obviously when Romero comes back someone will get bumped (if none of the above are injured at the time).

With the exception of the backup catcher spot, the naming of a 5th starter, and choosing a 25th man, health permitting the defending champs are more or less set to being the season.

Edited by ChipperBo, 23 March 2009 - 11:43 PM.

[DanoooME]

I agree with a lot of what Chipper says regarding the roster construction, but if Happ doesn't win the 5th starter spot, I see him going back to AAA to keep starting. At that point, I'd see Majewski or Koplove joining the pen. Mosebach doesn't seem to have shown much.

Frankly, with the (relative) success of Park as a reliever last season, I think the Phils would be crazy to put him in the rotation.

And every other team in the NL East needs to have a LOOGY to try and take advantage of the lefty 3-4-5 of Utley, Howard (especially) and Ibanez.

[ChipperBo]

I agree with a lot of what Chipper says regarding the roster construction, but if Happ doesn't win the 5th starter spot, I see him going back to AAA to keep starting. At that point, I'd see Majewski or Koplove joining the pen. Mosebach doesn't seem to have shown much.

Frankly, with the (relative) success of Park as a reliever last season, I think the Phils would be crazy to put him in the rotation.

And every other team in the NL East needs to have a LOOGY to try and take advantage of the lefty 3-4-5 of Utley, Howard (especially) and Ibanez.

Happ going down to the minors is certainly a possibility, but it leaves their bullpen awfully thin until Romero returns, especially if Durbin doesn't replicate his awesome April-June of last season.

I definitely agree that Happ should be the fifth starter and Park should be used in the pen. One of the conditions of Park signing with the Phillies was that he would be given an opportunity to win a starting job out of spring training however and prior to today (4IP, 3H, 1BB, 3ER though he did have 7K's) he'd been pitching really well. His stuff does seem to play up better in the pen though and given Happ's considerably larger upside, this should not be a difficult decision.

[bandito0]

More on Happ:

H/W: 6-6 200 lb. B/T: L/L DOB: 10/19/82

The Northwestern alum has had a slow road to the major leagues, but his third go around at AAA ball was his best as he went 8-7 with a 3.60 ERA and 151 K's in 138 IP. He also performed well during his 8 game stint with the Phillies, winning his only decision and striking out 26 in 31.2 IP. Happ has a good 91-93 MPH fastball with all of the movement that a customary southpaw offers. Like many lefties, he also has an excellent changeup with good fade and deception. Happ is a poised and confident pitcher that locates both his fastball and change quite well. His slider has some promise as well, but it is still a less effective offering than either of his other two pitches. One of the criticisms of J.A. was his his inability to work deep into games because of his lack of strength and stamina. Happ has a lanky and lean frame, but he doesn't throw downhill on hitters like he should. This leads to a high rate of fly ball outs which, in Citizen's Bank Ballpark, could be disastrous.

Link

On Kendrick and his situation:

"Kyle Kendrick, Phillies (1-1, 14.29 ERA, 5 2/3 IP, 14 H, 3 HR): Kendrick has fallen so far behind J.A. Happ and Chan Ho Park in the Phillies' fifth-starter derby, there is speculation the Phillies could even trade him before Opening Day. "He's got options left, so they don't have to move him. But they'd have to think about it," said one NL scout. "I don't see where he fits, quite honestly. You want to root for this kid, but the more you see him, the more obvious it gets that he doesn't have enough stuff. He needs to come up with another pitch to get the hitters off that sinker."

Philly's Own Jayson Stark

I'm still amazed that Philly didn't decide to go after another arm to go with the acquisition of Chan Ho Park this offseason. The #5 spot is an unknown, who knows if Moyer is going to hang on and pitch as well as he did last year (without injury), and the pen is weaker than last year's edition (at least without Romero for 50 games). While there isn't much out there, you'd think they'd be looking at someone for extra depth at worst (Byrd, Mulder, Odalis Perez...).

Edited by bandito0, 24 March 2009 - 06:05 PM.

[ChipperBo]

Update on the Hamels situation:

Thanks to an impressive 48-pitch effort in 3 2/3 innings against Class A competition, the Carpenter Complex has likely caught its last glimpse of Hamels. The Phillies' ace showed no visible ill effects from his 8-day hiatus that featured a trip to team doctor Michael Ciccotti in Philadelphia and a shot to battle some minor inflammation in his elbow. Hamels declared himself on track to pitch in the first week of the regular season.

Despite the fact that he will not start on Opening Night against the Braves, he does not expect to miss a start. Instead, the Phillies have tentatively penciled him in for their fourth game of the season - at Colorado on April 10.

Philly.Com Hamels Update

Park evidently pitched better than his line indicated yesterday as well:

Happ/Park Update

Edited by ChipperBo, 25 March 2009 - 07:56 AM.

[sfip]

The Roster is looking something like this now:

1. Rollins SS
2. Victorino CF
3. Utley 2B
4. Howard 1B
5. Ibanez LF
6. Werth RF
7. Feliz 3B
8. Ruiz C

Werth is likely to move up to the three hole against left handed pitching with Utley moving to second and Victorino sliding to 6th.

And every other team in the NL East needs to have a LOOGY to try and take advantage of the lefty 3-4-5 of Utley, Howard (especially) and Ibanez.

I haven't read which way the Phillies will go about this, but I'd have to imagine that even when they face RHPs they'll put Werth 5th and Ibanez 6th to counter the possibility of the LOOGY facing a 3-4-5 of LHHs. They also could flip-flop Victorino and Werth between 2 and 5 if they want, not that I picture that happening often because Victorino has more speed and Werth has hit for a higher SLG% the last 2 years.

Edited by sfip, 25 March 2009 - 08:53 AM.

[DanoooME]

I haven't read which way the Phillies will go about this, but I'd have to imagine that even when they face RHPs they'll put Werth 5th and Ibanez 6th to counter the possibility of the LOOGY facing a 3-4-5 of LHHs. They also could flip-flop Victorino and Werth between 2 and 5 if they want, not that I picture that happening often because Victorino has more speed and Werth has hit for a higher SLG% the last 2 years.

Looks like the latest is possibly Werth in the 5 spot.

But there is nothing Manuel can do about the three left-handed hitters in the middle of his lineup: Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez.

Of course, that is not exactly a terrible problem to have. They are three of the top 21 RBI men in baseball over the past two seasons: Howard (first with 282 RBIs), Ibanez (16th with 215) and Utley (21st with 207).

But it still is an issue.

"I think sometimes we have to split them up, because any time a left-handed pitcher is in there and he gets on a roll, he can go through the left-handed hitters pretty easily," Manuel said. "We've got to try to make it a little tough on him."

That is where Jayson Werth comes in.

In 2008, Utley hit third 128 times, Howard hit fourth 154 times and Pat Burrell hit fifth 133 times.

In 2007, Utley hit third 84 times. He'd have hit in that slot more times had he not missed a month of the season because of a broken right hand. Howard hit fourth 137 times and Aaron Rowand and Burrell hit fifth 152 times.

Rowand is entering his second season with the San Francisco Giants and Burrell is entering his first season with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Phillies need somebody new to break up those left-handers, so, like Manuel said, a hot left-hander can't cut through the heart of the order.

Werth is the most obvious choice.

Manuel, while he remains noncommittal about where Werth will hit in the lineup, tipped his hand a bit Tuesday with a left-hander on the mound.

Link

[ChipperBo]

Looks like the latest is possibly Werth in the 5 spot.


Link

Apropos of nothing, against a right-hander today (Joba Chamberlain) Ibanez is hitting 5th and Werth 6th (at least according to Gameday).

Phillies v. Yankees

I agree with you guys that they SHOULD hit Werth 5th regardless (assuming he hits like he did last year) of the pitcher's handedness but since Ibanez is a "proven RBI guy" ™ I have a hard time seeing Charlie do that, at least initially.

Edit: I should note that the Phillies are trotting out a reasonable fascimilie of their normal lineup with Rollins - Victorino - Utley - Howard - Ibanez - Werth - Stairs (DH) - Feliz - Paulino as the lineup.

Edited by ChipperBo, 26 March 2009 - 12:14 PM.

[ChipperBo]

Phillies trade Ronny Paulino (Stats) for Jack Taschner (Stats).

Trade

Evidently Chris Coste, despite his brutal second half last year (.239/.311/.339/.651 and a .429 OPS in September/October) has apparently won the backup job. The Phillies number 3 prospect according to Baseball America, Lou Marson, is also a catcher and will almost certainly start the year with AAA Lehigh Valley. If Marson is hitting in AAA he's a good bet to be promoted at some point during the year.

[bball831]

Phillies trade Ronny Paulino (Stats) for Jack Taschner (Stats).

Trade

Evidently Chris Coste, despite his brutal second half last year (.239/.311/.339/.651 and a .429 OPS in September/October) has apparently won the backup job. The Phillies number 3 prospect according to Baseball America, Lou Marson, is also a catcher and will almost certainly start the year with AAA Lehigh Valley. If Marson is hitting in AAA he's a good bet to be promoted at some point during the year.

Supposedly there was a rumor out there that there were talks that Marson could've been traded for Buchholz, but a Philly writer said it sounded too good to be true.

[mikeford]

Phillies just signed Dominican OF Domingo Santana

[ChipperBo]

Hamels Officially Ruled Out For Opener

[DanoooME]

Giles released; Mayberry, Carrasco optioned

The Phillies released Giles and optioned outfielder John Mayberry Jr. and right-hander Carlos Carrasco to Minor League camp. They also informed right-hander Mike Koplove, infielder Pablo Ozuna and outfielder Jason Ellison that they would not be making the 25-man roster, but would accompany the team to Philadelphia on Thursday for the On Deck Series pn Friday and Saturday against the Rays at Citizens Bank Park.

The moves leave infielder Miguel Cairo as the only potential extra right-handed bat for the bench, which currently includes Greg Dobbs, Geoff Jenkins, Matt Stairs, Eric Bruntlett and Chris Coste. The Phillies still are looking to acquire an extra right-handed bat in a trade or via the waiver wire.

The moves also leave right-handers Gary Majewski and Bobby Mosebach as remaining possibilities for a bullpen job, although their chances took a hit on Friday when the Phillies acquired left-hander Jack Taschner in a trade with the San Francisco Giants.

Giles released

These moves leave the Opening Day Roster at 29 (with Romero suspended), with 2 pitchers to be cut and likely another hitter. If the Phils are really searching for a RH bat, it seems Cairo will go. That still leaves another hitter to go. The Phils would love for it to be Jenkins (volunteering to pay most of his salary for someone to take him off their hands). The battle for the 5th starter will affect the bullpen mix, as Park will likely go to the pen if he loses, but Happ will likely be sent to AAA if he loses.

C - Ruiz, Coste
IF - Howard, Utley, Rollins, Feliz, Dobbs, Bruntlett, Cairo (NRI)
OF - Ibanez, Victorino, Werth, Jenkins, Stairs
SP - Hamels, Myers, Moyer, Blanton, Happ/Park
RP - Lidge, Madson, Romero (suspended), Durbin, Eyre, Condrey, Taschner, Majewski (NRI), Mosebach (Rule V)


edit: accounting for Romero

Edited by DanoooME, 31 March 2009 - 08:24 AM.

[mikeford]

Au revior Geoff Jenkins

Phillies released outfielder Geoff Jenkins.
Signed to a two-year, $13 million contract last offseason, Jenkins lost his starting job to Jayson Werth and is now completely out of the Phillies' plans after hitting just .246/.301/.392 last season. He still has some value as a platoon player or bench bat, but at 34 years old Jenkins is likely done as a regular.

per Rotoworld

[ChipperBo]

Au revior Geoff Jenkins
per Rotoworld

That would appear to make Miguel Cairo a lock to make the team. It also appears the Phillies will go with 12 pitchers with one of Happ/Majewski/Mosebach making the team as the 12th guy.

[DanoooME]

That would appear to make Miguel Cairo a lock to make the team.

Not so fast...

Phillies Release Jenkins, Eye Sheff?

With the release of fellow veteran slugger Gary Sheffield earlier in the day, speculation has turned to the possibility the Phillies could add the slugger to the reigning World Series champions' bench. The club has been on the hunt for a right-handed-hitting corner outfielder, and Sheffield, who has 499 lifetime homers, fits the bill.

The Tigers owe Sheffield his guaranteed $14 million salary for this year, so any team that signed Sheffield would only have to pay him $400,000.

Mr. Cairo May Need Friends

It makes sense to take the chance for the price. At least older Phils fans will think of this as a flashback to the Dick Allen days...

Edit: fixed spacing

Edited by DanoooME, 31 March 2009 - 02:14 PM.

[ChipperBo]

Sheffield at a reasonable cost would make a HUGE amount of sense for the Phils as they desperately need another right handed bat with power. It's entirely possible that he is cooked but if he has any sort of punch left (even an .800 OPS would be a major upgrade over Cairo and Bruntlett largely eliminates the need for his positional flexibility).

In other Phillies news, Chan Ho Park (yes that Chan Ho Park) was named the 5th Starter today. I think this is ridiculous but evidently the Phillies think that 21.1 (admittedly excellent) Spring Training innings provide more predictive value than the last SEVEN YEARS of data.

I agree with DanooMe that Happ ought to go to the minors and continue to start (as a hedge against the inevitable Park implosion) but I'm guessing he stays up to help out the pen (which is stupid because they are ultimately going to need him in the rotation at some point and he won't be stretched out).

Link!

Edited by ChipperBo, 31 March 2009 - 03:59 PM.

[SemperFidelisSox]

Pretty ballsy move by the Phillies. They will wear jerseys with gold trim on Opening Night, similar to the ones the Red Sox wore for their ring ceremonies, but will wear this World Series Champions patch all season.

[DanoooME]

No fanfare on this, but Rule V pick Robert Mosebach was returned to the Angels...

http://philadelphia....ns.jsp?c_id=phi

[bball831]

Lefthanders J.A. Happ and Jack Taschner have made the Phillies roster, according to GM Ruben Amaro Jr. The Inquirer reported earlier this week that the two pitchers were likely to earn the final bullpen spots. RHP Gary Majewski will be reassigned to the minor leagues following this weekend’s exhibition series against Tampa Bay.

Happ and Taschner make the 25-man roster

[bball831]

Charlie Manuel already broke up his group of lefties (Utley, Howard, Ibanez) after downplaying it after one game. His new lineup has Victorino in the 2 hole and Werth batting 5th, followed by Ibanez. I wonder if this lineup lasts or it is just because of Mike Gonzalez is the Braves' closer, something to keep an eye.

Also, Moyer getting hit hard giving up 4 ER and 2 HR thru 5 IP. This team really needs Hamels to be healthy for the full season, otherwise it's complete mediocrity from the whole rotation.

[DanoooME]

Big comeback tonight to give the Phils their first win. Down 10-3 in the 7th, they plate 8 runs and take an 11-10 lead. They extended it to 12-10 before Brad Lidge came in and gave up a HR to Matt Diaz, but closed the door after that for a 12-11 win.

The lineup continued to have Victorino in the 2 slot, Werth hitting 5th and Ibanez hitting 6th.

Blanton got hammered for 7 runs, 9 hits in 4 IP, but the pen and the offense bailed him out.

[bandito0]

Cole Hamels had an ugly start today:

3.2 IP 11H 7ER

ESPN


It's been said before, but Hamels needs to be healthy for the Phils to have any chance to repeat. It's been a less than stellar start thus far for the Phils. They should be looking at 0-4 to start the 2009 title defense if it weren't for Atlanta's pitchers all of a sudden reverting to pitching like they're in Little League.

[billy ashley]

Cole Hamels had an ugly start today:

3.2 IP 11H 7ER

ESPN
It's been said before, but Hamels needs to be healthy for the Phils to have any chance to repeat. It's been a less than stellar start thus far for the Phils. They should be looking at 0-4 to start the 2009 title defense if it weren't for Atlanta's pitchers all of a sudden reverting to pitching like they're in Little League.

It’s early on, so it would be alarmist to panic…

But I think this first week has shown some of the structural problems facing the Phillies. That rotation isn’t that impressive, especially if Hamels isn’t 100% this year. One would have to believe that Moyer is likely to regress and while they have a very solid number 2- they seem a little short on depth.

The offense will likely turn it around though, even if they are too left handed.

[bandito0]

It’s early on, so it would be alarmist to panic…

But I think this first week has shown some of the structural problems facing the Phillies. That rotation isn’t that impressive, especially if Hamels isn’t 100% this year. One would have to believe that Moyer is likely to regress and while they have a very solid number 2- they seem a little short on depth.

The offense will likely turn it around though, even if they are too left handed.

Agreed. There is no reason to panic four games in.

As for Moyer, there is no doubt that he is going to regress. I'm also awful curious to see how Chan Ho does as the fifth starter. Looking at their pitching, especially right now with out Romero in the pen, I see a team that resembles Texas. They can mash but currently, the pitching isn't there.

Edited by bandito0, 10 April 2009 - 09:41 PM.

[bandito0]

Utley hits his first HR in the 8th to tie up the game against the Rockies. NLCS hero Matt Stairs comes through again, hitting a 2 run shot that became the decisive blow. They beat the Rockies 7-5 Sunday.

ESPN

Phils end week one of the title defense at .500 (3-3). The last two games against the Rockies could be a preview of how the Phils are going to win most of their games. Pitching keeps the team in the game, timely hitting and the pen brings it home.

Hot this week:

Chase Utley: .476 BA/1.244 OPS/1 HR/5 RBI
Jayson Werth (Huge for him to start hot): .348 AVG/1.075 OPS/6 RBI

Not:

Cole Hamels (see a couple posts up)
Jimmy Rollins: .108 AVG/.167 OBP/1 RBI

[bball831]

Phillies get a win in another slugfest over the Nationals, 9-8. Jamie Moyer went 6 innings giving up 4 runs, keeping the season long streak of 7 games without a quality start.

The starters now have ERA of 9.12 and as a team have allowed 13 HRs which is currently tied for last in the league. For some perspective, they gave up 160 all year. One thing to consider is that they've played 6 out of 7 games in at home in their band box and in Coors Field. It will be something to keep an eye on as the season continues.

Obviously they can't pitch this poorly and still contend this year, but even once their pitching improves, they will need their offense to carry them.

Edited by bball831, 14 April 2009 - 12:42 PM.

[bandito0]

The Phils drop a game to the previously winless Nationals 8-2. Joe Blanton pitched pretty well after giving up a 1st inning 3 run homerun ( 6.0 IP/ 8H/ 3ER). RP Jack Taschner gave up 4 runs in the 8th to pretty much seal the L for the Phils.

This weekend, the Phils return home to play a series against the Padres. The games on Friday and Saturday are going to be overshadowed by all of the Harry Kalas tribute stuff that will be going on.

Friday:

n the first half-inning of Friday's broadcast on Comcast Network Philadelphia, there will be no commentary.

During the seventh-inning stretch Friday, a video of Kalas singing "High Hopes" (A cool video if its the one from after the World Series FWIW) will be shown on PhanaVision. Fans will be encouraged to sing along.

Fans are encouraged to arrive early before Friday's 7:05 p.m. ET game against the San Diego Padres for pregame tributes.

Saturday:

Beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday, on a first come, first served basis, fans will have the opportunity to pay their respects on the field as they pass by Kalas' casket behind home plate.

This is the first time a team has done an on the field casket tribute since St. Louis in 2002 after Jack Buck passed. I'll be at the Saturday game and my buddies and I are considering going to the memorial service on Saturday (It just so happened that the first game of my 6 pack fell on this day). I have to say that I am impressed with they way the organization has handled this whole thing.

[bball831]

Cole Hamels got hit hard last night, failing to hold a 5 run lead. He gave up 5 runs in 6 innings. It seems like the team is downplaying any injury effects as Charlie Manuel said, "He definitely improved. When he gets better command, he'll be all right."

Hamels also gave up 3 HR, bringing the Phillies season total to 23, tied with Baltimore for worst in the MLB.

Jimmy Rollins has a Papi-esque start hitting .125/.163/.150. Team says it's just Rollins trying too hard at times and there is nothing wrong with his swing. He's fine at the plate but teams are throwing him more breaking balls early in the count to exploit is over-anxiousness. Interesting explanation by the team since he has seen 4 pitches per AB this season, compared to 3.7, 3.86, 3.83 pitches per AB the last 3 years. The difference isn't huge, but it's not like Rollins is swinging at early in the count and making quick outs every AB. This is something to keep an eye on.

[bandito0]

And the Brad Lidge regular season save streak ends at 47:

PHILADELPHIA -- It is not often a closer in Philadelphia blows a save and gets a standing ovation.

But Brad Lidge is an exception, a player whose perfection was applauded by the sellout crowd, even in the face of his first blown save with the Phillies. The right-hander allowed four runs, including a three-run homer to Kevin Kouzmanoff, and the San Diego Padres beat the Phillies 8-5 on Saturday night.

Link

The Phils have now lost 3 in a row since the passing of Harry Kalas. Not the way you'd like to honor your longtime broadcaster.

[bandito0]

Week of April 18th in Review

3-3 Overall

1-0 @ Colorado
1-1 @ Washington (1 PPD)
1-2 vs. San Diego

19 RS, 28 RA


Hot:

LF Raul Ibanez (.600 BA/2 HR/1.200 SLG)
2B Chase Utley (3 HR/6 RBI/.316 BA)

Not:
CF Shane Victorino (3 H/17 AB, 0 XBH)
P Cole Hamels (6.0 IP/.750 ERA)
P Brad Lidge (21.50 ERA/1 BS)

The week started off on a good note on the field with the team winning its first two games. After the death of Harry Kalas, it seem some of the momentum that had been building vanished. Who knows if the two are connected. The other OF (Werth and Victorino) to start hitting. But the real problem this week was pichting. The bullpen hasn't been horrible (Jack Trashner (36.00 ERA), Lidge, Ryan Madson). Hamels needs to get right.

Upcoming Games:

1 vs. SD (PPD)
3 vs. Mil
3 @ FLA

[bball831]

Phillies ace Cole Hamels left Thursday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers in the top of the fourth inning after being hit on his left shoulder on a line drive from Prince Fielder.

Hamels hit in shoulder by ball, leaves start early

Hamels went 3.1 innings giving up 2 ER on 4 hits, he did strike out 6. The injury is a shoulder contusion and no word on whether he'll miss a start.

[bandito0]

Shane Victorino hit a grand slam with 2 out in the 9th off of Marlins closer Matt Lindstrom to lead the Phils to a 7-3 win. All 7 Philadelphia runs came in the 9th inning. This also continues what I consider to be a disturbing trend for the Phils: 6 of their 7 wins on the season have been come from behind wins. They can't keep digging a hole and pulling out of it late in the game, the magic is going to stop sooner or later.

[bball831]

Agreed bandito, the Phillies need to start playing much better, they easily could have a few more losses. Bretty Myers went six innings giving up three runs, but he allowed 8 hits and had 6 walks. It will be interesting to see how long they stay around .500 and which way they go when they go on a run, good or bad.

If the poor play continues they will start sliding fast, if they some how can turn it around with better pitching they could start going on a long winning streak, but it's still uncertain if they have the pitching that will allow them to build a big streak. It's a very poor starting rotation right now and even if Hamels turns it around like people expect, can you really expect Myers, Moyer, and Blanton to give you anything more than league average performances? I don't and right now they aren't even giving them that. It feels like last year was the perfect storm of things going right for the Phillies.

Last year, the bullpen was great posting 3.22 ERA, good for 2nd in the ML. This year it's at 4.75, 16th in the majors. The similarities here with Rays are striking as the Rays pen was lights out and now because of the flukyness of relievers both teams are off to slow starts when a strength from last year has become a weakness.

Edited by bball831, 25 April 2009 - 11:02 AM.

[bball831]

Phillies win 13-2 in what was probably their most complete win of the season.

Moyer went the first 6 giving up just one run to complete the sweep of the Marlins. Shane Victorino with 4 RBI's as he has raised his average from .222 to .268 and his OPS from .644 to .770 in his last 6 games.

The Phillies are now 9-8 and have NatsTown visiting the next 3 days. A chance to pad their record and put to away, at least mentally, some of the struggles they had earlier in the season.

[bandito0]

Week of April 26th in Review

After starting the week off losing 2 of 3 at Milwaukee, the Phillies rebounded and swept the division leading Marlins to close the the Marlins' once 8 game lead to 1 1/2. The offense is starting to show signs of life and the bullpen is doing enough to keep the team in the game and allow them a chance to win late (see Victorino's Slam on 4/24). This is the style of play that Phillie Phans had in their minds for this team at the start of the season.

This week, after a chance to beat up on NATSTOWN at home, the Phils get a three game weekend set against the hated Mets. While it is still early, and it's the first meeting between the two teams, the Phils and Citizen's Bank Park will be up for this series. Mets:Phillies as Yankees:Red Sox. The same "bury them as soon as possible" mentality applies here as well. It should be an enjoyable series to watch this weekend.

Last Week's Results:

@MIL 1-2
@FLA 3-0

Upcoming Series This Week

vs. NATSTOWN Mon-Wed
vs. NYM Fri-Sun

The "Michael Jack Schmidt" hot hitter of the week award:

OF/PH Matt Stairs (3 AB/ 1.000 BA/2.000 SLG/1 HR/3RBI)

Yes, he's a pinch hitter, but it can't be overlooked how valuable his contributions are to the team. When a manager has a hitter like this that he can rely on at anytime, it makes the job that much easier. Other Notables: Jayson Werth, Shane Victorino.

The "Steve Carlton" hot pitcher of the week:

SP Jamie Moyer (2 S/ 12.0 IP/ 2 W/ 3.75 ERA/ .286 BAA/8 K)

Amazing that Moyer at age 46 is still able to be this effective. In a season where most of the starters for the Phillies have been wildly inconsistent, Moyer has been the rock in the rotation thus far. Notables: Brad Lidge

The "Harry Anderson" cold hitter of the week:

LF Raul Ibanez (.208 AVG/ 24 AB/ 6 K/ 2 RBIs)

Yeah, he just came off a hot week last week, but he wasn't very good this week. Raul looked lost at the plate and wasn't putting great swings on the ball. Notables: Ryan Howard, Chris Coste

The "Adam Eaton" cold pitcher of the week:

RP J.A. Happ (2G/9.82 ERA/3.2 IP/5BB/3K/.286 BAA)

The man who could have been the 5th starter out of Spring Training has been struggling as of late. The Phils really need him to be strong out of the pen, at least until Romero comes back. Notables: Chan Ho Park

Edited by bandito0, 27 April 2009 - 10:35 AM.

[bball831]

Down 11-7 the Phillies explode for 6 runs in the 8th inning to win 13-11 over NATSTOWN.

Blanton was horrible, going 4.1 innings giving up 6 ERs, all of this to NATSTOWN. Scott Eyre faced 5 batters and did not record an out. He gave up 4 runs on 2 HRs. Ryan Madson had to save the game as Lidge is out with knee pain. He is day-to-day.

The Phillies have now allowed 39 HRs on the year after giving up 5 to Natstown, think about that 5 HRs to Natstown. They've had 16 all year. Phillies pitchers can't keep this up and continue to win, it just isn't possible. You give up 5 HRs in a game you should lose, unless it's NATSTOWN.

Edited by bball831, 28 April 2009 - 04:47 PM.

[bandito0]

The Phillies have now allowed 34 HRs on the year after giving up 5 to Natstown, think about that 5 HRs to Natstown. They've had 16 all year. Phillies pitchers can't keep this up and continue to win, it just isn't possible. You give up 5 HRs in a game you should lose, unless it's NATSTOWN.

Yeah, this is getting out of control. The Phils hit two grand slams in this game, which powered them to this win. Again, the starting pitching is getting beat up and the pen is leaky. The Phils need someone to step up in the rotation besides Moyer to give them consistent outings. The offense isn't going to be able to keep bailing them out. Like I said before, this team reminds me of "Texas East."

As for the pen, a lot of people around here feel that Romero is going to be the cure all when he comes back from his suspension, but I tend to disagree. Romero can only pitch so many innings and games in a row before he needs a day off. He will help to ease the strain but they need another solid pitcher in there to compliment him and Lidge.

The tough thing is that their only route to improve is Free Agency, and I think they are opposed to picking up any payroll. They have no assets in their farm system to move or bring up. Carlos Carrasco, who started last year's Futures game, hasn't been great in AAA (0-2/4.57 ERA/23K vs 3 BB (not shabby), and Kyle Kendrick is still a headcase.

Edited by bandito0, 28 April 2009 - 10:02 AM.

[bball831]

Went back and looked at the data for the last 3 years to see if any playoff teams were as bad as the Phillies have been at allowing HRs. Obviously it's a small sample size, but I was curious to see what the results were. In each of the years only one playoff team was in the top 10 in HRs allowed.

HRs Allowed by Playoff Teams (2006-2008)

Team	HRs in 2008	Rank		Team	HRs in 2007	Rank		Team	HRs in 2006	Rank
Milwaukee	175	8		Philadelphia	198	4		St. Louis	193	8
Philadelphia	160	19		Colorado	164	17		NY Mets	180	15
LA Dodgers	123	30		Arizona	169	12		LA Dodgers	152	30
Chicago (NL)	160	18		Chicago (NL)	165	15		San Diego	176	18
Tampa Bay	166	11		Boston	151	22		NY Yankees	170	19
Boston	147	24		Cleveland	146	26		Detroit	160	25
LAA	160	17		LAA	151	23		Minnesota	182	12
Chicago WS	156	21		NY Yankees	150	24		Oakland	162	23
Playoff Avg	155.875			Playoff Avg	161.75			Playoff Avg	171.875
MLB Avg	163			MLB Avg	165			MLB Avg	180

Obviously, like everyone would expect, the playoff teams' averages are lower than the MLB average. Philly will have to get better, they are on pace to allow 351 HRs, a number that one would assume will come down as time goes on, but still this a ridiculous pace, completely inconsistent with past playoff teams.

I went to hittracker.com to see if there was a lot of "lucky" homers involved in the Phillies total and there was just 3 that were classified as "lucky". I'd be willing to bet that there would be a couple fly balls that were "unlucky" that should have gone out negating any value to the three that were "lucky" HRs.

Edited by bball831, 28 April 2009 - 06:01 PM.

[bball831]

The Phillies won their fifth straight game, an easy 7-1 win over the Nationals. With the win, the Phillies assured at least a momentary tie for first place in the National League East.

The big story, obviously, was Hamels’ sprained ankle, suffered on a fielded bunt in the fifth inning. Up until then, Hamels had been cruising. He gave up just four hits and two walks, striking out four in 4.1 innings.

Phillies beat NatsTown, Hamels Sprains Ankle

Tough break for Hamels, still unclear whether he misses a start. Another potential setback for an already poor rotation.

[bball831]

· 9: come-from-behind victories.
· .270: the team batting average, up from .255 in 2008.
· .241: leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins' on-base percentage.
· 7: Home runs by free agent acquisition Raul Ibanez.
· .359: Ibanez's team-leading batting average
· 3: stolen bases by the 36-year-old Ibanez, sharing the team lead with Shane Victorino.
· .254: Pat Burrell's batting average with Tampa Bay. He has one home run.
· 2: Regular chants at Citizens Bank Park that sound like "boo": "Ra-ooool" for Ibanez and "Louuuuuuu" for rookie catcher Lou Marson.
· 8: The major-league leading amount of home runs allowed by Brett Myers.
· 4.83: Myers' team-leading earned run average.
· 0: Wins by Cole Hamels.
· 93: The velocity in miles-per-hour of Hamels' fastball before he sprained his ankle on Tuesday.

Fun April Numbers

Phillies finish April with an 11-9 record, 2 games behind the Florida Marlins. They had a run differential of +7 and hit their pythag record on nose at it is also 11-9. They had the lowest strength of schedule in ML at .451.

The Phillies start a weekend series with Mets later today.

Edited by bball831, 01 May 2009 - 08:29 AM.

[bandito0]

Fun April Numbers
The Phillies start a weekend series with Mets later today.

Pitching Matchups:

Friday: Pelfrey (2-0/6.32) vs. Park (0-0/ 7.16)
Saturday: (Perez 1-2/9.31) vs. Moyer (3-1/ 5.09)
Sunday: Maine (1-2/5.40) vs. Blanton (0-2/ 8.41)

I'll be at tonight's game if the rain holds out, which should be a slugfest. In fact, if these SP numbers are any indication, all weekend there should be runs coming across in bunches at the Bank. I interested to see how Park pitches, because I don't think he has anything at all left and Happ may be switching roles with him sooner rather than later. Going against Oliver Perez should be interesting on Saturday, because it seems he is pitching for his rotation spot as well. It should be an intersting series.

[bball831]

Phillies split with the Mets over the weekend with Sunday's game being rained out. On Friday the Phillies lost 7-4 and Saturday they had a walk off walk winnning 6-5.

Pretty much the same story for the Phillies, mediocre pitching and hoping that the offense can score enough runs to make up for it. Phillies are now 0-8 when they score 4 runs or less.