PHILLIES: Is Jamie Moyer An All-Star?

As the manager for the NL 2010 all-star team, Charlie Manuel is going to have one heck of a decision to make when picking out his starting rotation for the game that will take place on July 13th in Anaheim.

In addition to the usuals such Ubaldo Jimenez, Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Tim Lincecum, Roy Halladay and Johan Santana, the National League has a couple other starters that should be in consideration for an all-star nod from Manuel and the rest of the NL coaching staff when the selections are made.

What about Josh Johnson? The Marlins ace gets marginal run support at best, but yet is still 8-3 and ranks 6th in IP among NL starting pitchers. Even better, Johnson’s ERA (1.83) is second in the NL, a ranking that is only behind Ubaldo Jimenez in that category.

What about Mike Pelfrey? The Mets righty has arguably been the best pitcher on his staff to this point of the season. Statistics agree.  Pelfrey’s win total (10), and  ERA (2.71) are among the top 10 in the NL, and most importantly, are both better than his teammate, Johan Santana.

What about Stephen Strasburg? The rookie may only have three wins, but his dominance and record strikeout pace (41 K’s in 25.1 IP) has allowed him to live up to hype that no player has ever had to live up to before. Plus, he has given Nationals fans a reason to show up to games every fifth game. That alone should get him into the all-star game.

What about Jamie Moyer?

That’s right, JAMIE MOYER.

Does Jamie Moyer's 2010 resume warrant him a trip to the 2010 All-Star Game?

While his 4.30 ERA is nothing to write home about and his outing against the Red Sox two weeks ago (1 IP, 9 ER) may be one of the worst performances this year by a starting pitcher, Moyer is basically playing with the houses money at this point. Due to the fact that he barely made the starting rotation out of spring training, and is approaching social security status, he is doing more with that money than anyone else his age has done previously. As the oldest player baseball at 47 years old, Jamie Moyer is tied for 4th in the NL in wins with nine, a total that ties him with Phillies ace (and Cy Young Candidate) Roy Halladay. Keep in mind, Moyer has won nine or more games before the all star break TWICE (2001 and 2003). In both those seasons, Moyer went on to win 20 games.

Is it likely that Moyer, at his age, with a fastball which has a speed that wouldn’t even get you pulled over on most interstates and highways, will achieve those numbers and make the all-star team to boot?

Probably not.

But, I am going to play devil’s advocate on this one.

If Charlie Manuel and company decide to do the unthinkable, and give Moyer the nod ahead of some of the superior flamethrowers in the game, they might have a compelling argument. Unlike some of the frontrunners such as Halladay, Lincecum, and even Jimenez, Moyer is probably pitching the best he has all season right now. Besides that slip-up in Beantown, Moyer has won his last four decisions, going 7+ innings in each start (one complete game). In addition his stats and recent pitching performances, Moyer’s presence in the all-star game could provide an interesting challenge for the AL hitters. Could you imagine facing an Ubaldo Jimenez 90-92 mph CHANGEUP in during one at-bat, and then a Jamie Moyer 81 mph FASTBALL during the next?

I know I couldn’t.

VOTE FOR JAMIE!

PHILLIES: A Team of Ex-Phillies

If you readers have some free time on your hands, take a gander at this.

Nothing like some stats to show how crazy this season has been so far. Instead of seeing the regular names like Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, or Chase Utley on top of the charts, players such as Jose Bautista, Martin Prado, and Billy Butler are among the league leaders in some of the major offensive categories.

Crazy, right?

After taking a deeper look into these stats, since I had some rare time on my hands and all, it became a bit frustrating. As the current Phillies appear to be just breaking out of a seemingly endless slump, it seems that now more than ever, the names near the top of some of the lists are players who have been spotted in the home dugout in Philadelphia at some point in their career.

This poses an interesting question..

That is, if you put together a team of the best players who have been a part but are no longer affiliated with the Philadelphia organization in any way other than the history books, who would be on it, and how good would they be in comparison to the current (note that I said current) Phillies squad?

Take a look.

(All stats accurate as of June 19th, 2009)

STARTERS

C: Rod Barajas (.253 BA, 11 HR, 30 RBI’s for the New York Mets): After hitting .230 with 4 HR’s in split-time duty with the Phillies in 2007 (he was the opening day starter), Barajas was left of the 25-man roster at the beginning of the 2008 season in favor of Carlos “Chooch” Ruiz and was granted his release from the organization. After two season as a starter in Toronto, Barajas is now with the rival Mets, and is second on the team in HR’s with 11, one behind team leader David Wright.

 

Thome was "The Man" in Philadelphia during his two seasons with the Phillies

1B: Jim Thome (.250 BA, 6 HR, 19 RBI’s for the Minnesota Twins): Thome, who hit 40+ HR’s in both his full seasons in Philadelphia, isn’t on this list because of his stats THIS year. In his time with the Phillies, the future hall-of-famer helped rejuvenate baseball in the City of Brotherly Love, in which fans of the sport like myself should be forever grateful for that. With 570 HR’s ( the last one being against the Phillies), 5 all-star appearances, and one Silver Slugger award, Thome is a virtual lock for the HOF, and will go in to Cooperstown as one of the most genuine personalities in the history of the game. While he has spent almost half of his career at DH, if it weren’t for the utter existance of one Ryan Howard, Thome would have most likely played a couple more year at first base for the Phillies, using the band-box that they call Citizens Bank Park and the short porch in RF as his personal target practice. I’m not complaining (Howard has done pretty well if I can remember correctly), but it’s still okay to wonder what could have been.

2B: Miguel Cairo (.263 BA, 2 HR, 9 RBI’s for the Cincinnati Reds): Cairo is in this spot because everyone who has played a middle infield position with the Phillies over the last decade is either still with the team, in the minor leagues, is out of baseball all-together, or has the name Nick Punto (Minnesota Twins). Honestly, it’s a toss up between the two, but I will not put in my starting lineup because I still remember him spurning me for an autograph way back when. Karma.  Not a second-basemen by nature, Cairo has made a 14-year big league career out a utility man, second base being one of the position that he has played. I already made my anti-Punto case, so it was either Cairo or Eric Bruntlett here, and Cairo gets the nod because he is actually playing in the bigs and is hitting over the Mendoza line, two qualities that he has over Bruntlett.

SS: Jason Donald (.253 BA, 1 HR, 8 RBI’s for the Cleveland Indians): Again, not much depth with the middle infield, but Donald is an interesting case. If he was not part of the deal to acquire Cliff Lee last season, he most likely would have made his big league debut with the Phillies this season instead of with the Indians, in which two disabled list stints for Jimmy Rollins would have most likely brought up Donald to the forefront of the organizational depth chart. Donald, who was considered a top-5 prospect for three seasons with the Phillies and this year with the Indians, has performed reasonably well for a struggling team in relief of Asdrubal Cabrera, who was lost for the season in late May after a gruesome arm injury, and is looking like he could be in the big leagues for a long time.

3B: Scott Rolen (.296 BA, 14 HR, 45 RBI’s for the Cincinnati Reds): As the surprise of the year, the Reds, of all teams,  have been in and out of first place the entire season. While Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, and the starting pitching may get most of the credit for it, the MVP of this team and maybe the entire NL at this point of the season is Rolen. With that said, he’s a no-brainer for this spot, as he was one of the only reasons that the struggling Phillies franchise stayed afloat from 1996 to when he was traded in 2002, as he averaged 27 HR and 98 RBI’s in six full seasons with the club, winning a ROY award, 3 Gold Gloves, and making one all-star game in the time span.

 

Love him or hate him, Bobby Abreu was an all-star for the Phillies

RF: Bobby Abreu (.272 BA, 7 HR, 34 RBI’s for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim): Bobby Abreu is the the typical enigmatic Philadelphia athlete. On one end, Abreu was one of the most consistent offensive threats for the Phillies in recent memory,  hitting 20+ HR for six straight seasons with Philadelphia, making two all-star games and winning a HR Derby to add to it. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Phillies fans always had a reason to boo Abreu when he was out on the field, as his superior arm strength was overshadowed by the fact that he rarely used his maximum effort to go after balls in the outfield. At this point, Abreu being 36 years old and all, you have to take into account that his skills are going to have to drop off at some point. However, with three straight 100+ RBI seasons with the Yankees and the Angels, he is still and above-average corner outfielder in the bigs.  Note that I refuse to associate J.D Drew with the Phillies (his back-hand slap to the face of the organization when he refused to sign with the club after he was drafted by Philadelphia in the first round in 1997 still makes him public enemy #1 in my book), so it’s not like there is much competition.

CF: Marlon Byrd (.320 BA, 9 HR, 34 RBI’s for the Chicago Cubs): Based on his career, some may view Byrd a surprise pick here, being that he has basically been a platoon player since his arrival to the big league scene in 2002. However, at 32 years of age, he may be in his prime. In his first full season as a starter with Texas in 2009, Byrd hit .283, and set a career high in HR’s and RBI’s. So far this season, after signing a 3-year contract with the Chicago Cubs, Byrd has been even better, as his .320 BA is the best on his team, and ranks third in the NL. And to think, Byrd was at times viewed in Philadelphia as just a defensive replacement.

LF:  Aaron Rowand (.220 BA, 6 HR, 23 RBI’s for the San Francisco Giants): Rowand may be having a down year for the Giants. Ok, a really down year. The fact of the matter is, Rowand makes this team because he beloved by the Phillies fans in his two seasons in Philadelphia, making an all-star game in 2007, and providing the signature defensive highlight in the eight-season history at Citizens Bank Park.

BENCH: OF Pat Burrell (.246 BA, 4 HR, 18 RBI’s with the Tampa Bay Rays/San Francisco Giants), 3B/2B Pedro Feliz (.220 BA, 2 HR, 22 RBI’s with the Houston Astros), 1B/3B Wes Helms (.272 BA, 2 HR, 9 RBI’s with the Florida Marlins), OF Michael Bourn (.253 BA, 0 HR, 11 RBI’s, 21 SB with the Houston Astros), SS/2B Nick Punto (.255 BA, 1 HR, 18 RBI’s with the Minnesota Twins), C Ronny Paulino (.314 BA, 3 HR, 27 RBI’s for the Florida Marlins)

STARTING PITCHER

SP: Cliff Lee (5-3, 2.55 ERA for the Seattle Mariners): For a player who only spent three months with the organization, Cliff Lee made about as big of an impact  in Philadelphia as humanly possible. He was the teams ace for the stretch run in the 2009 regular season, and was even better when it truly mattered in the playoffs and the World Series. That alone makes him the sure-fire starter. The fact that he is the proud owner of a Cy Young award, and is arguably a top 8-10 pitcher in baseball at this point of season (2.55 ERA ranks fourth in the AL) is just a bonus.

REST OF ROTATION: Carlos Silva (8-2, 3.01 ERA for the Chicago Cubs), Freddy Garcia (7-3, 4.94 ERA for the Chicago White Sox), Gio Gonzalez (6-5, 4.21 ERA for the Oakland Athletics),  Randy Wolf (5-6, 5.08 ERA for the Milwaukee Brewers)

BULLPEN: Ryan Franklin (3-0, 2.40 ERA, 13 SV for the St. Louis Cardinals), Brett Myers (4-5, 3.34 ERA for the Houston Astros), Chan Ho Park (1-1, 5.30 ERA for the New York Yankees), Arthur Rhodes (2-1, 0.30 ERA for the Cincinnati Reds), Tyler Walker (1-0, 3.67 ERA for the Washington Nationals)

 

The Billy Wagner era in Philadelphia provided some great memories.

CLOSER: Billy Wagner (5-0, 1.27 ERA, 13 SV with the Atlanta Braves): Even though Wagner may have had an up and down tenure with the Phillies, both on the field and in the clubhouse, he will always be remembered for hitting 100 mph on the radar gun in the first night game at the new Citizens Bank Ballpark in 2004. I was personally one of the fans in the crowd who gave him a standing ovation during that game that seemed like an eternity. With that said, after having great years before Philadelphia with the Houston Astros, and bad years after Philadelphia with the New York Mets, “Billy the Kid”  has seemed to revive his career for at least one more season with the Braves, in which a bid to the 2010 All-Star game might be on the horizon for the 40-year old veteran closer.

THOSE WHO MISSED THE CUT: Matt Stairs, Russell Branyan, Gavin Floyd, Rodrigo Lopez, Kyle Lohse, Robinson Tejeda, Vicente Padilla, Jason Jaramillo, Jack Taschner, Lou Marson, Gustavo Chacin

So, that’s the team. Can they compete with the current Phils?

PHILLIES: A Reality Check

At 32-29 overall and currently sitting in third place in the NL East, the Phillies can be summed up (just by looking at the standings and the stats) in words that are a bit unfamiliar to those linked with Philadelphia baseball in recent years.

Mediocre. Middle of the pack. Ok.

While those certainly aren’t adjectives that have been, or are expected to be associated with the current talent residing on the Philadelphia Phillies roster, it could certainly be worse. After all, a team who has produced less than three runs a game on average for virtually an entire month, and has had injuries to the top of the order, middle of the rotation, and back end of the bullpen since day one of the season shouldn’t even be near the top of the divisional race. In fact, considering the NL East division is arguably the most talented top-t0-bottom in all of baseball (my apologizes to those who support teams in the AL East, but the record of the Baltimore Orioles ruins your case), they shouldn’t even be close.

The fact of the matter is, for some odd reason (parity is the likely option),  the Phillies are right there in the thick of things, a striking distance 3.5 games back of the 1st place Atlanta Braves. However, unlike the New York Mets and the Florida Marlins, the two teams that Phillies are sandwiched between in the standings, those who have played their home games in Philadelphia for parts of the last four seasons are in quite a familiar position (a thanks goes out to an article by Philadelphia Inquirer writer Paul Hagen for helping me come to this realization).

And look how those seasons turned out..

2007: 47-48 on July 17th (won the NL East pennant)

2008: 48-43 on July 8th (won the World Series)

2009: 39-37 on July 2nd (made it to the World Series)

By the looks of the weather, moments of daylight, and most calenders, it’s still the middle of June. So, after taking a gander at the schedule and doing some hardcore addition, it’s easy to see that the season isn’t over. It’s not August or September. There are still 100 games left until the divisional winner is crowned and the playoffs are set. ONE HUNDRED. That’s more games than the NBA and NFL has combined.

While there is obviously plenty of time to jump two inconsistent and in-experienced teams for another chance at a World Series ring, it is impossible to deny the obvious nature of baseball logic.

You can’t win games if you don’t score runs.

With that said, If the Phillies recent, but lengthy bout with offensive futility continues and becomes their identity instead of a prolonged slump, it’s obviously going to be difficult for the Phillies to be sitting pretty on top of the division for the fourth straight year when it is all said and done.

Will that happen?

I guess we will find out.

But without having any sort of bias, whether that is being a Negative Nancy, a Homer, or anything in between, look at some of the qualities of this team before coming to the recently popular conclusion of conceding the division when baseball is not even halfway through the season.

Ace? Check. (Halladay, Say no more.)

MVP Candidate? Check. (Compare Ryan Howard’s stats with other NL players who play for a contender, and you’ll see that he’s right there.)

Playoff Experience? Check. (22 out of 25 players have been a part of a World Series bound team. David Herndon, Ross Gload, Halladay are the only ones who haven’t.)

Funny, those are the same qualities that usually separate the teams that participate in the postseason, and teams that don’t.

Don’t jump off the wagon just yet fans..

PHILLIES: Can Perfection Be Overshadowed?

“Bad Baseball” and “Time to Panic?”.

If you are reading this blog, you can see that those are the titles of the last two Phillies posts.

After a two-game winning streak to start off a week-long road trip, the Phillies have now lost the last four straight, including a sweep by hands of the Atlanta Braves, and now find themselves a season-high 2.5 games back of first place in the NL East.

In this case, a third straight post with a negative connotation attached to it might be a bit too much.

So, instead of taking out my feelings of anger, frustration, and utter confusion out on you readers, I am going to finish a post that I started a couple days ago, but will be posted now to boost the overall spirit of the Phillies section of this blog (as my negativity is bound to become contagious).

Yes, that would be Roy Halladay’s perfect game, the most recent moment of positivity attached to the Philadelphia Phillies (four days ago, sad).

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After virtually trading away their entire farm system to capture the rights to one of the best pitchers in baseball over the past decade, the Phillies expected Roy Halladay to be good. To justify the trade, they prayed to the baseball gods that he would be great. They couldn’t have predicted, however, that he would be perfect.

On Saturday though, which seemed like a typical hot, muggy, South Florida summer night, Roy Halladay defined that simple, but yet unique element of perfection that is rarely seen around baseball circles.

Picture Perfect!

From the first batter of the game to the last out, the opposing Florida Marlins were unable to muster up a run, a hit, or a base-runner.  That’s right, 27 Marlins hitters up,  27 Marlins hitters down. 2 hours and 20 minutes later, Roy Halladay had just pitched the 20th perfect game in Major League Baseball history.

Since this is a few days late, here are just a couple things about the first perfect game from a member of the Phillies since Jim Bunning in 1971.

First off, Halladay not only was perfect, he was dominant. Perfection and dominance don’t always coincide with each other (Look at Mark Buerhle’s 2009 Perfect game for that) with these type of games, but in this case, they definitely went hand-in-hand. Halladay had season-high 11 strikeouts, found himself in only three 3-ball counts, and besides a superb play by Wilson Valdez to gun out Florida’s speedy OF Cameron Maybin from deep in the hole at short to close out the sixth inning, the perfect game never really seemed in jeopardy. The game was in his control from the first batter, and 115 pitches, his dominance depicted history.

Second off, and it’s sad, but the Phillies needed Halladay to be that good on Saturday night. Going into the game, the Phillies were averaging .8 runs per game in their last eight contest. That’s right, not even a run a game. That’s almost comical, even if you are a Phillies fan.

Anyway, they obviously continued down the swirling spiral of offensive futility on Saturday, as the offense was only able to manage one run (which was of course unearned) off of Marlins ace Josh Johnson. That may make the perfect game even more of an accomplishment though, as Halladay not only had to deal with all the superstition and pressure that comes with a perfect game for a pitcher, but a close game with a division rival to boot.

Impressive.

Lastly, it was good to see the defense show up for a Roy Halladay start. In Doc’s four previous starts, the Phillies defense had committed 10 errors, a nice little average of 2.5 per game. On Saturday, they obviously committed none, and look what happened.

Field the ball + Catch the ball+ Throw the Ball= Perfect Game.

As simple as it sounds, right?

History is history though. No one will ever be able to take away the nine innings that went on Saturday night in South Florida. However, if the Phillies continue their most recent play, people just may not remember it, as they collapse that fueled the demise of a potential dynasty will undoubtably overshadow one of the greatest accomplishments in professional sports.

Hopefully, for Halladay and the Phillies, that won’t happen.

SIDENOTE: A win from the Orange and Black tonight would really sooth the souls of the Philadelphia faithful who are still reeling from the sweep by the Braves, including my own.

LET’S GO FLYERS!!

PHILLIES: Bad Baseball

There is really no way to sugarcoat this one.

The Phillies are playing bad, bad, baseball at this time.

They have lost four in a row (6 out of 8),  including two straight to the New York Mets. If that isn’t bad enough (especially the part about losing to the Mets) during this current 4-game losing streak, the Phillies have not scored a run off of any of the four starting pitchers (28 innings scoreless streak), and have scored a run in just one out of their last 36 innings played. So much for the best lineup in the NL, right?

Don’t jump off the Ben Franklin Bridge just yet, fans.

After Wednesday night’s 5-0 shutout (second consecutive shutout at the hands of the Mets), manager Charlie Manuel called a much-anticipated team meeting. Obviously, it’s not a good sign when a manager has to address his team in private due to lackluster play, but regardless, it had to be done.

Just looking through past moments during the Charlie Manuel era in Philadelphia, whenever he holds a closed-door, no press, team meeting  the players usually respond. Whether that means the Phillies will go out and score one run or put up a ten-spot off of Mets starter Mike Pelfrey on Thursday night, that’s obviously another story. However, something tells me that the Phillies will not get shutout (I know, I’m really going out there on a limb aren’t I?), and with a suddenly confident Cole Hamels 5-2 overall record; 3-0 in May) on the hill, they might actually leave New York without getting swept.

While one victory won’t be the answer to all the problems, going into a big 4-game series with the Marlins with Roy Halladay pitching the opener,  salvaging a series with a victory against the rival Mets Thursday night may go a long way.

If it doesn’t, hey, look on the bright side, at least the Flyers are in the Stanley Cup Finals.

OTHER NOTES

: Phew! Paul Hoover cleared waivers today and was assigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. In all seriousness though, with the way the Phillies have been dealing with injuries this season, keeping Hoover in the organization, especially with the way he played (.278 BA with solid defense) during his cup-of-tea in the big leagues last week, is worth noting with some enthusiasm.

: Couple injury notes.  J.A Happ, Ryan Madson, Brad Lidge, and Jimmy Rollins are all in the process of rehabbing their respective injuries. Just a guess, but in about two weeks, we should see both J-Roll and “Lights Out” back in a Phillies uniform (maybe sooner for Lidge).

: The Los Angeles Dodgers have expressed interest in acquiring Seattle LHP Cliff Lee. Wouldn’t that makes things a bit more interesting if the Phillies and the Dodgers matchup for their third straight NLCS at seasons end?

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UPDATED (MIDNIGHT)

Well, looks like I may have jinxed the Phillies. Game three has just gone final, and Mike Pelfrey and the Mets have shutout the Phillies for the THIRD consecutive game.

That’s right. 27 innings, 27 goose eggs on the scoreboard.

That’s an absolute disgrace, and even worse, it was to the Mets. The three-game sweep of the Phillies brings New York within two games of the divisional lead, a half game back of Atlanta for second place in the NL East, and a game in front the Marlins, who the Phillies begin a four-game series with tomorrow.

Needless to say, if these historic offensive woes continue versus Florida, the security blanket of a lead in the division that the Phillies have had for the better part of the last 13 months (except for three days earlier this season) will be there no longer.

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PHILLIES: 2009 NL East Champs

I wanted to wait and write this once the regular season concluded, but the lack of passion the Phillies have showed during their final series of the year against the Marlins has started to give me a warped perception of the Phillies possible playoff success. So, to provide a more positive, honest post, I am writing as the Phillies are on the field playing their regular season finale with Matt Stairs, Eric Bruntlett and company.

If you didn’t already know before, or forgot to read title of this post, for the third year in a row, the Phillies will represent the NL East in the playoffs as the division champs. 

Wow, what a shocker.

First off, you got to give credit to everyone in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Three division titles in a row is a pretty big accomplishment, and for that you have to give the Phillies players, coaches, and management a round of applause. This team, with a nucleus of players who are in or are just reaching the prime of their careers (Rollins, Utley, Howard, Hamels, Victorino, Werth), truly has a chance to become a dynasty with another historic run through October to the Fall Classic.

Secondly, you have to give credit to those who are not directly related to those with the PHILADELPHIA Phillies. Yes, it is minor league affiliateso of the Phillies that I am talking about. After being an employee for one of these teams (Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs) this summer, it is very clear that while these minor league teams don’t nearly get as much publicity as those in the bigs, they are just as responsible for their organizations’ success.

Just look at the Phillies current roster.

Raul Ibanez, Carlos Ruiz, Greg Dobbs, Pedro Martinez, Kyle Kendrick, Brett Myers, Brad Lidge, J.C Romero (out for the season due to injury), Clay Condrey, Scott Eyre, John Mayberry Jr., Paul Hoover,  Miguel Cairo, and Andy Tracy have all spent time in the Phillies minor league system for either rehabilitation purposes, or as an everyday player. The minor league teams set the foundation for an organization, and if the Phillies have any success in October, those involved the Williamsport Crosscutters, Clearwater Threshers, Lakewood Blue Claws, Reading Phillies, and the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs should give themselves a pat on the back.

Lastly, a moment of clarity.

As much as I have analyzed the Phillies flaws in almost every aspect, they have been the class of the NL East since they stepped onto the field as defending World Series champs in April. Despite a couple tenuous weeks when the Braves and Marlins would run off a sequence of games in a row and pull to within a handful of games of the Phillies, it really wasn’t even close. Without the Mets at full health for pretty much the entire season, the Phillies were by far the most talented team in the NL East, and for the most part, they proved it, capping off with their third straight divisional title.

Now, the show must go on.

(A Phillies-Rockies NLDS preview will be posted in the next day or two.)

PHILLIES: A Crucial Stretch

As the Phillies are approaching the final month of the regular season, to this point, you have to consider the 2009 season a success.

Before Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Braves (8 P.M, Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN), the Phillies were 74-53, a respectable 21 games over .500. In contrast to years’ past, where the Phillies needed a tremendous September swing to conqure the NL East, this team will not need to do so. Being seven games up on the Braves (7.5 games up on the Marlins) with 35 games to play, the goal is obvious. If they Phillies can play virtually .500 baseball the rest of the way (18-17 or 17-18), they will have over 90 wins, which realistically will win them the NL East with some room to spare.

That’s a pretty big accomplishment considering the Phillies have played far better than that throughout the duration of the season, while dealing with injuries to two all-stars (Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez) along with having  inconsistent pitching in the starting rotation and the bullpen for the better part of the 2009 regular season.

However, when September comes around, it’s a different breed of baseball. The level of play multiplies, to the point where really anything can happen. Fortunately, if one team knows this, it’s the Phillies, who have stolen the division title from the New York Mets two years in a row by coming back from large deficits. Unfortunately, that won’t stop other teams from playing the spoiler role that the Phillies have been accustomed to.

With that said, this next month starts a crucial stretch where the Phillies could see their post-season hopes skyrocket or vanish with a winning streak or a September swoon.

Important Games to Watch For

September 1-3 vs. San Francisco Giants: Could be a preview of the NLDS if the Giants beat out the Colorado Rockies for the wildcard or the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL West division crown.

September 11-13 vs. New York Mets: Even though the Mets are out of the playoff race and having their worst year of the past decade, one thing is clear. They are still the Phillies top rival. At this point of the season, nothing would make the Mets organization happier than harming the Phillies playoff chances.

September 18-20 at Atlanta Braves: A series on the road in September against the team who has the best chance to challenge the Phillies for the NL East title. The Braves will be looking to make up some ground on the Phillies and the Phillies will be looking for their final push down the strech that will ultimately send them to the playoffs. Sounds like a battle.

October 1-4 vs. Florida Marlins: This four games series could turn out to be the most important series of the entire season.  It’s the final series of the regular season, and the Marlins are a dangerous team. Like the past two seasons, they are hanging in there for the divisional crown as the final month rolls around. They are young, they are inexperienced, but in September, that could help them just as much as that could hurt them. Some of the players on that team may not understand the magnitude of September baseball, in which they could be the perfect spoiler, as they will be facing a Phillies team who will facing the added element of pressure to defend a divison and World Series title.

PHILLIES: Pedro’s Home Debut = Jamie’s Relief Debut

Due to an hour rain delay in Tuesday’s Phillies-Diamondbacks game, Pedro Martinez’s home debut was washed out after 3 innings.

To begin the night, something strange happened. In a sheer coincidence, the two games I have seen Pedro Martinez pitch in live this year have started out the exact same way.

He has given up a leadoff homerun.

The first time was at Lehigh Valley, where the first batter he faced in his first rehab appearance (Columbus Clippers OF Michael Brantley) hit a round-tripper over the right-field fence. Tuesday night, it was a different player, but the same story. Stephen Drew, the starting SS and the leadoff hitter for the Diamondbacks, hit a 3-2 fastball over the right field fence for a dinger.

Very strange.

However, like Pedro did in the first game at Lehigh Valley, he recovered nicely against the Diamondbacks. After giving up a single to the next batter, Pedro forced a double-play, and then retired 7 of the next 8 batters, ending his night on a solid note. 

 In an odd twist of fate, after the hour rain delay, Jamie Moyer (the ageless hurler who Martinez replaced in the Phillies starting rotation) took the mound for the first time in 2009 as a reliever when the Phillies took the field in the top of the 4th inning.

Luckily for the Phillies, they would not have to make another pitching change for the rest of the game. Moyer was downright spectacular, pitching six shutouts innings of one hit ball to shutdown the Diamondbacks, good for his team-leading 11th win of the season.

Now I know what some of you are thinking.

“Jamie Moyer is back to his winning ways, he should be in the rotation.”

False. 

If anything, this proved that Jamie can work out of the bullpen and be a useful reliever. Not many teams have someone in the bullpen who can step in and go six straight innings, let alone scoreless, without showing signs of fatigue. The Phillies have that with Jamie, a lifetime starter who’s arm doesn’t tire because, quite frankly, he doesn’t throw hard enough. Combine that with the ability to confuse hitters as a change-of-pace reliever, continued success in the bullpen is attainable Jamie Moyer, something that will make the Phillies a much better team than if he was still a starter.

One final note, before tonight, Jamie Moyer had only had one win in the last month.

That win was against the same Arizona Diamondbacks he shut out Tuesday, pitching 6 2/3 innings of shutout ball on July 27th.

Combine his last two outings against the Diamondbacks, and Moyer has pitched 12 2/3 of scoreless baseball.

If only Jamie Moyer could face the Diamondbacks and the Florida Marlins every game for the rest of his career.

PHILLIES: A Sweep at Wrigley

I don’t know what is the bigger story in the Philadelphia area.  The Phillies sweep of the Chicago Cubs or the pre-season opener of the Philadelphia Eagles?

Now, I love the start of football season as much as anybody, but at this point of time, the answer a no brainer.

After getting swept by the Florida Marlins this past weekend and opening up the NL East title race, the Phillies showed in their 3-game sweep of the Cubs why they are considered one of the most dangerous teams in Major League Baseball.

The Phillies looked awful against the Marlins. 

Really awful.

They couldn’t hit, they had no starting pitching, the bullpen struggled, and even the fielding was poor. Every indication after the series was saying that the Phillies were in line for an August swoon.

 

The home-field advantage of Wrigley Field couldn't even stop the Phillies in the 3-game sweep.

But for some reason, going on the road for 3-games at one of the best home field advantage sites in all of baseball, Wrigley Field, brought the best out of the 2008 World Series Champs. The Phillies, as they have done on the road all season long, came to life and played like one of the best teams in the NL.

The focal point of this resurgence was undoubtably that contributions that the bats made. That’s not to put down the performance of the pitching staff, they were great throughout the whole series. J.A Happ gutted through a performance where is stuff looked sub-par and kept the Phillies in the first game, Pedro Martinez had a solid 2009 debut, and Cliff Lee looked like the ace we’ve been accustomed to seeing in the two week since the Phillies acquired him.

However, it was the offense that finally reappeared after a two week hiatus, putting up 22 runs over the three games against the Cubs (7.3 runs a game).

That’s more like the Phillies that fans have grown to know and love.

With a combination of clutch hitting by unlikely sources (Ben Francisco), and dominate hitting by the usual suspects (Ryan Howard has 6 RBI’s in the series and Jimmy Rollins hit 2 HR’s), the Phillies showcased their potent lineup, using the Cubs inconsistent and inexperienced pitching (in the case of Jeff Samardzija) as mere examples to show the baseball world the difference between a good team and a great team.

The question is, will this just be a temporary display of success, or will the Phillies ride the confidence boost of a 3-game sweep at Wrigley towards separation from the pact to clinch another NL East title?

PHILLIES: Pedro’s Phillies Debut Wed., Moyer to the Bullpen

 

Fans, the time has finally come.

Pedro's Phillies debut coming to a TV near you

Exactly four weeks after Pedro Martinez was signed to a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, he will be making his 2009 big league debut at Wrigley Field Wednesday night when the Phillies will take on the Chicago Cubs in the second game of a crucial three-game series.

With the Pedro Martinez experiment finally set to start on Wednesday, moves within the pitching staff had to be made to accommodate Martinez in the Phillies’ pitching staff.

The main move though, the move that was speculated about since the Cliff Lee acquisition, was in the starting rotation, where the Phillies elected AGAINST a rumored six-man rotation, and sent longtime starter Jamie Moyer to the bullpen.

You have to feel bad for Moyer, and even Ruben Amaro and Charlie Manuel for having to make that decision. Telling Moyer that he was losing his spot in the rotation was probably an extremely hard thing to do because, quite frankly, Moyer is the perfect example of a professional baseball player.

 

Moyer's dedication to being the ultimate professional made it that much harder to send him to the bullpen

Moyer has done virtually everything he could as a starting pitcher. With sub-par stuff and relying on pin-point precision instead of any type of velocity, Moyer has racked up more than 250 wins as a starting pitcher, which is top 10 all-time among left-handed starters. Ever since Moyer was acquired in a wavier-wire deal for the Phillies in August 2007, his contributions for the Phillies have gone far beyond what he’s done on the mound.

And that’s saying something.

In 2008, Moyer led the team in wins with a 16-7 overall record. In the playoffs, most notably game 3 of the World Series, Moyer willed his way to victories, embodying the role of the “ageless veteran trying to bring a championship to his hometown team”.

It was a role that everyone respected, making Moyer a favorite among the fans. Not only was Moyer embraced by the Philadelphia community as a hero of sorts, his Phillies teammates would come to idolize him for his contribution inside the clubhouse.

If you ask any pitcher in the Phillies organization, whether he’s with the big league club, or in rookie ball, they will say that Jamie Moyer is the one player who has taught them the most about pitching, baseball, and life. Moyer is the beneficiary of 24 years of major league baseball experience, in which he has obtained a level of wisdom that only few players and coaches have. Not only does Moyer have a rare amount of baseball experience, but as he has embodied the role of a mentor, his ability to share his knowledge and being a good teammate has helped transform young pitchers like J.A Happ and Cole Hamels into borderline aces for the Phillies.

You can’t say that about many players, let alone many people in general, in all of baseball.

With that said, from a production standpoint, Moyer was undoubtably the odd-man out in this starting rotation equation. While Moyer has a team-leading 10 wins, his E.R.A (5.47) has been high and a cause for concern all season. However, recently, his performance has been even more shaky (1-3 in his last four starts), his last game being the exclamation point. On Sunday, Moyer took the loss against the Florida Marlins, the team he usually dominates, after going just five inning while giving up three runs and eleven hits. 

Moyer’s inability to go deep into games (has just gone 7+ innings once in past two months) and more importantly his inability to get runners out in general made him expendable in the starting rotation once Pedro Martinez was deemed healthy to play at a big league level.

Well, that time finally came.

Martinez’s first start with the Phillies will come after J.A Happ opens the series against the Cubs on Tuesday night. Cliff Lee will then follow Martinez, starting on Thursday night, solidifying Lee’s role as the #1 starter for the Phils, and Pedro’s role as the 5th and final starter.

The rotation, for the remainder of the season (if everything works out), will look like this.

Lee, Blanton, Hamels, Happ, Martinez

After looking at this now finalized rotation, one thing is clearly obvious.

With all due respect to Jamie Moyer, from a team and a fan’s perspective, this is the best rotation the Phillies can offer at this point of the regular season, which just to clarify to you readers (or shut up those who are too pessimistic), is a four-game lead over in the Florida Marlins in the NL East with a month and a half to play.

Sidenotes:

- With Pedro Martinez scheduled to pitch on Wednesday, he will most likely be activated on Tuesday or before the game on Wed., meaning a roster move will have to be made. With Jamie Moyer moving to the bullpen, that means that someone currently in the bullpen will be designated for assignment (could claimed on waviers by another team) or optioned to the minor leagues. That person will probably be Kyle Kendrick, who would go back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to continue to work on becoming a starting pitcher, despite his last 2 1/2 weeks with the Philadelphia Phillies as a reliever. 

- Speaking of roster moves, RHP Chad Durbin was be activated from the 15-day D.L on Tuesday. This will surely help a bullpen that has been depleted by injuries, Durbin being one of them. To allow Durbin to be a part of the 25-man roster, the Phillies optioned SP Rodrigo Lopez to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Lopez, while thriving in his short stint as a starter for the Phillies (3-1 in five starts), was just not nearly as effective as a reliever (8 ER in 2.2 IP). Due to his age, contract situation, and status on the Phillies active roster, Lopez does have a couple options. He could accept his option to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, or grant his own release, becoming a free-agent. The likely scenario is that Lopez will join the Phillies organization at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he started off the 2009 season.