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: Time To Panic?

As one Philadelphia team is one step away from reaching the championship in there respective sport, the team in the City of Brotherly love who has most recently reached the top of the totum pole is beginning to struggle.

J-Roll is out of the lineup once again for at least two weeks.

Losers of four out of their last six games, and averaging an anemic two runs a game over that span, the Phillies are obviously not playing there best baseball. In past years, losing streaks have correlated with offensive futility for Philadelphia, and this stretch isn’t much different. While losing Jimmy Rollins to the disabled list for the second time this season to a calf injury may be playing a large part to this rough patch, injuries are part of baseball, and unfortunately, the games are still going to count for Philadelphia despite them losing their perennial all-star SS, again.

Is it time to panic?

When it comes to the overall struggles of the Phillies, probably not. Even without Rollins, the lineup is too good to struggle like this over a long period of time. I know losing two out of three to the Red Sox and getting shutout for 16 combined innings by Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield may make you think otherwise, but remember, in each of the last two seasons, the Phillies have had the same fate when playing Boston, losing two games in a three-game series.

In addition to this, the Red Sox have always matched up well with the Phillies, and have even had success against Roy Halladay when he was with Toronto (Halladay had a career 4.39 ERA against the Red Sox before this past weekend), so I’m not all that surprised or concerned with the outcome of the series or Halladay’s subpar start (5.2 IP, 7 ER) on Saturday.

Is it time to be concerned though?

It may be.

A second stint to the D.L for J-Roll for a calf injury is most worrisome. This is the same player who was plagued with injuries during the first-half of last season, tried to play through them, and ended up hitting around .200 until he was presumably taken out of the lineup by manager Charlie Manuel so he could heal. Placing Jimmy Rollins back on the disabled list was the smart move, but the fact of the matter is, this injury may be one that will linger the entire season, meaning that J-Roll would have to play the remaining three months at less than 100%. It also doesn’t help when Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, and J.A Happ will be on the disabled list with him.

No player is ever 100% at this part of the season, but it is never a good sign when every other team in baseball knows it.

While the Phillies offense has been prone to struggle at times, the defense has been just as bad lately, which is quite out of ordinary. Yes, losing a gold-glove SS to an injury would allow that to happen, but the worst part about the Phillies recent defensive struggles is that they are coming at the most inopportune times. Case and point, in the last four starts for Phillies ace Roy Halladay, the Phillies defense has committed 10 errors, which for all you math majors is a whopping 2.5 errors a game. That may be acceptable in Little League, but not at this level of baseball, and certainly not with arguably the best team in the NL when their ace is on the mound.

In all honesty, these issues are most likely going to be temporary. They will have minimal affect when October comes around and the final standings etched in stone. But the fact of the matter is these games count towards the ultimate goal, and right now, they aren’t going well.

OTHER NOTES

: Wilson Valdez is becoming quite familiar with the Philly area. Six hours after clearing waivers and arriving back at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Valdez was shipped down the NE Extension back to Philadelphia as he was back on the 25-man roster with Jimmy Rollins being placed on the D.L

: Brian Schneider was activated on Monday from a 15-day DL stint after having successful rehab stint at Lehigh Valley (well, it depends what you mean by successful, he was 0-for-8). To make room for the backup catcher and first baseman, Paul Hoover was designated for assignment. Hoover, who hit .278 with the Phillies in his two week stint in the bigs backing up Carlos Ruiz, will have to pass through waivers. That may not happen.

: Matt Stairs hit his first homerun of the season this past weekend with the San Diego Padres. That makes 11 teams the former Phillie has hit a HR for. I still wish I made the purchase on the “In Case of Emergency, Use the STAIRS” shirt that was worn around Citizens Bank Park for the past three seasons. Classic.

: Check out this cbssportsline.com thread today saying Washington Nationals uber-prospect Stephen Strasburg broke his arm after getting hit by a foul ball during batting practice. If that’s true, wow, that’s awful luck. If that’s not true, which it seems more and more like is the case (no legitimate report), what a sick joke. I am glad I’m not one of the ten Nationals fans in the world right now.

PHILLIES: Who’s In and Who’s Out

With the start of the winter meetings getting underway in the fine city of Indianapolis, the most interesting topic of discussion is where premiere talents such as Roy Halladay, Jason Bay, Matt Holiday, Jon Lackey will end up either via trade or free agency. However, for the Philadelphia Phillies, they didn’t need a hour and 15 minute flight to Indy to get started on putting the possible pieces of the puzzle together that will help bring a World Series parade back to Broad St. 

WHO’S IN

2B/3B Placido Polanco: Phillies fans might recognize this name. Or at least they should. Polanco, a former Phillie who played his last season for the Philadelphia in 2004, was signed to a three-year 18 million dollar deal to replace Pedro Feliz at 3B. While the Phillies will lose a potential gold-golver in Feliz on the hot corner, Polanco is a more than suitable defender (2 gold gloves at 2B for the Tigers), and will give the Phillies more dangerous bat as a perennial .300 hitter who hardly ever strikes out in a lineup that is already potent offensively.

C Brian Schneider: Usually considered a Phillies-killer in his days with the Expos/Nationals and the Mets, Schneider will finally get a chance to play for his hometown team, as the Allentown native grew up a Philadelphia sports fan. Schneider will make around 3 million this year, serving as the primary backup catcher to Carlos Ruiz and the emergency first baseman if both Ryan Howard and Greg Dobbs are unable to play.

OF Dewayne Wise: The player responsible for the arguably the greatest defensive play of the 2009 season (saving Mark Buehrle’s perfect game with a home-run robbing catch) was signed to a minor league contract by the Phillies on December 1st. Wise will report to spring training as a possible fifth outfielder option on the opening day roster, behind the three all-stars (Werth, Victorino, Ibanez) and Ben Francisco on the depth chart.

 UTIL Juan Castro: Another player signed to a minor league deal. Castro will be given ever opportunity in spring training to beat out incumbent UTIL player Eric Bruntlett for a spot on the opening day roster. If he can’t manage that, then shame on him.

WHO’S OUT

3B Pedro Feliz: A sad end to a solid two years with the Phillies for Feliz. Always solid defensively, Feliz hit over .300 with runners in scoring position out of the 7th spot in the order when he was with the Phillies. The only other player to do that for the Philadelphia over those two-seasons was Ryan Howard. That’s pretty elite company. However, the Phillies envisioned Feliz to hit 25-30 HR’s when they signed him before the 2008 season. When he didn’t come close to those power numbers, the organization decided to go a different way with the signing of Polanco. Look out for Feliz finding a home with an AL team who will allow him to play 3B and DH, with Baltimore being the early front-runner as a possible destination. 

 SP/RHP Brett Myers: The tenuous partnership between Myers and the Phillies organization is finally over. Just a week after the Phillies season ended, GM Ruben Amaro made it clear that he would not be renewing Myers’s contract, saying that he wanted to go in a “different direction”. I’ve always been a fan of Myers, but it’s hard to deny that he needs a change of scenery. Myers, even with a clouded injury past, is still projected as a starting pitcher by a handful of teams in baseball. Look for one of those teams, possibly the Texas Rangers, to end up with Myers.

OF Matt Stairs: In case of emergency, use the stairs. If you don’t believe that, just look into your time capsule and turn it back to Game 4 of the 2008 NLCS where Stairs single-handedly saved the Phillies season with a pinch-hit 2-run HR against LA’s Jonathan Broxton that after a year and two months still hasn’t landed yet. While he will always be a hero to Philly sports fans for that sole moment, his career is finished. Sadly, Stairs can no longer catch-up to fastballs that he is used to crushing out of the ballpark, which is unfortunate because Stairs is a dead-red fastball hitter. That’s not a good sign.

C Paul Bako: Another departure due to a free agent singing. Bako performed admirably in his limited role with the Phillies in 2009, but the Schneider signing marked the end of the Paul Bako era in Philadelphia. What a shame..

OTHER POSSIBILITIES 

SP Pedro Martinez= Will the Phillies bring Pedro back after the team was 8-1 in his nine regular season starts during his two-month stint in 2009? My guess is yes.

SP John Smoltz= If the answer to that last question is no, look for Smoltz to be an option to fill the fifth starter role for the Phillies. Age (42) is a question with the future hall-of-famer, but if the Phillies want to give phenom Kyle Drabek one more year in the minors and they don’t view Martinez as an option, look for Smoltz as a possible candidate.

RHP Brandon Lyon= Don’t like this one bit. There’s no question that Lyon has plus-average stuff, but he has struggled mightily the past two seasons both as a closer and a middle reliever with Diamondbacks and the Tigers. It’s not like the Phillies view Lyon as a potential closer, so if they sign him,  his role would be similar to Brett Myers’s during the Phillies 2009 post-season run. I’d personally have Myers.

SP Roy Halladay: A discussion for a different day…

Lastly, I will be present at the final two days of the Winter Meetings, so look for updates to this post.

PHILLIES: Back to the NLCS

Tied 1-1 after two games in Philadelphia, I highly doubt many people thought that the Phillies would take care of business and end their NLDS series in Colorado by sweeping the Rockies at Coors Field.

Well, they did it.

In doing so, I found a strange trend.

Two heart-wrenching games later, defined by clutch performances ranging from two tenuous Brad Lidge saves to Ryan Howard winning his battle against one of the NL’s most consistent closers this season in Houston Street (twice), the Phillies are now set to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS  for the second time in, yes, the past two seasons.

Ironic isn’t it.

If only you could win a playoff series in two games, I would classify this coincidence as example of those above pulling for the Phillies to win their SECOND World Series in TWO years.

Harry the K is surely smiling from above right now.

With that said, here’s the Preview of the Phillies/Dodgers Series.

SCHEDULE

Game 1 (in LA): Thursday at 8:07 ET (Cole Hamels vs. Clayton Kershaw)

Game 2 (In LA): Friday at 4:07 PM ( Blanton/Happ/Pedro vs. Vicente Padilla)

Game 3 (In Philadelphia): Sunday at 8:07 ET (Cliff Lee vs. Hiroki Kuroda)

Game 4 (In Philadelphia): Monday at 8:07 ET (TBD vs. Randy Wolf)

Game 5 (If Necessary in Philadelphia): Wednesday at 8:07 ET (Hamels vs. Kershaw)

Game 6 (If Necessary in LA): Friday 10/22 at 8:07 ET (Blanton/Happ/Pedro vs. Padilla)

Game 7 (If Necessary in LA): Saturday 10/23 at 8:07 ET (Lee vs. Kuroda)

 

Defense

First of all, defensively, both teams are virtually even. In the infield, each team is solid around the diamond with one standout gold-glove caliber player (James Loney for the Dodgers and Jimmy Rollins for the Phillies). In the outfield, both teams have two tremendous defensive players (Matt Kemp and Andre Either for the Dodgers and Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth for the Phillies), and one defensive liability (Manny Ramirez for the Dodgers and Raul Ibanez). Just for the fact that Manny Ramirez is one of the worst defensive outfielders in recent memory, and the Phillies with Rollins and Victorino will probably have one more gold-glove award winner than the Dodgers in Matt Kemp, I have to go with ’08 champs on this one.

Advantage: Phillies

Offense

Another tough one. Probably the two most potent, deep lineups in all of baseball. One through eight in the order, each team is flat out dangerous. On pure power numbers alone, the advantage the Phillies have is tough to ignore. Four guys over 30 homeruns, five all-stars in the middle of the lineup, and a former MVP at the top of the lineup sounds about as good as a Jim’s cheesesteak (wiz with) right now. However, the Dodgers might be a little more balanced at this point. Kemp, Either and Manny are stars in the middle of the order while Loney, Russell Martin, Rafael Furcal, and Casey Blake are all dangerous hitters who have had success in the playoffs.

Advantage: Push

Bench

This one is not even close. The Phillies do have Ben Francisco, who has been an x-factor down the stretch run for Philadelphia, and Matt Stairs, who I am sure still gives Dodgers fans and players nightmares from last season. But to be honest, the Dodgers  have a plethora of more than quality options to come off the bench. Most notably, 2009 all-star Orlando Hudson and future hall-of-famer Jim Thome are available for manager Joe Torre to pinch-hit, pinch-run, defensive switch, or whatever fits his fancy.

Advantage: Dodgers

Starting Pitching

This one is a little intriguing. Most people who see a potential rotation with Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Pedro Martinez (rumored starter for game 2) will say that team has the advantage in a seven-game series. Not so fast. While the Dodgers four-man rotation of Kershaw, Padilla, Kuroda, and Wolf (sounds like the name of a law firm) may not be nearly as dominant as Philadelphia’s, they have the potential to give the Phillies problems. Two left-handed starting pitchers who differ completely in they way they pitch (Kershaw: Young power pitcher; Wolf: Crafty veteran) for the Dodgers isn’t a good sign for Ryan Howard, who barely hit over .200 against lefties this year. Now, players don’t define teams, but this is the same Ryan Howard who was responsible for the producing the game-winning run in game 3 against the Rockies and the game 4 tying-run in the series clincher against the Rockies. With that said, I’ll take a rotation with a two different former Cy Young award winners (Martinez and Lee) and a World Series MVP (Hamels) any day over a team who’s game 1 starter is my age (21).

Adavantage: Phillies

Bullpen

Wow. The Dodgers actually dominate the Phillies in their best categories. The comparison with two bullpen’s is as drastic as they come. LA’s bullpen had the best E.R.A in the NL, while the Phillies bullpen was the main reason the Phillies had the most come from behind victories in the NL with 43. Next, Jonathan Broxton was an all-star closer this year for the Dodgers, while Brad Lidge blew 11 saves this year and lost his job for a three-week period at the end of the regular season. Lastly, the Dodgers George Sherill has been the best set-up man in baseball for the second half of the season (0.65 E.R.A), while the Phillies have struggled finding anyone consistent in the bullpen this year without an injury or some mechanical flaw. If the Dodgers are going to win this series, it’s going to be because of this.

Advantage: Dodgers

As I said in my last sentence, if the Dodgers win, it will be because of their bullpen. I’m not sure if it will get that far for them to play an important role in the series. I say if Hamels continues his dominance against the Dodgers (2-0 with a 0.65 E.R.A this season) starting in game 1, that the Phillies, riding that wave of confidence with a couple close calls in between, should have a good chance to go back to the World Series for the second time in as many years.

Prediction: Phillies in 6

 

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: Simply Summing It Up..

To sum it all up, the Phillies are not a World Series caliber team right now.

Yes, they do have a virtual lock on their third straight NL East title, with a team who statistically has the most prolific offense in the NL, but it’s very clear. The Phillies were surpassed by the St. Louis Cardinals in the popular vote for NL supremacy some time ago, and while the reasons aren’t necessarily controllable, it’s hard to deny those reasons as the obvious.

If you follow this blog, you know the reasons. Brad Lidge, injuries, inconsistency with both the starting and relief pitching, and the inability hitting with runners in scoring position have been they concepts frequently touched upon in past posts.

With that said, it’s undeniable that the Phillies, great in some areas but shaky in others (see above) when it comes to playing the game of baseball, have to get just drastically better in those areas of concern.

Unfortunately, if they Phillies can’t improve these eye-popping flaws that they possess virtually every time they step on the field in the next 10-14 days, the combination they currently have is the worst possible recipe to repeat as champs. 

Look at last year.

It wasn’t gaudy offensive statistics (4.5 runs a game in the 2008 playoffs) that led the Phillies to the promise land. To be honest, It was a combination of a healthy and confident bullpen (Lidge), dominant and consistent starting pitching (Cole Hamels), and timely hitting (Matt Stairs, Geoff Jenkins) that eventually led to the defeat of the Milkwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and lastly the Tampa Bay Rays. How many of those attributes do the Phillies possess right now?

That’s right, zero.

With that said, it’s not likely, but timely hitting can be outdone by the offensive barrages (a.k.a blowouts) that the Phillies are indeed capable of this season. Also, while the starting pitching doesn’t have “dominating” season stats, they have been a top-3 pitching staff since the all-star break in the NL when it comes to wins and E.R.A.

So..that leaves the relief pitching as the “x-factor” of this playoff recipe to success.

First and foremost, the Phillies need to get their members of their pitching staff healthy.

Fast. 

Going into the playoffs without reliable arms who have been their before like Chan Ho Park (Hamstring) and J.C Romero (Forearm) in the bullpen would be bad, while going into October without potentially dominant arms like J.A Happ (Oblique), Brett Myers (Shoulder), and Pedro Martinez (Neck) would be worse.

 

The potential kryptonite to the Phillies' playoff chances is the performance of those in the bullpen

All are possible due to current injuries to each of the five players (who are or could be main contributors to the Phillies post-season bullpen) mentioned above.

Most importantly, while I am spending time talking about those who are unable to pitch, it’s become clear that those who are healthy enough to actually get on the mound and try to earn their paycheck are the playerswho I should direct my sometimes reserved, but in this case justified criticism towards.

Quite frankly, those who reside in the ‘pen for the majority of the game are just not getting the job done. Even worse, It’s not just the now-demoted closer Brad Lidge, who now has an unprecedented MLB-high 11 blown saves, that is doing the damage. Ryan Madson has almost as many blown saves (6) as he does actual saves (8). Both Jamie Moyer (blew the lead) and Tyler Walker (blew the game) played a crucial role in the Phillies collapse on Saturday against the Milwakuee Brewers.

Now that everyone is in on the party, who is going to play the role of the cop that shuts it down (note the phrase “shuts it down”)?

Lidge? Too many chances.

Madson? Too inconsistent.

Myers? Too unstable.

Walker? Too boring (and believe me, boring is bad if you are a closer).

Yes, this may seem very drastic. In some cases, it is. While I am sadly turning into a realist/pessimist at my old age, my optimistic section of my split-personality will say that If the Phillies starting pitching can go deep into games or the the Phillies offense can spare the bullpen pressure with runs, which each are capable are doing, than this whole discussion will be a non-issue. 

I hope it is.

But to those who agree with this optimistic stance, I show you this.

That is what a good bullpen can do for a team, which is the same good bullpen that the Phillies just don’t have right now.

Now at this point, I guess Phillies fans should cling to the possibility that Brad Lidge and the rest of the Phillies bullpen will get their mojo back so this potential trip down memory lane can actually occur. 

Without that possibility, the Phillies are not a team that deserves to represent the NL in the Fall Classic.

It’s as simple as that.

PHILLIES: Raul’s Resurgence, Happ’s Status and More..

Welcome back Raul Ibanez!

After hitting three homeruns over the past two games, including two longballs in Monday night’s 5-3 win over the Washington Nationals, it seems that Ibanez is starting to break out of his second half slump.

A resurgence from Raul Ibanez could be the main factors that pushes the Phillies to the top of the NL

Since the end of the all-star break, Ibanez has watched his average drop from .316, all the way down to .272 last week. In addition to a severe average drop,  Raul was also in the midst of his worst round-tripper drought of the season, homering just twice since July 26th.

However, since September 5th, the Raul of old has seemed to poke his head out of the dugout and onto the field.

Starting with the first game vs. Houston last Friday, Ibanez is 7-15 with 3 homeruns in the four games since then, and has looked exponentially more comfortable at the plate than in weeks past.

Case and point, if Ibanez can play remotely close to the all-star level Phillies fans were accustomed to seeing during the first half of the season, the Philadelphia offense will be the most feared bat attack in major league going into the playoffs.

Why do I say that?

With Ibanez’s 2 HR’s on Monday, combined with solo shots from Jayson Werth and Chase Utley, the Phillies became the first team this season to have four players with 30+ homeruns in a season.

The only other statistic that I find equally as impressive is the New York Yankees having 7 players with 20+ homeruns. Yes, those are the same New York Yankees who are a MLB-best 40 games over .500 at the present time.

Coincidence?

Combine a streaking Ibanez with the likes Utley, Werth, an already scorching-hot Ryan Howard, and lastly all-star Shane Victorino, the 2009 Fall Classic could very well feature the biggest offensive display in World Series history with the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees (Prediction?).

On a negative note, J.A Happ will miss his next scheduled start. Happ, the likely candidate for NL Rookie of the Year honors, will be sidelined for at least one more start because of a strained oblique.

Smart move by the Phillies to be cautious and shut Happ down for the time being. This is by far the most amount of innings Happ has pitched in a season during his short professional baseball career, and for Happ to be an effective 4th starter for the Phillies in the playoffs, rest is probably the best thing possible right now for the 26 year-old rookie.

Lastly, some more roster moves.

Both LHP Sergio Escalona and 1B Andy Tracy had their contracts purchased by the Phillies.

Escalona, already a member of the Phillies 40-man roster, has been promoted to Philadelphia three other separate times this season, going 1-0 with a 2.84 E.R.A with the Phillies.

Tracy, an International League all-star this season for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, was promoted to Philadelphia after not being on the original 40-man roster. To make room for Tracy, RHP Rodrigo Lopez was released. Tracy, who will be used lefty bat with some pop off the bench in the absense of Greg Dobbs and a struggling Matt Stairs, was second in the International League in homeruns in both homeruns (26) and RBI’s with (96).

That’s it for today, as I am in no mood to talk about the Brad Lidge dilemma Phillies management is facing at the present time. When a decision is made, which is either to let Lidge keep blowing saves or implement Ryan Madson or Brett Myers as the new closer, I will talk about it.

Until then, silence is golden.

PHILLIES: Francisco Plays Hero

Out of all people to hit an eventual game-winning homerun for the Phillies in a crucial game versus the Chicago Cubs Tuesday night, I doubt that anyone would have guessed the source of the late-game heroics.

Ryan Howard?

Nope.

Jimmy Rollins?

Well, he hit a game-tying HR earlier in the game, but it wasn’t him.

Chase Utley? Raul Ibanez? Jayson Werth?

While all are good players, and 2009 all-stars for that matter, none were Tuesday’s star of the game. You have to go down the roster to the bench players, where you’ll find a player who is most likely between the portly Matt Stairs and the career-pinch hitter Greg Dobbs on the potential list.

So, Ben Francisco?

DING DING DING!!

 

After Tuesday's late-game heroics, Ben Francisco will be a fan favorite in Philadelphia

If you don’t know the name, you may not be alone. Ben Francisco has not been in a Phillies uniform for long. You might recognize him as the OTHER guy sent to the Phillies in the trade that brought Cliff Lee to Philadelphia. Even though Francisco’s name was looked over by almost ever single Philadelphia fan after they looked away once they saw the name Lee, his contributions have been felt in a big way.

Since sent to Philadelphia two weeks ago, Francisco has fulfilled the role that the Phillies organization had set for him when they pulled him into Charlie Manuel’s office that first day. His ability to play all three outfield positions and hit anywhere from 2nd to 7th in the lineup has given the Phillies the utility outfielder and the strong right-handed hitter off the bench that the organization had been looking for since the start of the 2009 season.

Case and point?

On Tuesday night, Francisco did what neither John Mayberry Jr. nor Eric Bruntlett have been able to do the entire season. He delivered.

While Francisco’s solo homerun in the top of the 12th inning barely cleared the ivy on the left field fence in Wrigley, he got enough Kevin Gregg’s hanging breaking ball to hit his second long-ball in a Phillies uniform. More important than the “HR” number in his personal statistics, Francisco’s solo shot was the eventual game winning-run that snapped the Phillies 3-game losing streak.

During last year’s historic World Series run for the Phillies, it’s undeniable that the contributions from the players who usually resided on the bench were major reasons why the Phillies were able to parade down Broad St. with some jewelry when all was said and done.

You want proof?

Remember Matt Stairs’s homerun of Jonathan Broxton that finished off a comeback of the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the 2008 NLCS?

Definitely.

Remember Geoff Jenkins’s leadoff double in the 7th inning when Game 5 of the 2008 World Series resumed after a 46-hour weather delay?

Probably.

Remember So Taguchi game-tying two-run double to cap off a six-run ninth against the New York Mets?

Eh, that’s questionable. I’m almost positive fellow Philly Phour writer Josh Getzoff does.

The point of this wasn’t just for a trip down memory lane. These three scenes from the Phillies 2008 perfect story just prove that bench players can play the role of hero as well.

Just like Ben Francisco did Tuesday night with his 12th inning game-winning HR against the Cubs.

PHILLIES: The Newest Phil-”lee”

Just 24 hours ago, Phillies fans like myself still thought that Roy Halladay was going to be on his way to Philadelphia at the end of the trade deadline. Now, the only time he will be coming to the City of Brotherly Love is as a visitor or if he secures a spot in the opposing teams’ dugout.

Welcome Cliff Lee. A deal that basically was developed, executed, and finalized before you can clap you hands now will most likely be the trade that defines the 2009 Trade Deadline. Headlines will read “2008 AL Cy Young going to the reigning World Champs.”

Wow, does that sound great.

Or does it?

Here is the good, the bad, and the truth in the biggest trade for the Philadelphia Phillies since they acquired Freddy Garcia (and you know how that turned out).

The Good:

Just look at this trade on the surface. Cliff Lee (2008 AL Cy Young Award winner) and OF Ben Francisco traded to the Phillies for four minor league prospects. Wow. The Phillies got starting pitching help in an ace and the right-handed bat off the bench they’ve been searching for all year without giving up one person from the big league roster that is 18 games above .500 and has a seven-game lead in the NL East. Not only that, the Phillies didn’t even give up any of their three “untouchables”, as Kyle Drabek, Dominic Brown and Michael Taylor are all still members of the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Even J.A Happ, a potential rookie of the year candidate in the NL for the Phillies, was left out of the deal and is, for right now, staying in Philly. That’s a luxury they certainly wouldn’t have had if Roy Halladay were to make his home at Citizens Bank Park. Speaking of Halladay, it’s quite possible that for the Phillies, Lee may have been a better option all together than “Doc”. Lee is younger (30) than Halladay (32), cheaper (5 million a year in contrast to Halladay’s 15.75 million), and demanded far less value than Halladay would (Toronto wanted J.A Happ, Drabek and Brown in return). Even with acquiring Lee over the better overall pitcher in Halladay, the Phillies pitching staff is now certainly better, and is as deep as ever.  A Cole Hamels/Cliff Lee one-two punch combined with Joe Blanton, Happ, Jamie Moyer, and Pedro Martinez finishing out the back end of the rotation will provide the star-power and consistency to be the among the best rotations in the baseball. Add that with the best offense in baseball, and there is no reason that the Phillies shouldn’t be the favorite to represent the NL in the World Series for the second season in a row.

The Bad:

(Note, this is me playing devil’s advocate)

Here is where my pessimistic Philadelphia sports attitude sets in. If the Phillies attitude is to win now, which they showed by traded four highly regarded prospects, why didn’t they just go for the touchdown pass with Roy Halladay instead of going for the field goal in Cliff Lee. Lee’s 22-3 season last year could simply be a case of a “one-year wonder”, as he is below .500 with a 7-9 record this year. For Halladay, who is widely regarded as one of the top-3 best pitchers in the league, and may go down as one of the best pitcher of our generation, Toronto was asking for J.A Happ, the Phillies top overall prospect in Dominic Brown, and the so-called pitching phenom Kyle Drabek. Instead Phillies gave up four prospects for Lee, with fellow pitcher Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson and Jason Donald all ranked as higher prospects than Drabek by Baseball America. Combine that with the loss of 18 year-old flamethrower Jason Knapp (who scouts have compared to Jonathan Papelbon), the Phillies just dealt four players who were thought as the future of the Philadelphia baseball. If last year was just a fluke, and Lee continues his sub .500 performance of this year and basically every other year until his contract with Philadelphia ends in 2010, not only would that close the window of opportunity to bring another World Series parade down Broad Street, but the loss of these integral parts of the organization could set back the Phillies for five year, maybe longer.

The Truth:

For GM Ruben Amaro, this was the perfect trade to make. Lee will obviously solidify the rotation and strike fear in basically every NL team who could face the Phillies in a game, let alone a playoff series. On the other hand, Ben Francisco was a huge part of why the deal is a winner for the Phillies. Francisco provides a right-handed bat off the bench with power (10 HR) and versatility (can play both corner outfield positions), and will allow John Mayberry Jr. some more time to grow as an everyday player at a lower level, as he will most likely be optioned back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Francisco’s power from the right side of the plate, combined with Greg Dobbs and Matt Stairs from the left side of the plate, gives the Phillies offensive flexibility, as if they needed it.

 

Acquiring Cliff Lee gives the Phillies an "ace" in the starting rotation

While the Phillies did get Cliff Lee, they did in fact give up a lot. Donald, the organizations third ranked prospect, and Marson, the organizations fourth ranked prospect, talent and maturity-wise are ready to play for Indians big league team right now. Also, both are projected to be above-average MLB players for ten years. Knapp had the highest ceiling of any Phillies prospect (more than Brown, Taylor or Drabek), and still has so much room to grow as a teenager. Carrasco, the wildcard in this, is still considered a top of the rotation starter by the Indians after struggling this season. The truth of the matter is that he’s allowed to struggle, he’s 22 years old, people seem to forget that, though the Indians obviously didn’t.

 

The truth is though, if the Phillies were to give up any of the highly regarded prospects, these were the ones they wanted to give up. It’s nothing against the four of them, it just seems like they made the pieces of the puzzle fit perfectly. Donald, behind Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley for another five years, would just be a career backup for the Phillies and would have no value and diminished skill when Rollins and Utley are past their prime. Marson, probably the most costly of the departed, was viewed as the catcher of the future for Cleveland, as they are also shopping Victor Martinez and Kelly Shoppach. He was the huge centerpiece of the trade. Knapp, the other centerpiece of the trade, is at least three years away from making an impact at the big league level, which conflicts with the Phillies three-five year window to win another World Series. Lastly, Carrasco, while highly regarded, struggled in Triple-A and was upset at the organization in June when they promoted fellow Triple-A teammate Antonio Bastardo instead of him to replace Brett Myers in Philadephia. A change of scenery was probably the best scenario for Carrasco.

With all that said, it was worth it. By trading for Cliff Lee instead of Roy Halladay, the Phillies retaining their top prospects in the organization while keeping their entire big league nucleus intact. That seems like a good combination for success.

Or so we hope.