Phightin' Phils Phorum

Halladay Is The Talk Of The Town

Roy Halladay mania is in full swing already at the start of Spring Training.  Reports that he has been working out in Clearwater since mid-December and that he arrives at the ballpark by 5:45am every day are impressing the fans, his teammates and his coaches.  Manager Charlie Manuel compared his work ethic to that of Chase Utley although he noted, "He (Halladay) smiles more than Chase.”

While the Utley comparisons are fun, the biggest comparisons this year are bound to be about Halladay and Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee.  Many Phillies fans are still in denial over the departure of Lee and that trade will be questioned all year long and perhaps even for years to come.  If Hamels does not return to form and Lee does well with the Mariners, expect some strong reaction from the fan base.  However, Lee did just have surgery on his foot to remove some bone fragments which will put him about a week behind schedule; this should give Halladay and Hamels a “toe” up in the race to see who comes out of the chute fastest.

Pitching coach Rich Dubee made it clear last week when speaking to the media that he believes Hamels’ issues last year revolved more around his mental game than his physical game.  Dubee told Todd Zolecki of The Zo Zone, “The biggest problem with Cole last year? In my opinion he pitched with a lot of anger. With himself mostly. He's such a perfectionist. You don't pitch with anger. He really wasn't nearly as focused as he was the two previous years. He expects a lot out of himself, but your expectations of what you want and the way you approach it are very, very important. And his approach wasn't very good last year.”

So while Hamels has some personal reflecting to do, other pitchers in camp like Jamie Moyer, need only overcome their physical issues.  Moyer’s recovery after 3 surgeries this off-season is precarious.  He did throw off the mound on the first day of camp, so that is good news.  But with younger pitchers like Kyle Kendrick waiting in the wings to take the 5th starter spot from Moyer, this should be a very intense spring.  Rumor has it that Kendrick, who was previously mentored mostly by Moyer, has latched onto Roy Halladay this spring like a baby bird looking for his next meal.  Kendrick has been showing up early to work with Halladay who has apparently been hand-feeding Kendrick information.

So the competition will continue to heat up over the coming weeks.  And if the temperatures here in the northeast could start heating up as well, that would be awesome.  Still in the 40’s here but I am hopeful that Spring will be here soon!

Halladay photo: ESPN.com; Kendrick photo by Jenn

Injuries Causing Concern

The Phillies lost against the Astros last night by a score of 3-5 behind the obviously tired arm of Cliff Lee.  Lee has pitched a career high 231 2/3 innings this year and is showing signs of fatigue.  Yesterday, he allowed 3 runs on 7 hits and a walk in 5 2/3 innings and was all over the strike zone, seemingly unable to command his fastball.  In fact, Lee has allowed 27 runs in his last 7 games after allowing only 3 runs in his first 5 games with the Phillies.  This is not good news for the guy who is likely to be our #1 pitcher in the playoffs. 

While Lee seems to be healthy though, other are not.  JC Romero experienced soreness in his previously injured forearm after only 1 game back.  Romero will seek a second opinion this week, but it does not look good for our #1 lefty in the pen.

Jamie Moyer, who has been wonderful in middle/long relief since being sent to the pen, is out for the year and will have surgery on 2 groin and 1 one abdomen muscles that he tore in the game on 9/29.  Moyer will be sorely missed in October.

Another long reliever who did a great job in the pen is Chan Ho Park.  Park is also out with an injury.  He attempted to pitch in an Instructional League game in Clearwater a few days back and felt a pull in the injured hamstring which means, his recovery time is still uncertain.

Add to that, Scott Eyre is pitching through a bone chip in his elbow.  He was effective in the clinching game on Wednesday, but how long can he go with that sort of pain?  That leaves the pen with only 1 lefty who is healthy and that is the rookie, Sergio Escalona. 

That means it is more and more likely that JA Happ will be moved to the bullpen for the post-season to add a lefty arm.  And that is really unfortunate, especially since he and Joe Blanton are the only 2 starters who have been consistent all year.  In fact, they are the only 2 starters who have recorded wins since 9/21/09 – the last 11 games.

Brett Myers is back, but he is rusty and will need some work to be ready for the post-season.  The Phillies need to get their pitching staff back on track and healthy if they are to go far in the playoffs.  We will see how it plays out over the last 3 regular season games; the Marlins are up…game time tonight is 7:05pm.

Photo by Jenn

Crime Scene

The Phillies lost the first of a 4-game series with the lowly Mets last night behind another sad performance from Cole Hamels.  No one knows where the real Hamels is hiding, but I hope someone finds him quickly because this imposter is just not working out.  Hamels got roughed up by a Mets team that is so bad, they resemble a minor league ball club.   Ten hits, 4 runs and 5 innings later, his night was done.

Hamels has been so bad lately that he is making the pitcher’s mound look like a crime scene.  Can someone please call CSI and ask them to dust for prints so we can get rid of this Hamels look-alike?  In four starts this month, the imposter Hamels is sporting a 6.75 ERA and a sickening record of 0-3.  Quite obviously, there is foul play involved.  Arrest this criminal and bring us back the real Cole!

The offense must sense the treachery because they are now refusing to bail out this fake Hamels.  Chase Utley went 2 for 4 with a walk and was also hit by a pitch, but still he refused to collect any RBI’s to help out!  Jimmy Rollins had two hits as well, but if you thought he was going to step anywhere near home plate, think again.  Ryan Howard and Pedro Feliz accidentally fell into one RBI each, but they soon realized the error of their ways and that ended the scoring.  With 11 men left on base, it is clear this team will not support an imposter!

So until the real Hamels is found, we had all better start rooting for the other 4 starting pitchers.  JA Happ will take the mound tonight at 7:10pm so the investigation will have to be postponed for now.  But the Phillies need to hire a detective and solve this mystery soon!  We are all waiting impatiently.

Hamels photo by Jenn

Martinez In, Moyer Out

Pedro Martinezwill be given his first shot at redemption tomorrow night against the Cubs as he enters the Phillies starting rotation.  Jamie Moyer, on the other hand, has been relegated to the bullpen while the Phillies take a look at Martinez.  Moyer is a professional and took the news in stride.  While it is sad to see Jamie bumped from the rotation for sentimental reasons, for baseball reasons, it was necessary.  Holding the highest ERA in the National League among starters, Moyer has not had the year the Phillies hoped for.  However, if Pedro fails to perform, there is no reason Jamie cannot be moved back in as a starter again.

The injury bug has left the bullpen thin over the last month so Moyer may be able to help out in a game where a starter is pulled early.  Another member of the pen, Chad Durbin, is just back from his back injury and Rodrigo Lopez was, as expected after several bad outings, sent back to the minors to make room for Durbin.  Also recovering still is JC Romero who had an MRI on his forearm which showed no ligament damage.  Romero has a slight tear in the muscle which should heal with rest and hopefully, we will see him before the month is out.

The Phillies will have their hands full tonight facing the Cubs and Rich Harden who has a 1.80 ERA in his last 5 games.  JA Happ is coming off another complete game shut-out, which is great, except that he threw 127 pitches.  Hopefully, the extra work will have no effect on him tonight.  The game kicks off at 8:05pm in Chicago.

Photo by Jenn

 

 

Chan Ho Needs to Go!

Antonio Bastardo earned a second major league start last night as he pitched 6 innings of 1 run ball. Although he was nervous and was overthrowing, he battled and baffled the Padres hitters. While his star is rising, Chan Ho Park's star seems to be flickering out. Park was dismal in the seventh inning giving up 4 runs and allowing San Diego to get back into the game.

The Philadelphia Phillies have a roster decision to make today as J.C. Romero returns from his suspension. Chances are Park will not be the player that is moved because he would not accept an assignment in the minors and the Phillies have too much money into him. But regardless of the price, Park needs to get his act together and contribute to the team. It is interesting that he is complaining about his new role and wants to start. While I understand he still wants to be a starter, look at his results! He can hardly get hitters out for one inning, how can he be expected to get them out for 6 or 7?

Park is frustrating to watch because he has the pitches to get hitters out and has the track record where he was very successful at the major league level. He either does not have command anymore or he lacks confidence in going straight after hitters. My opinion is that it is the latter. Ah another head case in Philadelphia! Either way he needs to get it together or pack his bags for Korea.

The good news though is the return of J.C. Romero. His arm is fresh and the team is in first place. When the suspension was announced my thoughts were that if the Phillies could be close to first place when he returned, they would have a major advantage with a quality set up man joining their team who was well rested. That happened today with the Phils leading the division! Now Ryan Madson will get the help he needs to give him a day off here and there while Chad Durbin, Scott, Eyre, and Clay Condrey can move back to roles they are more accustomed to.

The Phillies continue to win on the road, lets hope they can do it again tonight and take this momentum with them to Dodgers Stadium then Citi Field!

Meet Antonio Bastardo

Everyone loves to see young guys get a break and make it to the Majors; but the journey for Antonio Bastardo, 23, begins with a season-ending injury to the Phillies #2 starting pitcher, Brett Myers.  Myers will have hip surgery and Bastardo will have some very big shoes to fill.  Is he up to the challenge?

Bastardo was signed by the Phillies after he was not drafted in 2007.  With a 9-0 record and 1.87 ERA at the Lakewood Blue Claws that year, Bastardo was moved to Clearwater to start 2008.  Impressive again, Bastardo pitched his way to the Reading Phillies after a 2-0 record and 1.17 ERA with the Threshers.  In 2009, Bastardo earned a spot in the Phillies Spring Training camp where he continued to work on his pitches.  Ultimately, he ended up with Reading Phillies (AA) where his 2-2 record and 1.82 ERA earned him a promotion to the Iron Pigs (AAA).

After only 2 games with the Pigs, Bastardo now finds himself readying to face big league hitters.  Whether the youngster will show off his stuff or crack under the pressure is yet to be determined.  What we do know is that the Phillies need an arm to fill the void left by Myers and if Bastardo does not work out, the Phils may find themselves in a heap of trouble.  Or maybe he will be a surprise like Kyle Kendrick was in 2007.  Bastardo gets his first start on Tuesday in San Diego against Jake Peavy and the Padres.  Best of luck to him!

Just For Fun

I shot some video before yesterday’s game of Jayson Werth warming up in the Phillies batting cages; the footage is possibly a bit…interesting?  For lack of a better word anyway; but hey, I did not go down there and make him show off his belly…although if requested, I am happy to oblige ;O)

Race Weekend

And also just for entertainment’s sake, I thought I would share with you the hell that is NASCAR race weekend in Dover.  The Monster Mile attracts thousands of fans from all over the country and literally shuts down the town for 3 days.  You cannot go to the Mall, the grocery store or pretty much anywhere.  All businesses rent out their parking lots exclusively for the race fans cars, trailers and campers and local residents are trapped inside their houses for the weekend.  If you live in the neighborhood, you even have to show ID to get to your own house!  Here is just a sampling of what I had to drive through to get to the Phillies game yesterday:

I just keep telling myself, it is good for the economy and only happens two times a year.  Now if I could just avoid the toxic fumes, engines noises, beer can-strewn roads and drunk folks wandering about aimlessly…  Hmmmm…maybe next time ;O)

And in case you missed it yesterday, here is the Photo Album from the Phillies sweep of the Nats and historic win #250 for Jamie Moyer!

Photos & videos by Jenn

Flip Flop: Happ to Rotation, Park to Pen

J.A. Happ will get the nod on Saturday at the new Yankees Stadium. That is because he has been moved to the starting rotation to replace Chan Ho Park. Park was disappointed but all in all had to understand that he did not deserve to be in the rotation.

Happ will now be given the chance that many feel he has earned. It will be interesting to see how he does over the long haul at the major league level. If Happ doesn't work out, the Phillies may have to look into their farm system. Unfortunately, none of their top prospects are lighting the world on fire either.

Park should be able to help the bullpen. He was successful in a late inning role for the Dodgers last year and can hopefully take some of the pressure off Ryan Madson as he can help in the set up role.

Anaylsis:
This move is probably a better upgrade for the bullpen then the rotation. While Happ should be better than what Park has done, he may not have the stuff to compete at the big league level in a starting role. Park pitched 49 games out of the pen last year and was a successful set up man for Joe Torre's Dodgers. If he can perform similarly for the Phils, they will have a nice group of setup men and allow pitchers like Scott Eyre, Clay Condrey, and Chad Durbin to pitch earlier in the game where they are more effective.

Whipping Our Pitchers Into Shape

The horrendous commencement to the season for the Phillies starting pitching staff has left many wondering, what can be done to turn it around?  However, the last two outings from Joe Blanton and then last night from Chan Ho Park have given Phillies fans hope.  How did Charlie Manuel and gang get these guys to turn things around?  The threat of losing their jobs may be a big factor, but I suspect a few more creative measures may be in play.

Did Manuel whip out the Spanish Inquisition?  Nobody ever expects that…

Or maybe he pulled out the Comfy Chair.  NO!  Not the Comfy Chair!

And in an even more diabolical scheme, I also suspect the starting rotation was tortured further with the Slapping Fish:

Whatever the device, I fully support them.  If these guys need a fishy slap in the face to wake them up, then so be it!  Jamie Moyer will take the mound tonight and try to continue the improvement of the rotation.  But after last night’s loss, despite the great performance of Park, I feel a little extra help may be needed.  And so, again I give you the Smurfy Mets voodoo:

Yes, J-Roll Smurf and friends are back with their voodoo magic!  The Phillies no longer have any excuses.  They must beat the Mets tonight!  Go Phillies!

Photo by Jenn

This Week In Phillies Land…

Injury Updates

Although Pedro Feliz insists he will be ready to go for Opening Day after undergoing back surgery, it seems his manager is less certain.  Charlie Manuel has divulged that Feliz has suffered a slight setback and may not be ready to go.  However, the Phils have plenty of back-up with Eric Bruntlett, Greg Dobbs, and possibly, Chris Coste.  If Manuel decides to keep Coste, which he should, Coste can play a variety of positions, including 3rd base.

More concerning will be the progress of Chase Utley after hip surgery as his recovery time was expected to be longer than Feliz.  However, all reports indicate that Utley is in great shape and even ahead of schedule.  He has taken ground balls, done some light running and taken some dry swings.  If there is a delay in Utley’s return, back-up should not be a problem here either, especially with the recent signing of utility man, Miguel Cairo.  Cairo will likely serve as an insurance policy if all else fails.

Big Losers

A couple of the Phillies players have begun camp this year as big losers; Ryan Howard and Brett Myers both lost a considerable amount of weight in the off-season while preparing for Spring Training.  While most never imagine Howard being light on his feet, 30 fewer pounds may give him a bit more speed and flexibility.  Myers, admitting that his body is starting to feel older, decided the move to lose was necessary in order to keep healthy.   Kudos to them both!

Moyer Speaks About A-Rod

Jamie Moyer, former teammate of Alex Rodriguez, expressed his disappointment today with A-Rod’s use of steroids.  Moyer recounted on Comcast Sportsnet how their son’s used to play together and now that the children are teens, he worries about how this news has affected them.  Here is Moyer’s stance on the issue: "It's about respecting the game," Moyer said. "I'd be disappointed in anybody in that situation. When people have had an impact on your life, you want to feel for them. But how can I feel for him? To me, if you're doing it, you know it's illegal. I commend him for coming out and saying it, but why didn't he say it seven years ago?"

Mo’ Money

And with a World Championship comes mo’ money…  This year’s season ticket sales for the Phillies have increased by more than 4,000 tickets last year.  The club has already sold 24,000 season tickets in a ballpark with a capacity of 45,000.  John Weber, vice president for ticket sales and operations, say that sales of season tickets will be capped at around 27,000 to 28,000, giving the Phillies the potential to sell-out season tickets. 

As a result of the boom in sales, individual game tickets will be much harder to come by.  This is great news for the team as a whole, as they can sign more players and keep those around who are of higher quality.  More games will sell out, adding to the excitement and atmosphere.  But it is bad news for the average fan, who will be slowly priced out of the live game experience, opting to stay home and avoid the expense.

 

Still Working on Moyer / More Thoughts On Ibanez

It is taking an awfully long time, but it seems the Phillies are serious about trying to re-sign Jamie Moyer.  Rumor has it that Moyer wants a 2 year deal worth around 15 million dollars.  It would be great to have Jamie back, especially in light of what someone like Derek Lowe is going to cost.  The delay appears to be an effort to work out the smaller details; contract wording and such.  Or, maybe Moyer just needs a nap between negotiations – you know how old people get.  They need their rest. J

I have also been thinking about the Pat Burrell issue and the signing of Raul Ibanez.  The more I think about it, the sadder it becomes.  This really seems to be a case of the Phillies just NOT wanting to sign Burrell, more than them thinking Ibanez would be a better fit.  The Phillies really, really needed a big right-handed bat if they were going to replace Burrell; but Ibanez is a lefty.  And Ibanez is also four years older than Burrell, making a three-year contract seem very, very strange.  Why sign a 36 year-old lefty AND give him Ryan Howard-type money unless you are just dead set on NOT having Burrell return?  Poor Pat; it does seem like they just wanted him gone. L

As for the age of Ibanez, I know we’ve seen Moyer for the last two years defy Mother Nature, but perhaps Moyer is simply a freak of nature?  Who’s to say that Ibanez will age as gracefully?  Most Major Leaguers do not do well in the later 30’s and early 40’s.  Odds are certainly against them on this pick.  Ibanez is a very solid, very consistent player right now, but what will happen down the road at his age?  The Phillies were totally sold on Geoff Jenkins when they signed him last year and look how that turned out.  I said it was the wrong move from the start because his numbers had begun declining in 2006 and 2007.  But as we all know, no one listens to me L  The 34-year old Jenkins batted only .246 with 9 homers and only 29 RBI for the Phillies in 2008.  Is this where I say “Told ya so”?  Sure, we still won the big game, but that was because we had Jayson Werth to pick up the slack.

I am more hopeful about Ibanez than I was last year about Jenkins because his numbers have been steady and he has not yet shown signs of slowing down.  So for 2009, I think he will be productive for the Phillies, but what happens after that, as the body begins to age?  Was Burrell the better choice?  Maybe not; he seems to always be fighting off an injury of some sort.  But he was very consistent this year and a good, veteran leader in the clubhouse.  As for Ibanez, were there right handed bats and younger guys out there they could have gone after instead?  Yes.  So still, this move is puzzling to me.

The Phillies still have time to find a right-handed bat, but where will he go?  Assuming Utley gets well and returns within the first 2 months, there is nowhere to put him.  The starters are set.  I also think this Ibanez deal is going to be a strain on the payroll; not his 30 million, but the salaries they are going to have to pay everyone else with this signing as a jumping off point.  Howard is not going to settle for the 10 million he got in 2008 if Ibanez is making the same amount.  He’s going to want 20 million. 

And those players whose contracts were just tendered by the Phils, making them signed players for 2009, are going to use the Ibanez signing as a basis for what they think they are worth as well.  This includes Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, Jayson Werth, Shane Victorino, Chad Durbin, Ryan Madson and Greg Dobbs.  These players can now negotiate their salaries or go to arbitration.  And coming off a World Championship to which they contributed, these guys are more likely to win in arbitration.  I think Ruben Amaro Jr. may have just opened Pandora’s Box.  Then again, I have often been told that I think WAY too much J  Guess I will just relax, continue to enjoy the off-season, and hope for the best.