Mac Attack: Welcome to the Show(case) Edition

Welcome back to the Mac Attack, it has been a while hasn’t it? But guess, what? I am back again to host a party that never ends. Phillies party that this.

We have a lot to catch up on. In this edition of the Mac Attack: Brett Myers goes down and under the knife, Chan Ho Park, J.A. Happ’s ascent into the rotation, and a profile of rookie starter Antonio Bastardo and a look at the rest of the farm system.

All that plus trade rumors.

So let’s get this party started.

Brett Myers, one of the Phillies most consistent starters so far this year has gone down will what the doctors are agreed it to be a torn hip labrum. A torn hip labrum is the exact same thing that Chase Utley had received surgery his past offseason to repair.

Here are couple of medical definitions that way you are clear as to what everything is.

What is your labrum? The labrum is a ridge of cartilage that acts similarly to a suction cup and holds the hip joint together. It is similar to the rotator cuff in the shoulder.

What exactly is a torn labrum? According to the Mayo Clinic’s Web site, a hip labral tear involves the ring of soft tissue that follows the outside rim of the socket of your hip joint.

So according to the same site, what Myers experienced with the “catching,” “popping,” “locking,” and “clicking” sensations are both signs and symptoms of a hip labral tear.

Enough of the scientific and medical stuff, what does this mean for the Phillies? Myers got his second opinion from the same doctor who did Utley’s surgery. The doctor opinion concurred with that of the team’s doctor. Myers will need surgery and has elected to have surgery on his hip.

Myers has been put on the 15-Day Disabled List. Myers has been the Phillies most consistent starter so far this season. Myers is 4-3 with an ERA of 4.66 in 63.2 Innings Pitched in 10 starts. In those 10 starts he has struck out 46 while walking 20 giving up 33 runs (all of them earned).

The Phillies called up top pitching prospect, 22 year old left-hander Antonio Bastardo to take Myers’ spot in the rotation for now. Bastardo’s first major league start will be against Jake Peavy and the San Diego Padres tonight, June 2nd 2009.

More on Bastardo later.

Why is it that every year the Phillies have had bad luck or I should say no luck in finding a decent fifth starter. Kyle Kendrick was a nice fit, but he seemingly forgot how to pitch “Kyle Kendrick ball” or what got him into the rotation in the first place.

This year the fifth starter has not really been a bright spot for the Phillies. But that same fifth spot is starting showing some promise with J.A. Happ. The original fifth starter was Chan Ho Park.

Park is quoted as to pitching like he was still in spring training. That is a big no-no in my opinion. In seven starts this season, Park has gone 1-1 with an ERA hovering near 7.00 in 34.1 innings pitched.

Happ on the other hand has made himself a force to be reckoned with. In 12 games coming out of the bullpen, J.A. was 2-0 with an ERA of a little under 2.50, 2.49 to be exact.

Happ’s first start in this years campaign was against the New York Yankees on May 23, a very formidable opponent to face. But Jay faced them with stalwart courage and pitched some of the best Phillies baseball this season, going six very strong innings, striking out four, walking none, and surrendering only two earned runs.

Jay would not get a decision out of that game. Brad Lidge blew the save, and the Phillies would wind up losing the game.

Jay’s third win come against the Washington Nationals on May 29. Happ pitched 5.1 innings giving up three runs on three hits while walking three andstriking out five. This was second win this season against the Nationals, the first coming against them back on May 13 in extra innings.

In two starts this season, Happ is 1-0 with nine strike outs, three walks, on seven hits and an ERA of 4.00 exact. In total, Happ is 3-0 with 26 K’s, 12 BB, 11 ER and an ERA of 3.00 exact.

So if your wondering who Antonio Bastardo is, listen up! Because here at the Mac Attack, we do not like leaving people out in the cold about players.

Antonio Bastardo, a 195-pound, 5’11”, 24 year old left-handed starter-reliever from Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic. Bastardo is considered to be one of the best pitching prospects that the Phillies have.

In four seasons in the Phillies minor league farm system, Bastardo put up some crooked numbers. Bastardo is 18-9 with a 2.55 ERA in 55 games, 44 of which he started, and 264.2 innings pitched. Bastardo struck out 297 while walking only 116.

His 2007 minor league seasons at single-A Lakewood and Advanced-A Clearwater, Antonio went 10-0 in 16 starts with an ERA of 2.14 in 96.2 innings pitched, while striking out 110 and walking 45.

His 2008 minor league seasons at Advanced-A Clearwater and double-A Reading, Antonio went 4-5 with an ERA of 2.95 in 19 starts with 97.2 innings pitched, 109 K’s and 47 BB.

2009 saw a promotion for Antonio to triple-A, Lehigh Valley as well as a new role, reliever. At triple-A and double-A Reading in 2009, Antonio went 3-2 with an ERA of 1.90 in 11 games, sevenof which were starts in 47.1 innings pitched.

Showcasing anyone? I believe that Phillies just might be showcasing the future of their rotation in tonight’s (6/2) game.

 

Here are some of the pitchers from the Phillies minors system:

Kyle Kendrick (AAA): 4-4, 4.05 ERA, 11 GS, 60.0 IP, 37 K, 20 BB, 63 Hits, 27 ER

Carlos Carrasco (AAA): 0-6, 5.40 ERA, 10 GS, 55.0 IP, 58 K, 15 BB, 63 Hits, 33 ER

Joe Savery (AA): 5-1, 3.83 ERA, 10 GS, 54.0 IP, 37 K, 28 BB, 52 Hits, 23 ER

Vance Worley (AA): 4-3, 3.14 ERA, 10 GS, 63.0 IP, 44 K, 13 BB, 47 Hits, 22 ER

Kyle Drabek (Adv-A): 4-1, 2.49 ERA, 10 G, 9 GS, 61.1 IP, 74 K, 19 BB, 49 Hits, 17 ER

 

Here are the hitters:

Jason Donald (AAA): 43 G, 145 AB, 41 H, .234 BA

Lou Marson (AAA): 25 G, 86 AB, 19 H, .221 BA

Quintin Berry (AA): 45 G, 175 AB, 49 H, .280 BA

Michael Taylor (AA): 46 G, 164 AB, 56 H, .341 BA

Dominic Brown (A): 44 G, 161 AB, 51 H, .317 BA

Anthony Gose (A): 48 G, 189 AB, 47 H, .249 BA

 

Trade? You want to trade?

Here are some of the latest trade rumors that we have heard about surrounding the Phillies:

Roy Oswalt

“Doc” Halladay

Brad Penny

Jason Marquis

Jake Peavy

Jarrod Washburn

Erik Bedard

Personally I would love to see Oswalt, Halladay, even Brad Penny in a Phillies uniform. You can have Bedard, Washburn, and Marquis. Peavy is just a tad too exspensive, plus Peavy does not want to play for a Northeast team.

Most likey: Oswalt or Penny

Least Likely: Halladay or Peavy

 

So until next month, thanks for reading and remember have fun.