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.

Philadelphia Phillies: Phils Immortalized in Beach Boys Song

The epic 60’s singing group has agreed to change the lyrics to one of their hits:

 

“West Coast boys are hip I really love those clothes they wear. But the East coast boys with the way they hit, they knock me out when they’re out there.”

 

Okay, a lyricist I’m not. And you know I’m kidding.

 

But, my dad is visiting and I’m just so excited he saw the Phils sweep a three-game series and win the first game of their west coast stint.

 

Then he asked me a question to make any mom proud.

 

“Who’s that center fielder?”

 

Well, legally he’s called “Shane Victorino,” but we like to call him TOTALLY AWESOME! 

 

Now, maybe it isn’t fair to exclaim his Shane-ness when he’s alternating outfield gigs with the Nationals, led by hustle extraordinaire, Adam Dunn–the antithesis of fielding.  But honestly, I think he looks good no matter who we’re playing.

 

Let’s be authentic about it.  And not in a roundabout way like, “Does too much of my butt show in this miniskirt?”

 

“Not if you’re going to be submerged.”

 

Let’s just say it like it is.

 

“I wish Shane Victorino played in a kilt.”

 

Wait, that’s not what I meant at all–I just got stuck watching his flyin’ Hawaiian bobblehead gyrate next to my keyboard. 

 

What I meant was, just like a shrinking miniskirt, Shane has taken his game to a whole other level.  Let’s not skirt the facts:

 

-He leads the team in triples, and is second in total hits.

 

-He hustles ‘round the bases stealing as good as anyone in his crib.

 

-He’s third in runs he’s scored, and fourth in hitting doubles.

 

-Frankly, to the opposing team, he’s nothing less than trouble.

 

Okay, a poet I’m not either.  Where are those Phillies cheerleaders when I need them?

 

What this means to me is, he’s a guy who can really get around the bases, and that’s something baseball babes covet.

 

So when my dad asked who that was in center field, I had a simple answer: That’s “Shane.” 

 

And I’ve coined my own term to explain what he does—“Shane it”.

 

So, he “Shaned it” last night against the Padres.  I’m sure with his undying Hawaiian smiling, he’ll keep it up tonight, even if my husband can’t.

 

Whoops, was I thinking out loud again?

 

Sorry about that. Maybe I should change the subject.

 

JC Romero returns tomorrow and I’m as giddy as a call girl…whoops.  I meant “school girl.” I really need to stop while I’m behind. Sorry, I just missed him so much.

 

And, I miss the team. It wouldn’t be so bad if I could sop up the drool that slips from my lip around the fifth with my Jayson Werth blanket.  But I won’t be able to pick that up until July 24th so I have plenty of time to whine about it.

 

Heaven forbid I miss an opportunity to complain. 

 

Just ask my husband. 

 

Go Phils!

 

 

 

 

Carlos Ruiz’s Performance Gives Philadelphia Phillies Flexibility

Carlos Ruiz’s career stats aren’t that impressive—he’s hit 15 home runs and is batting only .249.

Yet, since the 2008 World Series, Ruiz has raised his level of performance, giving the Phillies flexibility at the catcher position, as well as other roster spots.

In Game Three against the Tampa Bay Rays, Ruiz hit a home run and a walk-off single. His series average was an astonishing .375, second only to Jayson Werth among Phillies starters.

While fans were jubilant about the championship, and pleased with Ruiz’s play, they still figured his time was limited. Top 10 prospect Lou Marson was waiting in the wings and his potential is much greater than Ruiz’s.

In Marson’s first game as a Phillie in September 2008, he went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Baseball America also considers him the team’s best defensive catching prospect.

Marson’s ability on both offense and defense left Ruiz’s future with the team, at least as a starter, in question. Still, Ruiz again won the job in spring training and has since been one of the Phillies’ most consistent performers.

He is hitting .305, good for second on the team behind Raul Ibanez and better than All-Star Chase Utley.

His defense has also been much-improved this year. He’s gotten better at blocking the plate, preventing runs, and has thrown out 10-of-22 base runners attempting to steal.

Also helping Ruiz’s case are the performances from the Phillies’ other minor league catching prospects.

Travis D’Arnaud—with low Single-A Lakewood—is rated as the seventh best Phillies prospect by Baseball America. This season, he has hit seven home runs and has a .363 slugging percentage.

Joel Naughton has hit six home runs for the high Single-A Clearwater Threshers.

Tim Kennelly, also on the Threshers, is second on the team in both batting average (.304) and RBI (29).

Tuffy Gosewisch, playing for the Double-A Reading Phillies, has been invited to spring training the past two seasons.

What does all this mean? The Phillies have plenty of trade bait they can use to help out the starting rotation.

Most recently, Brett Myers was put on the 15-day DL and is expected to undergo season-ending hip surgery.

Cole Hamels has battled through a number of minor injuries early in the season, and his poor injury history raises concern for the team’s ace.

The 46-year-old Jamie Moyer has lost the magic he pitched with last year and looks like he is finally at the end of his career.

Joe Blanton, though he has pitched well his past few starts, still has an ERA of 5.86.

Chan Ho Park was ineffective as a starter before being banished to the bullpen.

J.A. Happ, Antonio Bastardo, Andrew Carpenter, and Carlos Carrasco are all still too young and inexperienced to rely on.

And Kyle Kendrick is still getting his form back together in Triple-A after faltering for Philadelphia down the stretch last season.

If the Phillies plan to defend their NL Championship as the season drags on, they need to get another starting pitcher. Having another effective starter will also help take some pressure off the bullpen, keeping it fresh throughout the season rather than overworked.

Grabbing an average starter from another team isn’t enough either—The Phillies have a slew of average pitchers right now. They need to go out and get a legitimate No. 1 or 2 starter.

They don’t come cheap, though.

This is where Ruiz’s abilities come in. With his standout play behind home plate and the depth of the position in the minors, top prospect Marson, once thought to be untouchable, now becomes expendable.

Marson can be packaged with a few other prospects in order to get any of the top-line pitchers who could be on the market, including Jake Peavy, Roy Halladay, and Roy Oswalt.

While it would not be ideal to let Marson go, the Phillies will have to give something to get something.

With the aforementioned pitchers, you know you will be getting something of value in return for a top prospect, unlike in past seasons when the Phillies acquired average pitchers with question marks in their games like Blanton and Kyle Lohse.

Ruiz’s breakout play this season now gives the Phillies the flexibility they did not have in the past.

Ruiz has done more than enough to earn the starting catcher job, allowing the Phillies to package any of their top catching prospects, including Marson, for a top of the line pitcher without worrying about jeopardizing the position now or in the long run.

If they do trade Marson, the Phillies can be confident that Ruiz will man the fort while the other prospects take their time to develop.

If they don’t make the trade, then the organization will face a difficult decision in the near future, because Ruiz is proving he is an everyday catcher.

Charlie Manuel Wants Phillies Fans to Boo More? Say It Ain’t So

Oct. 29, 2008 was the night that all the demons were exorcised. A championship for the first time in 25 years brought an end to all of the stereotypes associated with the Philadelphia sports fan, especially the booing.

However, Charlie Manuel has not received the memo on the new etiquette practices for the Philly fan. When it comes to our world champions, we don’t boo, period.

Sorry Charlie, but it isn’t going to change anytime soon. In 2008, the floodgates opened, and this city and this fanbase embraced you and your team forever. 

So sue us if we are a little grateful for the title you delivered. We had to wait through the Omar Daals, Marlon Andersons, Travis Lees, and Jose Mesas of the world before we could count on Cole Hamels, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Brad Lidge to end the championship drought.

Now, I see what Manuel could be driving at. 

The Phillies are 12-14 at home while posting a baseball best 17-6 road record. The fans have failed to light a fire under the team when the going gets tough. I applaud Manuel for trying to make his players that much more hungry to repeat and not become complacent, but leave the fans out of it.

In the fan’s mind, the moment in the sun will not cease until October rolls around again with the chance at possibly another World Series title or when the crown is passed on to another club. 

Consider a year-long moratorium on booing and being overly critical of this ball club. Something this foreign should come as unusually comforting for a Philly fan. Any argument about another team in this town not being able to get it done should be muted. 

You can get frustrated at times, but do not get rabid. Passion has its boundaries in this rare circumstance in this fan’s existence.

A concession I’ll make is that the Eagles are fair game. Their reign in Philadelphia is over; the town has been painted red.

Sorry, Charlie, the boos will not be cascading down any time soon. 

The only thing you will hear closely resembling boo is Rauuuuullllllll.

Utley and Howard Go Deep, Blanton Solid in Phillies Win Over Padres, 5-3

Petco Park is not supposed to be a hitter’s park but Chase Utley and Ryan Howard‘s back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning would have you think otherwise. The power shots helped the Phillies build a 4-1 lead on the host San Diego Padres and the team held on for a 5-3 road win.

The best road team in baseball got a solid outing from Joe Blanton, who pitched seven innings allowing three runs on six hits and struck out five. In the process Blanton dropped his season ERA to 5.86, dipping below six for the first time this season.

Blanton was cruising along in the game and ran into some trouble with two outs in the sixth inning. Adrian Gonzalez, the National League home runs leader, hit a solo home run to bring the Padres to within two runs of the Phillies.

Scott Hairston followed that with another two out solo home run to give the Padres their own set of back to back home runs.

Blanton got the final out though and pitched through the seventh inning, handing the game over to Scott Eyre, who in turn handed the game over to Brad Lidge. Lidge recorded his fourth straight save in as many games, but it was not your typical save.

Eyre pitched a solid eight inning and started the ninth inning. To start the inning Eyre walked Gonzalez, which prompted manager Charlie Manuel to bring in Lidge. After Lidge recorded the first out a pitch got away from Carlos Ruiz.

With Gonzalez advancing to second Ruiz threw to Jimmy Rollins. Gonzalez’s slide made him safe but when his foot came of the bag Rollins made the tag for the second out. The Padres argued the call but the out would stand. Brian Giles then then popped up to end the ball game.

For a Phillies fan there is a lot to take in a positive light form this game. While the offense put up some mediocre numbers with runners in scoring position the offense did power their way to five runs.

Blanton gave you seven solid innings and was in control all night. Lidge was perfect for the fourth straight time, although it would be nice to not have to use him for a game to give him a rest.

Paired with the Mets blowing a late lead by allowing the Pirates to score five runs in the eighth inning the Phillies’ lead in the NL East is increased to 1.5 games.

Tonight the Phillies send minor league prospect Antonio Bastardo to the mound. Bastardo will make his major league debut tonight in place of the injured Brett Myers. He will be opposed by one of the top names on fans’ wish lists to replace Myers via trade, Jake Peavy.

West Coast Road Trips: What True Fans are Made Of

There are a few times a year when a baseball fan’s will is tested.

The biggest, of course, is the offseason, a bleak four and a half months without meaningful games (spring training doesn’t count).

The second biggest is the All-Star break, which means four whole days with only one meaningful game (that shouldn’t be meaningful, thank you Bud Selig) and a home run derby, both of which are fun to watch, but still nothing compared to the pennant race.

And finally the third, which can happen any number of times throughout the season, a cross-country road trip.

A road trip like this can affect either east coast or west coast teams, and both in different ways.

As the Phillies departed Philadelphia for San Diego after sweeping the Washington Nationals over the weekend, I found myself planning out my week days in advance just so I would be able to sit down and watch my favorite team.

Let me give you a short background of my life: I don’t live a typical normal life because I work the second shift. I live in the Philadelphia area, so that means I’m working from 2 PM until 11 PM EST Monday through Friday.

Doesn’t sound like the best shift to be a baseball fan when most of the games start at 7:05 PM, right? You’d think I’d be better off with my team three hours behind and not seeing the first pitch until after 10:00 EST.

However, things at work really slow down after 6 PM, so I usually don’t miss very much. If I don’t have the game on TV, I’ll listen on the radio in case things do get busy.

After work, I take about an hour to do a light workout and perhaps another hour after that to catch up on all the other happenings in the sports world. Usually I turn in at about 2 AM.

So as you can see, I’ve developed a pretty good routine that adequately allows me to support my team and keep myself in stable condition physically and monetarily.

But this schedule doesn’t work when the Phillies are on the west coast, like they happen to be this week. I’ve completely changed my lifestyle for the next four days just to show my support for my team.

I worked out before work today. I woke up a little later just in case the game went into extra innings and I had to stay up later. I didn’t eat breakfast until noon. Luckily I was rewarded with a Brad Lidge save against the San Diego Padres at around 12:30 AM Eastern.

I’ve done a similar routine to this in past seasons, and usually I’ve been rewarded for my efforts. Even last season, when I stayed up to watch the Phils get swept by the Dodgers, I reaped a reward…at the end of October.

When I started thinking about how tough this is on myself—OK, it’s not actually that tough, it just feels weird—I started thinking about what it has to be like for west coast fans when their teams travel east.

A normal west coast first-shift worker might come home at 5:30-6ish to eat dinner and then tune in to watch the game at 7. But if their team is on the east coast, the game might be over by 7.

It’s the other side of the equation, almost like a parallel universe. If you think about it, it’s almost like a six hour swing.

And I think I have it tough… If anyone from the west coast is reading this, I would love to hear your thoughts on east coast road trips.

Someone once told me that sports affect different people on different levels, and I’d like to think that I’m affected by sports on several levels.

One, I obviously love it when my team wins. It makes me feel good.

Two, I get a sense of accomplishment when I can do something like this and follow through with it while not really changing what I’m doing or anyone around me.

Three, deep down somewhere my team knows that they have fans like me who will do whatever it takes to support them, and that makes me feel better than anything.

Baseball has always had a grueling regular season, and the players aren’t the only ones who feel the pressure of it. There are plenty of fans who also make sacrifices for their team.

You’ll hear a lot of players say that it doesn’t mean anything to play the game if you can’t please the fans while you do it. I feel that I owe them that much to support them as best I can.

So if they’re near to home or far away, it doesn’t matter. I’ll be watching. Because not even a road trip can separate me from my team.

Philadelphia Phillies Starting Rotation: Death By Chocolate?

The series sweep of the Nationals was sweet. 

 

The first game gave JA Happ his third win and boosted the confidence of closer Brad Lidge while Jayson Werth broke his 145 game no-error streak–a National League record. Hopefully, he’ll streak again and not just in my dreams.

 

Then in game two, Ryan Howard broke Michael Jack’s franchise career grand slam record. Well, it was destined to happen. Ryan’s a show-off. In little league, he was the only player to hit a home run over the Red Lobster. I wonder if he got a free dinner.

 

Then yesterday, Jamie Moyer reached the elusive 250th win—in almost as many tries.

 

This calls for a celebration. And I think my sister should be in charge.

 

I partied at her house on Saturday night (which is obviously why you didn’t hear from me on Sunday). But I have some great insight on celebrating.

 

First, you start with food. Food’s good and great food’s better, but just having great food isn’t what makes the party. As I rounded the counter to throw away my most certainly biodegradable Styrofoam plate, an item deserving of awe and respect caught my eye.

 

A chocolate fountain.

 

You heard me right.

 

As I gazed upon the cascading liquid candy with awe and delight, my focus narrowed like a strike zone. One thing was certain: When I die, I want to come back as chocolate.

 

At first I wanted to strip naked, dive in, and bathe myself in the lukewarm magic, but then a remote stroke of sensibility fluttered through my mind that said, “That’s probably illegal.” 

 

Alas…I simply shoved my cup under the stream and gulped until the mustache painted my lip like a “Got Milk” commercial.

 

Got chocolate?

 

Got a point?

 

Hang in there.  I do–and more great dessert ideas.

 

There’s something euphoric about chocolate that moves. It makes the confection come to life like a giant wax sculpture. Actually they should start casting celebrities out of chocolate.  And they should start with the Phillies. 

 

Then my husband yanked me from my fantasy by whispering those three little words that go straight to my heart.

 

“Strawberry shortcake.”

 

Okay, that’s two words, but it eats like three. There at the end of his finger sat a pot of gold; a triple-layered strawberry shortcake.

 

It exuded an aura that lured me and my mustache over like Prada shoes on a discount rack. One thing was certain: it would be mine. What I was about to do was immoral, but no one like me (female and menstruating) would accuse me of idiocy. It was a Triple Crown, palate pleasing, intertwining of cake, whipped cream, strawberries, and love.

 

Which reminded me of the Phil’s pitching staff. 

 

Not for that reason, although now that you mentioned it…

 

One thing was certain: I needed a big piece and I wanted it to last a long time.  But I didn’t want to look weak. That’s when I decided I’d cut one ginormous piece and split it among many plates. Then I could chow one after another, moving about the place so no one would notice, and satisfy my sweet tooth with multiple layers of love.

 

My point is, Phillies pitchers need love too. And it’s easier to do when they’re covered in whip cream and strawberries.  I’m sorry, was I thinking out loud? What I really mean is, their struggles this season have cast a totally different light on my perspective of pitching in general.

 

And that giant piece of strawberry shortcake led the way to my answer: The game needs to be split. That “complete game” piece was divvied up like a game heavy in relievers, and it worked like a charm. 

 

So maybe baseball should become a game of relievers–not starters–which is what’s been happening with the Phillies anyway. And as much as we whine about it, it’s working.

 

All this time we’ve been thinking Phil’s pitchers need to go deeper into a game. They need to man up, get tougher, and hang longer. We just have to find the right man for the job, and right-hander Jake Peavy is who we’re writing about. 

 

But what if the problem isn’t with the “man,” it’s with the “job.”

 

That’s the stuff I think of as desserts bathe my brain in a sugary matrix.  

 

I read an article in the Daily News a few days ago that said just the opposite. The writer’s expectation was that pitchers need to toughen up and pitch the whole game, just like olden days.  And the pitch count needs to be abandoned.

 

What if it was abandoned, but not for the same reason?

 

I like to think I can expect people to understand why a middle-aged woman dunked herself naked in a fountain of chocolate, but that’s a warped perspective.

 

Maybe our perspective of pitching is wrong, and our expectation.

 

What if the problem is, starting pitchers are expected to maintain a freshness into the seventh inning that’s unrealistic for someone who’s only in the game every five days. Charlie even tries to get his pinch hitters in more often than that because he knows they need love too. 

 

I think the argument against that theory is, relievers would get overused. Given the current system they would. But I’m saying throw your starters in the bullpen too.

 

There’s no difference between pitching a few innings every other game and pitching seven every five days. Whether you eat one huge piece or many small pieces of cake–it all comes out in the same place.

 

What if the solution to the starting rotation is doing away with it altogether? We’re thinking we need more durable arms, but what we’re seeing are surgeries and therapies designed to repair less durable arms. Maybe we’re expecting 300,000 miles from a 100,000-mile part.

 

What if our entire pitching staff was the bullpen? I, for one, wouldn’t mind seeing them all sitting in the outfield den together. That makes them much easier to stalk with my binoculars, which is legal. It’s peeping at them outside the stadium that’s considered inappropriate.  How would I know?

 

Back to that party. 

 

I gorged my soul with more sugar than a Peeps factory and sustained a high that lasted all the way through the last play of Sunday’s game. That’s when the Nats connected with a Brad Lidge pitch that threatened to start a rally until Chase Utley decided that ball would not get by. When he spun, leaped, and threw to a stretched-out, reinvented Ryan Howard for another Light’s Out save, one thing was certain.

 

I died.

 

My epitaph read, “Death by chocolate.”

 

That’s the only way to go.

 

See you at the ballpark.

 

Philidelphia Phillies Need To Stop Playing Guardian

When you look at the Philadelphia Phillies this season, you notice a few things.

One, they are the defending World Champions. Two, their payroll went upwards of around $35 million. Three, they are too protective of their young prospects.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but maybe some have noticed that the Phillies are looking like the New York Yankees right now—just much more likeable and marketable.

Let me explain what I mean.

It looks like the Phillies just lost their number two starting pitcher, Brett Myers, for the rest of the season, but they needed another quality starter two weeks ago.

Now it’s become a dire necessity.

Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has already stated that he is indeed looking outside the organization for pitching help, which is a great sign of things to come. Names that are being thrown around include Jake Peavy of San Diego, Roy Oswalt from Houston, and Erik Bedard from the Mariners. 

The most likely scenario at this point is Bedard. He is younger and much cheaper than Peavy and Oswalt, causing less problems down the line with cost.

But does that really matter?

The Phillies have some pretty desirable talent in their minor league system. Obviously, it’s personnel that can bring in a name such as Peavy. So, if Peavy really wanted to waive his concrete no-trade clause, then why can’t the Phillies give up the likes of a Jason Donald, or Carlos Carrasco?

Simple reason: They’re too protected by this organization. It’s not so much a bad thing, but when you’re the defending champs and the rotation is needing another good arm, those prospects become worthy trade bait.

Carrasco will never make the Phillies. At this point, he is more likely to join AA than to be moved up to the show to start one game.

So why not dump him now? The league seems to have a lot of interest in him.

Donald is probably the one guy who fans would like to think of as the untouchable prospect in their system—though not so much anymore, as he has become very expendable. Donald is a shortstop, so it doesn’t matter what the Phillies did with him in the spring.

So where does this leave him? Jimmy Rollins might be a lifer in Philadelphia along with Chase Utley. That leaves Donald with another three, four, or five years sitting in the minor leagues waiting. If Peavy wants to pitch in Citizens Bank Park in a Phillies uniform, then Donald might be the first one out of town.

The Phillies have become a team that can do what the Yankees have done many times before—win championships with a couple of homegrown talents followed by a few plug-in free agents. Especially when the case is pitching.

In my opinion, the only untouchable prospect in the Phillies’ system is catcher Lou Marson. I’d be extremely hesitant in dealing Marson for any pitcher right now. Carlos Ruiz is 31 years old and could break down at any time, notwithstanding that the catcher position is so hard to come by these days.

Kyle Kendrick, Andrew Carpenter, and Antonio Bastardo have all become valid candidates for new homes in the coming weeks. This start for Bastardo Tuesday is not only an emergency one, but also a “stock” start. Meaning that if Bastardo comes in and throws six or seven quality innings, the Phillies can put that in their back pocket.

Ironic how Bastardo is going up against Jake Peavy in San Diego tomorrow night.

 

All of this is of course one man’s opinion, but from being around the situation, I get the sense that the Phillies play guardian too much sometimes. This pitching situation is deeply wounded right now and a shakeup is inevitable.

I trust Amaro to make the right decision.

I would like to think he is going to do anything possible to get a top-line starter in here sometime this month. I hope that the Phillies don’t protect any prospect, because of the fact I want someone who can come here with an immediate impact rather than someone who I can count on four years from now.

This team doesn’t have four years.

Jamie Moyer: Macho Row Phillie of the Week

This week’s Macho Row Phillie of the Week is Jamie Moyer.

While it took Moyer a while to reach his milestone 250th win, which he did yesterday, the fans and team finally got to reward him with a nice little tribute.

The modest Moyer will view his 250th career win as just another win for his team, but he should be congratulated for his success.

Moyer had some moderate success over the past week though.

Since last Monday, Moyer pitched 12 innings and allowed five runs. He also struck out nine batters, though those numbers probably won’t impress many people.

I think he pitched well against the Florida Marlins on Memorial Day except for one inning, although the four runs he allowed handed him a loss that night.

Congratulations, Moyer, on your 250th career victory and for being tabbed this week’s Phillie of the Week.

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