Welcome to Bud Selig’s Instant Replay

Last Friday night, I was at Citizens Bank Park for an extra-inning thriller between the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies.

In the bottom of the 11th, after Raul Ibañez doubled and Shane Victorino was intentionally walked, Greg Dobbs stepped up to the plate with the chance to give the Phils their third consecutive win in extra innings.

And he almost did.

He launched one of Justin Masterson’s pitches deep down the right-field line. As I saw the ball from my seats on the third base side, it looked clearly foul off the bat. But the ball began to hook back towards the right-field foul pole before it disappeared into the outfield seats.

Then I saw first-base umpire Jim Joyce rule the ball foul.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel did come out of the dugout to talk to Joyce, but the conversation seemed to last only a few seconds. And as I saw Charlie walk back to the dugout, I turned to my mother who accompanied me to the game and said, “I can’t believe how ridiculous this is! How can this crew not review that play?”

Soon after saying that, a few fellow fans in the row in front of us asked me why there wasn’t a review. Another fan wasn’t even aware that MLB had instant replay. And as I found myself explaining the league’s instant replay rule to them, I realized that it would have been more shocking had Dobbs’ foul ball been reviewed.

I explained that Major League Baseball limits use of instant replay only to home run calls to determine if a potential home run was fair or foul, whether the ball left the playing field or not, or whether or not the ball was subject to spectator interference.

But the use of replay is solely determined by the umpire crew chief. So if the crew chief does not feel that the play needs to be reviewed, it won’t be. And Jim Joyce, though not the crew chief, fully believed that Dobbs’ hit was foul. Therefore, the play was not reviewed.

“So let me get this straight,” said one of the fans. “The umps decide if plays need to be reviewed?”

“Yep,” I respond.

“So, why would they ever review a call they made? They’d have to admit they were wrong.”

“Yeah.”

“That’s the stupidest thing I ever heard! What (expletive) thought that was a good idea?!”

“The same (expletive) who thought that Game Five of the World Series should’ve been played partially underwater.”

Yes Bud, we were talking about you.

Only Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, the man who brought baseball fans ties in the All-Star game and presided over the steroid era, could think of such a nonsensical instant replay system. 

Seriously, how much sense does it make to have the officials being the sole factor in determining if a play warrants instant replay? The manager can’t request it, there’s no independent party that can call the crew chief for a review, and there’s no mandate which states that replay must be used in certain situations.

I have seen many replays and photos of Dobbs’ foul ball. Many freeze frames show the ball directly over the foul pole, but it’s difficult to determine if the ball was fair or foul when it crossed the plane of the home run fence. The ball most certainly was directly over the foul pole before falling into the seats, but it’s difficult to tell if it hooked into fair territory before clearing the fence.

With that being said, do I think the play should have been overturned? No. Do I think the Phillies were robbed in their eventual loss to the Red Sox? No. But I absolutely think that the play should’ve been reviewed.

In that scenario, there’s no excuse for not taking a good, hard look at Dobbs’ hit giving the technology available.

Personally, I am not one of the biggest proponents for instant replay in baseball. I hardly see the pressing need to adopt replay when umpires are generally less than 10 feet away from most calls they make. Are they going to miss some calls? Of course they are.  But for the most part, they are able to make the correct calls on close plays.

However, I do agree that home run calls should be considered for review. Why? Because home run calls can occur up to 300 feet away from the nearest umpire. And it is difficult for any trained human eye to see exactly where a ball no larger than the palm of your hand landed a football field away from where you are standing. 

As a baseball fan, it is frustrating that the league did not take the time to develop a well-thought out instant replay system, that is fair to both the umpires and teams, while keeping the integrity of the game. 

It would be fair to entitle the managers to request a review of a questionable home run ball, or have a MLB official in the press booth who can page the crew chief if they feel a play should be reviewed.

But Selig’s flawed, quick-fix system is hardly the fair solution. All Selig did was develop an instant replay rule that gives all the power to officials who make all the calls in the first place.

After all the bad press the league received last year over its lack of a replay system, Bud’s solution was to concoct a system which would quiet his critics, while simultaneously not ruffling any feathers in the umpires’ union.

But then again, when I think about the whole situation, I guess I’m really not that surprised.  I mean, it is Bud Selig’s instant replay…

 

 

Agree or disagree?  Leave comments below!

Macho Row Phillie Of The Week

There were a handful of worthy candidates for Phillie of the Week, but Chan Ho Park won the underdog vote from me this time.

Park is a man who is still trying to shed the image he has given himself from being a starter with the Phillies. In the past week Park has been called on in some crucial situations including extra innings. In three relief appearances Park pitched five quality innings. He allowed six hits but only allowed one run to score. Park walked just one batter and struck out seven, a team high on the entire Phillies pitching staff over the last week.

The highlight of Park’s week was two crucial innings of work in the ninth and tenth innings on the road against the New York Mets. Park allowed three hits and was saved by a nice catch from Jayson Werth, but the fact is he was clutch when called upon.

The thought when Park came to the Phillies was that he would be a nice asset to have in the bullpen. Perhaps he is finally contributing where he should have been all along.

Phillies-Red Sox: Is That The Swine Pitching Flu Or Do I Smell Truffles?

Sunday’s 11-6 Phillies victory over the Red Sox was a welcome change for a number of reasons.

 

It was the shortest game Philadelphia has played since the June 9 loss to the Mets in eight and a half innings, it was the first Phils win of the series, and it was a game that restored some semblance of faith in our inexperienced pitching staff, thanks to the recovery of J.A. Happ.

 

The Phillies were already three games up in the NL East when the game started, but I wonder if Charlie Manuel knew that the Met’s Johan Santana had lasted only three complete innings and allowed an amazing nine earned runs against the Yankees when he made the decision to let Happ work it out.

 

I wonder if he knew Derek Lowe of the Braves allowed seven earned runs in 2.1 innings. And I wonder if he had an inkling that Josh Beckett of the Red Sox, who had allowed only one earned run in his last 28.2 innings, would regress to his slow season start and give up 11 hits to the Phillies.

 

The swine flu has reportedly reached pandemic proportions.

 

Now it’s infiltrated the MLB. It’s mutated into the swine pitching flu, and trust me—we know what it’s like to stink.

 

The youngster Happ suffered from it in the second inning when he gave up back-to-back home runs, walked two, and allowed two singles and a sac fly to give the BoSox a quick 4-1 lead.

 

But Charlie put the sad Happ-y back in for the third, and watched as he walked his token two while giving up another single.

 

But then Happ shut Boston down in the fourth and the fifth, and allowed only one more hit—a dinger in the sixth—to bitter pitcher Josh Beckett. After one more walk, he finished his day with 108 pitches and a tie game.

 

The most amazing thing about Happ’s performance was the Red Sox didn’t chase his pitches anywhere. They weren’t even interested. You could have sashayed a Playboy Playmate past their bench and they wouldn’t have given her a glance.

 

Is it possible the swine flu mutated into the chastity flu?

 

If so, Pedro Feliz caught it. He chased nothing. He just stood stoic and waited for that hot little fastball to come begging for a hit.

 

You can’t blame him. He knows what he likes. I love restraint in a man, especially when he’s on my favorite team and not married to me.

 

That discipline earned him the “Chevrolet Player of the Game” and the accompanying spread in my Phillies “Playmate of the Game” calendar. He was 3-for-5 on the day, had two RBI, and scored twice himself.  It was his 21st multi-hit game this season and increased his average to .318—a whopping 62 points above his career average. And he’s now just four points below team slugging champ, Raul Ibanez.

 

That brings up the age old question: Is this really no game for old men?

 

Speaking of the old Zen master—Ibanez sat out his first game all year, breaking his 222 consecutive game streak. For a moment, I thought he’d come down with something too. But he was just getting a much needed break.

 

Or so they say.

 

Hey, was that an allegation?

 

I don’t know what had affected Jimmy Rollins’ bat. The ailing mahogany hadn’t seen a base hit in 14 trips to the plate. Then in the top of the seventh, he connected on Beckett’s 101st pitch, sending it soaring over the outfield wall, only to get greeted by the dugout “freeze.”

 

I hadn’t seen the Phillies smile like that since Jimmy orchestrated the “freeze” to newcomer John Mayberry after his first major league home run on May 23.

 

For a while I thought there was no smiling in baseball.

 

But J-Roll started a rally that wouldn’t end until the Phils had ripped through two more Red Sox pitchers and scored six runs off four hits in one inning.

 

Now that’s the job of the lead-off hitter; that’s the job of your leader. It was the first time in the series I felt like I was seeing the real Philadelphia Phillies play baseball instead of watching a team that looked exactly like what Phillie’s fans are used to seeing.

 

Even Chase Utley was caught curling his lips.

 

I know! He faked a pop fly drop in the bottom of the seventh inning, probably to try to catch Boston outfielder Jason Bay off base.

 

But the umpire didn’t fall for it.

 

If Chase would smile at me, I’d fall for it. I guess that’s why I’m not an MLB umpire—aside from the fact that I have breasts—somewhere.

 

So the Phightin’s rebounded to win after two tough losses to what is allegedly the best team in the American League.

 

Since the Phillies won their second franchise World Series win last year, it seems everyone’s coming for us.

 

I spilled truffle oil on my pants and have been stalked by a pig ever since. Should I be alarmed?

 

See you at the ballpark.

 

Steroid Speculation Unfounded: Raul Ibanez Has Always Been a Streaky Hitter

In light of recent irresponsible bloggers and broadcasters (Howard Eskin) opening up speculation about Raul Ibanez’s current inflated stats, I thought it necessary to publish this article.

There has to be some accountability if you are going to speculate steroid use by a player and then publish it or broadcast it. I discovered after a little research myself that Ibanez always goes on these type of tears; he just so happens to have started out the season this year on one. Through 60 games this year, Ibanez was hitting .322/.386/.676 with 22 homers. Here are some comparable figures below of previous streaks Ibanez has had in the past

Let’s begin In 2002. That year, Ibanez had a 50-game streak—June 7 to Aug. 2—when he hit .328/.385/.704 with 15 doubles, five triples, and 15 homers. He drove in 54 runs. Few noticed because the Kansas City Royals were abysmal that year, and it was in the middle of the season. But that stretch, you will note, is about as good as the stretch he’s on now. In some ways, it’s even better.

In 2003 he had a 55-game stretch in which he hit .326/.360/.514. It’s not as good, but pretty damn close.

In 2004 he hit .365 over a 54-game stretch. In 2005 he got off to a dreadful start and then hit .330/.400/.524 over his next 55 games. In 2006 he hit 18 homers and drove in 57 runs in a 52-game stretch.

Over the last 52 games of the 2007 season, Ibanez hit .363/.425/.652 with 15 homers.

In 2008, for 55 games, from July 12 to Sept. 14, he hit .374/.435/.648 with 17 doubles, two triples, and 13 homers. And that, you might remember, was in Seattle and a lousy hitters’ ballpark.

This is a man who, when he gets hot, absolutely tears up pitchers. I’ve seen it up close. He has had a 50-to-60 game hot streak EVERY SINGLE YEAR since 2002.

After discovering these facts, I’ve come to the conclusion that Ibanez is NOT a steroid user but an absolutely streaky hitter. This is what a responsible blogger or journalist would have investigated before publishing unfounded “speculations.”

MLB Network’s “The Pen” Intrigues, Disappoints

World Series Flashback: 1915—Game Five

The Philadelphia Phillies made their first appearance in the World Series in 1915, when they challenged a talented Boston Red Sox squad. The Phillies came in to their first Fall Classic as the clear underdogs as Boston was familiar with post season play.

Featuring pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander and power hitter Gavy Craveth the Phillies would face a stiff test in the Red Sox, who were loaded with so much talent that young pitcher Babe Ruth made just one appearance in the Series—as a pinch hitter.

We continue our phlashback with a look at game five of the 1915 World Series, played in Philadelphia.

Each game of the 1915 World Series was a tight contest. Neither team truly pulled away from the other. Game Five in Philadelphia was no different, but this game had the biggest offensive outburst from both sides.

Facing elimination, the Phillies sent their Game Two starter, Erskine Mayer, to the mound. After giving up a leadoff hit to Red Sox right fielder Harry Hooper, Mayer shut down the Red Sox, giving the Phillies some early momentum.

Phillies third baseman Milt Stock was hit by a pitch in the leadoff spot and Dave Bancroft followed up with a single. Center fielder Dode Paskert was able to put down a nice bunt for a single to put two runners in scoring position, and have the bases loaded, with zero outs.

This was a situation that came back to haunt the Phillies in Game Four in the third inning. Craveth hit in to what could have been a momentum killing double play in the next at-bat.

Red Sox pitcher Rube Foster fielded the ball, threw home for a tag out of Stock, and catcher Pinch Thomas threw to first base for the force out of Craveth. There were still two runners in scoring position. Fred Luderus came through with a double to left-center to score the two base runners, giving the Phillies a crucial 2-0 lead.

Boston would tie the game up with a pair of single runs in the second and third innings. In the third inning, Hooper hit a controversial home run. Playing in the Baker Bowl, the Phillies brought in extra stands to seat more fans. These imported bleachers were placed in center field and by the rules at the time any ball that bounced in to them was considered a home run. No ground rule double rule was used at the time.

Hooper took advantage of this and tied the game in the third inning with his home run.

Fighting back to regain the lead, Luderus put the Phillies back in front with a solo home run in the fourth inning. The Phillies added another run in the inning when Ed Burns singled and scored Bert Niehoff. The Phillies took a 4-2 lead into the eighth inning.

Then everything fell apart.

The Red Sox’ left fielder, Duffy Lewis, took advantage of the home run rule with the imported bleachers, similar to teammate Hooper. The home run was a two-run shot that tied the game up at four runs each. Then in the ninth inning Hooper struck again, hitting one more controversial ground rule home run to give the Red Sox a 5-4 lead.

Foster sealed the deal in the bottom of the ninth inning, retiring the three Phillies batters and clinching the 1915 World Series in the process.

For the Red Sox, this was their third World Series championship, but certainly not their last. Boston would repeat in 1916 by defeating the Brooklyn Robins, who would go on to become the Dodgers.

For the Phillies, it would be a long time until a return trip to the World Series came their way. The Phillies waited 35 years until their next trip, where they faced the New York Yankees in the 1950 World Series.

Phils’ Bats Erupt, Avoid Sweep With Win

The Phillies mostly had one goal going into todays afternoon finale, do not get swept. Well, Philadelphia did its job. The Phillies beat Josh Beckett and the Red Sox 11-6 at Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies broke away from the Sox with a massive six-run seventh that snapped a 5-5 tie. Slumping shortstop Jimmy Rollins hit a tie-breaking home run in the seventh, the blast snapped his 0-for-16 hit-less streak.

“The last few days, I’ve been going pretty close to the way I felt at the start of 2007, where my hands are going to the ball, the way I’m seeing the ball,” Rollins said. “All I can do is continue to put good swings on the ball. And if they find some leather, that’s bad; if they find some grass, that’s good.”

Philadelphia rolled from that point.

Third basemen Pedro Feliz led the charge and is now batting an amazing .318 after his 3-for-5 day at the plate. Feliz roped a two-run double, followed by two walks, Rollins gets drilled in the ribs. Shane Victorino came up and got walked to force in another run. The Phils were ahead and were able to find their comfort zone.

Slugger Ryan Howard had a nice ballgame, his two-run double capped a four-run fifth, and he was happy that the long week came to an end with a big win.

“It’s been kind of a rough week, it’s been kind of long,” Howard said. “Especially coming into today and this series, to be able to do what we did today makes it that much more exciting.”

The bullpen put in another long outing today in relief of starter JA Happ. The Phils’ bullpen has been over-used to say the least over the past few days, logging over 24 innings of work.

The worst parts of Happ’s performance came from back-to-back homers from Rocco Baldelli and Nick Green to open up the second. Then in the sixth, Red Sox starter Josh Beckett hit his second career home run at Citizens Bank Park. Beckett is 4-for-10 with two long balls in Philadelphia.

In what was most likely more exciting news than the Phillies win, was the 15-0 drubbing the Yankees put on the Mets this afternoon in New York. The Phils now lead the NL East by four games.

Raul Ibanez Alert:

Ibanez did not play today due to soreness in his left foot; he not expected to miss anymore time according to both Charlie Manuel and Ibanez himself. Ibanez’s cleat was cut down in size in order to relieve any further damage. He should be in the lineup Tuesday when the Phils start their three-game home series with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Cole Hamels will mount the rubber on Tuesday.

World Series Flashback: 1915, Game Four

The Philadelphia Phillies made their first appearance in the World Series in 1915, when they challenged a talented Boston Red Sox squad. The Phillies came in to their first Fall Classic as the clear underdogs, as Boston was familiar with postseason play. Featuring pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander and power hitter Gavy Craveth, the Phillies would face a stiff test in the Red Sox, who were loaded with so much talent that young pitcher Babe Ruth only made one appearance in the Series—as a pinch hitter.

We continue our flashback with a look at game four of the 1915 World Series, played in Boston.

A day after going down two games to one in the World Series to the Boston Red Sox, the Phillies sent George Chalmers to the mound. His offense did not do a great job of backing him up though.

In the first inning, the Phillies probably ran themselves out of a good start. After Milt Stock singled to left field to lead the game off, he was out at second as he tried to stretch a double out of the line drive. Dave Bancroft then walked in the second at-bat for the Phillies. He, too, should have been out at second, but reached on an attempted steal thanks to an error. Bancroft remained at second though, as the next two batters struck out.

The Red Sox put themselves on the scoreboard first in the third inning. Boston second baseman Jack Barry drew a lead-off walk off of Chalmers. A bunt single moved him to second base, and a sacrifice bunt sent him to third. Harry Hooper’s one-out single scored Barry, but the Red Sox failed to score the runner at third with one out before the inning ended.

In the sixth inning, the Red Sox expanded their lead to two runs. Dick Hoblitzel hit a one-out single and scored on a double by Duffy Lewis. Trailing 2-0 things started to look bleak for the Phillies as they were starting to run out of at-bats.

But the game was not over yet. In the eighth inning Craveth hit a two-out triple to deep center field. Craveth would score on a a single by Fred Luderus. Luderus was replaced by pinch runner Oscar Dugey, who successfully stole second base. Left fielder Possum Whitted though grounded out to end the inning, killing the rally.

Boston retired the Phillies batters in 1-2-3 fashion and took a commanding three games to one lead. The World Series headed back to Philadelphia for game five the very next day.

Phillies Pitching: What Happened to The Six Million Dollar Man?

Pitching.

 

It’s a simple word with a simple concept: throw the ball into the zone.

 

Antonio Bastardo was going for his third consecutive win by a pitcher just up from the minors but it must have been too much pressure. Like Jamie Moyer’s elusive 250th win, sometimes it’s not what you’re throwing but what’s on your mind.

 

Pitching is one part mental, and as Charlie Manuel says about Bastardo, “… that’s a confidence thing.” Charlie thinks he’ll rebound from his Saturday night one-inning disaster, even if some Phil’s fans won’t.

 

And pitching is also one part mechanical. As we’ve seen with Brad Lidge, the slightest compensation in mechanics is all it takes to tweak a 95 mile an hour pitch into a blown save.

 

But the whole conglomeration of throwing a baseball can be summed up in what’s commonly called “stuff.” And sometimes a pitcher just doesn’t have it.

 

Saturday night Bastardo was missing his stuff while Chad Durbin found it for three amazing innings. Jack Taschner may never have the right stuff, Sergio Escalona looked scared of the Red Sox stuff, Clay Condrey threw consistent stuff, and J.C. Romero spent his stint on the mound mumbling to his alter ego about stuff.

 

Maybe the problem is, we need to go shopping for more “stuff.”  I’ll help. I can smell real leather selling for a genuine leather price from a mall away.

 

First we’ll start at Goodwill. Hey, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Look at last year’s bargain find, Joe Blanton. He had an unremarkable 4.96 ERA in 2008 with the A’s before he was acquired. But we all know why Pat Gillick bought him. Adam Eaton had his money in the bank and his eye on a tropical island, and Brett Myers was camping out in minor league trying to find his Zen.

 

But Blanton was definitely a find. Joining the Phillies fired him up like a knock-off Gucci purse on a poor girl. And I’m sure the “closed-eye home run” wasn’t on his resume, but sometimes – like a blue-light special – it’s about finding the right stuff at the right time.

 

Last year, Joe Lumber ate up innings and went deep into counts in route to the World Series Championship. Simply put, Joe’s a workhorse. I’ve even heard the Amish are looking at him.

 

And last year Brett Myers found his stuff. But this year his mojo is locked up in an arm that’s out of commission. But what if someone else uncovers some undiscovered stuff just like Indiana Jones? Jones is an old man. What if Jamie Moyer finds the pitching Arc of the Covenant out there somewhere?

 

My husband says it’s too late to look. That’s something that should’ve been addressed in the off-season. You can’t wait until it snows to find a pair of Uggs. And you can’t tackle someone on the street to steal boots. Well, actually you can. But the police will take a nice portrait of you if you do.

 

But in lieu of waiting for the discovery of an alleged long-lost artifact, Ruben Amaro has prepared a wish list. Actually it’s a “pitch list.” The problem is he’s strapped for cash, and I don’t think the limit on the MLB credit card is $50 million. I don’t know if Ruby has the net worth to get someone phenomenal, even if Roy Halladay works through his pesky groin pull and Jake Peavy recovers from his “ankle virus.”

 

And my fear is Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth will be first on the auction block, especially with top prospects Jason Donald and Lou Marson on the disabled list.

 

But look on the bright side. If my favorite right fielder’s the one to go, my Jayson Werth blanket will be that much more valuable. But I don’t know what will replace the smilin’ Hawaiian’s hustle.

 

Like a super coupon that’s expired, it’s too painful to think about.

 

So, Ruby’s desperate for a bargain. And he’s stalking the discount racks. But there’s no reason to knock down someone to get one. Trust me, you won’t get invited back.

 

Maybe what we need is to look into our closet again. Maybe Phil’s pitching isn’t “so last year.” Or maybe it is, but is that such a bad thing? The pennant was won by pitching that resembled a good magic act—it was much better in the second half of the show.

 

We’re thinking we need someone who’s six feet tall and bulletproof because what we have is six feet plus and quite flimsy.

 

I disagree. Every dog has his day. On a bad one, my “man’s best friend” dumps his stuff right there on the sidewalk. How embarrassing, right?

 

Well, it’s not good to hold back a bodily function. But we all don’t have to stare at it. Just clean it up and move on.

 

Ruben Amaro, Jr. will do what he can based on who’s for sale, what’s in his wallet, and who he doesn’t mind trading.

 

Hey, has he checked EBay? I heard there’s a great replica of the Holy Mother on a grilled cheese up for grabs.

 

And it’s lunch time.

 

But that’s a hell of a price to pay for something that’s here today, gone tomorrow.

 

Be careful what you wish, for you shall get it.

 

Or maybe, like my husband says, I’m like a washing machine—I just go round and round and agitate people.

 

In any case, I’ll see you at the ballpark.

 

The Phillies Are Three Moves Away From Another World Series

It’s early.  The All-Star break is still a few weeks away.  It’s impossible to know what will happen between now and October, let alone in the playoffs.

But after two full months of baseball, it’s clear that the Philadelphia Phillies are good enough to make another postseason run.  It’s also clear that they are far from perfect.

Reports have indicated that General Manager Ruben Amaro is fully prepared to make a move (or moves) prior to the July 31 trading deadline in order to put his team in a better position to succeed.  Specifically, the Phillies are in the market for a starting pitcher and a right-handed bat off the bench.  I also feel they need an upgrade in the bullpen, but there have been no specific rumors to that effect.

How the organization addresses these needs is key to how far the team will go.

Move No. 1: Land a Starting Pitcher

Even before Brett Myers underwent potentially season-ending surgery, the Phillies were on the lookout for another starter.  The entire rotation struggled out of the gates and only a recent run of quality starts has relieved them of the dubious distinction of having the worst ERA in the league.

Cole Hamels (4.62 ERA) and Joe Blanton (5.17 ERA) have both shown improvement in recent appearances and will be expected to step up their games for the rest of the season.  The Phillies can’t afford to worry about their established starters with the question marks they have in rest of the rotation

Offseason acquisition Chan Ho Park narrowly beat out J. Happ in spring training for the fifth spot, but the Phillies pulled the trigger after he put up a 7.08 ERA in eight starts.  Happ was given an opportunity to strut his stuff and is 2-0 with a 3.42 ERA in four starts, but is still an unknown commodity.

Rookie left-hander Antonio Bastardo was called up when Myers went on the DL and was impressive in his first two starts.  But Bastardo is clearly a work in progress, as he showed in his last start against Boston (1 IP, 4 ER, 3 BB).  The Phillies are comfortable with Bastardo for now, but appear to view him as a short-term solution.

Finally, the Phillies aren’t quite sure what to do with veteran Jamie Moyer.  The 46-year-old had an ERA of 8.15 after seven starts and gave up seven or more hits in his first nine appearances. Though he’s given up only six runs in his last 19 innings, the Phillies have to be wary of the aging left-hander.  Is he still good enough to pitch when it counts?

Finding a veteran starter who can step in as No. 2 or No. 3 in the rotation is the most important task facing Amaro.  Fortunately, he has the pieces to do it.

Infielder Jason Donald and catcher Lou Marson, both currently at triple A Lehigh Valley, are both highly sought after.  Outfielder Michael Taylor is tearing it up for double A Reading.  And there are a handful of interesting pitching prospects sprinkled throughout the Phillies farm system.

I can’t even speculate about what combination of prospects the Phils would be willing to part with or who they would expect in return.  GMs get paid big bucks to figure that out.  But I do know that the Phillies need to have confidence in more than just Hamels and Blanton this fall if they expect to compete for another trophy.

Move No. 2: Replace Taschner

There hasn’t been much discussion in the media about Phillies relievers not named Brad Lidge.  The struggles of the closer and the starting rotation have turned attention away from the rest of the staff, which overall has been very good.

But Jack Taschner needs to go.

Taschner is essentially just a warm body in the bullpen, nothing more.  In 17 appearances this season, only twice has he entered a close game.  He pitched a scoreless 10th inning to record a win against the Mets and he gave up two runs in two-thirds of an inning against the Braves to earn a blown save and a loss.

His 15 other appearances have all been in games that the Phillies were losing or winning by at least four runs.  Manager Charlie Manuel simply doesn’t trust him with a lead.

Consider that Sergio Escalona came into a one-run game in his first major league appearance (and got the win).

Taschner has the worst WHIP on the staff (1.81), having given up 25 hits and 16 walks in 22.2 innings.  His WHIP climbs to a ridiculous 2.50 when facing lefties, who are hitting .292 off of him.  These are hardly adequate numbers for a left-handed reliever.

Given the Phillies struggles with their rotation, they can’t afford Taschner taking up a spot in the bullpen.  They should either stick with Escalona when Lidge comes back, or if they aren’t comfortable with the rookie, pursue other options through trade.

One option that comes to mind is Octavio Dotel, who may or may not be on the block for the White Sox.  Either way, Taschner shouldn’t be here in August.

Move No. 3: Bring In A Right-Handed Bat

For the most part, the Phillies are happy with their bench players.  Greg Dobbs has struggled so far this season, but has been one of the best pinch hitters in the majors since 2007.  Matt Stairs is as legitimate a threat to homer off the bench as anyone in baseball.  Chris Coste has been a solid, if unremarkable backup catcher.  And Eric Bruntlett is a reasonable option as a late-inning defensive replacement in the infield or outfield.

The problem is that the Phillies are sorely lacking a right-handed offensive option off the bench to complement their left-handed strength.  With Bruntlett hitting just .149, the Phillies have called up Paul Bako as a third catcher to free up Coste for more at bats.

The organization is high on outfielder John Mayberry Jr., who they brought up for a few games last month.  But they want him to play regularly and probably won’t bring him back up until September.

In the meantime, it will be interesting to see what Amaro can come up with.

Move No. 4: Win The World Series

Alright, so it’s easier said then done.  It took how many years for the Phillies to win their first two trophies?  But they certainly have a shot to repeat.

The biggest reason for optimism? It isn’t their record or their three-game lead over the Mets.  It’s their history.  This team is nothing if not a second-half team.

Here is the Phillies starting lineup listed with career first-half and second-half batting averages:

 

• SS Jimmy Rollins (.265/.287)
• CF Shane Victorino (.271/.299)
• 2B Chase Utley (.302/.293)
• 1B Ryan Howard (.254/.302)
• LF Raul Ibanez (.284/.292)
• RF Jayson Werth (.257/.265)
• 3B Pedro Feliz (.262/.244)
• C Carlos Ruiz (.244/.253)

 

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