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Yesterday I posted a piece about Ryan Howard as a way to defend his selection to the All Star game on the National League’s team. The post seemed to be a pretty popular piece, one of my most successful in terms of hit totals and what not. So naturally I was interested in what the response was from the readers.
While there was one comment left on this site which may have accused me of being a Tim Wakefield fan (for reasons I would love to have cleared up) I found that I was getting more responses from the readers on Bleacher Report.
As you may or may not know I tend to stream many of my posts from here over at the community sports discussion site.
In reading the responses I have found that there are some valid points by the critics of the selection of Howard to the All Star game. For example;
“Clearly, Howard is the fans’ second choice for first base, so why not bring him along?”
—Because fan voting is dumb. If anything the selections of Dustin Pedroia and Josh Hamilton elucidate that.
Yes, Howard is an All-Star, but he’s not deserving, and not (currently) a top-five NL first baseman
1. Pujols – .336 avg/31 HR/82 RBI/1.200 OPS [ZERO protection]
2. Fielder – .313 avg/22 HR/76 RBI/1.056 OPS [Braun protection]
3. Gonzalez – .263 avg/24 HR/52 RBI/.965 OPS [ZERO protection]
4. Helton – .317 avg/9 HR/55 RBI/.903 OPS [Hawpe protection]
5. Lee – .288 avg/16 HR/53 RBI/.882 OPS [ZERO protection]
6. Howard – .252 avg/20 HR/61 RBI/.841 OPS [Utley, Ibanez protection]
I would rather have somebody up that can get a hit or on-base. There’s a higher probability that Howard would just strike out.
– Daniel Abbas
I think it is hard to argue that Ryan Howard is not one of the top five first basemen in the National League though.
Clearly Pujols is tops in the league, and although Howard’s batting average pales in comparison to some others, it is hard to top the power and runs batted in that Howard is going to have over the course of a season. Also consider that Utley does not provide protection for Howard, as he bats in front of the big man (as commenter Andrew Sexton points out).
But also look at Howard’s improved defense this season. Howard’s .994 fielding percentage and four errors committed are nothing to over look. Howard has become more than a one dimensional player.
To read all of the comments you can click here to visit the Ryan Howard post on Bleacher Report. Of course, once again, here is the original post.
Last night Pat Burrell hit a walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth. But as Burrell plays for another team it did the Phillies no good. Despite a decent outing by JA Happ the Phillies offense failed to carry over some momentum from the previous night and lost to the Reds 4-3.
The Phillies started well as Ryan Howard dented the scoreboard with a solo home run in the second inning. Jayson Werth followed with a solo home run of his own to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. That lead was pushed to 3-0 in the third inning when Chase Utley hit an RBI-double to score Jimmy Rollins.
Brad Lidge would take the loss, though. Entering a tie game in the ninth inning, not a save situation, Lidge gave up a leadoff double to Joey Votto, who would score a couple batters later to give the Reds their first lead of the game.
Happ, as mentioned earlier, had a good game. Going seven full innings Happ allowed three runs on six hits and struck out seven batters while walking none.
But Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips had his way with Happ. Phillips hit two home runs off of Happ, accounting for the first three runs for Cincinnati, which tied the game after being down 3-0.
Philadelphia’s downfall was hitting with base runners in scoring position. The Phillies batters were 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left twelve batters on base.
Shane Victorino may have great numbers, but it’s his approach to baseball that should get him a ticket to St. Louis.
Most teams have a hustle guy, but no one has a player quite like Victorino. What he does every day at the ballpark is not “hustle.” It is not even controlled chaos.
Call it instead an eternal exercise in utter recklessness.
Everybody wants players who hustle. They run out every ball, they lead in the clubhouse, they help your team win. Shane Victorino does all of those things, but he does some other things too.
For instance, earlier this year he tried to steal second in the ninth inning. The only problem was that the Phillies were down two runs, not one.
In 2008, Shane leapt into the stands to catch a foul ball. This wasn’t a “run a couple of steps and flip into the seats ordeal” a la Derek Jeter. This was a superman head-first dive. He didn’t catch the ball, and it wouldn’t have been a legal catch even if he had.
The man gets thrown out, thrown at, and sometimes tossed out.
Victorino plays his way, and sometimes it hurts you and sometimes it helps you. When he gets thrown out stretching that single into a double you shake your head.
When he runs through a catcher and practically knocks him unconscious you can’t help but nod approvingly.
He’s the MLB‘s Juggernaut. When his raw intensity is harnessed, Victorino is capable of great things. If you let him loose too often, he can destroy your baseball team. Isn’t that refreshing?
You never have to ask him to give more; instead, you just need to control him. You just need to coach him.
Like it or not, this is the era of the baseball wimp. We need more than mere hustle players to stop the trend. We need Victorinos—guys who are the true antithesis of laziness and detachment. They care so darn much that their judgment is often dim and their mistakes are always sincere.
Guys who play the game this hard are shooting stars. Victorino is always one ill-advised dive or steadfast catcher away from fading into early retirement.
2009, one year removed from a championship, may very well be our only chance to watch him play in an All-Star game. We deserve more from today’s baseball players, and Victorino playing on the national stage would be a great opening argument.
Vote Shane
In 1972 in between games of a double header, me and a school chum sat in the upper deck at the Vet and saw Karl Walenda walk across Veterans’ Stadium. To my memory, Walenda always worked without a net. It caught up t several years later: On March 22, 1978, at age 73, Karl attempted a walk between the two towers of the ten-story Condado Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on a wire stretched 121 feet above the pavement. Karl lost his footing in the 30 mile per hour winds and fell to his death.
Roy Halladay
With word circulating that Toronto ace Roy Halladay is potentially on the table, the Philadelphia Phillies are of course put at the top of the list of potential suitors.
ESPN’s Buster Olney:
Right now, the team most aggressively searching for a frontline starting pitcher is the Philadelphia Phillies, who no doubt would covet Halladay for their particular park for his ability to generate ground balls and missed swings—he has a ground ball/fly ball ratio of 1.30, to go along 98 strikeouts in 116 innings this season. The question about the Phillies—as it is with most teams these days, when the value of young players has never been higher—is whether they would be willing to give up what the Jays would require in trade.
It’d take a ton of prospects to land this whale, but wouldn’t you take another World Series win in 2009 for potentially lean years three or four seasons down the line? Halladay is an ace’s ace. A guy who can simply carry a squad for months at a time. We can all dream of what Kyle Drabek, Dominic Brown, Michael Taylor, and Carlos Carrasco will look like in a Phils uniform, but the fact is we dreamt the same thing about Pat Combs, Ron Jones, Marlon Byrd, and Brad Brink once too.
Take the World Series this year, and potentially the next season as well (Halladay is signed through 2010), and worry about restocking the farm in the interim.
Javier Vazquez
I raised the question two days ago whether the Braves would entertain trading starter Javier Vazquez to a division rival, if at all. FOX’s Ken Rosenthal may have answered that question today:
There is no hitter on the market who would represent fair value for Vazquez—not A’s left fielder Matt Holliday, who is underperforming as a potential free agent; not Brewers right fielder Corey Hart, whose on-base percentage since the start of the 2008 season is .307. There will, however, be plenty of hitters available at bargain prices this off-season.
As much as I like Vazquez, his post-season track record, in a word, blows. If the Braves decide they’re out of it, and aren’t enamored with extending Vazquez beyond 2010, a package of Lou Marson, Kyle Kendrick, and Carlos Carrasco may do the trick. But after reading how much Javy likes Atlanta and Bobby Cox, any sort of deal for him seems like quite the longshot.
[firedforwinning.com]
For one day, the spotlight dimmed a bit.
With Raul Ibanez spending a day in Reading, PA for a rehab assignment, Kyle Drabek had a little attention taken away from him yesterday.
Make no mistake, however: There were still plenty of people at the ballpark to see Drabek.
Plenty of fans. Plenty of scouts. Plenty hoping that very soon, Kyle Drabek will become one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball.
At just 21 years of age, he is noted as the top pitching prospect in the Philadelphia Phillies’ organization.
Drabek became the Phillies’ 18th overall pick in the 2006 Draft. Most mock drafts had him in the top ten or higher, but he fell down the board and into the lap of the Phillies.
Surely, they didn’t mind.
Drabek was arrested in 2005 for public intoxication, but the charges were later dropped. Many had said he wasn’t mature enough; not ready to take the next step to becoming a Major League pitcher.
Certainly, there were people Drabek wanted to prove wrong.
The beginning of a dream
Maybe the future was all too clear for Kyle.
His dad, Doug, pitched for 13 seasons in the Major Leagues. Kyle basically grew up with a baseball attached to his hand.
Drabek attended Woodlands High School (TX), and excelled at shortstop and pitcher. In his senior year, he was 12-0 with a 1.18 ERA.
The year prior, he went 11-1 with a 0.82 ERA.
His fastball touched 96 MPH on the radar gun, sitting in the 93 or 94 MPH range consistently.
Beyond his fastball was an exceptional curveball, which he knows he can throw as a pitch to get batters out. He also possessed an above average slider and change-up in a repertoire that impressed coaches and scouts alike.
Just 18 years of age, Drabek had a tough time adjusting in the Gulf Coast League at the end of his draft year.
He posted a 7.71 ERA and struggled with his control. He allowed 33 hits in 23.1 innings, and struck out just 14 batters.
It was a far cry from his high school career, where striking out 10 or 12 batters in a game was old hat for Drabek.
He would have to learn how to adjust. For many young players who are levels above their competition as a youth, it can be tough to make changes.
Changes were made, and 2007 was, in part, a successful year for Drabek. He jumped up to the South Atlantic League and started ten games for the Lakewood Blue Claws.
He posted a 4.33 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, allowed just 50 hits in 54 innings, and saw his K/9 ratio spike to a respectable 7.7.
However, in June, Drabek complained of arm troubles. He tried to work through them, but in late July, the symptoms had worsened.
Drabek had the dreaded Tommy John surgery on July 25, knocking him out for the rest of 2007 and most of 2008. The Phillies were confident he would return stronger than he had been.
As it turns out, they may be right.
The resurgence
Drabek returned late in 2008, with enough of a window to give the Phillies a taste of where he stood.
He made eight total starts in the Gulf Coast League and New York-Penn League, and fared very well. The velocity hadn’t returned in full, and he wasn’t striking many batters out.
He was, however, healthy and ready to prove that 2009 would be his best year yet.
Drabek didn’t go into the season as the Phillies’ top pitching prospect. That honor was reserved for Carlos Carrasco.
It has become clear that Drabek, while still just 21 years of age, has become the best pitching prospect in the organization.
There was a certain excitement back in 2006 when another impressive prospect, Cole Hamels, took the hill in his Minor League starts. Although he may not be receiving the same attention, there is a buzz about Drabek when he starts.
All Drabek has done this year in two levels, Hi-A and AA, is go 9-1 with a 2.58 ERA. He has 110 strikeouts in 108.1 innings in the Minors, has allowed just 90 hits, and is throwing harder than ever.
There will certainly be some times in the coming weeks that Drabek’s name is tossed about in trade proposals prior to the July 31 trade deadline.
The Phillies may be interested in Toronto right-hander Roy Halladay, and it would take a cornucopia of talent to acquire Halladay if he becomes readily available.
However, sometimes it’s just best to hold on to your prospects. In the very near future, the Phillies’ rotation could be comprised of Hamels, Drabek, Carrasco, and J.A. Happ, all of whom started their professional careers in the Phillies’ organization.
Many would like to see Kyle Drabek finish his here, too. He has a long way to go before he starts thinking about the end, however.
That spotlight is waiting to shine.
In a laugher, the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Cincinnati Reds by three touchdowns last night, 22-1, led by a stunning 95-yard interception return for one of the touchdowns by cornerback Shane Victorino.
Phillies quarterback Cole Hamels threw for 275 yards and a touchdown before giving way to backup QB Scott Eyre. Kevin Kolb was unavailable.
“I was really in the zone tonight,” said Hamels, who completed 17 of 20 passes with no interceptions. “The protection was amazing, and how about that catch and run by (Philadelphia Tight End) Ryan (Howard)?”
Hamels was referring to the one-handed second quarter grab by Howard at the Cincinnati 30-yard line, after which he spun past one defender, ran through another, and dragged four more the final 15 yards into the end zone.
“Nothing happens if Cole doesn’t make that throw, man,” said Howard. “Cincinnati has a great defense. (Cincinnati linebacker Joey) Votto had great coverage on me, Cole just made a perfect throw. He took just enough off it, almost like a pitcher throwing a change up.”
Reds wide receiver Jonny Gomes snapped at a reporter who asked what happened on Victorino’s pick six.
“Look, I don’t know how many times I have to tell you guys, my last name is Tres Uno. Write it down if your are too dumb to remember it. Tres Uno.”
When it was pointed out that “Tres Uno” means Three One and not 31, Gomes came completely unglued.
“You guys write whatever the [bleep] you want alright? I don’t throw the ball. I’m wide open in the end zone, next thing I know, the Hawaiian is Flyin’ the other way. Talk to (Cincinnati quarterback) Johnny (Cueto) if you wanna know what happened. And I will no longer respond to anything but Tres Uno. Or Tres.”
Perhaps the real reason the Reds were so upset may have been Phillies coach Charlie Manuel’s decision to go for two after Jayson Werth’s 85 yard TD reception on a halfback option from Jimmy Rollins.
“Completely bush,” said head coach Dusty Baker. “You would think that World Champions would know better than that. What reason would you need to go for two when I have (Punter Paul) Janish in at quarterback so I don’t get guys hurt? None.
“I lost a lot of respect for Charlie Manuel tonight.”
When told of Baker’s comments, Manuel replied, “I’m not gonna get into all of that. Injuries, uh, we came out of that game pretty good, uh, nothing major, we were able to get (free safety) Chase (Utley) and Ryan out early, uh, Jimmy is a little tired after, uh, running for 225 yards and throwing that TD to, uh, Jayson. Time’s yours.”
It was unclear how the Reds scored one point.
Notice to Ruben. The pitcher you’ve openly pined for is on the block. The arm you so desperately need is there for the taking.
All J.P. Ricciardi needs is a phone call, an offer he can’t refuse, and the best pitcher in baseball is yours.
The naysayers will point out that the only reason the Phillies won last year’s World Series is because of home grown talent. But then where would they have been without team MVP Brad Lidge last year? Who’s to say a Joe Blanton-less rotation is good enough to parade down Broad Street?
Were these high profile type additions to the squad? Absolutely not, but then again, last year’s team didn’t need a C.C. Sabathia type. All they needed was a boost.
Turn the page to July 7, 2009. The Phillies find themselves in yet another dogfight at the top of the NL East. Those pesky Marlins fought and clawed their way back up the standings. The Braves are within striking distance, and those Mets just won’t seem to go away.
The Phillies have been in search of a Brett Myers replacement since he went down. The spot has been filled by an overeager, fastball hurling gunner in Antonio Bastardo, and then by former AL ROY runner-up, turned journeyman, Rodrigo Lopez.
The rest of the rotation of course, still has its question marks. Jamie Moyer has been steady as of late, but is still liable to break down at a moments notice. Joe Blanton keeps chugging along; the ideal No. 4 in a rotation.
J.A. Happ has actually been their best starter in the past month, compiling a 5-0 record with a sub three ERA, but does author a slightly alarming K:BB ratio.
Cole Hamels hasn’t yet hit his stride, but if last night was any indicator of future success for Hamels, expect him to return to form sooner rather than later.
Now plug the Doc’ in that rotation and you’re looking at a very tough one-two punch in Hamels and Hallady. Can any NL team beat either one of these guys twice in a short five game series? My money would be on the Phils.
Furthermore, unlike the Phillies of old, they have the necessary cogs in their minor league system to pull of such a blockbuster. The likes of Carlos Carrassco, Joe Savery, Jason Knapp, Jason Donald, Lou Marson, Dominic Brown, Michael Taylor, and Kyle Drabek all serve as enviable players to many major league teams.
Many fear mortgaging the future for the present. But while those prospects are certainly bursting with potential, when it comes down to it, that’s all it is, a possibility, a chance that someday perhaps they’ll be great.
Roy Halladay is already great. A dominant pitcher in the AL East, the toughest division in baseball, and transferring to the suddenly offense depleted NL East? Sounds like a match to me.
The window of opportunity to win championships is only open for so long. The Phillies are in a great position to open that window a little wider this year.
Go get Roy Halladay, run away with this division, and in the playoffs, as we all saw last year, anything can happen.
I still haven’t figured out which network that covers baseball I despise more. Do I hate the FOX telecast with their “we are bigger than the game” attitude and the extremely hard to listen to Joe Buck? Or do I hate the TBS broadcast? 9,000 Frank TV commercials during a game will drive anyone crazy and quite frankly, it’s amateur hour.
On Saturday the decision was made for me. After a long day at the beach and at the softball field, I came home and tuned into the New York Mets vs. the Philadelphia Phillies on FOX.
What FOX did in the middle of this game was a joke, and they, along with major league baseball, should be embarrassed.
In the middle of this game—a game that is between one of baseball’s best rivalries, FOX switched to the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres game to show Manny Ramirez’s first AB of the game. What a joke. Good work FOX. You have officially become my least favorite baseball telecast.
Ramirez quit on his team last and this year he was caught cheating. He cheated the fans, he cheated his teammates, and most importantly he cheated himself. Yet, FOX and baseball are glorifying him like he just came back from the war or he just came back from a career threatening injury.
I really couldn’t believe what I was watching. FOX portrayed him as this sympathetic figure.
What a poor guy. He had to sit out 50 games—tragic.
This is why the national media focuses so much on baseball and steroids. Instead of baseball burying Ramirez like they should have, FOX and baseball praise him. I understand Ramirez is a larger-than-life character, but give me a break. Even Tim McCarver, who was doing the Mets-Phillies broadcast, asked why are we showing this?
If baseball really wants to get rid of their steroid issue and really their image issue right now, they need to stop doing stuff like this. What this broadcast told me and America is that it doesn’t matter if you cheat; If you take steroids, baseball will do it’s best to make sure that you are still a star when you return from your suspension.
And I don’t want to hear that this was a FOX broadcast, baseball had nothing to do with this. That is nonsense. FOX is representing baseball for those three to four hours. Baseball had everything to do with this. Baseball has yet again embarrassed themselves.
One last note on Ramirez. When a star player goes down to the minors for whatever reason, it’s customary for that player for pay for a meal or two. Not Manny. Ramirez didn’t pick up NOT A SINGLE MEAL during his stops in Albuquerque and San Bernadino.
Not only is he a cheater, but he is cheap.
“he’s batting .252
what a god damn joke
the nl sends 4 1st basemen to the all star game…hilarious!
so now i suppose Pujols plays maybe 4 innings to get the other guys in there.
he needs to play all nine innings if the nl wants to win.
but no, lets give ryan “i cant even hit my weight” howard some pt
la-dee-frickin-da”
– PocketFives.com
When it was announced that Phillies manager Charlie Manuel had selected his own Ryan Howard as a reserve for the National League All Star team, some eyebrows were raised.
There is no question that the Phillies first baseman is a star in the league, but critics point to his numbers compared to other players that had a chance at the All Star game and will question the decision to bring four heavy-hitting first basemen to St. Louis.
Look, there is no question that Albert Pujols is the class of first basemen in the game today, so his high vote total is not to be questioned. But how can you say no to a player who received the second-most votes at his position?
The first thing we need to do is decide whether or not the All Star game is for the fans or not. With the hype in recent years about the game “now meaning something” (home field advantage in the World Series), the fact of the matter is that the All-Star game now should be more competitive and not specifically about pleasing the fans.
If competition is what you want, than the decision to bring Howard to St. Louis is a good one. Imagine if the All-Star game has the American League up by a run late in the game.
The National League has a runner in scoring position. Who would you rather see in a pinch-hit situation; Ryan Howard, who can pop one out of St. Louis on a regular basis after eating some home cooking, or some scrub from Pittsburgh who is only there to ensure that each team is represented?
If you are of the belief that the All-Star game is about the fans, then Howard makes even more sense. Pujols ran away with the fan vote for the starting lineup, but Howard received about 300,000 more votes than Prince Fielder and finished second in voting for first base.
Clearly, Howard is the fans’ second choice for first base, so why not bring him along?
Yes, Howard may be going because Charlie Manuel likes him and wants to reward Howard for all he has done under Manuel, but this is not exactly like Manuel is going overboard here, like Joe Torre and Terry Francona have done in the past.
I would have questioned Manuel if any Phillies pitcher had been going, but Manuel gets it. He is there to win the ball game. Howard gives him a better chance.
All the naysayers can complain if they want. The fact of the matter is Howard going to the All-Star game makes sense on both sides of the coin.
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“Clearly, Howard is the fans’ second choice for first base, so why not bring him along?”
—Because fan voting is dumb. If anything the selections of Dustin Pedroia and Josh Hamilton elucidate that.
Yes, Howard is an All-Star, but he’s not deserving, and not (currently) a top-five NL first baseman
1. Pujols – .336 avg/31 HR/82 RBI/1.200 OPS [ZERO protection]
2. Fielder – .313 avg/22 HR/76 RBI/1.056 OPS [Braun protection]
3. Gonzalez – .263 avg/24 HR/52 RBI/.965 OPS [ZERO protection]
4. Helton – .317 avg/9 HR/55 RBI/.903 OPS [Hawpe protection]
5. Lee – .288 avg/16 HR/53 RBI/.882 OPS [ZERO protection]
6. Howard – .252 avg/20 HR/61 RBI/.841 OPS [Utley, Ibanez protection]
I would rather have somebody up that can get a hit or on-base. There’s a higher probability that Howard would just strike out.
– Daniel Abbas