Cliff Lee Deal Good for Phils (but Halladay Would Be Even Better)

Race For an Ace is Over: Phillies Acquire Cliff Lee From Indians

According to Fox Sports writer Ken Rosenthal, the Phillies and the Indians have reached an agreement that would send Cliff Lee to the Phillies in exchange for four minor-league players: pitchers Carlos Carrasco, Jason Knapp, infielder Jason Donald, and catcher Lou Marson. The deal is currently pending a review of medical records.

Many were wondering why Carrasco was scratched from his start in AAA Wednesday morning, while Donald and Marson were scratched from the lineup. Knapp, who turns 19 in August, is sidelined with an injury, however he is seen as the key piece of the deal, and he can throw about 97 mph and currently has one of the best strikeout ratios in all the minor leagues.

This means the Phillies got the ace they wanted without giving up any of their top prospects that were requested by Toronto. There is a possibility the Indians could send the Phils cash to cover part of Lee’s salary.

Philadelphia acquires the reigning AL Cy Young, who beat out Roy Halladay for the Cy Young last season, without giving up any of their top three prospects: Dominic Brown, Kyle Drabek, and Michael Taylor. Lee has the best ERA since the start of the second half, as he also leads the majors in innings pitched with 152 2/3, and a 3.14 ERA, despite posting a 7-9 record. 

On top of Lee, the Phillies got the right-handed bat they needed in Ben Francisco.

My question is, does this make the Phillies the favorite in the National League, better than the Dodgers and the Cardinals?

In my mind this deal puts them over the top and does make them the favorite in the National League, as the Phillies get the ace they need.

 

Philadelphia Phillies Acquire Cliff Lee…

Jim Konstanty: The Father of All Phillies Relievers

With the Phillies well on their way to their third straight National League East Title, dreams of another World Series trip are on the minds of many Phillies fans.

Watching Yankees’ highlights and thinking about their recent ascent to first place in the tough American League East, my mind wandered to a Phillies vs. Yankees World Series. I don’t know, it just sounds right to me.

If the Dodgers go to the World Series, I think of a matchup with the Boston Red Sox. It just seems right. The whole Manny Ramirez thing is what the media wanted last year, but it got the Phillies vs. Rays instead.

The last time the Phillies played the Yankees in the World Series was in 1950. For me, one player comes to mind: Jim Konstanty. In a way, he was the first great closer in baseball.

Baseball was a different game back in 1950. Philadelphia had two Major League teams for crying out loud. Though, the Philadelphia A’s were the more popular of the two teams in town.

Pitchers pitched more complete games, and the game was not nearly as specialized as it is today.

1950 was a magical year for the Phillies, known then as the Whiz Kids. The team was managed by Eddie Sawyer and featured Hall of Famers Robin Roberts and Richie Ashburn.

The Phillies beat out the Brooklyn Dodgers for the National League pennant and faced the Yankees in the World Series.

You see, much of the Phillies’ history before their World Series wins in 1980 and 2008 was about what could have been. And that remains true for their 1964 collapse.

Sawyer made a bold move by starting Konstanty in Game One of the World Series. In 1950, Konstanty appeared in 74 games. That year, he won 16 games, had 22 saves, and was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player.

According to The Baseballpage.com, Konstanty paid off his manager’s trust. Konstanty pitched nine innings, allowed five hits, and one run in a 1-0 loss. Konstanty pitched well in two other games in the World Series, but the Phillies were swept in the series, 4-0.

Casimir James (Jim) Konstanty also played for the Cincinnati Reds, Boston Braves, New York Yankees, and the St. Louis Cardinals in his 11-year career.

His best years came with the Phillies, from 1948 through 1953. The bespectacled reliever employed a slider and change-up to baffle hitters.

In an 11-season career, Konstanty posted a 66-48 record with 74 saves and a 3.46 earned run average in 433 games.

Konstanty died in Oneonta, New York at age 59 on June 11, 1976.

In an era when specialists were uncommon, Konstanty stood out among his baseball peers.

To me, he is also a symbol of what could have been had the Phillies won Game One against the mighty Yankees.

To baseball historians, he could be considered the first great closer.

 

*Information gathered from Wikipedia and thebaseballpage.com.

Who’s More Expendable: Drabek Or Happ?

As the deadline approaches the rumors are surfacing and the race for an ace continues whether it’s Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee. But it would certainly take one of these two, JA Happ and Kyle Drabek—if not both.

But the question is who is more expendable: Happ or Drabek? If you had to give up one, who would it be? The Phillies would certainly have to give up one if not both in order to acquire the much needed ace they need.

 

The case for keeping Happ

JA Happ has been the best pitcher in the pitching staff with a 7-1 record, posting a 2.97 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. Happ has been crucial to the Phillies success as the other pitchers have struggled.  Happ’s thrown many quality starts including a complete-game shutout against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, which means that the Blue Jays may prefer Happ.

Happ has shown great improvement and a scout said that before the season he looked like a poor man’s Andy Pettitte, but now he looks like something more than that. Another reason to keep Happ is because it is very tough to try to make a run at another World Series after subtracting a piece of your current Major league roster.

 

The case for keeping Drabek

Personally I think that I would rather keep Drabek, if I can. JA Happ is a No. 3 pitcher at best while Drabek projects as a top of the rotation pitcher. Kyle Drabek’s ceiling is much higher than JA Happ’s ceiling, in fact some people feel that JA Happ’s value will never be this high again, as he is pitching much better than projected.

Drabek is currently 21, while Happ turns 27 in October. Drabek is currently the best prospect in the Phillies system and some have called him the best pitching prospect since Cole Hamels. Drabek has a ton of potential, with a plus fastball and a plus curveball. Drabek has been tearing through the minor leagues after coming off a season in which he had Tommy John surgery posting a 11-2 record with a 2.78 ERA in AA and AAA.

The Blue Jays are asking for both and the Phillies seem to think that’s too much, but even a trade for Cliff Lee would involve Kyle Drabek. The Phillies have made it no secret that they would rather keep Drabek than Happ as they proposed a counter offer that included Happ not Drabek.

So my question to you guys in who would you rather keep, JA Happ or Kyle Drabek?

Philadelphia Phillies Favorites: Managers

No one can ever say the Phillies managers didn’t have unusual and colorful ways. Most were more colorful than successful.

 

Phillies managers (excluding interims) held their post for an average of 2.4 years. Only 16 have lasted four or more years.

 

Thirty-eight came to the Phillies with no managing experience, and 36 never managed in the majors again.

 

Among those who managed the Phillies were the man who is called the “Father of Baseball,” an alleged bigamist, a former medical student, a dentist, three future umpires, a former Phillies ticket-taker, a vaudeville singer, a college professor, the son of a former Phillies player, the owner of baseball’s highest-single season batting average, three Hall of Famers, and two All-Star shortstops.

 

The best managers are the ones that are most remembered.

 

10. Larry Bowa (2001-2004)

 

Bowa, a former All-Star shortstop, was a fiery, intense manager whose aggressiveness sometimes got in the way of his managing. He also would publicly criticize his players.

 

He never led the Phillies to the playoffs, though he often was close.

 

9. Bill Shettsline (1898-1902)

 

The former Phillies ticket-taker was actually a very successful manager. During the five seasons he managed, he only had on losing season.

 

The overweight Shettsline was once so happy over his team’s victory that on the way home he reportedly “fell out of the carriage and got a mud bath.”

 

8. Eddie Sawyer (1948-1952, 1958-1960)

 

The former college professor led the Wiz Kids to the National League pennant in 1950. Sawyer said, “I tried to treat my players like I wanted to be treated when I was a player.”

 

Sawyer only had two winning seasons with the Phillies and quit the team after one game in 1960.

 

7. Pat Moran (1915-1918)

 

Pat Moran was a good manager not only because he led the Phillies to the World Series, but also because he instilled many fundamentals that were overlooked in his day.

 

Moran was a former backup catcher for the Phillies. He banned gambling from the clubhouse and was the manager of the 1919 Cincinnati Reds, who won the World Series against the Chicago Black Sox.

 

6. Harry Wright (1884-1893)

 

Hall of Famer Harry Wright is called the “Father of Baseball” because he managed the first professional baseball team. He also created flannel uniforms, colored stockings, and knickered pants.

 

During his time in Philadelphia, he had a record of 636-566. Seven of his 10 seasons were winning seasons.

 

5. Jim Fregosi (1991-1996)

 

Fregosi, the other All-Star shortstop, was a “player’s manager” because he let his players play their game without interfering.

 

He led the Phillies to their fifth pennant in 1993.

 

4. Gene Mauch (1960-1968)

 

Mauch is the Phillies winningest manager, with 646 wins. He is also has the most losses with 684. He ranks 12^th on the all-time managerial wins list.

 

He was the pilot of the Phillies during the 1960s when people thought they were going to take off but never did. He is most remembered for the 1964 collapse.

 

3. Danny Ozark (1973-1979)

 

Ozark was an easy going man, who had frequent verbal blunders. He often doesn’t get credit for leading the Phillies to three-straight division titles. He also had two consecutive 100-win seasons as manager of the Phillies.

 

2. Dallas Green (1979-1981)

 

Green whipped and hollered the Phillies to their first World Series title. He was often complimentary when a player did something good.

 

He had a screaming fit late in the 1980 season and turned the club around. He led the Phillies to two division titles.

 

1. Charlie Manuel (2005-present)

 

I don’t know if people will agree with me on this one, but who is better? So far, Charlie Manuel has led the Phillies to the playoffs twice, and everyone knows that he led them to their second World Series title in 2008.

 

Manuel is an easy going guy who loves hitting. He starred in Japan as a hitter and has helped the Phillies batting tremendously.

 

At first, Phillies fans ridiculed Manuel and people wanted him out of Philadelphia. Then, he led the team to a division title in 2007 and to the World Series in 2008. He is a fan favorite in Philly and will definitely lead the team for years to come.

 

His managerial record with the Phillies is currently 411-334. 

 

Cliff Lee Could be Philadelphia Phils’ Deadline Solution

Is Halladay Worth The Phillies Farm System?

Roy Halladay is a great pitcher, top five in the Majors.  This is a well-known fact, even among casual fans. 

But is he worth the reported offer of J.A. Happ, Kyle Drabek, Dominic Brown and/or Michael Taylor?

You could make an arguement that he is. 

Halladay has been the most consistent, dominating pitcher over the past decade.  All you are giving up is three prospects and a pitcher.  While the prospects are the top prospects the Phillies have, they could wind up not panning out. 

Drabek has had Tommy John surgery in the past.  While he appears to have bounced back easily in Double-A ball, there’s no telling whether or not he can have a successful, healthy career.

Dominic Brown and Michael Taylor are both outfielders.  The Phils have three all-stars in the outfield.  Shane Victorino is 28 and Jayson Werth is 30.  While Raul Ibanez is 37, he is under contract for three seasons.  He did have a stint on the DL earlier this season, but other than that he has no glaring injury concerns. 

Even if the Phillies did need an additional outfielder, 25-year-old John Mayberry, Jr. has hit four home runs in 53 at bats this season.  If he were to keep that rate of production over the course of 300 at bats, he would hit about 23 home runs and over 40 if he played a full season with at least 550 at bats. 

Of course, that’s assuming he could hit them out at the same rate.

Then there is J.A. Happ.  While he has been the Phils’ most consistent pitcher this season, who’s to say he isn’t just enjoying early success? 

Who’s to say he’ll be able to keep it up? 

Is he like Dontrelle Willis and will only get worse?

You never know.

Not to mention the Phillies have some of the worst starting pitching in the NL this season.  A consistent, dominating pitcher like Roy Halladay could help.

Especially if the Phils want to make a run at repeating in October.

In spite of all the reasons why this trade would make sense for the Phils, there are reasons why it wouldn’t as well.

The main reason is the future.

Roy Halladay is 32 years old, while J.A. Happ is only 26. 

I’m not saying that Happ is comparable to the Cy Young winning Halladay, but he has pitched brilliantly this season. 

He is 7-1 with a 2.97 ERA, and his only loss came in his last start when he surrendered five runs to the Cardinals in six innings of work.

He has been the Phils most reliable pitcher, the only one in an otherwise sub-par rotation.

And theres no indication that he is just a flash in a pan player, that he caught lightning in a bottle.

As for the prospects, the Phils look like they could really use them. 

Drabek could be a September call up this season, and if he is as good as he is supposed to be, he could help the Phillies in the near future, especially next season if the injured Brett Myers doesn’t re-sign or Jamie Moyer decides to retire.

Raul Ibanez is 37.  He has three years on his deal.  You could make the argument that this is plenty of time to find a suitable replacement if he doesn’t re-sign.  You could argue that it will be hard to find another outfield prospect, let alone two of them, possibly three if you want to include Mayberry.

Not to mention that Jayson Werth’s contract expires next season.  There’s no guarantee he will return.  Yes, he was an all-star, but he is a streaky player.  Too streaky for a team that’s looking to contend for at least the next four years.

You could look at it that the team stands to lose up to two all-star outfielders in the next three years.

It would be nice to keep an heir to a corner spot in your system.

Both sides have reasons.  Make the trade, win now, and maybe next year too.  Don’t make the trade and secure your line up for the next eight years.

That’s all it really comes down to.

Either way, whichever decision Ruben Amaro makes, it will be tough to tell if he makes the right one right away.  It’s too unpredictable.  And that unpredictability is why we love sports.

It’s a choice between the present and the future.  I personally lean towards the present, but it is still a tough decision that could hold unforeseen outcomes.

Hopefully Amaro makes the right one.

Division Isn’t Out of the Question for the Mets

You may have seen that pessimistic post on Metsblog earlier that stated the Mets should be aiming to go 45 and 20 to win the Wild Card. This is short sighted. I hate to do this, but let’s go back to 2007.

On July 27, 2007 the Mets were up four games over the Phillies and Braves in second place. They kept the hordes at bay for a month, and on August 27 were six games up, seven over the Braves, and neither team looked really good.

Then the Mets played that ill-fated series in Philadelphia where they lost four games, the lead dropping to two games and panic started to set in. The Mets rebounded terrifically winning five in a row and 10 of their next 12.

They hosted the Phillies again on September 12 with a seven-game lead and plenty of reason to think that the series in Philadelphia was merely a fluke.

More so than any other reason, the Mets lost in 2007 because they lost those seven games to the Phillies. In 2009, the Mets and Phillies play eight more times. They blew their first chance at this a couple of weeks ago, allowing the Phillies to sweep them, but 65 games and eight against the leader is not something you write off.If the Mets are good enough to overcome the deficit in the wild card, they’re good enough to overcome the deficit in the division.

The Phillies are bound to come back to earth, as they’re not going to play at this crazy winning percentage for the rest of the season, and now they’ve started to be bit by the injury bug as well. If the Mets can recover and run with it, it’s the division that’s waiting, not the wild card.

If you’re looking for numbers or formulas, here is one for you.

There are 10 weeks left of the season, and eight games against the Phillies. Win six of the games against the Phillies, and then play merely one game better than them in five of the other eight weeks they don’t play Philadelphia. Win one more game, whether it’s another against the Phillies, another random game during the season, or game 163. From there the playoffs are your oyster.

Save Us With Your Baseball Magic, Roy Halladay

Roy Halladay has reached legendary status. But how many must be sacrificed in order to feed him?  Five prospects?  Six?

These trade rumors have been swirling around now for so long, with dreams of a Halladay/Martinez/ Hamels rotation being enough to keep opposing hitters from leaving the dugout.  Except that Cole’s year isn’t going as smoothly as he’d like, and Martinez is old.

I mean, look at him out there. He’s… so old.

Then again, he could take a sip of whatever Raul Ibanez has been drinking and completely forget that the numbers in his age column keep going up.

Roy Halladay is a pitcher.  His numbers are incredible and they’re already polishing off a seat for him in Cooperstown.

But, thanks to all these trade rumors, he’s now reached this mythic status in our heads; like he’s a legendary god, descending from Canada, who is literally unhittable and hurls maelstroms instead of baseballs.

The way we rationalize giving up some of our most spectacular young guys is to assume that with Halladay, we will be unstoppable.  With him at the helm, Phils’ fans see him barreling his way through our division rivals, chucking 94 mph cutters at people.

And maybe that would totally happen!  Its quite an image.

But there’s danger in these waters…and it’s a shark that keeps whispering, “Welcome to Philadelphia.”

These days, Philadelphia baseball is something to be proud of.  Very proud of.

As surreal as it was to get to keep watching baseball into the fall, the gratification of a World Series trophy is… is just great.

But the revolving door of starting pitchers that have been systematically lined up and shot this year is vaguely reminiscent of a time , not so long ago, when a player would be the cock of the walk, only to show up in Philly and forget how to play baseball.

Roy Halladay impresses everyone, including me.

In fact, Roy Halladay terrifies me, because if nothing else, he is highly evident of a government-run facility somewhere in the desolate Midwest, where they are constructing cyborgs for the sole purpose of achieving athletic perfection.

Yet, it’s hard to ignore that baseball players are, in fact, human (maybe).

As much as it may seem like Halladay could roll in here and start ripping opposing batters apart, he could very well slip on a pebble in the parking lot or have his pelvis shattered by a “Welcome to the Team” pie-ing by Shane Victorino that somehow goes horribly wrong.

And then where would be?

Well, first place.

But the Blue Jays would be on the other side of the fence, taunting us with their newly manufactured Toronto jerseys, with names like “Carrasco,” “Happ,” or “Drabek,” on the back.

Should Halladay show up and have nothing terrible happen to him, and help us to another World Series win, and stick around until the end of his contract, then, you know.  Yippee.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are rolling in hot Phils prospects like happy dogs.

If you guys are fine to settle with a 2008 World Series Trophy and then relax for awhile, great.

…

Actually, not great.

It’s people like you who are going to cost us the seasons ahead.

Without these prospects, a Phillies’ future gets that much bleaker.

Don’t act like you can’t remember when we were scampering around the NL East basement, trying to make the best of a roster full of injured mediocrity, and sending one reserve player to the All-Star team because somebody had to go.

There were so many Phillies’ jerseys in that NL dugout this year.

Wasn’t that nice?

Call me a pessimist, but I live in a city with 10,000 professional baseball losses and a sky-rocketing homicide rate.  Success doesn’t last forever and the ability to look down at your farm system and see some real talent coming off the assembly line is a great way to feel all tingly inside.

Maybe we should consider what Roy really costs, maybe not now, but in the future.

A future that will probably have cyborgs.

 

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