J.A. Happ Battles Through It All

J.A. Happ can’t cut a break.  

Beginning the season in a battle for the fifth rotation spot with Chan Ho Park, Happ pitched well, but Park had slightly better numbers and got the job.  After Park’s struggles, Happ was given and chance in the rotation and he has not looked back.  

His season stats from starting and relief are an 8-2 record with 2.74 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 86 Ks in 115 innings of work.

For this article, I’m not going to talk about stats like batting average against on balls in play.  I want to talk about what Happ has done with this opportunity and how he has not let the trade talks and moving to the bullpen rumors affect his play.  

Heck, he’s thrived off it.

For weeks, he was listed as a centerpiece in trade talks for the Blue Jays’ Roy Halladay. He didn’t have any control over the situation and went out and pitched every fifth day for the Phillies.  He didn’t complain to the media or cause a problem in the locker room like most diva NFL quarterbacks do when their names are mentioned in trade talks or someone might replace them.  

There were so many talks about him going to Toronto that when the highlights of last night’s shutout were aired on SportsCenter, the announcer made a joke about him actually not being on the Blue Jays.  

Once the Phillies traded for Lee and he was not involved in the trade, he probably thought his rotation spot was safe. 

That was until beat writers began speculating that it would be J.A. Happ sent to the bullpen, so that Pedro Martinez could join the rotation.  Comments from pitching coach Rich Dubee also helped form this speculation.  

One reason is that Happ would probably do the best in the bullpen of the three candidates to get moved: Jamie Moyer and Pedro Martinez being the other two.

Happ is the best starter of the three and is pitching better than anyone on the team this year.  He has out-pitched Hamels, even though I’m not worried about the World Series MVP.  Blanton has been great the past few months, but Happ has been just as good.  

In what was thought might be Happ’s last start of the season, Happ pitched brilliantly last night.  Tossing a complete game shutout, allowing only six baserunners during the game, may have saved him his spot in the rotation.  

He was lights out, striking out ten batters.  The Rockies have a decent lineup too.  He did all this throwing 127 pitches and still maintained his velocity on his fastball throughout the game.  

His demeanor is always the same on the mound.  He doesn’t get rattled like a rookie should.  He battles and never looks beaten out there.

Whatever happens with the rotation decision, let’s give credit to a young pitcher who has pitched through tough situations this year and is helping the Phillies have a chance to repeat as World Champs.

 

EDIT: Breaking News: JA Happ staying in the rotation for the rest of the season, according to Ruben Amaro Jr.

Forgotten Hall Of Famer Profile: Sam Thompson

With 232 players enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., it comes as no surprise that many of the games immortals are unknown to today’s fans. After all, how many of these 232 legendary ballplayers can you name?

Chances are it’s a lot fewer than you think; everyone knows Cal Ripken, Nolan Ryan, and Babe Ruth; but what about Gabby Hartnett, Frankie Frisch, and George Kell?

There are many great players—especially those from Hall of Fame classes inducted more than 50 years ago—that for one reason or another have fallen out of recognition as the preeminent players of their time.

This recurring article will take a one-by-one look at some of baseball’s most unknown Hall of Famers.

Up today is Sam Thompson, 19th-century slugger for the Detroit Wolverines and Philadelphia Phillies.

A carpenter until a scout convinced him to give professional baseball a try for $2.50 per game, Sam Thompson became one of the most prolific hitters to ever play the game. 

Thompson smacked 11 hits in his first 26 at-bats after becoming the Detroit Wolverines’ right fielder in 1885.

In 1887, his second full season in baseball, Thompson compiled one of the most impressive hitting seasons of all-time. Not only did he lead the NL in hitting at .372, but he also drove in a 19th-century record 166 runs while also scoring 118 runs.

However, because RBI was not considered an official stat during his era, Thompson’s run producing prowess was largely unnoticed.

Following the 1888 season in which the Wolverines finished fifth, the franchise had lost so much money that the team folded and its players were sold off. Thompson landed in Philadelphia for the price of $5,000.

Joined by fellow future Hall of Famers Ed Delahanty and Billy Hamilton in the outfield, Philadelphia boasted one of the most devastating lineups of the era.

In the eight seasons from 1889 to 1896, Hamilton was a model of remarkable consistency. During those years, Hamilton missed the 100 runs scored benchmark just one time (when he scored 99 runs in 1894) and missed the 100 RBI benchmark just once (with 90 RBI in 1891).

In 1889, Thompson became the first player in history to have a 20 home run, 20 stolen base season. In 1894, he hit for the cycle while playing for Philadelphia, the same year in which he hit .399, only to see Delahanty and Hamilton both hit over .400 for the year. The next season, Thompson hit .392 while leading the NL with 18 homers and 165 RBI.

Unfortunately, injuries derailed Thompson for the next 10 seasons as he futilely attempted numerous comebacks.

In 1906, his last season, he appeared in just eight games for the Detroit Tigers, playing alongside a 19-year-old Ty Cobb.

For his career, Thompson hit 127 home runs, the second most of the 1876 to 1892 era, while also hitting .331 with 1,299 career RBI.

In fact, at a record .921 runs driven in per game, Thompson is the finest run producer in the history of baseball. More than just a slugger, Thompson led the NL three times in hits, two times in doubles, and once in triples, while also playing a top-notch outfield.

For some inexplicable reason, Thompson’s induction into the Hall of Fame did not come until his election via the Veterans’ Committee in 1974.

JA Happ dominant as Phillies beat Rockies 7-0

Honestly I do not know why there is so much discussion about sending JA Happ to the bullpen. If last night was any indication, Happ has earned his spot in the starting rotation.

Happ threw his second career complete game shut-out, his second of the season as well, and gave the Phillies a much needed quality start to save the bullpen. The offense backed him up with a quick run in the first inning and by utilizing the long ball as Pedro Feliz and Jimmy Rollins each went deep in the second inning to get the Phillies in front 4-0.

It was more than enough for Happ, but Jayson Werth got in on the act with an opposite field three run home run in the fifth inning to put the Colorado Rockies in a tough hole.

This hole though would be muddy because the way Happ was throwing it was going to be tough to climb out of. Happ went over 120 pitches and allowed just four hits on the night.

After walking the lead off batter in the game he only allowed one walk the rest of the way. Proving to be the master of his domain, Happ struck out ten batters on a Rockies squad that had been hitting the ball pretty well lately during their surge to the National League Wild Card lead.

The hype entering tonight’s game was that Happ would probably be making his final start in the rotation, as it is believed he could be moved to the bullpen to make way for Pedro Martinez, who was dominant in double A Reading as well (more on him later). Charlie Manuel was quoted as saying that Happ proved that he wants to stay in the starting rotation, and the 45,000 plus fans at Citizens Bank Park probably agree.

After retiring the side in the eighth inning Happ was given a standing ovation as he walked to the dugout. Due to hit third in the bottom of the eighth and already just over the 100 pitch mark it was widely thought that Happ’s night would be done after eight outstanding innings and a reliever would come in to finish the deal in the ninth.

But Happ did not leave the game. When he came up to bat the atmosphere would have made you think that Ryan Howard or Jim Thome was coming up with the bass loaded in the bottom of the ninth of a tight game. And then he delivered.

Happ smacked a double over the head of Rockies center fielder Dexter Fowler, who was playing incredibly shallow, and the fans loved it. It was Happ’s third career hit, and his first for extra bases.

Phillies fans will have to wait and see how the club works out their starting rotation over the course of the next week. But Happ has done all you could ask of him, and more, to prove that he deserves a spot in the rotation.

The Phillies go for the series victory Thursday afternoon when Cliff Lee makes his Citizens Bank Park debut in a business person’s special. Aaron Cook will take the mound for the Rockies.

Philadelphia Phillies Win 7-0 on Happ’s Complete Game Shutout

J.A. Happ just showed Phillies management, coaches, players, and fans why he deserves a spot not only in the starting rotation for the rest of the season, but also as the fourth man in the playoff rotation.

Tonight, Happ pitched nine shutout innings for his second complete game shutout of the season. He racked up a career high 10 strikeouts as well, showing that he can be dominant. On a night where Pedro Martinez pitched six strong innings in AA ball where he fanned 11 batters, J.A. Happ overshadowed with a more dominant performance against the Wild Card leading Rockies.

J.A. wasn’t the only story tonight. After a six-game stretch where the Phillies bats were limp and the team went 1-5 while scoring a total of 13 runs, they finally started hitting. Each starter got a hit, including a double by Happ, and Jimmy Rollins, Pedro Feliz, and Jayson Werth hit homers for the Phils. Ryan Howard also recorded an RBI tonight, and Chase Utley got hit by a pitch for the 17th time this season and 100th time in his career.

The hot summer night was all the Phillies needed to get back on track in front of a crowd that acted as if tonight’s game was a playoff game. The atmosphere was absolutely electric as J.A. Happ struck out the final batter of the game, demonstrating poise that is needed out of a playoff pitcher.

Tomorrow afternoon Cliff Lee makes his home debut. He will have to do something extraordinary to overshadow his first start where he pitched a complete game while allowing only one run. Hopefully he is the competitive type and will only want to improve on his performance, and maybe try to beat out Happ’s outing from tonight.

Colorado Rockies Rocked in Philadelphia

Every rose has its thorns.

The famous lyrics of Axel Rose played out for the Rockies on Wednesday night in Philadelphia. Jorge De La Rosa, winner of his last seven outings, flamed out against the potent Phillies offense.

The De La Rosa of June and July never showed up at Citizen’s Bank Park.

The lefty struggled through five innings, giving up seven runs, all earned, on 10 hits. He struck out three, and walked no one, but gave up three home runs for the first time in his career.

Some of De La Rosa’s struggles resembled the first two months of the season. After getting two outs he lost his focus and ended up giving up runs. In the third inning De La Rosa gave up two home runs with two outs.

Both home runs in the third inning came on changeups that the lefty did not finish, resulting in the pitch staying up in the zone, a mistake that cannot be made at Citizen’s Bank Park.

In the fifth inning, De La Rosa again gave up a two-out home run, this time a three-run shot, to Jayson Werth. Werth deposited the ball into the right field seats, throwing his bat in excitement after hitting the ball. The home run buried the Rockies, putting them down 7-0.

Despite De La Rosa’s struggles, there was a silver lining.

The biggest issue for De La Rosa in the early part of his career has been his inability to shrug off struggles and minimize damage. Instead of bearing down and finding a way to get the next batter out, he would beat himself up, causing him to continue serving pitches up to the hitters.

On Wednesday it was different. Despite giving up seven runs, the hard-throwing lefty was able to give up the two out hit and still come back and deliver decent pitches.

While he did not have his best stuff, he was mentally stronger than what he showed early in the career. He still lost his focus, but was able to regain his composure and minimize damage after struggling. It was a sign of maturity.

While De La Rosa struggled, a team cannot win when its offense scores no runs.

The Rockies offense did wave at several bad pitches, and was off balance all night, but that was due less to bad offensive decisions as it was a credit to the phenomenal pitching of Phillies rookie J.A. Happ.

The young lefty whom the Rockies coveted in the offseason, dangling Garrett Atkins for him, dazzled on the mound. He was mixed in good fastballs with sweeping breaking pitches that caught the outside corner of the plate. He pitched perfectly to the scouting report, striking out Troy Tulowitzki and Clint Barmes on high fastballs.

Happ pitched his second complete game shutout of the season, getting a huge standing ovation all the way through the ninth inning.

It was one of those games that the Rockies must simply tip their caps to the Phillies and get ready for another tough pitcher on Thursday.

In the series finale, the Rockies will face the brand new Phillie, reigning AL Cy Young winner Cliff Lee, whom Philadelphia acquired from the Indians less than a week ago. It will be Lee’s home debut in a Phillies uniform after dominating in his debut in San Francisco.

The loss puts the Rockies a half game back from the Giants in the Wild Card race, and seven games back of the Dodgers in the National League West race.

While every game is important, games like Wednesday are a part of baseball. Sometimes a pitcher simply dominates an offense and gives little opportunity to get runs on the board. The key for the Rockies is to forget the game and focus on the opportunity to win a series on the road against the world champs, a huge accomplishment.

As Playoffs Near, Jamie Moyer May Slow Phillies Drive

The story of Jamie Moyer is one of amazement. He’s a pitcher who has made his living throwing at off speeds and has garnered 256 wins while doing so.

He is the 10th-winningest lefty in baseball history. And this season, his 10 wins are tops on the NL East leading Phillies.

But the story I am about to write is one familiar to Moyer during his tumultuous 23-year career.

Despite the lack of pitching depth in their rotation, the Phillies can no longer afford the inconsistency that comes with the Moyer package. As a fan, I hope I am wrong like the other scribes who said the same thing two years ago. 

One example are these words from RotoWorld.Com:

“Jamie Moyer was pounded for six runs over five innings in an 8-3 loss to the Rockies on Tuesday night. Moyer continues his shaky season. He allowed six hits, including a homer, while walking four. He now has a 5.55 ERA through 22 starts this season. He should be the obvious choice to move to the bullpen when Pedro Martinez arrives, but he likely won’t.”

Phillies youngster J.A. Happ was mentioned as a candidate for the Phillies bullpen and Rodrigo Lopez has already been moved there.

But with the trade for Cliff Lee, will Moyer finally be pushed out of the rotation?

This much is certain: Cole Hamels, Lee, Joe Blanton. Before Lee’s arrival, Moyer had been the third starter. Once Lee came and J.A. Happ received a look, Moyer became the fourth starter.

What do we make of the sly veteran now?  

Moyer started this season 3-5, but has rebounded to win seven of his last 10 starts. In interviews, Moyer voiced that he is the same pitcher and can work through any slump.

And he has.

But watching tonight’s game against the Colorado Rockies, Happ pitched a complete game shutout for his eighth win. It is his second complete game shutout of the season.

With his performance, Happ has solidified a spot as a starter. But will that make him a playoff starter? The question is if Charlie Manuel will give the youngster preference over Moyer and the coming Pedro Martinez.

A lot depends on the latter’s performance when he pitches as to who the fifth starter will be for the rest of the season. The Phillies can afford to keep Moyer on the active roster the rest of this season. But I can’t envision them leaving Moyer off the postseason roster.

But his skills aren’t that of a bullpen pitcher; and no one should expect that. So where does that leave him?

Since arriving in Philadelphia, Moyer has been nothing short of a class act.

But the Phillies are now in the business of winning championships; and if they know what’s best for them, they will do just as they did with fan favorite Chris Coste, and cut the cord on a pitcher who has given them all he has left.

The 5 Most Surprising Phillies This Year

The Phillies have been hot so far this year, and they have a number of people to thank.

Their bats have been extremely hot this year, and it is thanks to people we knew would do well.

But it is also thanks to people that completely surprised us. Most of the people on this list are relatively new, or just started heating up in previous years.
Here it is, the 5 Most Surprising Phillies This Year.

(Click the URL below to view the 5 Most Disappointing Phillies This Year)

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/230461-the-5-most-disappointing-phillies-players-this-year

The 5 Most Disappointing Phillies Players This Year

The Phillies have been one of the best team in baseball this year, but there are always people who struggle.

Many players struggled early on but turned around.

And some are still struggling.

Check out my list of the five most disappointing Phillies players so far this year.

A comment would be greatly appreciated.

The Eric Brunlett Analysis: How Low Can He Possibly Go?

It’s no secret that Charlie Manuel wasn’t always a fan favorite in Philadelphia.  I’ll be the first to admit I thought Charlie was nothing more then an above average hitting coach.  I am also smart enough to admit when I am wrong, which explains the No. 41 Manuel jersey I’ve worn to every Phillies game I have attended since the World Series victory.

When Jimmy Rollins was struggling earlier this year, Charlie stuck with him, and I gave Charlie the benefit of the doubt.  Even though I think Jimmy Rollins will never be the player he was in his MVP year (which is an entirely different story), Jimmy did come out of the horrific slump he was stuck in without having to come out of the lead-off spot for any extended period of time.

So I was willing to give Charlie the benefit of the doubt again when it came to letting Eric Bruntlett have a bench spot on the defending World Champs.  But at some point, I have to say enough is enough.

I will say this, before I make my case for why this bum should never be allowed to take another Major League at-bat, Eric Bruntlett will always have a special place in my heart.  The guy scored the winning run of the World Series, ending years of pain and suffering, and therefore his name will always remain tucked deep down in my memory bank.

But I will also never forget that he didn’t get himself on base.  He was a pinch runner in game five of the World Series (as he was when he scored the winning run of game three).  It also didn’t take a base running guru to score on either of those plays.  But I’m not here to write about Eric Brunlett’s World Series heroics, I want to talk about the things he can’t do right…which is pretty much everything.

When a scout assesses a player, generally they look at five different general baseball skills to determine the amount of tools that particular player has.  So let’s examine the tools of Eric Bruntlett, shall we?

 

Tool 1 :  Hitting for Average

Raise your hand if this one made you laugh.  I know I did.  Eric Bruntlett’s batting average is so despicable, it’s impossible to even get mad anymore, all you can do is laugh.  Eric Bruntlett is hitting an astounding .133 this season.  He’s making Mario Mendoza look like a Hall-of-Famer.

Neck beard’s average is actually lower then Cole Hamels and Chan Ho Park.  While neither Hamels or Park have as many at-bats as Bruntlett, Bruntlett only has 83 himself (as of August 4th).  Its not just this year either, Eric Bruntlett is hitting a pitiful .228 for his career.  He has never had more then 46 hits in a career, and has almost as many strikeouts as hits.

He doesn’t get much better in the playoffs either, where his batting average is a mind blowing .188.  So clearly we are zero for one in the tool category so far, but there has to be some reason he has made it seven years in Major League Baseball.  Let’s go to the next tool.

 

Tool 2:  Hitting for Power

Three homeruns in the past four years pretty much sums up this category.  One of those homeruns did come in the World Series though (the only World Series game the Phillies lost at that).  He is averaging about a homerun for every 76 at-bats he takes.

That means he is due for a homerun any day now (assuming he is still in the Major Leagues in a week).  I could go on and on, coming up with reason after reason to why Eric Bruntlett does not get a check for the hitting for power tool, but I will leave it at 11 homeruns in 767 career at-bats, and let you be the judge from there.

 

Tool 3:  Baserunning Skills and Speed

Like I said before, he did pinch run his way to being the deciding run in the 2009 World Series, so unlike the first two categories, he is not the worst guy on the team here.

That doesn’t make him Rickey Henderson either.  He does have 30 stolen bases, but he’s been caught stealing eight times as well.  He’s above the 75 percent mark in swiping bag success, so we’ll call him average.  For the amount of hits he has, he does have a decent amount of extra base hits (41 of his 142 non-homerun hits were extra bases).

But, like I said, he’s no Rickey Henderson, nor is he even close.  He just has not done enough on the base paths to give him a check for baserunning skills and speed, but he has also done enough to keep me from totally dismissing him here.  So we’ll give him half a point for tool three.

 

Tool 4:  Throwing Ability

This one is hard to gauge simply because we don’t get a chance to see Bruntlett throw the ball a lot.  The only thing I can do is look at his stats, which I understand isn’t always the best judge of ability.  But its all I have so I will use it.

He has only five outfield assists in 100 career games, certainly no Chuck Klein, but in his defense he did not come up as an outfielder.

He spends most of his time at third and short stop, which means his arm has to be half decent.  So once again I am stuck giving him half a check for throwing ability, mainly because the sample size isn’t very large.

Certainly if he could hit, he’d get more playing time, and I would be able to make a better judgement call, but I think we have figured out from the first two tool analysis, that isn’t something we should hold our breath for.

 

Tool 5:  Fielding Ability

Fielding percentage is a statistic that is controversial in the sense that it is hard to use it as the sole measure of a fielder’s ability.  This is because in order to make an error, a fielder has to first do something correct.

For example, if a third baseman charges a bunt, bare-hands the ball, and launches the ball into the right field corner when he had time to settle the ball and make a better throw, it is an error, despite the fact that if he had not made a great play getting the ball in the first place it would have been a hit.  This causes the player’s fielding percentage to drop.

If an outfielder misreads a ball and runs in, only to realize the ball is going over his head, when the ball drops in and the player near touches it, a hit is awarded and the outfielder’s fielding percentage is not effected.

With that being said, it is really all I have to go by in this situation.  That and the memories of balls going through neck beard’s legs when he took over at short for Jimmy Rollins while he was on the DL in 2008.  A solid, but certainly not great fielding percentage is .975.  A slightly below average fielding percentage is in the .970-.965 range.  Bruntlett’s is .963.  Not shockingly, Eric Bruntlett is below average.

He is also a full .10 worse in the infield then he is in the outfield.  A dismal .955 as a second baseman also leads me to believe that it is not a throwing issue that causes the errors, its his inability to field.  So it appears we have found yet another tool that Eric Bruntlett lacks.

 

So all in all we get Eric Bruntlett half a point for running speed and ability, and half a point for throwing ability.  The lesson learned here seems pretty obvious, be average at few things, grow a hideous beard, and you too can score the winning run in the World Series, which then gives you a job for an entire extra year that seemingly everyone agrees you are in no way qualified for.

I plan on doing some more research into the following question, but I also am hoping someone has already done the research for me and can lead me in the right direction.  There has to be right handed infielders going on waivers in the next few weeks.  Any thoughts on who the Phils might pick up?

Philadelphia Phillies Favorites: Closers

Closing is one of the most difficult jobs in sports.

 

They come into a tight game and try to end it to get the victory.

 

It’s usually only for one inning, but that inning could make or break a team.

 

Every since the save was introduced, baseball has changed. Ninth-inning specialists, or closers, were created to go in and get the win.

 

The Phillies have some good closers during their existence. Here are the top ten:

 

10. Brad Lidge (2008-present)

 

Brad Lidge had an incredible season last year. He was a perfect 41 for 41 in save opportunities. He had a microscopic ERA of 1.96, and batters couldn’t touch him.

 

He’s struggled so far this year, which affected his placement on this list. As a Phillie, he is 2-4 with 61 saves and an ERA of 3.77.

 

9. Turk Farrell (1956-1961, 1967-1969)

 

Turk Farrell had a good career with the Phillies. He had a record of 47-41 with 65 saves and an ERA of 3.25. 

 

He was selected in the 1961 MLB expansion draft by the Houston Colt .45s. He died in an automobile accident in 1977. He was 43 years old.

 

8. Billy Wagner (2004-2005)

 

Though many Phillies fans dislike Billy Wagner because he left us for the Mets, we have to admit he did well for us.

 

Over the course of two seasons, he had a record of 8-3 with an ERA of 1.86. He saved 59 games as a Phillie.

 

7.     Ricky Bottalico (1994-1998, 2001-2002)

 

Ricky Bottalico was the Phillies closer during their bleak years in the 90s. He did well despite being on a bad team.

 

He had a record of 15-25 with 78 saves and an ERA of 3.70 as a Phillie.

 

6. Steve Bedrosian (1986-1989)

 

Steve Bedrosian was also a closer during a bleak time in Philadelphia baseball. He was also successful, having a record of 21-18 with 103 saves and an ERA of 3.29 as a Phillie.

 

5. Mitch Williams (1991-1993)

 

A good pitcher ruined by one pitch, Mitch Williams had a good career in Philadelphia. As a Phillie, he won 20 games and lost 20 games. He saved 102 games for the Phillies and had an ERA of 3.11.

 

His career as a Phillie ended after he surrendered the walk-off home run by Joe Carter that won the 1993 World Series for the Blue Jays.

 

4. Jose Mesa (2001-2003, 2007)

 

Jose Mesa is the Phillies all-time saves leader, despite being their closer for only three years. He was lights out in his first two years as a Phillie but struggled in his third. He came back to the Phillies in 2007 as a middle reliever.

 

He had a record of 13-18 with 112 saves and an ERA of 4.05 as a Phillie.

 

3. Jim Konstanty (1948-1954)

 

The term “closer” hadn’t really been introduced yet, but Konstanty was lights out in relief for the Phillies. He had his best season in 1950 when he won the National League MVP Award. He helped lead the Phillies to the World Series that year.

 

As a Phillie, Konstanty had a record of 51-39 with 54 saves and an ERA of 3.64.

 

2. Ron Reed (1976-1983)

 

Ron Reed played both baseball and basketball professionally. He was mainly a starter before coming to the Phillies, but they switched him to the bullpen. He was one of the key players during their postseason pushes.

 

As a Phillie, he had a record of 57-38 with 90 saves and an ERA of 3.06.

 

1.     Tug McGraw (1975-1984)

 

Tug McGraw is the obvious choice for number one on this list. He is the greatest relief pitcher in Phillies history. He’s most known for his leap after striking out Willie Wilson to win the 1980 World Series.

 

He had a record of 49-37 with 94 saves and an ERA of 3.10 as a Phillie.

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