Philadelphia Phillies’ Struggles Prove Jimmy Rollins’ Importance

So, let’s do the math. Heading into tonight’s game, the Philadelphia Phillies were 9-3 with Jimmy Rollins in the game, and 23-27 without him. 

Additionally, the hometown team has outscored opponents 74-35 with him, but have been outscored 226-201 with him idle. 

That’s a 290-point differential in winning percentage.

Breaking it down a little further, that represents a 3.75 swing in run differential per game. With Rollins, the Phillies recorded 3.25 runs more than their opponent, but have scored .50 runs less than their opponent without him. 

The numbers seem to serve testimony to the importance of Rollins in the Phillies formula for success. 

The Gold Glove shortstop has had a difficult time living up to expectations after his phenomenal 2007 MVP season. He set the bar at such a high level with a campaign that hit on all cylinders, magnificently displaying his five-tool skills, that perhaps his value to this Phillies ball club has been underestimated ever since. 

That season, J-Roll did everything but sing “God Bless America” during the seventh inning stretch, and handle the tarp during rain storms. Oh, yeah, he did that too, on one excessively windy day in Colorado.

Because his batting average and OBP have been down the past two seasons, it might be easy for critics to overlook all the other ways Rollins contributes to the team’s success. 

When J-Roll is swinging the bat well his value to the team is highly apparent. A leadoff man capable of spraying line drives around the yard, racing to take extra bases, swiping bags at a near perfect success rate, and going yard 30 times in a season will surely jump start any offense. 

When you layer on the fact that the same player grabs his glove to assume the most important position in the field and has been recognized as the best glove man in the business three years running—it becomes even easier to see why he is so sorely missed. 

But perhaps the Phillies recent slide points out that despite how talented Rollins is offensively and defensively, his greatest contribution might lie elsewhere. As much as players look up to Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and now Roy Halladay, none of them provides the spark supplied by Rollins. 

For much of his absence, the team has looked lifeless and listless. Levity throughout the ranks seems clearly AWOL without J-Roll’s infectious smile. A suffocating tightness seems to envelop the team.  

It is unclear when Rollins will be fit enough to return. Considering his premature return the first time around, the organization is rightfully taking a cautious approach. 

What is clear, though, is that Rollins is the type of difference-maker who could jolt a moribund team. The Phillies and their fans can only hope that comes sooner rather than later.

 

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What’s Wrong With Chase Utley?

Where did the best second baseman in baseball go?

Chase Utley’s batting average continues to go down the tube. Starting at well over .300, it’s been a slow dissent to the .200’s. It doesn’t take much to notice he’s struggling.

In his last 10 games Utley’s only managed to squeak out a .206 average at his 34 appearances at the plate. Combine his four runs and seven hits with his four strikeouts and 0 stolen bases and it doesn’t add up to much.

Not only has he been having trouble behind the plate, but his field game is starting to be affected. In the June 15 game against the Yankees Utley cost the Phillies a double play, but didn’t pick up an error because they still managed an out. 

So what’s the deal? Why isn’t he performing? And if he’s not performing, why’s he still in there?

Some are leaning to the excuse that Utley may be hurt again. After the previous problems with his hip, it would be no surprise for Utley to keep his mouth shut and play through the pain. If he really is hurt, he needs to speak up and do what’s best for the Phils.

If he’s hurt, he needs to get out of there and get healthy, so he can contribute to the team and do what he does best. Lately, he just hasn’t been helping the Phils out. Utley’s been ending innings and grounding into double plays way too often at a time the Phils are desperate to put some points on the board.

On the other hand, it might just be a slump. Every player has them.

Either way, he needs to get healthy or get out of his slump. Fast.

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Pedro Martinez To Return to the Philadelphia Phillies?

After leaving the team at the end of last year’s World Series, reports suggest the Philadelphia Phillies are interested in bringing former starting pitcher, Pedro Martinez, back on board for the latter half of the season.

After joining the team in August late last season, Martinez finished with a 5-1 record and a 3.63 ERA. 

His outings were less fortunate during the postseason where he recorded a 0-2 record and a 3.71 ERA, which included two games against the New York Yankees during the World Series.

According to reports, Martinez has already stated his desire to pitch in the latter half of this season, but has yet to name the team.

Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro told the media on Wednesday that the Phillies have “talked to his agent, but there’s nothing so far.”

Many believe whether Martinez returns will be a personal choice, but his latest actions, including participating in Miami strength and physical conditioning programs, indicate he plans to return.

The Phillies have been talking with Martinez for the past few weeks, but have not made much progress.

“It depends on whether he wants to play or not,” Amaro remarked, indicating that it was Martinez’s decision and no contract negotiations were ongoing.

The Phillies are desperate for another starting pitcher as they’ve gone on a slide as of late, now trailing Atlanta in the NL East by 3.5 games with a 32-30 season record.

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AJ Burnett to Face Off Against the Ageless Jamie Moyer in Game Two

The Yankees will probably not take a different approach to Game Two of their World Series rematch with the Phillies tonight then they did back in the Fall Classic.

Phillies starter Jamie Moyer has been up and down this season including a complete game, but has since returned to his inconsistent form.

The Yankees’ AJ Burnett was stellar against the Phillies in the postseason, and it will be interesting to see how amazing he may look if the Phillies bats don’t show up—much like they have done all season. 

The last time the Yankees saw Moyer as a starter on the mound was in 2005, and this is definitely a different team.

There is no Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, Bernie Williams, or Tino Martinez on this team. Moyer is looking at a completely new lineup with several players having won a World Series ring last year. 

Moyer was ripped apart by the Red Sox in his last start. Is this a good sign for the Yankees? Only time will tell. The Red Sox offense has been picking it up recently, so the runs scored can be justified. 

Burnett can be like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He has two sides to his pitching. He can be lights-out, especially against a National League team. Or Burnett can be ripped just as badly as Moyer. Both were subtly displayed in the World Series. 

But Burnett should have some help from Alex Rodriguez. The Yankees’ third baseman is expected to return to the lineup after missing the team’s last series and the first game of the Philadelphia series.

All eyes will be on A-Rod and his hip as he steps onto the field for his first bit of action in a few days. He should be fine, though, since he was at batting practice and participated yesterday without pain. He also shagged grounders inside the stadium afterwards. Either way it is A-Rod, and he will always be at the center of attention.

This article was also featured on Bombers’ Banter .

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Six Rare Baseball Feats That Have Occurred Twice in a Season

We’ve officially had two perfect games this season, and really we’ve had three.

How shocking is that?

Before 2010, Major League Baseball had only seen 18 perfect games—16 if you don’t count the two in 1880, during an era in which baseball was very different from its post-1901 incarnation.

To have two (three) perfect games in one year defies logic and common sense. But sometimes these things happen.

Take a look.

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Philadelphia Phillies Now Lacking Confidence It Takes to Win?

Suffice it to say this little slump the Phillies are in is the worst we’ve seen in a long time, and it has officially become incredibly worrisome. It’s not even so much that they’re losing games, but more how they’re losing these games.

At least in prior years when the Phils would hit their annual slump, it appeared to simply be an issue with their mechanics, or overcoming the injury bug, or just an old-fashioned slump that every baseball player inevitably goes through.

However, it never appeared to be a lack of confidence.

They stood tall at the plate or the mound, were selective in the pitches they offered at, and were usually in the game come the seventh or eighth inning.

But this time around, confidence seems to be the key issue. Or more to the point, the lack thereof.

The posture at the plate isn’t very good. And I don’t mean they’re slouched or that there’s necessarily something wrong with the mechanics of the stance, but they’re not taking over the plate the way they used to.

It used to be that anyone in this lineup could just walk up to the plate and strike fear in the opposing pitcher because of the way they just seemed to overtake the batter’s box. There was a confidence that everyone in the stadium or watching from their couches could see.

But now they seem fidgety and unsure of themselves. They’re offering at ridiculous pitches a 10-year old would laugh at.

Then, once they offer at them, they’re not keeping their head down on the ball. It’s the first thing you’re taught since T-ball, but these professionals can’t seem to swing the bat without winding up with their head in left field.

And once the deficit gets big enough, they all start hacking for home runs. They start pressing, and suddenly guys like Juan Castro, Wilson Valdez, and Carlos Ruiz are swinging like they’re Babe Ruth or Mark McGwire.

What the Phillies need now is a cupcake pitcher they can smack around a little bit. Perhaps if they can put 10-15 runs on someone, they’ll start believing in themselves again and won’t act like the only girl on the 12-year old team every time they’re at the plate.

And on top of all the woes they’re having at the plate, it looks like the starting pitchers are finally taking their turn at imploding. Even Roy Halladay was unable to avoid being victimized by the long-ball Joe Blaton style, as it appears Cole Hamels is the only guy left they can rely upon.

But if we can put the doomsday thoughts aside, it is still fairly early in the season. The Phillies usually don’t get hot until after the All-Star break anyway, so perhaps we’re all hopping onto the ledge a bit too quickly.

They’re not too far out in the NL East and, if they can get hot in the latter portion of the season the rest of the teams in the East are usually good for a late-season slide. Then once they’re in the playoffs it’s a whole new season.

Here’s to hoping, I guess.

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Whats Wrong With The Phillies?

Chase Utley.  Ryan Howard.  Jayson Werth.  Placido Polanco.  Shane Victorino.  Raul Ibanez. 

Sounds like a pretty explosive line up, does it not?

Well, lately, this line up has been far from explosive.

Over the past month, Phillies fans as well as the baseball world has been dumbstruck.  With a line up that includes so many talented players, there is no reason that the team should hit a prolonged slump.

In baseball, one can expect their team to hit a snag at some point in the season.  It’s only natural; every sport has its ups and downs.  And with baseball, which has a 162 game regular season, fans should expect a rough patch here and there.

The Phillies, in particular, can usually be relied on to have a slide in either May or June.  It seems to be a yearly occurrence, happening annually for the past couple of seasons. 

But this season is different.

This season, the Phillies have had trouble with both May AND June.

For the first half of May, everything ran smoothly, as expected from a line up boasting so many perennial All-Stars. Then they had a nine game slide in which they only won two games, one of them being the Roy Halladay perfect game where the only run they scored came on an error by Cameron Maybin of the Florida Marlins.

Among those seven losses, the Phils failed to score in five of those games. One of the games they lost to the Boston Redsox had a final score of 8-3, with the only runs coming late in the game when the outcome was already decided. 

Phillies fans were upset, as the team appeared to have forgotten how to hit, but knowledgeable fans took the slide with a grain of salt.  The season is long; one has to break it down into ten game increments, almost like 16 mini-seasons. 

Sometimes the team will hit, but not pitch well, and if the team is good they’ll pull out the victories with scores of 8-5 or 9-7.  Sometimes the team will pitch well, but the bats will be silent, but again, if the team is good, they will games by scores of 3-2 or 2-0. 

This is what separates the good teams from the bad teams.

Over this particular slump, the pitching was or miss with the first half of the slide giving up a lot of runs and shutting down opposing offenses in the second half of the slide.  Still, there was no need to panic; this was the annual slump the Phillies had.

Once June came around, as a fan you expected some players to slump (Jayson Werth, for example. has always been streaky especially in the first have) with the rest of the line up picking them up.

This season, however, has been different.

June has not been kind to the Phightins.

They have gone 4-8 up to the point that I wrote this. 

Why? 

What happened that the Phillies continue this slump? 

They have gone 6-17 and lost their lead on the NL East. Early in the season, yes. But every game counts. You can’t rely on the Mets to fall apart. And the Braves, well, it doesn’t look like they have any plans of leaving either.

And as for the Marlins and Nationals, division title material or not, these are two very tough teams that won’t roll over and die.

So whats wrong this season?

This season, it seems like no player can get the big hit with runners on base.  Chase Utley’s batting average has plummeted. Jayson Werth constantly underwhelms late in the game. Ryan Howard seems to have forgotten that he is a power hitter, hitting only three home runs over the past 28 days. 

The pitching has been hit or miss.  They are either brilliant, or miss their location and make multiple mistakes. The bullpen has been struggling as well. Every Phillies fan closes their eyes and prays whenever Danys Baez or David Hernon come running out of the pen.

As for the injuries, I could write another article detailing them.

JA Happ. Brad Lidge. Ryan Madson. Carlos Ruiz (who has since come back, but has experienced a slump like no other, failing to get a hit in over 20 straight at bats).  Placido Polanco was hurt during the beginning of the slump as well.

The biggest injury, however, has been leadoff hitter and clubhouse leader Jimmy Rollins.  Now, I have always argued with my friends that Jimmy Rollins is not leadoff material.  He swings at the first pitch too often and has a knack for popping out. But this article isn’t meant to blast Jimmy Rollins and pick at his flaws. 

No, this slump has shown just how much Philadelphi’s beloved J-Roll means to this team.  He was the guy who set the plate. When you needed something to happen, he was somehow involved in it. 

The leadership abilities this guy brought is sorely missed, with manager Charlie Manuel himself saying that the clubhouse chemistry just isn’t there.

Not to mention that his replacements are almost guaranteed outs.

Juan Castro is a fine player if the team only plans on using him for a spot start to give the every day player a rest, but this guy couldn’t hit a baseball if you lobbed it to him.  Wilson Valdez is always good for a groundout, which always seems to come with a runner on first.

Their fielding isn’t stellar either. If anything, this slump has shown that Jimmy Rollins definetly earned and deserved his gold gloves.

These guys don’t have the range Jimmy has. They don’t have the arm. They seem to be unaware of whats happening on the field. 

I remember one instance in particular, in the aforementioned 8-3 loss to Boston, when a ground ball was hit with a runner on second. The runner was going on the pitch.  The ball was smacked up the middle, with Castro making a lot of effort to hustle the ball down. He looks first, figures he has no shot of an out, and turns and fires to third without looking. The runner was half way to home. 

He could have possibly nailed him at home, but he didn’t have the awareness to recognize that the runner had already passed third base.

This doesn’t even include the errors made and infield singles where you say to yourself, “Jimmy would have made that play.”

What can you do? The guy is hurt, and his replacements are career minor leaguers.

Ultimately, you can’t blame this slump just on injuries if the healthy players aren’t producing.

By the way, in this writers opinion at least, Greg Dobbs and Ross Gload shouldn’t be on major league rosters either.

The team isn’t hitting; The starters are iffy; the injuries are stacked a mile high.

All of these things come into play.

As a fan, you just have to hope they can turn this thing around before it’s too late, while the division is still open.  They are three and a half games behind in the division, so it wouldn’t be the hardest thing in the world to get back on top.  One just hopes that slump doesn’t continue for very long.

It’s a long season, and this is a championship caliber team.

It’s not a matter of will they break out of it, it’s a matter of when, because this division isn’t going away.  The Braves and the Mets and the Marlins are too good to fall out of it and let the Phillies blow by.

A fan just hopes that the Phils don’t fall too far behind.

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Phillies-Yankees: Yankees Win Series Rematch Opener

During his 12 years in Toronto, Roy Halladay was usually lights out against the Yankees. Now with Philadelphia, Halladay was looking to continue his dominance of New York Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees roughed up Halladay for six runs, including three home runs, and topped Philadelphia, 8-3, in the opener of three-game series that is a rematch of last year’s World Series.

New York won their ninth consecutive home game, while Philadelphia suffered their sixth loss in their last eight games. Both teams started the season 24-13 and New York is 17-10 in their last 27 games. Meanwhile, Philadelphia is 8-17 in their last 25 games.

The game featured two of the best pitchers in their respective leagues. CC Sabathia (7-3) won his third consecutive start for the first time this season. It was also his first win against an opponent other than Baltimore since he defeated Texas on April 16. Sabathia allowed three runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and three walks over seven innings.

Halladay (8-5), who entered the game with an 18-6 career record and three shutouts against New York, allowed six runs on eight hits in six innings. He also struck out five and walked two. Halladay has allowed a whopping 12 earned runs in two interleague starts against Boston and New York this season.

New York opened the scoring in the bottom of the second. After Nick Swisher singled and Jorge Posada walked, Brett Gardner brought home both runners with a two-run triple to give the Yankees an early advantage.

The Yankees extended their lead via the long ball in the bottom of the third. Curtis Granderson led off the inning with his fifth home run of the season. It was the first home run Halladay allowed this season to a left-handed batter. After Robinson Cano doubled, Swisher, batting from the left side, deposited a ball over the right field wall for his 11th home run of the season.

Trailing 5-0, Philadelphia mounted a rally in the top of the fourth. The Phillies loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a hit batter. Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez delivered back-to-back RBI singles, and Ben Francisco added a run-scoring fielder’s choice to cut the Yankees lead to 5-3.

While Sabathia and two relievers kept Philadelphia off the scoreboard over the final five innings, New York extended their lead. In the bottom of the fifth, Mark Teixeira hit a solo home run that just cleared the right field wall. The Yankees completed the scoring in the bottom of the seventh on Francisco Cervelli’s two-out, two-run single.

New York and Philadelphia will continue their three-game series on Wednesday. Kyle Kendrick (3-2, 4.80) will start for the Phillies against the Yankees’ A.J. Burnett (6-4, 3.86). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.

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Just the Medicine: Roy Halladay Will Be Key to Phillies-Yankees Series

We all know the Phillies’ recent struggles—the inconsistent bats and the flat-out lack of offensive production.

Philadelphians have been in a shroud of disbelief over the team’s current struggles, what with the Flyers’ recent success clouding their thoughts, and have ignored the team and brushed off the much-needed panic.

Some call it a slump, some call it midseason woes, but if they Phillies don’t right the ship quickly, we can all call it missing out on the playoffs.

For the Phils, nothing seems scarier in the midst of a slump than interleague play. The team is currently ranked 29th in crossover play, and this year’s struggles have been tragic examples. The Phillies were shelled in the first two games of their recent romp in Boston and barely escaped game three with a win.

Now the Phils have to head to the hallowed grounds of the Bronx to take on the Yankees. Despite the fact that the wounds from last year’s World Series are still healing, the Phillies will have their biggest test in months in NYC.

The series is a three-game set, but when we look at the matchups, we can all agree that game one will be key. Roy Halladay will take the mound for the Phillies, and the Yanks will hope to trump the hype of Halladay with CC Sabathia.

Both of these men have been juggernauts in their careers and hope to set the tone for a possible (and hopeful) World Series matchup in Game One.

Despite last year’s World Series, the Phillies don’t have a huge history against Sabathia. In fact, only three players (Placido Polanco, Raul Ibanez, and Juan Castro) have had more than seven at-bats against Sabathia.

Polanco is a career .326 hitter against the Yankees ace with only one HR and three RBI. Ibanez is the only player close to double-digit RBI, but he only has 11 hits in 40 ABs.

As far as the Doc Halladay v. Yankees matchup, this one has a bit more to it. Halladay was a nightmare for the Yankees when he was in Toronto. The only player on the Yankees lineup that is even arguable against Halladay is A-Rod.

Rodriguez is hitting .299 against Halladay and has seven doubles and 14 RBI. A-Rod is expected to start but could be a game-time decision due to the fact he missed all three games of the Astros series with a bruised hip.

If you look at the Yankees’ big four (Derek Jeter, Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and Nick Swisher), they have a staggering 52 K’s and are hitting only .243 against Halladay.

It seems even more exciting for the Phillies when you notice that Halladay is 18-6 with a 2.81 ERA in 35 games against the Yanks and is 8-1 in his last 10 games against the Bronx Bombers.

This is the third meeting between Halladay and Sabathia, as they split their first two meetings.

We all know the pitching is going to be key, but if the Phillies are to have any chance in the series, they will need to improve with their bats. The team is currently last in run production since the end of May, and since they began interleague play this season on May 21 they have only scored a pitiful 53 runs.

As you can see, the pitchers will take the spotlight in game one, but if the Phillies expect to make a run at seeing the Yanks in the postseason, the bats are going to have to do the talking from here on out. Let’s just hope the team is listening.

 

Side Notes

The Phillies have had luck with the long ball against the Yanks. In last year’s World Series the Phillies had 11 long balls—the Yankees only six. Chase Utley had five HRs in the series.

Utley is currently hitting .256 and was a combined 1-for-9 against the Red Sox.

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The Philadelphia Feud: Jamie and Asher Debate the Phillies and More

Jamie Ambler and I are both Featured Columnists covering the Philadelphia Phillies for Bleacher Report.

As we quickly learned upon meeting one another and becoming acquainted with each other’s perspectives on the Phillies and sports in general, there is very little we agree on.

From Ryan Howard to the Phillie Phanatic, to Mike Schmidt to Richie Ashburn, ask these two guys a question, and chances are we’ll disagree.

In honor of our bipolar views on the world of sports, we present the first installment of The Philadelphia Feud: A new weekly feature in which Jamie and I debate hot topics from the Phillies, the NL East, Major League Baseball, and the world of sports.

Away we go.

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