Philadelphia Phillies: The Top 5 Phillies of All Time

In over 100 years of existence, the Philadelphia Phillies have had many great players over the years. The Phillies franchise has two World Championships and 10 Eastern Division titles. 

We can thank great players for these titles, without them the city of Philadelphia would never had the chance to see the city streets packed with fans for a parade down Broad Street.

The Phillies have a great history and it is something fans can truly be proud of.

Here are the top Philadelphia Phillies off all time.

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Philadelphia Phillies’ Cliff Lee Is Meeting Expectations, but Is Everyone Else?

Cliff Lee was expected to have a great year at the start of the season. The hopes were high, especially after the big free-agency dealings.

Lee started out slow, however. In April he was 2-2 with a 4.18 ERA. In May he began to progress for the better, but still was 2-3 with a 3.78 ERA. Since then, he is 4-0 with an 0.27 ERA. 

Last night, Lee pitched a gem. Nine innings, no runs, six hits. Lee is obviously cruising through June. The question is, what about everyone else?

Ryan Howard. The great Philadelphia Slugger who is already signed through 2015. for $25 million per year. 16 HR, 60 RBI’s this year. Enough said.

Placido Polanco has a .292 batting average. He is doing good, but is a little less consistent than last year. In the last week he is 2-for-18, and has a .203 BA this month. Ever since that pitch that hit him in the elbow last year, he really hasn’t been himself.  

Two days ago he got hit with a pitch in the pinkie. I’ve just got one thing to say, back away from the plate, man.

After being out for the first month and a half of the season, Chase Utley hasn’t really been his old self either. He is hitting .265 on the year, and has posted a .282 batting average in June. He’s doing pretty good recently, and I bet in a few weeks he’ll be back on top of the batting average list.  After all, he is “The Man.”

Shane Victorino has lived up to the expectations, if not gone beyond them. This year his batting average is .296. He has a .321 batting average in June, and a .360 batting average in the last week. Keep flyin’, Mister Hawaiin. 

Jimmy Rollins hasn’t really had such a good year. He is batting .261 with 7 HR and 31 runs batted in. In the last week, however, he has hit over .300, a good sign. Keep rolling, J-Roll.

Carlos Ruiz had one of his best seasons last year. He was a great clutch hitter, getting hits when the team needed him. This year, however, he hasn’t been doing as good as expected. He has a .257 BA, a .369 OBP, 2 HR, and 14 RBI. He is batting .254 for June, but is at .300 for the past week. Perhaps he’s starting to get hot.

Raul Ibanez hasn’t been doing so good this year, but no one really expected anything great from him. He is getting older and probably won’t be a Philly for much longer. This year he is batting .240 with 8 home runs and 32 RBI. In June he is batting .221.  

That doesn’t look so good, but what else do you expect from someone like Raul? Maybe he’ll get hot soon. He has always been an up and down player.

Ben Francisco, another right fielder, isn’t doing much better. He has a .218 batting average with 6 homers and 26 runs batted in. He’s been doing a little better in the last week, but he still has a lot of room for improvement. 

Domonic Brown: .206 BA. 4 HR. 11 RBI.  Dominating Domonic. Come on, man. You can do better than that…

Last, but definitely not least, comes the great foursome. R2C2. Roy Oswalt, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee.  

As I said before, Lee is cruising this month. Roy Halladay is 9-3 with a 2.51 ERA and 119 strikeouts. Roy Oswalt is 4-5 with a 3.38 ERA, perhaps the only one of the four aces not doing as good as expected. Cole Hamels is 9-3 with a 2.51 ERA and 103 SO. The four aces are doing as good as expected, or maybe even better, besides the possibility of Oswalt.

My overall conclusion is that the Phillies’ players are mostly meeting the expectations, offensively and defensively. They’re winning games, so why is Charlie Manuel frustrated?  

The lack of offense is the answer, but the Phillies aren’t losing many games because of their offense—their great pitching makes up for it. If only I had Charlie’s address…

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Ryan Howard: Same as He Ever Was or Is the Philadelphia Phillie in Decline?

Is Ryan Howard in decline? A lot of people would suggest that he is not the player that he once was.  In some ways I’ll agree with that. 

He definitely is not performing to the level he did in 2006—his MVP year—and likely never will.  However, I would suggest a large part of that is teams stealing hits from him by putting on the shift and also realizing they don’t have to intentionally walk him.

One of the big complaints though is Howard himself. 

His on-base percentage has continued to drop as have his power numbers.  He is only on pace for 35 home runs this season and he is well below his career .371 OBP and .567 SLG marks. 

However is it fair to compare Howard’s current numbers to his career averages? 

After all, he is famously a second half of the season player, so perhaps he could be expected to experience an uptake in numbers going forward.  He has played in 74 games this year so in order to better judge his season I have taken his first 74 games worth of stats from each season starting with 2007 to see how they compare. 

*The numbers in italics were final stats at the end of the season.

’07: 330 PA, .258 avg, 22 HR, 68 RBI, 103 K, 54 BB (22 IBB), .379 OBP, .557 SLG, .936 OPS
—Final: 648 PA, .268 avg, 47 HR, 136 RBI, 199 K, 107 BB, .392 OBP, .584 SLG, .976 OPS

’08: 320 PA, .221 avg, 19 HR, 63 RBI, 102 K, 39 BB (8 IBB), .319 OBP, .486 SLG, .804 OPS
—Final: 700 PA, .251 avg, 48 HR, 146 RBI, 199 K, 81 BB, .339 OBP, .543 SLG, .881 OPS

’09: 332 PA, .256 avg, 20 HR, 60 RBI, 93 K, 30 BB (2 IBB), .328 OBP, .535 SLG, .864 OPS
—Final: 703 PA, .279 avg, 45 HR, 141 RBI, 186 K, 75 BB, .360 OBP, .571 SLG, .931 OPS

’10: 321 PA, .296 avg, 15 HR, 55 RBI, 74 K, 24 BB (5 IBB), .352 OBP, .517 SLG, .869 OPS
—Final: 620 PA, .276 avg, 31 HR, 108 RBI, 157 K, 59 BB, .353 OBP, .505 SLG, .859 OPS

’11: 325 PA, .261 avg, 16 HR, 61 RBI, 84 K, 38 BB (7 IBB), .357 OBP, .504 SLG, .861 OPS

So the first thing that jumps out to me is the walks. They have nosedived since 2007.  However, other than 2010 that does not indicate a significant change in plate discipline. 

He was walked intentionally 22 times in 2007.  So his non-intentional total was only 32 walks which is in line with the last few years.  Likewise, this year he received seven intentional free passes so that would be 31 walks non-intentionally.  This is a huge reason for the drop in his OBP.

To be honest, what I see here actually makes me feel optimistic. 

His RBI’s are right in line with his best seasons despite nearly two months of a makeshift top of the lineup in front of him.  His HRs are a bit low but still competitive.  His strikeouts are down and his walks are normal.  His slugging is middle of the road for this span.  His OBP is his second highest in that span.  His OPS basically middle of the road as well.

Given that Howard is notoriously a second half of the season player, we can hopefully expect a generous boost in line with all those other seasons.  If that happens, those numbers will carry him to what will seem like a typical Ryan Howard year at season’s end. 

However he is walking a tight rope.  One of these years he’ll no longer be able to turn on the afterburners for the second half of the season.  There were signs of that in 2010; however, he also spent the last two months of the season split between the DL and playing through a power sapping ankle injury so I give him the benefit of the doubt there. 

If the past is any indication, Phillies fans should sit back and enjoy the ensuing fireworks because Ryan Howard is about to hit his groove.

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MLB Trade Speculation: 4 Clever Deals That Could Help the Philadelphia Phillies

In an interview with Jim Salisbury a few weeks ago for csnphilly.com, Ruben Amaro stated that the Phillies will not make a major move at the trade deadline.

Charlie Manuel, on the other hand, has stated that he’d like to add a right-handed bat.

Amaro is sly like a fox, so it’s tough to take his comments seriously. Just look how he unexpectedly swooped in and snatched Cliff Lee from everyone’s grasp. During his stint as GM, Amaro’s been an outside-the-box kind of guy.

It should be an interesting month or so leading up to the deadline to see how Amaro handles the financial situation. That is of course, if the Phillies decide to be a player at the deadline.

 

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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Players That Could Be Gone Come the July Trade Deadline

As the July trade deadline nears, The Philadelphia Phillies will be looking to move current players to relieve some salary and acquire a much-needed corner outfielder.

There are several Phillies and players in Triple-A Lehigh Valley that could be combined to obtain a quality right-handed bat. The Phillies need help in both right and left field. Raul Ibanez’ career is over, Domonic Brown is still getting acclimated to the major leagues and Ben Francisco is not an everyday major league player.

The Phillies have an abundance of first base talent in the minor leagues and could use them as a throw-in to seal a deal.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Top 7 Right-Handed Outfield Platoon Trade Options

No manager in Phillies history platooned his players like Gene Mauch.

They called him the “Little General” because of his phenomenal attention to do detail. At times he’d single-handedly win a game by consistently being one step ahead of the opposing manager. There were also times where he overmanaged and cost his team games.

During the historic 1964 collapse, Mauch panicked down the stretch and started aces Jim Bunning and Chris Short on two days rest three seperate times in September.

A lot of people fault him for the collapse, but his platoon system was one of the main reasons why the Phillies stayed in first place for most of the season.

Frank Thomas, Danny Carter, John Herrnstein, Roy Sievers and Vic Powers all at one point played first base. Ruben Amaro Sr. and Bobby Wine shared duties at shortstop. Cookie Rojas and Tony Taylor flip-flopped at second base. Clay Dalrymple and Gus Triandos shared playing time at catcher. Johnny Briggs and Tony Gonzalez combined to play center field. Wes Covington, Adolfo Phillips and Alex Johnson played left field. 

Six of the eight regulars on the current Phillies are left-handed (Victorino and Rollins are switch-hitters); it’s no secret that the Phillies could use a right-handed bat. With Domonic Brown and Raul Ibanez both left-handed, it makes the most sense to get a right-handed corner outfielder. 

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Philadelphia Phillies: It’s Time for Raul Ibanez to Take a Seat on the Bench

In a 2-2 game in the top of the eighth inning with the St. Louis Cardinals, the bases were loaded with one out. To no one’s surprise, Raul Ibanez struck out swinging and made his way back to the bench, where he should stay for the remainder of the season. Ibanez also grounded into an inning-killing double play in the top of the second inning.

At this point in his career, Raul is not helping this team at all anymore. It seems he is almost an automatic out every time he comes to the plate. He is truly terrible to watch.

His batting average has dropped to .240 and shows no signs of climbing. He also has trouble getting on base; his on-base percentage is at a pathetic .290. Ibanez is on pace to strike out 125 times this season, hit 18 home runs and only drive in 70 runs. Another quick fact: Ibanez is batting even worse with runners in scoring position at .232.

Ibanez may be the worst defensive left fielder in all of Major League Baseball. He has absolutely no range and has the arm of a high school player. He has three outfield assists this season. When a ball is hit in the left-center gap, I just pray that Shane Victorino can make it to the ball in time.

Raul’s age is clearly catching up to him, and he can no longer compete as an everyday major league player. Ibanez just turned 39.

I hope this becomes a lesson for Ruben Amaro Jr.: Never, ever sign a player over the age of 35 to a multi-year deal. It ends in disaster, especially when you are playing him over $12 million at age 39. What was he thinking?

It is imperative that Philadelphia makes a move for another outfielder before the July trade deadline. Ibanez, Ben Francisco and Domonic Brown are all struggling, and if the Phillies want to compete in October, they need to balance their lineup with someone who can hit at least .265 or better with some power. It seems none of these three players can do that at this point in their careers.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Could Heath Bell, Ryan Ludwick Come to Broad Street?

There are rumors floating about the baseball world about the Philadelphia Phillies possibly bringing in closer Heath Bell and outfielder Ryan Ludwick. Jon Paul Morosi reported that the Philadelphia, Seattle and Cincinnati are interested in Bell and Ludwick. 

Let’s better analyze this potential trade in what it does for “Philly’s Phinest.” 

Heath Bell, the successor to Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman in San Diego, has been pretty much a success. The 6’3″, 260 lb. Bell has 89 saves the past two seasons. Compared with other pitchers in the Phillies bullpen, that is more than Brad Lidge (58) and Ryan Madson (15) combined.

Granted, Lidge was injured for a portion of the last two seasons, and Madson was mainly the eighth-inning setup man. However, in 2011, Bell has four more saves (19) than Madson (15), but Madson became the closer after Jose Contreras went down with an injury.

Madson who, like Bell, becomes a free agent after this year, has been solid in his relief role converting 15 saves and only blowing one save. However, Madson’s agent is Scott Boras. For those of you who don’t know, Boras is known for getting his clients the absolute most money he possibly can.

With Bastardo and Contreras, can the Phillies afford to let Madson walk? If they bring in Bell, who is 33, would they rather pay Bell or Madson? Madson just this year has become a ninth-inning-guy, and really has shined in the eighth inning. He has 112 career holds, including 58 holds in the last three years.

Bell has been a lockdown closer, something that the Phillies haven’t had since Brad Lidge’s magical 2008 season. Madson, as a closer last year, did have as many saves as blown saves—five. Maybe the Phillies want to use Bell in the ninth, Madson in the eighth and use Contreras, a proven veteran in the bullpen.

As for Ryan Ludwick, he fills a much-needed right-handed bat in the Phillies lineup. Other names that have surfaced as possible new residents in the outfield of Citizens’ Bank Park are the Twins‘ Michael Cuddyer and Oakland A’s outfielder Josh Willingham.

If you compare the stats among the three players, they are pretty much similar. In terms of batting average, Ludwick is a career .265 hitter, Willingham is a career .262 hitter and Cuddyer is a career .270 hitter. Ludwick and Willingham have both hit 113 career home runs to Cuddyer’s career 131 home runs.

In terms of driving runs in for their career, Cuddyer has 539 RBI, Ludwick has 420 RBI and Willingham has 378 RBI. But WIllingham leads his fellow right-handed batting outfielders in On-Base Percentage (.362) and Slugging Percentage (.469).

Cuddyer, Willingham, and Ludwick are all 32 years of age, and it looks as if Cuddyer is in the downside of his major league career, and over the last three years, Ludwick has a higher average (.273) and more home runs (76), than Willingham (.260, 55 HR).

So, if the Phillies are seriously considering bringing in a right-handed outfielder and a proven closer, maybe they should go after Ludwick and Bell, but who do they trade away to San Diego? Leave your thoughts in the comment section, what do you think the Phillies should do?

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Philadelphia Phillies: 10 Best Offensive Seasons in Team History

The Philadelphia Phillies are a team with a rich history that dates back 128 years. 

Along the way they have produced many Hall of Fame players including: Steve Carlton, Richie Ashburn, Robin Roberts and Jim Bunning.

Over the years, they have accumulated just two World Series trophies while fluctuating between solid and poor campaigns.

There have been many years that have been particularly strong offensively. Here are the 10 best offensive seasons in Phillies history.  

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Phillies-Cardinals: Questioning the Whole Idea of Comebacks in Sports

Last night, the Phillies looked spectacular. Is last night a good example to go by for the rest of the series?

If so, is that a good thing or not?

The Phillies have two games left against the Cardinals. Tonight’s match up is Kyle Lohse vs. Cliff Lee. Lee is 7-5 with a 3.12 ERA  and Lohse is 7-3 with a 2.88 ERA.  

They are close to being evenly matched, although Lee has recently been doing great and Lohse has been slumping a little.

Last night, the Phillies were down 2-1 in the eighth, and came back to score nine runs in the top of the inning. If that is anything to go by—which it may not be—the Phillies might play like that again tonight.  

But if they do, will they win again?  Probably more importantly, if they play this way in the postseason, will they make it far? 

It seems the obvious answer is that I’m crazy; they scored nine runs in one inning and won 10-2. Their pitching was good and their offense was, too.

But the thing that worries me, and I know this sounds strange, is their hitting.

Their hitting was obviously good in the eighth, but throughout the first seven innings they scored one run (which, in fact, was not scored until the seventh). They weren’t doing so good until then.

I don’t know about you, but their lack of offense kind of worries me.

Their offense has been inconsistent to some degree for the past while. On Sunday, for instance, they were shut out against a .500 pitcher. 

Last night, they suddenly sparked up and tore through the Cardinals pitching. If they are in the same situation again, however, will they still get that spark?  And if they don’t, will they lose?

There may not be too many instances in which the Phillies do score nine runs in one inning. Last night, they only had to score two to get the go-ahead, but they were lucky that their pitching had held the Cards offense.

I know that last night’s game seems reassuring because their offense scored ten runs. I think that’s great.  

But what isn’t so good is that they were already in that situation. they had scored only one run until then.  

On that matter, is it good when teams make a great comeback near the end of the game? Isn’t it bad that they were in that situation in the first place?

I know I’m questioning some of the founding fan principals of baseball, a comeback is great. But is it?

If this does happen to occur again, will the Phillies be able to repeat this? I know-so many questions.

Knowing the Phillies, however, there’s probably nothing to be worried about.    

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