Philadelphia Phillies or Atlanta Braves: Position-by-Position Advantages

Coming into the 2012 MLB season, there seems to be two favorites in the National League East.  After winning the NL East crown for the fifth straight season, the Phillies should experience a much tighter race than in the past. 

The team that is most likely to give them the greatest challenge is the Atlanta Braves.  With a young core of players that had breakout seasons last year, the Braves hope to build off a successful, yet non-playoff, 2011 season.  

With the “O’Ventbrel,” as they’re called, combination at the back end of the bullpen, along with rising stars Freddy Freeman and Jason Heyward, this may be the year the Phillies’ aging roster is surpassed by the up-and-coming Braves.  Here is a rundown on how the two NL East favorites match up, position by position.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Could Brad Lidge Be Returning?

The Philadelphia Phillies already added Jonathan Papelbon to the bullpen this winter as the team’s new closer. With that move in the rear-view mirror, what might be coming next?

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, it is possible that Brad Lidge will be back in the City of Brotherly Love next season.

Would this be a good thing?

Although Lidge spent a significant part of last year on the disabled list, he was effective when he finally returned. He appeared in 25 games and posted a 1.40 ERA with eight holds.

Lidge’s control seemed to be a little bit off as he issued 13 walks in 19.1 innings. However, part of that might simply be that he was getting rid of the rust that accumulated while he was recovering. That should be expected immediately after a pitcher returns to the mound.

The encouraging part of Lidge’s control struggles is that even though he was allowing runners on base, he wasn’t allowing them to cross the plate. At times, composure had been a struggle for him, so it is incredibly important to note that he wasn’t being overwhelmed by the prospect of having runners on base.

With a solid winter and spring, the rust should finally be off for Lidge. Even though he would definitely not be the closer, he is more than capable of being a productive member of the Phillies bullpen.

The Phillies are again hoping to make a run at the World Series. There are many ways to go about building a successful team, but one solid way to do that is by bringing in pitchers who have been there and had success. Phillies fans might recall some of Lidge’s previous success in the World Series …

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Philadelphia Phillies: Which Free Agent Reliever Will Set Up Papelbon?

It is no secret the Phillies are in the hunt for a relief pitcher. In the past few weeks they have been rumored to be in talks with a few pitchers, most notably Ryan Madson. After Madson’s signing of a one-year, $8.5 million deal with the Cincinnati Reds, the search has been blown wide open.

Depending on the health of current set-up man Jose Contreras, who had elbow surgery last year, the Phillies may need a legitimate eighth inning guy. The team is only about five million dollars under the luxury tax threshold, so there is not much room to grab a big name.

Guys like Kerry Wood (pictured) and Brad Lidge have been named as possible options, but no one name stands out as the clear front runner. Here’s a look at some options for the Phillies’ bullpen in 2012, as well as the odds of those top options signing. 

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MLB Free Agents: Who Are the Winners and Losers of Ryan Madson’s Offseason?

We do not know exactly what happened with the breakdown of the Phillies-Madson reported agreement. We do know that the reliever’s offseason has gone differently than expected.

The expectation, going back to the beginning of Spring Training 2011, was that Madson would stay on with the Phillies as their “closer of the future.” There also was the expectation that Madson would be rewarded with a big contract after putting together a nice run closing games in 2011 for the Phillies.

One other aspect in the whole process was that Madson’s agent is Scott Boras. Boras typically does not let his clients accept hometown discounts, and players only hire Boras if they are looking for big money (i.e. Jayson Werth).

So when the report came out that the Phillies and Madson had agreed to a four-year, $44 million deal, everything seemed to be going as expected.

When it broke down, everything changed and went off the expected course. With unexpected outcomes, we have unexpected consequences.

Who benefited the most from the development? Who was the biggest loser? We’ll take a look…

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25 Philadelphia Phillies Your Kids Can Look Up To

Raising an aspiring catcher? You will want to sit down and have a conversation with your children about two of the greatest catchers in the history of the Phillies‘ franchise, Bob Boone and Carlos Ruiz. Where would either of the Phillies’ World Series teams be without their respective catchers?

Both catchers pride themselves on defense, but Boone’s game behind the plate was second to none. Though he was never recognized for his work with the bat, it was Boone who controlled the game’s pitching, handling guys like Steve Carlton and Tug McGraw and drawing the most out of them, all while being a rock behind the plate.

Years later, Ruiz approaches the game in much of the same way. He is a defense first catcher with great technique, and understands the importance in controlling the pace of the game by keeping runners in check.

Handling pitchers has become “Chooch’s” specialty. Working with All-Star talents like Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels, Ruiz is now recognized as one of the game’s best catchers, drawing the best out of the Phillies’ staff by calling an excellent game behind the plate and earning the respect of every pitcher he works with.

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9 Signs Jimmy Rollins Still Has More Success Left in the Tank

It is hard to believe that it has been over ten years since the Philadelphia Phillies found their starting shortstop in hotshot prospect Jimmy Rollins. From Reading to Scranton and then up to the Phillies in 2000, Rollins has continually shown his worth and his talent with the club that drafted him.

Rollins, now 33, is hoping to continue to wow Phillies fans with his bat and glove. He may not be the all star and MVP he was only five years ago, but he can still play and he can still succeed at the major league level.

In 2012 Rollins will be in the first year of a new three year deal with the Phillies. The vesting option for a fourth year seems achievable if he can stay healthy and it looks that the Phillies and Rollins will look to him having a good season if they hope to reach another World Series. With only three guaranteed years to prove he can still play, Rollins is primed to show the Phillies in 2012 and beyond why signing him was a good investment.

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Philadelphia Phillies: What Can Brown Do for Them in 2012?

With the NFL closing in on the end of the season, and pitchers and catchers reporting next month, the MLB will soon be back in the spotlight.

This offseason, the five-time reigning NL East champions have taken a back seat in the division to the Marlins and Nationals who both made huge free-agent signings.

However, the Phillies did address issues of need and have improved their team to try to make another World Series run.

Being eliminated in the NLDS in 2011 was a huge disappointment for a team with World Series aspirations, but re-signing Jimmy Rollins and adding star closer Jonathan Papelbon to an already impressive bullpen gives the Phillies stability this season.

But, the biggest question this season is what to do with top prospect Domonic Brown.

Brown was in a platoon role in right field with Ben Francisco until the Phillies acquired All-Star Hunter Pence at the trade deadline. Since then, Brown has been switched to left field and is still learning the position.

The Phillies organization have handled all matters regarding Brown terribly, but he has not performed the way they wanted him to. He has struggled at the major league level, and right now, is considered a Quadruple-A player.

Brown has great career numbers in Triple-A including a .298 AVG and a .453 SLG, including a monster 2010 year with a .327 AVG, 20 HR and 68 RBI. Not only can Brown hit, but he has a rocket arm and great speed. He needs to improve upon his judgement and positioning in the outfield, especially since switching to left field.

The only way those attributes will improve is from playing everyday.

 

During Brown’s best year in 2010, the Phillies made a mistake calling him up to the majors before September. He was used in a bench role when he could’ve been playing everyday in Triple-A. Brown lost valuable playing time going into a season where he would be expected to play a role at the MLB level with the expected departure of Jaysen Werth.

Brown’s numbers in limited MLB action have not been as pretty. His AVG is an abysmal .236 and has seven home runs.

There has been flashes of greatness, showing Brown’s high ceiling, including an upper-deck bomb against the Giants in his shortened 2010 season.

However, Brown does not have a place on the current Phillies roster. With the signing of Laynce Nix, who’s a solid left fielder off the bench and the return of  last year’s breakout player John Mayberry Jr., Domonic will most likely start the season in Triple-A.

He may be stuck there the whole season. If Brown heats up in Triple-A, and the Phillies need outfield help, he may see some time in the majors. Also, if Nix or Mayberry cannot stay healthy, Brown will likely be their replacement.

There’s a slight chance Brown will start the season as part of the major league roster, because of Ryan Howard’s injury. Mayberry and Jim Thome will split the duties at first while Howard is on the disabled list. That leaves Nix to get significant playing time in left field for the Phillies to start the season.

But, the right move for the organization would be to let Brown get comfortable and improve in the minors. There’s no reason to keep him in the majors until Howard returns to play a bench role, when he can be gaining valuable experience in left field in Lehigh Valley. He can then contribute along with Mayberry Jr. in the future for the Phillies.

Brown needs to regain his confidence and get his swing back, which was altered by Phillies coaches in the spring of 2011. Even though his swing is very awkward, the Phillies coaches realized they needed to stop trying to fix his swing and let him swing how he’s comfortable.

With practice and repetition in the minors, Brown can move on to have a very successful career in the majors.

He is just not ready to do so this season.

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If He Played in the 1990s, Would Richie Ashburn Still Be a Hall of Famer?

Richie Ashburn is the greatest outfielder in Philadelphia Phillies history.  He was voted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans’ Committee in 1995.

Ashburn was an excellent defensive center fielder with outstanding speed. He was a fine base runner, and was one of the greatest of all lead off hitters.

Until Pete Rose and Rickey Henderson came along, a solid argument could be made that Ashburn was the greatest lead off hitter of all time.  He averaged 89 walks and only 42 strikeouts a season.

Once, in a game against the Cincinnati Reds, Ashburn fouled off 14 Corky Valentine pitches before getting his walk.

Today, walks are valued more than when Ashburn played, although astute managers realized they often were the difference between winning and losing.  Frankie Frisch knew what he was saying when he lamented, “Oh, those bases on balls.”

Ashburn played from 1948-59 with the Phillies and was traded to the Chicago Cubs on Jan. 11, 1960 in exchange for pitcher John Buzhardt, shortstop Al Dark and third baseman Jim Woods. 

The New York Mets purchased Ashburn’s contract from the Cubs on Dec. 8, 1961.

Ashburn played 15 seasons. If his career had started in 1992 instead of in 1948, he would not make the Hall of Fame because players are evaluated by different standards in the 21st century.

Ashburn won batting titles in 1955 (.338) and in 1958 (.350). he led the league in on base percentage four times, in walks four times, in triples twice, in hits three times and in games played twice. 

He led the National League in putouts nine times, despite the presence of Wilie Mays and Duke Snider.

The problem is that center field is considered a power position, and Ashburn didn’t hit with power. He batted .308/.396/.382 with 29 career home runs.

A tremendous negative is that Ashburn’s on-base percentage was 14 points better than his slugging average. Only 455 of his 2.574 hits went for extra bases. Although Ashburn didn’t have a strong throwing arm, he made one of the most important throws in baseball history.

The Phillies and Brooklyn Dodgers were tied for first place on the last day of the 1950 season. With the score 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth inning at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn had the speedy Cal Abrams on second and Pee Wee Reese on first with no outs.

Duke Snider hit a line drive single to center field.

Ashburn was playing shallow because the situation called for a bunt to move the potential pennant winning run to third base with only one out. Yes, in 1950, managers sacrificed with players who batted third.

Ashburn picked up the ball as Cal Abrams raced for the plate. He was out by 15 feet, and the Phillies won the game in extra innings.

Nineteen sixty two was the Mets inaugural season. They lost the most games any team ever lost, but there were a few bright spots.

Ashburn appeared in 135 games, batted .306 with a .424 on-base percentage and managed to steal 12 bases. It was his final season.

There is no doubt that Richie Ashburn is a Hall of Famer, that Richie Ashburn was one of the greatest lead off batters in history and that Richie Ashburn was a wonderful broadcaster.

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John Bowker Released by Philadelphia Phillies, Utility Man Will Play in Japan

According to the Philadelphia Phillies‘ Twitter account, utility man John Bowker has been released by the club so he can “pursue an opportunity with a professional team in Japan.”

Bowker, 27, played in a total of 12 games for the Phillies in 2011, pinch-hitting and playing first base and right field. He went 0-for-12 at the plate for Philadelphia, striking out in seven of his 13 plate appearances. Bowker joins relief pitcher Scott Mathieson as the second player from the organization to be released to play in Japan. Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly had previously reported that Bowker was drawing interest from the Yomiuri Giants, who signed Mathieson in December.

The most important part of this release, though, is the fact that it clears a space on the club’s 40-man roster. With speculation that the Phillies may go after another relief pitcher (Kerry Wood and Jeremy Accardo have been mentioned as options), the Phillies needed to clear a spot on the roster, and by releasing Bowker they did not have to send a player through waivers.

With third baseman Carlos Rivero already being snatched up from waivers by the Nationals (he was waived to the minor leagues after the Jimmy Rollins signing), it was obvious that the Phillies did not want to chance losing another prospect.

Will this move lead to another signing? Feel free to leave your opinion in the comments section.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Players Phillies Regret Letting Walk

The Philadelphia Phillies are known, especially in recent years, to make the blockbuster trade or big offseason signings. 

However, Phils fans often look past the impact players the Phillies let venture into the cynical world of free agency thus signing with other teams.

Especially with Jimmy Rollins almost not returning as the face of the franchise for the upcoming season, this gave thought of what past Phillies players fans didn’t want to leave the City of Brotherly Love.

Here are the top five. 

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