2012 Philadelphia Phillies: Don’t Trade Joe Blanton!

One of the most memorable scenes from the 2008 World Series was pitcher Joe Blanton crushing Tampa Bay Rays hurler Edwin Jackson’s fast ball into the left field stands.  Blanton will probably never have to buy another meal in Philadelphia after that dinger not to mention the stellar performance on the hill that night.

The following season, Blanton went 12-8 with a 4.05 ERA and struck out a career high 163 batters in 195.1 innings. He started Game 4 vs the Yankees and allowed four runs in six innings while striking out seven. He didn’t factor into the decision as former closer Brad Lidge took the “L” in the ninth. But the Phillies were impressed enough to sign him to a 3-year $24 million contract after the ’09 season and things became a little rocky after that.

In 2010, Blanton started the season on the DL with a strained oblique but he was a fixture in the rotation after that.  He started 28 games and finished 9-6 with a 4.82 ERA.

2011 was a waste.  Elbow issues forced Blanton to the sidelines for basically the entire season.  The big right-hander started eight games and tossed just 41.1 innings.  Blanton said he didn’t ever feel completely healthy until the playoffs started.  Manager Charlie Manuel called his name only once in the five games and he answered with a 1-2-3 inning.

All this brings us to 2012.  Blanton has been the topic of numerous trade rumors that have heated up since the beginning of Spring Training.  The Toronto Blue Jays are seeking a starting pitcher and Blanton and former top Phillies prospect and current White Sox righty Gavin Floyd appear to head their list. Now, there are whispers that the Boston Red Sox might have some interest which leads to the question of: Should the Phillies trade Joe Blanton?

The answer here? A definitive no. Why you ask?

First, it appears Blanton is healthy and if so, he is a more known commodity than current No. 4 starter Vance Worley.  No doubt about it, Worley had a very nice rookie season but does he have Charlie’s trust to pitch in a big game?  He didn’t in 2011.  Worley could have possibly iced the Cardinals series with a solid game four start.  However, Manuel went with Roy Oswalt, the seasoned veteran and former ace.  We all know how that worked out. Blanton started six postseason games as a Phillie and hasn’t lost any of them as he carries a 2-0 record with a 4.23 ERA.

Next, if Blanton is dealt, the number five spot in the rotation is handed to Kyle Kendrick. Speaking about confidence in a guy, Kendrick has been with the Phillies for every one of the last five division winning seasons.  However, he hasn’t even appeared in a postseason game since Game 2 of the NLDS vs the Colorado Rockies in 2007.  It’s obvious Charlie and pitching coach Rich Dubee don’t have much faith in a non-strikeout pitcher come playoff time.  Yes, Kendrick’s ERA was the best of career in 2011 at 3.22 but that was primarily in relief as the long-swing man.  That’s where he should be in 2012.

Other candidates for the No. 5 spot in the rotation include Joel Piniero and Scott Elarton.  I don’t think either of those guys do anything to excite anybody which leads us back to Joe. 

The bottom line is the Phillies don’t have as much pitching depth as it may appear.  If Worley crashes back down to earth as some scouts expect then what?  All of the sudden the “Big Three” might become the “Only Three.” Blanton isn’t going to go out and become a Cy Young candidate but what he does bring is a veteran presence with strikeout stuff, and big game experience.

So, to Ruben Amaro Jr.  Hang onto Mr. Blanton before he comes back to Philly someday and crushes a Kyle Kendrick hanging fastball to left.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Handicapping the Phillies’ Left Field Battle

As much as Phillies fans will miss Raul Ibanez’s humongous tobacco cheek, striking resemblance to guitarist Tom Morello, and tortoise-like speed, it’s time we get used to the fact that the Phillies will have a new left fielder in 2012.

There are a handful of candidates to assume the vacancy in left field, and each of them will get a long look from Charlie Manuel (and all of us, since nearly every game is televised).  While someone could certainly come out of nowhere to steal the job, it appears that there are five main competitors: Domonic Brown, John Mayberry Jr., Laynce Nix, Juan Pierre and Scott Podsednik.

Handicapping the battle for left field is a tricky situation depending on how you define “winning the job.”  For instance, is the “winner” the player who starts on opening day, or is it the player who gets the majority of at-bats over the course of the season?  The situation is further complicated by the fact that John Mayberry Jr., in the absence of Ryan Howard, may find himself actually playing some first base early in the season.

For the sake of this article, and in order to account for platooning or games the player may play at other positions, I’ll define the “winner” of the Phils left field battle this spring as the player who gets the most starts in left field in the month of April.  With that in mind, here are the chances that each candidate wins the left field job, from least likely to most likely.  

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Philadelphia Phillies: The 25 Phillies Most Hated by Opposing Fans

The funny thing about fans of the Philadelphia Phillies is that players that this city tends to embrace are often hated with a fiery passion by fans of other teams.

Then again, that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

Phillies fans love a player that plays the game “the right way.” They want to see a player hustle hard, grind out each at-bat, or run right through a wall if that’s what the situation requires. If a guy is willing to meet those conditions, he will be embraced by this city and its passionate fans.

But there’s a flip-side to that coin.

Those types of players tend to drive fans of other teams absolutely insane. Any player that will do anything to beat you has the potential to drive you up a wall as well, and there are plenty of those guys on this list.

However, they aren’t the only ones. You’ll just have to stay tuned to find out which Phillies’ players have driven opposing fans to the brink in their careers.

For news, rumors, analysis, and game recaps during spring training, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor!

Follow @Greg_Pinto

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2012 Philadelphia Phillies: Time to Get Used to Freddy Galvis

Face it, you don’t want to think about it too much. You already are sweating Ryan Howard not being able to start the season, and now being out indefinitely is looking more ominous. There is a little bit of comfort knowing that Jim Thome, John Mayberry, Laynce Nix and Ty Wiggington can all help out at first admirably until Howard returns. 

What you are trying to blow off are negative thoughts about Chase Utley.

No one really cared that Utley didn’t play in the first couple of spring training games. “Better keep him healthy for the regular season” is the consensus thought.

Now we are a full week into games and not only has Utley not played yet, there is no timetable for him to get on the field. You know, this happened in 2011 as well, and Utley ended up starting the season on the disabled list and then missing 50-plus games. Uh oh.

If Utley misses any amount of significant time, who plays second base? Late in the spring last year, the Phillies brought in Luis Castillo for a three-game tryout. That didn’t work out. Super utility man Wilson Valdez was the opening day two-bagger and filled in adequately until Utley returned.

Valdez was shipped to the Cincinnati Reds in the offseason, leaving Michael Martinez as the only remaining utility man. 

The Phils selected Martinez in the Rule-5 draft last season, but he didn’t do a lot to set the world on fire. He hit .196 with three home runs and 24 runs batted in in 234 plate appearances. He carried a microscopic .540 OPS. It’s doubtful the Phillies brass want to hand him significant amounts of playing time if Utley can’t go.

Wiggington can hit Major League pitching. There is not much doubt about that. However, defensively, second base is probably his fourth best position after first, third and left field.

I’m sure manager Charlie Manuel has thought about former gold-glove second baseman Placido Polanco at second, but keep in mind that Polly isn’t a poster child of health either, and second is a much more physically demanding position than third base.

All of this brings us to rookie Freddy Galvis. The 22-year-old native of Venezuela split time between Double-A and Triple-A in 2011. Between those two levels, Galvis his .278 with eight home runs, 43 runs batted in, 78 runs scored and 23 stolen bases. 

Galvis is considered a “plus” fielder but has primarily played shortstop. Expect to see Manuel pencil in Galvis quite a bit at second this spring with Utley out to see if he can A) handle the position defensively and B) do enough at the plate to survive.

Physically, Galvis is a lot like Valdez or Martinez. He’s 5’10”, 170 pounds, so he’s definitely not an intimidating presence. He’s been playing professionally since he was 17 years old, so there is still some upside. While his bat speed is slightly above average, hitting is where he stills needs to develop.  He is considered one of the best defensive shortstops in all of minor league baseball, which should make a transition to second base seamless if he works on the double play pivot.

So to sum it all up, here is to hoping we don’t have to worry about Galvis’ bat in 2012 and the season opens up with the familiar No. 26 trotting out to second base. If Utley can’t go, though, Galvis has an excellent shot to be in the everyday lineup if he shows he can handle big league pitching this spring.

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25 Biggest Villains in Philadelphia Phillies History

There’s an old song by famous musician Jim Croce called You Don’t Mess Around With Jim where Croce warns listeners that there are certain things you just shouldn’t do, with the lyrics, “You don’t tug on Superman’s cape. You don’t spit into the wind. You don’t pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger, and you don’t mess around with Jim.”

Is it too late to add, “You don’t cross a passionate, Philadelphia Phillies fanbase,” in there somewhere?”

Philadelphia has proven, time and time again, to be a hard-working, blue-collar city, and it is certainly no secret that the fans want their players to approach their “job” in the same respect: Play hard, have fun, but most importantly, win.

Players who have dared to go against that grain have often become something akin to target practice for those same passionate fans—be it with words, or in rare cases, actual, solid objects.

The bottom line being this: As long as you love the game and treat it with respect, these fans will respect you for it.

That sentiment doesn’t apply strictly to ball players. Throughout the game of baseball, from management to whole teams to members of the media, plenty of people have rubbed the Phillies, as a whole, in the wrong way.

This organization certainly is not short on villainous characters. Let’s take a look at just a few.

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Fantasy Baseball 2012 Projection: Will Hunter Pence Thrive in Philadelphia?

For whatever the reason, Hunter Pence feels like a player that is often disrespected by fantasy owners. 

Is it that he doesn’t always look “natural” on the diamond? 

Was it that he spent the early part of his career in Houston? 

I’m not really sure the answer, but the fact of the matter is that he brings consistency that few players do.  If you look at his 2011 campaign it is almost a mirror of the previous three seasons:

606 At Bats
.314 Batting Average (190 Hits)
22 Home Runs
97 RBIs
84 Runs
8 Stolen Bases
.370 On Base Percentage
.502 Slugging Percentage
.361 BABIP

Now in Philadelphia, will he be able to take a major step forward or should we simply expect more of the same?  The first thing to take note of is that the stadium itself should not have a major impact on his performance.  He is going from one favorable park to another, so don’t use that as any reason to push him up your rankings.

The power is a number that is always in question, but at this point he has proven it is for real.  Despite a groundball rate of over 50% each of the past four seasons he has hit 25, 25, 25 and 22 HR.  It’s obvious that he can maintain that mark and we should continue to expect that from him in 2012.

His average was buoyed by an unrealistic BABIP in 2011.  We all know that and it is impossible to think that he is going to come close to replicating it.  He had hit .282 on the dot the prior two seasons and that is a much more realistic expectation for him. 

Could he be a little higher or a little lower?  Absolutely, but I wouldn’t expect him to exceed .300 for a second consecutive season.  Figure that he’ll be in the .280-.290 range.

The other three numbers (SB, RBI and R) are things we need to look at. 

He has never been a major threat to steal bases, with no more than 18, but he had just one in 207 AB after arriving in Philadelphia.  Could the improved lineup around him keep him from running quite as often? 

That’s something that is a very realistic possibility.

Maybe he just needed to get comfortable with his new teammates and surroundings.  With time under his belt it is very possible that he gets a little bit friskier on the base paths.  It’s not like the Phillies are a station-to-station team, as we’ve seen Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley consistently given the green light to run. 

I would go into the year expecting Pence to return to his prior levels (between 11 and 18 SB), though keep in mind that he could fall flat.

Where the move could have a major impact is Pence’s ability to both score and drive in runs.  While we don’t know exactly how the Phillies will craft their lineup, there is going to be some mix of Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard (once healthy), Shane Victorino and others joining Pence.  No matter where he hits, the supporting cast is going to be significantly better than he’s had in recent years.

That should lead to more opportunities to both score and drive in runs.  Only once has he surpassed 85 R scored (93 in ’10), but reaching that mark this year is extremely realistic.  If he is hitting third in the lineup, seeing 90+ becomes even more likely.

Whether he hits third, fifth or somewhere else, there are going to be guys on base when he steps to the plate.  Over the past two years he has had 91 and 97 RBIs respectively, and reaching the magical 100 RBI mark is extremely possible thanks to the improved supporting cast.

We put it all together and get the following projection for 2012:

.290 (174-600), 25 HR, 100 RBI, 90 R, 14 SB, .318 BABIP, .345 OBP, .488 SLG

Basically, despite a little bump in R and RBI, I am expecting Pence to be a very similar player to what he has been throughout his career.  That makes him a very solid player and a lock to be among the Top-15 outfielders in the game. 

He certainly should not be ignored, but he also should not be moved significantly up draft boards because he will be playing in Philadelphia.

That potential to be overvalued, as well as the regression in BABIP, could lead to a go opportunity to sell a little bit high on him.  If you own him in a keeper league it is definitely worth exploring.

Make sure to check out our 2012 projections:

• Bumgarner, Madison
• Freeman, Freddie
• Goldschmidt, Paul
• Lawrie, Brett
• Strasburg, Stephen

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

10 Ways the Philadelphia Phillies Can Avoid Another First-Round Exit

One stinking run.

The Phillies, as we are all well aware, couldn’t score a single run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the deciding game of last year’s NLDS.  They couldn’t score a run to save their season, to back an absolutely clutch and inspired performance from their ace, or to protect the collective sanity of their fans.

And so it was that the team with the most wins in Phillies’ history, the team with the four aces that were supposed to tear up and rewrite the history books, couldn’t even make it past the first round of the playoffs.

But life goes on, the months go by, and baseball is reborn every Spring.  2012 gives the Phillies a chance for a fresh start; a new opportunity to win the World Series title they fell so disappointingly short of in 2011.  

With last year’s loss to the Cardinals still probably fresh in all of the Phillies’ memories, here are 10 ways they can avoid another first-round exit this year. 

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Pete Rose: The Most Respected and Admired Player in the Game

The last time the Philadelphia Phillies had won the World Series was…never.

The Phillies were getting ready to face the Houston Astros in the 1980 NLCS, which was a best-of-five series.

Shortstop Larry Bowa walked over to Pete Rose, who had batted “only” .282 with 185 hits, and told him, half seriously, “We got you here. You take us the rest of the way.”

The Phillies won the National League’s Eastern Division title in 1976 and 1977 and again in 1978. They were swept in the ALDS by the Cincinnati Reds in 1976 and managed only one win against the Los Angeles Dodgers in both 1977 and 1978.

To say the Phillies and their fans were frustrated is an understatement.

Officials, fans and players expected that Pete Rose would make the Phillies a team to be feared—not only in the regular season but in the post season as well.

Pete Rose would lead them when it counted the most. He was the most respected and admired player in the game that could lead by both word and example.

Joe Morgan, Rose’s Cincinnati teammate, knew him well.

“Pete’s what every player ought to be,” said the future broadcasting great. “In Pete’s mind, every game is a World Series game. I wish everyone had Pete’s attitude toward the game. And it’s a thrill just to be on the same field with him.”

In the 1972 playoffs against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Rose had nine hits in 20 at-bats. Against the Phillies in 1976, he was 6-for-14.

It was in the 1976 World Series that Rose, playing third base, messed with Mickey Rivers’ head.  The Yankees‘ fleet lead-off batter and catalyst for their offense couldn’t cope when Rose moved to within about 65 feet of home plate, daring Rivers to try to slap the ball by him.

The Phillies beat the Astros to move on to the World Series, but they had to come back after losing two of the first three games.  In the fourth game, Rose was on second base in a tie game in the 10th inning. Greg Luzinski was at the plate.

Luzinski hit a drive to left field. Larry Elchel of Knight-Ridder Newspapers wrote:

“…the one image that will remain in the memory…comes from the 10th inning of that fourth game. It is the image of Rose, representing what would become the winning run, charging around third on Greg Luzinski’s double to left.  As he heads for home, it is written on his face that he will score the run even though the throw may beat him home.”

That was Pete Rose. He led the Phillies into the World Series. He then led them to the first world championship in their storied history.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Milestones to Look Forward to in 2012

Phillies fans have a lot to look forward to this year and with spring training in full swing, the 2012 season is right around the corner. 

The 2011 season was full of new Phillies milestones including Charlie Manuel’s 1500th game managed and Jimmy Rollins’ 1500th game played in a Philadelphia uniform.

Without any more suspense, here are the top five milestones to look forward to in the 2012 Philadelphia Phillies season.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 25 Inaugural Inductees to a Phillies Hall of Fame

The Philadelphia Phillies have their “Wall of Fame.”

You can take a walk down memory lane and revisit some of the greatest moments in franchise history.

The Phillies have certainly never been a franchise to let their all-time greats go unnoticed, but I thought it would be interesting to create something akin to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, but specifically related to former members of the Phillies’ organization.

Let’s be honest for a moment. While you’re taking a look at that Wall of Fame, you’ll notice that, in regards to a “Hall of Fame,” there are some undeserving names on some of those plaques, and deserving names left in the dust.

This is a small chance to right that wrong. The “Phillies Hall of Fame” will leave the “all-time goods” look up at the “all-time greats.”

Now, the question is simple: Who are they?

For news, rumors, analysis, and game recaps during spring training, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor!

Follow @Greg_Pinto

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