Philadelphia Phillies: Jonathan Papelbon and 6 Players Who Need a Fast Start

Phillies fans have expectations. After winning it all in 2008, every year since then has been a World Series win or bust. Phillies fans this year are definitely quieter about their chances this year. Some expressed that they were not as excited as they once were.The infield has so many question marks because of its health and age. 

Opening Day is one of the best days of the year for Phillies fans. The season started off the right way. Roy Halladay out-dueled Pittsburgh’s Erik Beddard, giving up only two hits. 

It set up a near-perfect scenario for Jonathan Papelbon to come in and get his first save of the season. The Phillies lacked offense in last year’s NLDS because they were too banged up. They lacked it again against the Pirates on Opening Day. 

Papelbon came in and retired all three hitters he faced. He struck out one, and the other two grounded out. Out of 10 pitches, nine of them were strikes.  

The Phillies very well may have offensive struggles early on in the season. If that is the case, Papelbon could wind up being the guy that gets the Phillies some key wins early on in the season. He looked like an All-Star closer on Opening Day. He will need to be that way for most of the season. The Phillies will need Papelbon if they are going to win pitchers’ duels like the one on Opening Day. 

After all, Brad Lidge’s 2008 season performance won the Phillies the World Series. It may come to that for the Phillies in 2012, only this time it will be Papelbon.  

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Philadelphia Phillies: Analysis of Freddy Galvis’ Opening Day

Since I am just one man, there can’t be a “Siskel and Ebert” review of Freddy Galvis’ debut yesterday, but some analysis is in order nonetheless. 

Galvis, without a doubt, is ready to play defense at the major league level. The double-play pivot he turned with Jimmy Rollins in the first inning was a thing of beauty as he rifled the relay to first. Galvis has always played shortstop, which is a much more difficult position than second base, except when it comes to the double-play pivot.

Having a cannon like Galvis can make up for a lot of footwork mechanics or troubles around the bag. He definitely has that.

Phillies fans can probably recall former Blue Jays second basemen Robbie Alomar’s range during the 1993 World Series. The guy was all over the place and that’s one of the reasons he is in Cooperstown now. Galvis has plenty of that as well and it will continue to get better as he learns to read the ball off the bat from the right side of the diamond compared to the left side.

If the Phillies were rolling out a lineup comparable to the 2008 team, or the 1993 bunch, or as far back as the 1977 squad, I’d say to Charlie Manuel: “Just pencil Galvis in at 2-bag every day, hit him eighth and let the rest of the bats take care of the run producing.”

Unfortunately, this is the Phillies of 2012. This bunch lacks the thump those other teams possessed, meaning they will need offense any place they can get it. And typically, those well-hitting teams make everyone else in the lineup better hitters.

Let’s go back to 1977. The Phillies had light-hitting Ted Sizemore at second base that season—”light hitting” might be a compliment. Sizemore had 5,648 plate appearances in his career and hit just 23 home runs. However, in ’77 the Phils lineup was stacked and Sizemore, who typically hit eighth, benefited from that and hit .281 that season.

The Phils just needed Sizemore to play solid defense, which is what he did, but he was able to reap the benefits of a powerhouse lineup, too.

Galvis won’t be able to benefit from that and basically needs to be sent back down to Triple-A as soon as Chase Utley is able to play. Galvis is a career .246 hitter in the minor leagues and only had 126 plate appearances above Double-A.

The bottom line: He is not ready to do much offensively at the major league level.

Don’t read too much into the spring training numbers, as he got plenty of at-bats in March against Double- and Triple-A pitching. The Pirates were able to go right after Galvis yesterday and he hit into a couple of double plays, struck out and grounded out another time.

But the Phillies won the game…and that’s good.

I think Galvis is a terrific prospect for the Phillies and their future, but I would hate to see him get screwed up mentally by a rough “fire drill” type of promotion to start the season as the every-day second baseman, only to see him never recover.

Again, if the Phillies had plenty of bats around him, sure, keep him here to where his bat isn’t needed as much. But right now, it’s “all hands on deck” for the Phillies bats and Roy Halladay/Cliff Lee/Cole Hamels/Vance Worley/Joe Blanton can’t be expected to toss shutouts every game. Especially against the likes of Erik Bedard.

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Greatest Players in Philadelphia Phillies History to Wear Nos. 1 Through 25

What’s in a number?

What is so special about the numbers on the back of a player’s uniform that getting the right one has become a bit of an obsession? Just over the offseason, new Philadelphia Phillies‘ closer Jonathan Papelbon, who had the number 58 worked into his contract, bought Antonio Bastardo a Rolex just to wear number 58.

Now, a guy that calls his alter ego “Cinco Ocho” wanting to wear number 58 is understandable, but players are rarely comfortable with their assigned uniform numbers.

Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Placido Polanco and a slew of other Phillies have worn several different numbers throughout their careers.

There are no magical powers in a uniform number. You can believe in luck all you want, but at the end of the day, I think we all accept that baseball is a game of talent and skill. 

But all of this talk about uniform numbers—switching them, paying other players off to get them—got me to thinking: Which players in Phillies history have worn each uniform number best?

In this slideshow, we’ll break down the history of Phillies’ uniform Nos. 1 through 25, trying to determine the best player to ever wear that uniform number. For the sake of accuracy, any player that wore the number for at least one game was eligible.

*Note: All statistics refer to the player’s tenure with the Phillies alone, unless otherwise stated.

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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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Positive Things to Take Away from Opening Day

Spring training is over and the 2012 baseball season in Philadelphia has officially begun.

There has been much talk over the offseason about how the Phillies will fare in 2012. Without Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, will they have enough offense to win games? Where will the power come from? How will Hunter Pence and John Mayberry handle the load? What will happen if Jimmy Rollins or Placido Polanco get put on the DL?

Obviously none of these questions have easy answers, and it will take a lot of creativity on the part of Charlie Manuel and his staff to take the team he has to championship glory once again. But nothing is out of the realm of possibility for this team.

Despite some offensive struggles and leftover batting rust, the Phillies still managed a 1-0 win behind Roy Halladay’s stellar pitching and Carlos Ruiz’s inspired offense. It may not be much but a win is a win and for the Phils, pitching will likely be key in 2012 so 1-0 wins could be a bit of a norm.

Even if the offense was a bit lackluster, defense was strong on all ends and pitching was at a premium. Besides the “one” in the win column which is the only number that matters, the Opening Day game yielded some positive signs for the Phils going forward.

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Phillies Opening Day Review

After months of having the last image of the Phillies playing competitive baseball being Ryan Howard crumpling to the ground after rupturing his Achilles tendon on the last play of the NLDS loss to St. Louis, the Phillies finally played a game that means something and gave the Phans a chance to create new memories to replace that painful, painful one.

What did today’s 1-0 Opening Day win tell us?  Let’s begin promptly, shall we?

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Phillies vs. Pirates: Roy Halladay Looks Sharp as Philadelphia Edges Pittsburgh

For the second consecutive game, the Philadelphia Phillies and Roy Halladay played a 1-0 game. In Game 5 of the 2011 NLDS, they lost to St. Louis. Today the Phils came out on the right side, winning their season opener in Pittsburgh.

Sure, it’s only one game, but if it’s any indication, the Phillies pitchers better be nearly perfect. Against Pirates starter Erik Bedard and two relievers, the Phils managed eight hits and the game’s lone run, courtesy of a Carlos Ruiz sacrifice fly in the seventh inning.

Fortunately, Roy Halladay was his usual All-Star self, holding the Bucs scoreless while surrendering only two hits. Both of those came before Halladay had even recorded an out, the latter on a swinging bunt that died along the third base line.

In other words, Halladay spotted the Pirates two hits, then combined with closer Jonathan Papelbon to no-hit Pittsburgh. The only Pirates to get on after the first two batters were hit batsmen.

Jimmy Rollins, batting third, surprised the Pirates—and perhaps the entire Delaware Valley—by bunting for a single in his first at-bat. Perhaps he’s embracing small ball in the absence of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.

The Phillies defense was strong, with LF John Mayberry Jr., 1B Ty Wigginton and 2B Freddy GIDP—er, Galvis—making some nice plays behind Halladay. Unfortunately, Galvis grounded into a pair of double plays.

Papelbon did what he’s supposed to in his first regular-season game as a Phillie: He put the Pirates down one-two-three, striking out the first player he faced.

So, is the glass half-full or half-empty? Was it great that the starting pitching, defense and relief pitching were exceptional, or worrisome that the offense could only push across one run against the Pirates?

Hey, it’s only one game.

And it’s a better result than the last 1-0 game the Phillies played.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 2012 Season Is World Series or Bust

World Series or bust. 

That has been the mantra the Phillies have lived by since their 2008 championship run. Three years in a row, however, the team has failed to bring the trophy back to Philadelphia. And this mantra has never seemed more formidable than it does right now. 

As the team kicks off its 2012 season in Pittsburgh today, sports pundits and baseball fans alike have seemingly pushed the Fightin’s off to the wayside—instead viewing the rejuvenated Miami Marlins and the up-and-coming Washington Nationals as the new powerhouses of the NL East.  

Both teams are, undeniably, improving.  

Miami made waves this offseason when they signed shortstop Jose Reyes, lefthander Mark Buehrle, closer Heath Bell and righthander Carlos Zambrano. And then there is Ozzie Guillen, who joins the team after an eight-year stint with the Chicago White Sox. Reyes, Zambrano and Guillen—three of the biggest hotheads in the game, all in the same clubhouse—what could go wrong there?  

The Nats will see the return of Stephen Strasburg, who after 20 months of rehabilitation from Tommy John’s surgery will start on Opening Day. All Star Ryan Zimmerman is back, along with newcomers Brad Lidge, Gio Gonzalez and Edwin Jackson. Oh, and let’s not forget Jayson Werth, who brings his ridiculously inflated $126 million, seven-year contract back for another season.  

Meanwhile, the Phillies have remained relatively quiet this winter, replacing closer Ryan Madson with Jonathon Papelbon, and have bolstered their bench with the addition of slugger Jim Thome. But with both Ryan Howard and Chase Utley out for the foreseeable future, the Phillies’ lineup looks more shallow, old and incomplete as it has in years. 

The Opening Day lineup will consist of: Victorino (8), Polanco (5), Rollins (6), Pence (9), Wigginton (3), Mayberry (7), Ruiz (2), Galvis (4), Halladay (1). 

Based off of this, it looks like Charlie is shuffling up the batting order in response to the injury plague. Hunter Pence, who is in his first full season as a Phillie, is perhaps the most important piece to the order until Howard makes his return. With no other proven real power threats in the lineup, Pence is going to be carrying this lineup through the early part of this season. Rollins, who has struggled in every role outside of leadoff, will also need to respond to his new role. 

Are things as bad as everyone is saying they are? No, absolutely not. Until the Phillies lose their NL East crown to somebody else, they are the favorites. And with the addition of an extra wild-card team to each league, their odds of reaching postseason play are even more likely.

A wild-card berth is not the worst thing in the world either—proven last year as the Cardinals humiliated Philadelphia in a Game 5 showdown in front of the Philly faithful. 

That said, whether Wigginton and Thome can fill the void at first base remains to be seen. The same goes for Mayberry in left and Galvis at second. Certainly the losses of Howard and Utley will be felt, especially early on. 

But the Phillies do not need another 100-win season. Nor do they need another NL East title. They don’t need to have the best starting staff in the majors (although they still do), and they don’t need to have the long-ball styled lineup they had in 2008. They need to win in October. They need to win the World Series. 

Or bust.

Published originally on Phan Blog

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Philadelphia Phillies: Top 10 Opening Days of the Last 40 Seasons

The Philadelphia Phillies have not been a very good team on opening day in recent history.  Since 1972, the Phillies are 13-27 to start the season.  That’s an awful .325 winning percentage that would equate to a full season record of 53-109.

Hall of Famer Steve Carlton was just as bad on opening day.  In his 14 opening day starts, Lefty went 3-9 and the Phils were 4-10 in those games.  He was defeated by a couple other Hall of Famers like Fergie Jenkins and Tom Seaver while also being out dueled by future Phillie Cy Young Award winner John Denny.

Mike Schmidt hit four opening day dingers during that span.

During the last 40 years, the Phillies have opened up the season vs the Mets and Braves the most, at seven times each. Tomorrow will be the fourth time since 1972 the Phillies will open up with the Pirates. 

The following list is the top 10 opening days for the Phillies over the last 40 years.

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NL East Prospects: Pastornicky, Galvis Poised to Make MLB Debut on Opening Day

As a self-proclaimed prospect junkie, there are few things I find more exciting than a player’s major league debut.  Perhaps I’m just trying to live vicariously, but it’s hard not to be elated about the arrival of promising young talent.

It’s the day when a player’s childhood dream comes to fruition, as all of his hard work and perseverance finally pays off.  Not every player is slapped with the “stud” label like Bryce Harper or Mike Trout; we forget that most prospects have been forced to earn their opportunity after a gradual ascent through the minor leagues.

On Thursday afternoon, fans everywhere will witness the debut of two of the National League East’s finest middle infield prospects in the Braves’ Tyler Pastornicky and the Phillies’ Freddy Galvis.

Before taking in each prospect’s respective debut, here is what you need to know about them:

 

Freddy Galvis

A 5’9”, 170-pound middle infielder, Galvis was signed by the Phillies out of Venezuela as a 16-year-old.  He’s spent most of his minor league career playing shortstop, but with all of the uncertainty regarding Chase Utley’s return, he’s been exclusively playing second base during spring training.

A switch-hitter, Galvis—the Phillies’ No. 6 prospect—squares up the ball with consistency while using the whole field. He’ll sneak one over the wall every now and then, but he has limited power overall. He doesn’t walk enough and therefore doesn’t utilize his quickness and instincts on the bases.  

The Phillies’ 2011 Minor League Player of the Year, Galvis is one of the best defensive middle infielders in the minors. His plus range, soft hands and above-average arm from the left side of the infield are all big league-ready tools, so he should have no issue playing second base in Utley’s absence.

Galvis will make his major league debut on Thursday, hitting out of the No. 8 hole when the Phillies open the season against the Pirates.

 

Tyler Pastornicky

Although not a spectacular player by any means, Pastornicky—the Braves’ No. 7 ranked prospect—has consistently produced while moving a level per year through the system. 

With Pastornicky, you know exactly what to expect: an above-average shortstop who puts the ball in play and can swipe some bags.

At the plate, the 5’11”, 170-pound shortstop makes consistent contact thanks to a line-drive swing and gap-to-gap approach.  He’s never been prone to the strikeout in his career, but he’s not one to walk, either. 

Once he learns to manipulate the count in his favor, the right-handed hitter could see a spike in doubles while drawing an extra walk here and there.

As a shortstop, a large portion of Pastornicky’s value lies in the fact that he’s an adept base-stealer who possesses good instincts as well as an ability to read pitchers.  He has all the makings of a solid big league shortstop, and there’s a realistic chance that he’ll exceed the Braves’ reasonable expectations.

The Braves open the 2012 season on Thursday on the road against the Mets, and it looks like Pastornicky will serve as the team’s eight-hole hitter in his major league debut.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

25 Must-Watch Philadelphia Phillies Games This Season

One thing that you will hear a lot of Philadelphia Phillies say throughout the season is the now-cliche, “We have to take it one day at a time.”

From the players’ perspective, by all means, take it one day at a time. Professional athletes are some of the most focused individuals on the face of the Earth. From the perspective of everyone else, you can bet your bottom dollar that we’re looking ahead.

Though I’m sure you don’t need any extra incentive to watch baseball this season, consider this a bit of a bonus: The Phillies’ schedule is bursting at the seams with great match-ups.

Between Opening Day in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the last game of the season in Washington, D.C., the Phillies will face a slew of rivals, historic rivals, perennial contenders, and up-and-coming teams ready to give the Phils a run for their money.

Though it’s impossible to capture the energy of a 162-game baseball season in 25 games, here are 25 that you should keep a watchful eye on in 2012.

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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