Philadelphia Phillies: First-Half Awards and Second-Half Predictions

The Philadelphia Phillies entered the All-Star break with a shockingly bad record of 37-50, which puts them 14 games back in the division and 10 games back in the Wild Card.  

If you would have told me that this would be the case before the season started, I would have laughed in your face.  

I mean, look at the talent.  

Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels should be the best top three starters on any team in baseball.  Instead, the team has a 4.23 ERA, which ranks 22nd in the league.       

The offense should be hitting better with runners in scoring position, as the Phillies rank 15th in the league in runs scored with 368.

Ryan Howard and Chase Utley are back, which gives Phillies fans some hope, but it will take a whole lot of improvement and even more luck for this team to get into the playoffs.

A lot of things aren’t going according to plan for the Phightin’ Phils, which makes midseason awards a bit of a challenge, but I gave it my best effort.

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MLB Trade Rumors: Why the Philadelphia Phillies Should Sit Tight

At the All-Star break, the Philadelphia Phillies find themselves in the basement of the NL East and 10 games back in the Wild Card, but there’s still hope.

Unless you live under a rock, you know that Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino are likely trade candidates for the Phils—two Philly staples who helped the team win its second World Series title in 2008 after a 28 year drought.

Hamels, a three-time All-Star and former World Series MVP, has openly stated that he wants to remain in Philadelphia (via Philly.com), the city he’s called home for the past six-and-a-half seasons.

Hamels’ stellar 2012 numbers lead a staff that includes Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, with a 10-4 record, 3.20 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 118 Ks in 118 IP.

He’s set to become a free agent after the 2012 season and if he reaches free agency, my guess is that he’ll walk away from the Phillies for a better deal, which is why Philly needs to lock him up now.

If they trade him before the July 31 deadline, they’d probably receive prospects in return, which is a deal that doesn’t really seem to be worth it to me.

As for Shane Victorino, you’ve got to love the intensity that he brings to the ballpark each day, but I think Philadelphia can survive without him and they may have to, as ESPN Insider (insider access required) suggests that the 31-year-old “Flyin’ Hawaiian” could be heading to either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Cincinnati Reds.

Victorino has been a run-scoring, base-stealing machine for the Phillies while providing speed and a solid glove in center field, something the squad would undoubtedly miss.

Sure, he’s had a bit of a down season during the first half of this season, but look what Derek Jeter did last year. One has to think that the return of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley to the lineup will benefit Victorino’s game in the second half.

Still, the trade rumors are out there and being benched by manager Charlie Manuel (via Philly.com) didn’t help his cause.   

And on top of it all, Philly.com is reporting that the Phillies have thrown around the idea of dealing two-time All-Star and 2011 addition Hunter Pence.

If the rumors are true, Philly is all but throwing in the towel on the season, as Pence leads the team in home runs, RBI and hits.

What better way to ruin a team than to deal its best pitcher and best offensive producer in the same month for players who will not yield the type of talent these two (Hamels and Pence) already possess.

I understand many fans feel—and possibly even Ruben Amaro Jr. feels—that this season is lost, but with the addition of a second Wild Card, there’s still a chance that Philadelphia can get back into this thing.

Cliff Lee recently earned his first win, when he went eight innings and allowed just two runs while fanning seven and Halladay will be returning from the DL soon.

If all goes well, the Phillies will get back to featuring a three-headed pitching monster at the front of its rotation in Halladay, Lee and Hamels and should see more production from the middle of the lineup with the returns of Utley and Howard.

So, hang in there Philly fans. There’s still a whole half-season of baseball left to be played.

 

Hit me up on Twitter to talk baseball or nonsense, or any combination of the two @Pete_Schauer

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10 Bold Second-Half Predictions for Phillies Offense with Howard, Utley Back

Things have not gone in the Philadelphia Phillies‘ favor this season, to say the least. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley both sat out the season until recently, and the team’s ace of aces, Roy Halladay, has been on the DL for quite some time now with a lat strain.

Fortunately, barring any setbacks, Halladay will return next Tuesday to face the Los Angeles Dodgers. But like Howard and Utley, will his return have come too late?

In the cases of Utley and Howard, the heart of the Phillies’ lineup, it was expected that the return of the team’s two biggest impact hitters would bring some more offensive success and narrow the gap between them and the NL East-leading Washington Nationals.

And as has been the case with most everything else this year, the opposite happened. While Utley and Howard’s returns both started off with a bang—Utley homered in his first at-bat back, while Howard doubled on the second pitch thrown to him—both their success and the team’s have diminished. Since Utley returned, the Phils have gone 1-10 leading up to the All-Star Break. At least Cliff Lee got his win.

So, with the All-Star festivities behind us, all that’s left is one more day of waiting before baseball recommences tomorrow night. For the Phillies, that comes against the Colorado Rockies, who also dwell in the cellar of their division, the NL West.

But what’s going to happen now that there’s been some time to think, to recuperate after the team’s devastating stretch since the return of their former All-Star second baseman and former MVP first baseman?

Through the rest of the season, here are 10 predictions for the Phils’ offense now that Utley and Howard are here to stay—one for each member of the lineup, and a couple of overall offensive predictions at the end.

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25 Biggest “Firsts” in Philadelphia Phillies History

Being “first” is a special feeling.

There’s a certain sense of accomplishment that comes with knowing the fact that you’ve done something that no man, woman, or child had ever done before. It’s a proud moment—one that will last for a lifetime and then some.

In baseball, being the first is that same feeling amplified times 10. The Philadelphia Phillies, who have existed in the “City of Brotherly Love” since 1883, have had plenty of firsts. Some of them were great moments never to be forgotten. Others are so infamous that it’s not possible to forget them.

But at the end of the day, none of that matters. Whether you’re a fan or a player, a manager or a front office executive, you never forget where you were during one of those “firsts.”

Who can forget Roy Halladay’s postseason no-hitter, the first in Phillies history, but just the second of all-time? How about Jim Bunning’s perfect game?

I imagine the feeling was the same when the Philadelphia Quakers captured their first win. “Firsts” are timeless, and here are some of the greatest.

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MLB Trade Rumors: Could Hunter Pence Be on the Move?

Many people assume that the Philadelphia Phillies are going to start selling off their players relatively soon. Shane Victorino has almost always been mentioned as probably one of the first to go given the fact that he is going to be a free agent at the end of the season.

However, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer poses an interesting question: Should the Phillies be more willing to trade Victorino or Hunter Pence?

On one hand, trading Pence makes more sense. Gelb notes that Pence only has one more year of arbitration before he will demand a huge raise.

He has been having a solid year with a .285 batting average, 16 home runs and 50 RBI. Given the Philadelphia Phillies’ offensive struggles all year, it would be difficult to trade away one offensive piece that is actually working.

He has had defensive struggles this season, but he has been a solid fielder throughout his career, so hopefully this year is just a fluke.

Victorino will receive his raise this winter, but given his difficult season and a huge outfield free-agent class, he could easily become much more affordable.

He is hitting .245 with eight home runs, 37 RBI and 19 stolen bases. Obviously his speed is all right, but because of his low average, he hasn’t been able to utilize it enough.

There are also the intangibles. I’m not saying that Hunter Pence is not a leader, but when it comes down to it, we all know that the Flyin’ Hawaiian is one of the main emotional leaders in the clubhouse. Losing him would make a big impact on the team dynamic.

However, at the same time, any type of sale involving Pence, Victorino or even Cole Hamels would damage team morale. The Phillies are obviously a determined team, and they want to play this out until the end.

The Phillies have not been in this type of situation for a few years, and it is going to be a difficult decision for Ruben Amaro Jr. Is he willing to risk damaging the team dynamic this season by admitting defeat? He has 19 days until the trade deadline to make up his mind.

 

Whether you think I know everything or nothing about Major League Baseball, you should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook and keep in touch. I love hearing what you all have to say!

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Philadelphia Phillies: Top 10 Most Surprising Phillies “All-Stars”

Carlos Ruiz played in his first All-Star game last night.

The 33-year-old is a late bloomer and although his defensive skills have never been questioned, not many saw him blossoming into the type of hitter that he has been this season.  The year that the Phillies won the World Series in 2008, Chooch was a second pitcher in the lineup as he hit .219 with an OPS of .620. 

Yuck.

But due to some lean years and the rule that every team must have an All-Star rep, the Phillies have had a few odd selections over the years.  The next 10 slides will give you the 10 most surprising Phillie All- Stars.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 10 Reasons Not to Quit on This Season

The only thing keeping the Phillies‘ faint hopes of making the postseason alive is the relative mediocrity of the teams in front of them. Admittedly, when your team is 37-50 and looking bad doing it, you have to look hard for reasons to keep hoping. In this case, that means finding the flaws in the National League teams presently ahead of the Phillies. 

You can be sure of this: It is a very, very good thing that the Phillies are not in the American League, because they could never leapfrog enough of those teams to get home. In the National League, though?  Stranger things have happened…though not as strange as the Phillies catching the Nationals to win the division. That is not going to happen.

As for these next ten teams? Do you feel lucky?

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Phillies Trade Rumors: Philadelphia Would Be Nuts Not to Deal Cole Hamels

The Philadelphia Phillies have been made an offer that they can’t refuse.

After finishing with the best record in baseball last season, Philly is in dead-last in the NL East at 37-50. It would take a miracle for the Phillies to qualify for the playoffs this year. Their best bet is to look toward the future and if they play their cards right, their future will look quite bright.

Philadelphia must execute a trade. Cole Hamels is its most valuable asset. But why deal away a 28-year-old three-time All-Star and former World Series MVP?

Because in a way, he’s begging the Phillies to.

According to John Smallwood of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Hamels said that if he’s traded before the deadline, his feelings won’t be hurt one bit. He’ll totally understand and when he becomes a free agent after the season, he’ll still give them “the right of first refusal” for his services.

Yeah, that just happened.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that the Phillies can’t pass up. They’re in position to receive Hamels-like value in a trade for absolutely nothing. With two moves—swapping and re-signing Hamels—Philadelphia would be back on top of the National League.

Is it fair? Not at all. Should the Phillies care?

Not at all.

Now, Hamels might have just hurt his trade value a bit, but there’s always a sucker out there. For example, Dwight Howard has promised that the Brooklyn Nets are the only team that he’ll sign a long-term extension with.

Despite that fact, other NBA teams continue to pursue him as either a rental or they simply believe that they’ll be able to persuade him to re-sign.

The Phillies are still capable of pulling off a like-taking-candy-from-a-baby trade and that’s what they must do if they want to bounce back from their 2012 letdown quickly. The only question is, what are they waiting for?

 

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

Follow @TheRealDDaniels

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25 Bold Predictions for the Philadelphia Phillies’ Second Half

Well, this wasn’t how they drew it up. Anyone who predicted that the Philadelphia Phillies would be dead last in the National League East and double digits out of first place should be standing in line waiting to buy a lottery ticket right about now.

The Phillies came into the regular series as the division’s favorites, and they’re ending the first half at rock bottom, looking up at each and every team in the NL East. They can barely see the Washington Nationals from this far back.

They’re a team heading into the All-Star break on their last leg, having lost all three of their last three series, all three of which were against NL East teams, two of which were sweeps at the hands of the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves.

Where does this team go from here?

If you’re an optimist, they can only go up. With Ryan Howard and Chase Utley finally back in the lineup, they’ll make one last run at clawing their way back into the race, but it’ll be against tough teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Braves.

It won’t be easy. In fact, it’ll be next to impossible.

But the second half will surely be one to follow for the Phillies, no doubt. Here are some bold predictions about what you can expect out of the Phillies during the second half.

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Philadelphia Phillies Should Hold on to Shane Victorino

After Shane Victorino was benched Sunday, there are numerous rumors that he’ll soon be off the team, with the Dodgers reportedly interested in reacquiring a player who started his career in their organization.

This is part of the crisis mood ensuing because of the Phillies’ returning to “use Lifebouy soap…and they still stink” status in the standings.  Below average in both hitting and pitching, the Phillies appear to be cleaning house.

Despite his .245 batting average this season, .680 OPS, 23 extra-base hits and 0.7 WAR, I think the Phillies should hold on to Victorino. Here’s why.

 

Batting ills not the problem

Honestly, batting isn’t the Phillies’ problem.  They’re only slightly below average despite Ryan Howard and Chase Utley being injured for long stretches, and Jimmy Rollins having a horrendous start to the season. 

What they should be worrying about is their bullpen, which has ceded a 4.76 ERA, .757 OPS and 16 defeats in relief.  Each of those stats is in the bottom six in the majors.   

 

Bad idea to sell low

If the Phillies dump Victorino now, they won’t get much for him—or at least not as much as they could if they wait.  There’s no way they’ll get something for Victorino that can turn this season around, so you might as well hold on to him.

 

 

Not that much of a drop-off

Victorino is only batting .031 below his career average and .034 below his average last season.  His numbers for doubles and homers haven’t fallen off that much either.

It’s certainly possible that Victorino will  bounce back, either this season or, if re-signed, next season.  After all, he’s a two-time All-Star and is only 32, meaning he could still have a couple halfway decent seasons ahead of him. 

If he does have a bad season in 2012, the Phillies can sign him at a discount and spend the discount on another good bullpen arm.

 

What about baserunning and fielding?

Batting is not the only stat to consider in a center fielder.  You have to look at baserunning and fielding now.

Victorino is great at both baserunning and fielding this season, perhaps the best in his career.

He already has more stolen bases this season alone than he had in all of 2011.  In addition, the three-time Gold Glove winner is perfect in fielding this season, making almost 500 putouts without an error.

In short, the Phillies should hold on to Victorino, then ink him in the offseason at the level he’s been playing now, which will be a bargain.

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