Carlos Ruiz: 4 Reasons the Philadelphia Phillies Should Not Rush Ruiz Back

“Chooooooch!”

That chant hasn’t been heard at any park around the big leagues since August 2nd—that was Carlos Ruiz‘s last game before being placed on the Disabled List with a left foot injury.

In the meantime, Erik Kratz and Brian Schneider have been sharing catching duties for a Phillies team that is showing signs of improvement but is still a miracle away from making an actual playoff run, and now 27-year-old Steven Lerud has been called up for the Phillies to replace Schneider.

Sporting News reported that Ruiz expects to return to the Phillies by early September, but unless the Phillies really believe that they can get one of the two Wild Card spots, should they really even bring Chooch back this season?

Here are four reasons why the Phillies should be patient with their All-Star catcher.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Can Kyle Kendrick Earn a Rotation Spot in 2013?

Kyle Kendrick must have something on the Philadelphia Phillies’ brass because he’s somehow managed to remain in the team’s starting rotation for much longer than he should have.

There are some possible, if implausible, explanations for some of his first starts after the trade deadline.

His spot start following Joe Blanton’s trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers was going to be a one-time thing prior to Tyler Cloyd (12-1 at Triple-A) being called up, right?  Not quite.

Then the Phils must have kept him in the rotation for his 15th start of the season so he could earn a $100,000 bonus in his contract before heading to the bullpen? Well, now he’s made 18 starts.

So, how has a pitcher who had a 6.96 ERA in June and an ERA as high as 4.86 nearly three weeks ago remained in the Phillies’ starting rotation for so long?

Furthermore, is there any way that Kendrick, who now has nearly the same win total as Roy Halladay, can earn a spot in the team’s rotation for 2013?

Kendrick has now given up just two earned runs in his last 21.2 innings. 

Whether or not his last three starts are indicative of things to come remains to be seen, but Kendrick has started to do a better job of using the remaining games as auditions for a spot in next season’s rotation.

And the Phils have yet to rule him out for the job.

Here are four things the Phillies may be considering when it comes to Kendrick’s chances of earning a spot in the team’s rotation for 2013.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Picking an Intro Song for All 25 Players

HUMOR.

Want to talk about one of the most underrated facets of Major League Baseball? How about the guilty pleasure of fans, players and ballpark employees everywhere? 

Introduction music. 

That’s right. For batters, it’s known as walk-up music. For starting pitchers it’s a warm-up song, and for relievers it’s entry music. 

For the fans, it’s fun. 

Nothing gets the casual fan more hype than jamming out to a great song at the ballpark. Hitters feel the same way. Picking the perfect song before each at-bat could lead to a good outcome. Of course, the opposite is true as well. 

For pitchers, it could be the difference between getting that extra mile per hour on your fastball. You need to get that adrenaline flowing big time before you deliver that first pitch. That’s why the sounds of the game are so important. 

For the Philadelphia Phillies, it’s been a disappointing season—one worthy of new intro songs. That’s right. I’m going to pick an intro song for all 25 players on this roster. 

Of course, some of this is going to be complete satire. I really just couldn’t help myself. 

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B/R Interview: Mitch Williams Talks Little League, Phillies’ Future, and More

As a former closer for the Philadelphia Phillies, Mitch Williams knows a thing or two about facing adversity.

You could take that statement a step further by saying that the former Phillies’ closer knows a thing or two about being underrated as well. He was the bullpen’s anchor during that storybook run at the World Series by that favorite 1993 team.

That’s what makes Williams and the Hilton HHonors Little League program such a perfect fit. The Hilton HHonors program is helping to uncover some of the greatest Little League coaches in the game—a group of people that, according to Williams, are some of the most important people in the sport.

“It’s an opportunity to bring recognition to these coaches that give up their time—they’re not compensated financially for it—and they’re basically being put in charge of our kids and teaching them sportsmanship, and hopefully, teaching them the correct way to play the game, and Hilton has come up with this program to help recognize the best Little League coach in the country,” Williams said.

Williams, who spoke with Bleacher Report on behalf of the Hilton HHonors program, made it perfectly clear that while the players deserve all of the recognition that they receive, the coaches are the people who are underrated and face the toughest obstacles in the Little League initiative.

“I think it’s absolutely huge. When you look at these guys, like I said, when you’re not paid for something and you go out there and you give it your all—and I had an opportunity to meet a couple of the coaches the other night—these guys are teaching our kids how to compete and how to compete with what I say is probably the most important thing: The sportsmanship, the traditions of the game, and how the game should be played. That’s the real thing,” Williams said.

So while the Little League World Series brings to light some of the great stories from around the world—like the Ugandan team appearing in its first Little League World Series or the sensational Japanese pitching staff—Williams is doing his best to shed light on the men that often go unmentioned—the coaches—and according to him, they are vastly important.

“I think that the coaches are every bit as important as the kids, if not more,” said Williams.

But while Williams made it perfectly clear that coaches at the Little League level are vastly important, he certainly made no bones about how important they were in the MLB as well.

Williams, who spent three seasons with the Phillies from 1991-93, also took some time to talk about his former ball club and the disappointing season that they’re having in 2012.

When asked if someone like Phillies’ skipper Charlie Manuel or general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. should take the fall for the way the club’s season has gone, Williams picked up his managerial crusade right where his Little League mission ended.

“I’m not so sure it falls on Charlie [Manuel],” said Williams. “I don’t think that it falls on Charlie at all, because ultimately, he does not make the decisions on who is brought in and who is not brought in. That falls on the general manager.”

To a certain extent, Williams certainly has a point. Manuel was forced to put together a lineup for much of the first half of the season that did not include the two best hitters on his roster—Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.

Amaro didn’t exactly assemble the greatest depth players in the world, giving Manuel guys like Ty Wigginton, John Mayberry Jr., Laynce Nix and Michael Martinez to work with. According to Williams, a lot of the Phillies’ failure this season could be shouldered by the GM.

“We’re past the Pat Gillick era. All the moves that Pat Gillick made back before the Phillies won the World Series in 2008—those moves are all done and gone. Now it’s up to Ruben Amaro. This is Ruben Amaro’s team. I think that this is really the first year that Ruben has had to go out and make decisions on personnel and put a team together, and it didn’t turn out too well,” said Williams.

Indeed, this is not Pat Gillick’s team. The Hall of Fame GM, who put together all of the right moves prior to the 2008 season, has watched his successor cripple the team financially and the on-field product suffer, so what’s next for the Phillies’ current GM, according to Williams?

“Ruben, in my opinion, has something to prove this offseason,” Williams said.

And he certainly will have plenty of holes to fill, most notably the ones in center field and at third base, where the Phillies are sure to explore both the trade and free-agent markets.

But Williams also believes that the Phillies’ issues run much deeper than that. Not only will they have to address their outfield and third base positions, but according to Williams, they’re in desperate need of both a right-handed power bat and bullpen pieces.

“They have to find a guy in the offseason that can fill [the right-handed power bat] role,” Williams said. “If they don’t get that role addressed, and if they don’t get their third base situation addressed, it’s gonna be tough. That, and they have to add pieces to their bullpen.”

But that right-handed power bat role won’t be easy to fill. Speaking to Williams, he made the point that the Phillies haven’t had much in the way of a right-handed power hitter since Pat Burrell left town following the World Series parade in 2008. Coincidence?

“I mean, everybody when Pat Burrell was [in Philadelphia], everyone liked to rip on Pat Burrell, but when he was hitting behind Ryan Howard, that was when Howard was hitting 45 [home runs] and driving in 145 [runs],” Williams said. “Because Pat was a threat to hit the ball out of the park, he worked pitchers. They have to find a guy in the offseason that can fill that role.”

And while the Phillies may have had someone like that in the post-Burrell era in Jayson Werth, he’s moved on as well and Williams’ point is clear. The Hunter Pence project failed and the Phillies need some right-handed power.

Of course, those bats don’t come cheap.

Williams was well aware of the Phillies’ massive payroll and the fact that they may have to cut costs somewhere, but when asked if that cost should be Jonathan Papelbon, Williams emphatically refuted that statement.

Maybe it was just the former closer in him talking, but Williams was clear that if the Phillies want to be a dominant team, they’d need a dominant closer—even if he costs $13 million a year.

“Yeah, I would [pay a closer $13 million a season],” Williams said. “If he’s dominated enough, absolutely, because there is… A lot of people don’t realize the disaster that Brad Lidge was in the ninth inning and the effect of having those games blown. I think a shutdown closer is worth every penny.”

But that’s in the future. Williams was talking about the future of this Phillies team because he, like so many other people around the game, have realized that there is no hope for the club’s 2012 season. But when reminded that there are still games left to play this year, Williams said that the Phillies owe it to their fans to play like they’re still in contention.

“I’m not gonna lie and say it’s easy,” Williams said. “But I will sit here and tell you that they’re obligated to go out there and play every game as hard as they can play it. I don’t care if you’re in dead-last place. The schedule has 162 games on it and you’re paid to play 162.”

“I know I was on the ’92 team in Philadelphia and we were terrible, but I can sit here today and honestly say every time I ever took the ball, I gave everything I had, and I think that’s what players have to do. It doesn’t matter. This is professional baseball and when you throw the word “professional” in there that means you are being paid to do it.”

“When you’re being paid to do a job, you give those fans that are paying a lot of money to come watch you play — you better have enough pride to go out there and play the game as hard as you can play it, regardless of the standings,” Williams said.

Williams was talking about 2012, but 2012 is over for the Phillies. This isn’t a team built to play spoiler. This is a team that was supposed to contend for a World Series. Williams knows that as well as anyone.

While he wouldn’t call the year a “fluke,” Williams did give the Phillies credit for having to play most of the season through big injuries. But he didn’t sound so confident for the future of this ball club either. His comments really make you wonder how far this Phillies team has fallen with this dreadful 2012 campaign.

“I don’t care how good a baseball team you have. If you take the two biggest bats in your lineup out of the middle of your order, it changes the entire way the rest of the order is pitched,” Williams said. “But the moves that were made in the offseason by Ruben Amaro Jr., in my opinion, were not moves that bettered this club. I think there needs to be more.”

The Phillies will watch the World Series from home. Then, the man who dropped the ball in 2012 will go to work on the free agency and trade fronts.

But Williams is right. If this club can’t land a center fielder, a third baseman, bullpen pieces and a right-handed power bat, this club is in trouble.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

All 25 Philadelphia Phillies’ Biggest Regret of 2012

The Philadelphia Phillies‘ list of regrets for the 2012 season runs a mile long and narrowing it down to just one for each player was no simple task.

That’s pretty much the regular season in a nut shell for this Phillies team. They came into the regular season as a favorite to win the National League East in spite of losing Ryan Howard and Chase Utley to the disabled list early.

But that’s what name recognition will do for you. There were All-Stars up and down the roster. The pitching staff had three ace pitchers and a closer that’s been to the All-Star Game. Two third of the outfield had been to the All-Star Game, but neither of those players survived the trade deadline.

The season just wound up being a big snowball and a steep hill for this club. A tiny snowball at the beginning of the season just kept picking up momentum and rolling down the hill until it couldn’t be stopped.

Now, we’re looking at one of the most disappointing teams in baseball with a list of regrets that are enough to depress even the most casual of fans.

But like I said—it’s just been that kind of season for this Phillies team.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Phillippe Aumont’s First Impression

Phillippe Aumont’s struggle with control was evident in his major league debut Thursday night against the Cincinnati Reds.

Most notably, on two 2-2 counts, Aumont failed to get a breaking ball across the plate—not by a little bit, either. When he threw balls, he may as well have missed by a mile.

Those are the kinds of mistakes that will keep him in the minor leagues. In such situations, when the pitcher makes that mistake, he forces himself into a 3-2 fastball count.

If it wasn’t for a spectacular play by Jimmy Rollins, Aumont would have found himself in some trouble.

Why did he struggle?

Granted, it was only one inning, but Aumont’s delivery looked inconsistent. That’s probably why he has the issues he does.

However, it wasn’t all bad. Aumont’s velocity was definitely there—something he can build on.

In fact, a few of his fastballs had quite a bit of bite on them.

Nonetheless, Aumont needs to have better control—especially with his breaking ball. Otherwise, his time with the big club will be short-lived.

As it stands, based on Aumont’s performance, the Phillies will have to seek bullpen depth via free agency. 

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: Will Ryan Howard Make Another All-Star Team?

The fairest way to decide whether Ryan Howard can ever make another All-Star team is to assess all the ways players make All-Star teams and see if any of those doors ever figure to open for Howard again.

 

1.  The fans could vote him in as a starter.

Not likely.  Howard has appeared in three All-Star games, but despite putting up gaudy numbers for a few seasons, he has never started one in the field. 

In 2006, Howard was a reserve along with the Houston Astros‘ Lance Berkman behind the starter, Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Here is a fantastic bar bet: Did Ryan Howard make the National League All-Star team in 2007 or 2008? The answer, remarkably, is no.

One year after his 2006 season in which he hit 58 home runs, drove in 149 runs, scored 104 runs, batted .313—and won the National League Most Valuable Player award(!)—Howard was passed over in favor of the starter, the Milwaukee Brewers‘ Prince Fielder, and reserves Pujols, Derrek Lee of the Chicago Cubs and the immortal Dmitri Young of the Washington Nationals. You guessed it: Young was the Nationals’ lone representative in the 2007 All-Star Game.

Adding insult to insult, Howard was not selected to the 2008 All-Star team, either, despite having posted a slash line of 47/136/.268 and finishing fifth in the voting for MVP in defense of his title.

Howard was a reserve in both 2009 and 2010, playing behind Pujols both times.

He has not been back since. For the fans to vote Howard in as a starter, he will probably need to move to another baseball market, where the fans vote early and often.  St. Louis would be a good choice, or San Francisco.

With his contract, though, that is not about to happen.

 

2.  His own manager could select him.

That is what happened in 2010, when Charlie Manuel used his prerogative as the All-Star team’s manager (earned after the Phillies won the 2009 pennant) to take Howard over Joey Votto. It worked out for both players when Votto won the fan vote for the final roster spot on that All-Star team.

For history to repeat itself in this manner, the Phillies will have to win at least another pennant AND Howard will need to have numbers that give his manager a reasonable basis to choose him.  Howard hit .253 in 2011 and he is hitting .254 in limited action this season.

If his batting average continues to languish below .260, there is not likely to ever be a reasonable basis for his manager to take him along over an arguably more deserving player.

 

3.  Another team’s manager could select him, i.e., he could play his way onto the team.

This is his best chance.

Howard has three things going for him where this possible berth is concerned: his name, the need to only put up numbers for about two months (those first two months of the season) and the relative lack of dominant first-base talent in the National League.

As things stand, after Votto, first base in the National League is pretty thin. This season, Bryan LaHair of the Chicago Cubs was the backup to Votto on the All-Star team. Do you think LaHair can do that again? You might be the only one. In 2010, Gaby Sanchez made the All-Star team as a Florida Marlin; Sanchez spent part of this season in the minor leagues. It is just not a deep position in the NL. 

Then again, if Howard’s numbers continue to decline, the thought of, say, Davey Johnson or Dusty Baker taking him over Adam LaRoche or Joey Votto—to say nothing of comers like Freddie Freeman or Anthony Rizzo—stretches the premise beyond believability.

 

4.  He could be an injury replacement.

Apply all of the facts set forth in No. 3. above, then add in the possibility that one or two players ahead of Howard are either: a. legitimately hurt, or b. are just dinged enough not to want to travel to play two innings in an exhibition.

That said, getting in as an injury replacement is always a crap shoot—it helps to be either the sentimental favorite (like Chipper Jones) or the shiny toy (like Bryce Harper.) You can probably figure out where Howard, now 32, will fit on that spectrum in coming seasons.

You can say this for Howard, though: If he gets asked again, you can be reasonably sure he will go.

 

5.  He could win the fan vote for the final spot on the team.

For the same reasons as No. 1. above, Howard is unlikely to sneak onto an All-Star team through the popular vote. Shane Victorino did win the final vote in 2011, though, so the possibility cannot be ruled out.

 

6.  He could be the Phillies’ only representative.

You just threw up in your mouth a little, didn’t you?

Per the above, luck and timing play as much of a role in making an All-Star team as dominant or just excellent play does. Arguably, Howard’s two best seasons saw him miss All-Star teams in favor of stars who had better numbers and/or more votes.

Maybe, just maybe, Howard is due to sneak onto an All-Star team one of these years when objectively he does not “deserve” it.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Big Weaknesses That Must Be Fixed to Compete in 2013

2012 will be a season to forget for the Philadelphia Phillies who will be lucky to finish the season with a .500 record. The Phillies sold off most of their outfield at the deadline, and the stars we have seen flourish in 2008 are becoming older, more injury-prone and less and less productive.

In order to compete with the Washington Nationals, who have turned into one of the best teams in baseball, drastic changes must be made to the Phillies current roster.

The Phillies have major holes in all three outfield positions, third base, the bullpen and one, maybe two rotation spots depending on how Vance Worley will respond to offseason surgery. 

Here are five weaknesses the Phillies must address if they want to compete for a title in 2013.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 25 Best Home-Run Bashers in Franchise History

Chicks dig the long ball.

So do managers, offenses, and front offices. Let’s face it. The only people that don’t dig the long ball are probably the opposing pitchers.

Who in their right mind can’t get behind a home run? There’s just something about it. The sound that the ball makes when it cracks against the bat. The majestic arch it creates as it sails over the other team’s head. The roar of the fans when it finally hits the seats.

It’s one of the greatest moments in baseball and there are no two ways about it. The long ball is just exciting.

Well the Philadelphia Phillies know this first hand. Their history books hold the names of some of the most thrilling home run hitters of all-time. You’re going to see Mike Schmidt and Ryan Howard on this list. I don’t think that’s a spoiler.

But the Phillies also have had plenty of underrated power hitters. They’ve had guys nicknamed for their brute strength and guys that you wouldn’t have expected on a list like this in a million years, but baseball is timeless, and that’s what makes it great.

Buckle in. We’re about to witness some big time power.

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MLB Trade Scenarios: Shock Roster Moves That Could Change Phillies’ Makeup

As the Philadelphia Phillies attempt to continue their climb in the National League East, they are doing so with a number of players who are using the remaining games to lock down a spot on next season’s roster.

But can the Phils really improve the team for next season using a bunch of players who either struggled this season or spent most of the year in Triple-A?

Some may contribute, but the team will still have to use this offseason to address holes throughout the roster in order to bounce back as quickly as possible from this season’s disappointment.

And if the Phillies really want to spice things up, they could dangle some of their current top players or prospects in deals. 

Although these deals would lead to a lot of gasps, they would also provide value to the Phils starting next season and going forward.

Here are five shock roster moves that would certainly change the Phillies’ makeup.

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