MLB Trade Rumors: Why Philadelphia Trusts Ruben Amaro Jr.

Philadelphia fans are among the most loyal in sports.  Though if you cross them, they will never forget it and make sure you won’t either.   But Philadelphia Phillies‘ GM Ruben Amaro Jr. won’t ever have to worry about this.  Amaro has been the catalyst behind the Phillies’ reign and has continuously put them in a position to succeed.  That’s right, year after year the Phillies are contenders and build upon the previous season.  A lot of this credit deservedly goes to Amaro, the conductor that steers the Phillies to league supremacy.  

But why exactly do fans tend to put all their trust into this man? 

Certainly, his efforts to keep the Phillies’ window open are admirable, but Amaro’s impact goes beyond this.  During his tenure as Phillies’ GM, they have become the face of the league and synonymous with the “team” dynamic.  Not only has Amaro created a top contender in Philadelphia, but perhaps equally as important, he’s formed the closest team in all of sports.  

The idea of “team” was what mattered most to Amaro in terms of building the Phillies.  He didn’t just go out and look for talent, but also role players that add to a championship team atmosphere.  With a homegrown mind like Amaro in the fold, Philadelphians feel comfortable with the direction of thier Phillies.  

Must Read: Top 10 Postseason Moments in Philadelphia Phillies History

 

Ruben Amaro Jr. hasn’t been held under any type of serious microscope as so many sports personalities are in Philadelphia.  The way fans see it, Amaro extends his freedoms as GM to make the team better, even if it means raising ticket prices annually.  One thing is for certain though, without Amaro, the past few years wouldn’t have been as successful.  

Even though Pat Gillick laid out the groundwork for Amaro beforehand, Amaro’s responded swiftly.  He’s taken the ball and sprinted with it.   Amaro’s ruthless pursuit of talent has gotten them into the exclusive elite club of MLB.

It’s clear that Philadelphia fans want a winner and so does Ruben Amaro Jr.  With Amaro at the helm, fans are safe in their feelings that he knows what it takes to produce a winning product year in and year out.  The trust that they have instilled in Amaro has become more than just from a fan standpoint though.  Most of these fans have a vested interest in this team.  

As stated earlier, the Phillies raise ticket prices every year and fans expect a better product because of this.  It’s no secret that the Phillies have ruled over the NL the last few seasons and look to continue to do so in the future.  Without Amaro’s gutsy efforts through free-agency and in-season deals, this wouldn’t be possible.  

The Phillies now look to continue to go to work with their gunslinger GM.  Whether you agree with some of his deals is up to you, but Amaro’s ballsy approach can’t be denied.  The Cliff Lee deal was one thing.  Highway robbery was just about the only thing that could describe that.  However, when he followed it up by moving Lee to get his original Plan A Roy Halladay, Amaro had done the unthinkable.  Though he’d traded a fan favorite in Lee, and a top-of-the-rotation ace to boot, he acquired an even better pitcher in Halladay.

Halladay, a man who pitched nearly two perfect games this past season, is in a prime position for an even better 2011.  Amaro wouldn’t stop there though.  By the 2010 trade deadline, he would acquire another ace from Houston in Roy Oswalt.  This gave him the fantastic H2O trio that we know today.  These were all steals in one way or another at the time in which they happened and have helped Amaro’s legacy grow.  

Agree with him or not, Ruben Amaro Jr. is the best GM this town’s seen in quite some time.  There are so many reasons to trust him with the Philadelphia Phillies.   

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

MLB Rumors: Five Ways For The Phillies to Solve Life After Jayson Werth

Any day, now Jayson Werth will be wearing a new uniform and a $100-million smile.  You can bet your house on the fact that when the 2011 season begins, Jayson Werth will not be a Philadelphia Phillie.  This much is painfully obvious by now.  What we still don’t know is where exactly he will end up when it’s all said and done.  Werth is already being courted by the Boston Red Sox, though they are not a guarantee landing spot for the star right fielder, they are a very likely destination.

Maybe I need to get off of the Werth case and realize that he will not be back next season.  Well, this is now an admitted fact that he will be somewhere else next year.  The main reason, from Werth’s standpoint, was that the Phillies didn’t offer enough years on their deal.  Money supposedly wasn’t much of an issue.  I suppose that $16.5 million per season suffices, doesn’t it Jayson?  Well, either way, Phillies’ GM Ruben Amaro Jr. apparently doesn’t believe that Jayson is “Werth” this high price tag.  

To their own credit, the Phillies are built and have depth throughout.  Though it won’t necessarily be easy to replace Werth’s five-tool prowess, it is something to acknowledge and prepare for this winter.  Domonic Brown needs to grow up on the fly and Ben Francisco needs to be a solid right-handed bat for the Phillies if this platoon is to work. 

Here are five ways that the Phillies will survive life without Jayson Werth.  

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Philadelphia Phillies: 10 Big Questions Facing the Phillies This Offseason

The Philadelphia Phillies face many questions heading into this offseason.  The biggest among them deals with the expiring contract of right fielder Jayson Werth.  But the questions do not stop there for Ruben Amaro Jr., a man who has had all the answers thus far in his short time as Phillies’ general manager.  

Many controversial moves have helped define Amaro’s gutsy persona in Philadelphia.  He’s become one of the top GMs in the sport and he is no stranger to taking chances.  This 2010 team appeared to have it all for the Phillies, though its abrupt exit proved otherwise.  

The 2011 season presents its share of challenges and another chance to continue what has become the Philadelphia dynasty.  The Phillies are one of the best teams in the league and boast a stellar 1-2-3 punch in their rotation.  

In the end though, injuries and inconsistency plagued this team and got the best of them.  Here are 10 questions for the Phillies to ponder this winter.   

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2010 NLCS: Top Performances Through Two Games

Even after just two games in this NLCS, one thing is as clear as ever: The two-time defending NL Champion Philadelphia Phillies have their hands full this time around.  These San Francisco Giants are not “your father’s Giants.”  This team has gotten it done all season long with pitching and timely hitting when necessary, and present a very tough challenge for the Phillies in the NLCS.

The Phillies, hoping to get to a third consecutive World Series, are playing a different type of game this time around and it has worked to fruition.  It’s been their pitching, not offense, that has brought them here. Their H20 rotation of Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt has carried them as their bats were often silenced this season.

The Giants on the other hand have an entirely different lineup than they did in the beginning of the season and caught fire down the stretch to rip the NL West away from the San Diego Padres.  Pitching alone may not be enough for San Francisco, but Cody Ross has made sure that pitching isn’t the only thing the Giants can do as well as the Phillies in this series.  

With two games in the rearview mirror, it’s now a best-of-five with the Giants holding home-field advantage, hosting the next three games in consecutive days.  This may go down to the wire.  Someone will need to swing the pendulum of momentum out West before the series shifts back to Philadelphia, if necessary.

Now, let’s go ahead and bear witness to some of the better performances over the weekend.  

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Philadelphia Phillies: Ranking the Top 10 NLCS Moments in Phillies History

The Philadelphia Phillies have been synonymous with the NLCS as of late, more particularly though, the World Series.  Throughout their recent run in their current “dynasty,” they have supplied fans with many unforgettable moments.  Those along with others in their grim past culminate to make up this list.

Currently, the Phillies are a consistent team that is ever-improving, but this was not always the case.  Over the past 127 years, the Phillies are the losingest franchise in all of sports.  Their fans take in this dubious distinction with a strange sense of pride.  I personally recall being at Citizens Bank Park in 2007 to see their 10,000th loss.  In particular, I recall a loud “BOOOOOOOOO” in unison at the end, this was symbolic of just how bad this team was.  Yet, ironically, 2007 was the turning point, and now it’s recalled as the “beginning” of this “dynasty.”

Now, let’s recount those great NLCS moments throughout the Phillies’ history, most of which have come from the history that has been made over the past few seasons.  These moments have given Philly fans chills during “chilly” October nights in the City of Brotherly Love and will most surely give many of us chills all over again.

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NLDS 2010: Philadelphia Phillies Dismantle Cincinnati Reds

Dominant. That is just about the only term that could justly describe the Philadelphia Phillies’ 1st Round sweep of the Cincinnati Reds.  The Phillies rode the arms of Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels and got themselves back to the NLCS for a 3rd consecutive run.  Add that in with timely hitting and taking advantage of costly Cincinnati miscues and that is exactly what we saw over this short, 5-day series.

This all had to start somewhere so why not with ace #1 Roy Halladay.  Halladay set the tempo on Wednesday afternoon in his post-season debut.  His no-hitter of the Reds let them know early that the “H20” rotation was all about.  Halladay only allowed one base-runner and was thisclose to perfection again.  

Cole Hamels’ stellar start on Sunday against the Reds made this series and quite frankly, the past few years of Hamels’ life come full-circle.  Ever since being awarded the 2008 World Series MVP questions have surrounded Hamels’ ability to perform in big games.  Those questions may now be put to rest as it appears as if vintage Hamels circa 2008 has returned and is hopefully here to stay for the Phillies. 

The most surprising thing in this series was the Reds’ struggles on the field defensively.  They had committed only 72 errors all season, yet committed seven in just three playoff games.   Most notably, 7-time Gold Glover Scott Rolen had a poor defensive series for the Reds.

In Game 2 the Reds had the defending two-time NL Champs on the ropes for most of the game.  A few errors later and the Phillies turned this into an advantageous scenario and took a 2-0 tilt to The Queen City.  Jay Bruce’s error in particular was the tell-all of this sloppy game.  

From the beginning of this series one thing was crystal clear.  Even in having the top NL offense in the regular season, the Reds were going to have trouble solving H20.  They hit .123  as a team and never really got the offense started throughout this series.  This was mainly due to MVP favorite Joey Votto’s struggles.  He was 1-10 in this series and was totally shut down by the Phillies in this series. 

Now the Phillies look ahead to the NLCS, where they will face either the San Francisco Giants or Atlanta Braves.  Though both teams boast very solid pitching, they simply will not be able to hit with Charlie Manuel’s club.  This could be the difference in the NLCS which starts Saturday evening in Philadelphia. The Phillies’ rotation will look to stifle the opposing offense once again and be the ending place for another NL foe en route to a 3rd consecutive World Series appearance.  

The bottom line is that Cole Hamels is at the top of his game right now and this could lead to another parade down South Broad St.  He has been here before and knows what it takes to get it done.  Along with Halladay and Roy Oswalt, this trio of aces could deliver another World Championship.  

This champagne-poppin’ thing will never get old for these Phillies as they have done it in each of the past three seasons.  This current period is the greatest in Philadelphia Phillies baseball history.  This dynasty, as many refer to it as, seems to be growing by the year and looks to now be at its peak.  Only time will tell how the rest will play out for these Phightin’ Phils.  

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

MLB Playoff Schedule 2010: The Five Hypothetical Series We Want To See

The Philadelphia Phillies are associated with the month October.  For the past two seasons they have been the Kings of this month without much adieu.  They now boast the top pitching rotation in the field and already owned one of the game’s best line-ups.  A line-up that still hasn’t hit its stride yet this season. This post-season has a different feel, as they now look to achieve success through their arms rather than their bats.

The other teams in the field need to be careful as the Phillies appeared to have hit their peak in the last month or so.  Even with their troubles throughout the season, they are here once again, this time with the best record in baseball and home-filed throughout their playoff stay. They drew newcomer Cincinnati in Rd. 1 and hope to break them in just right on their way to another World  Series appearance.

These playoffs will be memorable for some; more stories will be scripted over the next month. While others will end in heart-break.  Let’s go ahead and meet some of these teams as we look at the match-ups we all wish to see.

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MLB Playoffs: Five Storylines To Follow

October is upon us once again.  It is one thing that is almost as certain as death and taxes, yet at the same time, can never be scripted as FOX claims.  The plot is about ready to thicken as September ends and October commences.

There is something about the aura of October that always keeps us guessing, its essence is so subtle and can never be fully explained.  The things that have happened in past Octobers are still mysteries that will remain unsolved. 

Don’t expect this postseason to be any different.  There will once again be eight teams, this much we know, the rest will be up to them and how everything plays out.  A certain NL representative has its sights set on a 3rd consecutive World Series appearance and a 2nd title.  While on the other side, four ultra-competitive AL squads looking to outdo one another inn hopes of claiming the ultimate prize.

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