Looks Like the Philadelphia Phillies Blew It with Chan Ho Park

Last week’s relatively quiet announcement that the New York Yankees had signed Chan Ho Park to a $1.2 million, one-year contract raised some eyebrows.

If Park was willing to sign for such a meager sum and accept a bullpen role, why didn’t the Phillies lock him up?

Throughout the offseason, indications had been that the pitcher was seeking an opportunity to be a starter and bigger dollars than the Phillies were willing to offer.

Perhaps that was true early on, but obviously neither of those desires was fulfilled with the Bronx Bombers.

Surely then, Park must have been unhappy in Philadelphia and/or preferred to play in Yankees pinstripes, right?

According to an article in yesterday’s Philadelphia Inquirer (Chan Ho Park wanted to stay with Phillies ), however, the Korean right-hander is very upset about trading in his red pinstripes. Park stated that his No. 1 choice was Philly and that he loved the fans and his teammates. 

Of course, there may be more to the story—but at this point, it sure looks like the Phillies blew it here.

The Park signing did not carry the fanfare of the Phillies’ deal with Placido Polanco, but it might have almost as much impact. After his early season failure as a starter, Park became a highly valuable and effective option out of the ‘pen, posting a 2.52 ERA and striking out more than one batter per inning.

In fact, as the season wore on, Park probably evoked the most confidence of all the team’s relievers when he was summoned into the game.

At times, Ryan Madson looked dominating, but he was also prone to some occasional meltdowns. Scott Eyre enjoyed a fine season in a left-handed specialist role, but he went deep into the count with most hitters and walked almost as many as he struck out.

But it was Park who went after hitters with nasty stuff.

On most nights, Park lit up the radar guns with a 95 mph fastball that also possessed great movement. He complemented that pitch with a hard breaking curveball that kept hitters guessing and at times was unhittable. He attacked the zone, yet worked both pitches on the edges. 

The bottom line is that Park may be sorely missed in Philadelphia this season. Both free agent acquisitions, Danys Baez and Jose Contreras, come with question marks. The former is five years removed from his last good season, and the latter looks to be a fanciful roll of the dice. 

Additionally, both players also signed for more money, especially Baez at $5.25 million for two years. For a team that just unloaded Cliff Lee at least partially for budget reasons, it seems odd that they left the cheapest and most viable option on the table. 

Perhaps there is some truth to the perception that Charlie Manuel was uncomfortable with Park’s willingness to pitch when less than 100 percent. Many read between the lines that Manuel was taking a shot at Park when he recently said that his two new relievers would take the ball and not use injury as an excuse not to pitch. 

So, again, maybe there is more to the story that only someone on the inner circle would know. But it is also dangerous to try to get inside players’ heads when it comes to injuries, especially considering that Park made a rapid return from what appeared to be a very severely pulled hamstring to pitch in the postseason. 

Perhaps human emotion and stubbornness got in the way. It will not be the first time or the last that contentious negotiations result in a lose-lose scenario, but that does not excuse the foolishness.

Lastly, adding insult to it all is the fact that Park is now wearing a Yankees uniform. If the Phillies hope to regain the “World Champions” moniker in 2010, the majority of baseball experts believe that the team will have to go through New York. 

Now, it will be Joe Girardi, not Manuel, who will have the opportunity to benefit from Park’s nasty repertoire of pitches—possibly against the pitcher’s former teammates—and at a bargain basement price.

It sure looks like the Phillies blew this one. 

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Philadelphia Phillies Key No. 3: Which Raul Ibanez Will Show Up This Season?

Last season, the Phillies‘ big offseason acquisition, Raul Ibanez, got off to a fast start in his new Philadelphia surroundings, turning heads and winning accolades from Phillies fans and teammates. By late May, full blown Raul-mania enveloped the “City of Brotherly Love” as Ibanez continued to tear up National League pitching.

A couple weeks into June, Raul found his name at the top of most key NL rankings. In just 60 games, he had already clubbed 22 HR’s, drove in 59 runs and was hitting a lofty .333. As a result, after a somewhat overlooked existence throughout his career, the left-handed slugger had now crept into the consciousness of the national media—even evoking unfair questions whether pharmaceuticals were aiding his performance. 

That ugly incident aside, life was good.  But, then it suddenly changed. 

In a Sunday afternoon game against the Boston Red Sox, Manager Charlie Manuel did not pencil Ibanez’s name into the lineup for the first time all season. When questioned later, word filtered around that his left fielder either had sore feet from new shoes or tenderness in his Achilles’ tendon.

The intrigue and concern elevated to higher levels when Ibanez appeared visibly hobbled and highly ineffective over the next two games. Much to his dismay, the team shut him down at that point by placing him on the “15-Day Disabled List” with what was then being described as a groin strain. 

What seemed to be minor and precautionary at the time, turned out to be of much greater import looking back retrospectively. Using this as a line of demarcation, the before and after pictures for Ibanez were a lot like an extreme makeover—in reverse. 

Besides never being able to shed traces of the telling limp throughout the remainder of the regular season and the course of the postseason, Ibanez’s productivity absolutely plummeted. (At season’s end, the mystery was solved when it was announced that he would have surgery to repair the ever popular new millennium “sports hernia” diagnosis.)

As exhilarating a ride it was during the “before” segment, the “after” segment was a blown transmission. The former was Dave Parker in his prime, the latter was the dark days of Dave Kingman. 

After his very auspicious start, Ibanez hit a paltry .218 over the balance of the season. And, home runs and RBI were more than twice as abundant prior to the injury. 

After rocking opposing pitchers with a home run every 11.6 plate appearances, his production nose dived to once every 25.1 strolls to the plate. Similarly, Ibanez plated a run every 4.3 appearances before versus 8.9 appearances after pulling up lame. 

The image of Ibanez whiffing or topping a ball to second and then hobbling down to first became all too familiar. Frequently, it was a rally killer leaving runners stranded or turning into a twin killing. 

Considering that he plays a position that requires covering some ground and will turn 38 during the upcoming season, another important key to the Phillies having a successful season will be which Ibanez shows up this year? The 2009 early season edition makes the Phillies line up down right scary, while the late year version brings them somewhat back to the pack. 

And, even if he regains his stroke, playing in the National League with the most prolific run producer in baseball stationed at first, his mobility will be a factor. There simply is not an option to hide him at first or DH other than a handful of inter-league games. 

With the team’s high profile swap of aces at the top of the rotation and substantial turnover on the bench and in the bullpen, attention has been shifted away from Ibanez throughout the winter. Perhaps this signals that “RAJ” and “Uncle Cholly” are confident that offseason surgery and physical therapy will restore his play to look a lot more like the early edition. 

To his credit, Raul avoided excuses at all costs and made a valiant attempt to play through a painful and limiting injury. However, sending a gimpy left fielder with Ibanez’s second half productivity out to play everyday is probably not the path to a fourth consecutive NL East title, let alone a World Championship. 

Philadelphia sports fans have also witnessed that such an injury can be tricky and sometimes recur. The team lost their best insurance policy with the trade of Michael Taylor in December, so the backup plan would appear to be Ben Francisco, Greg Dobbs, John Mayberry, and/or Ross Gload—a considerable drop down from what they envisioned when they signed Ibanez. 

Early reports from Clearwater are that Ibanez feels and looks good—and is poised for a big year.  Of course, under the warm Florida sun and in the relaxed setting of spring training, optimism usually flows. 

When the starter pistol is fired to begin the marathon that is a major baseball season, keeping a close watch on the Phillies left fielder will likely provide some important clues about the team’s 2010 fortunes. 

A healthy slugger striking fear once again into other team’s hearts will make a large impact in the middle of the Phillies batting order. Conversely, an aging, diminished player will  be cause for concern throughout the organization and have the team scrambling for options. 

Blockbuster trades over the past several months have left Ruben Amaro’s pile of bargaining chips a little low. So, although he is not quite “all in” on Ibanez as he plays his 2010 hand, Amaro has a good deal riding on the lefty slugger. The prospects for 2010 will surely be a lot brighter for the Phillies with Ibanez getting his groove thing back. 

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The Philadelphia Phillies’ Top Five Postseason Moments

For having the distinction as the longest standing professional sports franchise in one city spanning 128 years, it is somewhat amazing that a large concentration of the Philadelphia Phillies organization’s postseason highlights have come in the most recent 30 years.

Certainly, some of this relates to Major League Baseball’s format changes that first added a round of league playoffs with the initial formation of divisions and then expanded to the current four playoff participant approach in each league. Simply put, since the changes, there have been more opportunities to participate in the annual year-end tournament than in the days of baggy knickers.

But, the increase in autumn thrills can also be attributed to the fact that the organization has been on a definite up swing over the past four decades, perhaps still reaching to attain new heights with the current era of the club. Prior to that time, the Phillies history was strewn with large periods of futility and dry spells.

It is a safe bet that Phillies faithful would have preferred a richer history dotted with triumphs in exchange for varying levels of annual disappointment and frustration. However, rather than bemoaning the team’s less decorated history, the upside for die hard Phillies fans is that it provides for a deeper appreciation of those relatively scarce high points and achievements.

Accordingly, so many of the magical memories and moments over the past couple years still reside in the forefront of Phillies fans minds— and probably aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Yankees fans may have quantity in their favor, but Phillies fans sure do have quality. With many years and long periods of unsatisfied yearnings and unconditional love invested into the team, the thrills and payoff are that much sweeter. Of course, the Phillies organization and their fervent fanbase would not complain if quantity were to come their way as well.

Sifting through the archives of the Internet and my mind, I present to you the top 5 postseason moments in Philadelphia Phillies history:

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Philadelphia Phillies Key No. 2: Can Cole Hamels Go Back to the Future?

The Philadelphia Phillies Five Keys to the 2010 Season  (Part Two of a Five Part Series)

 

A significant factor in Ruben Amaro’s decision to trade Cliff Lee relates to his “leap of faith” that this season’s version of Cole Hamels will look a lot like the 2008 model.  

If the Phillies hope to have another successful season, Amaro and everyone else in the organization know full well that it will require a return to form by the young pitcher who’s stock had been sky rocketing until experiencing some heavy turbulence last season. This certainly applies to the fate of the regular season, but will be especially critical in the spaced, short series format of the postseason tournament.

As the Yankees demonstrated, along with many teams before them, two top notch starting pitchers at the top of the rotation can provide a decided advantage towards navigating to a championship. And, surely, two dominant hurlers taking the ball four or five games in a short series has been a proven postseason formula. The 2002 Arizona Diamondbacks are the poster boys for this approach. 

Last season, the Phillies proved the inverse to be true as well. The wheels teetered a little in the playoffs, but finally came off the bus in the World Series when the team could not follow up Lee’s other worldly performances with the type of quality outing expected of a true No. 2 starter. 

This is not to suggest that last year’s World Series defeat all falls on Hamels, although his now infamous comments after another failed performance suggest that he was seemingly feeling his team’s collective weight on his shoulders. Pedro Martinez kept the team afloat in the playoffs by filling the void, but when his life raft started to leak in the Fall Classic, the hole in the rotation’s second slot was glaringly exposed as the 2008 Phillies’ Achilles heel. 

Of course, it would be foolish to get ahead of ourselves since there is a full 162 game marathon in between to determine who will compete in the year-end tournament. Simply put, there will be no need to worry about the postseason rotation if the team does not qualify in the regular season race. 

To that point, it cannot be overstated to say that Hamels will be instrumental in his team’s chances of both garnering a fourth consecutive National League Eastern Division crown and a playoff spot. The competition has gotten tougher and the current construct of the squad puts pressure squarely on the shoulders of the starters to perform at their full potential.

The team can ill afford the potential death spiral triggered by faltering starting pitching leading to a burned out bullpen. There is little reason to believe that Roy Halladay will be anything other than a rock at the top of the rotation—an unquestionable ace that harkens back to the days of Steve Carlton.

Accordingly, the discussion and scrutiny begins with the pitcher who will be handed the ball the following day. As was covered yesterday, the rotation’s fifth slot is currently a large question mark at best and has the potential to be a season long-trouble spot, so this just ups the ante for Hamels.

Besides avoiding undue stress on the relief corps, a solid season by Hamels will greatly diffuse pressure on J.A. Happ as he embarks on the encore challenge that comes with winning “The Sporting News Rookie of the Year.” And, a strong season the likes of Hamels’ 2007 and 2008 seasons (that resulted in a combined 29-15 record) will evoke an air of invincibility throughout the clubhouse. 

After entering last season with an intense hangover induced by an offseason of celebrating a starring role in the Phillies second World Series Championship, Hamels struggled with injury, shaken confidence, and ultimately the growing frustration of unmet expectations. 

Having learned a valuable lesson that so many before him have also experienced, this season will presumably be different. The young hurler reportedly dedicated himself to a regimen of physical preparation through the offseason that was largely missing a year ago—and the presence of Halladay with his “lead-by-example” work ethic will only help. 

A quick start would not only bolster the somewhat tenuous confidence of Hamels, but it would also send a ripple of positive current through his teammates. But, for that to happen, “Hollywood” will need to re-gain command of his curveball and revitalize his signature change-up to the point of restoring his confidence to throw it at anytime in the count. 

The Phillies’ “No. 2” needs to find the form that had fans, pundits and players singing his praises throughout the previous two seasons before encountering last year’s difficulties.  For 2010 and probably beyond, Ruben Amaro and the Phillies are banking on Cole Hamels going back to the future to once again become the guy they rode to a World Championship. 

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The Philadelphia Phillies 5 Keys to the 2010 Season

Part 1 of a 5 Part Series

As the Philadelphia Phillies come together in the warm Clearwater sunshine to begin preparation for the long journey of another major league baseball season, keen focus will be placed on some aspects of the team more so than others. Although history and human nature teaches us that nothing should be taken for granted, that wisdom does not apply equally across the board. 

 

Each season is a new chapter that brings a series of new issues and unanswered questions that will undoubtedly be instrumental to the fortunes of the team. Surely new story lines will emerge as the season unfolds, but as the team looks over the hood with 99% of the journey still in front of them, a handful of matters get the spotlight as having particular import in the quest for another World Championship. 

 

The Phillies are in the midst of one of, if not the greatest, period of prosperity in team history. The magical and cathartic 2008 World Series Championship season along with another terrific run to repeat last year that fell just short serve as strong testimony. 

 

But, the normal process of addressing perceived weaknesses combined with the economic complexities of the current era of the sport bring about inevitable changes. Certainly the defending National League Champs are not immune, nor chose to remain static, as they venture to take another triumphant trip or two down Broad Street come November.  

 

In just a few months since last year’s journey ended in disappointment on that cold Bronx night, many events have occurred and many players have shuffled in and out. The biggest news, of course, involved the surprising switch of Cy Young pitchers at the top of the team’s rotation. 

 

The Philadelphia media, fans and players alike will most assuredly maintain a keen watch on and contrast the performances of Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee throughout the season, but success or failure for the Phillies in 2010 will more likely revolve around other areas of the club. 

 

Today, I begin a five part series highlighting the five keys to the Phillies 2010 season. Although an unforeseen injury or an off year by one of the team’s core players could have significant impact on the season, those occurrences are largely unpredictable and accordingly not anticipated. 

 

 

Key No. 1– The Fifth Starter in the Rotation

The hope (and perhaps necessity for another World Series run) is that inserting Roy Halladay at the top of the Phillies rotation will result in at least 18 wins, but ideally 20-22 victories. Barring some freak of nature, the former Cy Young Award winner’s track record suggests that this is a likely scenario. 

 

Penciling Halladay’s name in at the top of the rotation provides a great deal of comfort to Manager Charlie Manuel, but what keeps him up at night is the spot on the opposite end of the starting staff. 

 

With Pedro Martinez still a free agent seeking a new home, and Jamie Moyer coming off a subpar season that ended with three separate surgeries, the fifth spot in the rotation is a source of angst. Throw into the mix the Kyle Kendrick conundrum and you have the potential for multiple Maalox moments throughout the season. 

 

As much as Halladay is a sure thing, the other end of the pitching quintet is currently one large question mark. And, with the minor league cupboard currently a little bit bare, the fall back provisions are somewhat limited in regard to finding a replacement within the organization or via trade. 

 

The front runner is currently Moyer by virtue of his $8 million salary and the view that he is not ideally suited for the bullpen. Also in his favor is his 47-31 record in a Phillies uniform over the past three plus seasons. 

 

The good news is that Moyer is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation efforts and is already in camp.

 

The bad news is it remains to be seen whether his surgically repaired body can withstand the rigors of another major league season at the advanced age of 47.  Additionally, his fastball routinely clocked in at 82 mph—before going down with a torn groin muscle. 

 

Moyer has made a living, particularly in his twilight years, of skating the fine line of future retirement through guile and precision. Would losing a couple miles per hour on his pitches or an ever so slight alteration in his mechanics tip the scales toward the Adam Eaton end of the pitching effectiveness spectrum? 

 

The next potential option is Kyle Kendrick, who came out of nowhere to have some early success with the big club in 2007 and 2008, but was exiled to the pen and later the minor’s after beginning to falter in his second season. The Phillies brass felt that it was a matter of the league catching up to his limited repertoire of pitches.

 

During last year’s all expense paid trip to the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, Kendrick worked diligently on adding a change-up, improving his slider and getting more bite on his cutter. Based on the empirical data and the assessment of Phillies coaches- mission accomplished. 

 

This is not to say that he is the answer for the fifth slot, but there is a great deal more optimism about his ability to compete at the major league level. Surely the decision to add Kendrick to the NLDS roster was a good indicator, and letting Pedro walk was another.  

 

A factor in the decision might relate to the cozy dimensions of Citizen’s Bank Park, where Kendrick’s sinker is a good fit. Conversely, Moyer soft tosses can often have hometown onlookers holding their breath against hitters with some pop. 

 

Another potential candidate is recently signed Jose Contreras, but he would not seem to be the answer. He is several years removed from a couple good campaigns and has mostly had a high ERA as a starter. What seemed to spark Ruben Amaro’s interest in signing him anyway was his work out of the bullpen at the end of last season. 

 

As great as it will be to have Halladay taking the ball every fifth day when the regular season gets underway, the ball will be given almost an equal amount of times to someone occupying the bottom spot. 

 

The first four members in the rotation are pretty much set in stone– Halladay, Hamels, Blanton and Happ. But still, the team needs a solid contribution from the pitcher that completes the set to win an improved NL East and make another trip to the postseason. 

 

Best case scenario is Moyer finding his 2008 groove and/or Kendrick proving Phillies coaches right that he now has the well rounded stuff to keep major league hitters on their heels.  Worst case scenario is a bullpen taxing, record deflating pitching adventure every fifth day. 

 

 

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The Philadelphia Phillies All-Time Line Up

The Philadelphia Phillies hold the distinction of the longest standing franchise in professional sports having been formed 127 years ago. As many Phillies fans will attest, the team has endured more than its fair share of lean seasons on its way to also setting the record for most losses with 10,167 and counting.

Of course, a great deal of that is ancient history as the team is currently considered one of the elite teams in baseball, if not professional sports. The present period of prosperity has included three consecutive National League Eastern Division Titles, two straight National League Pennants and the 2008 World Series Championship.

Besides the actual accomplishments, Philadelphia has transformed into a baseball destination spot. Night in and night out, arguably the best venue in sports is filled to capacity with passionate fans who come to see some of the very best players its sport has to offer.

As the team prepares to embark on another promising season, I have decided to take a look back through the Philadelphia Phillies checkered past to see how current players stack up against their predecessors. As part of that trip through time, I present to you the Philadelphia Phillies All-Time Line-Up. No rules, no guidelines– just my own personal anachronistic “Dream Team.”

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Philadelphia Phillies Fans Still Trying to Swallow the Cliff Lee Trade

Seattle Mariners‘ pitcher Cliff Lee popped up in the news this week when it was announced that he had minor foot surgery.  Although Lee surely has experienced some discomfort, the news may have struck a more painful nerve with Phillies fans. 

 

After the tandem blockbuster deals were announced in December that brought Roy Halladay to Philadelphia and sent Lee to Seattle, a large flurry of debate ensued throughout the world of Major League Baseball. It paled in comparison, though, to the torrent of polarizing opinions, contentious discussions, and deep lament that the Lee trade ignited within the Philadelphia media and fanbase.  

 

For many Phillies faithful, merely hearing and reading the words “Seattle Mariners'” attached to Lee’s name tends to inflame December’s stabbing pain that subsided into January’s throbbing discomfort that begot February’s dull ache. If not for the narcotic effect of landing Halladay, area hospitals may have been operating on a wait list. 

 

As I wrote in a post in mid-December (“Halladay is Great, But Really Sorry to See Lee Go “), Lee had become a quick fan favorite, recognized as a truly special talent with a personality that was seemingly custom made for Philadelphia. The city had embraced him, man crushes had proliferated, and nobody saw a near term divorce coming. 

 

And, certainly, the notion that the team could have had both pitchers in their rotation, but instead chose to re-stock their farm system and manage down their 2010 payroll, still remains a bitter pill to swallow. It seems the best that many Phillies fans have been able to do at this point is meekly acquiesce to the logic set forth by Ruben Amaro, some sports radio jockeys, and a handful of the media. 

 

But, despite almost two months passing, the nagging feeling still persists that it just did not have to turn out this way. As much of a coupe it was last July to land the 2008 American League Cy Young winner—Amaro erased it, and then some, in one knee-jerk decision.  

 

In fact, it would not be a stretch to say that the Cliff Lee deal with Seattle could go down as the worst trade in Phillies history, especially considering what is at stake. 

 

With a universally acknowledged and historically rare window of opportunity as a leading championship contender, dealing away one of the game’s best pitchers in his prime to stock for the future rings hollow at best. Only time will tell if the three prospects received from the Mariners pan out to be of collective commensurate value, but we will never know how 2010 would have played out for the Phillies with Lee.  

 

At this juncture, it is difficult to believe that those three less than elite minor leaguers are the best that Amaro could have garnered for a Cy Young pitcher who dazzled throughout the postseason just weeks earlier. One pitcher has had arm problems in his first two professional seasons, another had a 5.12 ERA, and the other projects as a fourth outfielder—and none are close to being major league ready. 

 

Besides foregoing being the favorite to win it all this season with Lee in tow, and the continuing possibility of resigning him, the Phillies essentially only netted one additional long range prospect once free agent compensatory picks are factored in.  

 

Doing the math, that amounts to trading the services of Lee for 2010 for one low level minor league prospect. Does that possibly make any sense?

 

Accordingly, this suggests that finances were the biggest part of the equation with the payroll projecting to be in the $140-150 million range. But, do you give away one of the best players in baseball to clear payroll when you are sitting on potentially the greatest team in the history of the franchise? 

Again, it is hard to believe that there were no other means to bring the payroll into the currently established range. The most visible solution would have involved moving Joe Blanton and his $8 million salary. The solid, inning eating Blanton surely could have fetched one prospect, couldn’t he?  

 

Perhaps negotiating a buyout with Jamie Moyer to save some dollars and free him to negotiate with another team willing to give him a shot at being a starter was a possibility? Perhaps, the team could have approached some of its higher paid veterans with the carrot of fielding a team for the ages and renegotiated to back load some salary? 

 

Did anyone contact Comcast or WPHL? Where’s Bill Giles when you need him? 

 

Heck, Phillies fans probably would have been willing to “pass the hat” at every game to go toward the “Save Cliff” fund. Seriously. 

 

The bottom line is simple. When you have a special player, particularly one who marvelously adds to the team’s chemistry—you find a way to keep him. 

 

Regrettably, turning back the clock is not an option. The deal is done—but to hear Lee’s name associated with another team still pings raw nerves of Phillies fans—because it still just makes so little sense.  

 

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