Philadelphia Phillies: One Early-Season Surprise from All 25 Roster Players

It may be early in the season, but it’s never too early for a few surprises, and the Philadelphia Phillies have certainly provided plenty of those through the first couple of series of the 2012 season.

With guys like Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jose Contreras on the disabled list, we knew that the Phillies wouldn’t look like they have in years past, at least through the first couple months of the season, but who knew that rookie Freddy Galvis would start every game at second base? Who knew that Joe Savery would break camp with the club?

The short version of this story is that nothing has gone according to plan for the Phillies so far this season, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The Phillies have shown an uncanny ability to adjust on the fly in recent seasons, and they’re at it again early in 2012.

This slide show is using the Phillies 25-man roster as of April 14, 2012 and uses statistics up to that date.

For news, rumors, analysis and game recaps during spring training, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor!

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Philadelphia Phillies: Odds That Each 25-Man Roster Player Will Stay for 2013

We are less than two weeks into the 2012 season, but baseball is the type of sport where you find yourself thinking, “It’s never too early to be looking at the future.”

The Philadelphia Phillies are certainly thinking that way.

Mired in a slump to kick off the 2012 campaign, the Phillies know that their elite pitching staff will hold up their “contender” status throughout the season, but what happens if the offense, which scored all of six runs in the first full series of the season, never kicks it into gear?

The goal will always be to win the World Series this season, but you can bet your bottom dollar that a bunch of men in suits in the Phillies’ front office are debating whether or not it is more prudent to re-sign Cole Hamels after the season or spend that money on guys like Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence.

Baseball is as much a business as it is a game, and more often than not, performance on the field creates a numbers crunch off of it.

Which cost-efficient prospects are ready to replace a pricey veteran? Which players do the club deem essential, and who is expendable?

These are questions that Phillies officials will debate throughout the season, and this slideshow should serve as a bit of a primer for those discussions. Which members of the Phillies’ 25-man roster will return for the 2013 season, and who is on the bubble?

For news, rumors, analysis and game recaps during spring training, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor!

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Philadelphia Phillies: Assessing the Injury Risk of Every Phils Roster Player

If you’re a fan of high-scoring games and the Philadelphia Phillies, the first series of the 2012 regular season was probably a depressing one for you.

It is no secret that the Phillies lineup will struggle without guys like Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, but if the series against the Pittsburgh Pirates was any indication of what is to come, things can get ugly for the Phillies, and fast.

In three games, the Phillies surrendered just seven runs. They lost two of them after scoring just six. You can hang the blame on whomever you like, but at the end of the day, we all know that the Phillies offense is hurting. They can’t afford another injury.

So how healthy are they?

If last season taught this club anything, it should have been that it is necessary to rest older players more prone to injury. They’ll need to rest other injury-prone players as well, though. This slideshow will attempt to determine which players are ready for the long haul and which players should proceed with caution.

In doing so, we’ll use this simple key:

– High: Player is at high risk of an injury and should proceed with caution.

– Moderate: Though seemingly healthy, a player has some type of warning sign(s).

– Low: Player is not an injury risk.

For news, rumors, analysis and game recaps during spring training, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor!

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25 Philadelphia Phillies Prospects Who Never Lived Up to the Hype

Philadelphia is a city of high expectations and in recent seasons it has been impossible to have any higher expectations than this town has had for its Philadelphia Phillies. “World Series or bust” has become a common phrase, and that isn’t a common occurrence for a baseball club.

It’s a baseball loving town. The Phillies have had their dark seasons—there is no doubt about that—but expectations have remained.

Throughout the history of this organization, it seems as though there is always a certain level of hype over the club’s prospects. When you’re losing, you have hope that they’ll help you win in the future. When you’re winning, you hope that they’ll help you continue your winning ways.

Like any club, the Phillies have had prospects unable to live up to the hype. They’ve had mega-prospects that couldn’t quite live up to their lofty expectations, huge busts, and everything in between.

Though it’s tough to quantify into a ranking, this slide show will take a look at 25 players in Phillies’ history that have failed to live up to their hype by attempting to cross-check their success against their expected success.

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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!

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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!

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Philadelphia Phillies: Spring Training Grades for Every 25-Man Roster Player

The equipment truck is on the road to Philadelphia, the Opening Day roster is all but set and the Philadelphia Phillies are just about ready to wrap up their Grapefruit League schedule and head north.

Those are some of the universal baseball signs that spring training is just about ready to come to a close and the regular season is just around the bend. Though I’m sure leaving the warm Florida sunshine won’t be easy for some, playing games that actually count toward the ultimate goal should ease that pain all the same.

So as the Phillies prepare themselves to leave Clearwater, Fla. behind until February of 2013, it’s time to grade their spring performance yet again. Each grade will be the result of a full analysis of each player’s spring training.

Who answered their biggest question marks? Who performed the best, and who performed the worst? Who excelled in all areas of the game, and who excelled in just a few areas?

To grade each player, we’ll use a simple system of five grades:

– A: Said player had a stellar spring.

– B: Said player had a very good spring, but not an incredible camp.

– C: Said player had an average camp. Could have been worse, but certainly could have been better.

– D: Said player had a below average spring and needs to make adjustments.

– F: Said player had a terrible spring and has become a major cause for concern.

*Note: All spring training statistics are through Saturday, March 31, 2012.

For news, rumors, analysis and game recaps during spring training, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor!

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Philadelphia Phillies: 25 Ideas for Getting Younger over the Next 5 Years

“It sucks getting old.”

We’ve all heard someone lamenting their young years spew that bit of harsh reality over the years. We may have even caught ourselves saying those words, or at least thinking it. In recent weeks, no one has thought about that statement more than the collective organization that is the Philadelphia Phillies.

Spring Training has been like playing word association with a psychiatrist. If Phillies’ trainer Scott Sheridan were to hold up a card with the word “injury” written on it, my response would be something along the lines of, “Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Placido Polanco, Laynce Nix, Domonic Brown, Freddy Galvis, and Jose Contreras.”

At times, the Phillies’ clubhouse has looked more like a M.A.S.H unit than a team of baseball players. If there was a single resolution as to why these injuries were occurring, the Phillies would be leading the league in quick recoveries, but there isn’t.

One of the numerous reasons is the simple fact that the Phillies aren’t getting any younger. They are a team of veterans with a lot of mileage on their bodies. There has been an outcry for the front office to reduce the overall age of the roster, and that isn’t an easy thing to do if a club like the Phillies wants to remain competitive.

But it can be done.

This slideshow will attempt to prove that fact. A couple of months ago, I wrote a similar slideshow expressing some outside-of-the-box methods to reduce the roster’s age, but now, I will attempt to prove that the Phillies don’t have to be so creative to do just that.

Thy have to be methodical.

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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25 Predictions for Phillies’ Offense If Howard, Utley Miss Significant Time

There is no denying the fact that starting the season without the men who would normally hit third and fourth in your everyday lineup is a huge loss. Anyone who believes otherwise can probably trace their roots back to their gullible ancestors that believed the Earth was flat and the center of the universe.

The Philadelphia Phillies are going to miss Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. There are no two ways about it.

Howard is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered on the final play of the 2011 National League Division Series. His return date is unknown. Ditto for Utley, who is dealing with a chronic condition called chondromalacia in his knee.

It is a major concern for a team that was already fielding a questionable offense coming into camp. Now that both are shelved, the future of this club’s firepower looks bleak.

However, the true mark of a good offensive team is how they perform in the face of adversity, and boy, are the obstacles stacked high against the Phillies. But this team has dealt with adversity in the past and handled it well. What does the 2012 season have in store if Utley and Howard can’t be key contributors?

Here are a few predictions for the state of the Phillies’ offense, sans the right side of their infield.

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: Final Predictions for the Opening Day 25-Man Roster

It’s almost here.

Normally, when you spend an entire winter waiting for something, you’re a bit bummed to see it go, and although I’m sure some fans will lament the passing of yet another spring training, it’s time to look at the bigger picture: It’s almost here.

Opening Day.

It’s just around the corner. If you need any proof, just take a look around. Huge spring rosters are slimming down, starting pitchers are throwing later into ball games and hitters are starting to make the best contact of the spring.

The player are just about ready for Opening Day, but are you?

Who knows how ready the Philadelphia Phillies would be. I’m not sure there is another camp in baseball under the same microscope as the Phillies. While the pitching is top-notch, a thin offensive unit is shrinking by the day.

Ryan Howard? Still recovering from offseason surgery to repair his Achilles tendon.

Chase Utley? His chronic knee condition has forced him to see a specialist. His return is up in the air.

Few rosters have seen as drastic a change as the Phillies, so with Opening Day just a few weeks away, is there a better time than now to predict not only what the Opening Day roster will look like, but how it will perform?

I think not.

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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