2011 Philadelphia Phillies: What Can Domonic Brown Do for You?
Domonic Brown has been the Phillies’ top prospect for three seasons and could be the best player to get called up to Philadelphia since Ryan Howard in 2005.
Last season, Brown showed flashes of brilliance at time during his stint in the majors. He had nine hits, one home run and 10 RBI in his first seven starts. But the rookie struggled when major league pitchers adjusted to his long stroke and it greatly affected his performance. Dom hit .183 with two home runs and 13 RBI in only 49 at-bats over 31 games played.
After struggling in winter ball and the beginning of spring training, many fans were under the impression that Brown was all hype and not a good major league player.
Brown has struggled since his call-up to the majors last season, but he only has 62 regular-season at-bats and was not playing every game to hit out of his slump.
Domonic Brown is not the first Phillie to struggle early in his major league career, and will not be the last. Here are a few Phillies who had slow starts to begin their big league career:
1. Ryan Howard (May 2005): 6-for-28 (.214), 1 HR, 1 RBI. Career (7 seasons): .277, 262 HR, 783 RBI, 2005 NL ROY, 2006 NL MVP.
2. Chase Utley (2003): 32-for 134 (.239), 2 HR, 21 RBI. Career (8 seasons): .293, 177 HR, 650 RBI, 2006-2009 Silver Slugger, five time all-star.
3. Jimmy Rollins (April 2001): 23-for 92 (250), 0 HR, 5 RBI. Career (11 seasons): .272, 156 HR, 674 RBI, 2007 NL MVP, 2007-2009 gold glove winner.
Bottom line: players need time to adjust to the top level of professional baseball in the world.
Once Domonic Brown settles in, he could be on pace to equal or surpass the careers of these current Phillies stars.
To read more of Jeff Kerr’s work, click http://phillymorningafter.wordpress.com/ or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/jeff_kerr
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Philadelphia Phillies Are 15-6, but are There Concerns With Team To Beat in NL?
The Phillies lead Major League Baseball with a .714 winning percentage after three and a half weeks into the 2011 season.
The starting pitching has lived up to the hype and the bullpen is one of the most reliable in the National League.
Placido Polanco continues to swing a hot bat in April and Ryan Howard is second in the National League with 19 RBI.
In spite of all the success the Phillies had in the beginning of 2011, have fans ever seen a 15-6 team with so many issues? Charlie Manuel’s squad has a few problems they need to solve as the club heads into one of the toughest portions of the schedule in a few weeks.
1. Will Jimmy Rollins continue to bat third?
Rollins had early success hitting for average in the three-hole, but the overall results have been sub par.
J-Roll is batting .256 with no home runs and two RBI.
Brian Schneider, the backup catcher, has more RBI than Rollins through 21 games.
Rollins is failing to produce timely hits with runners on base and fails to give legitimate protection for Ryan Howard.
Manuel may not have to force Rollins out of the third spot if Chase Utley returns by mid-May.
2. Will Raul Ibanez be relegated to a platoon role?
Ibanez has not been the same player since his torrid start at the beginning of the 2009 season.
After hip surgery led to a slow start in 2010, Ibanez does not have that lingering over him in 2011.
Raul is hitting an abysmal .187 with one home run and 10 RBI. He continues to struggle with his timing at the plate.
Manuel most likely will continue to stick with his 11.5 million dollar man, who will become a free agent after this season. However, John Mayberry is showing he belongs in the major leagues.
Mayberry is batting .350 with no home runs and two RBI in only 20 at bats this season. He has an above average arm and his defense has vastly improved since his last stint with the Phillies.
Giving Raul some rest against lefties (.143 avg. against LHP) and playing Mayberry would balance the lineup with a power bat to protect Howard.
3. Who’s the closer?
Brad Lidge is out until the all-star break. Jose Contreras was recently placed on the 15-day DL with a strained flexor pronator tendon in his throwing elbow.
Now, Ryan Madson will get the opportunity to prove if he is the Phillies’ closer the rest of this season and beyond.
Madson is 2-0 with an ERA of 1.00 and converted both his save opportunities this season. Contreras was dominant in the closer role before his injury with five saves, a 0.00 ERA and nine strikeouts in eight innings pitched.
All three of the players can close, but who will Charlie Manuel go to when Contreras comes off the DL? How about Brad Lidge?
This problem is a good one to have, but it has to be solved sometime this season.
4. Which bench player(s) will see more playing time as the season goes on?
The most likely candidates to see more playing time are John Mayberry and Pete Orr.
Orr has excellent base-running ability and is a solid contact hitter. He has a decent arm and a good glove in the infield.
Pete is hitting .333 with zero home runs and an RBI in just 21 at bats this season.
Mayberry can platoon with Ibanez, but also is the team’s top pinch hitter. He can also play first base and give Ryan Howard a well-deserved day off.
John can play either of the corner outfield positions, which allows him to make a spot start for Ben Francisco along with filling in for Ibanez.
Charlie Manuel has to find out if Mayberry can start for the Phillies in the future, so getting him more at bats will provide an answer.
5. Will the Phillies upcoming schedule be a speed bump?
The Phillies have a tough May ahead of them.
After the Nationals series ends on May 5, Philadelphia plays seven consecutive series against teams that finished over .500 in 2010.
Two of those series are against the Braves and their excellent pitching staff, with the Marlins sandwiched in between. This nine-game swing could put the Phillies in a dogfight for their fifth straight National League East title or separate them from the contenders.
After the second Braves series, the Phillies play the Cardinals (road), Rockies (home), Rangers (home) and Reds (home). All these teams will be tough to win a series against so the Phillies must step up to the plate.
The starting pitching will continue to perform at a high level, but will the offense score some runs during this stretch?
How about the bullpen? Will they continue to get key outs in late innings?
Fans will find out if the Phillies are the team to beat in the National League over this stretch of games.
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Philadelphia Phillies Preview: First Meeting with Jayson Werth Since Departure
Phillies: 7-2, first in NL East
Nationals: 4-5, third in NL East (three games behind Phillies)
Phillies Preview
The Phillies offense has been on a roll through nine games this season. Philadelphia leads the National League in batting average (.334), hits (107) and are second in runs scored (59). Seven of the eight starting position players are hitting over .300 in the early portion of the season.
The Phillies need to get more production out of Jimmy Rollins in the third spot. Rollins is hitting .324 with three doubles, but has no RBI this season. He is only 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, and must improve the clutch hitting in order for the Phillies to produce runs at the top of the lineup.
Joe Blanton, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee will take the mound for the Phillies in the series. Blanton and Lee look to rebound from their last outings. In his last start against the Mets, Blanton pitched 4.1 innings, allowed 10 hits and seven earned runs in a no-decision. He had a 7-0 lead entering the fourth inning of that game.
Lee was hit hard last Friday against Atlanta. He allowed 10 hits and six earned runs in only 3.1 innings of work. The Phillies’ left-handed ace is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in two career starts against the Nationals.
Roy Halladay is 8-1 with an ERA of 1.96 in his career versus Washington. In his last start against the Nationals, Halladay pitched a complete game, two-hit shutout as the Phillies clinched their fourth consecutive National League East title.
Nationals Preview
Washington’s offense was supposed to be much improved with the acquisition of former Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth. But that has not been the case. The Nationals are 12th in the National League in runs (36) and last in batting average (.217).
Ryan Zimmerman continues to hit the ball well. Zimmerman is hitting .357 with a home run and four RBI in the early part of the season. However, his high-profile teammates are struggling.
Adam LaRoche is hitting .194 with a home run and three RBI in eight games, while Ivan Rodriguez only has three hits in 17 at-bats through five games.
The Nationals will send Livan Hernandez, John Lannan and Jordan Zimmermann to face the hot Phillies offense. Hernandez is 11-10 with a 3.60 ERA in 27 career starts against the Phillies.
Lannan was the winning pitcher in both his starts this season. In his last outing against the Marlins, Lannan pitched five solid innings, allowed three runs and struck out four.
Jordan Zimmermann has not pitched well in two career starts versus the Phillies. He is 0-1, allowed 10 runs (including three home runs) and has an 11.25 ERA. Zimmermann threw 5.1 innings, allowed two runs and struck out four in a victory over the Mets.
Player To Watch
Phillies
Shane Victorino is hitting .417 with a home run and eight RBI in the leadoff spot this season. He was 9-for-13 with a double, home run, three RBI and two stolen bases in the Braves series. Victorino has hit .290 with six home runs and 30 RBI in his career versus the Nationals.
Nationals
Who else on the team but former Phillies star Jayson Werth? In his four years with the Phillies, Werth hit .284 with 95 home runs and 300 RBI, helping the Phillies win four division titles, two National League pennants and a World Series Championship. Werth is batting .200 with a home run and an RBI in nine games for the Nationals.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Tues. 4/12: Joe Blanton PHI (0-0, 14.54) vs. Livan Hernandez WAS (0-1, 4.76)
Wed. 4/13: Roy Halladay PHI (1-0, 0.69) vs. John Lannan WAS (1-0, 3.60)
Thurs. 4/14: Cliff Lee PHI (1-1, 7.84) vs. Jordan Zimmermann WAS (1-1, 3.18)
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Phillies Series Preview: Howard, Phillies Ready to Face Braves Starting Staff
Phillies: 5-1, first in NL East
Braves: 3-4, fourth in NL East (2.5 games behind Phillies)
Phillies preview: The Phillies come into this early-season showdown with the Braves having won five of six to begin the season. The offense leads the National League with a .353 average and a .407 on base percentage.
Ryan Howard is a strong candidate for player of the week with a .480 average, two home runs and eight RBI. Placido Polanco continues to swing the ball well in April. He is hitting .440 with four doubles and eight RBI.
Three of Philadelphia’s four aces take the hill in the series, starting with Cliff Lee tonight. Lee had a solid outing in his first start back with the Phillies. He allowed three runs, four hits and struck out 11 in seven innings.
Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels take the mound for the Phillies in the remaining two games. Hamels will look to rebound from one of the worst pitching performances of his career last Tuesday against the Mets. Cole allowed six runs on seven hits in just 2.2 innings of work. He is 9-5 with a 3.95 ERA in his career against Atlanta.
Braves preview: The Braves offense has been anemic after the first week of the season. Atlanta is 13th in the National League with a .226 batting average after seven games.
Dan Uggla is hitting .222 with two home runs and two RBI this season. The Braves need more production out of Uggla if they are serious contenders for the National League East title.
Jason Hayward continues to hit the ball hard with two home runs and five RBI to begin the season. Atlanta sends Tim Hudson, Brandon Beachy and Derek Lowe to face the Phillies in the series. Lowe is 7-4 with a 3.21 ERA against the Phillies in his career and is hard to hit in Turner Field.
Player to Watch
Phillies: Wilson Valdez is batting .429 with three doubles and five RBI’s this season, which is a pleasant surprise for the offense. He will look to continue this hot streak against Hudson, Beachy, and Lowe.
Braves: Brian McCann has an excellent track record against the Phillies. McCann has a lifetime .289 average, with 12 home runs, and 56 RBI’s against Philadelphia. In order for the Braves to win the series, McCann has to deliver some big hits against the Phillies rotation.
Pitching Probables
Friday 4/8: PHI Lee (1-0, 3.86 ERA) at ATL Hudson (1-0, 1.29 ERA)
Saturday 4/9: PHI Oswalt (1-0, 3.00 ERA) at ATL Beachy (0-0, 1.50 ERA)
Sunday 4/10: PHI Hamels (0-1, 20.25 ERA) at ATL Lowe (1-1, 0.77 ERA)
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MLB All-Star Game 2010: The Should-Be NL Starters
As all baseball fans know, they get to vote every year for the players they want represented to start in the Midsummer Classic.
Unfortunately, most fans get the selections wrong and many undeserving players are selected to start in the All-Star game.
My list for the 2010 NL All-Star starters is based on what these players did for their teams in the first half of the season and the stats that back up their claim.
Phillies fans might be disappointed with these selections…
Time for a New Charlie Manuel
The last few weeks of Phillies baseball have been pitiful.
Just when fans thought the team’s current slump was over after Tuesday night’s slugfest, the Phillies proved tonight the slump has not ended.
Charlie Manuel needs to make changes with this team and edit his constant managing mistakes.
He is an excellent player’s manager. Every player in the Phillies clubhouse gives 110 percent for Manuel and his staff every game.
The players like his laid-back style and his refusal to put more pressure on them than is already there.
Manuel has done wonders for this organization.
Still, he is one of the worst in-game managers in all of Major League Baseball. He continues to use the wrong players in crucial situations.
The Phillies are down 1-0 and need a base-runner in the eighth inning to turn the lineup around for Shane Victorino (their best clutch hitter).
Manuel decides to pitch-hit Roy Halladay for Greg Dobbs.
Dobbs is the worst hitter on the team and is batting .140 on the season going into this at-bat. He grounds out on a weak swing to third base, ending the inning.
Instead of Dobbs hitting, why not use Brian Schneider? He is batting .241 and has the ability to get on base with a single or pull the ball over the right field wall which would tie the game.
With Manuel’s error, the inning is over and Roy Halladay is out of the game. He could have hit the ball Dobbs hit to third base.
In a bizarre move just five minutes later, Manuel decides to put Danys Baez in the game. Baez has a 4.50 ERA and is good to give up a run almost every time he comes in. He is the right pitcher to put in a game when the score is 10-0, not 1-0.
As a result, Baez gave up a home run to Dan Uggla, doubling the Marlins’ lead. With the way the Phillies were hitting, the chances of them tying the game almost became impossible.
Manuel continues to make the same mistakes at least once a week. These mistakes cause the Phillies a chance to tie and possibly win a ballgame.
Manuel needs to change something with this team right now. The lineup would be a good start.
The Phillies have too many players that cannot hit in the spot they are in. Manuel needs to stop being patient with them and change things up.
A change in the order would help this team and ruin the scouting reports for the opponent.
Another change Manuel needs to make is to stop giving players a day off when the team has an off day the next day.
Manuel has put Ben Francisco, Greg Dobbs, Wilson Valdez, and Brian Schneider in the same lineup too many games. There is no reason for Jayson Werth, Chase Utley, or Raul Ibanez to sit out a game when the Phillies have the next day off for travel.
Finally, Manuel needs to keep this team loose.
He should get them away from baseball for a day and have them relax on a day off.
The Phillies are pressing to score runs, which makes it harder to score when a team is in a slump.
If Charlie Manuel cuts down the in-game mistakes and changes things up in the clubhouse, the Phillies will be back to playing like the two-time defending National League champions.
If he keeps managing the same way, Phillies fans could be in the middle of witnessing the biggest disappointment in Philadelphia sports history.
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