Josh Hamilton: At the Top of This Philadelphia Phillies Fan’s Wish List
Since the end of the regular season, Phillies fans have bantered back and forth on the blogs about what would be the best line-up come next April. That’s not unusual, however; every passionate baseball fan does that.
Sometimes we lose our minds in our quest to make our team the World Series Champions. Perhaps I, too, have lost my mind, but I think for the Phillies to win it again with their aging nucleus of players, they have only one option: sign Josh Hamilton!
Alright already, I can hear all those brave bloggers bowing up behind their computers saying I must be crazy or I don’t know anything about baseball. But I will try to make my argument.
The Phillies have two glaring weaknesses heading into the next season. Third base and center-field. With the sudden demise of Placido Polanco and the departure of Shane Victorino those positions are unoccupied.
Going after a third basemen free agent would be a mistake because of the mediocrity of those available. Kevin Youkilis is declining in production; he is not a great clubhouse guy and is injury prone. Do you really want to invest in him for more than one year? The Mets will have difficulty parting ways with David Wright and will probably resign him. The rest of the free-agent pool for third basemen is not worthy of discussion. And forget a trade for A-Rod—he is a risky investment for many reasons beyond just money. Also forget the idea of playing Utley at the hot corner; he cannot handle it.
The Phillies should stick with Kevin Frandsen for a year until Cody Asche is ready. He will give more than 100 percent and, although he may make a few errors, he also can make some big-time game savers as well. His .338 average was impressive although he only had 195 at bats.
Enter Josh Hamilton. The multi-talented outfielder may already have made up his mind to stay in Texas but considering the way the fans treated him at the end of the year and Nolan Ryan’s obvious frustration, the Rangers might just let him walk. Now I know everyone will be saying there is just no way Ruben Amaro will convince the ownership to cough up the big bucks. And there will be the detracting element that will say ”no thank you, too much drama.” But despite the drama, he still puts up huge numbers and plays an awesome center field.
Can you imagine how much better Utley and Howard will be with him in the middle of the lineup? For Hamilton, leaving Texas may be difficult; getting his wife Katie to commit to Philadelphia might be even harder.
In all probability the Phillies ownership will not deal with Scott Boras, so Michael Bourn might not be an issue. Charlie Manuel’s lack of tolerance for clubhouse disruptions may disqualify both of the Upton brothers. Victorino? I doubt if Amaro will give him what he wants. Forget John Mayberry—he can’t hit right-handed pitching. Dom Brown, no way. Josh Hamilton? The only choice.
The Phillies will be able to handle the contract despite everyone’s disapproval of another big multi-year fiasco. Amaro said he thought Halladay, Howard, Utley and Rollins were still capable of another championship. They will save money with Ruf in left, who will prove himself like ‘The Bull” Greg Luzinski did back in the early seventies, and although it may be difficult to watch defensively, they could also go cheap with a platoon of Brown and Mayberry in right field. They have a worthy nucleus of young relievers with Horst, Aumont, DeFratus and either Stutes or Friend. They are as capable as most of those available.
In 2014, the Ryne Sandberg led Phillies will bring up Tyson Gillies and Cody Asche. Asche will take over third and Gillies center. Hamilton can play right. Hernandez or Galvis could play second. By that time there will be a changing of the guard with the starters as May, Pettibone, Martin, Morgan and maybe Biddle will be ready for their shot. With all those young stars in 2014, the money situation should not be an issue.
So a lineup of Rollins, Utley, Hamilton, Howard, Ruf, Ruiz, Mayberry/Brown, Frandsen looks very impressive. I may be dreaming, but I am sure I am not the only one who has detached himself from reality on this one. Now all we have to do is convince Hamilton and Amaro. Oh yeah and all you bloggers as well.
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Phillies May Need to Look at Other Options for 2013
When you hear opinions about the Philadelphia Phillies, similar complaints usually arise: the displeasure with Charlie Manuel, the lack of a decent third baseman, and the ineffectiveness of the outfield.
The first issue has been addressed, to an extent. With Ryne Sandberg now lurking in the dugout shadows, Charlie Manuel may not be able to get away with his inept decision making.
Sandberg, a Hall of Famer, will not tolerate Manuel’s lack of game strategy and his poor handling of the pitching staff. Sandberg will let his feelings be known—that the dugout dynamics are dysfunctional.
Despite his allegiance to Manuel, Ruben Amaro will feel pressure to make the change. I would not be surprised to see Sandberg take over the helm by the All-Star break. Amaro could add Sandberg’s former teammate, Jaime Moyer, as the pitching coach to replace the equally ineffective Rich Dubee.
The third base situation will be difficult to solve. The free agent pool is not strong.
David Wright will probably remain with the Mets. I’m not sure he would be able to land a long term deal, with his propensity to strike out alongside home run and RBI totals that don’t really prove worthy of the megabucks.
Kevin Youkilis—who is a well known clubhouse lawyer—has seen his stock drop the last two years. At 33, and seemingly injury prone, Youkilis hit .235 with 19 home runs and 60 RBI in 2012. He too may not be able to secure the big dollars.
The Padres‘ Chase Headley (.286, 31 HR, 115 RBI) should be nearly untouchable now that he has emerged as one of the best third basemen in all of baseball.
Seattle’s Kyle Seager has also proven to be a strong young third baseman (.259, 20 HR, 86 RBI), but the Mariners have not made any trade overtures.
So who do the Phillies put at third base?
With Cody Asche waiting in the wings for 2014, next season I would give the position to Kevin Frandsen. He proved to be capable both offensively and defensively. It would make the most sense to pay Frandsen a minimal salary and go after two outfielders, since the free agent pool for outfielders is much more appealing.
So who should patrol the outfield for the Phillies?
Left field should be easy.
Despite only 33 at-bats, Darren Ruf smacked six extra base hits—three homers, one triple and two doubles. He hit .333 with 10 RBI.
Obviously, 33 at-bats is not enough to truly evaluate a player, but we are talking about a guy who led the minors in home runs with 38 and has hit .300 each year as a professional. In his short MLB call-up, Ruf showed excellent poise on both offensive and defensive.
In center field it would be nice to land Josh Hamilton, but it is unlikely the Phillies would be willing to shell out enough cash and offer a long term deal for a 31-year-old outfielder with health concerns.
A more likely choice for the Phillies to go after would be speedster Michael Bourn.
Bourn, 29, is an outstanding defensive player and a true leadoff hitter. With him in the lineup, the Phillies could drop Jimmy Rollins to second or maybe even fifth or sixth in the batting order.
The right field spot could go to either Dom Brown or John Mayberry, but if the Phillies are serious about contending in 2013 they will need to seek another outfielder.
Neither Brown or Mayberry have shown they can be an effective starter.
But in order to sign Bourn, the Phillies will need to pay out some serious cash, so they may be reluctant to pay more cash for an additional outfielder.
Though with Frandsen playing third, Philadelphia would still have enough to possibly land someone like Torii Hunter to play right field. The Angels might not want to give Hunter another big contract with Trout, Trumbo and Pujols being the new faces of the Anaheim Angels.
The 37-year-old Hunter wants to play a couple more years, and although he has lost a step or two, he is still a great right fielder. He and Bourn would provide excellent defense. Hunter also hit .313 with 16 HRs and 86 RBI in 2012. Hunter is a likeable veteran who would blend in nicely in the Phillies clubhouse.
The nucleus of Howard, Utley, Rollins and Ruiz would do well with Bourn, Hunter, Ruf and Frandsen.
The starting pitching is still strong with Halladay, Hamels and Lee (providing Halladay is healthy come spring), and the bullpen has turned around nicely with Horst, Aumont and De Fratus.
A possible lineup for 2013:
Bourn CF
Rollins SS
Utley 2B
Howard 1B
Hunter RF
Ruf LF
Ruiz C
Frandsen 3B
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Philadelphia Phillies GM Amaro: There Is Not a No. 1 Priority for 2013
According to Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro has stated that there is no No. 1 priority for next year. With no talk of improving the outfield and an obviously shallow free-agent pool at third base next year, Phillies fans may not be so enthusiastic about jumping into the 2013 season next year.
Phillies fans have been mired in disappointment this season after the last five. A team that had all the makings of a dynasty was only able to secure one World Series championship in that time.
This year, the reasons were quite obvious: poor situational hitting, an inept bullpen in the first half of the season, injuries to marquee players, a weak defense and an ineffective manager who could no longer ride the train once the wheels were no longer going “round and round.”
Charlie Manuel and his hitting coach, Greg Gross, have done nothing to improve the hitting issues. Perhaps the team has aged to a point where it’s not about situational hitting, but bat speed.
The team’s top players—Rollins, Utley, Howard and Victorino before he was traded—struggled to keep their averages above .250. The bullpen was atrocious, as Chad Qualls, Antonio Bastardo and a combination of young arms proved unable to hand the ball over to closer Jonathan Papelbon.
Injuries to Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, the demise of smooth-fielding third baseman Placido Polanco and the trade of Shane Victorino weakened the offense, and the defense significantly.
When this concoction of unsavory ingredients was added to the stew, the odoriferous mixture fouled the air and the manager struggled to “stir the pot.”
It certainly is unfair to place the entire blame on Charlie Manuel; after all, it was Amaro who helped stock the provisions on the pantry shelf. But both men had a hand in fostering the disappointment.
When Amaro said there was no No. 1 priority, I am sure he meant there were several problems all of equal weight.
The outfield, in my opinion, should be their No. 1 priority because Brown and Mayberry are nothing better than bench players. Ruf has to prove he can hit major league pitching and play left field. It is obvious now that Victorino and Hunter Pence are sorely missed despite all their fan detractors.
The Phillies’ front office cannot be serious that the outfield is not a top priority. A trade for a strong defensive center fielder who can hit for average is an absolute must. Signing Josh Hamilton is a pipe dream, but if you want to restore the team to a higher standing, that would certainly work. Since that is probably not going to happen, though, signing Michael Bourn is a possible solution.
Unfortunately, the corner outfield positions would still be in flux.
Amaro could trade for Padres third baseman Chase Headley, but that might require trading one of their young pitching prospects. And minor league youngsters Cody Asche and Maikel Franco are turning some heads at third, but both are still at least a season away.
The Phillies absolutely must improve the overall defense, but how that can be done without a trade or a free-agent signing is anyone’s guess. Utley and Howard hopefully will see a return to good health next year, but can they improve those mediocre averages, or is Father Time creeping up on them early?
The Phillies brass has remained steadfast in their defense of Charlie Manuel. With that commitment, maybe principle Phillies owner David Montgomery should promote a “prozac night” at Citizens Bank Park.
Or should a managerial change be made now rather than later?
When the time comes and Manuel does hand over the spoon to Ryne Sandberg, let’s hope the ingredients are such that he can mix up a fragrant bouquet and not be tormented by an odoriferous blend of bad ingredients.
In addition, let’s hope that the keys to the train Ruben Amaro hands over to Hall of Famer Sandberg fits the ignition. Phillies fans deserve to shout “Whoo, Whoo!” when the wheels start turning.
All aboard!
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Jimmy Rollins: Philadelphia Phillies Shortstop Is a Hall of Fame Candidate
At only 33 years of age, Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins should have at least five years of MLB service left. If he continues to put up numbers like this year (22 HR, 30 SB, 66 RBI) he will one day share a seat with the greatest shortstops of all time.
Beside pitching, shortstop is the arguably the most important position in the game. Catchers can put up a strong argument that their position is the most important, but a team that does not have a shortstop who can anchor the defense will lose more than its share of games.
The top three shortstops with the best fielding percentage in the history of the game are active players. They are Troy Tulowitzki (.985), Omar Visquel (.985) and Jimmy Rollins (.983). Tulowitzki, if he can stay healthy, could one day make the hall. Vizquel’s entry to the hall is up for debate, but Jimmy Rollins should be a first-vote entry.
In the 70s, we had scrappy defenders like Dave Concepcion, Larry Bowa, and Bud Harrelson. All three have a World Series ring like Rollins but are not Hall of Famers. Later in the decade, hall member Robin Yount made his debut and put up impressive numbers on offense (251 HR, .285 BA, 1,406 RBI) in a career that also saw him play center field. His fielding percentage was .964 at shortstop.
In the 1980s, Yount was followed by the “Iron Man” 6’4″ Cal Ripken. Ripken not only hit 431 HR with 1,695 RBI, his fielding percentage was .979. Even if he didn’t get to the balls that the scrappy guys did, that percentage is phenomenal for a guy his size.
In the 90s Alex Rodriguez put up outstanding numbers at short, but his steroid use will forever taint his numbers. Derek Jeter’s numbers are “off the chain,” and the lanky shortstop will be an instant entry into the hall.
Hall of Famer Phil Rizzuto has less than stellar numbers (38 HR, .273 BA, 563 RBI, a .968 fielding percentage), but he had seven World Series rings, and that cannot be overlooked. Ozzie Smith, the “Wizard,” has an impressive .978 fielding percentage, 2,460 hits and 580 SB. Smith made plays that others could only dream about making. He was not only a dazzling fielder but a charming and charismatic personality.
Jimmy Rollins, besides that .983 fielding percentage, also has a charismatic personality and makes dazzling plays. Watching him every day, he has to be the most consistent defensive shortstop ever. He makes everything look easy. With his .983 percentage, he has not been given enough credit for his excellent defense.
Rollins’ on-base percentage is not the greatest (.328), but you can make a strong argument that he would be an even better hitter out of the fifth or sixth hole in the batting order. Charlie Manuel has been unbending in keeping him as a leadoff hitter.
But “J-Roll” has 192 HR, 791 RBI, 403 SB, 1177 runs and a slugging percentage of .432. He has more than 2,018 hits. Rizzuto has 1,588 hits with a .355 slugging percentage, and Smith has 2,460 hits with a .328 slugging percentage. With his 2,018 hits, Rollins should be able to catch Smith’s 2,460 hits if he stays healthy.
If you can look at the big picture, Rollins has a better fielding percentage than any Hall of Famer. His offensive numbers are much better than Rizzuto and Smith. He has been an NL MVP and an All-Star three times. He is only 33 years old, and his numbers will only increase in the next few years. He should be an automatic for the Hall of Fame.
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Philadelphia Phillies: Possible Changes for the 2013 Season
Recent buzz around the Philadelphia Phillies has shifted from the playoffs to the 2013 starting lineup.
Manager Charlie Manuel and GM Ruben Amaro have hinted (via CSN Philly) that Chase Utley will play third, which means someone new—possibly Michael Bourn—will patrol centerfield. In addition, the Phils may be looking for a quality reliever.
Do they really think that Utley can play third base? Since their championship year in 2008, the Phillies have been a premier defensive club. The middle with Carlos Ruiz, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino was awesome. It was obvious this year, with Gold Glover Placido Polanco shelved and Gold Glover Victorino traded, that the defense would struggle. It certainly contributed to their down year.
Utley at third will be more than a work in progress. Seeing him charging a slow grounder and throwing off of his right foot could be scary to watch and not just because of his bad wheels. Granted, he is unmatched in grit and determination, but he has never really been a Russian ballet dancer in the field. As a minor leaguer in 2002, he committed 28 errors at the hot corner. His defense at second the last few years has been good, not great.
Utley’s smooth compact swing is a thing of beauty, but has anyone ever watched him go sliding into a base? It is amazing that, with his troubled legs, he is still able to play at all. Hall of Famer Lefty Gomez once called Detroit Tigers Hall of Famer Charlie Gehringer “The Mechanical Man.” That label could easily be applied to Utley: a great all-around player but far from the Mikhail Baryshnikov of baseball.
The Phils plan to use Freddy Galvis at second, who is a superb second baseman but also a convicted “roider,” which may affect his already suspect .226 average. However, his 24 RBI in 58 games was impressive.
The outfield has been less than mediocre on offense and defense. Dom Brown and John Mayberry look physically impressive as corner outfielders, but looks can be deceiving.
Brown brings back memories of former Mets outfielder George Theodore on defense, but we are still waiting to see the power numbers. His batting average is currently at .241 with four home runs in 158 at-bats. Mayberry, who struggles going back on balls on defense, is hitting .255 with 14 home runs in 415 at-bats.
Putting Michael Bourn in center won’t really do much to counter that mediocrity. Josh Hamilton would be a better free agent to pursue, but the Phillies do not want another Howard-like contract. Hamilton, a true student of the game and someone who isn’t afraid to speak his mind, would end up pulling his hair out after watching Charlie Manuel’s decision making on a daily basis. Besides, Hamilton will have more alluring offers from some other baseball denizens of the Northeast.
A quality reliever may also be on the wish list, but the bullpen has actually rebounded nicely. Jeremy Horst, Phillippe Aumont, and Justin De Fratus have shown excellent potential. They all throw hard and have been impressive in their brief tenure. If Josh Lindblom and Antonio Bastardo can re-find their groove, they will accompany Jonathan Papelbon nicely. Papelbon has had a nice year with 36 saves, a 2.30 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. The bullpen should be fine.
Add in Roy Halladay’s health concern and 2013 is bound to be an interesting year. With the aforementioned changes, there won’t be any real change at all. Let’s hope that there is more to the rumor mill than what we have heard so far.
With Ruben Amaro, one never knows. The former major leaguer and Stanford grad has proven this before. Maybe Josh Hamilton will come to the City of Brotherly Love.
Yeah, right.
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