Philadelphia Phillies: Does Jose Contreras Deserve Shot as Permanent Closer?

I’ve always been a fan of Jose Contreras. He’s 39 years old, going strong and still throwing nasty splitters.

This season, Brad Lidge was placed on the DL yet again, and the Phillies needed someone to step up in place of him. 

This has happened in the past, and the Phillies usually went with Ryan Madson. However, it was clear that he was not meant to be a closer, as he blew numerous save opportunities.

The Phillies tested Madson already, and it didn’t go as planned. So who did they experiment with this season? Jose Contreras.

Turns out, he performed spectacularly—zero earned runs in seven games and a perfect 4-of-4 in save opportunities.

We are only about a month into baseball season, so you can make the argument that it is too early. But Contreras is off to a hot start, and there’s no doubt about it. 

There is also no question that Contreras has been more than serviceable as a closer. In fact, he is pitching so good that the thought of making him the everyday closer has popped up in discussion (let’s assume for the column’s sake that he remains hot when Lidge comes back).

He is the backup and is doing a great job as stated, but the number one closer, Lidge, is granted his starting job back, right?

Well, not so set and stone if you ask me.

If Contreras keeps this up and remains consistent, how will Charlie Manuel be able to sit someone who is playing so well?

I’m not trying to pick sides here, but just trying to think how Manuel will look at the scenario. In fact, I personally thought that Lidge was going to have a rebound season.

We saw this same situation occur for the Eagles, when Michael Vick was playing very well in substitution for Kevin Kolb. 

Kolb recovered from a concussion, but was not granted his starting job back because Vick was playing too good to have him sit on the bench.

Will the same outcome occur with Phillies?

I think there’s a chance. But to be honest, I’m not quite sure exactly what the Phillies should do here. Sure, Contreras will still be able to pitch, but he has been very effective in the closing role.

The Phillies have some time to think about this considering that Lidge won’t return until late May to early June.

It’s a thought that’s up for an intriguing debate that comes down to one question: Do you sit Contreras, who is hot right now and grant the position back to your original closer, or do you keep in the pitcher who is doing well?

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Philadelphia Phillies: Will the Starting Staff Cover Up All the Bullpen Issues?

Spring training has just begun and not only Phillies fans, but all baseball fans, can’t wait for the season to start.

Entering this year, one of the biggest headlines and most talked-about topics in all of sports has been the Phillies’ Fab Four, Big Four, R2C2—you get the point here.

The Phillies starting rotation is clearly the best in baseball. Some people believe they will go down as one of the greatest of all time—Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt.

I’m pretty confident with that lineup.

In fact, all of these for guys are aces on almost any team in the league with the exception of the Yankees, Mariners, Cardinals and Red Sox, to name most.

These four pitchers all had ERAs under 3.18. Also, don’t underestimate Hamels’ and Oswalt’s records (Oswalt was .500 and Hamels was a game over). They received zero run support throughout the season when they were pitching as well as anyone in the league.

However, after all of this hype on them, let’s not forget about Joe Blanton.

With all of the talk around the big four, Blanton may just have a silent, but very good season this year. As a fifth starter behind the guys mentioned earlier, he will be pretty comfortable.

But not the entire offseason had been talk about the starting pitching staff. There were also some cons.

The biggest issue entering this season was the bullpen. Now, I’m not one who criticizes the pen, because it isn’t as bad as fans make it out to be.

Last season, the Phillies bullpen logged a league low in innings pitched with 421. That number will only decrease with the addition of Cliff Lee.

This stud rotation will limit the time for some of the subpar relief pitchers that the Phillies have.

This also means that they consistently will be able to use the same relievers.

For example, the starting pitchers will most likely go deep into every game. Therefore, we won’t have someone like Jose Contreras being called out every day in the sixth or seventh inning. We will be able save him for the postseason and keep his starts spread out.

Now, I’m not saying the bullpen will receive zero action, but they will have a smaller role than usual, which is somewhat of a good thing considering some of the problems.

But let’s hold the phone for second. What do I really mean by “problems?”

Well, they aren’t particularly problems, but instead it’s just the talent within the bullpen. Aside from Ryan Madson, Contreras (call him old, but he is still nasty) and Brad Lidge, no one else has great talent.

Chad Durbin intrigues me—I still don’t know if I love or hate him. He’s nothing great, but then again he’s not bad. There are times where he comes through and times where he doesn’t. He’s pretty on and off (don’t get me started on Danys Baez).

[Ed. note: Durbin has reportedly signed with the Indians.]

But on a side note real quick on Brad Lidge, I think he will definitely rebound this season. He just needs to make better decisions on the types of pitches he throws.

Basically, if the Phillies’ hitting comes around and the starting rotation remains healthy, the bullpen will have a limited role and Phillies fans should have high hopes for this upcoming season.

But let’s just remember we play the games for a reason. I, for one, am a huge Phillies fan and believe that they have the best team on paper in the league, but the best team on paper doesn’t always win.

Nevertheless, anything less than a World Series victory should be considered a failure for the Phillies at this point.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Does the Charlie Manuel Extension Saga Really Matter?

Okay, before I start, let me just be clear that I am a huge fan of Charlie Manuel, so don’t be fooled by the headline.

However, when I was thinking over the whole situation about his contract, is it really a necessity to keep him?

Manuel has done a tremendous job in Philadelphia by bringing home a World Series, but has he done all he can?

I feel like in sports there comes a time where a coach can do no more then just watch his team try to execute. The Phillies arguably have the best team on paper in the league, with a ton of talented players.

Manuel had a big influence on every player wearing a Phillies uniform, but I feel like every player (with the exception of a few) have maxed out to their full potential of talent.

Having said that, there are also plenty of reasons why they need to give him the extension.

So in this slideshow we’ll analyze five reasons why they don’t need to give him the extension and five reasons why they do need to give him the extension.

In the end, we’ll come to a verdict.

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MLB Trade Talk: Why Philadelphia Phillies Should Ponder Jimmy Rollins Move

Many believe Jimmy Rollins just doesn’t have it anymore and has not constructed a good season in a couple years. Sometimes it seems as though Rollins isn’t interested in sticking around in Philadelphia.

But as Phillies fans, we worry about the situation. We think, “What is the best thing to do here?”

Rollins has been a fan favorite for quite some time and has developed a pedigree as one of the best shortstops in the league here.

So I ask you, Phillies fans, should the team trade Rollins?

I have decided to analyze the situation and look at both sides of the spectrum. We will look at the reasons why it is beneficial and reasons why it’s not. In the end, we’ll see if the pros outweigh the cons.

Begin Slideshow

Philadelphia Phillies: 10 Ways They Will Make Up for Jayson Werth’s Production

Philadelphia Phillies fans were devastated when they heard the news of Jayson Werth’s departure to the Washington Nationals, especially considering it was so sudden.

It was also shocking to see our everyday right fielder sign to a team within our own division.

Well, like normal, Philadelphia fans panicked immediately, just like every time when something like this happens.

It’s hard to admit, but as a Phillies fan myself, it’s true.

But let me be the first to tell you that there isn’t too much to worry about.

Yeah, we lost our right fielder, but that’s why we have young prospects to take his place.

Not only that, but it will also make every other player know that they lost something valuable and they must step up their game in place of it. 

Without further ado, the 10 ways the Phillies can make up for the loss of Werth.

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MLB Rumors: 10 Pitchers the Philadelphia Phillies Will Court To Fix the Bullpen

The Philadelphia Phillies are a great team with very little flaws.

After losing to the San Francisco Giants in the 2010 NLCS, Phillies fans were devastated on what happened.

They sat in the stands, at their homes, or at the local bar in shock and could not believe the defeat they faced.

Well, now we are entering the 2011 MLB season and we as Phillies fans must put the past behind us. We must try and make ourselves a better team for the near future.

As I said earlier, the Phillies have very little flaws. On paper, our only weakness is the bullpen.

Lucky for us, the 2011 free agent list is infested with relievers.

The majority of our entire pitching staff are right handers, so I think we should focus on hauling in lefties to make our staff more dynamic.

Ruben Amaro Jr. has proved he can be successful in the business of baseball and I have faith in him again.

Without a due, I give you 10 free agent relievers that the Phillies and Ruben Amaro Jr. will try to grab off of the free agent wire.

Begin Slideshow

NLCS 2010: An Underdog Story Tells Us Why We Play The Games

Last night the season of the beloved Phillies came to an end when the San Francisco Giants defeated the favored Phillies in Game 6 of the NLCS.

Already fans are complaining, “The Phillies should be in the World Series! or The Giants got lucky! This isn’t fair!”

My response is that it is fair.

Don’t get me wrong, being a huge Phillies fan I’m very disappointed that they lost.

However, I’m not going to say that the Giants don’t deserve to be there.

We all know that the Phillies are the better team on paper, but in reality, it doesn’t mean anything.

We play the games for a reason.

If the best team on paper made the World Series every year, there would be no point for the regular season or the postseason.

That’s not baseball.

Philadelphia fans should know this since they experienced a similar story when the Phillies won in 2008.

This year’s 2008 Phillies were the Giants. 

Halfway through the season, the Giants were just a game above .500 (41-40).

Down the stretch, they turned around and stunned everyone by outlasting the San Diego Padres and winning the NL West.

Suddenly, they shock the entire nation by defeating the reigning National League champions.

Who knew that waiver pickup Cody Ross, and the rookie Buster Posey would be great?

As a respectful baseball fan I won’t talk down on the Giants, but instead tip my hat off saying, “Hey, you were the better team and deserve to be in the World Series.”

As Philadelphia fans, we can’t look at this in a negative way, even though it’s hard.

We have to say, “We’ll get them next year!”

In baseball, we witness miraculous triumphs and unbelievable underdog stories that are unpredictable.

It’s the beauty of the sport.

We have seen these events happen before when the 2004 Boston Red Sox overcame the curse that no one ever thought would be broken, or when the Phillies won the World Series in 2008.

This is what baseball really is.

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NLCS 2010: There’s No Need To Panic About The Phightin’ Phils

We panicked every year that they wouldn’t win the division, but they did. We panicked during their July slump, but they overcame this by having a hot August and September.

Who were they?

The Philadelphia Phillies.

The panics have already started again in Philadelphia after a 4-3 loss to the San Fransisco Giants in Game 1 of the NLCS.

For some reason, this loss has made fans start to doubt the Phillies, and even forget about Roy Halladay‘s no-hitter.

Let me be the first to tell you not to panic.

If you watched closely to Halladay’s outing last night, it really wasn’t that bad. Although he gave up four runs, he pitched well.

He kept his velocity throughout, and racked up seven strikeouts.

Those two solo shots were just two out of his 105 pitches that he left hanging, something Halladay never does.

Don’t expect Roy to stop the engine in the playoffs.

In Games 2 and 3 we have Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels.

Two experienced playoff starters, and Hamels is a NLCS and World Series MVP.

On to the Phillies offense, there’s no need to panic there either. Does anyone realize we scored three runs and hit two homers off of Tim Lincecum?

Chase Utley and Jayson Werth combine for 22 postseason home runs.

Carlos Ruiz has been our most clutch and consistent hitter. His double off of Lincecum last night proved it.

Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino have good postseason pasts.

The only player to panic about is Jimmy Rollins, and I think he will come around.

This 2010 Phillies team is probably the best team the franchise has ever had.

Our pitching staff is loaded, and we are the most experienced postseason team along side with the New York Yankees.

The Phillies have won and lost a World Series, so they know what it’s like to be on both ends of the stick.

Why are we doubting experience?

We’ve seen what this team can do when they are down in the count. They have overcome many obstacles in years past, so why can’t they overcome this one?

I’m not sure if it’s Philadelphia fans in general, but the panicking needs to come to an end.

Don’t ever doubt the Phightin’ Phils.

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Cole Hamels Pitching Elite After the All Star Break

In the beginning of the season we all witnessed some shaky and inconsistent outings from our former 2008 World Series MVP, Cole Hamels.

We panicked, thought of the worst, and thought he would never be back to his old self.

Well, he clearly proved us wrong.

Since his first start after the All-Star break, Cole Hamels has been one of the most dominate pitchers in baseball. After doing a little math, he has averaged 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings since then.

He’s averaging almost one strikeout every inning he’s on the mound and has gone really deep into games. In eight out of his 10 starts since All-Star weekend, Hamels has pitched more than seven innings each time (three of which were shutouts), doing his best impression of a workhorse.

In the month of August, Cole Hamels posted a very solid 2.79 ERA. His 1-3 record that month isn’t what it shows considering in two of those losses he gave up just one run. 

In his second start after the All-Star break, King Cole pitched an eight-inning, one-hitter, but was unfortunately given a no-decision due to poor run support, something the Phillies have struggled with all year, especially with Cole Hamels.

Another scenario he pitched a seven-inning, one earned run, and 11 strikeout game against the Mets. The Phillies lost the game 1-0.

As a matter of fact, this season Cole Hamels has pitched six, one-run games, and only two of them were wins. Two.

All he needs is two runs and he can win you game. That’s how good he really is. He’s a reliable pitcher, who gives you the same thing every time he steps foot on the mound.

Dominance.

When taking a deeper look into everything, Cole Hamels has easily been one of the most dominate, elite pitchers in baseball after the All-Star break.

He has came back to his 2008 postseason form, striking out batters, going deep into games, and being a reliable pitcher the Phillies can always count on when things aren’t going their way. 

King Cole has regained his confidence when he’s out on the mound and is looking to give playoff teams a run for their money and help lead the Phillies to another run at the World Series.

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Roy Halladay: The True Cy Young Award Candidate

The 2010 baseball season has clearly been the year of the pitcher.

Six no-hitters, three perfect games (I’m including Armando Galarraga’s), fifteen no hit bids broken up in the seventh, and four no hit bids broken up within the 8th inning or later. One would be so cruel not to call it the year of the pitcher.

September has strolled upon us and teams are making their pitch for a playoff spot, a few prestigious players are making a run for the Triple Crown, and the Cy Young award talk begins.

The deserving winner is definitely Roy Halladay.

Pitchers such as Chris Carpenter, Ubaldo Jimenez, Josh Johnson, and Adam Wainwright all make good cases, but not as good as Roy Halladay.

Taking a quick look at statistics, Halladay has posted a 17-10 record, 2.33 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and leads the majors in strikeouts with 196, innings pitched with 221, and complete games with 8. Halladay ranks in the top 3 in every statistic besides ERA where he ranks fourth, just .08 points behind first place, Matt Latos.

Voters are alarmed by his 10 losses, however not all are deserved.

In six of those ten losses, Roy Halladay has given up three runs or less (three times giving up three, twice giving up two, and once giving up one).

Had those quality starts been rewarded with wins, Halladay’s record would transform from 17-10 to a beautiful Cy Young worthy 23-4. Given the poor run support, he has done incredible by racking up 17 wins. 

The Phillies have a powerhouse lineup of Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, and Carlos Ruiz.  You expect that squad to score at least four runs every night.  For some reason, when Roy is on the mound, they don’t like to do it.

I can’t see anyone else getting more than 13 wins with this type of support.

Roy Halladay won six games in which he was given no more than 3 runs. That shows that in those six outings, the Phillies were relying on Doc to pull them through.

Throughout the 2010 season, Roy Halladay has shown he can go deep into games. Out of 29 starts this season, just four of them have lasted less than 7 innings and has thrown a perfect game—the hardest accomplishment for a pitcher. A workhorse, I tell you!

Leading the majors in innings pitched and putting up 8 complete games is a Cy Young to me.  Someone who can go deep into games and dominate opposing batters with his nasty stuff and puts them away with his strikeouts. This season his opponents are hitting just .245 against him.

The wins haven’t fallen Roy Halladay’s way this year.

Hopefully the writers can get this one right, and look beyond the wins and losses, because sometimes the record isn’t always what it shows.

 

 

 

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