Funkadelphia: When Are the Phillies Going to Snap Out of It?

The Philadelphia Phillies have lost three straight games, all against the Houston Astros. In each of their last six games, they have not scored more than four runs.

That being said, their NL East lead is 6.5 games over the Florida Marlin, who lost to the Nationals on Sunday.

Take a breath. It will be OK.

The upsetting thing, besides the hot button Brad Lidge, is the team’s lack of offense.

Ryan Howard hasn’t hit a home run in a week but is hitting a healthy .273. Raul Ibanez got two hits in yesterday’s game. Shane Victorino is day-to-day, but Jayson Werth is healthy.

The Phillies finish up today with J.A. Happ, 10-4, facing Brian Moehler, 8-10. The Phillies travel up to Washington and then go home for a weekend series against the Mets.

The Washington series could be a “trap” series, with the Phillies losing all three games or two of three. However, the team is too good for that.

I believe the funk will end in Washington.

Looking further into the month, the Phillies have games against both the Braves and Marlins. It is time to put the pedal to the metal.

I think Howard has cooled down. He just needs another two-homer game to get on track.

A commentator on radio thought that both Lidge, with his knee, and Ibanez, with his groin, are not 100 percent.

Give Brett Myers a chance to close a game or two, but you have to pitch Lidge during the stretch. The Phillies made too much of an investment in Lidge, as he is on the second season of a three-year deal.

You knew that Lidge could not be perfect again. His 10 blown saves leads the league. As I texted my buddy after Saturday’s 5-4 loss: “BS, two runs, loss. Arf.”

If they were playing the Cardinals and the Dodgers, they might be in trouble.

You’ve got to get this last one in Houston, feast on the Nationals, and put the Braves and Marlins further away.

Do I feel in my gut that it is gonna to happen anytime soon? No. But this team has proved me wrong before.

Chase Utley and Werth will have to lead the charge. Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz can have clutch individual games.

The offensive funk may last another game or two.

Funkadelphia is normal Negadelphia, and it depends on who does worse—the Phillies or the Eagles—for where the Funkmobile will park.

How bad is it? Stinking Chris Coste, now on the Astros, is dissing the team. Come on. Snap out of it.

An aside: Did you notice in Saturday’s game that three ex-Phillies came to the plate in consecutive at-bats? Jason Michaels, Coste, and Michael Bourn.

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Have Teams Done Enough To Catch The Phillies?

Last night’s 2-1 win by the Philadelphia Phillies over the visiting San Francisco Giants had the makings of a playoff atmosphere.

Pedro Martinez, shown above, outpitched reigning Cy Young winner Tim Lincecome, going seven innings, giving up one run, walking none and striking out nine.

More importantly, he had the trademark scowl and separated himself from just being a bit better than what Jamie Moyer gave as a starter.

No deference to Moyer, who is among the top all-time lefthanded pitchers in the game, but an argument can now be made that Martinez is the better choice, be it one game.

Which lead me to the larger picture: Which National League teams, including the Phillies, have done enough to represent the league in the World Series?

The Phillies

The Phillies got Cliff Lee, who in essence replaces Brett Myers, and Pedro Martinez, who replaces Jamie Moyer. Lee has been amazing, save his last start and will pitch tonight in Houston. How he performs tonight will say a lot about his comeback ability and a peek into the playoffs. Some speculate that Myers will come back to replace Brad Lidge as the closer, but Lidge is starting to return to his 2008 form. Grade: Lee is a stud. A.

 

The Cardinals

Matt Holliday from the A’s in his brief American League stay. With Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright and Ryan Franklin having great years, protection for Albert Pujois is key. Grade: A.

 

The Dodgers

All season long the Dodgers had the best record in the National League. Slugger Manny Ramirez came back from a 50-game suspension and all was happy in Dodgerland. Then something happened: The Dodgers started to slip and it was the Rockies, not the Giants, who were nipping at their heels.

The Giants and Rockies are now neck and neck. The Dodgers noticed and recently got starters Jon Garland and Vincente Padilla, pinch hitter Jim Thome and infielder Ronnie Bellaird. More name value than substance. Grade: B

 

The Rockies

Left-handed hitting Jason Giambi, released by the Yankees and righthander Jose Contreras from the White Sox. The team is on a roll again and went with what they had plus a little. Grade: C, but it might not matter if the Rockies repeat their 2007 run, less Holliday.

 

The Giants

Brad Penny, a solid inning-eating pitcher from the Boston Red Sox and Freddy Sanchez, from the Pirates. The Giants have been well above .500 all year and perhaps didn’t need much. A light-hitting, but good pitching team. Grade: B.

 

Atlanta, Florida and dark horses Chicago and Milwaukee could contend for the Wild Card, but it seems as if the entrant will come from the West, with either San Francisco or Colorado. St. Louis is the hottest team in baseball, going 8-2 over the past 10 games, and pose the biggest threat to the Phillies.

You might think this is a “homer” argument from me, but the Phillies are the reigning World Champions. And they are finally making All-Star break moves and the front office is making moves worthy of a champion.

There is a different mindset in Philadelphia and a swagger from being World Champions. But they have to stay hungry. The Cardinals and the Giants pose the biggest threats to me.

Ryan Howard has to stay hot, Raul Ibanez starting hitting and climb near .300 again. Jimmy Rollins is making the plays on the field and at the bat again. The Phillies, a notorious home run hitting team, also lead the league in stolen base percentage. They are as good as any team in the playoffs.

That being said, if the Rockies are hot, they could take it all, or make it to the World Series.

Me? I think it will be the Phillies and Cardinals in the NLDS. How the teams perform down the stretch will determine who will go to the World Series.

 

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Best Seat in Their House: Phillies Fans May Have Better Luck with Tickets on the Road

The Phillies 2008 World Series win has caused a ripple effect through the Delaware Valley.

What once was a tough buy is even getting tougher for fans to buy a ticket to get inside Citizens Bank Park for a game.

Sure there are ticket-buying sites, but with tax and surcharges, tickets are even more expensive.

A regular guy I work with saw Cole Hamels 1-0 complete-game shutout on Tuesday, but he bought a standing-room only ticket.

My source for two games a year dried up, as he became the secondary buyer for tickets and not the primary in a 16-game season ticket plan.

With that being said, I present to your “alternate” home-game sites where you and I (wanting lower-level tickets) can enjoy a game to see our beloved Phillies.

Hey, the defunct Montreal Expos played home games in Puerto Rico in its last season, so why not?

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Phillies Have a Hold on the N.L. East, But Need To Tighten Up For Playoff Run

There has been a lot of talk about the Phillies changing their closer, but that situation is just one of a few situations the team must deal with if they hope to get far into the playoffs.

Sure, Brad Lidge has been terrible, going 0-6 with a 7.33 ERA, and nine blown saves among his 25 saves.

Here are a list of a few situations that the Phillies need to “tighten up” heading into the 2009 baseball playoffs.

Oh, yes, with a little more than a month left in the season, the Phillies could blow a seven-game lead in the National League East, but for the purpose of this story, I am assuming they will win the NL East:

 

1) The back end of the bullpen

As Phillies fans can attest, when the Mets’ John Maine or Johan Santana left the game with a one-run lead in the seventh inning, we began licking our chops for the Phillies to get two good shots to win the game.

Well, your Philadelphia Phillies are getting that way, too. How about Hamels’ 1-0 lead against Pittsburgh earlier this week. J.A. Happ? Ryan Madson can’t close, either.

The best solution is bullpen by comittee and deal with Lidge next year. The Rays had that type of bullpen last year.

 

2) The bench

Ben Francisco has been a nice right-handed addition and much better offensively than John Mayberry, Jr.

Left-handed hitting bench support? Greg Dobbs is hitting .257 with five homers and 15 RBI.

Matt Stairs? The darling of last year’s playoffs has not had a hit since July 11, hitting a pinch hit home run in a 8-7 win at home against Pittsburgh. Otherwise, he is hitting .200 in 85 at bats, with four home runs and 13 RBI.

If the Phillies can find a better left-handed hitter off the bench, they should do it, even at the expense of a home run threat. Stairs says he wants to play one more year and retire, but I think that decision, from the Phillies end, should come sooner.

 

3) The flip side of power

The Phillies 181 home runs as a team leads the National League and is third among all teams, including the designated-hitting American League teams. Surely, Ryan Howard can carry a team on his back for two weeks.

But the flip side of home runs is strike outs, and Howard leads the team with 153 strikeouts, followed by Werth, with 111.

Ultimately, with low scoring games in the playoffs, players like Shane Victorino, Raul Ibanez, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley will have to lead the Phillies to show that they can be a base-by-base team when needed.

 

Back to the bullpen and Lidge.

If not for the Eagles’ Michael Vick, Lidge would be the most vilified player in Philadelphia. Blow a save at home, and the boos will cascade. There will be more negative signs for Lidge than Vick at that point.

It is not perfect, but bullpen by committee seems the best option for now.

The Phillies did not pick up Billy Wagner from the Mets (a temporary solution since he won’t waive his option) or probably won’t get Trevor Hoffman, who was let go by the Brewers after an ineffective performance. Brett Myers could be in the closer mix, too, when he comes back.

If not bullpen by committee, you still have Brad Lidge with another year left on his contract. If you strip him of his closer role now, are you going to eat the last year of his contract? Make him the set up guy? After going 48-for-48 in the closer’s role last year? I don’t think so.

Finding a better alternative than Matt Stairs off the bench is a bigger concern for me.

Lidge’s last blown save in Pittsburgh was proceeded by a 1-2-3 save and the triple-play save.

You’ve got to live with this guy the rest of the year.

How he does will determine how far this team will go in the postseason.

Houston’s Ed Wade Knew What He Was Doing When He Traded Brad Lidge

When Houston Astros General Manager Ed Wade traded closer Brad Lidge and utility player Eric Bruntlett to the Phillies for Michael Bourn, righthanded reliever Geoff Geary, and third-base prospect Mike Costanzo in 2007, he must have known what he was doing.

When talking to reporters recently, one reporter noticed the absence of 2008 calendars in Wade’s office.

“We got a quality center fielder in Bourn,” said Wade, noting the speedy outfielder’s .291 average and 46 stolen bases.

“Brad Lidge did a fine job for us and I know he is going through some hard times, but this was a quality for quality trade,” Wade said, wryly smiling.

“But what about Lidge’s 2008 season?” said a Houston reporter.

“2000 and what?” Wade said. “He pitched for us in 2007, then has…um, er, not been as good this year as 2007.”

“But Bourn hit .229 in 2008, while Lidge …” the reporter said, but was cut off by Wade.

“2000 and what?” Wade said. “I don’t know what you are taking about. OK, it’s 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009.”

“But the Phillies’ World Series?” the reporter said.

“Yes, yes, indeed,” Wade said. “Dallas Green did a good job of whipping those boys into shape and beating Kansas City in the World Series.”

“But, why,” Wade continued, “Are you talking about the past?”

“Do you think the Phillies will continue to pitch Lidge in the closer’s role?” the reporter asked.

“Why the Albert Pujois are you talking about a player not on our team?,” Wade demanded. “How about that Michael Bourn?”

“Yes, he is having a nice year,” the exasperated reporter said.

Having enough, the reporter started to exit the room.

“Eh, excuse me,” Wade said to the reporter. “How is President George Bush doing these days? He is doing a fine job running our country.”

Philadelphia Phillies: How Will This Season End?

There is something to be said about being challenged in the regular season, to do well in the postseason.

Remember the 2007 Colorado Rockies? As a Phillies fan, you will not forget.

They won 21 of 22 games in September to win the Wild Card, then swept the Phillies in three games and swept the Diamondbacks in four games.

What happened in the World Series? They got swept by the Boston Red Sox, who beat the Cleveland Indians in seven games in the ALCS.

Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News wrote a story in the Aug. 21 edition titled: “Phillies Would Be Wise to Keep Their Foot on the Gas in NL East.” In it he wrote:

“Here’s what has happened over the last 10 years to the team that finished with the biggest lead in its division:

None won the World Series.

One made it that far.

Four lost in the League Championship Series.

Five were bumped off in the first round.”

What’s going to make the difference this year? The Phillies have to stay hungry. Charlie Manuel needs to keep the team fresh and focused, and players like Chase Utley have to continue to study film, run out every play, and play heads up baseball.

Having Cliff Lee in the rotation doesn’t hurt.

But this is still a team predicated on the home run. When the Phillies win 8-1 as they did in the series finale against the Diamondbacks, they only had one run not produced by a home run.

With this team, runs come in bunches. They currently have four players with 25 or more home runs: Ryan Howard leads the way with 32 home runs and counting, Jayson Werth 28, Raul Ibanez 27, and Utley 25.

Nobody on Comcast Network asked Lee about the Phillies prodigious offense, but the Philly newspapers mentioned it. As a starting pitcher, it is nice to have that run support.

But as a fan, can you have it all?

I want the Phillies to win the National League East running away.

If I remember correctly the 1993 Phillies team, which made it to the World Series and lost to Toronto, led wire-to-wire.

The Phillies have been in first since the end of May.

They currently lead Atlanta and Florida by six-and-a-half games.

Ryan Howard isn’t going to cool down. Raul Ibanez will surely get back to hitting and raise his .289 average back over .300.

Cole Hamels has to return to domination and Brad Lidge has to regain his confidence.

If so, the team will go far.

But would you, as a fan, be happy with .600 ball, an 11-game margin over the second-place team, and be swept out of the playoffs in the first or second round?

I am happy with this season as it now. The Phillies are starting to dominate the East and I don’t see them slowing down.

The rest is gravy.

As much as I have been pushing for a Phillies-Yankees World Series, I figure this:

If the Phillies don’t make it or win the World Series this year, they will be in it next year.

They are that good, but a lot can happen in a baseball season.

Just ask the Mets.

Go Phillies!

 

Mapping a Road to the Phillies’ World Series Return

Following the performance by Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee, a 2-hit, 11 strikeout, no walks and one unearned run in an 8-1 Phillies win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, Phillies fans must have felt incredibly good.

The win pushed the Phillies lead over the Marlins to 5.5 games and gave the Phillies a season-high 19 wins over .500 and .581 winning percentage. Heck, the season-long lead by the Dodgers, who narrowly hold the best record in the National League, have only a 3.5 lead over the Colorado Rockies.

Pictorially, as I sometimes do, I will show each opponent the Phillies must beat to make it and win the World Series.

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Remembering When and How the Phillies Started Getting Good

Following this Phillies season, enjoying a 4.5 game lead over the Florida Marlins in the National League East, I have been thinking about something the past week or so.

When did the Phillies start to get good? After thinking and giving credit to Pat Gillick, I thought back further.

The Larry Bowa years as manager was when they started getting good and the Phillies started getting respect around the league and picked up more fans.

You know your team is good when you watch late-night television and seeing a rapper wearing your team’s cap.

Bowa managed from 2001-04, a year before Ryan Howard and Chase Utley played full time for the Phillies.

But after the 1993 World Series, the Phillies had just one second place finish in the National League East, coming in 1995. Most of the times, they finished anywhere from third to fifth place.

In 2000, under manager Terry Francona, the Phillies were 65-97 and finished fifth.

Bowa, a former All-Star shortstop for the Phillies, was hired in 2001. He returned a no- nonsense attitude not seen since Dallas Green in 1980. At that time, Green was the manager of the Phillies only World Series championship.

The 2001 team finished 86-76 and finished second. Bowa’s only losing season was in 2002, when the team finished 80-81 and finished third.

Even though Howard and Utley did not start playing full time until 2005, Jimmy Rollins took over the shortstop position from Desi Relaford in 2001 and hit .274.

Excitement grew in Philadelphia when the Phillies signed free agents Jim Thome in 2003, then Billy Wagner in 2004.

But the fans of Philadelphia still were not used to a winning team. They were more excited, including myself, of the distance of Thome’s home runs and whether Wagner could hit 100 MPH on the radar gun when he closed a game.

Maybe it was the expectation, but with two games left in the 2004 season and the Phillies in second place at 85-75, Bowa was fired.

If I remember, it was said he was too tough on his players.

Out stepped Bowa and in stepped Charlie Manuel, a player’s manager.

Thome was traded; Aaron Rowand anchored himself in center field in 2006. After two more second place finishes, the Phillies finally broke through and won the National League East in 2007.

Rowand left as a free agent in 2008, as Shane Victorino took over in center field.

Former General Manager Pat Gillick, during his time in town, brought in Jason Werth, Greg Dobbs and traded for Joe Blanton, Matt Stairs and closer Brad Lidge.

All the pieces fit and in 2008, the Phillies won the World Series.

I surely don’t know if the Phillies will repeat in 2009. My gut tells me no.

But maybe that is the Phillies fan in me. Disaster. Defeat snatched from the hands of victory.

But they will win the National League East. I think they will win the National League pennant, and go to the World Series.

A matchup with the Yankees would be sweet, but the Yanks would be heavily favored.

Just looking back a bit, I submit that in 2001, the Phillies started getting good.

And there ain’t no going back…at least until 2011.

 

It’s Crushing Time for Ryan Howard and the Philadelphia Phillies

Bam, bam, bam. Boom, boom, pow.

Depending on your age, take the above references for what Ryan Howard is going to do to the rest of the league from now until October.

Ryan Howard’s solo home run, his 28th of the year, won last night’s game against the Atlanta Braves, 3-2. The picture, shown above, is courtesy of Philly.com.

Before a home run the night before in Chicago, Howard had gone 57 at-bats without a home run.

Sitting at 28 home runs prior to the game against Atlanta on Aug. 15, look back in time. Last year, Howard hit 11 home runs in September and October and finished with 48 home runs. The year before he hit 47 home runs, and in his MVP year in 2006, he hit 58 home runs.

That is an average of 51 home runs a year. And I will eat my hat if Howard does not hit at least around 45 home runs this year, barring injury.

That is 17 home runs in a month and a half. If he hits 11 home runs in September and October again this year, it means he would have to hit six home runs for the rest of August.

Done.

Howard still swings at bad pitches, as do many power hitters, and will still strike out a lot.

But while Mets fans were crowing (and the national media) about how Carlos Delgado carried the Mets last August, Ryan did his speaking with the bat in September, when winning counted the most.

Howard came into this season about 25 pounds lighter.

Good pitchers are hitting around 150 innings by this time of the year and hopefully, for Phillies fans, they will be tired and make more mistakes.

And if that happens, Howard will hit home runs to left field, right field, and deep, deep into straight away center field.

When he is hot, he is just a joy to watch.

Like Albert Pujols, you don’t want to miss his at-bats.

Because sometime special is likely to happen.

And his name is Ryan Howard.

I’d like to think even 50 home runs is not out of reach if he can get fight.

Giant Collision Course Headed Phillies Way

What team has two former Cy Young Award winners on its staff and has one of the best records in the National League?

The Phillies, with Cliff Lee, shown above, and Pedro Martinez.

Well, the Giants have three former Cy Young Award winner on its staff: Tim Lincecom, Randy Johnson, and Barry Zito.

The Phillies are a home run-hitting team, with Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez leading the way with 27 home runs each.

The Giants are more of a hit for an average team, with the likes of Pablo Sandoval, Aaron Rowand, and Freddy Sanchez.

The NL West or Central wildcard plays the National League East champion in the first round of the playoffs, so if the Giants can overcome the tough Rockies and don’t catch the Dodgers, the Phillies will face the Giants.

And this is the team I fear the most. Good pitching usually wins out and I am not saying the Phillies pitching is worse than the Giants, but a singles-hitting team usually fares better in the playoffs than a home run-hitting team.

I feel better about the Phillies post-season chances with Pedro Martinez’s strong five-inning, three-run, one walk, and five strikeout performance in the Phillies 12-5 win over the Cubs on Wednesday.

Martinez, a three-time Cy Young winner, threw his fastball in the low 90s, changed speeds effectively, and threw strikes most of the night.

With a rotation of Lee, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ and Martinez give the Phillies a solid rotation.

Lincecom is solid, Randy Johnson’s health has kept him out of the rotation at times, and Zito is not the pitcher he was when he won the American League Cy Young award in 2002.

The Phils are on a roll heading into Atlanta, following a three-game sweep of the Cubs, and have a chance to put some distance between themselves and the Braves.

As much as I hope to play the Yankees in the World Series, a series with the Giants could prove to be a tough test for the Phillies road to repeat.

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