Juan Samuel Returns To Philadelphia Phillies

Juan Samuel will take over as third base coach and outfield instructor for the Phillies while Sam Perlozzo moves to first base.  When asked about returning the Philadelphia, Samuel told reporters, I couldn’t be happier.  I’m ecstatic going back and joining an elite group of players and manager.  It’s a dream come true.  Samuel was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame in 2008 and has always been a fan favorite.  It will be nice to have him back.

In other news, the Phillies have made a small flurry of insignifigant moves in the past week or so.  They have signed Pete Orr, 31, to a minor league deal.  The infielder has spent much of his baseball career lingering in the minors where he hit .264.

In the catcher category, the Phils re-signed Dane Sardinha who hit .205 in his time with the Phils last year and .207 in the minors.  They also picked up Erik Kratz, 30, who hit .274 in the Pirates AAA system.

Continuing to add minor-league pitching, Eddie Bonine, 29, was added as well after spending time in the Tigers bullpen last year.  Bonine had a record of 4-1 with a 4.63 ERA in 47 appearances and one start in 2010.  His name indicates that he is good at preventing nausea, however, his stats indicate otherwise.  Yuck.  Well, at least they picked up one guy under 30…barely.

As for Jayson Werth, there is still little news.  He and his super-agent Scott Boras are out and about trying to see who is willing to get serious about overpaying the outfielder.  The odds of Werth returning to the Phillies lessen as each day passes.  But truthfully, the odds may have been close to one percent to begin with.  Don’t hold out hope…it is very unlikely that Werth will be back in red pinstripes.

 

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Philadelphia Phillies’ Shane Victorino Snags Gold Glove

As for the rest of the Phillies, the one player who definitely got snubbed is third baseman Placido Polanco.  Polly had only five errors, turned 32 double plays and had 258 assists in 123 games this year. 

The player who actually won the award is ex-Phillie Scott Rolen, whose stats are also good, but not nearly as good as Polanco.  Rolen played 123 games, committed eight errors, turned 28 double plays and had 259 assists. 

While it is not a huge edge, Polanco’s numbers are better.  Rolen is a great player and this is his eighth Gold Glove award.  But having played the same number of games as Polly, he was not as good. 

Remember also that last year, Polanco was a second baseman and had to make the transition to third.  Add to that the elbow injury Polanco endured nearly all year long after getting hit with a pitch and his effort is much more impressive.

In other news, pitcher Jamie Moyer went to play winter ball in the Dominican league after the season ended to try and revive his career.  He suffered an elbow injury after a start and has returned home.  Moyer had an MRI on Tuesday and is awaiting the results. 

Moyer thanked fans on his Facebook page saying, “Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and support during this time. I went for an MRI yesterday and will keep you updated on what the outcome is once I hear anything. Have a great week and thanks again!”

We wish Moyer the best and hope he is well soon!

Another thank you goes out today to all veterans who served our country and continue to inspire us all with their bravery and sacrifice.  Happy Veterans Day!

(Photo by Jenn)

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Philadelphia Phillies: Ticket Prices Rise Again

With every game sold out in 2010 and a 123-game sell-out streak dating back to 2009, it is easy to see why the Phillies feel they can keep gouging fans for more money.  But they are failing to see the long term effects.  They are forcing out low-middle income fans and pulling in more corporations and those at the top of the proverbial food chain.

If the team stops winning in a couple of years as the talent ages or moves on to other teams, the higher-end fans, whom are usually the fair-weather fans, are going to drop off like flies.  And there won’t be any low-middle class fans left to pick up the slack in ticket sales because they will not be able to afford the high prices.  Of course, that is just my opinion.  You may agree or disagree.

There are other ways to make money; all the Phillies need to do is look around and see what other teams are doing in terms of creative enterprise.  Take a look at some of the fee-based services and opportunities the San Francisco Giants offer to their fans:

– Lou Seal-ebrity Ride of the Game:  Allows Giants fans the opportunity to tag along with Lou (the mascot, like the Phanatic) for an inning.

– Lou Seal Appearance:  The mascot will visit your party, take photos, etc… between innings or a your kid’s birthday party, etc…

– Steal Second: Tag along with the Giants grounds crew during the third inning and change out 2nd base!

– Slumber Party: Pitch a tent and sleep ON the field, overnight and then meet a player in the morning.

– Fantasy Batting Practice: Take a swing or shag a ball; for up to 30 people which includes a two-hour batting practice with Giants Alumni, lunch on the Club Level, a Q&A session with the Giants Alumni and tickets to the game that day.  (I saw this event when I was in San Francisco last year taking a park tour and was SO jealous!)

And this is just ONE team.  One team that has figured out how to please their fans and earn money at the same time.  If the Phillies incorporated a few of these ideas into their plans, there would be no need to keep jacking up ticket prices.  Fantasy batting practice?  Can you imagine?  That would be SOLD OUT every time!  And fans would be willing to pay top dollar for such an opportunity…I know I would.

How about riding around with the Phanatic for an inning?  That would be AWESOME!  Have the fan paying for the experience sign a waiver that does not hold the team liable for any accidents and also has the fan pledge not to do anything stupid and…abracadabra!  An easy money maker.  Magic.

Hey Phillies, how about a little creativity?  You will make more money and fans will be happier; it’s a win-win.  Not to mention that offering these unique experiences is a great public relations move.

That is my rant for the day…feel free to comment below.

And in case you missed it, here is my 2010 Phillies Photo Tribute with pictures I took throughout the year:

Thanks for stopping by!

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Cliff Lee Throws Complete Game Shut Out

Cliff Lee had a rough couple of games in the last month, but he bounced back against the Nationals with a 5-0 shut-out win last night.

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Is Carlos Ruiz Tipping Brad Lidge’s Pitches?

Could Carlos Ruiz be part of Brad Lidge’s problem in 2009? Some say yes.

After a discussion on MLB Network’s MLB Tonight, the topic again was discussed on Sirius XM Homeplate’s The Show today. Some speculate that one of Lidge’s issues in closing out games in 2009 has been catcher Ruiz tipping his pitches to the opposing team.

According to the theory, when Ruiz calls for a slider he drops his leg to prepare for a ball in the dirt. He evidently is setting up too early, giving the hitter time to realize what pitch he is going to throw.

Rumor has it that in the Mets clubhouse this was a topic of conversation after Lidge’s rocky performance on Saturday. Supposedly a batter that struck out was asked why he swung when he knew ahead of time that the pitch would be a slider in the dirt.

I reviewed tape of the game and from what I can see it does seem plausible that Ruiz is tipping pitches. While this doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that Brad has no command over his fastball, it certainly could be part of why batters are not swinging at some of the fastballs that are out of the strike zone like they did last season.

The coaching staff needs to look at tape and ensure that Ruiz is not tipping pitches. If he is, correcting it could be the first step in getting Brad Lidge back.

 

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