Biggest Winners and Losers of Phillies’ Second Week of Games

The Philadelphia Phillies have a pitching staff built to contend. You can’t win ballgames without giving those pitchers a lead, however, so the Phillies spent most of the offseason retooling their lineup, both in and out of house. 

Through the second week of games, most of those new additions are playing well. That includes newcomers like Ben Revere and Michael Young, and returning superstars like Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. 

With the second week of games coming to a close, it’s time once again to see how some of those aforementioned names and the rest of the club have fared early in the spring. 

The usual spring training caveat applies here: Numbers aren’t everything. For most of this club, spring training is going to be a time of preparation—not performance. Keep that in mind as we evaluate the winners and loser from the second week of Grapefruit League action.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 6 Players Who Will Disappoint the Team’s Fans in 2013

As a new baseball season begins, no player on the Philadelphia Phillies roster is in spring training, thinking or expecting, to disappoint the fans when the 2013 Opening Day rolls around.

Unfortunately however, the fact of the matter is not every guy on the 25-man roster is going to have an All-Star worthy season. Some guys will inevitably have disappointing years, whether they like it or not.

For the Phillies, 2013 has the potential to be a make-or-break season, both for the team and for individuals when it comes to on-the-field performance.

According to contract status information listed on Phillies.scout.com, the team will have decisions to make regarding Chase Utley, Carlos Ruiz and Kyle Kendrick as the three are set to become free agents following this season. Roy Halladay could also be a free agent if he fails to meet the 225 IP vesting option in his contract.

The same website lists that John Mayberry will be eligible for first-year arbitration following the 2013 season as well. In addition, Ryan Howard will be playing to show he is recovered from his Achilles injury, Cliff Lee for redemption of last year’s 6-9 record and Cole Hamels, in validation of his 6-year, $144 million contract received last year.

Despite all of the players out to prove something, realistic expectations have to be made and in doing so, it is fair to say that some players just won’t measure up to the high standards held by rousing Philly fans.

That said, in a list that includes a fan-favorite veteran, a guy with seemingly nine lives, and a former first-round pick, here are the top seven candidates that are sure to disappoint fans in 2013.

* All stats provided by Espn.go.com *

Follow @MGallagher17

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Philadelphia Phillies: Halladay’s Pitch Behind Tyler Moore Not Tough, Just Dumb

Philadelphia Phillies’ ace Roy Halladay threw a fastball behind Washington National reserve outfielder Tyler Moore in a spring training game today, an act so pointless that it defies description.

Per Matt Gelb‘s Philadelphia Inquirer blog post: “Roy Halladay wants to make things clear: The pitch that sailed behind Tyler Moore’s back ‘slipped’ from his hand Wednesday. It was a cold and windy day, the kind of day when it is difficult to grip a baseball. Then, Halladay smiled.”

Gelb then stated what was pretty apparent to anyone who saw Halladay’s wild pitch: “The half inning before, Chase Utley was drilled on the knee with a Stephen Strasburg fastball. It did not appear to be intentional. Halladay’s action was, without him saying it.”

Halladay’s action was thus perceived to be intentional. If so, it was also absurd, given the context.

“Message pitches” like the one Halladay threw are part of baseball’s “code,” the unwritten rules that baseball players live by. You throw at one of our guys, we’ll throw at one of yours.

It’s right up there with “don’t steal a base up six runs” and “don’t bunt to break up a no-hitter.” Logic does not generally come into the analysis.

Even accepting, though, that the occasional message pitch (as long as it’s not at someone’s head) is no big deal, today’s gesture from Halladay was baseless and ridiculous.

It might have been justifiable in the regular season. It probably would have made more sense in the playoffs (though you would not want Halladay risking ejection in a playoff game.)

In spring training, three weeks before Opening Day? It was just pointless.

Yes, the Phillies and Nationals have a history of this sort of nonsense. Most recently, Cole Hamels threw at Bryce Harper in 2012, stupidly admitted to doing it on purpose and got himself suspended.

And yes, Utley has been hit by numerous pitches over the years. Actually, he has led the National League in being hit by pitches three times, and it has happened to him 151 times in 10 years.

They could not all have been purpose pitches. Utley crowds the plate, as is his right. Pitchers throw inside, as is their right. Sometimes Utley gets hit. No problem.

The most prominent pitch to hit Utley thrown by a Washington National, of course, was thrown by John Lannan in 2007. You know, the John Lannan the Phillies just signed to compete for their fifth spot in the starting rotation.

So before Moore stepped in against Halladay, what we had was this:

1. The Phillies and the Nationals had engaged in some light “message pitch” exchanges over the last few years, but not so far in 2013.
2. Utley, who gets hit all the time anyway, got grazed on the foot by a Strasburg fastball—it bears noting here that Strasburg has no history of throwing at anyone—on a pitch that at least one observer (Gelb) thought legitimately got away from Strasburg.
3. Halladay was cruising through an outing that eventually saw him yield two hits and no runs in four innings; not inconsequential, given his troubled 2012.

And with all that, rather than just staying focused on the job at hand, Halladay had his only “control lapse” of the day against a backup outfielder—not even a regular—Tyler Moore!

Totally needless.

One last thing: Do not point to a “rivalry” between the Phillies and the Nationals as grounds for this.

From the time the Phillies started winning the National League East for five consecutive years to last year when the Nationals won the division, the closest the teams have been in the final standings is sixteen games apart (2007).

Last year, the Phillies finished seventeen games behind the Nationals.

This is not a rivalry. These are two teams who play in the same division that have little else in common.

And again, it’s spring training.

Ironically, young Strasburg had the most accurate take on his elder’s wild pitch: “It’s spring training. If you’re going to throw at somebody or give a message in spring training, go ahead.”

Roy Halladay should pick other battles.

Like throwing more strikes and winning more games in 2013.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

One Thing Every Phillies Player Needs to Fix Before Opening Day

If there are kinks to be worked out in the game of baseball, you better fix them while the games do not count. For most players currently on this Philadelphia Phillies roster, that’s the point of spring training. 

The Phillies have a pretty good idea of what their lineup is going to look like on Opening Day. Assuming that the rest of the club can stay healthy, they’ll add guys like Carlos Ruiz and Delmon Young back into the mix early in the season and utilize the lineup that they want to put on the field.

Until that moment (and even beyond), this is a team that needs to spend the spring preparing for a long regular season. They’re an older, veteran club that will have to contain the youth of teams like the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves. 

In order to do so, they’ll need to operate at 100 percent. To operate at 100 percent, there are certain aspects of each player’s game that needs to be addressed this spring.

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Phillies Roy Halladay: This Century’s Complete Game King

Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay has been one of the majors’ best pitchers in the past decade. Unfortunately, his 2012 season mirrored the Phils‘ ’12 campaign as the team dropped from 102 wins in 2011 to 81 last year. Halladay struggled with an 11-8 record and an ERA of 4.49 (his 11 wins were the fewest since he had eight in 2004; his ERA was the second worst of his career).

The 2012 season was only the second time in Halladay’s career where he did not have a complete game (he did not have a complete game in 2000 with Toronto). This broke Halladay’s streak of 11 straight seasons where he had at least one complete game. It was also rare considering that Halladay had been the league-leader in complete games for five consecutive years (two with Philadelphia and three with Toronto).

Halladay leads the majors with most complete games in this century with 64 (he has 66 in his 15-year career). Following is a look at the pitchers who have had the most complete games since 2000. (A = active pitcher)

Complete Games, Pitchers
64: Roy Halladay (a)
39: Livan Hernandez (a)
35: CC Sabathia (a)
32: Randy Johnson
28: Mark Buehrle (a)
27: Chris Carpenter (a)
26: Cliff Lee (a); Curt Schilling
25: Javier Vazquez (a); Mark Mulder
24: Bartolo Colon (a); Tim Hudson (a)
23: Felix Hernandez (a); Sidney Ponson
22: A.J. Burnett (a)
20: Justin Verlander (a); Roy Oswalt (a)

Halladay is one of seven pitchers who has had at least one complete game in 10 of the 13 seasons since 2000. Leading the way is Tim Hudson, who has had a complete game in 12 of the 13 seasons this century. He is followed by Sabathia, Halladay, Buehrle and Livan Hernandez, each with 11 seasons, and Burnett and Vazquez with 10.

As mentioned above, Halladay’s streak of 11 seasons with at least one complete game was broken last season. Sabathia is now the pitcher with the longest current streak of seasons with at least one complete game with 11.

He is followed by Matt Cain (eight straight seasons with one-plus complete game); Bronson Arroyo, Verlander and Felix Hernandez (each with seven straight); Cole Hamels (six); and Jake Peavy, Ricky Nolasco, Joe Saunders, Ervin Santana and Dan Haren (each with five straight).

Here’s a couple more stats on complete games:

* Halladay is the active leader in complete games with 66. Sabathia is a distant second on the active list with 35.

* Even though Halladay ranks first on the active list, his 66 career complete games is only good enough for a tie for 644th place on the all-time list.

* You don’t have to be a rocket scientist (or even a baseball expert) to know that the complete game is slowing becoming a rare feat in today’s game. Last season there were only 128 complete games. By comparison, 20 years ago (in 1992) there were 419 complete games. Go back another 20 years to 1972 and there were 1,009 complete games that season.

 

Follow Jerry on Twitter @StatsonTapp

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies ST Stock Watch: Which Players Are on Fire and Slumping?

With Opening Day less than a month away and a full week of spring training games in the books, the Philadelphia Phillies’ roster is taking shape.

Few spots are actually up for grabs on the Opening Day roster, but players are still able to position themselves for early season call-ups.

As for the players already projected to make the Opening Day roster, they must now prove that they are progressing towards being ready for Game No. 1, or risk losing their grip on a roster spot as spring training progresses.

So far players such as Ryan Howard and Domonic Brown are giving fans a glimpse as to what the middle of the Phillies’ lineup may look like this season. 

At the same time, players such as Jonathan Papelbon and Jeremy Horst are serving as reminders that spring training is still used for working out the kinks.

Plenty of time still exists, but each poor performance from one player allows another to improve his stock.

This list features players that had high chances of making the major league roster prior to the start of spring training. 

Spring training statistics may not matter once the regular season begins, but they give an indication as to how players are progressing towards Opening Day.

Here is the Phillies’ stock watch for players that are either on fire or slumping.

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Predicting Philadelphia Phillies Starting Lineup Halfway Through Spring Training

While spring training games still have a ways to go before Opening Day, spring training itself is just about at the halfway point now.

As we begin to enter the home stretch, more and more roster spots will be named as more and more cuts are simultaneously made. 

In the meantime, it’s all about speculation.

For the Philadelphia Phillies, most of their starting lineup is admittedly set in stone. Carlos Ruiz will be suspended for the first 25 games of the season, rendering Erik Kratz the starting catcher. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Michael Young will make up the infield barring any injuries.

The outfield is a little more unclear at this point, though opposition faces a starting three of Domonic Brown, Ben Revere and Darin Ruf.

Pitching-wise, the Opening Day starter has yet to be named, but heavy speculation—including an endorsement by teammate and incumbent Opening Day starter Roy Halladay, according to CSNPhilly.com—leads to Cole Hamels earning the nod.

Will manager Charlie Manuel change his ways and give Hamels the first ball, or will he opt for Doc, who has started for the Phillies for the last three years?

Could Cliff Lee even garner consideration?

With most of the lineup itself intact and predictable, all that’s left is guessing the order Charlie’s going to pencil them in on April 1, against the Atlanta Braves.

Halfway through spring training, we’ll do our best to get it right.

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4 Reasons Philadelphia Phillies Will Recapture the NL East Crown

The Philadelphia Phillies have been the standard of excellence in the National League East. Since 2007, they have won five division titles, two pennants and one World Series.

The 2012 season did not follow the usual script. Plagued by injuries to key players and an inconsistent offense, the Phillies struggled early and, despite a late run at the NL Wild Card, were never able to fully right the ship.

Expect the Phillies to start out hot and dethrone the Nationals in 2013. Yes, they are old, but their experience and pitching will more than make up for their age.

Last year, the Nationals cruised to a relatively easy division title, but as witnessed in the fifth and deciding game in their playoff series against the Cardinals, they will hit a wall when the pressure heats up.

The Phillies have done it before and will do it again. The 2012 season was merely a mirage, and fans should expect Philadelphia to take the division in 2013. Here are few reasons why.

 

Starting Pitching

Say what you want about age, but the Phillies have one of the best pitching rotations in the majors. It is top-heavy with aces Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels, and there is no need to rehash their impressive resumes.

The back end of the rotation should see improvement in 2013. The Phillies added former Nationals pitcher John Lannan in the offseason to bolster the rotation.

The fifth member of the starting staff is Kyle Kendrick. Although Kendrick’s time in Philadelphia has seen its ups and downs, the second half of 2013 saw him pitch very well, and Phillies fans are hoping he can keep that solid pitching going this year.

The Phillies went 7-3 in Kendrick’s last 10 starts. Kendrick only gave up more than two runs twice in this stretch, which included three shutout performances.

If the Phillies can get Kendrick to perform anywhere near that level in 2013, the rest of the NL East better take notice.

 

Ryan Howard

As mentioned before, injuries are what held the Phillies back in 2012. If everyone is healthy, the Phillies will win the division and go deep in the playoffs, but that is a big if.

Last year, Howard missed much of the season recovering from the Achilles injury he suffered in the 2011 postseason

He never seemed comfortable at the plate last year coming off of his injury, and his production reflected that.

A notorious slow starter, Howard usually saves his best baseball for late in the season when it really matters. This year, however, could be different. If his early spring production is any indication, Howard looks primed to come out of the gates hot.

So far this spring, Howard is hitting .417 with three homers, three doubles and 10 RBI, and is currently 5-for-9 with two homers and a double off of lefties.

The most indicative statistic of Howard’s success is his hitting against lefties. He is at his best when he utilizes the entire field, and that generally means going the other way against lefties.

Many a Philadelphia fan has seen Howard pull off of the ball and strike out on an off-speed pitch throughout his career. To fans, his strikeouts against breaking balls can be as maddening as his homers are exhilarating.

When Howard first came up to the majors, he had early success hitting the ball to the opposite field. If he can be patient in the batter’s box and take what the pitcher gives him, look for Howard to bounce back and have a monster 2013 season.   

 

Michael Young  

Last year, Ty Wigginton and Placido Polanco split time at the third base position, and both became close to automatic outs as the season wore on.

In 2013, the Phillies have vastly improved at this position with the addition of perennial All-Star Michael Young.

Although he is 36, Young is a professional hitter. He has a career average of .301, and, although his power production is decreasing with age, he should benefit from the hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park.

The 2008 Gold Glove winner also improves the Phillies defense on the hot corner. Production from third base will be much-needed for a team that has not seen consistent offense from the position.

Even during their run of consecutive division crowns, the Phillies had the likes of Pedro Feliz, Greg Dobbs and Eric Bruntlett manning third—not exactly murderers’ row.

 

Motivation

For the first time in a long time, the Phillies are the underdog. Thinking the Phillies are too old to compete and make it through a 162-game schedule, most “experts” are picking either the Nationals or the Braves to take the NL East crown.

Expect the 2013 Phillies to play like they have something to prove from the first pitch onward.

They have been the class of the division for most of the past decade, and while the Braves and Nationals will contend throughout, a great champion does not give over the crown easily.

Although players like Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence have moved on, the Phillies still have the core from their championship runs. The likes of Utley, Howard and Rollins will not go quietly. They know how to win and understand what it takes to win when it matters. 

Look for this veteran presence to guide the Phillies down the stretch and lead them to another division title in 2013.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies Team Health Report: 2013 Injury Risk for Every Starter

Will Carroll has produced an annual Team Health Report for each MLB team for 12 years. The report gives risk ratings for every player in the expected starting lineup and starting rotation, plus two relievers. A proprietary formula sets a baseline according to a player’s age and position. It is adjusted by 12 factors, including injury history, team history and expected workload.

This risk rating is classified into three tiers—red (high risk), yellow (medium risk) and green (lower risk). It should be used as a guideline and is about probability, not prediction. To learn more about how the Team Health Reports are devised, click on this article. 

2012 Rank: 26th of 30 teams in DL days and dollars lost

Biggest Injury: Chase Utley, $8.1 million lost value

Head Athletic Trainer: Scott Sheridan

The Phillies got old quick. Injuries will do that to a team as much as the calendar.

Injuries to Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Roy Halladay highlighted the problem, but it was more deep-seated than that, and this offseason really didn’t help. Instead of getting younger, the team seems to be taking an incremental approach and hoping that Scott Sheridan and his staff can hold them together for one more run with this group.

That’s not the worst idea. Sheridan and his staff won a Martin-Monahan Award a couple years back, just as their run at the top of the NL East started. Injury stats are often forward indicators, as they were for the Rays and Brewers, but is it also a forward indicator of a decline? The data sure seems to say yes to that.

What’s less clear is whether that decline can be halted or even slowed.

This is a team that is flat-out risky. Aside from those “big three” injuries, all of whom must come back to full production for this team to have a chance at .500, let alone a title, there’s risk up and down the lineup and there was more brought in. If everything goes right, they could contend, but the Nationals and Braves have made huge leaps in talent, not incremental changes.

This could be the last year of what Ruben Amaro and ownership see as a success window. Charlie Manuel is close to riding off into the sunset and handing over the reins to Ryne Sandberg. Utley and Howard could be near the end as well, especially if they continue to have physical problems. The rest could be quickly torn down for prospects, though likely not to the core like the Marlins did. 

The season, then, hinges on the medical staff. If they can get this team back into the upper third of injury stats, there’s a chance that the Phillies play into October. If they stay at the back half, they’ll likely be in the same place of the standings.

Click ahead for the Phillies. Here are links for all the teams’ reports.

AL East	Baltimore	Boston	New York	Tampa Bay	Toronto
AL Central	Chicago	Cleveland	Detroit	Kansas City	Minnesota
AL West	Houston	L.A.	Oakland	Seattle	Texas
NL East	Atlanta	Miami	New York	Philadelphia	Washington
NL Central	Chicago	Cincinnati	Milwaukee	Pittsburgh	St. Louis
NL West	Arizona	Colorado	L.A.	San Diego	S.F.

 

Will Carroll is the Lead Writer for Sports Medicine at Bleacher Report. He has written about sports injuries and related topics for 12 years. His column is called “the industry standard” by Hall of Famer Peter Gammons.  

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15 Dark Horses Who Could Win a Phillies Roster Spot on Opening Day

As a veteran team, the Philadelphia Phillies don’t have many openings on their 25-man roster this spring. Forecasting what the club will look like on Opening Day, barring injuries, isn’t too much of a challenge. 

Even in positions where the spot is realistically up for grabs there are players who are favorites to come out on top. The Phillies need two corner outfielders, and Domonic Brown and Darin Ruf are strong favorites to make the club. Names like Phillippe Aumont, Justin De Fratus and Jeremy Horst are early favorites in the bullpen. 

But things can change in a hurry during spring training. Players can get off to a hot start and win the favor of the coaching staff. The next thing you know, they’re on the Opening Day roster. 

There aren’t likely to be many—if any at all—of those players this spring, but there are a few names to keep an eye on. The following slideshow will take a look at some of the camp’s “dark-horse” candidates to make the roster on Opening Day.

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