After witnessing a thrilling game one win in person and seeing a game two that wasn't quite so fun on TV, I am flying back to Philadelphia for game four. If tomorrow night gets rained out, then there's the potential that I won't see a game at all. Since I don't feel like doing my Econ homework, how about I do a live blog about my trip home?
11:42- I've been sitting at gate F87 at TPA for about twenty minutes now. My flight for Pittsburgh leaves at 1:30, and it looks like the weather will clear up enough to get out of here on time. I just realized that I forgot my Underarmour in my room, which will make for a chilly night Sunday. How do you forget the one thing you need to remember most?
12:05- I guess I just arrived at a different terminal last time I was here, but there is literally nothing to eat here. There's a Chili's to go, but I don't want to spend that much money on lunch at an airport. Why do you put all of your restaurants in the plaza thing? You know we can't get there after we go through security.
12:23- The Phillies just made it official. If game three does in fact get rained out, those tickets will be honored on Sunday. That means I will be flying up for absolutely nothing because I can't stay through Monday. Unbelievable. How much sense does that make? Now, three sets of people are going to have to adjust their plans instead of just one if they made the game three people go on Tuesday.
12:53- I should likely take out my headphones while that attendant is talking. Hopefully I didn't miss anything important. I'm going to see if I can squeeze in last night's Office before we take off.
12:56- NBC informs me that I can't watch the video from my current location. Huge blow.
1:00- Sounds like we're starting to board. I'll be back in Pittsburgh. I'm hoping for some nice food.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
This One
This World Series berth is for Pat Burrell and Jimmy Rollins. This is their 9th season in town, and for Pat, it might be his last. They've seen the worst, and hopefully best, days of the Phillies. For their entire careers, they have worked hard to make this team enjoyable to watch. They did not complain even a second, and they had every reason to for a number of years. Now they have a chance to make this city a winner again.
This one's for Jamie Moyer and Matt Stairs. These two are a combined 85 years old and have nearly 40 years of ML experience between them. However, neither has played in a World Series. Now this opportunity is here for them. Moyer hasn't had his best stuff in the postseason, but I bet he still has something up his sleeve for the greatest stage in the game.
This one's for the fans; the old fans that have had to put up with a lot of bad baseball from this organization for a lot of decades; the young fans who have never seen a Philadelphia team win a championship; the youngest fans who have never seen the Phillies appear in a World Series; the fans that are far away, all around the world, who couldn't be in town to celebrate, and of course the fans who filled the streets of Philadelphia last night.
This one's for Charlie Manuel and the coaching staff. Charlie's fought a lot of battles in his life, and now he's being rewarded with a chance to win it all. From health problems to unfair criticism from fans and radio hosts, Manuel has led this team to a place that in 100 years, we haven't seen very much. This one's for Davey Lopes for battling cancer and still helping the Phillies become the best baserunning team in the majors. This one's for Jimy Williams getting another taste of the World Series.
This one's for Harry Kalas and the broadcasters. No one knows how much time Harry has left in the booth, but everyone wants to hear one last magical call. LA and Sarge have experience playing in these games, but this will be their first in the booth. This one's for Scott Franzke, who has to take a backseat to the greatest for all big moments this postseason. He'll get his chance someday soon.
This one's for Brad Lidge. One could make a serious case for him being team MVP. After enduring a season in which the bullpen was horrendous and a major weak point, Lidge came in here and flat out dominated. He overcame a devastating loss, the loss of his mechanics and stuff to re-emerge as a dominant pitcher.
This one's for Brett Myers. Despite a couple of infamous incidents and an awful first half, the fans have really gotten behind him. He's had his ups and downs the past few seasons, including two major role changes within months of each other. When all hope appeared to be lost in June, he swallowed his pride, went to the minor leagues and came back re-focused. He's been huge.
This one's for all the homegrown guys, including Cole Hamels, J.A. Happ, Ryan Madson, Carlos Ruiz, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. They came through our system, and they've all made contributions this year, ranging from a lot to a little. Hamels gave this pitching staff a jolt it hasn't seen since Schilling departed. Howard and Utley carried this team from mediocrity to new heights. Carlos Ruiz handles this pitching staff about as well as any other catcher handles theirs. Ryan Madson is a great middle reliever and is bringing the heat when the team needs it most. J.A. Happ dealt with being the swing guy with ease and has pitched a few innings when the team needed him. This one is also for Ed Wade, Pat Gillick, Mike Arbuckle, Ruben Amaro, and anyone in the front office or minor league staffs that drafted these guys, helped them along and put them int he positions they are now.
This one's for Geoff Jenkins. It's clear that Geoff is not the player the Phillies signed, but he doesn't complain about a loss in at bats. This is his first time in the playoffs, and he's not pouting because he's not participating. He's pumped to be on a team this good, and he's happy he's a part of it. Congratulations on the birth of another child.
This one's for the guys who didn't always have it in their careers, such as Chad Durbin, J.C. Romero, Chris Coste, Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth. The World Series is much different from the Indy leagues in North Dakota. Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth got to celebrate this win on the field of the team that didn't think they could make it anymore. They've overcome serious injuries that nearly ended their careers, and some were waived for poor performance. No matter what the problems were, they are behind these guys, and they are contributing.
This one's for the guys that got here just in time, like Pedro Feliz, Joe Blanton and Scott Eyre. Feliz didn't get much of a chance to show what he could do against Anaheim, and it certainly wasn't Eyre's fault the Giants couldn't get it done. Feliz and Blanton draw the ire of many fans, but these guys helped get the team to where they are.
Finally, this one's for those last few guys: Clay Condrey, Eric Bruntlett and So Taguchi. It takes 25 guys to make a baseball roster, and they were on that roster just like everyone else. They accepted their roles and did what they could to help the team.
This one's not over though. This one has been a great ride, but there's still some business to take care of. This one needs four more wins, or this one will be like all the other ones.
This one's for Jamie Moyer and Matt Stairs. These two are a combined 85 years old and have nearly 40 years of ML experience between them. However, neither has played in a World Series. Now this opportunity is here for them. Moyer hasn't had his best stuff in the postseason, but I bet he still has something up his sleeve for the greatest stage in the game.
This one's for the fans; the old fans that have had to put up with a lot of bad baseball from this organization for a lot of decades; the young fans who have never seen a Philadelphia team win a championship; the youngest fans who have never seen the Phillies appear in a World Series; the fans that are far away, all around the world, who couldn't be in town to celebrate, and of course the fans who filled the streets of Philadelphia last night.
This one's for Charlie Manuel and the coaching staff. Charlie's fought a lot of battles in his life, and now he's being rewarded with a chance to win it all. From health problems to unfair criticism from fans and radio hosts, Manuel has led this team to a place that in 100 years, we haven't seen very much. This one's for Davey Lopes for battling cancer and still helping the Phillies become the best baserunning team in the majors. This one's for Jimy Williams getting another taste of the World Series.
This one's for Harry Kalas and the broadcasters. No one knows how much time Harry has left in the booth, but everyone wants to hear one last magical call. LA and Sarge have experience playing in these games, but this will be their first in the booth. This one's for Scott Franzke, who has to take a backseat to the greatest for all big moments this postseason. He'll get his chance someday soon.
This one's for Brad Lidge. One could make a serious case for him being team MVP. After enduring a season in which the bullpen was horrendous and a major weak point, Lidge came in here and flat out dominated. He overcame a devastating loss, the loss of his mechanics and stuff to re-emerge as a dominant pitcher.
This one's for Brett Myers. Despite a couple of infamous incidents and an awful first half, the fans have really gotten behind him. He's had his ups and downs the past few seasons, including two major role changes within months of each other. When all hope appeared to be lost in June, he swallowed his pride, went to the minor leagues and came back re-focused. He's been huge.
This one's for all the homegrown guys, including Cole Hamels, J.A. Happ, Ryan Madson, Carlos Ruiz, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. They came through our system, and they've all made contributions this year, ranging from a lot to a little. Hamels gave this pitching staff a jolt it hasn't seen since Schilling departed. Howard and Utley carried this team from mediocrity to new heights. Carlos Ruiz handles this pitching staff about as well as any other catcher handles theirs. Ryan Madson is a great middle reliever and is bringing the heat when the team needs it most. J.A. Happ dealt with being the swing guy with ease and has pitched a few innings when the team needed him. This one is also for Ed Wade, Pat Gillick, Mike Arbuckle, Ruben Amaro, and anyone in the front office or minor league staffs that drafted these guys, helped them along and put them int he positions they are now.
This one's for Geoff Jenkins. It's clear that Geoff is not the player the Phillies signed, but he doesn't complain about a loss in at bats. This is his first time in the playoffs, and he's not pouting because he's not participating. He's pumped to be on a team this good, and he's happy he's a part of it. Congratulations on the birth of another child.
This one's for the guys who didn't always have it in their careers, such as Chad Durbin, J.C. Romero, Chris Coste, Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth. The World Series is much different from the Indy leagues in North Dakota. Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth got to celebrate this win on the field of the team that didn't think they could make it anymore. They've overcome serious injuries that nearly ended their careers, and some were waived for poor performance. No matter what the problems were, they are behind these guys, and they are contributing.
This one's for the guys that got here just in time, like Pedro Feliz, Joe Blanton and Scott Eyre. Feliz didn't get much of a chance to show what he could do against Anaheim, and it certainly wasn't Eyre's fault the Giants couldn't get it done. Feliz and Blanton draw the ire of many fans, but these guys helped get the team to where they are.
Finally, this one's for those last few guys: Clay Condrey, Eric Bruntlett and So Taguchi. It takes 25 guys to make a baseball roster, and they were on that roster just like everyone else. They accepted their roles and did what they could to help the team.
This one's not over though. This one has been a great ride, but there's still some business to take care of. This one needs four more wins, or this one will be like all the other ones.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Playoff Roster Discussion
I'm back to blogging, and how fitting is it that this entry and the previous one over two weeks ago are both related to the Milwaukee Brewers? After a month of having an extended bench and some extra bodies in the bullpen, teams will have to return to the conventional 25 man roster. How will the Phillies go from the comfy roster size back down? Pat Gillick says that everyone who was active today will be eligible with the exception of Tadahito Iguchi, so with that in mind, let's take a look at the stone cold locks.
Catcher (2)
Chris Coste
Carlos Ruiz
You obviously need two catchers, and these were the guys the Phillies rode all season. Chris Coste stepped up and had a bunch of starts when Ruiz was having his struggles, but it seems like Ruiz has taken the starting job back. Ruiz is pretty much a lock for starts made by Hamels and Moyer, Coste usually handles Myers, and I guess they'll ride the hot hand with Blanton. Lou Marson could be an interesting choice if Manuel wants to have Coste available to pinch hit, but that's a luxury.
Infielders (5)
Ryan Howard
Chase Utley
Jimmy Rollins
Pedro Feliz
Greg Dobbs
These are the five guys who either play every day or get a lot of significant action. Manuel seems to have a good handle on switching Dobbs and Feliz in and out of the lineup, and the other three players obviously start every game. No one else is needed for a bat off the bench, but it's likely that Bruntlett gets added to run and play defense.
Outfielders (3)
Pat Burrell
Shane Victorino
Jayson Werth
I really don't think I can commit to more than that right now. Those three are the every day players, and the backup picture is too muddled. Stairs and Jenkins, the Canadian in particular, add a good left handed option off the bench, Golson is really fast, and Taguchi is there. They obviously need some backups, and we'll choose them when we see how many roster spots we have left in a bit.
Starters (4)
Joe Blanton
Cole Hamels
Jamie Moyer
Brett Myers
Are these guys good enough to win a championship? We know Hamels is an ace, hopefully. Brett Myers has showed a lot in the second half. He's had a couple clunkers in a row, but he should be well rested and ready to go. Jamie Moyer has made a lot of big starts, and hopefully he can continue his solid season for a few more starts. I still think the shoulder injury might be bothering Blanton a bit, but he's a solid guy at the back of a playoff rotation.
Relievers (5)
Chad Durbin
Scott Eyre
Brad Lidge
Ryan Madson
J.C. Romero
We'll want to carry maybe two more relievers, but these are the guys the Phillies will lean on to pitch the tight innings late. Eyre has done a great job since coming over for Chicago, and he's given Manuel great flexibility as a second reliever in the bullpen. The 8th inning was hairy for a little bit, but a combo of J.C., Durbin and Mad Dog should be able to get it done when it counts. Lidge has obviously had some tense moments, but I'm confident when he comes into the game.
That's a total of 19 guys that I think every Phillies fan can agree should be on the postseason roster. Where should the other six spots go? Let's get a couple more pitchers in the bullpen. Clay Condrey has worked hard this season, and he probably deserves a spot in case one of our starters gets in deep trouble. That means it comes down to Rudy Seanez or J.A. Happ for the last spot. I'd like to keep the young guy, but I could see us going for the experience angle with a guy that can probably warm up faster. Frankly, if either guy has to pitch, it's not good.
That means we have four more spots for the offense. We really like Eric Bruntlett, so he's got one locked down. Matt Stairs adds some power, so he has to be on. Geoff Jenkins has finally made the playoffs, and it's a tough call, but I guess he can slip onto the roster. With 24 guys left, what else do the Phillies need? Another pitcher? Probably not, 11 is enough. We could use an extra pinch hitting bat from the right side. Lou Marson would be nice for this, either directly or indirectly. He could hit, or he could be a safety net if we want Coste hitting. I'll give the nod to Greg Golson. We might not trust an inexperienced player, but his speed is game changing, and he's better at being So Taguchi than So Taguchi is.
Catcher (2)
Chris Coste
Carlos Ruiz
You obviously need two catchers, and these were the guys the Phillies rode all season. Chris Coste stepped up and had a bunch of starts when Ruiz was having his struggles, but it seems like Ruiz has taken the starting job back. Ruiz is pretty much a lock for starts made by Hamels and Moyer, Coste usually handles Myers, and I guess they'll ride the hot hand with Blanton. Lou Marson could be an interesting choice if Manuel wants to have Coste available to pinch hit, but that's a luxury.
Infielders (5)
Ryan Howard
Chase Utley
Jimmy Rollins
Pedro Feliz
Greg Dobbs
These are the five guys who either play every day or get a lot of significant action. Manuel seems to have a good handle on switching Dobbs and Feliz in and out of the lineup, and the other three players obviously start every game. No one else is needed for a bat off the bench, but it's likely that Bruntlett gets added to run and play defense.
Outfielders (3)
Pat Burrell
Shane Victorino
Jayson Werth
I really don't think I can commit to more than that right now. Those three are the every day players, and the backup picture is too muddled. Stairs and Jenkins, the Canadian in particular, add a good left handed option off the bench, Golson is really fast, and Taguchi is there. They obviously need some backups, and we'll choose them when we see how many roster spots we have left in a bit.
Starters (4)
Joe Blanton
Cole Hamels
Jamie Moyer
Brett Myers
Are these guys good enough to win a championship? We know Hamels is an ace, hopefully. Brett Myers has showed a lot in the second half. He's had a couple clunkers in a row, but he should be well rested and ready to go. Jamie Moyer has made a lot of big starts, and hopefully he can continue his solid season for a few more starts. I still think the shoulder injury might be bothering Blanton a bit, but he's a solid guy at the back of a playoff rotation.
Relievers (5)
Chad Durbin
Scott Eyre
Brad Lidge
Ryan Madson
J.C. Romero
We'll want to carry maybe two more relievers, but these are the guys the Phillies will lean on to pitch the tight innings late. Eyre has done a great job since coming over for Chicago, and he's given Manuel great flexibility as a second reliever in the bullpen. The 8th inning was hairy for a little bit, but a combo of J.C., Durbin and Mad Dog should be able to get it done when it counts. Lidge has obviously had some tense moments, but I'm confident when he comes into the game.
That's a total of 19 guys that I think every Phillies fan can agree should be on the postseason roster. Where should the other six spots go? Let's get a couple more pitchers in the bullpen. Clay Condrey has worked hard this season, and he probably deserves a spot in case one of our starters gets in deep trouble. That means it comes down to Rudy Seanez or J.A. Happ for the last spot. I'd like to keep the young guy, but I could see us going for the experience angle with a guy that can probably warm up faster. Frankly, if either guy has to pitch, it's not good.
That means we have four more spots for the offense. We really like Eric Bruntlett, so he's got one locked down. Matt Stairs adds some power, so he has to be on. Geoff Jenkins has finally made the playoffs, and it's a tough call, but I guess he can slip onto the roster. With 24 guys left, what else do the Phillies need? Another pitcher? Probably not, 11 is enough. We could use an extra pinch hitting bat from the right side. Lou Marson would be nice for this, either directly or indirectly. He could hit, or he could be a safety net if we want Coste hitting. I'll give the nod to Greg Golson. We might not trust an inexperienced player, but his speed is game changing, and he's better at being So Taguchi than So Taguchi is.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Playoff Push Series 2: Brewers at Phillies
Mets 82-63
Phillies 3.5 GB
Brewers 83-63
Phillies 4 GB
9/11-9/14 v. Milwaukee Brewers
9/11 Ben Sheets v. Jamie Moyer
Sheets 2008, career v. Phillies: 13-7 2.82 ERA, 2-3 4.50 ERA
Has trouble with:
Pat Burrell 7/14, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .500/.563/1.071
Matt Stairs 6/17, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .353/.333/.882
Carlos Ruiz 1/2, .500/.500/.500
Moyer 2008, career v. Brewers: 13-7 3.64 ERA, 8-5 3.57 ERA
Has trouble with:
Bill Hall 5/6, .833/.833/1.167
Rickie Weeks 2/4, .500/.714/.750
Mike Lamb 6/16, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .375/.474/.563
Previously, it was believed that the Wild Card would be unattainable, but the Brewers seem to be fading. They had to grind out a win against Cincinnati to avoid a sweep, and this is a great time for the Phillies to make up ground on them. Moyer hasn't started on three days rest this season, and the rest of his splits indicate he does better with more rest.
9/12 Manny Parra v. Cole Hamels
Parra 2008, career v. Phillies: 10-7 4.03 ERA, 0-1 18.00 ERA
Has trouble with:
No one, yet.
Hamels 2008, career v. Brewers: 12-9 3.12 ERA, 1.1 4.76 ERA
Has trouble with:
Ryan Braun 3/7, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .429/.429/1.000
J.J. Hardy 3/8, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .375/.444/.875
Mike Cameron 1/5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .200/.429/.800
Manny Parra has a sky high ERA in his brief career against the Phillies, yet it's not because of anyone on today's roster. In the 11th inning of an August meeting last season, Wes Helms doubled home Howard and Rowand to give the Phillies a lead. For most guys, it'll be the first time facing him, and he's a pretty decent pitcher. This game should be low scoring.
9/13 Dave Bush v. Joe Blanton
Bush 2008, career v. Phillies: 9-10 4.23 ERA, 0-0 6.18 ERA
Has trouble with:
Pat Burrell 4/10, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .400/.455/1.300
Greg Dobbs 5/10, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .500/.500/1.200
Chase Utley 3/7, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .429/.636/.857
Blanton 2008, career v. Brewers: 2-0 4.61 ERA, N/A
Has trouble with:
Ray Durham 5/11, 2 RBI, .455/.455/.818
Mike Cameron 1/2, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .500/.667/2.000
This is the time for Joe Blanton to prove it was a good move to acquire him. A lot of people are souring on the trade if they weren't from the beginning, and Blanton has turned in some lackluster efforts recently. A lot of the Phillies have had success against Bush, so as long as they continue to hit him, it'll just be up to Blanton to not give up the lead.
9/14 Jeff Suppan v. TBA
Suppan 2008, career v. Phillies: 10-8 4.63 ERA, 3-5 5.59 ERA
Has trouble with:
Chris Coste 2/4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .500/.600/1.250
Jayson Werth 3/5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .600/.600/1.200
Pat Burrell 8/20, 2 HR, 7 RBI, .400/.538/.800
TBA 2008, career v. Brewers: N/A, N/A
Has trouble with:
Likely no one
They really can't give Kendrick another start, can they? How far has this guy fallen? He's still young and has a shot to be a back-end starter, but he has just collapsed over the second half this season. He's lost his command and become completely ineffective. J.A. Happ hasn't been much better, but since neither Carpenter nor Carrasco are on the active roster, they don't have much of a choice.
New York Mets 9/11-9/15
Off
v. Atlanta (Hampton @ Santana)
v. Atlanta (Reyes @ Martinez)
v. Atlanta (Campillo @ Perez)
@ Washington (Pelfrey @ TBA)
Phillies 3.5 GB
Brewers 83-63
Phillies 4 GB
9/11-9/14 v. Milwaukee Brewers
9/11 Ben Sheets v. Jamie Moyer
Sheets 2008, career v. Phillies: 13-7 2.82 ERA, 2-3 4.50 ERA
Has trouble with:
Pat Burrell 7/14, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .500/.563/1.071
Matt Stairs 6/17, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .353/.333/.882
Carlos Ruiz 1/2, .500/.500/.500
Moyer 2008, career v. Brewers: 13-7 3.64 ERA, 8-5 3.57 ERA
Has trouble with:
Bill Hall 5/6, .833/.833/1.167
Rickie Weeks 2/4, .500/.714/.750
Mike Lamb 6/16, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .375/.474/.563
Previously, it was believed that the Wild Card would be unattainable, but the Brewers seem to be fading. They had to grind out a win against Cincinnati to avoid a sweep, and this is a great time for the Phillies to make up ground on them. Moyer hasn't started on three days rest this season, and the rest of his splits indicate he does better with more rest.
9/12 Manny Parra v. Cole Hamels
Parra 2008, career v. Phillies: 10-7 4.03 ERA, 0-1 18.00 ERA
Has trouble with:
No one, yet.
Hamels 2008, career v. Brewers: 12-9 3.12 ERA, 1.1 4.76 ERA
Has trouble with:
Ryan Braun 3/7, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .429/.429/1.000
J.J. Hardy 3/8, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .375/.444/.875
Mike Cameron 1/5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .200/.429/.800
Manny Parra has a sky high ERA in his brief career against the Phillies, yet it's not because of anyone on today's roster. In the 11th inning of an August meeting last season, Wes Helms doubled home Howard and Rowand to give the Phillies a lead. For most guys, it'll be the first time facing him, and he's a pretty decent pitcher. This game should be low scoring.
9/13 Dave Bush v. Joe Blanton
Bush 2008, career v. Phillies: 9-10 4.23 ERA, 0-0 6.18 ERA
Has trouble with:
Pat Burrell 4/10, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .400/.455/1.300
Greg Dobbs 5/10, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .500/.500/1.200
Chase Utley 3/7, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .429/.636/.857
Blanton 2008, career v. Brewers: 2-0 4.61 ERA, N/A
Has trouble with:
Ray Durham 5/11, 2 RBI, .455/.455/.818
Mike Cameron 1/2, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .500/.667/2.000
This is the time for Joe Blanton to prove it was a good move to acquire him. A lot of people are souring on the trade if they weren't from the beginning, and Blanton has turned in some lackluster efforts recently. A lot of the Phillies have had success against Bush, so as long as they continue to hit him, it'll just be up to Blanton to not give up the lead.
9/14 Jeff Suppan v. TBA
Suppan 2008, career v. Phillies: 10-8 4.63 ERA, 3-5 5.59 ERA
Has trouble with:
Chris Coste 2/4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .500/.600/1.250
Jayson Werth 3/5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .600/.600/1.200
Pat Burrell 8/20, 2 HR, 7 RBI, .400/.538/.800
TBA 2008, career v. Brewers: N/A, N/A
Has trouble with:
Likely no one
They really can't give Kendrick another start, can they? How far has this guy fallen? He's still young and has a shot to be a back-end starter, but he has just collapsed over the second half this season. He's lost his command and become completely ineffective. J.A. Happ hasn't been much better, but since neither Carpenter nor Carrasco are on the active roster, they don't have much of a choice.
New York Mets 9/11-9/15
Off
v. Atlanta (Hampton @ Santana)
v. Atlanta (Reyes @ Martinez)
v. Atlanta (Campillo @ Perez)
@ Washington (Pelfrey @ TBA)
Monday, September 8, 2008
Playoff Push Series 1: Marlins at Phillies
I thought of an improved and efficient way to do game previews. Let's see how it turns out.
9/8-9/10 v. Florida Marlins
9/8 Anibal Sanchez v. Joe Blanton
Sanchez 2008, career v. Phillies: 2-3 5.54 ERA, 0-2 8.79 ERA
Has trouble with:
Ryan Howard 3/5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .600/.778/1.400
Chase Utley 3/9, 1 RBI, .333/.333/.778
Carlos Ruiz 2/3, 1 RBI, .667/.667/1.000
Blanton 2008, career v. Marlins: 1-0 4.34 ERA, N/A
Has trouble with:
Jorge Cantu 2/7, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .286/.375/.857
Alfredo Amezega 1/2, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .500/.500/2.000
The key for the Phillies to kick off this series is Joe Blanton recovering after a poor performance last time out. He needs to go longer than 4 innings, and it would be great if he could pitch into the 7th. We got him to throw a lot of innings, but in the last few starts, he's walked a lot of guys and racked up high pitch counts early. The Marlins have a dangerous lineup, and Blanton needs to throw strikes and stay in control.
9/9 Chris Volstad v. TBA
Volstad 2008, career v. Phillies: 4-3 3.32 ERA, 1-0 0.00 ERA
Has trouble with:
Chase Utley 1/2, .500/.667/.500
Cole Hamels 1/2, .500/.500/.500
TBA 2008, career v. Marlins: N/A, N/A
Has trouble with:
Likely no one
The Phillies can use J.A. Happ and Kyle Kendrick to fill the two TBA spots this week, with the other one being on Thursday. Looking at the career splits, despite being small sample sizes and unreliable, it might be best to start Happ on Tuesday and Kendrick on Thursday. Kendrick has gotten hit hard by Florida this year, and although Happ's two innings against them were awful, maybe he can rebound. Kendrick pitched well against Milwaukee last season, so maybe they should see if he can do it again.
9/10 Ricky Nolaso v. Brett Myers
Nolasco 2008, career v. Phillies: 13-7 3.56 ERA, 3-3 4.41 ERA
Has problems with:
Ryan Howard 2/10, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .200/.500/.800
Jimmy Rollins 5/15, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .333/.375/.867
Pat Burrell 4/12, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .333/.429/.750
Myers 2008, career v. Marlins: 9-10 4.19 ERA, 6-8 5.05 ERA
Has problems with:
Josh Willingham 5/10, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .500/.583/1.000
Mike Jacobs 8/24, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .333/.429/.750
Luis Gonzalez 6/15, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .400/.500/.600
Florida has historically hit Myers, but they haven't run into the buzzsaw version since he returned from the minor leagues. He's almost due to have a bad outing, and a lot of people are still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Ricky Nolasco has enjoyed a breakout 2008 campaign, including an earlier gem against the Phillies.
New York Mets 9/8-9/10
Off
v. Washington (Lannan @ Ol. perez)
v. Washington (Od. Perez @ Pelfrey)
Milwaukee Brewers 9/8-9/10
v. Cincinnati (Volquez @ Bush)
v. Cincinnati (Ramirez @ Suppan)
v. Cincinnati (Arroyo @ Sabathia)
9/8-9/10 v. Florida Marlins
9/8 Anibal Sanchez v. Joe Blanton
Sanchez 2008, career v. Phillies: 2-3 5.54 ERA, 0-2 8.79 ERA
Has trouble with:
Ryan Howard 3/5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .600/.778/1.400
Chase Utley 3/9, 1 RBI, .333/.333/.778
Carlos Ruiz 2/3, 1 RBI, .667/.667/1.000
Blanton 2008, career v. Marlins: 1-0 4.34 ERA, N/A
Has trouble with:
Jorge Cantu 2/7, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .286/.375/.857
Alfredo Amezega 1/2, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .500/.500/2.000
The key for the Phillies to kick off this series is Joe Blanton recovering after a poor performance last time out. He needs to go longer than 4 innings, and it would be great if he could pitch into the 7th. We got him to throw a lot of innings, but in the last few starts, he's walked a lot of guys and racked up high pitch counts early. The Marlins have a dangerous lineup, and Blanton needs to throw strikes and stay in control.
9/9 Chris Volstad v. TBA
Volstad 2008, career v. Phillies: 4-3 3.32 ERA, 1-0 0.00 ERA
Has trouble with:
Chase Utley 1/2, .500/.667/.500
Cole Hamels 1/2, .500/.500/.500
TBA 2008, career v. Marlins: N/A, N/A
Has trouble with:
Likely no one
The Phillies can use J.A. Happ and Kyle Kendrick to fill the two TBA spots this week, with the other one being on Thursday. Looking at the career splits, despite being small sample sizes and unreliable, it might be best to start Happ on Tuesday and Kendrick on Thursday. Kendrick has gotten hit hard by Florida this year, and although Happ's two innings against them were awful, maybe he can rebound. Kendrick pitched well against Milwaukee last season, so maybe they should see if he can do it again.
9/10 Ricky Nolaso v. Brett Myers
Nolasco 2008, career v. Phillies: 13-7 3.56 ERA, 3-3 4.41 ERA
Has problems with:
Ryan Howard 2/10, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .200/.500/.800
Jimmy Rollins 5/15, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .333/.375/.867
Pat Burrell 4/12, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .333/.429/.750
Myers 2008, career v. Marlins: 9-10 4.19 ERA, 6-8 5.05 ERA
Has problems with:
Josh Willingham 5/10, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .500/.583/1.000
Mike Jacobs 8/24, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .333/.429/.750
Luis Gonzalez 6/15, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .400/.500/.600
Florida has historically hit Myers, but they haven't run into the buzzsaw version since he returned from the minor leagues. He's almost due to have a bad outing, and a lot of people are still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Ricky Nolasco has enjoyed a breakout 2008 campaign, including an earlier gem against the Phillies.
New York Mets 9/8-9/10
Off
v. Washington (Lannan @ Ol. perez)
v. Washington (Od. Perez @ Pelfrey)
Milwaukee Brewers 9/8-9/10
v. Cincinnati (Volquez @ Bush)
v. Cincinnati (Ramirez @ Suppan)
v. Cincinnati (Arroyo @ Sabathia)
Big East Rankings Week 3
Once again, it seemed to be a down week for the conference. WVU got upended by an ECU team that looks like they want to crash the BCS early on. USF, UConn and Pitt won, but I think each game was a tad closer than they hoped. Cincinnati played Oklahoma as close as you could expect for a while, but they lost their starting QB. Onto the rankings.
(Previous Ranking) Current Ranking Team Last Week, This Week
(2) 1. South Florida W 31-24 (OT) @ Central Florida, v. #13 Kansas: I said that the Knights would look better than they did in the 2007 edition of this rivalry, but I wasn't expecting a game that close. The UCF defense made some key plays, and an inexperienced offense took advantage of their opportunities. The Bulls can't have a repeat performance on Friday night, or they're going to leave Raymond James with a loss.
(1) 2. West Virginia L 24-3 @ East Carolina, Bye: Maybe they should drop further after coughing up a non-conference game, but I think the Pirates have shown they're a pretty good team. The offense did not look good in this one, and now they'll have a week to think about what went wrong. I still think the Mountaineers are favorites to win the conference, but for at least a week, they won't be in the #1 spot.
(3) 3. Connecticut W 12-9 (OT) @ Temple, v. Virginia: I said that the Owls would present a challenge, and they did. The weather neutralized the game, and UConn probably played a bit better than the score would indicate. Donald Brown ran through the Temple defense, and the Huskies defense themselves played great. Maybe their 2-0 record should be worth more than WVU's 1-1, but I'd still like to see them prove themselves a little more.
(4) 4. Cincinnati L 52-26 @ Oklahoma, Bye: The Bearcats played about as well as you could expect them to against a superior opponent but losing Grutza hurts in a big way. They have a week off to look at their options and figure out what they were going to do, but losing one of your best players will definitely knock you down a peg until he comes back.
(6) 5. Pittsburgh W 27-16 v. Buffalo, Bye: For the first three quarters, this game was probably a bit too close for comfort. The Panthers wanted to come out firing and prove last week's loss was a fluke, but I don't think anyone's mind is at ease about this team. Buffalo is not a good team, but they managed to hang with Pitt until a late second half run put the game away. Maybe it's a good thing Joe Paterno never agrees to schedule these guys.
(5) 6. Rutgers: Bye, v. North Carolina: The Scarlet Knights get knocked down one spot just because they didn't play. UNC is on the rise, but Rutgers should still be able to come away with a win and get back on the right track. The conference is wide open, so despite the week one loss, they still have a shot.
(7) 7. Louisville W 51-10 v. Tennessee Tech, Bye: It's great that they could score so many points on Tennessee Tech, but they have to prove themselves against 1A competition. However, they are off this week, so they will likely remain 7th in the rankings, unless the next team pulls off a pretty big upset.
(8) 8. Syracuse L 42-28 v. Akron, v. #17 Penn State: The Nittany Lions have cruised to two easy wins against teams of varying difficulty, and their offense looks like a strong force to be reckoned with. The Orange lost at home against a MAC team, which has really been a thorn in the side of the Big East so far. They are really going to struggle this season, and I don't know what it'll take to turn the program around.
(Previous Ranking) Current Ranking Team Last Week, This Week
(2) 1. South Florida W 31-24 (OT) @ Central Florida, v. #13 Kansas: I said that the Knights would look better than they did in the 2007 edition of this rivalry, but I wasn't expecting a game that close. The UCF defense made some key plays, and an inexperienced offense took advantage of their opportunities. The Bulls can't have a repeat performance on Friday night, or they're going to leave Raymond James with a loss.
(1) 2. West Virginia L 24-3 @ East Carolina, Bye: Maybe they should drop further after coughing up a non-conference game, but I think the Pirates have shown they're a pretty good team. The offense did not look good in this one, and now they'll have a week to think about what went wrong. I still think the Mountaineers are favorites to win the conference, but for at least a week, they won't be in the #1 spot.
(3) 3. Connecticut W 12-9 (OT) @ Temple, v. Virginia: I said that the Owls would present a challenge, and they did. The weather neutralized the game, and UConn probably played a bit better than the score would indicate. Donald Brown ran through the Temple defense, and the Huskies defense themselves played great. Maybe their 2-0 record should be worth more than WVU's 1-1, but I'd still like to see them prove themselves a little more.
(4) 4. Cincinnati L 52-26 @ Oklahoma, Bye: The Bearcats played about as well as you could expect them to against a superior opponent but losing Grutza hurts in a big way. They have a week off to look at their options and figure out what they were going to do, but losing one of your best players will definitely knock you down a peg until he comes back.
(6) 5. Pittsburgh W 27-16 v. Buffalo, Bye: For the first three quarters, this game was probably a bit too close for comfort. The Panthers wanted to come out firing and prove last week's loss was a fluke, but I don't think anyone's mind is at ease about this team. Buffalo is not a good team, but they managed to hang with Pitt until a late second half run put the game away. Maybe it's a good thing Joe Paterno never agrees to schedule these guys.
(5) 6. Rutgers: Bye, v. North Carolina: The Scarlet Knights get knocked down one spot just because they didn't play. UNC is on the rise, but Rutgers should still be able to come away with a win and get back on the right track. The conference is wide open, so despite the week one loss, they still have a shot.
(7) 7. Louisville W 51-10 v. Tennessee Tech, Bye: It's great that they could score so many points on Tennessee Tech, but they have to prove themselves against 1A competition. However, they are off this week, so they will likely remain 7th in the rankings, unless the next team pulls off a pretty big upset.
(8) 8. Syracuse L 42-28 v. Akron, v. #17 Penn State: The Nittany Lions have cruised to two easy wins against teams of varying difficulty, and their offense looks like a strong force to be reckoned with. The Orange lost at home against a MAC team, which has really been a thorn in the side of the Big East so far. They are really going to struggle this season, and I don't know what it'll take to turn the program around.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Ch ch ch changes
I don't know how much will actually be different, but I am back, and hopefully for good. I hope I can set aside enough time to update this pretty regularly again. I'll probably cover a bit too much USF football, which is pretty far away from Philadelphia, but they're my team now. I'm going to slap up a pic on the left side, and you can make all the humorous photoshops you want.
This is definitely getting the cheap entry tag. Good to be back.
This is definitely getting the cheap entry tag. Good to be back.
Big East Rankings Week 2
I am back. However, I am choosing to do something that has absolutely nothing to do with Philadelphia sports. This is a Big East power ranking that will be updated every week. However, due to the conference's poor performance in week one, I will refrain from calling the rankings powerful. For this week, the previous ranking will be the Big East preseason poll.
(Previous Ranking) Current Ranking Team Last Week, This Week
(1) 1. West Virginia W 48-21 v. Villanova, @ East Carolina: Villanova scored quite a few points on the Mountaineers, but they're occasionally a solid D1AA program. Regardless, it was a good warm-up for WVU who has a tough test this week. ECU will not be a pushover, and these guys can't afford to drop an early season game just like almost everyone else did.
(2) 2. South Florida W 56-7 v. Tennessee-Martin, @ Central Florida: In a week where a lot of good teams were tested or beaten by weaker opponents, USF looked just about as good as you can against their warmup. The turnovers were a bit concerning, but Gregory and Daniels won't be playing actual minutes when the going gets tough. UCF will have a better showing than 2007 in the last year of this rivalry, but the Bulls should come out of it 2-0.
(6) 3. Connecticut W 35-3 v. Hofstra, @ Temple: The conference was so pathetic in week one that UConn gets a sizable boost. They're returning quite a few starters from a good team last season, so maybe they shouldn't have been ranked as low as 6th to start the year. They cannot look past Temple though; I've been telling anyone that'll listen about this team, and they could get some respect with an upset win over the Huskies this weekend.
(5) 4. Cincinnati W 40-7 v. Eastern Kentucky, @ #4 Oklahoma: Their victory against EKU was admirable, but they face a somewhat different beast this week. I'll be impressed with the Bearcats if they can just stay close against the Sooners, and I can't knock them too far down even if they suffer a bad loss.
(4) 5. Rutgers L 24-7 v. Fresno State, Bye: Here's where things get hairy. Of the four remaining teams, all week one losers, their loss was probably a bit more acceptable than the others. Fresno State is a very good team, and they could emerge out of the WAC with a solid bowl bid. However, even without Ray Rice, the Scarlet Knights came into this season with pretty high expectations, and this slow start does not help.
(3) 6. Pittsburgh L 27-17 v. Bowling Green, v. Buffalo: Pitt's loss was one of the week one shockers, and it wasn't a good start for a team that people thought could make some noise this year. They were probably overrated to start the year, and they could still recover, but it has to be a bit alarming that their offense was totally shut down in the second half. They'll get another MAC challenger, but I don't think Buffalo is as good as Bowling Green.
(7) 7. Louisville L 27-2 v. Kentucky, v. Tennessee Tech: It was generally accepted that this would be a down year for the Cardinals, but their rivalry game was interesting. Their offense laid a huge egg, but their defense kept them in the game, which is the opposite of their recent history. It wasn't an inspiring game for fans or those who thought they could sneak up on some teams, but they should be able to boost their egos against Tennessee Tech.
(8) 8. Syracuse L 30-10 @ Northwestern, v. Akron: Orange football has been a nightmare for quite a few years now, and they've fallen a long way since the glory days of Donovan McNabb. They just aren't a very good team, and they're going to struggle to win games this season. I don't know if a new coach is going to turn them back into a contender.
(Previous Ranking) Current Ranking Team Last Week, This Week
(1) 1. West Virginia W 48-21 v. Villanova, @ East Carolina: Villanova scored quite a few points on the Mountaineers, but they're occasionally a solid D1AA program. Regardless, it was a good warm-up for WVU who has a tough test this week. ECU will not be a pushover, and these guys can't afford to drop an early season game just like almost everyone else did.
(2) 2. South Florida W 56-7 v. Tennessee-Martin, @ Central Florida: In a week where a lot of good teams were tested or beaten by weaker opponents, USF looked just about as good as you can against their warmup. The turnovers were a bit concerning, but Gregory and Daniels won't be playing actual minutes when the going gets tough. UCF will have a better showing than 2007 in the last year of this rivalry, but the Bulls should come out of it 2-0.
(6) 3. Connecticut W 35-3 v. Hofstra, @ Temple: The conference was so pathetic in week one that UConn gets a sizable boost. They're returning quite a few starters from a good team last season, so maybe they shouldn't have been ranked as low as 6th to start the year. They cannot look past Temple though; I've been telling anyone that'll listen about this team, and they could get some respect with an upset win over the Huskies this weekend.
(5) 4. Cincinnati W 40-7 v. Eastern Kentucky, @ #4 Oklahoma: Their victory against EKU was admirable, but they face a somewhat different beast this week. I'll be impressed with the Bearcats if they can just stay close against the Sooners, and I can't knock them too far down even if they suffer a bad loss.
(4) 5. Rutgers L 24-7 v. Fresno State, Bye: Here's where things get hairy. Of the four remaining teams, all week one losers, their loss was probably a bit more acceptable than the others. Fresno State is a very good team, and they could emerge out of the WAC with a solid bowl bid. However, even without Ray Rice, the Scarlet Knights came into this season with pretty high expectations, and this slow start does not help.
(3) 6. Pittsburgh L 27-17 v. Bowling Green, v. Buffalo: Pitt's loss was one of the week one shockers, and it wasn't a good start for a team that people thought could make some noise this year. They were probably overrated to start the year, and they could still recover, but it has to be a bit alarming that their offense was totally shut down in the second half. They'll get another MAC challenger, but I don't think Buffalo is as good as Bowling Green.
(7) 7. Louisville L 27-2 v. Kentucky, v. Tennessee Tech: It was generally accepted that this would be a down year for the Cardinals, but their rivalry game was interesting. Their offense laid a huge egg, but their defense kept them in the game, which is the opposite of their recent history. It wasn't an inspiring game for fans or those who thought they could sneak up on some teams, but they should be able to boost their egos against Tennessee Tech.
(8) 8. Syracuse L 30-10 @ Northwestern, v. Akron: Orange football has been a nightmare for quite a few years now, and they've fallen a long way since the glory days of Donovan McNabb. They just aren't a very good team, and they're going to struggle to win games this season. I don't know if a new coach is going to turn them back into a contender.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Game 124: Phillies at Padres (3/3)
Philadelphia Phillies: 65-58
San Diego Padres: 48-75
Cole Hamels (9-8 3.32 ERA, 1-1 2.86 ERA)
Cha Seung Baek (4-6 5.12 ERA, 0-0 -.-- ERA)
Projected lineups
Rollins SS N/A
Victorino CF N/A
Utley 2B N/A
Howard 1B N/A
Burrell LF N/A
Jenkins RF N/A
Dobbs 3B N/A
Ruiz C N/A
Hamels P
Hairston CF 2/3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .667/.667/2.000
Giles RF 2/10, 1 RBI, .200/.200/.300
Kouzmanoff 3B 0/5
Gonzalez 1B 3/9, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .333/.400/.667
Headley LF N/A
Iguchi 2B 0/7
Bard C N/A
Rodriguez SS N/A
Baek P
Last night may have been rock bottom for the Phillies, and I hope it was. Once again, the offense was left baffled against a starter that's quite frankly, not very good. They got off to a strong start by scoring two and making him throw a lot of pitches early, but for some reason, things just shut down. Kyle Kendrick also had maybe his worst outing of the year against one of the worst lineups in baseball this year. It's unfortunate that this was the only game on the road trip I could see, because it could've been the worst.
Anything can happen in baseball, but if there's ever a mismatch, it's this one. Baek is a career bad pitcher, and I can't fathom the Phillies' lineup pulling another disappearing act. Hamels is due for a win, and he's got a great shot in this ballpark against this lineup.
San Diego Padres: 48-75
Cole Hamels (9-8 3.32 ERA, 1-1 2.86 ERA)
Cha Seung Baek (4-6 5.12 ERA, 0-0 -.-- ERA)
Projected lineups
Rollins SS N/A
Victorino CF N/A
Utley 2B N/A
Howard 1B N/A
Burrell LF N/A
Jenkins RF N/A
Dobbs 3B N/A
Ruiz C N/A
Hamels P
Hairston CF 2/3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .667/.667/2.000
Giles RF 2/10, 1 RBI, .200/.200/.300
Kouzmanoff 3B 0/5
Gonzalez 1B 3/9, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .333/.400/.667
Headley LF N/A
Iguchi 2B 0/7
Bard C N/A
Rodriguez SS N/A
Baek P
Last night may have been rock bottom for the Phillies, and I hope it was. Once again, the offense was left baffled against a starter that's quite frankly, not very good. They got off to a strong start by scoring two and making him throw a lot of pitches early, but for some reason, things just shut down. Kyle Kendrick also had maybe his worst outing of the year against one of the worst lineups in baseball this year. It's unfortunate that this was the only game on the road trip I could see, because it could've been the worst.
Anything can happen in baseball, but if there's ever a mismatch, it's this one. Baek is a career bad pitcher, and I can't fathom the Phillies' lineup pulling another disappearing act. Hamels is due for a win, and he's got a great shot in this ballpark against this lineup.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Game 123: Phillies at Padres (2/3)
Philadelphia Phillies: 65-57
San Diego Padres: 47-75
Kyle Kendrick (10-6 4.74 ERA, 1-0 1.50 ERA)
Chad Reineke (0-0 -.-- ERA, 0-0 -.-- ERA)
Projected lineups
Rollins SS N/A
Victorino CF N/A
Utley 2B N/A
Howard 1B N/A
Burrell LF N/A
Jenkins RF N/A
Dobbs 3B N/A
Coste C N/A
Kendrick P
Gerut CF N/A
Giles RF N/A
Kouzmanoff 3B 0/3
Gonzalez 1B 1/2, .500/.667/.500
Headley LF N/A
Iguchi 2B N/A
Hundley C N/A
Rodriguez SS N/A
Tonight, I'd expect another game in which not many runs are scored. Partly because the Padres have very little offense, partly because the teams have a total of six plate appearances against the opposing pitcher. I find it hard to believe that Reineke will even be decent, considering his age and level in the minors. The Phillies should be able to score more than one run tonight.
If the Phillies can recover and win the next two, a 3-4 road trip wouldn't be the end of the world. They come home to the Nationals, and they can probably handle them too. It's the last time the Phillies go out west, so returning one fewer game above .500 isn't bad. You would've liked to see them beat the Dodgers, who are actually a good team, but it's about how many wins you get, not who you get them against.
San Diego Padres: 47-75
Kyle Kendrick (10-6 4.74 ERA, 1-0 1.50 ERA)
Chad Reineke (0-0 -.-- ERA, 0-0 -.-- ERA)
Projected lineups
Rollins SS N/A
Victorino CF N/A
Utley 2B N/A
Howard 1B N/A
Burrell LF N/A
Jenkins RF N/A
Dobbs 3B N/A
Coste C N/A
Kendrick P
Gerut CF N/A
Giles RF N/A
Kouzmanoff 3B 0/3
Gonzalez 1B 1/2, .500/.667/.500
Headley LF N/A
Iguchi 2B N/A
Hundley C N/A
Rodriguez SS N/A
Tonight, I'd expect another game in which not many runs are scored. Partly because the Padres have very little offense, partly because the teams have a total of six plate appearances against the opposing pitcher. I find it hard to believe that Reineke will even be decent, considering his age and level in the minors. The Phillies should be able to score more than one run tonight.
If the Phillies can recover and win the next two, a 3-4 road trip wouldn't be the end of the world. They come home to the Nationals, and they can probably handle them too. It's the last time the Phillies go out west, so returning one fewer game above .500 isn't bad. You would've liked to see them beat the Dodgers, who are actually a good team, but it's about how many wins you get, not who you get them against.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Fake Game 2: Panthers at Eagles
Last week, I covered 10 players to watch in the first preseason game. Today, I'll list 10 players that need to improve on their performance.
1) QB Kevin Kolb. He had his moments, but I'd like to see be a little more aggressive tonight. There's some athleticism on the second team offense with him, so players creating space shouldn't be a problem. After the Pittsburgh game, a lot of people came away unimpressed with his arm strength. He has the ability to get the ball down the field, and he should get ample snaps to prove it.
2) WR Reggie Brown. Brown was inactive last week, so just being in the lineup is going to help him out. To a lot of the fans, Reggie's on the hot seat this season. Although he turned it on a little bit in the second half of 2007, he didn't have that breakout year a lot of people had hoped for. Now, it's believed that Jason Avant, Hank Baskett and even DeSean Jackson could push him for playing time. He says he's more focused and approaches each snap differently now, and that needs to pay off on the field.
3) OL Todd Herremans. I don't have any specific complaints about his game against the Steelers, but with Tra Thomas scratched tonight, protecting 5's blind side is a pretty big deal. He played LT in his rookie season before an atrociously illegal block cut it short, but he's played guard since. Most people would agree that he's a solid player, yet he took a step back in 2007. There are a lot of responsibilities at his temporary position, and he needs to show that he can step in and play the spot in a pinch if necessary.
4) G Scott Young. Who would've thought that tonight's starting O-Line would feature two projected backups and a third player playing out of position? It's unfortunate that Young has to start tonight, and it's also kind of alarming that players such as Nick Cole, and the two rookie Mikes haven't been able to pass him on the depth chart. He's a flat out fringe player, and he can't bring down the first team offense tonight.
5) DT Brodrick Bunkley. After a holdout and some discipline problems essentially eliminated Bunkley's rookie season, he burst onto the scene in 2007 and probably should've been a Pro Bowl player. He's big and athletic, and he can get off the ball fast. He's a huge reason why the team's run defense improved last season, but he struggled against Pittsburgh. He has to do a better job of holding his ground and disrupting the Panthers running game tonight.
6) DT Mike Patterson. The fact that I had to include both DT's shows how poor they played. Patterson has been on the field ever since he was drafted, and he's taken his lumps along the way. However, with a bigger and dominant Bunkley beside him, Patterson broke out last year. He's one of the quickest tackles in the league, and like Bunkley, should've had a postseason trip to Hawaii. The knocks against him are his size and strength, and his game against the Steelers didn't do anything to dispel those criticisms. He was on the ground way too much, and he needs to use his quickness to disrupt the flow and timing of Carolina's ground game.
7) MLB Stewart Bradley. We're already up to our third starting member of the defense. Bradley had some nice plays against the Steelers, but he got lost in the shuffle a little too much for a Linebacker with his size and skill. Some of the criticisms of the game can be deflected to the poor play of the tackles in front of him, but the reality is he won't get great protection from the tackles every play. He has to do a better job of quickly reading the play and shedding blocks to find the ball.
8) CB Lito Sheppard. Working with the second team tonight, Lito will be the best player on the field at all times. There's no reason for him to not blanket his receiver and make plays given the opportunity. He can't mope or not take the game seriously. Against Pittsburgh, he got a stupid penalty, wasn't as aggressive as he could be against the run and made one pretty poor play, albeit in zone coverage. With that being said, I wouldn't expect any special packages with him and the two starters on the field. Johnson isn't going to give us a taste of what he's going to do in the backfield until the regular season starts.
9) Brian Dawkins. I'm really not too worried about him at all, but that doesn't correct his poor position on Santonio Holmes' TD. In this defense, it won't be the last time Sheldon Brown blitzes and Dawkins has to competently cover a receiver that's quicker than he is. Part of that responsibility falls on Jim Johnson and Sheldon Brown, and I'll admit that. Surprise is a key element of blitzes, and lately, teams have had an easy time adjusting to what's being thrown at them.
10) Special McTeams. If special teams had a name, that's what they would be. I was thinking about listing Rocky Boiman for this entry, but he's not responsible for Akers' inconsistent kicking, nor is Akers responsible for poor punt coverage and return blocking. I don't know what it is about special teams, but they have been flat out bad in recent years, and things didn't take a turn for the better last week. DeSean Jackson is an incredibly gifted return man, and if he's not getting good yards, something is terribly wrong.
These aren't the only ten players that need to play better. In fact, a coach will say that every player on the roster needs to get better, and that's probably the truth. That's what these games are for. Donovan McNabb played well last week, but maybe he could get rid of the ball quicker. Buckhalter ran well in the preseason loss, but maybe he should position himself in pass blocking better. Everyone has something to work on, and I hope it culminates into an injury free, positive game tonight.
1) QB Kevin Kolb. He had his moments, but I'd like to see be a little more aggressive tonight. There's some athleticism on the second team offense with him, so players creating space shouldn't be a problem. After the Pittsburgh game, a lot of people came away unimpressed with his arm strength. He has the ability to get the ball down the field, and he should get ample snaps to prove it.
2) WR Reggie Brown. Brown was inactive last week, so just being in the lineup is going to help him out. To a lot of the fans, Reggie's on the hot seat this season. Although he turned it on a little bit in the second half of 2007, he didn't have that breakout year a lot of people had hoped for. Now, it's believed that Jason Avant, Hank Baskett and even DeSean Jackson could push him for playing time. He says he's more focused and approaches each snap differently now, and that needs to pay off on the field.
3) OL Todd Herremans. I don't have any specific complaints about his game against the Steelers, but with Tra Thomas scratched tonight, protecting 5's blind side is a pretty big deal. He played LT in his rookie season before an atrociously illegal block cut it short, but he's played guard since. Most people would agree that he's a solid player, yet he took a step back in 2007. There are a lot of responsibilities at his temporary position, and he needs to show that he can step in and play the spot in a pinch if necessary.
4) G Scott Young. Who would've thought that tonight's starting O-Line would feature two projected backups and a third player playing out of position? It's unfortunate that Young has to start tonight, and it's also kind of alarming that players such as Nick Cole, and the two rookie Mikes haven't been able to pass him on the depth chart. He's a flat out fringe player, and he can't bring down the first team offense tonight.
5) DT Brodrick Bunkley. After a holdout and some discipline problems essentially eliminated Bunkley's rookie season, he burst onto the scene in 2007 and probably should've been a Pro Bowl player. He's big and athletic, and he can get off the ball fast. He's a huge reason why the team's run defense improved last season, but he struggled against Pittsburgh. He has to do a better job of holding his ground and disrupting the Panthers running game tonight.
6) DT Mike Patterson. The fact that I had to include both DT's shows how poor they played. Patterson has been on the field ever since he was drafted, and he's taken his lumps along the way. However, with a bigger and dominant Bunkley beside him, Patterson broke out last year. He's one of the quickest tackles in the league, and like Bunkley, should've had a postseason trip to Hawaii. The knocks against him are his size and strength, and his game against the Steelers didn't do anything to dispel those criticisms. He was on the ground way too much, and he needs to use his quickness to disrupt the flow and timing of Carolina's ground game.
7) MLB Stewart Bradley. We're already up to our third starting member of the defense. Bradley had some nice plays against the Steelers, but he got lost in the shuffle a little too much for a Linebacker with his size and skill. Some of the criticisms of the game can be deflected to the poor play of the tackles in front of him, but the reality is he won't get great protection from the tackles every play. He has to do a better job of quickly reading the play and shedding blocks to find the ball.
8) CB Lito Sheppard. Working with the second team tonight, Lito will be the best player on the field at all times. There's no reason for him to not blanket his receiver and make plays given the opportunity. He can't mope or not take the game seriously. Against Pittsburgh, he got a stupid penalty, wasn't as aggressive as he could be against the run and made one pretty poor play, albeit in zone coverage. With that being said, I wouldn't expect any special packages with him and the two starters on the field. Johnson isn't going to give us a taste of what he's going to do in the backfield until the regular season starts.
9) Brian Dawkins. I'm really not too worried about him at all, but that doesn't correct his poor position on Santonio Holmes' TD. In this defense, it won't be the last time Sheldon Brown blitzes and Dawkins has to competently cover a receiver that's quicker than he is. Part of that responsibility falls on Jim Johnson and Sheldon Brown, and I'll admit that. Surprise is a key element of blitzes, and lately, teams have had an easy time adjusting to what's being thrown at them.
10) Special McTeams. If special teams had a name, that's what they would be. I was thinking about listing Rocky Boiman for this entry, but he's not responsible for Akers' inconsistent kicking, nor is Akers responsible for poor punt coverage and return blocking. I don't know what it is about special teams, but they have been flat out bad in recent years, and things didn't take a turn for the better last week. DeSean Jackson is an incredibly gifted return man, and if he's not getting good yards, something is terribly wrong.
These aren't the only ten players that need to play better. In fact, a coach will say that every player on the roster needs to get better, and that's probably the truth. That's what these games are for. Donovan McNabb played well last week, but maybe he could get rid of the ball quicker. Buckhalter ran well in the preseason loss, but maybe he should position himself in pass blocking better. Everyone has something to work on, and I hope it culminates into an injury free, positive game tonight.
Game 121: Phillies at Dodgers (4/4)
Philadelphia Phillies: 64-56
Los Angeles Dodgers: 61-59
Brett Myers (5-9 5.09 ERA, 3-1 2.76 ERA)
Hiroki Kuroda (6-8 4.02 ERA, 0-0 -.-- ERA)
Projected lineups
Rollins SS N/A
Werth CF N/A
Utley 2B N/A
Howard 1B N/A
Burrell LF N/A
Dobbs 3B N/A
Jenkins RF N/A
Coste C N/A
Myers P
Kemp CF 1/3, .333/.333/.333
Ethier RF 0/0, .000/1.000/.000
Kent 2B 5/12, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .417/.500/.917
Ramirez LF 3/13, 1 HR, 8 RBI, .231/.353/.615
Loney 1B 0/1
Garciaparra SS 1/8, 3 RBI, .111/.200/.222
Martin C 0/3, .000/.250/.000
Blake 3B N/A
Kuroda P
They have to salvage this last game or this road trip is already a pretty unfortunate failure. People were worried that the improved Dodgers would provide problems, and they were proven correct. They outpitched the Phillies early in the series, and they outhit the Phillies last night. Six runs should usually be enough to win, but when you don't get a hit after the 4th inning, I'm not sure the offense did its job. It got shut down by pitchers such as Jason Johnson and Chan Ho Park.
I think the outrage over Rollins' frontrunners remark is funny. I hate to criticize other people in this great fanbase, but he's completely correct. If you don't play well, the player gets booed. It's fact. They acknowledge it. Fans acknowledge it. Fans say all the time that they boo because they're passionate about sports. When you're booing a guy who's playing poorly but will cheer when he's hot, that's playing exactly into what Jimmy's saying! He probably shouldn't have said it, but he's 100% correct.
Los Angeles Dodgers: 61-59
Brett Myers (5-9 5.09 ERA, 3-1 2.76 ERA)
Hiroki Kuroda (6-8 4.02 ERA, 0-0 -.-- ERA)
Projected lineups
Rollins SS N/A
Werth CF N/A
Utley 2B N/A
Howard 1B N/A
Burrell LF N/A
Dobbs 3B N/A
Jenkins RF N/A
Coste C N/A
Myers P
Kemp CF 1/3, .333/.333/.333
Ethier RF 0/0, .000/1.000/.000
Kent 2B 5/12, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .417/.500/.917
Ramirez LF 3/13, 1 HR, 8 RBI, .231/.353/.615
Loney 1B 0/1
Garciaparra SS 1/8, 3 RBI, .111/.200/.222
Martin C 0/3, .000/.250/.000
Blake 3B N/A
Kuroda P
They have to salvage this last game or this road trip is already a pretty unfortunate failure. People were worried that the improved Dodgers would provide problems, and they were proven correct. They outpitched the Phillies early in the series, and they outhit the Phillies last night. Six runs should usually be enough to win, but when you don't get a hit after the 4th inning, I'm not sure the offense did its job. It got shut down by pitchers such as Jason Johnson and Chan Ho Park.
I think the outrage over Rollins' frontrunners remark is funny. I hate to criticize other people in this great fanbase, but he's completely correct. If you don't play well, the player gets booed. It's fact. They acknowledge it. Fans acknowledge it. Fans say all the time that they boo because they're passionate about sports. When you're booing a guy who's playing poorly but will cheer when he's hot, that's playing exactly into what Jimmy's saying! He probably shouldn't have said it, but he's 100% correct.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Game 120: Phillies at Dodgers (3/4)
Philadelphia Phillies: 64-55
Los Angeles Dodgers: 60-59
Joe Blanton (1-0 3.27 ERA, 1-0 2.25 ERA)
Brad Penny (6-9 5.66 ERA, 8-4 3.33 ERA)
Projected lineups
Victorino CF 1/7, .143/.250/.429
Utley 2B 4/15, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .267/.353/.467
Rollins SS 9/45, 3 RBI, .200/.265/.289
Howard 1B 2/10, .200/.333/.200
Burrell LF 10/41, 3 HR, 9 RBI, .2444/.279/.488
Jenkins RF 5/17, 3 RBI, .294/.333/.471
Dobbs 3B 0/3
Coste C N/A
Blanton P
Kemp CF 1/3, .333/.500/.333
Ethier RF 2/3, .667/.667/.667
Kent 2B N/A
Ramirez LF 13/21, 6 RBI, .619/.625/.667
Loney 1B N/A
Martin C N/A
Garciaparra SS 2/3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .667/.750/1.667
Blake 3B 1/16, .067/.167/.067
Penny P
I don't know what's going to fix this offense, if anything. Your top five is set, and I'm not too worried about them. All of those guys have gone in and out of hot and cold spells, but that's baseball. Every team is going to deal with that. I suspect the main cause isn't those guys going into slumps at the same time, but the final four in the batting order. Jenkins has been a huge disappointment, and production from catcher has been inconsistent at best.
Tonight will probably be another low scoring affair. Joe Blanton has been on a roll lately, and the Phillies hope that'll continue. Although Brad Penny is struggling this season, he has always had success against the Phillies. He has great stuff, and a lot of players in this lineup seem to get overpowered by it.
Los Angeles Dodgers: 60-59
Joe Blanton (1-0 3.27 ERA, 1-0 2.25 ERA)
Brad Penny (6-9 5.66 ERA, 8-4 3.33 ERA)
Projected lineups
Victorino CF 1/7, .143/.250/.429
Utley 2B 4/15, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .267/.353/.467
Rollins SS 9/45, 3 RBI, .200/.265/.289
Howard 1B 2/10, .200/.333/.200
Burrell LF 10/41, 3 HR, 9 RBI, .2444/.279/.488
Jenkins RF 5/17, 3 RBI, .294/.333/.471
Dobbs 3B 0/3
Coste C N/A
Blanton P
Kemp CF 1/3, .333/.500/.333
Ethier RF 2/3, .667/.667/.667
Kent 2B N/A
Ramirez LF 13/21, 6 RBI, .619/.625/.667
Loney 1B N/A
Martin C N/A
Garciaparra SS 2/3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .667/.750/1.667
Blake 3B 1/16, .067/.167/.067
Penny P
I don't know what's going to fix this offense, if anything. Your top five is set, and I'm not too worried about them. All of those guys have gone in and out of hot and cold spells, but that's baseball. Every team is going to deal with that. I suspect the main cause isn't those guys going into slumps at the same time, but the final four in the batting order. Jenkins has been a huge disappointment, and production from catcher has been inconsistent at best.
Tonight will probably be another low scoring affair. Joe Blanton has been on a roll lately, and the Phillies hope that'll continue. Although Brad Penny is struggling this season, he has always had success against the Phillies. He has great stuff, and a lot of players in this lineup seem to get overpowered by it.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Game 119: Phillies @ Dodgers (2/4)
I tried posting this on my Ipod, but it was a pretty huge failure.
Philadelphia Phillies: 64-54
Los Angeles Dodgers: 59-59
Cole Hamels (9-8 3.35 ERA, -.-- ERA)
Clayton Kershaw (2-3 3.71 ERA, 0-0 -.-- ERA)
Projected lineups
Rollins SS N/A
Victorino CF N/A
Utley 2B N/A
Howard 1B N/A
Burrell LF N/A
Werth RF N/A
Bruntlett 3B N/A
Ruiz C N/A
Hamels P
Kemp RF N/A
Blake 3B 0/2, .000/.333/.000
Kent 2B N/A
Ramirez LF 0/3
Martin C N/A
Loney 1B N/A
Jones CF 4/13, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .308/.400/.538
Berroa SS N/A
Kershaw P
Cole Hamels has serious potential to have another hard luck loss tonight. Clayton Kershaw has great stuff, and young pitchers who teams don't have a big book on have cruised against the Phillies as of late. Hamels can match him pitch for pitch, and I'm not sure who's going to blink first. It's crazy to think that someone as good as Hamels might only be .500 this late in the season, but that's how things have gone this season. I sometimes wonder if the Phillies fans who don't think Santana is an ace feel the same way about Hamels.
I'm honestly not sure what the Dodgers lineup is going to look like tonight. Torre switches guys around a lot, and it's tough to get a read on what platoons he's trying to run. I don't think he likes playing Ethier against lefties, and he also wants to try and work Jones and Pierre in regularly.
Philadelphia Phillies: 64-54
Los Angeles Dodgers: 59-59
Cole Hamels (9-8 3.35 ERA, -.-- ERA)
Clayton Kershaw (2-3 3.71 ERA, 0-0 -.-- ERA)
Projected lineups
Rollins SS N/A
Victorino CF N/A
Utley 2B N/A
Howard 1B N/A
Burrell LF N/A
Werth RF N/A
Bruntlett 3B N/A
Ruiz C N/A
Hamels P
Kemp RF N/A
Blake 3B 0/2, .000/.333/.000
Kent 2B N/A
Ramirez LF 0/3
Martin C N/A
Loney 1B N/A
Jones CF 4/13, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .308/.400/.538
Berroa SS N/A
Kershaw P
Cole Hamels has serious potential to have another hard luck loss tonight. Clayton Kershaw has great stuff, and young pitchers who teams don't have a big book on have cruised against the Phillies as of late. Hamels can match him pitch for pitch, and I'm not sure who's going to blink first. It's crazy to think that someone as good as Hamels might only be .500 this late in the season, but that's how things have gone this season. I sometimes wonder if the Phillies fans who don't think Santana is an ace feel the same way about Hamels.
I'm honestly not sure what the Dodgers lineup is going to look like tonight. Torre switches guys around a lot, and it's tough to get a read on what platoons he's trying to run. I don't think he likes playing Ethier against lefties, and he also wants to try and work Jones and Pierre in regularly.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Game 118: Phillies at Dodgers (1/4)
Philadelphia Phillies: 64-53
Los Angeles Dodgers: 58-59
Kyle Kendrick (10-5 4.37 ERA, 1-1 6.75 ERA)
Derek Lowe (8-10 4.10 ERA, 3-1 2.84 ERA)
Projected lineups
Rollins SS 5/17, .294/.294/.412
Victorino CF 0/3
Utley 2B 3/11, 1 RBI, .273/.333/.364
Howard 1B 2/13, 1 RBI, .154/.267/.154
Burrell LF 6/16, 2 RBI, .375/.412/.500
Jenkins RF 2/12, 2 RBI, .167/.232/.333
Dobbs 3B 0/6
Coste C 1/4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .250/.250/1.000
Kendrick P
Kemp CF N/A
Ethier RF 2/4, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .500/.600/1.500
Kent 2B 0/3
Ramirez LF N/A
Loney 1B 2/5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .400/.400/1.000
Martin C 2/5, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .400/.500/1.000
Blake 3B N/A
Berroa SS N/A
It's time for five straight 10 PM starts. These games are always tough. They start late, and more often than not, the offense puts people to sleep. Tonight features a matchup of two sinkerballers, and Kendrick could learn something tonight. He has to go out there and compete, but between innings, I hope he's watching Lowe and how he approaches situations. He's a veteran sinkerballer, and it would be great if Kendrick could find a niche like Lowe's.
The Dodgers did get Manny, but this is a team that's under .500 and has been so since acquiring him. They have very good pitching and could overtake Arizona, but they're not an unbeatable force. Their lineup is mediocre up and down besides Manny, and if you control him, you control their offense.
Los Angeles Dodgers: 58-59
Kyle Kendrick (10-5 4.37 ERA, 1-1 6.75 ERA)
Derek Lowe (8-10 4.10 ERA, 3-1 2.84 ERA)
Projected lineups
Rollins SS 5/17, .294/.294/.412
Victorino CF 0/3
Utley 2B 3/11, 1 RBI, .273/.333/.364
Howard 1B 2/13, 1 RBI, .154/.267/.154
Burrell LF 6/16, 2 RBI, .375/.412/.500
Jenkins RF 2/12, 2 RBI, .167/.232/.333
Dobbs 3B 0/6
Coste C 1/4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .250/.250/1.000
Kendrick P
Kemp CF N/A
Ethier RF 2/4, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .500/.600/1.500
Kent 2B 0/3
Ramirez LF N/A
Loney 1B 2/5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .400/.400/1.000
Martin C 2/5, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .400/.500/1.000
Blake 3B N/A
Berroa SS N/A
It's time for five straight 10 PM starts. These games are always tough. They start late, and more often than not, the offense puts people to sleep. Tonight features a matchup of two sinkerballers, and Kendrick could learn something tonight. He has to go out there and compete, but between innings, I hope he's watching Lowe and how he approaches situations. He's a veteran sinkerballer, and it would be great if Kendrick could find a niche like Lowe's.
The Dodgers did get Manny, but this is a team that's under .500 and has been so since acquiring him. They have very good pitching and could overtake Arizona, but they're not an unbeatable force. Their lineup is mediocre up and down besides Manny, and if you control him, you control their offense.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Game 117: Pirates at Phillies (3/3)
Pittsburgh Pirates: 53-63
Philadelphia Phillies: 63-53
Jason Davis (1-1 2.57 ERA, 0-0 --- ERA)
Jamie Moyer (10-7 3.78 ERA, 6-7 5.54 ERA)
Lineups
Sanchez 2B 3/6, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .500/.500/1.167
Rivas SS 7/19, .368/.368/.421
McLouth CF 0/3
Doumit C 0/1
Michaels RF 1/4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .250/.250/1.000
Moss LF N/A
Mientkiewicz 1B 5/20, .250/.318/.350
Gomez 3B 3/29, .103/.161/.103
Davis P
Rollins SS N/A
Victorino CF N/A
Utley 2B N/A
Howard 1B N/A
Werth LF N/A
Jenkins RF N/A
Bruntlett 3B 0/0, .000/1.000/.000
Ruiz C N/A
Moyer P
Storms coming short entry.
Philadelphia Phillies: 63-53
Jason Davis (1-1 2.57 ERA, 0-0 --- ERA)
Jamie Moyer (10-7 3.78 ERA, 6-7 5.54 ERA)
Lineups
Sanchez 2B 3/6, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .500/.500/1.167
Rivas SS 7/19, .368/.368/.421
McLouth CF 0/3
Doumit C 0/1
Michaels RF 1/4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .250/.250/1.000
Moss LF N/A
Mientkiewicz 1B 5/20, .250/.318/.350
Gomez 3B 3/29, .103/.161/.103
Davis P
Rollins SS N/A
Victorino CF N/A
Utley 2B N/A
Howard 1B N/A
Werth LF N/A
Jenkins RF N/A
Bruntlett 3B 0/0, .000/1.000/.000
Ruiz C N/A
Moyer P
Storms coming short entry.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Game 116: Pirates at Phillies (2/3)
Pittsburgh Pirates: 52-63
Philadelphia Phillies: 63-52
Ian Snell (4-8 6.14 ERA, 3-2 4.50 ERA)
Brett Myers (4-9 5.34 ERA, 2-4 2.92 ERA)
Projected lineups
Sanchez 2B 1/11, .091/.091/.091
Mientkiewicz 1B 2/9, .222/.222/.444
McLouth CF 2/5, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .400/.400/1.600
Doumit C 1/4, .250/.250/.250
LaRoche 3B N/A
Moss LF N/A
Pearce RF N/A
Wilson SS 3/13, 1 RBI, .231/.333/.308
Snell P
Rollins SS 8/15, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .533/.588/1.037
Utley 2B 1/8, 1 RBI, .125/.222/.250
Burrell LF 4/12, 1 RBI, .333/.385/.417
Howard 1B 1/10, 1 RBI, .100/.321/.100
Werth RF 0/2
Victorino CF 0/1
Dobbs 3B 3/6, .500/.571/.833
Coste C 0/5, .000/.167/.000
Myers P
I don't get it. I don't understand how a team that's supposed to have a great offense gets shutout two games in a row. I don't get how they only muster six hits in 12 innings against Pirates pitching. I don't get how they can't score a run for 21+ innings. How can they not even put the ball in play? I guess you have to give credit to some of the pitchers, but you're telling me that the entire roster these two days couldn't string together enough baserunners to score one run?
Philadelphia Phillies: 63-52
Ian Snell (4-8 6.14 ERA, 3-2 4.50 ERA)
Brett Myers (4-9 5.34 ERA, 2-4 2.92 ERA)
Projected lineups
Sanchez 2B 1/11, .091/.091/.091
Mientkiewicz 1B 2/9, .222/.222/.444
McLouth CF 2/5, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .400/.400/1.600
Doumit C 1/4, .250/.250/.250
LaRoche 3B N/A
Moss LF N/A
Pearce RF N/A
Wilson SS 3/13, 1 RBI, .231/.333/.308
Snell P
Rollins SS 8/15, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .533/.588/1.037
Utley 2B 1/8, 1 RBI, .125/.222/.250
Burrell LF 4/12, 1 RBI, .333/.385/.417
Howard 1B 1/10, 1 RBI, .100/.321/.100
Werth RF 0/2
Victorino CF 0/1
Dobbs 3B 3/6, .500/.571/.833
Coste C 0/5, .000/.167/.000
Myers P
I don't get it. I don't understand how a team that's supposed to have a great offense gets shutout two games in a row. I don't get how they only muster six hits in 12 innings against Pirates pitching. I don't get how they can't score a run for 21+ innings. How can they not even put the ball in play? I guess you have to give credit to some of the pitchers, but you're telling me that the entire roster these two days couldn't string together enough baserunners to score one run?
Friday, August 8, 2008
Fake Game 1: Eagles at Steelers
I'm not going to do a full preview for preseason games, but here are ten players to watch as the Eagles return to the field for the first time since the 2007 season.
1) QB Kevin Kolb. He's expected to be the franchise QB starting as soon as next season, and it'll be interesting to see how far he has come in the past year. Last preseason, I thought he looked pretty good. He took some shots downfield and seemed to move around well in the pocket. However, his brief regular season time was quite forgettable. With an extra year in the offense and without the burden of being a wide-eyed rookie just trying to survive, he should look more comfortable out on the field.
2) RB Lorenzo Booker. Acquiring Booker for a second day pick was a pretty quiet move on draft day, but the Eagles are hoping he can play a role in their offense. As a rookie with Miami, he was unable to find the field much, and when the team made changes in their coaching staff and front office, they decided there wasn't a place for him anymore. Booker has opened eyes at training camp. His speed and quickness can create matchup problems for opposing defenses, and the Eagles will do everything they can to get him and Westbrook on the field at the same time.
3) WR/KR DeSean Jackson. In April, a lot of mock drafts pegged Jackson for the Eagles in the first round. Those got the team right, but the Eagles got better value on him by taking him 20, 25 spots later. Jackson has nuclear potential in the return game, and his elusiveness goes unmatched by most NFL players. In training camp so far, Jackson has even been able to contribute offensively, with reports out of Lehigh saying he catches everything in sight. As long as he can avoid those pesky hamstring injuries that limit his athleticism, DeSean Jackson should be an asset to the team this season.
4) T Winston Justice. Justice came under heavy criticism last season, and for good reason. His technique was horrible, and he was embarrassed on two occasions, one of which was on national TV. He may not be able to play LT in the NFL, but he can still be a part of the Eagles' future plans. However, he has to work hard and prove to the coaching staff that he can be a player in this league. Even if defenses are typically vanilla in a preseason game, the Steelers' 3-4 will present unique pass rushes for Justice to pick up. I don't know if he's on the roster bubble, but a bad preseason certainly can't help him.
5) T King Dunlap. I hate to include two offensive tackles here because I'm one of the only people who enjoys watching them play, but Dunlap is an interesting case. As the tallest Eagle, he has the size to be the dominant LT this team will need once Tra Thomas departs, but he's missing a couple important qualities for linemen. He has terrible technique, and he's not very tough. He was benched in his senior season at Auburn, but the Eagles just couldn't resist passing up on his size and potential. Getting into a live game will help him adjust to the NFL, and Andy Reid will be able to see what he has.
6) DL Darren Howard. You've probably noticed that every player so far has two years of experience or less, so what's an eight year veteran doing on the list? According to anyone who has seen him play this camp, he's quicker and in better shape than ever. His first two years as an Eagle have been disappointing, to say the least, and fans are still waiting for a return on the team's investment. After Victor Abiamiri's injury, Howard may have to step up and play a bigger role in the rotation than previously expected. If he can contribute anything positive this season, it'll be a plus.
7) DE Chris Clemons. Despite his dehydration scares in the early stages of camp, I'm pretty sure Clemons is going to play tonight. He piled up sacks with the Raiders last year, and the Eagles signed him to bolster a pass rush that was pretty lacking last season. Even if he's going to be in a limited pass rushing role, it'll be interesting to see how Jim Johnson works him into the defense and how his speed can improve the defense.
8) MLB Stewart Bradley. Bradley was thrust into the starter's role after the Eagles parted ways with Takeo Spikes, and he's going to be expected to use his size and athleticism to be a force in the middle of this defense. Overall in 2007, the Linebackers were solid. This season, they're the youngest starters in the NFL, and they're going to have to grow in a hurry. As MLB, Bradley calls all of the plays, so his football IQ will be tested early this preseason in the huddle.
9) LB Joe Mays. Mays was just a 6th round pick from a small college, but a lot of fans want to see how he plays. He was a big time player in the lower ranks of college football, and the Eagles hope he can contribute on special teams. He's an aggressive player with a nose for the football, and his hard working attitude could help him overcome a lack of height. I'm not sure if he'll ever become anything, but there is a lot of training camp buzz around this guy.
10) S Quintin Demps. The Eagles emphasized team speed this offseason, and I've probably used speed, quickness and athleticism too many times when doing these write ups. With that being said, Demps could be one of the biggest playmakers in the secondary. He can return kicks and contribute on special teams. At UTEP, Demps also showed the knack for the big play on defense, with several big interception returns for scores. I don't know if he'll start this year or even make the team, but he could be a weapon if he makes adjustments to the NFL.
1) QB Kevin Kolb. He's expected to be the franchise QB starting as soon as next season, and it'll be interesting to see how far he has come in the past year. Last preseason, I thought he looked pretty good. He took some shots downfield and seemed to move around well in the pocket. However, his brief regular season time was quite forgettable. With an extra year in the offense and without the burden of being a wide-eyed rookie just trying to survive, he should look more comfortable out on the field.
2) RB Lorenzo Booker. Acquiring Booker for a second day pick was a pretty quiet move on draft day, but the Eagles are hoping he can play a role in their offense. As a rookie with Miami, he was unable to find the field much, and when the team made changes in their coaching staff and front office, they decided there wasn't a place for him anymore. Booker has opened eyes at training camp. His speed and quickness can create matchup problems for opposing defenses, and the Eagles will do everything they can to get him and Westbrook on the field at the same time.
3) WR/KR DeSean Jackson. In April, a lot of mock drafts pegged Jackson for the Eagles in the first round. Those got the team right, but the Eagles got better value on him by taking him 20, 25 spots later. Jackson has nuclear potential in the return game, and his elusiveness goes unmatched by most NFL players. In training camp so far, Jackson has even been able to contribute offensively, with reports out of Lehigh saying he catches everything in sight. As long as he can avoid those pesky hamstring injuries that limit his athleticism, DeSean Jackson should be an asset to the team this season.
4) T Winston Justice. Justice came under heavy criticism last season, and for good reason. His technique was horrible, and he was embarrassed on two occasions, one of which was on national TV. He may not be able to play LT in the NFL, but he can still be a part of the Eagles' future plans. However, he has to work hard and prove to the coaching staff that he can be a player in this league. Even if defenses are typically vanilla in a preseason game, the Steelers' 3-4 will present unique pass rushes for Justice to pick up. I don't know if he's on the roster bubble, but a bad preseason certainly can't help him.
5) T King Dunlap. I hate to include two offensive tackles here because I'm one of the only people who enjoys watching them play, but Dunlap is an interesting case. As the tallest Eagle, he has the size to be the dominant LT this team will need once Tra Thomas departs, but he's missing a couple important qualities for linemen. He has terrible technique, and he's not very tough. He was benched in his senior season at Auburn, but the Eagles just couldn't resist passing up on his size and potential. Getting into a live game will help him adjust to the NFL, and Andy Reid will be able to see what he has.
6) DL Darren Howard. You've probably noticed that every player so far has two years of experience or less, so what's an eight year veteran doing on the list? According to anyone who has seen him play this camp, he's quicker and in better shape than ever. His first two years as an Eagle have been disappointing, to say the least, and fans are still waiting for a return on the team's investment. After Victor Abiamiri's injury, Howard may have to step up and play a bigger role in the rotation than previously expected. If he can contribute anything positive this season, it'll be a plus.
7) DE Chris Clemons. Despite his dehydration scares in the early stages of camp, I'm pretty sure Clemons is going to play tonight. He piled up sacks with the Raiders last year, and the Eagles signed him to bolster a pass rush that was pretty lacking last season. Even if he's going to be in a limited pass rushing role, it'll be interesting to see how Jim Johnson works him into the defense and how his speed can improve the defense.
8) MLB Stewart Bradley. Bradley was thrust into the starter's role after the Eagles parted ways with Takeo Spikes, and he's going to be expected to use his size and athleticism to be a force in the middle of this defense. Overall in 2007, the Linebackers were solid. This season, they're the youngest starters in the NFL, and they're going to have to grow in a hurry. As MLB, Bradley calls all of the plays, so his football IQ will be tested early this preseason in the huddle.
9) LB Joe Mays. Mays was just a 6th round pick from a small college, but a lot of fans want to see how he plays. He was a big time player in the lower ranks of college football, and the Eagles hope he can contribute on special teams. He's an aggressive player with a nose for the football, and his hard working attitude could help him overcome a lack of height. I'm not sure if he'll ever become anything, but there is a lot of training camp buzz around this guy.
10) S Quintin Demps. The Eagles emphasized team speed this offseason, and I've probably used speed, quickness and athleticism too many times when doing these write ups. With that being said, Demps could be one of the biggest playmakers in the secondary. He can return kicks and contribute on special teams. At UTEP, Demps also showed the knack for the big play on defense, with several big interception returns for scores. I don't know if he'll start this year or even make the team, but he could be a weapon if he makes adjustments to the NFL.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Phillies Have Their Eyres On Relief
With the news that Tom Gordon is injured again, the Phillies acquired left-handed reliever Scott Eyre in hopes of giving Chad Durbin and Ryan Madson a break. Eyre has been hit hard in his last three outings and has battled injuries all season. Prior to that, he had a couple of decent seasons with the Cubs. He's pretty much only a lefty specialist, which will also decrease J.C. Romero's workload.
In return, Chicago is receiving 22 year old reliever Brian Schlitter, a 2007 draft pick. He has a great K rate and allows less than a hit an inning, but it's still probably not a terrible loss for the Phillies. Eyre's deal expires after this season, so it wasn't necessary to give up very much.
In return, Chicago is receiving 22 year old reliever Brian Schlitter, a 2007 draft pick. He has a great K rate and allows less than a hit an inning, but it's still probably not a terrible loss for the Phillies. Eyre's deal expires after this season, so it wasn't necessary to give up very much.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Game 113: Marlins at Philies (2/3)
Florida Marlins: 59-54
Philadelphia Phillies: 61-51
Anibal Sanchez (1-0 3.18 ERA, 0-1 10.61 ERA)
Kyle Kendrick (9-5 4.59 ERA, 1-1 5.40 ERA)
Projected lineups
Ramirez SS 2/9, .222/.222/.333
Hermida RF 3/9, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .333/.333/.667
Cantu 3B 2/3, .667/.667/.667
Willingham LF 3/6, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .500/.571/1.000
Uggla 2B 3/8, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .375/.444/.875
Jacobs 1B 0/6, .000/.333/.000
Ross CF 2/4, .500/.500/1.000
Baker C 2/2, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1.000/1.000/2.500
Sanchez P
Rollins SS 1/3, .333/.333/.333
Victorino CF 1/5, .200/.333/.200
Utley 2B 2/6, .333/.333/.833
Howard 1B 1/2, .500/.833/.500
Burrell LF 0/3
Jenkins RF 2/3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .667/.750/1.667
Dobbs 3B 0/1
Coste C N/A
Kendrick P
Last night was a pretty shameful display. Jamie Moyer didn't have his A-game with him, but he battled through it and gave the team a few decent innings. Once again, the offense couldn't string baserunners and hits together to score some runs, even though some of it was bad luck. The Marlins made some good defensive plays, and the Phillies had a baserunning blunder or two.
Last time out against the Marlins, Kyle Kendrick really struggled. He didn't have his best command, and he left a lot of pitches out over the plate, which reflects in the amount of home runs he gave up. With the offense struggling in just about every game, there's very little room for error tonight. Although Anibal Sanchez has bad career numbers against the Phillies, most of the damage was done by players like Mike Lieberthal, and even guys like Abe Nunez and Danny Sandoval.
Philadelphia Phillies: 61-51
Anibal Sanchez (1-0 3.18 ERA, 0-1 10.61 ERA)
Kyle Kendrick (9-5 4.59 ERA, 1-1 5.40 ERA)
Projected lineups
Ramirez SS 2/9, .222/.222/.333
Hermida RF 3/9, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .333/.333/.667
Cantu 3B 2/3, .667/.667/.667
Willingham LF 3/6, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .500/.571/1.000
Uggla 2B 3/8, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .375/.444/.875
Jacobs 1B 0/6, .000/.333/.000
Ross CF 2/4, .500/.500/1.000
Baker C 2/2, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1.000/1.000/2.500
Sanchez P
Rollins SS 1/3, .333/.333/.333
Victorino CF 1/5, .200/.333/.200
Utley 2B 2/6, .333/.333/.833
Howard 1B 1/2, .500/.833/.500
Burrell LF 0/3
Jenkins RF 2/3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .667/.750/1.667
Dobbs 3B 0/1
Coste C N/A
Kendrick P
Last night was a pretty shameful display. Jamie Moyer didn't have his A-game with him, but he battled through it and gave the team a few decent innings. Once again, the offense couldn't string baserunners and hits together to score some runs, even though some of it was bad luck. The Marlins made some good defensive plays, and the Phillies had a baserunning blunder or two.
Last time out against the Marlins, Kyle Kendrick really struggled. He didn't have his best command, and he left a lot of pitches out over the plate, which reflects in the amount of home runs he gave up. With the offense struggling in just about every game, there's very little room for error tonight. Although Anibal Sanchez has bad career numbers against the Phillies, most of the damage was done by players like Mike Lieberthal, and even guys like Abe Nunez and Danny Sandoval.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Game 112: Marlins at Phillies (1/3)
Florida Marlins: 59-53
Philadelphia Phillies: 61-50
Josh Johnson (1-0 4.18 ERA, 1-1 6.75 ERA)
Jamie Moyer (10-6 3.79 ERA, 10-0 3.69 ERA)
Projected lineups
Ramirez SS 7/21, 4 HR, 5 RBI, .333/.364/1.000
Hermida RF 3/12, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .250/.400/.500
Cantu 3B 1/5, 1 RBI, .200/.333/.200
Willingham LF 1/15, /.067/.067/.200
Uggla 2B 2/18, .111/.158/.167
Jacobs 1B 6/14, 3 HR, 6 RBI, .429/.467/1.143
Ross CF 1/16, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .063/.118/.250
Baker C N/A
Johnson P
Rollins SS 2/8, 1 RBI, .250/.250/.375
Victorino CF 0/3, .000/.250/.000
Utley 2B 2/7, .286/.375/.286
Howard 1B 3/7, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .429/.500/.857
Burrell LF 0/5
Jenkins RF 1/3, .333/.333/.333
Dobbs 3B N/A
Ruiz C N/A
Moyer P
Runs were tough to come by in the St. Louis series, and I have a feeling we'll be seeing too many this week. Both of these offenses love the longball, and it's almost always a slugfest when they meet in Philadelphia. Jamie Moyer has historically dominated Florida, but you have to figure his luck will run out eventually. I find it funny that with the exception of Hanley, the Marlins' best hitters against Moyer are left handed. It shows you that most of their lineup sits dead red, and if they don't get it, they have problems scoring runs.
Josh Johnson's career ERA against the Phillies isn't good, but he did a decent job last time out last month. Geoff Jenkins has the reputation of a low ball hitter, so it would be nice if he could have some success tonight against Johnson's sinker. In that outing last month, he threw a lot of fastballs, so the Phillies could have some success if they sit on it early and get aggressive.
Philadelphia Phillies: 61-50
Josh Johnson (1-0 4.18 ERA, 1-1 6.75 ERA)
Jamie Moyer (10-6 3.79 ERA, 10-0 3.69 ERA)
Projected lineups
Ramirez SS 7/21, 4 HR, 5 RBI, .333/.364/1.000
Hermida RF 3/12, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .250/.400/.500
Cantu 3B 1/5, 1 RBI, .200/.333/.200
Willingham LF 1/15, /.067/.067/.200
Uggla 2B 2/18, .111/.158/.167
Jacobs 1B 6/14, 3 HR, 6 RBI, .429/.467/1.143
Ross CF 1/16, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .063/.118/.250
Baker C N/A
Johnson P
Rollins SS 2/8, 1 RBI, .250/.250/.375
Victorino CF 0/3, .000/.250/.000
Utley 2B 2/7, .286/.375/.286
Howard 1B 3/7, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .429/.500/.857
Burrell LF 0/5
Jenkins RF 1/3, .333/.333/.333
Dobbs 3B N/A
Ruiz C N/A
Moyer P
Runs were tough to come by in the St. Louis series, and I have a feeling we'll be seeing too many this week. Both of these offenses love the longball, and it's almost always a slugfest when they meet in Philadelphia. Jamie Moyer has historically dominated Florida, but you have to figure his luck will run out eventually. I find it funny that with the exception of Hanley, the Marlins' best hitters against Moyer are left handed. It shows you that most of their lineup sits dead red, and if they don't get it, they have problems scoring runs.
Josh Johnson's career ERA against the Phillies isn't good, but he did a decent job last time out last month. Geoff Jenkins has the reputation of a low ball hitter, so it would be nice if he could have some success tonight against Johnson's sinker. In that outing last month, he threw a lot of fastballs, so the Phillies could have some success if they sit on it early and get aggressive.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Game 111: Phillies at Cardinals (3/3)
Philadelphia Phillies: 60-50
St. Louis Cardinals: 62-51
Brett Myers (4-9 5.46 ERA, 3-2 5.43 ERA)
Todd Wellemeyer (8-4 4.13 ERA, 0-1 9.00 ERA)
Projected lineups
Rollins SS 0/5, .000/.286/.000
Victorino CF 1/3, .333/.333/.333
Utley 2B 3/5, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .500/.500/1.400
Howard 1B 1/2, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .500/.667/2.000
Burrell LF 1/4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .250/.400/1.000
Jenkins RF 2/4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .500/.500/1.250
Dobbs 3B 0/0, 1.000 OBP
Coste C N/A
Myers P
Schumaker CF 4/7, 2 HR, 2 RBI, .571/.571/1.571
Mather LF N/A
Pujols 1B 9/23, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .391/.440/.696
Ludwick RF 1/4, 1 RBI, .250/.250/.500
Glaus 3B 2/10, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .200/.273/.800
Molina C 3/12, 3 RBI, .250/.250/.250
Kennedy 2B 0/4, .000/.200/.000
Wellemeyer P
Miles SS 5/10, 1 RBI, .500/.500/.500
Last time Todd Wellemeyer started against the Phillies, the team scored 20 runs en route to a huge blowout. Maybe they don't need to score quite so many this time, but it would be great to bust out of this mini-slump they've dealt with in St. Louis. They were fortunate that Joe Blanton pitched so well last night, or it would've been another game the team lost while scoring 3 or fewer runs.
Brett Myers will really be tested tonight. He looked very good in his last start, but it was against the worst offense in baseball. The Cardinals have some guys that can hit, and they have a much tougher lineup. Pujols, Ludwick and Glaus all have good power, and Myers can't go back to his old habits of allowing too many home runs. If he struggles, J.A. Happ is waiting in the bullpen to take his place.
St. Louis Cardinals: 62-51
Brett Myers (4-9 5.46 ERA, 3-2 5.43 ERA)
Todd Wellemeyer (8-4 4.13 ERA, 0-1 9.00 ERA)
Projected lineups
Rollins SS 0/5, .000/.286/.000
Victorino CF 1/3, .333/.333/.333
Utley 2B 3/5, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .500/.500/1.400
Howard 1B 1/2, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .500/.667/2.000
Burrell LF 1/4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .250/.400/1.000
Jenkins RF 2/4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .500/.500/1.250
Dobbs 3B 0/0, 1.000 OBP
Coste C N/A
Myers P
Schumaker CF 4/7, 2 HR, 2 RBI, .571/.571/1.571
Mather LF N/A
Pujols 1B 9/23, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .391/.440/.696
Ludwick RF 1/4, 1 RBI, .250/.250/.500
Glaus 3B 2/10, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .200/.273/.800
Molina C 3/12, 3 RBI, .250/.250/.250
Kennedy 2B 0/4, .000/.200/.000
Wellemeyer P
Miles SS 5/10, 1 RBI, .500/.500/.500
Last time Todd Wellemeyer started against the Phillies, the team scored 20 runs en route to a huge blowout. Maybe they don't need to score quite so many this time, but it would be great to bust out of this mini-slump they've dealt with in St. Louis. They were fortunate that Joe Blanton pitched so well last night, or it would've been another game the team lost while scoring 3 or fewer runs.
Brett Myers will really be tested tonight. He looked very good in his last start, but it was against the worst offense in baseball. The Cardinals have some guys that can hit, and they have a much tougher lineup. Pujols, Ludwick and Glaus all have good power, and Myers can't go back to his old habits of allowing too many home runs. If he struggles, J.A. Happ is waiting in the bullpen to take his place.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Prospect Power Rankings 8/1
After a three month hiatus, stock watch is back. There have been several changes in the organization since May 6th, and these rankings will likely reflect that. It's obvious how this works. If a player is performing better, his stock will go up. If he is performing worse, it will go down. Promotions help, demotions hurt.
1. SP Carlos Carrasco AA: 7-7, 4.32 ERA, 114.2 IP, 109 H, 45 BB, 109 K: Stock Push- There really isn't anyone that should take the #1 slot from him. His K rate has gone down just a little bit, but his hit and walk rates have remained steady, if not gotten a little better. This is a good showing for him at AA. It wouldn't be bad for him to throw some AAA innings, and he could compete for a job with the Phillies next March.
2. 2B Adrian Cardenas N/A: Since he's not in the organization anymore, he really has no place on the top prospects list. Good luck in Oakland.
3. SP Joe Savery A+: 5-9, 4.46 ERA, 121 IP, 143 H, 51 BB, 101 K: Stock Down- Although his K rate has stayed roughly the same, his hit and walk rates have shot up, and it's scary. His season started off on the right foot, but the FSL figured him out quickly. He has to find a way to make adjustments and pitch better. This season has been a bit of a disappointment. Savery was expected to use his college experience to push through the system, and it doesn't look like that's happening for now.
4. SP Kyle Drabek R: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 K: Stock Up- Now that he's back on the hill, his stock is up. His velocity was sitting in the low 90's in his return from surgery, and that's a good spot for him to be at by now. Let's see how he progresses.
5. OF Greg Golson AA: 90/317, 51 R, 10 HR, 45 RBI, 19/23 SB, .284/.329/.435: Stock Push- His rates have gotten a little worse, but this might still be his best minor league season. He's walking a bit more, but he has got to stop striking out. He shouldn't be untouchable at all in any deal. He should get a little taste of AAA pitching before the season is over, and I'd imagine he's headed to Arizona again this offseason.
6. C Lou Marson AA: 101/317, 55 R, 5 HR, 46 RBI, 3/6 SB, .319/.434/.423: Stock Up- Sweet Lou has broken through in 2008, and it looks like he could become a solid major league regular. You'd like to see him develop some more power, but with the mess the Phillies have at the position right now, it's hard to complain about what he's doing. He could be in the majors as soon as Opening Day 2009.
7. P Josh Outman N/A: Good luck with Oakland. It looks like you'll be needing it.
8. OF Dominic Brown A: 110/378, 62 R, 7 HR, 44 RBI, 16/22 stealing, .291/.373/.415: Stock Up- Since the last time I did an entry like this, Brown has become very patient, posting a solid increase in OBP despite a drop in his average. He's starting to smack some more extra base hits, which he'll need to continue to improve to rise through the system. I'd imagine they're going to come as he fills out and slides to a corner position.
9. SP J.A. Happ MLB: 0-0, 3.27 ERA, 11 IP, 8 H, 8 BB, 8 K: Stock Up- It looks like he's finally found his place as a major league pitcher, but his role has not yet been defined. He hasn't pitched since receiving his most recent call up, and it's not clear how Charlie Manuel will use him. It's widely believed that he's Brett Myers insurance, but I'd like to see him get some innings in against lefty hitters in the meantime.
10. SP Edgar Garcia AA: 0-3, 8.77 ERA, 25.2 IP, 29 H, 13 BB, 14 K: Stock Up- Those numbers look absolutely dreadful, but there aren't many 20 year old pitchers in AA. After some struggles in 2007, Garcia recovered by pitching very well in Clearwater and earned an early-July promotion. He's taking his lumps now, but he has great stuff, and it's up to him to make adjustments to the new level.
11. SS Jason Donald AA: 104/338, 53 R, 14 HR, 54 RBI, 10/12 stealing, .308/.388/.509: Stock Up- Even though he's older than you like at Reading, you can't argue with his results. He's getting noticed on the national scene, starting with his appearance in the Futures Game and then his invitation to the Olympic Team. He's a solid all-around player whose stock would jump in a big way if he can prove he can play 3B.
12. SP Drew Carpenter AA: 3-7, 6.35 ERA, 66.2 IP, 88 H, 24 BB, 43 K: Stock Down- At the end of May, the Phillies had enough of Carpenter's performance at Reading, and they sent him down to Florida to get in shape. He got some confidence back in a league he dominated last year, and he pitched a solid outing in his return to the Eastern League. He might be the biggest disappointment in the organization in 2008, and he has to take care of himself better if he wants to regain the ground he gave up this season.
13. SP Antonio Bastardo AA: 2-3, 3.11 ERA, 46.1 IP, 34 H, 29 BB, 39 K: Stock Down- His K rate dropped when he reached Reading, which is to be expected of a pitcher making the jump to the next level. However, the increase in walks wasn't good, and whenever he comes back from the labrum injury, he has to improve his command. His stock isn't going down because of performance, but I have to see if he can battle back from a tough injury and prove he's the same pitcher.
14. SS Freddy Galvis A: 79/337, 44 R, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 10/15 SB, .234/.301/.279: Stock Push- His numbers have improved since the last edition, but I still find it hard to raise him when he's still hitting that poorly. I've seen him in person, and his defense at short is just effortless. If he can improve his swing mechanics, he can at least find a niche in the majors like John McDonald has. I'm still blown that someone so young is playing full season ball.
15. C Jason Jaramillo AAA: 86/325, 34 R, 7 HR, 34 RBI, 0/1 SB, .265/.332/.378: Stock Push- His numbers are leaps and bounds better than they were in early May, but how far does that really get Jaramillo? He's more or less the same as last season, except he traded in a lot of patience for a little more power. He's repeating the level, so you would've liked to see him show a little improvement. I see him being designated for assignment and then taken in the Rule 5 draft next year.
16. C Travis D'Arnaud SS: 40/127, 16 R, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 1/3 SB, .315/.379/.488: Stock Up- I'd imagine that at the end of March when D'Arnaud was told he would be staying in Florida for extra practice to prepare for the New York-Penn season, he wasn't happy. Over a month into the season, he's proving he deserved a shot at full season ball from the start. He's been one of the stars of a solid Williamsport team, and he's answering any questions people had about his offense.
17. P Heitor Correa ?: Stock Down- It's time to issue an Amber Alert for this guy. Where is he? I read on Phuture Phillies almost a month ago that he's been suspended, but I think this has been long enough. He's got good stuff, and it'll be a shame if he was just kicked to the curb, depending on what he did.
18. IF Brad Harman AA: 72/322, 39 R, 11 HR, 37 RBI, 2/3 SB, .224/.294/.370: Stock Down- As one of the extra infielders on the 40 man roster, Harman saw some time with the big club. He'll probably never be more than a nice utility player, but the season he's having now is still disappointing. He needs to put his bat on the ball more often because he does have a little power in that bat. He can hold his own around the infield, but not well enough to make up for his current level of hitting.
19. 3B Travis Mattair A: 88/348, 44 R, 2 HR, 44 RBI, 6/11 SB, .253/.319/.322: Stock Push- He's gotten a little better since the last time I wrote about him, but Mattair is still struggling at the plate. For a guy his size, he's not hitting for enough power, and it's kind of surprising that he's only been able to hit a couple home runs. Another year at Lakewood couldn't hurt, and it wouldn't surprise me if he suited up in the Fall League this offseason.
20. SP Carlos Monasterios A+: 3-7, 5.46 ERA, 61 IP, 74 H, 19 BB, 39 K: Stock Down- Since coming back from an injury that kept him off the mound for a couple months, Monasterios has been lit up. His BB rate is still pretty solid, but his inability to strike batters out is being exposed. He's given up 46 hits in his last 6 starts, which might be a little bit of an aberration, but it's still not good. He's the last part of the Abreu trade that hasn't been seriously injured, released or trying out a new position, so that's looking worse and worse by the day.
21. SP Julian Sampson A: 7-4, 4.53 ERA, 99.1 IP, 117 H, 41 BB, 47 K: Stock Push- I said he'll be a Crosscutter this season when it's all said and done, but it doesn't look like that'll happen. His hit and walk rates have improved, but he still gives up way too many hits, walks a few too many and doesn't strike out nearly enough. His stuff is better than his numbers indicate, and I'm really not sure how he's surviving with the frequency he allows runners to reach base.
22. SP Drew Naylor A+: 1-5, 6.87 ERA, 38 IP, 40 H, 25 BB, 31 K: Stock Up- Naylor is discovering that things aren't as easy in the FSL as the Sally. Every rate is worse, and in the case of his walk rate, significantly. He had a nice two game string of good starts, but overall, he has struggled after the promotion. He was a K machine at Lakewood, and it's a bit disappointing to see he hasn't done it at the new level.
23. 1B Michael Durant A: 63/281, 43 R, 13 HR, 44 RBI, 4/4 SB, .224/.328/.427: Stock Down- July was terrible for Durant, and his average has dipped every month since April. He's a big guy with a lot of power, but like a lot of players with those qualities, his bat misses the ball much too often. Durant has a decent eye, but if he doesn't put the ball in play more, it doesn't mean a thing.
24. SP Scott Mathieson DL: Stock down- I hope he pitches again sometime, but I'm not counting on him ever getting back to the majors.
25. OF Michael Taylor A+: .286, 17 R, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 3/5 SB, .286/.340/.429: Stock Up- Taylor came out of nowhere and started mashing Lakewood. He's too old to still be in the low minors, but after Stanford messed up his swing, he has some time to make adjustments. He's a big guy with a lot of power, and it would be a nice steal for the Phillies if he can find it as he advances through the system.
26. OF Matt Spencer N/A: See ya.
27. OF D'Arby Myers SS: 23/95, 12 R, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 4/5 SB, .242/.301/.347: Stock Down- He's still very young, but I'm losing confidence in my favorite player in the system. He had a ton of problems at Lakewood, and he had to return to Williamsport when their season ended. However, he's running into problems there by not being able to build on last year's disappointing season there. He should be playing well in a league he's repeating, and I hope this is just because his wrist is still bothering him.
28. OF Quintin Berry A+: 107/396, 47 R, 3 HR, 34 RBI, .270/.349/.338: Stock Down- He's doing a little better than he was to start the year, but it's hard to be impressed with underacheiving 23 year olds in High A. He has great speed, but he's never going to show it if he can't get on base more or hit the ball in the gap.
29. RP Joe Bisenius AAA: 0-2, 7.50 ERA, 12 IP, 14 H, 11 BB, 9 K: Stock Down- After being sent down to Reading to possibly regain some confidence and command. He got his confidence back, but the latter has gotten worse. He's all over the strike zone, or ball zone, more accurately, and I'm not sure if he'll ever see a serious major league stint.
30. P Tyson Brummett AA: 2-3, 4.18 ERA, 51.2 IP, 50 H, 28 BB, 33 K: Stock Push- He turns 24 in just a couple of weeks, so it's kind of disappointing that he's just reaching Reading now. I don't want to discount the solid season he posted at Clearwater, but he doesn't have much of a major league future. He had good strikeout numbers way down at Lakewood, but that didn't translate to the higher levels.
(31) 31. P Freddy Ballestas SS: 3-3, 5.40 ERA, 43.1 IP, 48 H, 18 BB, 47 K: Stock down- His strikeout rate indicates he probably has pretty good stuff, but the way he gets hit around does not. At his age, he should probably a bit further along in the system than he is, but I also believe that this is his first year stateside. Maybe he'll put everything together in the next couple years, but I'm not expecting it.
Whew. That's the last 30, and here's the new one.
(1) 1. SP Carlos Carrasco AA
(6) 2. C Lou Marson AA
(4) 3. SP Kyle Drabek R
(8) 4. OF Dominic Brown A
(9) 5. SP J.A. Happ MLB
(3) 6. SP Joe Savery A+
(11) 7. SS Jason Donald AA
(5) 8. OF Greg Golson AA
(10) 9. SP Edgar Garcia AA
(NR) 10. OF Anthony Hewitt R
(16) 11. C Travis D'Arnaud SS
(22) 12. SP Drew Naylor A+
(25) 13. OF Michael Taylor A+
(NR) 14. OF Zach Collier R
(14) 15. SS Freddy Galvis A
(15) 16. C Jason Jaramillo AAA
(12) 17. SP Drew Carpenter AA
(NR) 18. SP Vance Worley A
(13) 19. SP Antonio Bastardo AA
(19) 20. 3B Travis Mattair A
(21) 21. SP Julian Sampson A
(18) 22. IF Brad Harman AA
(NR) 23. SP Justin De Fratus SS
(NR) 24. SP Jason Knapp R
(NR) 25. C Sebastian Valle R
(NR) 26. OF Steven Susdorf SS
(23) 27. 1B Michael Durant A
(NR) 28. SP Michael Stutes A
(30) 29. P Tyson Brummett AA
(NR) 30. C Tim Kennelly A
(NR) 31. OF Leandro Castro R
And that just took almost my entire day. Wow.
1. SP Carlos Carrasco AA: 7-7, 4.32 ERA, 114.2 IP, 109 H, 45 BB, 109 K: Stock Push- There really isn't anyone that should take the #1 slot from him. His K rate has gone down just a little bit, but his hit and walk rates have remained steady, if not gotten a little better. This is a good showing for him at AA. It wouldn't be bad for him to throw some AAA innings, and he could compete for a job with the Phillies next March.
2. 2B Adrian Cardenas N/A: Since he's not in the organization anymore, he really has no place on the top prospects list. Good luck in Oakland.
3. SP Joe Savery A+: 5-9, 4.46 ERA, 121 IP, 143 H, 51 BB, 101 K: Stock Down- Although his K rate has stayed roughly the same, his hit and walk rates have shot up, and it's scary. His season started off on the right foot, but the FSL figured him out quickly. He has to find a way to make adjustments and pitch better. This season has been a bit of a disappointment. Savery was expected to use his college experience to push through the system, and it doesn't look like that's happening for now.
4. SP Kyle Drabek R: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 K: Stock Up- Now that he's back on the hill, his stock is up. His velocity was sitting in the low 90's in his return from surgery, and that's a good spot for him to be at by now. Let's see how he progresses.
5. OF Greg Golson AA: 90/317, 51 R, 10 HR, 45 RBI, 19/23 SB, .284/.329/.435: Stock Push- His rates have gotten a little worse, but this might still be his best minor league season. He's walking a bit more, but he has got to stop striking out. He shouldn't be untouchable at all in any deal. He should get a little taste of AAA pitching before the season is over, and I'd imagine he's headed to Arizona again this offseason.
6. C Lou Marson AA: 101/317, 55 R, 5 HR, 46 RBI, 3/6 SB, .319/.434/.423: Stock Up- Sweet Lou has broken through in 2008, and it looks like he could become a solid major league regular. You'd like to see him develop some more power, but with the mess the Phillies have at the position right now, it's hard to complain about what he's doing. He could be in the majors as soon as Opening Day 2009.
7. P Josh Outman N/A: Good luck with Oakland. It looks like you'll be needing it.
8. OF Dominic Brown A: 110/378, 62 R, 7 HR, 44 RBI, 16/22 stealing, .291/.373/.415: Stock Up- Since the last time I did an entry like this, Brown has become very patient, posting a solid increase in OBP despite a drop in his average. He's starting to smack some more extra base hits, which he'll need to continue to improve to rise through the system. I'd imagine they're going to come as he fills out and slides to a corner position.
9. SP J.A. Happ MLB: 0-0, 3.27 ERA, 11 IP, 8 H, 8 BB, 8 K: Stock Up- It looks like he's finally found his place as a major league pitcher, but his role has not yet been defined. He hasn't pitched since receiving his most recent call up, and it's not clear how Charlie Manuel will use him. It's widely believed that he's Brett Myers insurance, but I'd like to see him get some innings in against lefty hitters in the meantime.
10. SP Edgar Garcia AA: 0-3, 8.77 ERA, 25.2 IP, 29 H, 13 BB, 14 K: Stock Up- Those numbers look absolutely dreadful, but there aren't many 20 year old pitchers in AA. After some struggles in 2007, Garcia recovered by pitching very well in Clearwater and earned an early-July promotion. He's taking his lumps now, but he has great stuff, and it's up to him to make adjustments to the new level.
11. SS Jason Donald AA: 104/338, 53 R, 14 HR, 54 RBI, 10/12 stealing, .308/.388/.509: Stock Up- Even though he's older than you like at Reading, you can't argue with his results. He's getting noticed on the national scene, starting with his appearance in the Futures Game and then his invitation to the Olympic Team. He's a solid all-around player whose stock would jump in a big way if he can prove he can play 3B.
12. SP Drew Carpenter AA: 3-7, 6.35 ERA, 66.2 IP, 88 H, 24 BB, 43 K: Stock Down- At the end of May, the Phillies had enough of Carpenter's performance at Reading, and they sent him down to Florida to get in shape. He got some confidence back in a league he dominated last year, and he pitched a solid outing in his return to the Eastern League. He might be the biggest disappointment in the organization in 2008, and he has to take care of himself better if he wants to regain the ground he gave up this season.
13. SP Antonio Bastardo AA: 2-3, 3.11 ERA, 46.1 IP, 34 H, 29 BB, 39 K: Stock Down- His K rate dropped when he reached Reading, which is to be expected of a pitcher making the jump to the next level. However, the increase in walks wasn't good, and whenever he comes back from the labrum injury, he has to improve his command. His stock isn't going down because of performance, but I have to see if he can battle back from a tough injury and prove he's the same pitcher.
14. SS Freddy Galvis A: 79/337, 44 R, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 10/15 SB, .234/.301/.279: Stock Push- His numbers have improved since the last edition, but I still find it hard to raise him when he's still hitting that poorly. I've seen him in person, and his defense at short is just effortless. If he can improve his swing mechanics, he can at least find a niche in the majors like John McDonald has. I'm still blown that someone so young is playing full season ball.
15. C Jason Jaramillo AAA: 86/325, 34 R, 7 HR, 34 RBI, 0/1 SB, .265/.332/.378: Stock Push- His numbers are leaps and bounds better than they were in early May, but how far does that really get Jaramillo? He's more or less the same as last season, except he traded in a lot of patience for a little more power. He's repeating the level, so you would've liked to see him show a little improvement. I see him being designated for assignment and then taken in the Rule 5 draft next year.
16. C Travis D'Arnaud SS: 40/127, 16 R, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 1/3 SB, .315/.379/.488: Stock Up- I'd imagine that at the end of March when D'Arnaud was told he would be staying in Florida for extra practice to prepare for the New York-Penn season, he wasn't happy. Over a month into the season, he's proving he deserved a shot at full season ball from the start. He's been one of the stars of a solid Williamsport team, and he's answering any questions people had about his offense.
17. P Heitor Correa ?: Stock Down- It's time to issue an Amber Alert for this guy. Where is he? I read on Phuture Phillies almost a month ago that he's been suspended, but I think this has been long enough. He's got good stuff, and it'll be a shame if he was just kicked to the curb, depending on what he did.
18. IF Brad Harman AA: 72/322, 39 R, 11 HR, 37 RBI, 2/3 SB, .224/.294/.370: Stock Down- As one of the extra infielders on the 40 man roster, Harman saw some time with the big club. He'll probably never be more than a nice utility player, but the season he's having now is still disappointing. He needs to put his bat on the ball more often because he does have a little power in that bat. He can hold his own around the infield, but not well enough to make up for his current level of hitting.
19. 3B Travis Mattair A: 88/348, 44 R, 2 HR, 44 RBI, 6/11 SB, .253/.319/.322: Stock Push- He's gotten a little better since the last time I wrote about him, but Mattair is still struggling at the plate. For a guy his size, he's not hitting for enough power, and it's kind of surprising that he's only been able to hit a couple home runs. Another year at Lakewood couldn't hurt, and it wouldn't surprise me if he suited up in the Fall League this offseason.
20. SP Carlos Monasterios A+: 3-7, 5.46 ERA, 61 IP, 74 H, 19 BB, 39 K: Stock Down- Since coming back from an injury that kept him off the mound for a couple months, Monasterios has been lit up. His BB rate is still pretty solid, but his inability to strike batters out is being exposed. He's given up 46 hits in his last 6 starts, which might be a little bit of an aberration, but it's still not good. He's the last part of the Abreu trade that hasn't been seriously injured, released or trying out a new position, so that's looking worse and worse by the day.
21. SP Julian Sampson A: 7-4, 4.53 ERA, 99.1 IP, 117 H, 41 BB, 47 K: Stock Push- I said he'll be a Crosscutter this season when it's all said and done, but it doesn't look like that'll happen. His hit and walk rates have improved, but he still gives up way too many hits, walks a few too many and doesn't strike out nearly enough. His stuff is better than his numbers indicate, and I'm really not sure how he's surviving with the frequency he allows runners to reach base.
22. SP Drew Naylor A+: 1-5, 6.87 ERA, 38 IP, 40 H, 25 BB, 31 K: Stock Up- Naylor is discovering that things aren't as easy in the FSL as the Sally. Every rate is worse, and in the case of his walk rate, significantly. He had a nice two game string of good starts, but overall, he has struggled after the promotion. He was a K machine at Lakewood, and it's a bit disappointing to see he hasn't done it at the new level.
23. 1B Michael Durant A: 63/281, 43 R, 13 HR, 44 RBI, 4/4 SB, .224/.328/.427: Stock Down- July was terrible for Durant, and his average has dipped every month since April. He's a big guy with a lot of power, but like a lot of players with those qualities, his bat misses the ball much too often. Durant has a decent eye, but if he doesn't put the ball in play more, it doesn't mean a thing.
24. SP Scott Mathieson DL: Stock down- I hope he pitches again sometime, but I'm not counting on him ever getting back to the majors.
25. OF Michael Taylor A+: .286, 17 R, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 3/5 SB, .286/.340/.429: Stock Up- Taylor came out of nowhere and started mashing Lakewood. He's too old to still be in the low minors, but after Stanford messed up his swing, he has some time to make adjustments. He's a big guy with a lot of power, and it would be a nice steal for the Phillies if he can find it as he advances through the system.
26. OF Matt Spencer N/A: See ya.
27. OF D'Arby Myers SS: 23/95, 12 R, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 4/5 SB, .242/.301/.347: Stock Down- He's still very young, but I'm losing confidence in my favorite player in the system. He had a ton of problems at Lakewood, and he had to return to Williamsport when their season ended. However, he's running into problems there by not being able to build on last year's disappointing season there. He should be playing well in a league he's repeating, and I hope this is just because his wrist is still bothering him.
28. OF Quintin Berry A+: 107/396, 47 R, 3 HR, 34 RBI, .270/.349/.338: Stock Down- He's doing a little better than he was to start the year, but it's hard to be impressed with underacheiving 23 year olds in High A. He has great speed, but he's never going to show it if he can't get on base more or hit the ball in the gap.
29. RP Joe Bisenius AAA: 0-2, 7.50 ERA, 12 IP, 14 H, 11 BB, 9 K: Stock Down- After being sent down to Reading to possibly regain some confidence and command. He got his confidence back, but the latter has gotten worse. He's all over the strike zone, or ball zone, more accurately, and I'm not sure if he'll ever see a serious major league stint.
30. P Tyson Brummett AA: 2-3, 4.18 ERA, 51.2 IP, 50 H, 28 BB, 33 K: Stock Push- He turns 24 in just a couple of weeks, so it's kind of disappointing that he's just reaching Reading now. I don't want to discount the solid season he posted at Clearwater, but he doesn't have much of a major league future. He had good strikeout numbers way down at Lakewood, but that didn't translate to the higher levels.
(31) 31. P Freddy Ballestas SS: 3-3, 5.40 ERA, 43.1 IP, 48 H, 18 BB, 47 K: Stock down- His strikeout rate indicates he probably has pretty good stuff, but the way he gets hit around does not. At his age, he should probably a bit further along in the system than he is, but I also believe that this is his first year stateside. Maybe he'll put everything together in the next couple years, but I'm not expecting it.
Whew. That's the last 30, and here's the new one.
(1) 1. SP Carlos Carrasco AA
(6) 2. C Lou Marson AA
(4) 3. SP Kyle Drabek R
(8) 4. OF Dominic Brown A
(9) 5. SP J.A. Happ MLB
(3) 6. SP Joe Savery A+
(11) 7. SS Jason Donald AA
(5) 8. OF Greg Golson AA
(10) 9. SP Edgar Garcia AA
(NR) 10. OF Anthony Hewitt R
(16) 11. C Travis D'Arnaud SS
(22) 12. SP Drew Naylor A+
(25) 13. OF Michael Taylor A+
(NR) 14. OF Zach Collier R
(14) 15. SS Freddy Galvis A
(15) 16. C Jason Jaramillo AAA
(12) 17. SP Drew Carpenter AA
(NR) 18. SP Vance Worley A
(13) 19. SP Antonio Bastardo AA
(19) 20. 3B Travis Mattair A
(21) 21. SP Julian Sampson A
(18) 22. IF Brad Harman AA
(NR) 23. SP Justin De Fratus SS
(NR) 24. SP Jason Knapp R
(NR) 25. C Sebastian Valle R
(NR) 26. OF Steven Susdorf SS
(23) 27. 1B Michael Durant A
(NR) 28. SP Michael Stutes A
(30) 29. P Tyson Brummett AA
(NR) 30. C Tim Kennelly A
(NR) 31. OF Leandro Castro R
And that just took almost my entire day. Wow.
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