Charlie Manuel got himself a nice 2 year extension with the Phillies, despite questionable game management.
To be sure, despite Manuel's inability to manage a bullpen, and some real questionable decisions in the postseason (Wes Helms STARTING at third base?), the players do seem to love playing for the guy, which ties into the whole statistics versus intangibles debate. One very tangible stat is Mr. Manuel's three winning seasons. However, it's also hard to argue that the Phillies couldn't have waited and at least placed a call to the soon-to-be-canned Joe Torre, who allegedly likes the way the Phillies run their ballclub.
With Manuel locked up early and penciled in as the skipper, the Phils can now look to signing free agents in the hope of bolstering the rotation and bullpen.
J.C. Romero has indicated he'd like to stay in Philly. A non-homegrown guy wants to pitch at Citizen's Bank? Sign this man! After last offseason held a lot of promise (Garcia) only to go bust, it will be interesting to see if the Phillies are making moves at the winter meetings.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
And That's A Wrap
The Phillies season is officially over after a brutal stomping by The Colorado Rockies. However, fret not: A lot of joy came out of this year.
Top Five Moments Of Phillies' 2007 Season:
5. Shane Pies: Anytime anyone was interviewed in a postgame after a big win, Shane Victorino was there to smash them with a shaving cream pie. No one, from Chase Utley to J.D. Durbin, was safe. This may have been the reason that when the Phillies were asked to name the least funny player on the team, many pointed out Shane Victorino.
4. Utley's Return: In true Mickey Mantle style, upon returning from a broken hand injury on August 27th, Chase Utley went three for five, including a home run. It certainly felt reassuring to have our best bat back in the lineup.
3. Unexpected Contributors: As is the case with most playoff teams, the Phillies received help from unlikely sources. The Phillies got big results from Jayson Werth, J.C. Romero, Tadahito Iguchi, and Pat Burrell, to name a few. It was great to see different players shine each night.
2. J-Roll's Season: You can go check out the numbers here, and regardless of whether or not he wins the NL MVP, Jimmy Rollins had an outstanding, record-breaking year at shortstop that was fun to watch right up to his last at-bat, in which he hit his twentieth triple. He was the catalyst of our offense, a smart baserunner, an outstanding defensive player, and a clubhouse leader. He also made one little comment that turned out to be quite true, which leads into the big number one.
1. Mets Collapse, Phils Triumph: With their postseason largely forgettable, the Phils may be left out of most of the remembrances of the epic Mets collapse of 2007. However, for Philadelphia fans, we'll remember the many great moments, including sweeps in Shea, the emergence of one bullpen as another collapses, and my personal favorite, the Phillies epic August 30th victory over the Mets to complete a four-game sweep, wherein Tadahito Iguchi scored the winning run and Gary Matthews officially lost his mind.
There you have it, the highlights of a season that should be looked back on in fondness, regardless of the postseason outcome.
Top Five Moments Of Phillies' 2007 Season:
5. Shane Pies: Anytime anyone was interviewed in a postgame after a big win, Shane Victorino was there to smash them with a shaving cream pie. No one, from Chase Utley to J.D. Durbin, was safe. This may have been the reason that when the Phillies were asked to name the least funny player on the team, many pointed out Shane Victorino.
4. Utley's Return: In true Mickey Mantle style, upon returning from a broken hand injury on August 27th, Chase Utley went three for five, including a home run. It certainly felt reassuring to have our best bat back in the lineup.
3. Unexpected Contributors: As is the case with most playoff teams, the Phillies received help from unlikely sources. The Phillies got big results from Jayson Werth, J.C. Romero, Tadahito Iguchi, and Pat Burrell, to name a few. It was great to see different players shine each night.
2. J-Roll's Season: You can go check out the numbers here, and regardless of whether or not he wins the NL MVP, Jimmy Rollins had an outstanding, record-breaking year at shortstop that was fun to watch right up to his last at-bat, in which he hit his twentieth triple. He was the catalyst of our offense, a smart baserunner, an outstanding defensive player, and a clubhouse leader. He also made one little comment that turned out to be quite true, which leads into the big number one.
1. Mets Collapse, Phils Triumph: With their postseason largely forgettable, the Phils may be left out of most of the remembrances of the epic Mets collapse of 2007. However, for Philadelphia fans, we'll remember the many great moments, including sweeps in Shea, the emergence of one bullpen as another collapses, and my personal favorite, the Phillies epic August 30th victory over the Mets to complete a four-game sweep, wherein Tadahito Iguchi scored the winning run and Gary Matthews officially lost his mind.
There you have it, the highlights of a season that should be looked back on in fondness, regardless of the postseason outcome.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Phillies Vs. Rockies: Game One
Tomorrow, the Phils make their first postseason appearance since game six on the 1993 world series, and they take on the beloved Colorado Rockies.
How can we expect the Phillies to fare in postseason play? Hard to say. A lot is made of the difference between the regular season and the postseason, and how different players perform differently under the circumstances. For an example, look no further than Trevor Hoffman's recent meltdown against the very same Rockies. However, most of the Phils' roster has yet to see the postseason, including the nucleus of the team (which I define as Hamels, Myers, Utley, Rollins, and Howard, homegrown Phillies, all).
The same can be said of the Colorado Rockies, where longtime vet Todd Helton makes his first ever postseason appearance. Expect a lot of nerves in the early inning of this first game: Both teams are likely eager to prove their legitimacy.
Another interesting element is the timing of the game at three o'clock. This could create some difficulty on the part of the hitters in seeing the ball. While this could work to Hamels' advantage, it could also work against the Philadelphia offense. People are expecting a high scoring series here, so we can't de surprised if it's a pitching struggle. Given this, you've got to take a close look at the two starters.
Cole Hamels: A pure strikeout pitcher, which is exactly what you want at Citizen's Bank Park. Unfortunately, the long ball has hurt Cole all season (he's given up twenty-five of them).
Jeff Francis: The Rockies' ace has a 4.22 ERA on the year, which is pretty good if you're a Rocky. Francis has also given up twenty-five home runs, albeit in approximately thirty more innings pitched. Francis is also less of a strikeout pitcher, and his K/BB ratio is 165/63 versus Cole's 177/43. These numbers are good, but the Phillies are rather exceptional at taking walks, with 641 of them (good for third in baseball).
Also of note is how well the Phils hit off of Francis in the few times they've seen him. Rollins is five for nine against him, Howard is two for five, and Burrell three for eight.
Contrasting, against Hamels, the Rockies have done nothing. This is in large part due to the fact that Cole has never pitched against the Rockies. This is bad news for Colorado. Traditionally, a pitcher always has the advantage the first time he sees a batter. While these guys can watch all the footage they'd like, they have yet to see Cole's impressive changeup baring down on them.
For this reason, the Phillies have a huge advantage in this game. Hopefully they can knock Francis out early and get to the bullpen quick, which won't have had much time to rest after the twelve inning Monday night marathon.
Go Phillies.
How can we expect the Phillies to fare in postseason play? Hard to say. A lot is made of the difference between the regular season and the postseason, and how different players perform differently under the circumstances. For an example, look no further than Trevor Hoffman's recent meltdown against the very same Rockies. However, most of the Phils' roster has yet to see the postseason, including the nucleus of the team (which I define as Hamels, Myers, Utley, Rollins, and Howard, homegrown Phillies, all).
The same can be said of the Colorado Rockies, where longtime vet Todd Helton makes his first ever postseason appearance. Expect a lot of nerves in the early inning of this first game: Both teams are likely eager to prove their legitimacy.
Another interesting element is the timing of the game at three o'clock. This could create some difficulty on the part of the hitters in seeing the ball. While this could work to Hamels' advantage, it could also work against the Philadelphia offense. People are expecting a high scoring series here, so we can't de surprised if it's a pitching struggle. Given this, you've got to take a close look at the two starters.
Cole Hamels: A pure strikeout pitcher, which is exactly what you want at Citizen's Bank Park. Unfortunately, the long ball has hurt Cole all season (he's given up twenty-five of them).
Jeff Francis: The Rockies' ace has a 4.22 ERA on the year, which is pretty good if you're a Rocky. Francis has also given up twenty-five home runs, albeit in approximately thirty more innings pitched. Francis is also less of a strikeout pitcher, and his K/BB ratio is 165/63 versus Cole's 177/43. These numbers are good, but the Phillies are rather exceptional at taking walks, with 641 of them (good for third in baseball).
Also of note is how well the Phils hit off of Francis in the few times they've seen him. Rollins is five for nine against him, Howard is two for five, and Burrell three for eight.
Contrasting, against Hamels, the Rockies have done nothing. This is in large part due to the fact that Cole has never pitched against the Rockies. This is bad news for Colorado. Traditionally, a pitcher always has the advantage the first time he sees a batter. While these guys can watch all the footage they'd like, they have yet to see Cole's impressive changeup baring down on them.
For this reason, the Phillies have a huge advantage in this game. Hopefully they can knock Francis out early and get to the bullpen quick, which won't have had much time to rest after the twelve inning Monday night marathon.
Go Phillies.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
PHILLIES
Nothing to really say at a time like this except job well done, and thank you. The Phillies are going to the playoffs. The Mets are going home. NL EAST CHAMPS. No words to describe it, just love.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Lohse Keeps Em Living
The Phillies are still in the hunt for either the Wild Card or the division, as Lohse pitches some pretty good baseball to keep the Phillies in contention.
You hate to say it, because if it's not true, it hurts all the more, but it looks like the Phillies could make the playoffs this year. With their atrocious pitching, they may not head that deep into October baseball, but with the Mets failing, and quite honestly looking like they couldn't give less of a shit, it might be the Phils time.
Every game now is huge. It's as though the playoffs have already begun. John Smoltz, one of baseball's long standing veteran pitchers, goes against the young kid with composure, Kyle Kendrick.
With the loss, the Braves are out of contention, but that doesn't mean they're not going to try to stain out the Phillies. Despite recent memory, let us not forget that the Braves are our enemy just as much as the Mets.
Of the NL teams in contention, the Mets, Phillies, and Cubs are the only teams that end with a series against a team that's out of the race.
You hate to say it, because if it's not true, it hurts all the more, but it looks like the Phillies could make the playoffs this year. With their atrocious pitching, they may not head that deep into October baseball, but with the Mets failing, and quite honestly looking like they couldn't give less of a shit, it might be the Phils time.
Every game now is huge. It's as though the playoffs have already begun. John Smoltz, one of baseball's long standing veteran pitchers, goes against the young kid with composure, Kyle Kendrick.
With the loss, the Braves are out of contention, but that doesn't mean they're not going to try to stain out the Phillies. Despite recent memory, let us not forget that the Braves are our enemy just as much as the Mets.
Of the NL teams in contention, the Mets, Phillies, and Cubs are the only teams that end with a series against a team that's out of the race.
Monday, September 24, 2007
THE STRUGGLE and The Phillies
Stain Club has hit some hard times lately in regards to updating. However, for those of you still with us, we are continuing on here, albeit the battle against "The Struggle" (our terminology for life in the real world) is certainly taking its toll.
We have of course been keeping up with The Philadelphia Phillies. I myself was down in Washington this weekend to see the boys do a pretty successful job against the Nats in their last series at RFK stadium (which, by the way, is a pretty sloppy place). At this point, a season does truly hang on the brink. It's do or die time for the Phillies. 4-2 MIGHT get the team in the playoffs, but 5-1 should. Three games against Atlanta (who for some reason still think they're a factor in the playoff hunt), and three against Colorado, all at home.
A couple of Phillies deserve special recognition: Jimmy Rollins, recently commended by Buster Olney in his blog, for being not only the team MVP, but also the league MVP, when all is said and done (it's possible). Also, Jayson Werth, who has played some outstading baseball, and without whom the Phillies would not be in the playoff hunt. And, J.C. Romero, given up on by a number of clubs, has found a home with the Phillies, and has pitched well whenever called upon, giving us at least one middle reliever Charlie Manuel can turn to in big situations.
Stick with us, as hopefully there will be more to come. I'll definitely be checking my preseason predictions to see how badly I bungled how the Phillies would fare (I cringe to think of our NL West matchups). As always, go Phillies.
We have of course been keeping up with The Philadelphia Phillies. I myself was down in Washington this weekend to see the boys do a pretty successful job against the Nats in their last series at RFK stadium (which, by the way, is a pretty sloppy place). At this point, a season does truly hang on the brink. It's do or die time for the Phillies. 4-2 MIGHT get the team in the playoffs, but 5-1 should. Three games against Atlanta (who for some reason still think they're a factor in the playoff hunt), and three against Colorado, all at home.
A couple of Phillies deserve special recognition: Jimmy Rollins, recently commended by Buster Olney in his blog, for being not only the team MVP, but also the league MVP, when all is said and done (it's possible). Also, Jayson Werth, who has played some outstading baseball, and without whom the Phillies would not be in the playoff hunt. And, J.C. Romero, given up on by a number of clubs, has found a home with the Phillies, and has pitched well whenever called upon, giving us at least one middle reliever Charlie Manuel can turn to in big situations.
Stick with us, as hopefully there will be more to come. I'll definitely be checking my preseason predictions to see how badly I bungled how the Phillies would fare (I cringe to think of our NL West matchups). As always, go Phillies.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
While I'm thinking of it
Who decided we need a warning tissue when the box is close to being empty? It's not the end of days if you can't blow your nose.
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