This Week in Baseball 4/16 - 4/22

[Vern Gagne 0]

A-Rod with a walk-off homer.

[snuffbox 0]

Turnbow almost gave away another one today but the Brewers had enough insurance runs & Cordero struckout the side (again) in the 9th.

[Boon 0]

A-Rod is going to be a great Angel.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

A-Rod is going to be a great Angel.

 

If he keeps this up he's going to get himself another $200 million.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

The Phillies WIN A GAME.

 

Al, tell me what to look out for in the Reds series. Their pitchers and hitters. I don't follow the Reds whatsoever, although Griffey made a hell of a grab yesterday. I believe they have a solid hitter named Adam Dunn, too. But they're the Reds, c'mon now.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

For those of you who are quick to blame Manuel for all of Philly's problems, here's a different perspective on things. Frankly, I think it's right on the money.

 

...

 

One of these six pitchers had to go to the bullpen to fix the problem, and of the six, Myers was the best candidate no matter how you sort them. As ridiculous as the move may look on its face, it was the best way to address the situation.

 

Back up a level. Why does Charlie Manuel have this impossible problem? Why does he have six starting pitchers and one strikeout reliever? For that matter, why does he have six starting pitchers, one strikeout reliever, and Wes Helms as his everyday third baseman? Or Shane Victorino in right field? Or four straight right-handed batters after the cleanup spot?

 

For the answers to that, we have to look to Manuel’s boss, Pat Gillick. It was Gillick who assembled this misshapen mess of a roster. It was Gillick who dealt away Bobby Abreu and Jim Thome for, on this roster, Aaron Rowand and Matt Smith. You can argue that those deals paved the way for the contracts Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley now enjoy, or the presence of Eaton and Garcia on the roster, but there’s definitely been a cost to those trades. Thome’s absence hasn’t been felt thanks to Ryan Howard, but you can’t argue that this team is better off right now without Abreu, no matter how much the city hated him.

 

...

[Mik 0]

I'm a NL guy but I absolutely love what A-Rod is doing. I felt that the treatment he was getting in NY was completely unfair considering his age, talent, and position to be one of the greatest to ever play the game. I'm glad to see him shut the NY mutants up with his otherworld start. Let's see if they start to boo him again after he goes into a slump. (If he ever even does this season)

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

The Phillies WIN A GAME.

 

Al, tell me what to look out for in the Reds series. Their pitchers and hitters. I don't follow the Reds whatsoever, although Griffey made a hell of a grab yesterday. I believe they have a solid hitter named Adam Dunn, too. But they're the Reds, c'mon now.

Since their deals last year I don't think they've formed an identity yet. I think Aaron Harang is one of the overlooked great pitchers in the game today.

[vivalaultra 0]

The Reds also have a pretty good hitter named Josh Hamilton, but he's still a small sample size, so meh. They're a pretty exciting team, I think. They have some thump (left-handed thump especially) and they've got some speedy guys like Freel and Brandon Phillips. Their starting pitching has been quite good so far from what I hear. Last nite and tonite, their two 'aces' (Aaron Harang and Brandon Arroyo) pitched, so I don't know how the back end of the rotation will look for the Phillies series. I know Kyle Lohse had a 12-strikeout game his last time out. From what I hear, a good left-handed pitcher can pretty much nullify their lineup, especially if Edwin Encarnacion slumps/doesn't play. Oh, and their closer is Dave Weathers. That's funny in and of itself, presuming you know who Dave Weathers is.

[Failed Bridge 0]

A-Rod is going to be a great Angel.

or Cub

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

One of these six pitchers had to go to the bullpen to fix the problem, and of the six, Myers was the best candidate no matter how you sort them. As ridiculous as the move may look on its face, it was the best way to address the situation.

 

Manuel has PUBLICLY STATED "Freddy Garcia, we'd like to see him go 5 innings, 75-80 pitches". 5 innings? With THAT bullpen? Hmmm, why not, I dunno, until Freddy's ready for more pitches, have him throw some setup innings while Lieber gets his "final try" as a starter. Believe me, sending Garcia to the pen is absurd. I know how it sounds. So is putting Myers there. The whole thing is absurd. But Myers isn't the best candidate.

Back up a level. Why does Charlie Manuel have this impossible problem? Why does he have six starting pitchers and one strikeout reliever? For that matter, why does he have six starting pitchers, one strikeout reliever, and Wes Helms as his everyday third baseman? Or Shane Victorino in right field? Or four straight right-handed batters after the cleanup spot?

 

For the answers to that, we have to look to Manuel’s boss, Pat Gillick.

 

It was Gillick who assembled this misshapen mess of a roster. It was Gillick who dealt away Bobby Abreu and Jim Thome for, on this roster, Aaron Rowand and Matt Smith. You can argue that those deals paved the way for the contracts Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley now enjoy, or the presence of Eaton and Garcia on the roster, but there’s definitely been a cost to those trades. Thome’s absence hasn’t been felt thanks to Ryan Howard, but you can’t argue that this team is better off right now without Abreu, no matter how much the city hated him.

 

Yeah let's eat Thome's contract while he either A) Starts at 1b and Ryan Howard doesn't set the Phillies all-time record in home runs and wins MVP. Or B) We pay Thome to pinch hit. Thome had to go.

 

Rowand was a fine, likeable replacement until he crushed his face. Ever since then, his batting average has went down, his offensive production has suffered, and he's been off a step defensively.

 

The Phillies problems now, IMO, are 50% Manuel, 30% players, 20% Gillick.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

One of these six pitchers had to go to the bullpen to fix the problem, and of the six, Myers was the best candidate no matter how you sort them. As ridiculous as the move may look on its face, it was the best way to address the situation.

 

Manuel has PUBLICLY STATED "Freddy Garcia, we'd like to see him go 5 innings, 75-80 pitches". 5 innings? With THAT bullpen? Hmmm, why not, I dunno, until Freddy's ready for more pitches, have him throw some setup innings while Lieber gets his "final try" as a starter. Believe me, sending Garcia to the pen is absurd. I know how it sounds. So is putting Myers there. The whole thing is absurd. But Myers isn't the best candidate.

 

Then who is the best candidate? You can't meander through the season with six starters, none of whom know their roles. They are auditioning these guys for a trade and it's going to be Lieber or Garcia that goes. They have to get them in the rotation and showcase their work coming off injury to get someone to bite. Myers to the bullpen makes sense not only from a logistics standpoint, but from the fact that he can also hold down some innings for a shaky bullpen.

 

Is it a good idea to put your best starter in the bullpen? Probably not, but what other realistic choices do they have?

 

 

Back up a level. Why does Charlie Manuel have this impossible problem? Why does he have six starting pitchers and one strikeout reliever? For that matter, why does he have six starting pitchers, one strikeout reliever, and Wes Helms as his everyday third baseman? Or Shane Victorino in right field? Or four straight right-handed batters after the cleanup spot?

 

For the answers to that, we have to look to Manuel’s boss, Pat Gillick.

 

It was Gillick who assembled this misshapen mess of a roster. It was Gillick who dealt away Bobby Abreu and Jim Thome for, on this roster, Aaron Rowand and Matt Smith. You can argue that those deals paved the way for the contracts Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley now enjoy, or the presence of Eaton and Garcia on the roster, but there’s definitely been a cost to those trades. Thome’s absence hasn’t been felt thanks to Ryan Howard, but you can’t argue that this team is better off right now without Abreu, no matter how much the city hated him.

 

Yeah let's eat Thome's contract while he either A) Starts at 1b and Ryan Howard doesn't set the Phillies all-time record in home runs and wins MVP. Or B) We pay Thome to pinch hit. Thome had to go.

 

Rowand was a fine, likeable replacement until he crushed his face. Ever since then, his batting average has went down, his offensive production has suffered, and he's been off a step defensively.

 

The Phillies problems now, IMO, are 50% Manuel, 30% players, 20% Gillick.

 

It's not that trading Thome was the wrong move, it was that trading him for Aaron Rowand was a bad move. I know trade value was down on him at the time, but they still should have gotten some more major league talent for him. If you're going to trade Abreu and Thome you better not end up with Wes Helms and Shane Victorino holding down starting spots.

 

Second, how could 50% of any baseball team's problems be the manager? The difference between a good and bad manager is probably a couple of wins at best. They just don't do that much that can swing a game one way or the other. This team's biggest problem is roster construction and a slow start from their big hitters.

[vivalaultra 0]

Ya know...there's a very easy way to solve the Phillie's pitching/3B problem. Brad Lidge and Morgan Ensberg for Brett Myers and Francisco Rosario. Make it happen, yo.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Why would the Phillies want Lidge?

[Guest Queen Leelee]

Let's see if they start to boo him again after he goes into a slump.

A slump? He'll have an 0-for-4 day in May, and it will start again.

 

No, he cannot be a Cub. I'd cry.

[vivalaultra 0]

He's a strikeout reliever who might benefit from a change of scenery, and, if not, he gives the fans somebody else to boo constantly.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

He's a strikeout reliever who might benefit from a change of scenery, and, if not, he gives the fans somebody else to boo constantly.

 

But the Astros totally murdered his trade value by demoting him to middle relief. No team will give up players of real value to get him because if he continues to struggle they'll look like idiots. And Houston won't just give him away because they have to get something back for a guy that was maybe the best reliever in the NL two years ago.

 

And I am happier than ever that the rumored Wily Mo for Lidge trade never went down.

[2GOLD 0]

Let's see if they start to boo him again after he goes into a slump.

A slump? He'll have an 0-for-4 day in May, and it will start again.

 

No, he cannot be a Cub. I'd cry.

 

So would Cub fans, because he'd start the season like 1 for 23 with 10 strikeouts and everyone would be wondering what the hell is wrong with him. The answer will be simple: He signed with the Chicago Cubs.

 

Let A-Rod go 0-3 in one game against the Red Sox and they'll turn on him and say he can't do it in the big situations against tough competition again. All he has done to start this season is good enough for maybe MAYBE one 1 for 4 game.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

And trading for someone to get booed constantly is always a good reason

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

The funniest thing about A-Rod's ridiculous start is that when he inevitably slows down or goes through a routine slump he'll get killed for piling up his stats in April when the games didn't really matter.

 

By the way, I'm going to be in Washington DC next week for a business conference. I know the Nationals suck and all, but they are playing the Mets. Is it worth it to check out a game at their ballpark? I'll probably have some extra time to kill in between meetings and sight-seeing.

[vivalaultra 0]

It is in Philly. That's why the fans come to the games these days. And the Lidge in middle relief thing had to be done. It lowered his presumed trade value, but he just wasn't gonna work blowing games left and right for a team that's trying to be competitive. I don't think they have any intentions of trading him right now anyway; if he's not closing or setting-up Wheeler by the deadline, though, I imagine he'll be going somewhere.

[Annabelle 0]

A-Rod is going to be a great Angel.

or Cub

 

no

 

a dodger

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

A-Rod is going to be a great Angel.

or Cub

 

no

 

a dodger

 

I still like to think that the ultimate f you would be to sign with the Red Sox. He's too much of a wuss to do that though.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

The funniest thing about A-Rod's ridiculous start is that when he inevitably slows down or goes through a routine slump he'll get killed for piling up his stats in April when the games didn't really matter.

 

By the way, I'm going to be in Washington DC next week for a business conference. I know the Nationals suck and all, but they are playing the Mets. Is it worth it to check out a game at their ballpark? I'll probably have some extra time to kill in between meetings and sight-seeing.

Cheap seats are $9. Do it.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

With the off day for the O's, lots of time to ponder their 8-7 start..I think the biggest think is that the bullpen has been as good as anyone would have hoped so far..only gave up 1 run in the D-Rays series which allowed them to win 2 games come from behind style. The starting pitching has been hit or miss so far..but as long as the bullpen pulls its weight like it has so far..it'll just be up to the offense to score some runs.

 

The O's bullpen ERA is 2.87, 5th best in the Majors..and I saw over to the hangout someone figured out if you take Kirt Birkins disaster of an inning that got him a first class ticket out of Baltimore and the last two innings of the Os blown game up in NY where Baez and Ray gave up 7 runs, the ERA drops to 1.07.

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

If they're going to put Myers in the 'pen, they might as well go all out & make him the closer. Does anybody really trust Gordon any more?

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

"The difference between a good and bad manager is probably a couple of wins at best."

 

WHAT?

[Hawk 34 0]

Maybe people better start figuring out Hamilton now because he continues to crush homers and drive in runs.

[vivalaultra 0]

Josh Hamilton tonite so far, 2 for 3 with a double and a homerun, 4 RBI. Tripp Sigman...or Roy Hobbs?

[geniusMoment 0]

Maybe people better start figuring out Hamilton now because he continues to crush homers and drive in runs.

What's impressive is he took an outside curve and came within a foot of a homer when he hit if off the top of the wall for a double. And he then smashed a high inside fastball over the right field fence for a 3 run bomb.