- WEEKLINGS
- 4 WINNERS
- Phillies at Nationals preview
- Phillies Notebook: Manuel on Phillies' lack of offense: 'We're not hitting the ball good'
- Hamels sharp but lumber slumbers in Phillies' loss to Dodgers
- Sam Donnellon: Psychologist helps Phillies, athletes think positive
- Rich Hofmann: The real Hamels back in house for Phillies
- Paul Hagen: So far, Lidge, Moyer less than striking for Phillies
- Around the NL East
- Bourn steals home to help Astros triumph
- High Cheese
- GALLERY: 2009 Phillies
- GALLERY: 2008 World Series champs
- PDF: Seating at Citizens Bank Park
- PDF: Schedule
- PDF: Ticket prices and sales
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Paul Hagen: So far, Lidge, Moyer less than striking for Phillies
DON'T PANIC, Phillies fans. There will be plenty of time for that later if need be. And it's still early enough in the baseball season that serious concern is also an overreaction.
Still, after a month and change of big-league ball, there are three things about these defending world champions that are worth at least a little tossing and turning at night.
First is closer Brad Lidge. He says he feels fine.
The numbers disagree. He has given up at least a run in five straight outings and his earned run average is 8.56.
One longtime National League baseball man also disagrees. "He's not the same guy he was last year," the guy said after watching Lidge throw this week. "His fastball doesn't have the same zip and his breaking ball, it just hangs there."
Second is Jamie Moyer. Yes, he deserves every opportunity to turn himself around. He has earned that. But the bottom line is that there comes a time when every player, no matter how respected, has to get it done on the field.
Moyer has never had an earned run average this high - 8.15 - this deep into a season. He has never been 46 years old, either. Maybe he'll pitch forever, but the odds are against it.
Finally, the offense. On paper, this is a potent lineup. On the field, they're batting .178 in their last five games after yesterday's 5-3 loss to the Dodgers. And while every team will go through collective slumps at some point during the season, it's worth pointing out once again that this team didn't hit to its potential for the entire second half last season.
The Phillies won the division, the NLDS, the NLCS and the World Series on the strength of their pitching.
Which makes those first two concerns that much more pressing.
The hot corner
* Royals general manager Dayton Moore won't come right out and blame closer Joakim Soria's shoulder problems on participating in the World Baseball Classic. But ... "I don't think it helps," he said. "We couldn't control his work. If you can't control a pitcher's workload and you can't script their preparation during spring training, it's a problem."
* The Indians, picked by many to win the division, are off to another slow start and general manager Mark Shapiro's public support of manager Eric Wedge has been tepid at best. "That's not something I spend time on," Wedge insisted. "My entire energy goes to finding a way to help these guys get back on track. That takes all the energy I have."
Around the bases
* Former A's and Mets manager Art Howe will play himself in "Moneyball," Steven Soderbergh's upcoming movie based on Michael Lewis' bestseller about how Oakland general manager Billy Beane manages to field a competitive team despite a low payroll. Scheduled for release in 2011, Brad Pitt will play Beane.
* How about this box score from Tuesday night's Mariners at Orioles game? The two starters pitched two innings and were charged with 12 earned runs. The relievers pitched the other 6 1/2 innings without giving up an earned run.
* Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco credited chewing bubble gum for his first win in six outings last Friday at Colorado. He said he chewed the gum to increase his saliva. That allowed him to get a better grip on the ball after licking his fingers, according to the Palm Beach Post.
