The end is here
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The end is here
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
They dressed mostly in silence, shoving their belongings into duffle bags and slipping out to the waiting buses, en route to Penn Station, and then Philadelphia, and then wherever their offseason homes lie.
The end of the Phillies' reign as world champions came just before midnight in the Bronx, in the form of a convincing 7-3 loss at the hands of the Yankees. Most of them will be back. Several will not. Righthander Brett Myers is a free agent, as are Matt Stairs, Scott Eyre, Chan Ho Park, Paul Bako, Pedro Martinez, Tyler Walker and Miguel Cairo.
Pedro Feliz has a $5.5 million club option that might be exercised. Cliff Lee has a $9 million club option that will definitely be exercised.
In many ways, the Phillies final game of the 2009 season offered a case study on how they can improve before their next attempted title run. They will need to address the bullpen, where two of the most reliable arms in an inconsistent unit -- Eyre and righthander Chan Ho Park -- are headed toward retirement or free agency. They will need to find a right-handed bat or two who can provide balance on the bench (reserve outfielder Ben Francisco went 0-for-3 last night and finished the postseason 0-for-11, while Eric Bruntlett and Miguel Cairo combined to go 0-for-6).
They will need to decide whether Feliz, who went 0-for-4 last night and 3-for-26 in the postseason, has earned a $5.5 million club option with his defense, or if the free agent market holds a compelling-enough right-handed-hitting offensive upgrade at third base that might better balance the line-up without sacrificing too much in the field.
And they must find a reliable fifth starter, provided: A) They decide to offer righthander Joe Blanton arbitration and keep him in the fold with lefties Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and J.A. Happ, B) They are not married to veteran lefty Jamie Moyer, who lost his spot in the rotation in August and is currently recovering from lower ab/groin surgery, but who is due to make an estimated $8 million next season thanks to escalators he reached based on starts and innings pitched, and C) That they have seen enough out of Martinez, who will be a free agent, to know that he is not that guy.
There will be other sub-plots, other developments, that will shape this team in the next few months. Might Myers, who after eight seasons with the Phillies will become a free agent, be the guy who completes the rotation? Is Ibanez, who went 13-for-52 with 13 RBI this postseason, headed for surgery on his injured groin and lower abdomen?
One thing is for sure: the 25 players who walked off the field amidst the mayhem at Yankee Stadium last night will never play together again.
Even in defeat, they made history, becoming the first team in franchise history to reach back-to-back World Series. They won 93 games during the regular season, nine games during the postseason, and came two wins away from becoming the first National League team to repeat as World Champions since the 1975-76 Reds.
This weekend, however, Broad Street will be silent, save for the people and cars bustling through the onset of winter.
There will still be Thanksgiving, and there will still be Christmas, but there will be no parade, no title, no World Bleepin’ Champs.
“When two teams are playing like that, one of them is going home,” manager Charlie Manuel said, his eyes red and his voice at times shaky. “Last year it was Tampa. This year it’s us. But we’re going to be back.”
^
I'd like to thank all of you readers out there for following along throughout this season. I appreciate the feedback, both positive and negative, and I hope you all will continue to check in to the blog throughout the offseason, when we'll attempt to keep things running on all cylinders.
On Sunday, I'm off to Chicago, where the general manager's will be holding their annual meeting. Free agency begins 15 days after the last game of the World Series, which by my calculation is Nov. 20.
In other words, there will be plenty of moving and shaking going on -- probably not as much as last year, when the Phillies hired a new general manager, said goodbye to Pat Burrell, signed Raul Ibanez, and hired an entire new front office, as well as a new bench coach and third base coach. But there will be plenty to delve into once the World Series hangover wears off.
Again, thanks for checking in.
And as Fonzie would say: Ayyyyyyyyyyyyy
Any thoughts on dumping Feliz and going after a Chone Figgins? I say dump Myers, re-up Blanton, and call-up Drabek for #5.— UpstateNYPhilsFan- Enjoyed the blog and your appearances on Daily News Live! 94 days til we see our Phightins on the field!— PhillyGuy18
- This one hurt. Gotta keep Blanton and of course Lee. More than anything this team needs depth on the bench and in the pen. The core of the team will remain for another few years. Just gotta add the right pieces to round it all out.— youpeoplehaveissues
- If Park is willing to work out of the pen, I'd keep him - he was solid all year. Not sure what he'd cost, but Derosa's a free agent - might look good at 3B (coming off surgery, might be less expensive - a UPenn guy). Would look good in the seventh spot - maybe even the two-hole.— jrdr_jnk
- Yeah dump Myers.— betsy72
- Thanks for your efforts this season David. As for the above - it would be nice to hold to Park and possibly Myers. Gotta hold on to Blanton. And unless there is someone markedly better than Feliz, I say bring him back. 3 for 26 in the postseason is awful, but then look at what Howard did - or didn't! - do against the Yankees. Foolish to hold the postseason performance against any player.— CarpGuy
Comment removed.- 1) Resigning Lee is a MUST. Renegotiating for years going forward is better. 2) What's the free agent market look like for third basemen? I seriously doubt the anyone will get better than Feliz, at least defensively; I realize DeRosa is a Penn guy but how have his injuries hurt him? 3) Re-up Park. A good guy with a decent arm and turned out to be a good bullpen component. The left-handers in the bullpen could rest on what Romero brings back; 4) Re-up Blanton; 5) Nobody is REALLY holding the WS against Howard, are they? He WAS NLCS MVP; the layoff wrecked his timing.— owlets
- Charlie likes Feliz and his defense is stellar, so my guess is he will be back. Serious upgrade of the bench is needed, although I would keep Francisco. They might need to go younger in the bullpen, as older pitchers like Park and Eyres, break down. Could use a fireballer or two, particularly from the left side. Closer will be Lidge, which is also worrisome, but not much we can do there, as they will let Myers go. Frankly, I would trade Hamels if possible with a top prospect to Toronto for Halliday and keep Lee and Blanton and Happ as starters with Drabek. Would be one serious rotation. Definitely need a stellar infielder who can spell Utley and possibly Rollins to keep them from late season fatigue. They will need a better season at the top from Rollins. Of course, they still won 93 games, even though they played badly as usual against the American League in Interleague play, so they should make another run next season.— chuckw
- David.....thanks for great coverage this year!— guit10
- Trade Hamels and Happ for Halladay.....— jimw81
- Anybody who says to dump Myers is a fool. You are assuming that Hamels and Lidge return to form. Pitchers like Myers don't grow on trees. Myers might not get the offer he wants from other clubs due to injuries. He has incentive to stay here. He would like to prove he is not the flakes that apparently Hamels and Lidge have turned into. Right now pitching is what the Phillies lack. They don't have to go out and take a chance on someone else. One thing you can say about Myers is he doesn't lack confidence. He was also humble enough to go back to minors last year when he had to.— Drew777
- First, great job by David! Will miss the regular posts! And will miss the Phils. But Feliz! "5.5-million club option may be exercised!?" That guy KILLED the Phils this post-season. And that infamous Damon play...he had no heart, no hustle. Total loser. Why this guy isn't more vilified is beyond me. And it's 'cow-looking-at-passing-train' incomprehensible how Manuel ran Feliz out there every day in this postseason. Dobbs (or even Bruntlett!) couldn't have been any worse. To me, with all of the great things this year, can be summed up by Feliz half-heartedly chasing Damon.— hankOceann
- Definitely let Feliz go and sign Chone Figgins (.400 OBP) to bat leadoff and play third. Move Rollins (.300 OBP)to the seventh slot. Package Ibanez and Hamels for a righthanded starting pitcher (Matt Cain?). Sign Matt Holliday to play LF. Keep Myers and Park because you have no idea what Lidge will be the next two years.— Jeff Dowder
- Felix was a huge hole. He should have been batting 8th, Francisco 9th and Chooch 7th. Amaro didn't help prepare this team for WS. Arguably his most effective starter all season - Happ - was a none factor during the playoffs because Amaro didn't get a LH reliever as insurance for Romero not returning. That a weak bench that didn't contribute squat at PH or DH killed us.— yardbyrd
