Why what you have done lately matters
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Why what you have done lately matters
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
Kyle Kendrick allowed six runs in 3 1/3 innings against the Braves on Wednesday. (Steven M. Falk/Staff Photographer)
When you consider the emotions of defeat and the persecutory feeling of a tight circle of microphone-wielding reporters, a certain amount of leeway should be afforded to an athlete when he answers a question about his performance. Once you have afforded Kyle Kendrick this leeway, you may proceed to the nearest section of drywall and bang your head against it in a steady yet forceful manner. More than two hours after he trudged off the mound in the fourth inning with a 6-1 deficit on the scoreboard, and long past the time most of his teammates had departed from the post-game clubhouse, the right-hander emerged from a members-only section of the premises and fielding questions about the Phillies' 12-6 loss. He was asked about a second inning in which he threw 50 pitches, walking a light-hitting eight-hole hitter and then surrendering a two-run double to the opposing pitcher.
"I just couldn't find the zone," he said.
He was asked about his tempo, which slowed to the pace of a rush hour crawl, about a perceived lack of aggression, which pushed his manager close to combustion.
"When you are struggling to find the zone, that's how it is," he said.
And then he was asked about his security in the rotation, where he is 2-8 with a 5.01 ERA in 15 starts this season, and the potential that he might head to the bullpen, where he is 2-1 with a 3.95 ERA in 12 appearances.
Kendrick shrugged.
"I guess that's how it is with me,'" he said. "It's, 'What have you done for me lately?'"
Whether Kendrick uttered the words in response to the media's constant hunt for a referendum or in response to his coaches' personnel decisions though out the season, the only response he will get is the sound of a record scratching to a halt. That, or a bug-eyed Jack Nicholson slamming his fist on a wooden table and barking in a homicidal rage, "You're (gosh) (darn) right it's what have you done for me lately."
You can forgive his exact words. Again, leeway. But words come from thoughts, and thoughts come from observations, and when you consider the observations required to get from A to B to "Woe is me," you realize that you are traveling a cognitive chain that is in serious need of reconditioning.
What Kendrick needs to understand is that the ability to throw a hard object with relative precision does not have any inherent value to a non-hunter-and-gatherer society. Kendrick does not manufacture a good, nor does he perform a service that is integral to the functioning of the American economy. A fastball does not refrigerate food or cure disease. A pitcher does not earn $3 million because he has a $3 million arm. He cannot call a 1-800 number during a commercial break on the O'Reilly Factor and exchange his sinker for gold bars. Investors are not transferring their money from treasuries to change-ups.
A human being's status as a pitcher does not entitle him to anything. He must create that value himself. He must earn everything. The value of a pitcher's skill is dictated entirely by the open market, and the open market is dictated by the decisions people make about where they spend their money. Kendrick makes $3 million because a lot of people have chosen to invest a percentage of their wealth in the ability to watch a baseball game rather than investing it elsewhere. Last night, one of those investors, a gentleman seated within earshot of the press box at Citizens Bank Park, yelled at the top of his lungs, "Give us our money back!" That, of course, is not the way markets work. But the gentleman's experience at the ballpark on Wednesday night can affect his future spending decisions. And since the game he watched was a pair of handcuffs away from violating the Geneva Conventions, it probably will.
If enough people have enough bad experiences and make enough changes to their spending habits, the Phillies lose money, which affects the earning potential of everybody in the organization, from the front office to the coaching staff to the players to the clubhouse staff. Which is why Charlie Manuel seemed so agitated after watching the second inning unfold on Wednesday night. The manager was so perturbed that he decided that his best course of action was to avoid saying words at his post game press conference. He didn't even bother with his nightly recitation of the pitching line. Manuel is a man who will excuse physical failure, because baseball is a game in which it is expected. What he cannot stomach, though, is a failure to control the controllable. And that, we can only assume, is what he saw in the second inning.
Me? I think the night was lost with one out, when a breaking ball in the dirt got past Erik Kratz and allowed runners to move to second and third. For a brief moment, Kendrick held a crouch, looking in at home, the wrong kind of emotion on his face. It was the kind of body language that Manuel and pitching coach Rich Dubee detest, the kind that is the arch nemesis of consistency. The consistent ones are consistent because they accept the results that are beyond their control. A failure to do so puts the whole operation in peril. That wild pitch -- a more agile catcher could have blocked it -- enabled a run to score on the ensuing groundout. And from there, the night spiraled out of control. A walk to Paul Janish. A double to Tim Hudson. A walk to Michael Bourn. And then a two-run single by Martin Prado.
One run followed by a quick third out would have sufficed. Instead, one run turned into four. What have you done for me lately? It is the essence of the sport.
Comments (78)
I don't know why everybody is getting upset with Kendrick. He's never been spectacular his entire career. We all know he's never been consistant. He is a known quantity. He's pitching exactly the way he always has. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. We all know by now what NOT to expect from him. So STOP your complaining. Why to YOU continue to expect more from a guy who has never produced more and we know will never produce more. Kendrick is what he is. And we're stuck with him.— Grapost- Phillies problems are with the Management/Coaches that they have problems judging talent. Tyler Cloyd is ignored and Kendrick starts!!Amaro/Manuel could WIN if you could assemble the best 25 players and keep Amaro from signing anyone to 7-8 year contracts.— tulsaphil
- Send Kyle Kendrick to the Cardinals for anything in return and they will resurrect his career much in the same way they have that of ex-Phil Kyle Lohse (remember him) who actually pitches against the Phils tonight.— BCRock
- Excellent writing. The late, great Shirley Povich from the Washington Post would be proud. I wish the editors at the Daily News would stop dumbing down your newspaper articles, because your blog posts are boldly intellectual, coherent, and stripped of everything but honesty. While Mr. Povich could write a beautifully, poetic sonnet about how the last place Senators lost, yet again, you, on a regular basis, strip away the fans' emotions of this lost Phillies season and dissect the remaining pieces to state the truth as you hear it, regardless of whether we want to hear it or not. Bravo! Author!! Author!!— Squonk64
- You have to question the mentality of the front office to pay this guy when every fan who has a brain has known for years this guy stinks. Rube has created a 178 million disaster with this mentality..— fafink
- Conlinesque, David. Lead on.— dmn
- I couldn't give away my tickets but refuse to go with Kendrick pitching. Like watching paint dry.— Ssteve115
- KK has a knack for saying exactly the wrong thing after losing. After one bad loss earlier this year where he gave up something like 5 runs in one inning he talked about how he gave the team a chance to win. Better to just keep the old trap shut in my opinion.
I thought he found a good niche in the bullpen. I haven't checked recently but when I looked earlier in the year some of his worst outings (starting and relief) were immediately following a switch from reliever to starter or vice versa. This would be a good one for David Murphy, Statistician Extraordinaire to take a look at. I really hated his move to the bullpen when they first did it but he seemed to learn how to throw harder and he expanded his pitch selection a bit. I think the bullpen improved him. I guess that last outing doesn't back that though ...
His ability to swing between the two roles is a plus and it's not easy to find. Is that worth 4.5m next year? I really doubt it but I also don't know that you get much in return for Kendrick. I'm sure they've tried moving him.
With the season in the hopper I don't see any reason not to get a guy like Cloyd on the roster and give him a look now rather than later.— s - I don't know which is worse, George ill writing about baseball, or Murph writing about economics.— bobcitydoc
- Kendrick has had ample opportunity to prove himself the majors, but yet he remains very mediocre at best. One good game, 2-3 poor games......Interesting how scouts point out that Cloyd does not have "major league stuff", so no matter how well he performs at AAA, he is not a real consideration for pitching in Philadelphia. But wait, since when had Kyle Kendrick had electric stuff? Seems he has been given many chances in Philly and more recently, a contract paying him far more money than he earns or deserves. KK's immature attitude and body language have long been hard to watch, but as hard as watching him get hit around the yard or walking guys at terrible times. Please, give somebody else (Cloyd) 4-6 starts over the remaining games and see what he can do. Kendrick is a known quantity....why continue to torture the fans and his teammates?— MrPhillie
- Kendrick deserves to have a defined role prior to being judged as a bust this season. He has been back-and-forth from the bullpen-starter-bullpen-starter that his head is spinning. I think it would have been much wiser to plug-in a starter from Triple-A and leave Kendrick in the bullpen. Kendrick isn't expected to be the next coming of Ron Reed. As far as Bastardo, he should lose his status as a set-up guy, and should have to earn it back. The problem with Manuel's approach is guy's are not losing their jobs for poor performance. I think the Phillies should seriously consider replacing Manuel after the season as he can't seem to develop players.— RunningTheBases
- Kratz' inability to block that pitch was just one of the questionable defensive plays of his night. While his offensive performance has been stellar before last night, I need a longer look to see how opposing pitching adjusts. While the unbridled optimism of some comments is refreshing to read, the suggestion of Ruiz playing infield because one of the reasons is the catcher position is in good hands seems highly premature. As some call Kendrick a AAA pitcher after watching a good sample size, shouldn't the minor leaguer designation to Kratz and Brown apply until time proves otherwise?— escapedcamden4monterey
- he had a "grip"? he doesn't even belong in the majors and wouldn't be were it not for a moron g.m. who decided to throw away $7.6 million on useless trash -- so now does Amaro extemd the great Lindlom and Herndon... get a new g.m or we can all stop wasting time talking about this pathetic team and its ludicrous nonsensical signings and moves— warbiscuit
- Kendrick should be released. He has AA stuff and all he does is whine. No fire = no job. Bye bye.
— thorshuffle - @advantasux, our lists are very similar. I have Worley in the second tier pending him having successful surgery and dropping some blubber. He has to prove to me he can get through a lineup more than once or twice. I also have Pierre in the second tier because he's past his prime and a liability on defense, but I absolutely love him. The second tier as you have it I agree with except for Bastardo. He hasn't helped the Phillies in a full year and his velocity is way down. I think he may need to go back to AAA to see if he can be straightened out, because it's certainly not happening under the "watchful eye" of Doobs! The third tier we're in total agreement at the present, although I'm hoping Diekman and maybe Rosenberg have a future with the Phils.
What jumps right off the screen is the fact that your list has NINE GUYS in the third tier! How can the Phillies pretend to be an elite team with NINE GUYS who have no business on the roster? Compare to the bottom nine on the Reds, Nationals, Braves, Cardinals, Giants...not to mention the American League. NINE GUYS!!!
We haven't even mentioned manager and coach comparisons...
A formidable task lies ahead. A lot of the Kool-Aid drinkers have finally conceded on 2012, but I think many still cling to the hope that a "tweak here and there" will fix this. That would be very wishful thinking.— dasher - Me i think the game was lost on the days after Dave Montgomery wrested control of the general managers authority when ryan madsdens'contract was being negotiated.even though papelbon was signed to a bigger contract the groundword was laid preventing the signing of competent middle releivers.If you want to play with the "big boys" it may be necessary to pay the luxury tax!!!— typpy1
- KK back to the pen and let Rosenberg take some starts (he was a starter at LV)— Seegs
- @dasher, in groups rather a vertical list, sticking to the current 25 guys + Polanco and Ruiz:
TOP-TIER:
(Halladay, Utley, Hamels, Lee, Ruiz, Howard, Papelbon, Rollins, Worley, Pierre)
NOT TOP-TIER BUT BELONG ON A WINNING ROSTER:
(Schierholtz, Polanco, Horst, Nix, Kratz, Lindblom, Bastardo, Frandsen)
BASICALLY WORTHLESS OR UNPROVEN AS OF NOW:
(Valdes, Mayberry, Wigginton, Diekman, Kendrick, Schwimer, Schneider, Rosenberg, Martinez)
That's 10 + 8 + 9.
How's yours stack up?— advantasux - KK belongs in the long man Pen spot. Enough KK. The Phils must start to use the kids who are starters in Lehigh and Reading. Forget the stuff about being too young. The Nats have disproven that baloney and so have the Angels. Time to change guys or lose all the support you have.— Koons
- Murph, did you buy the soapbox at Ollies ??— NewMick314
- The bullpen is so bad that fans are saying a guy with a 3.95 ERA as a reliever should be sent to the bullpen because he is successful there.Kendrick did not earn the contract he has now. I don't believe another team would take it if he was given to them.— RICH W ALLEN
- Thanks for the props, guys. I introduced Ruin Tomorrow a couple months ago, but only now has it begun catching on. Believe me, I'd much rather be referring to the Phillies' GM as Pat Gillick.
I saw a great feature about Gillick several years ago. It focused on how his prime strength was taking the people in the organization "on board" with him and tapping into what they had to offer. He made them feel important and valuable. In other words, he was a uniter and not a divider. He also had the uncanny ability to add pieces to the roster, time and again, that would enhance the chemistry of the club. He did this to an extent that it more than compensated for his occasional miscalculation. It strikes me that his methods took a lot more skill than to just throw big money at a few stars and then patch and fill three fifths of your roster with has beens and never will bes.
My goodness, do the Phillies ever miss Pat Gillick today! How did the current occupant of the GM's chair, complete with the baseball pedigree, Penn Charter background and Stanford education, learn so little from him?
As for the Cubs not hiring Sandberg, I see that a positive. When's the last time the Cubs made a good decision?
Here's your homework for today, guys. List the current Phillies roster in preferential order from 1 through 25. Draw a line under the last one who's a legitimate top tier player. Then continue to scroll down and draw another line under the last one who at least belongs on a winning roster. See how it breaks down and then possibly post your conclusions.— dasher - Kendrick is not a starter -- period. Never should have been given this contract. At this point he needs to be in the bullpen, at the very least. This season is in the books, so why not bring up Cloyd and see what he's got.— iggles_rock
- Ilove Ruin Tomorrow Jr. as well as a nickname— phillynupe4
- "...karmac attraction to wood" - uh, really? looks like KK inspire a level of prose last seen in these parts by a creep whose name is no longer fit to print (imho). good luck with that in the clubhouse.— defg0003
- @dasher, I'll echo our friend Quixote and say that "Ruin Tomorrow, Jr." is a fantastic play on our genius GM's given name. I've seen variations such as "Ruined Tomorrow, Jr." and Ruined Tamaro, Jr." of late).
Not certain that you were the one to come up with it but if you were, just ingenious on your part.
Regardless, I'll give you credit for injecting it here nonetheless, along with your usual hysterical banter (starring Josh Lindblom as Gomer Pyle).— advantasux - Good article. I turned down free tickets last night specifically because KK was pitching. They should send him back to the pen, send Bastardo down to get some of that confidence he lost and then bring up Cloyd and see what he's got. KK has been here 4 years now and he can never be consistent in the rotation. And Amaro WAY overpaid him on the 2 year extension.— jimbo jones
Murphy, two things:
1)the bad. You can't write this long an entry and put Dubious Dubee's name in a sentence and then NOT mention how the guy has ZERO talent nurturing young pitchers through tough innings. Did the guy make a visit? Did he help? Or did he do what he always does, act tough and angry in the dugout, thereby deflecting blame away from his dubious ways? Dubee is an ongoing fraud and is as much to blame for that inning as Kendrick.
2) the good. Very fine entry taking to task Kendrick's childishness from a true, down to earth perspective. You even resisted the urge to give in to the mandatory philly.com neanderthal instinct to insult O'Reilly. One of your best pieces of writing in a very long time. Impressive, young Skywalker.
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- Quixote - Dubee did visit the mound, so nothing doing there. Second, I'm not going to pretend to be able to discern the skill level of a pitching coach, because my experience has been that the vast majority of pitchers are, at best, ambivalent about them. But I will say that Dubee's critics are mighty selective with regard to their criticism of him. Does he not get credit for Cole Hamels, who has surpassed all expectations while under his watch? What about J.A. Happ and Vance Worley, who pitched much better than their projected ceilings under Dubee? Ryan Madson developed from an inconsistent starter/middle reliever into one of the most dominant setup men in the game under Dubee. J.C. Romero, waived by Boston, Scott Eyre, DFA'ed by the Cubs, both critical performers for a season-plus under Dubee. I mean, these guys won a World Series in a season where 3/5ths of the rotation was Adam Eaton, Kendrick and Jamie Moyer. Their World Series rotation was Hamels, Myers, Blanton, Moyer. Again, I'm not saying Dubee deserves credit for all of that. But I can't think of too many pitchers other than Eaton, Myers, Kendrick and Moyer who did not surpass everybody's wildest expectations under Dubee. — David Murphy
- 1) The inning was too painful to watch all the way through. It's so obvious when Kendrick is about to implode. Must have flipped away when Dubious trotted.
2) Madson was mocked by Dubee in a NJ paper about NEVER becoming a closer (I believe) in the fall of 2010. It would be perverse to give the bully credit for a pupil he openly mocked. Hamels, by many accounts was schooled by Moyer, often in spite of Dubee. Romero/Bastardo are one hit wonders - they are actually points on my side of the ledger that Dubee is unable to stabilize their talent. And all the young arms this season blowing leads ... then there is the Halliday is injured in spring training but I'm gonna do nothing about it episode ... all the marks of a talented pitching coach?
But thanks for responding ... and to conclude: this entry was some of your best work.
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- But Triple A guys aren't youth, most of them are aging 30-year-olds trying to hang on for one more shot at the majors. Double A guys are the youth. After 5 glorious years, I agree chuck, management deserves a mulligan and I think they'll be right back in it next year.— seaonasdad
- Kendrick has been effective in the bullpen and that's where he should stay. It's time for the Phils to test a few minor leaguers and see what they bring to the table. I'd also be in favor of allowing Worley to end his season sooner than later, get the bone chips removed from his elbow, and start recuperating and preparing for what promises to be a great comeback season.— onthebucks
- He Sucks!!! Case Closed— brizz33
- @chuckw, I believe I've been ranting and raving over guys occupying spots well below #22 - #25, as I really can count only 16 major-league caliber players in the entire system. Rushing guys like Rosenberg and Savery and Sanches and Diekman (I had never heard of him prior to his arrival here) into the mix doesn't support your argument in defense of Amaro's strategy as much as it supports mine.
In his desire to sign so many high-priced players and leave himself with precious little in resources to fill out the roster, he has also made some incredibly stupid decisions with guys named Contreras, Schneider, Martinez, Herndon and Baez (last year). Did he not notice the complete absence of any youth on his team, or the unbalanced average age of his roster and the propensity of mid-30's players to go down with injuries more than the norm?
I just read what you wrote three times through and I'm simply left with the unmistakable impression that other than "replacing Manuel with a new voice in the clubhouse" (even as you question Sandberg's credentials), you are perfectly satisfied with giving these folks a mulligan and staying the course.
To that I will offer that even now, with their roster almost completely intact and with the pressure of a pennant race off, they still cannot string together 3 or more wins.
You need to smell the coffee, my friend. Amaro has gutted this organization and if he's allowed to be the one to undo his wrongs, he better start by figuring a way to inject some youth, and bring up a manager (Sandberg) who knows that youth first-hand.
— advantasux - What has he done lately? What has he ever done for this team except about one good outing every twelve appearances? Besides having no ability the guy is mentally weak. Get rid of him.— Edward L Norton
- advantasux: you continue to rant and rave over guys who are the 22-25 spots on a roster. Earlier in the season, many posters, probably including yourself, wanted Diekman, doing well in Triple A, called up as the bullpen savior, a better lefthander than Bastardo. How has that worked out? The distance from triple A to the Majors is still a long one; Tyler Cloyd is now the flavor of the month, but there is no indication that teams are breaking down the doors of Amaro's office to get Cloyd or that scouts are salivating over him. Yes, veterans get a longer leash, but that is the case with all teams, particularly when the veterans are getting paid big bucks, and given the arbitration eligible clock. Cloyd will get his chance, just as Schwimer, Diekman, Bastardo, Stutes, Rosenberg, Valdes ad nauseum, and hopefully will surprise everyone. As I have said elsewhere: Amaro took a gamble that the team that won 97 games two seasons ago and lost in the NLCS and 102 games last season, losing (thanks to a lame Cliff Lee effort) in the NLDS (to a Cardinals team that only got into the playoffs because the Braves did an el choker in that last three-game series with the Phils)had another season or two left in the tank, particularly with Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Worley, and Blanton and adding one of the best closers in the game in Papelbon. Did he make mistakes. Yes, but nobody predicted Halladay going down, Lee going down for a month with an oblique, Worley getting bone chips, Utley forgetting to tell anyone that he was still lame, and Mayberry stinking out the joint. You can continue to scream, but Amaro will get another season or two to get this team back into the playoffs. I agree that the time is right for Manuel to be put out to pasture, as new voices are needed in the dugout, BUT teams have not been anxious to hire Sandberg, including the Cubs, which raises questions as to why he is still in Triple A.— chuckw
- All very reasonable, as is your style, my friend. I would only add, regarding Ruin Tomorrow Jr.: $170 million payroll, last place team. If a marginal talent like Kendrick is to be held accountable, then the management failure of 'Ruin' must - absolutely must - have some accountability as well.
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- higher sandberg..clap clap... clap clap clap..higher sandberg.. clap clap...clap clap clap..higher sandberg..clap clap ...clap clap clap!
fire num nuts..clap clap...clap clap clap! etc etc.— Ryne Duren - I am a Phils fan for over 60 years.Earlier this year,my son-in-law,
my two grandaughters.and I drove 100 miles to see Phils and Dodgers.
Kendrick was starter.I did not want to go,but,it was Lucy and Mary's
first game.I will NEVER go to a game that that KK is starting unless
he is with opposition.
— MaxDom - I never understood why they gave him a big contract. He's not major league material. Never has been. Adam Eaton type.— 4thand10
- I read this piece. It's entirely incoherent. I have no idea what any of this means or what the writer intends. I'm guessing Ernest Hemingway is coughing up blood in his grave after reading this. Given that, it will probably get some kind of sports writing award.— distant.star
- for all the bashing me and others have written about the media's turn-the-other-cheek handling of Amaro and Manuel, a column like the one offered above by Murph makes me wonder if some of these writers aren't secretly dying to come out and question the whole miserable thing Amaro has set up here. These guys must question to themselves the inaction taken on players such as Kendrick with Cloyd doing so well down at AAA, and the preservation of the seeming roster-spot-for-life for guys like Martinez, and the re-signing of guys like Contreras and Schneider last offseason when their decline was obvious to all including those two players.
None of these writers is stupid. I guess remaining in line to feed at the company trough is enough of a reason to continue to curry favor with the men whom have failed so completely, but I have to believe that almost every one of these guys is dying to let it rip.
Or so I'd like to think.— advantasux - if the Phillie/Amaro/Manuel defenders don't get it by now, they never will.
Guys like Kendrick ALWAYS get the benefit of the doubt here. They almost NEVER get sent down or sent away to clear room for another player to get his chance.
Witness how long it took to recognize this in Baez and consider the stranglehold on a roster spot afforded to the likes of Martinez and Herndon and Contreras and Schneider, and now Kendrick.
Asche, Overbeck, Cloyd, Kratz (until Schneider got a serious injury), whomever are never seen as possible pieces. Tried and true and declining veterans is ALWAYS the way to go for this management.
Well, folks, the virtue of that strategy has failed so miserably, the Phils are in record-setting territory. Go look up how many teams ever went backwards by 30 or more wins from one season to the next (102 last year to 72 this year possibly)— advantasux - Good article. Baseball is a GAME. Grown men are getting paid fantastic salaries to play a GAME. If they do not perform consistent basis, they should find another occupation. This includes management as well. The Phillies at this point in time have a number of players who should be employed elsewhere.— JimB
- Kyle Kendrick got the start due to the trade of Joe Blanton. What is factual is that Kendrick is more productive out of the bullpen. Done...Finished. Time to move on folks. It has been said over and over, but come on management, time to bring up the youngin's to see what they have. Put some of these guys on the 15 day DL starting 8/16/12 (then no need to wait for the 9/1/12 call up date). The time is NOW to see what we have and what we don't have.— drhoffman
- Kendrick needs to resume his role in the bullpen. He is effective there. Some guys are starters and others not. I think the Phils need to bring up some yutes to see if they are prime time ready.— rockinrob
- U gotta wonder what the heck the coaching staff is doing with some of these under-performing pitchers (Kendrick, Bastardo, among others). They show good basic skills from time to time, so why not coach them up. It's doubtful that all-stars like Lee, Doc and Cole need much coaching, which leaves lots of time to work with the rest of the staff and develop or redisover their basic basic skills.— Ringsider
- I remember another former Phillies pitcher that wanted to be a starter but really blossomed when he finally devoted himself to being a reliever. That was Ryan Madson and Kyle Kendrick can be just as effective if he just gets behind being a reliever.— tony bell
- Lindbloom was awesome too....NOT.— Sane1
- This is one of Murphy's best columns in my opinion. He exposes all of Kendrick's failings and questions why Kendrick's lack of consistency has been tolerated for so long. He was on the ballclub in 2008 as a realitive rookie and has accomplished very little since that time. He needs to go. We can no longer stand for mediocore players on this 25 man roster of very thin talent. We need to get competitive in 2013 and beyond.— 1republican
- Last comment - dfc5632 - couldn't agree more.
Charley has completely lost the team. Sandburg on the other hand knows the young players and is RESPECTED by them completely. His playing record alone will more than earn the respect of the "veterans." If ever there was a positive argument for cutting your losses and outright ridding the problem, Kendrick has had how many chances now and needs to be dropped off at the nearest trash container. He drags the entire team down to say nothing of all the faithful fans desperately wanting only to look ahead and hope for 2013 and fresh beginnings.
— wkirk - Well we all know that everything the Phils are doing at this point is in preparation for next season.
From that perspective, the one positive we can take from Kendrick's performance is that he seems to be making it pretty clear to the Phils that they would be unwise to plan a pitching staff for next season that includes Kendrick in anything other than than a "swingman/long relief" role.
It's better for the Phils that he's dispelling any illusions about him being a viable starter so they can add one to their already rather long shopping list for the off season.— andyd - all right murph,so kk goes to the bullpen...then who is the 5th starter??? you didn't even speculate who that might be...scrolling thru the 40 man roster,the answer is who???this season cannot end fast enough for me and whomever replaces kk,if he is replaced,won't be any better...so what's the point???— jabac
- Why didn't the Cubs organization want Ryno for manager?— Jeffy3
- Tonight in Trenton is an important night for the Phillies organization. The top left-handed pitcher in its minor league system 22 year old Adam Morgan makes his AA debut. This guy's fastball sits in the mid 90's. He still leads the Florida State League in strikeouts and was second in WHIP. Recently he retired the first 22 batters he faced and in two back to back starts he struck out 22 in 15 innings without walking a batter. He might move up quickly.— Dull
- I am glad that more and more posters seem to want to give Ryne Sandberg a chance and I couldn't agree more. My only worry is that another team wakes up and hires Ryno before Cholly decides to "retire" to become a SA to Monty.— PhillyinBmore
- One of the most frustrating thing about this season is the inability and unlikelihood of any serious change happening. Especially at the top with RAJ & Cholly. Both who just have everything they are doing blow up in their face. It has been pretty clear all season that without Utley around to enforce things, no player was going to listen to Cholly. He has never been a good "game manager" and he is just too much of a believer in the "back of card" stats and remains loyal to "his guys" In a lost season, where fans need some glimmer of hope and want to see younger players firsthand, a hands-on manager is needed (i.e.: Ryno) but RAJ won't fire Charlie. Because it will make Charlie the scapegoat for his own poor personal moves in putting the roster together. Charlie is too stubborn to resign and admit that he has lost the team. Both are hanging their hopes on having full seasons from Utley & RHow, a resurgent CLee and for things to break right for 2013 to save their jobs. Unfortunately, it will be another year we fall behind younger, more aggressive and hungry teams.— PhillyinBmore
- Cloyd's ceiling is a bit higher than KK and thats it, so lets not get too carried away by what he is doing in LV, which is pretty awesome. He should get a shot though after seeing the clunker KK threw last night and De Fratus should get the call up to replace Bastardo so he can work on his control. Had Freeman down 0-2 and missed badly on the next 4 pitches. That can't happen against a lefty.— ESFjellin
- LOVE Klye Kendrick, this guy is a stud. Those sinkerballs and that pinpoint control when he is on is well worth the money.
joking, of course. this guy is yet another sentimental signing from the 2008 WS title. why the hell would you throw $7.5 million at a FRINGE MAJOR LEAGUE PITCHER. look at the Athletics, Marlins, etc they get the same production as kendrick by calling up AAA KIDS TO THE ROTATION. ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC DECISION by Amaro yet again.
Kendrick is basically an overpriced spare tire
— astroqueen0 - KK should be put back in the bullpen. He was sort of effective in that role. Call up a starter. Option Bastardo.— palmyra21
- Obviously the powers that be think that if they leave Cloyd where he is and he does well they can get more for him than if he comes up and gets shelled. Phillies always leave pitchers in minors too long. Time for a fresh approach in the dugout. Make Charlie a special assistant to somebody and get rid of the rest of the coaches. Its Ryan Sandberg time!— dfc5632
- The truly frustrating thing is that almost everyone knew that Kendrick is better off in the pen. He was actually playing well in the pen, and by golly the pen needed the help.
So what do Ruben and Charlie do? The put him back in the rotation. It boggles the mind that the team insists on doing things that have a very low probability of success. Michael Martinez starting a game in centerfield anyone?
They refuse to bring up Cloyd because they don't want to give him major league time.
It's funny how the people they did not want to call up but had no choice are doing pretty well. Kratz, Dom Brown. I wonder in the manager of the AAA club has anything to do with that? What's his name again?— blah - Comments made for someone else on the way out of town..........I figure by Spring Training 2013, another 2/3 of this team should be traded or let go. Unfortunately, I don't see Charlie as a rebuilding, youth movement manager.— sonnybuoy01
- Everybody - read Krusty above - this is how you can be sarcastic and satirical and still get your points across. AND, best of all, they are good points. Good job, my friend - I couldn't agree more.— dwp66
- And just think, we, the paying customers, have another year of Kendrick at approximately $4 million. Atta boy, Rube.— PhightinPhil
- And if you'd bother to look around baseball, you'd see there are about 20 other teams with ineffective million dollar pitchers. It's not exclusively a Phillies problem. — Grapost
- I want more KK in the rotation. In a lost year, the best thing to do is keep trotting proven-mediocre talent out there and hope they magically get better. The last thing they should do is give a young guy who's ERA at AAA is below 2. That would just be silliness and crazy talk. KK has only been in the big leagues for 5 years and started only about 80 games so we don't have enough of a sample set yet to truly judge his soon-to-be-ace probability. But what do I know, I'm just a TV clown. Uggghhhhh— Krusty
- Hopefully this is the last time we have to suffer through Kendrick's mediocracy and attitude.— Blue Hen
- KK has never read Dorfman's "Mental Side of Pitching" highly recommended by Halladay, L33 and I suspect Cole Hamels but also likely read by most 8/9th graders and higher who have aspirations to pitch.
He simply has no mental approach to ANY game, let alone this one. 'this is how it is with him' paraphrasing. 'I don't know', paraphrasing and taking something out of context.
How in God's name CManuel, RAJ and MontCo can believe in this (not so) young man as a fifth starter is beyond me. He occasionally has a good mid-relief outing when NOTHING is on the line, or usually so, and fools all of us into thinking he can do the job. Enough already.
As for Cloyd, the word on him is 'not sure' - yes, he's having a stellar season but is he a savior, a 4th or 5th starter, maybe not. But now is the time to find out.
Fish, or cut bait.— 24sDad 
Good article, Murph, but be careful you don't cross the line into Conlin territory. His contorted, obscure, confusing style of of round-about writing was painful. Your hunter-gatherer paragraph was borderline Fat Bill esque!— John621- It's bad enough that Kendrick is getting the money he gets to stink up the ballpark, but then he opens his mouth...
Kendrick. Bastardo. Gomer Pyle from the Dodgers. On and on. Go down the Phillies current roster and you'll find eight highly paid stars and maybe a couple other decent pieces, and then it just drops off like the continental slope. Great job doing what you do, Ruin Tomorrow Jr. We want our money back, indeed!— dasher - If Philliesguy's actions are becoming more prevalent as this nigthtmare of a season winds down, maybe a few more moves will get made than just salary dumps and a simple "write off" of a tough luck season...The NL simply is not scared of the Phillies anymore, and the preseason comments from Brad Lidge, which irked too many IMO, came to fruition...injuries or not....I toitally agree with chuck that this was insightful writing by Murphy, who has taken heat of late as being a tea toter...For an early morning post, his words clearly spoke for feelings that may have been on his mind for quite awhile...It's ashame contracts often get in the way of moves that should be made...and yes, Cloyd and DeFratus should be in the fold right about now for THEIR shot.— bearsfriend
- Murph - did you have your cranky pants on when you wrote this article? Mostly true about KK, but very "preachy".— LI PhilPhan
- My wife and I left the game after the top of second. Painful to watch and figured it was better to watch some TV shows we had recorded rather than waste another 3 hrs at the park. Not sure why they didn't get someone up early to relieve KK. Bullpen hadn't pitched on Tues and day off Thurs.— Philliesguy
- E-a-g-l-e-s....— albrock
- ...and just what do you think they're gonna do other than their usual being just not good enough to be good enough... — flank steak
- Wow: great late evening/early morning writing Murph, reflecting the frustration felt by more individuals than simply Charlie Manuel. Kendrick might be sent back to the bullpen, or shipped out of town, while Bastardo, if Ricky Bottalico had his way, would be released outright. Presumably, Tyler Cloyd, not particularly liked by the Phillies brass, will be brought up in due course nonetheless, along with one of the Lehigh Valley relievers.— chuckw
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High Cheese is your place for the best Phillies coverage from the Daily News.
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