Archive: May, 2009

Saturday, May 30, 2009
Bastardo to start Tuesday; Amaro still looking for a pitcher

Today’s rotation update:

Antonio Bastardo will get the spot start Tuesday, but that doesn’t mean a lot for the Phils long-term pitching situation. Though Bastardo could certainly pitch well and earn more appearances, the Phillies continue to explore their options for a starting pitcher.
           
Ruben Amaro told me before the game that while Brett Myers’ injury has accelerated that process somewhat, he was not going to act irrationally because the team lost a starter. “There is a little more urgency now,” he said. “But we’re not going to make a move just to make a move.”
 
The hard part about making an early-June trade is that few teams have begun to unload talent. “It’s always difficult to make a trade, but it’s hard to find a partner right now because not many teams consider themselves sellers,” said Amaro.
 
Stay tuned.
Posted by Andy Martino @ 11:49 PM  Permalink | 23 comments
Friday, May 29, 2009
Myers confirms he will have surgery, WITH UPDATES

 

Brett Myers told the Inquirer that he will have surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip, and a return this season is a longshot. The operation will be performed by Dr. Bryan Kelly, who operated on Chase Utley last November, and will likely occur Thursday, though that date is not confirmed.

"This is the best option for me," he said.  "The doctor told me my hip would be unbelievably better when I come back."

“I have the same thing as Chase (Utley), a torn labrum (Myers also has bone spurs),” he said. “This is the best option for me.”

 
Myers said that while no surgery had been scheduled, a Thursday operation was a strong possibility. He and the doctors discussed a cortisone shot, enabling him to pitch through the rest of the season, but they told him “surgery was a no-brainer. If you (pitch through the injury), the chances of hurting your arm are greater. Ultimately, I could hurt my arm and need two surgeries.”
 
Team doc Michael Ciccotti said Myers will need at least three months, and perhaps as many as six weeks more than that before he can pitch.
 
***
 
A word about Myers’ decision. Believe me, the guy wanted to pitch this year. But one season is never, ever worth a risk to one’s long-term health. This is a game, and Myers has to worry about not only his ability to make a living in baseball after this year, but his future quality of life.
 
 Now, what happens to the Phillies? I'm sure you know that Ruben Amaro does not comment on specific trade rumors. But here’s what he had to say about the team’s general outlook in light of this news:
 
"We have to do what's right both business-wise and talent-wise. Each possible trade we can make we have to take on a case-by-case basis. It's not an open checkbook situation. We can't be so short-sighted that we make a move just to make a move and not consider the future.”
 
An internal candidate will make Myers next scheduled start on Tuesday, Amaro said.
The options include: Kyle Kendrick (4-3, 4.25 earned run avergage); Carlos Carrasco (0-6, 5.81); Drew Carpenter (2-0, 3.61); Rodrigo Lopez (2-2, 4.84); and Antonio Bastardo (1-0, 2.08).
 
Beyond that game, the team may be compelled to accelerate their search for a veteran starter via trade. Colorado’s Jason Marquis, Boston’s Brad Penny and Seattle’s Erik Bedard are a few of many pitchers who could become available. The team is not interested in free agent Pedro Martinez. In my opinion, Penny makes sense; ESPN’s Buster Olney speculated—and I stress that word-- this morning that a Jason Donald for Penny trade would work for both teams (I’d link to it, but you need a subscription). I know, I know: I think Donald is a good player, too. But you gotta give  to get.
 
My job in the immediate future will be to report on that situation, so stay tuned here and on Twitter (Larry King said the other day that he dictates his Tweets; for the record, I type my own).

 

Posted by Andy Martino @ 5:48 PM  Permalink | 37 comments
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Myers speaks about his injury

 

According to Brett Myers, hip surgery is likely, and the question is when. “From what I gather from our team doctor and our head trainer, surgery will happen at some point whether it’s now or after the season,” he told the Inquirer this evening.
 
Though the Phillies have not specified which hip specialist Myers will see, indications are that it could be Bryan T. Kelly, the specialist from the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York who performed second baseman Chase Utley’s hip surgery last November.
 
``I am going to explore every option I need to,” Myers said. “Keep pitching, but if he tells me, `It’s over, you need to have (surgery) now or you could cause damage,’ I will have it. I have to. It’s a no brainer. If he tells me rehab and anti-inflammatory medicine will take care of it, I’ll pitch through.”
 
Myers, of course, is a free agent after this season, but isn’t thinking about that now. ``I’m not thinking about the future. I want to pitch this season,” he said.
 
He said that he was doing his best to calmly weigh his options. ``Once you get over being upset, reality sets in and you have to be realistic and make a decision. I’m trying to weed out the pros and cons of what I can do. But if (Kelly) says have the surgery now, I will. If I have surgery now I hope to be back in September.'
 
Earlier today, we speculated whether the hip problem has made Myers an inconsistent pitcher this year, and here’s what he said: ``this has been bothering me as long I can remember. I never knew what it was. It just became unpitchable this season.''
 
***

A couple of points of analysis: 

If he has surgery, he will be one of several big leaguers to have recent hip surgery. Because we don’t know the specifics of his issue and how it compares to other players, we can’t learn too much (plus Myers is a pitcher). But for what it’s worth, Mike Lowell and Chase Utley had their surgeries in October and November, respectively, and both have returned to full strength. Alex Rodriguez’s surgery was in March, and he returned May 8 and has played well since. Carlos Delgado and Alex Gordon have had more recent surgeries and are yet to return.

The speculation about trading for a starting pitcher should now get more serious. Before, though the Phillies were considering all options, the whole discussion had a sensationalistic, talk radio feel. Now, they should go get a guy. This is a team built to win now, with position players in their prime. The rotation was troubled enough to begin with, and the internal options are not satisfying. Kyle Kendrick is still working on his command in Triple-A; Carlos Carrasco is struggling big time; Drew Carpenter, in that spot start against the Nats, did not pitch aggressively enough with a lead, and demonstrated that he is not ready; Chan Ho Park, the team believes, is better suited to the bullpen.

The Phillies style, as you know, has not been to trade for the Jake Peavys of the world, but the Jason Marquis (see Blanton, Joe). That’s not to say they won’t step out of character, but their payroll is already pretty high. My opinion? Mortgage the farm to get a good pitcher, if that is possible. This is an organization built to win now, and the rotation is the only thing holding them back from dominating the division. It was the biggest issue before Myers' injury, and now is huge.  He had been inconsistent this season, but was improving.  It is imperative that, should they lose him, the Phils replace Myers with a quality big league arm.  There is no minor leaguer who should be untouchable in a deal.

What do you think?

Posted by Andy Martino @ 7:25 PM  Permalink | 48 comments
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Myers may need surgery

As first reported by the Inquirer's Jim Salisbury, Brett Myers was told that he may need surgery. 

In addition, here's the official statement from the team:

"After speaking with Phillies Team Physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti this afternoon, Brett Myershad an x-ray last night that revealed bone spurring in his right hip joint," said GM Ruben Amaro Jr.  "He had an MRI this afternoon that revealed fraying an possible tearing in the labrum of the hip.  Brett will seek a second opinion from a hip specialist to be determined.

"It is possible that Brett will not make his next start.  That decision as well as any decision on a possible DL stint or surgery will be determined at a later date."

Posted by Andy Martino @ 5:52 PM  Permalink | 1 comment
Thursday, May 28, 2009
HOF'er Kalas now a WOF'er

The Phillies have just announced that they will honor late broadcaster Harry Kalas by inducting him into their Wall of Fame before a game against Florida on Friday, August 7. Wall-of-famers Steve Carlton, Jim Bunning, Mike Schmidt, Dick Allen, Greg Luzinski, Garry Maddox, Tony Taylor, Dallas Green and Bob Boone are expected to attend. Fun fact: Harry broadcast games involving all of these people.

For the blog on Brett Myers, click here.

Posted by Andy Martino @ 2:34 PM  Permalink | 7 comments
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Does injury explain Myers' issues?

An interesting moment in Jim Salisbury’s game story last night came when Brett Myers conceded that the pain in his hip affected his location last night. “I think it did tonight,” he said.

 Myers has been something of a mystery all season—okay, he’s been something of a mystery for most of his career—because he arrived at spring training in great shape, super motivated to have a big season and prove to the team that he was worth another contract. Rich Dubee said that Myers had not totally committed to starting at the beginning of last season, after enjoying his time in the bullpen; that lack of dedication hurt him early in 2008, Dubee believed.
 
This year, Myers has been earnestly trying to do well in the rotation.  Dubee and Manuel expected him to have a big season (when Manuel named him the opening night starter in place of an injured Cole Hamels, the manager grinned like a proud papa, clearly happy to reward Myers for renewed commitment and better conditioning).  But Myers' velocity and location have been mysteriously problematic. Even when he showed recent improvement, he allowed way too many home runs. It is premature to conclude that Myers’ hip problem explains his issues, but it will be interesting to see how this unfolds as he undergoes an MRI and awaits the results. We’re always seeking explanations for changes in performance, whether for the better or worse, and we might have been given a clue about this particular player.
Posted by Andy Martino @ 11:27 AM  Permalink | 13 comments
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Blanton, Manuel and Victorino on last night's game

Here's the final version of last night's game story, with reaction from the players and manager.  A technical issue caused only an earlier version to run, so....

           Joe Blanton and Shane Victorino have explained their recent transgressions differently, in ways that reflected their personalities. After every poor outing this season, Blanton stood in the Phillies locker room and quietly said he expects to improve.
            Victorino, thrown out attempting to steal second with none out and Matt Stairs batting in the ninth inning of the Phils 5-3 loss Monday, bounced around the clubhouse that night and the day after, chirping amiably at reporters and attempting to explain the play to skeptical teammates. At one point, he even crawled into a laundry basket while Brad Lidge—himself a beleaguered player who would later earn a save last night—teased him.
            Both men’s coping strategies seemed to yield results, as the Phils beat the Florida Marlins 5-3 at Citizens Bank Park. Blanton enjoyed his best game of the year, pitching seven shutout innings and setting a career high with 11 strikeouts. Victorino went 4 for 5, with two doubles, a run batted in and a run scored.
            “He was aggressive and he just kind of went after hitters,” Manuel said of Blanton. “He threw some sliders and got them over…it was a good game for him.”
            Blanton’s success came in part from recent adjustments. After noticing that he had pitched far worse with runners on base this season (.342 opponents batting average) than with none on (.282)—a problem he had never before experienced in his career—Blanton hit the video room last week in search of a reason. He discovered that he had moved his feet too far apart while pitching from the stretch, and resolved to correct the problem last night.
            In the second, Blanton had his first chance to test the discovery. He got two quick outs, but surrendered a single to Dan Uggla and a ground-rule double to Cody Ross. He then issued an intentional walk to eighth-place hitter Chris Coghlan, bringing up pitcher Andrew Miller, who grounded out to end the inning. In the third, Hanley Ramirez hit an infield single with two out, and Blanton struck out cleanup hitter Jorge Cantu.
            All night, the 28-year-old righthander refused to allow baserunners to sidetrack his performance. The improvement was most obvious in the sixth when, after he allowed a leadoff single, Blanton struck out the side. The pitcher ultimately held Florida to 1 for 7 with runners on base, with two walks.
            “It definitely didn’t hurt tonight,” Blanton said of the adjustment. “And I think it helped to get my arm in definitely a better throwing position.”
            As for Victorino, Manuel said he was impressed by the centerfielder’s night, whether or not the motivation for it derived from Monday’s embarrassment. “He got four hits, played a good game,” the manager said. “I don’t know if he did anything different, but four hits is good. I liked the way he played.”
            Victorino said he had forgotten about Monday, and offered a cliche that could have applied to both him and the winning pitcher. “One night you’re the goat,” he said. “The next night you can be the hero.”
Posted by Andy Martino @ 3:45 PM  Permalink | 10 comments
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
A good lookin' win (mostly)

If you like the Phillies, you had to like tonight’s win, because the team showed what they can be when the get a good effort from their starter and closer.  The only blemish was a hairy ninth--which was on Chad Durbin, not Brad Lidge, and was made hairier by Ryan Howard’s throwing error. But the big guy has earned some slack with solid defense this season, wouldn’t you say? That was, after all, his first error of the year.

The gaffe allowed Lidge the opportunity to earn a save, and the embattled closer pitched well after a leadoff walk (he admitted that he was “amped” coming into the game, but was quickly able to settle). Lidge has been insisting lately—you’ve all seen the million or stories where he does this—that he feels good, everything’s coming along. After tonight’s save, he went a step farther, predicting that he was about to take off on a long run of successful appearances. 

Joe Blanton broke through, and snapped the pattern of pitching well for several innings at a time but falling victim to one lousy inning. I wrote in Tuesday’s paper about a mechanical adjustment Blanton made from the stretch, moving his feet further apart; he utilized the new approach tonight and held the Marlins to 1 for 7 with two walks when there were runners on base. That was after opposing batters were hitting .342 off him with runners on, and .286 with the bases empty so far this season.
 
Shane Victorino, who began the day by climbing into a steel laundry basket while Brad Lidge made fun of Monday's baserunning error (I don’t know why the man does the things he does, but he is quite often entertaining), went 4 for 5 with an RBI an run scored. He denied after the game that he was motivated by or thinking about Monday. Whatever the reason, he bounced back nicely.
 
Jayson Werth broke a 2 for 30 stretch with a seventh-inning double. Some interesting stuff about Werth from Charlie Manuel in tomorrow’s paper. Sample quote: “This is the year that we see if he’s really an everyday player.”
 
***
Two links for you: my live chat from earlier, in case you missed it, and the New York Times story on how Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor became a friend to baseball.
Posted by Andy Martino @ 11:35 PM  Permalink | 11 comments
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Chat transcript

Posted by Andy Martino @ 12:16 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
Monday, May 25, 2009
Live chat today at 11

 

Hope you’re out enjoying the holiday, and if you’re looking at this it’s a quick peek at the Blackberry during your barbeque.
 
A special hello today to our veterans. I always admire athletes who understand their position in society and use their platform to give back, but that spirit of service is multiplied many, many times over by those who chose to serve our country. I’m grateful to my late grandfather, Raymond Martino, who fought in World War II; to my close friend, Sean Casey, a captain in the U.S. Army who has served in Iraq; and to all the vets reading this and watching the game today.
 
Here is the Phils lineup:
Rollins SS
Utley 2b
Ibanez LF
Howard 1b
Werth RF
Victorino CF
Feliz 3b
Ruiz C
Moyer LHP, going for win # 250

***

Also, I'll be doing a live chat tomorrow at 11am, so get your questions ready.

Posted by Andy Martino @ 5:05 PM  Permalink | 3 comments
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About Andy Martino
Andy Martino is in his first season on the Phillies beat. A former New York City public school teacher and graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, he previously wrote for the New York Daily News, where he covered baseball and worked with the award-winning investigative sports "I-team."
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