Again, Mike Adams is dominant
The Phillies invested $12 million in Mike Adams and the spring has only reinforced the reasoning behind their decision. Adams made quick work Monday of three Pirates.
Again, Mike Adams is dominant
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Phillies invested $12 million in Mike Adams and the spring has only reinforced the reasoning behind their decision. Adams made quick work Monday of three Pirates, including a strikeout looking on a nasty slider.
Adams, appearing in his second Grapefruit League game, has shown zero issues stemming from offseason surgery to remove a rib and correct thoracic outlet syndrome.
"Everything has come along the way I expected and hoped," Adams said. "It feels like my arm strength is getting better every outing."
Many Phillies officials have gushed about Adams' work this spring. Charlie Manuel summed it up.
"Adams really looks sharp," Manuel said. "He's close to being ready."
Because of the long spring, Adams will replace some game appearances with bullpen sessions. There is no sense, he said, in racking up the innings.
EXTRA BASES. The lone hit Monday by Pittsburgh was a first-inning double by Travis Snider. Ryan Howard might have had a play with a quicker reaction. ... John Lannan was effective in three innings, even when he was forced to linger in the dugout while the Phillies scored. "It's good to practice that now and keep the legs going," Lannan said. "It was good to have that long rest. It was difficult but something you have to adjust to." ... The Phillies scored three runs on bases-loaded walks.
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Papelbon was the worst signing of last winter (as predicted per Stark of espn Feb '12 poll; fangraphs feb '12, many others), despite padding his stats with non-pressure saves against weak hitting teams -- he had 10 awful failures (not 4) --which is at least twice the acceptble level for a decent closer: 6 devastating losses and 4 blown saves that were as season-detroying as anything else that wrecked the Phils season:
5/7 vs. Mets 3 ER, Loss;
6/4 vs. LA 1 ER, Loss;
6/23 vs TB 2 ER, Blown save;
7/5 vs. Mets 2 ER, Blown save, Loss;
7/18 vs. LA 2 ER, Blown save leading to loss;
7/21 vs SF 1 ER, Loss;
8/21 vs Cinc. 1 er, Loss;
9/2 vs. Atl, up 7-3 with 2 outs to go; 2 inherited runs score, 3 more earned runs, Blown save, Loss...season over
he has a mediocre to terrible WAR for past several years and hitters last year batted far over .300 against him when his pitch count gets to 15 -- no worse reliever to see on the mound in an important spot past few years than this one-dimensional loser (see, e,g, Papelbon's season detroying performance last day of 2011 for Bosox)-- good hitters foul off his straight fastball, work out a walk or wait for him to tire and then usually shellack him in any big spot - he's not "elite" but rather shaky and unreliable in big spots.. worst waste of $50 million when Phillies could have acquired multiple relievers and gotten legitimate offense (Aramis Ramirez, Beltran) for that price
oh, and only morons think that saves are a relevant stat; Jose Mesa, Mitch Williams, Mike Williams were all reliable closers too, right?— warbiscuit- Radiojoe has got to be the dumbest one here yet: it was bad enough to defend the awful signings of Polanco, Moyer, Ibanez, Howard, and Papelbon initailly but in hindsight!! they would clearly be graded by any objective grader with half a brain as F,F,F,D,and D --suggestion: don't post idiocy if you're an unmitigated fool— warbiscuit
- with the $36mil. wasted on 2 good months of Ibnaez over 3 yrs, $18 million thrown down the drain on a black-hole of zero offense for 3 yrs at 3rd base, $16 million on late-40's Moyer with an era about 5, $24 million wasted on a 5th starter (blanton) about as effective as a washed-up veteran who could be had for minumm wage, $125 million wasted on a .250-hitting d.h. who can't field or hit lefties, $50 million wasted on a non-reliable closer --well gee, ther are about 29 other g.m.s who might have been able to put together a decent team with the extra $269 million— warbiscuit
- Ok. That was one and done. War, if you can't debate without insults, if you can't resist stating positions in such extremes, "F,F,F,D and D" then there's just no point. Your mind is fixed that Amaro's an idiot. We get it. I will put one more thing to you, though. How can anyone judge a signing but in hindsight?— RadioJoe1470
- PeaceMuffin can always criticize in hindsight. Note he never makes any of his own proposals in advance. He's hated Amaro ever since RAJ smashed his Batman lunchbox and thermos in fifth grade. This is his payback.— cuyatm
- The addition of Mike Adams will do the same thing to the Phillies bullpen as the signing of Michael Young, the healthy Utley & Howard Dom Brown hitting - are doing to the batting order. That is, the presence of Adams will allow everyone else to relax and let their talent take over - filling their role in the bullpen instead of trying to be "the man." This is what it means to be a team.— dwp66
- cuyatm: "PeaceMuffin can always criticize in hindsight." right --cause I never criticize at the time he makes the moves --gee, that may come as news to all the rest of the readers here attacking me for criticizing 90% of Rube's moves this winter, just as I did last winter...
so, for the record:
Trade of Worley and Mays for Revere: bad move -- NOT because Worley and Mays may become so great but because Revere is barely serviceable --with a poor throwing arm and little meanigful offensive prodcution --so Phils offene is still lacking
D.Young -- bad move
M. Young --bad move (defense will cost games)
Lannan --bad move
Kendrick as 4th starter --bad move
Adams -- good move
Cook --bad move
not getting Hamilton or a cheaper alternative (Melky Cabrera) --bad move --Phils still lack outfielder
my calls re 2011:
Thome --calle it absurd --was CORRECT
Wigginton -called him terrible - was CORRECT
Willis - called him terrible -- was CORRECT
Qualls -said it woud be a disaster when Chollie would use him against lefties or as set up man --was CORRECT
Pierre --applauded the low-cost signing (although I then hated Chollie's overuse of him as a starter since his defense was atrotious)--was CORRECT
Nix -- called it bad move -was CORRECT
trade of Pence for JOseph -- called it an awful deal --was CORRECT, as every outfielder in off-season was valued at 4 to 5 times this in trade cost or salary
Hamels contract -- called it a GOOD signing -- was CORRECT (and yes was surprised that Rube finally got it done and that Hamels didn't go elsewhere)
not that I'm so smart -I'm just objective -- but I seem to be batting about .900 in my player assessments while CLuless Rube seems to bat about .050— warbiscuit - If Adams and Bastardo find old selves Phills pen can be very good. Pap though no Kimbrel is a quality closer who will not wilt in the situation. Send Pap out there with 45 saves on line he will bring back 40-41. Antonio and Adams can dominate.— Don w
