Posted: Thursday, May 28, 2009, 11:27 AM | 13 comments |
 

Does injury explain Myers' issues?
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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
13
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:20 PM, 05/28/2009
    With the Phillies ability to sell tickets hand over fist this season, there should be no concerns about increasing the payroll. Thome, Jenkins, and Eaton all come off the books after this season, and it is likely that Myers will not be returning. There is no reason the Phillies can't go out there and get a top starter or trade for a top starter right now. With the core that is locked in place on this team, a top arm like Peavy or Bedard can be had with the right offer. Don't want to trade away the farm system, you say? Let me put it to you this way - would you rather have a crazy championship run for the next 3-4 years or a "strong farm system" for the future. Let's create a dynasty.
    — 4DaysRest.com
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  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:59 PM, 05/28/2009
    Myers is mediocre at best. A former golden gloves boxer who punched his wife, should have been waived then. I'm sure he will be on the DL and then never ptich for the Phillies again. What will we do without all of those opposing home runs? Can you say Kyle Kendrick or Eric Bedard?
    — Dr. Michael
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:00 PM, 05/28/2009
    a starting position player would be required for peavy... or any other #1 that we could actually trade for. so who goes? I nominate Werth-less - his ab's make me ill. Can't do it unless we know Mayberry can play... don't want Stairs patrolling rf every night.
    — fcskills
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:30 PM, 05/28/2009
    There really is no baseline for Myers performance over the years, so we can't say if there's a "change" to explain. It's more of the same, inconsistency.
    — RAS
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:57 PM, 05/28/2009
    Right, that's true. I could have just said, "explanations for performance." That's what my job is most of the time--find put why these guys are playing the way they're playing.
    — Andy Martino
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:33 PM, 05/28/2009
    People need to understand that Peavy has a no trade clause and DOES NOT WANT to come to Philly...
    — phigglesfan75
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:36 PM, 05/28/2009
    ^out
    — Andy Martino
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:39 PM, 05/28/2009
    Myers has always allowed a lot of HRs. He's hit 93 on the gun at times so he's still got velocity just not as consistent and it seems like he was a little slow to get up to full speed this season. He was pitching well before last night. Give up the Peavy pipe-dreams. Peavy has a limited no-trade clause and he hasn't given any indication that he is willing to go to the East Coast, let alone the Phils, and he certainly doesn't want to pitch in the Bank after pitching in the pitcher-haven known as Petco all these years. You can't trade for a player that isn't available to your team. Be careful what you wish for too, Peavy's road ERA has been significantly higher than his home ERA in 3 of the last 4 seasons. He might be another Matt Holiday or Vinny Castilla who has inflated stats due to his home park.
    — JimG
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:07 PM, 05/28/2009
    I think it is most definitely a clue if not the cause, Andy. We'll find out before too long but I'd bet that hip has affected his velocity since the Spring. What's affected him between the ears is open to conjecture. One thing's for sure - Peavy isn't coming here.
    — PhillySubsMac
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:27 PM, 05/28/2009
    4DaysRest - I firmly believe that the ability to sell tickets and fill stadiums has little impact on the amount of money any team spends on their roster. I certainly recognize that there is a significant difference in revenue between selling 25,000 and 45,000 tickets (and the associated concession and parking sales) per night over 81 dates. However, the majority of income for baseball franchises comes from shared national and individually negotiated television and media contracts. In this regard, the Phillies are well positioned to spend money. Despite a decline in advertising sales across television, with their recent success on the field, the Phillies are a great draw locally and regionally on Comcast SportsNet. The team and sports network cast a wide net of revenue. The Phillies ownership will have to decide whether to adjust their operating profit margin in order to spend additional assets to acquire any additional players that may increase the team's performance on the field. Simply put, where is the point of diminishing returns? How much more money can they spend with an expectation for receiving it back in increased revenues. The park is already full every night and people like us are soaking up every minute on TV, radio, or internet. My personal opinion is that the Phillies will figure heavily on the trade market as long as they don't have to significantly increase their payroll.
    — Preserve Jon
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13 comments
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