Halladay goes through bullpen session
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Halladay goes through bullpen session
Bob Brookover, Inquirer Baseball Columnist
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Roy Halladay, coming off the Tuesday Grapefruit League outing against Detroit that has raised concerns about the righthander, went through a coaching-intensive bullpen session Thursday at Bright House Field.
With periodic instruction from pitching coach Rich Dubee, Halladay threw 39 pitches -- 20 from the windup and 19 from the stretch -- with catching coach Mick Billmeyer squatting behind the plate.
Dubee assured reporters Wednesday that Halladay is "fine" after the righthander surrendered seven runs and walked four batters against the Tigers in his last outing. His fastball ranged from 84 to 88 m.p.h. in that outing with one scout estimating that he averaged about 85 m.p.h.
Except for the extra long conversations with Dubee at times, it appeared to be a typical bullpen session for the two-time Cy Young Award winner.
The best answers about Halladay's progress will come Sunday when he is scheduled to face the Baltimore Orioles in a home game.
In the event that something is seriously wrong with Halladay, the Phillies will have to either add an arm from the outside or rely on the rotation depth they have in the organization. Aaron Cook and Rodrigo Lopez, two of the veteran minor-league free agents the Phillies signed to be part of that depth, will throw Thursday against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Bright House Field.
Righthander Kyle Kendrick, the team's No. 4 starter, will pitch in a minor-league game at the Carpenter Complex.
The schedule had been set that way before Halladay's Tuesday start created concern.
The lineup against the Pirates:
Freddy Galvis, SS
Michael Young, 3B
Chase Utley, 2B
Ryan Howard, 1B
Dom Brown, RF
Darin Ruf, DH
Laynce Nix, LF
Erik Kratz, C
Ender Inciarte, CF
Aaron Cook, P
So Bobbo......you can get a small inexpensive radar gun for about $99 bucks. Why don't you bring it to spring training every year s you can give us more firsthand info on how pitchers are throwing. The key piece of information and the better article would have been written if you'd only known the speed his fastball was hitting in the bp today. Lies, conjecture and hearsay from the media and the coaching staff is getting old. Next year, I'm gonna buy my own and bring it to Clearwater with me. No more relying on the info I'm getting from you guys. I don't have to worry about being kicked out of the buffet line like you do.— Mark1npt- If I'm RAJ, I'm taking a long look at Carlos Zambrano. He looked like the old Zpack during the WBC. I'm sure he'd be willing sign with incentives and could add "real" insurance instead of the retreads in camp.— drhoffman
- Mark1...good points. Maybe you can bunk with Conlin down there...I'm sure he would like the visitors— Friend to All
- Can anyone imagine being in the race with a rotation that includes Kendrick-Lannan-Cook or Kendrick-Lannan-Lopez? Seriously?— dasher
- @dasher. you made me laugh and cry at the thought of that rotation. my thinking is that if halladay, or any of the big three, go down for an extended period they will more likely go with adam morgan. Cook and Company are depth that can be tapped into for a spot start here and there, only.
With all of that said, if the big three is healthy, my projection is that Lannan pitches well and Kendrick gets exposed/demoted, in which case Morgan ends up in the rotation for the stretch run regardless. I just don't buy Kendrick "figuring it out" last season, he pitches well in low-leverage situations against lesser competitiion - very rarely, if ever, has he succeeded in a big spot against a potent lineup.— CosmoK - dasher you conveniently left out two Cy Young pitchers off that staff. Halladay wasn't going to be special anyway this year. BUT they need Hamels and Lee to pitch the way they are paid to pitch.— Tripod691
- I think any good reporter/journalist would get confirmation from 2 independent sources (i.e., not Phillies employees) before quoting Rich Dubee on anything related to a Phillies pitcher's health.— ijj
- I skimmed the article looking for the bullpen radar speed. Maybe I need to slow down and read very carefully? Hoping I don’t have to read between the lines.— terrycindyian
- I like that dr Hoffamn— phillynupe4
- stick a fork in him. he's cooked.— OldCoach
- Great post by Mark1npt. I've just about had enough of the BS pieces we're served up with everyday by these so-called writers. I can understand the positions writers are faced when a top notch pitcher is throwing below par, but we need and demand the truth. And let it fall where it may fall.
We've already gone through 14 years of BS coming out of the mouth of Reid. And to see an entire Sixers season ticket holder base downright deceived and lied to by Harris, Aron, DiLeo, Collins and Bynum, I think some kind of line has been drawn between the scribes in this town and the fan base. Enough is enough. Looking forward to what some of our regular posters have to say, if, that is, they have not been chased away by this constant daily parade of bs.....— DelawareRiverRat - Halladay had the worst first inning ERA of any starter last year when his fastball was still hitting 90. Batters now just sit back and wait for his slow breaking pitches.— farley
- @dasher....I'm not really worried about that rotation. They did win a WS in '08 with guys like Eaton, Moyer, and Blanton making up the rotation. It's one thing for us the fans to be full of angst and despair but I'm more worried about the psychological effect Doc's going down for the final count will have on the "team". It's one thing to go to war when you are the underdog and don't have a lot of weapons but have young hunger, drive and determination on your side. But when you are a power in the league as Halladay has been along with the Phils in recent years, there are more expectations from the fans and even amongst the players themselves. If you never had a Halladay at the top of your rotation, you'd never miss him and there'd be no despair amongst the players. Having him, thinking he's "back" and gearing up for a very successful season, only to see him flame out realizing that not only can't he help you win any longer, but that he might be finished....can cast a very dark shadow over a clubhouse/team for the entire season. Can bring an entire team collectively to its knees even though you have more stars and more weapons at your disposal, it is a tremendous letdown. Chris Carpenter hung on for one more run and won another ring. Here's hoping Halladay can too, and get his first.— Mark1npt
- This is one time I will absolutely agree with warbiscuit, his offseason prognostications about Halladay and Lee were spot on. It is playing out exactly as he expected. I am just afraid what July 1st is going to look like now.— The Moose is Loose
- Dubee is as clueless as the rest of the coaches.— sjfella
