The Phillies Zone

Myers or Blanton for opener

More for you chewers to chew on, courtesy of Jim Salisbury. He's covering the beat today while I work on the season preview, and let's just say the poor guy picked a busy one. After Cole Hamels threw 64 pitches in four minor league innings and allowed 10 hits, three runs, one walk, five strikeouts, he said he felt good, but needed one more practice start. Rich Dubee said that either Joe Blanton or Brett Myers will start opening night April 5. Hamels is on track to pitch the fourth game of the regular season, in Colorado April 10.

24 comments

Myers or Blanton for opener

POSTED: Monday, March 30, 2009, 5:06 PM

Andy Martino

More for you chewers to chew on, courtesy of Jim Salisbury. He's covering the beat today while I work on the season preview, and let's just say the poor guy picked a busy one. After Cole Hamels threw 64 pitches in four minor league innings and allowed 10 hits, three runs, one walk, five strikeouts, he said he felt good, but needed one more practice start. Rich Dubee said that either Joe Blanton or Brett Myers will start opening night April 5. Hamels is on track to pitch this Saturday's exhibition in Philadelphia against Tampa Bay and the fourth game of the regular season, in Colorado April 10.

24 comments

Comments (24)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:10 PM, 03/30/2009

Blanton?

— Muck the Fets

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:28 PM, 03/30/2009

April 10 in Denver. R U kidding me? It'll be below freezing up there. I'd wait to pitch Hamels in the next series at Washington.

— RAS

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:57 PM, 03/30/2009

Blanton will win 15+ games this year. I love this guy!

— luke5513

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:25 PM, 03/30/2009

Blanton and Park have been the two best pitchers in spring training this year. Myers was doing very well--then got lit up in his last start--so did Moyer.

— bobbyuk

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:31 PM, 03/30/2009

Why Blanton?

— Mh225

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:34 PM, 03/30/2009

Good point RAS. Why not give Hamels the start for the Ring Game? Seems like the natural choice.

— celtic_13

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:43 PM, 03/30/2009

Luke - I completely agree. Blanton will have a good year for the Phils.

— OppoJack

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:06 PM, 03/30/2009

I like Blanton, too. It's nice to have choices.

— CenterCityPhan

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:17 PM, 03/30/2009

Blanton has pitched really well but Charlie will give the ball to Myers if only out of respect to the opening guy last season.

— pattymac3

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:46 PM, 03/30/2009

When is the ring game?

— RAS

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 10:13 PM, 03/30/2009

Blanton will get the call and Myers cant complain about it as Dubee has a picture of Brett making out with Dan Gross.

— mick314

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 10:40 PM, 03/30/2009

Manwich Joe Blanton!

— Captain Awesome

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:49 PM, 03/30/2009

Myers should not get the ball for this game; he will be so amped up that he will overthrow all of his pitches and his mechanics will be terrible. See all of the games last year when his meatball... I mean fastball stayed up about an inch too high in the zone and his curveball hung like a beer league softball. Blanton needs to throw hard to be most effective... give him... or dare I say... Park the ball.

— fcskills

Comment removed.

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:49 AM, 03/31/2009

I think Myers deserves another shot at opening day. Hamels needs to pitch the day he is ready - they've gotta get as many starts / year from their ace as possible. If it's 34 degrees in Denver, tough break.

— Gmanonskis