Pence didn't see deal to Giants coming
News blogs, sports blogs, entertainment blogs, and more from Philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.
Pence didn't see deal to Giants coming
Bob Brookover, Inquirer Baseball Columnist
The Phillies traded Hunter Pence to the San Francisco Giants. (David Maialetti/Staff Photographer)
WASHINGTON D.C. -- Hunter Pence said his goodbyes inside the visiting clubhouse at Nationals Park exactly 367 days after saying hello at Citizens Bank Park.
The circumstances of the departure and arrival could not have been any more different.
When Pence arrived in Philadelphia from Houston last year at the trade deadline, he was supposedly the missing piece for the team with the best record in baseball.
As he departed for the San Francisco Giants Tuesday afternoon, he was a player who had become too expensive and inconsistent to keep. The Phillies acquired outfielder Nate Schierholtz and minor-league prospects Tommy Joseph, a catcher, and Seth Rosin, a righthanded pitcher, from the Giants.
Pence admitted to being shocked by both the trade and the Phillies' 2012 demise that has led to a flurry of deals by general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. at the deadline.
"Very surprising," Pence said with a glazed look in his eyes. "I don't think anyone anticipated the season that has gone on this year. It was a perfect storm of injuries and things that didn't go right for us. That's the business of the game and you have to understand that. We had a great run and now I've been sent on."
Unlike a year ago when he was with the Astros, Pence did not see this deal coming.
"Not until it happened because I honestly this year didn't pay any attention to any of that," he said. "I didn't really hear rumors. I talked to the media maybe one time, so really it just kind of happened, so I'm on to play for San Fran and hopefully in a playoff race."
Pence is in a playoff race again. The Phillies, meanwhile, were in their final race of the season and it was a sprint to see how much money they could get off the books before the 4 p.m. deadline.
Despite his brief time in Philadelphia, Pence said he grew to love playing for the Phillies.
"I had nothing but great memories here in Philadelphia," he said. "I am nothing but thankful for the opportunity to play -- unbelievable teammates and really the organization is a class act all the way from the top down. The fans made it an absolute blast to play for, so it was a great experience."
Comments (115)
Class act!— bk3131- Beware!
Do not become a cover boy on Philadelphia Magazine. Like SI, it likely serves to jinx you in the season you appear.
I would say HP is fortunate - he has lots of money, going to another contender in a great city. We are fortunate in that we get back cap money, and get something in return even if it isn't symmetrical to last years trade.
— 24sDad - Not R.I.P in this case, more like no R.I.S.P. You can't justify 14 mil for a non clutch guy and same goes for Shane in his contract year. We were crying about no hits in playoffs and no hits with risp from the guys that needed to step up.How about Casey Magee from Pirates to to the Yankees for Chad Qualls, amazing. Scot Posednick to Diamondbacks for Breslin. People sure like our "trash". Raul another HR for the Yanks. Baseball is an amazing game.
— DUDESKINS - Agreed DUDE, good to see you back online. Surprised Blanton didn't go - they weren't overwhelmed by anything for L33 so I am glad he's here. Still think Blanton could go but he would have to pass waivers - tough.
What caught up HP was exactly what you said - too many non-clutch circumstances, at a time when they were counting on him. He'll do great in SF - they'll love him and the wind blows just as crazy as he plays. Wild.
I still think more machinations are going on. One just doesn't start this process and stop. More, much more, to come. And not just through FA'y which many posters are now speculating (Bourne's Philly Redemption, Be-Coming Upton, etc.). It'll be interesting to see how the commentors and 'fans' see DBrown, and some of the other pieces play the next 8+ weeks.
Oh, the lone street moan's.
— 24sDad - We gave Pence away, after giving up too much for him last year. Someone explain this to me. Would like to see Charlie gone by 4:00 PM, too. He's worn out his welcome. It's Sandberg time!!— Cornwall Citizen
- Wish him the best, but part of the problem is that this team is blaming too much on injuries. Even with them they should have fared better, at least be in a position to be a threat when they did get healthy.— Sidewinder7
Comment removed.- This comment has been deleted. — CornerPretzelGuy
- Did you really just try to reason with that guy? — smfree31
- Breaking news!!! The Phillie Phanatic was just sent out west in a swap for the San Diego Chicken!— Bobby V
- Take care ichabod, don't trip on your own feet on the way out— Trot
- Go eat Rice-a-roni— Col. Nathan R. Jessup
- Brutal outfielder + Terrible plate discipline does not = 15 million a year. Time to re-tool.— Facts before ignorance
- Pence seems like a good guy, but for what he brings to the table his arbitration figure and beyond are more than he is worth. Nice to see he had good things to say about the organization and fans. Now there is even more pressure on Utely and Howard to perform at levels I don't think they can reach anymore. Bobo is going to continue to get exposed for the contracts he's handed out, but unlikely anyone will do anything about that so we go into next year with about 135 million tied up in 10, mostly overpaid, players. That leaves about 40 to find two OFs, a 3B, middle relief pitcher or two and 12 other players. I'm not optimistic we can bring in enough quality offense to offset Howard's sagging production, Rollins poor lead off play, and Utley's diminished ability. On the plus side we'll have 4/5s of a great rotation...our idiot GM will need to be really careful how he spends. We'll have another 40 million coming off the books next year so the last thing he should be doing is blowing a big part of 2013's free agent budget on one or two names.— lazyboy
- Victorino and Pence are both Class acts. Victorino has done a lot for the community, Thank you. As far as the Phillies go: Jimmy Rollins needs to get off of being a lead off hitter. They need some better defense— stang66302
- Agree with Cornwall. Charlie has lost the team; respect himr but Sadberg would return the spark again + managerial leadership, what's been so desperately lacking this year. He knows the young players who would play hweir hearts out for him + because of who he was, his record, how he played, the older players would respect as one of their own. With Sanberg leading, the difference would be noticeable rom the very first time the Phillies took the field under his leadership.— wkirk
- Is this the Sandberg Chicago wouldn't even hire as manager? — Jeffy3
- Let's see. You want to use the Chicago Cubs as an example of good baseball management? Chicago is a great town, but maybe the fact that the Cubs passed on Sandberg is actually a recommendation. Even the Cubs don't want to imitate the Cubs. Let's not go backwards. Been there. Done that.
— r a leon - Let's see. You want to use the Chicago Cubs as an example of good baseball management? Chicago is a great town, but maybe the fact that the Cubs passed on Sandberg is actually a recommendation. Even the Cubs don't want to imitate the Cubs. Let's not go backwards. Been there. Done that. — r a leon
- Dump Joe Blshnton next....as long as down cycles are shorter than the upward ones, we'll be fine.— kissamiazz
- Ed Wade traded Pence twice in 12 months!— sonnybuoy01
- ok, lets break it down. Pence for a 4th outfielder with no power and who is a left handed hitter, a catching prospect in an organization whicj has both a stud catcher and a top catching prospect and a low class A pitcher who is being described as a "throw in" by CBS sports. That's awesome. RAJ, you continue to amaze me. Who is playing outfield and 3rd base next year. Please fire RAJ now. Please.— scootch
- So in essence we traded,Jonathan Singleton,Jared Cosart,Jonathan Vilar,Domingo Santana and Hunter Pence for 2 prospects and a part-time outfielder. (Although I think Joseph is going to be a good one).— rkramden
- Comment removed.
- Wow, good thing YOU don't sound at all like a supid bitter loser with this stellar posting. — ICU812MI
- And yet ANOTHER epic trade failure by the liar Amaro!!!— twpman
- The way I see it is Ruben dumped at least $30,000,000 of next years salary. That's enough to sign a top third baseman, and a center fielder. Ruben kept the whole pitching staff and added a top catching prospect, 2major leaguer relievers and minor league pitching. It's a trade for the future.— Rumrunner11
- The Phillies gave up a lot for Pence last year because it was an "all in" situation. It didn't pan out (to put in mildly!), but it made sense to give up a lot to try and win another championship. This year is a completely different situation. You can't do a simple equation of what they gave up to get him with last year what they got in return this year. This doesn't even touch on the issue of payroll and looking towards free agency in the winter or the fact that Pence was essentially brought on board to hit .300 and he's been nowhere near that this year, nor at the end of last year.— bmack
- Neither Victorino or Pence are unreplacable for next year.— Rumrunner11
- To all my fellow writers, in my opinion Amaro needs to replace Charlie. Really not sold on Sandberg as their next manager. Amaro screwed himself with signing Lee, Holiday, Hamels, etc. etc. They only have 36 million left to sign 18 players to contracts. Obviously, that changed today with their 2 trades. Get ready for empty seats at C.B.P. Aug and Sept.— bartm
- Tough to see Pence leave -- at least the guy cared. Gotta give him credit for staying classy on the way out. I am not conviced this is the right move -- unless we sign a big time free agent outfielder or 3rd baseman.— Chicago_Phils_Fan
- Bibley Bob Pence need to stay away from the back of those vegetable stands and he be all right— Astro Jones
- I believe Joseph is listed as c/1b, so perhaps he can replace the guy we have who can't hit an outside pitch because he's apparently scared to death of getting hit by the ball. Pence was getting to be as frustating to watch as Werth, but I really liked him. Hope he does well in San Fran.
— mechfan2240 - Among the things Pence didn't see coming was every third ball hit to him in right field.— willll
- Amaro is out of his league. Halladay, Lee (from Cleveland), Pence (from Houston) was a case of trying to minimize what he had to give to get them. HE FAILED giving great prospects that my mother could have made the trades. Where he really showed his incompetence was trading a big chip like Lee to Seattle and getting 3 flawed minor leaguers in return. 2 more chips, Pence and Victorino brought back mediocre prospects at best. This is unacceptable and Amaro should take his slick tongue and Stanford degree and move on to the Phillies betterment.— gentian
- Terrible deal. Carried this team for months by himself. Exactly the type of player you want to rebuild around, not give away for a bucket of fried chicken. Horrible.— bmasick
- Dear stupid people - we had a bad year and now Amaro has to continue reshaping the team for 2013. It's a process with many steps. These are not the first ones nor will they be the last. I'm amazed at the hate on here directed at the Phils front office and coaching staff. When Ruben was wheeling and dealing for Halladay, Pence and others he was a genius. Now he's a horrible monster. So many anonymous haters. My favorite comment is that Charlie has lost the team, like you're in the clubhouse. Other "expert" trade evaluations here don't take into account payroll, future needs, place in the standings, etc. Finally, the comments that are the most entertaining are the ones that say I'm done watching this team. I watch 'cause I like baseball and my team is the Phillies. How can you switch teams after a bad year? It's tiresome reading the vocal minority when I know the silent majority is smarter than the spoiled brats here. So many idiots, so little time.— vafan
- Yeah, the name-calling really sets you apart and makes you seem smarter - no, better - than everyone else. Newsflash: you're not a unique or beautiful snowflake, either, Vafan. — ICU812MI
- Nice complementary player, seems like a good teammate, certainly seemed always to be trying: But he was NEVER the missing piece.
Good Luck HP— BEMiller - What it boils down too is that the Phillies paid Rollins and now are unable to pay Pence. So now a good attitude guy is sent packing while Rollins stays.— Taser
- phillies demise started with pence— mwright252
- phillies demise started with pence— mwright252
- I think its time to bring in Sandberg....bye Cholly.
— kingofpoker - To vafan: You put a lot of it quite well, but you miss one point, here. These people whine, moan and do the boo boo birdie when a ten game winning streak is broken. What is most gulling about them is that, when things go well, as in 2008, they act as if they were loyal, never say a foul word, phans. BTW, I am the ONE, who didn't really see much merit in acquiring Hunter Pence in the first place, then, publicly, hoped for the best after the deal was struck. HP never carried the team by himself, as one suggests, because he really is no more than a nice complementary player, and not a player around whom to build a team.
I'll say this one more time: It was the bullpen that failed miserably this year.— BEMiller - I hope Pence does well in SF. I dont know anyone who gives you as much hustle. All that being said he was very undiscplined at plate and pitches exploited that. The question is who plays CF? It may be Mayberry and dont overlook Pierre. Unless something changes Mayberry is a 200 hitter against righthanders. I saw Victorino as leadoff hitter in 2013. Joseph and Martin are reported as outstanding prospects. Joseph just turned 21 and has outstanding power. Where does that leave Phills minor leaguer C. Valle who has been hitting at Reading 13 HRs. Martin throws in the mid 90s has had command problems but has shown improvement in that area. Joseph and Martin will be rated among Phills best 6 prospects. Where does that leave Phills veterans such as Lee, Halladay etc who were hoping to win in 2013?— Don w
- Only Philly thinks RAJ is an idiot. At least half the teams in the league would give their left nut for an organization that actually makes an effort to win. You think he's an idiot? Go root for Seattle.— MosesMurphy
- Phils are now in a position to be the first team in MLB history to win 100 games one year and lose 90 games the next year.— farley
- Who cares? Stupid statistic. — F. Harry Stowe
- Good attitude is a nice to have - but that can be obtained by getting a club house puppy - I liked Pence's drive - but dear lord, watching him play right field - frankly with as bad as he played this year he had no right to be in MLB - his glove alone could cost a team four or five losses a season. Just unnaceptable.— PhillyDanny
- No 3B or CF worth a darn on the pending market.— MosesMurphy
- STOP the idiotic comments. He was the missing piece last season and did not disappoint. His numbers were down because he didn't have the complimentary players in front of him all season (Howard and Utley). Look at Jayson Werth. With the right players in front/behind you, you get better pitches to hit. Batting behind Utley and Howard and in front of Victorino and Ruiz, Pense got to see more fastballs. Men in scoring position with players behing you that can hit make a huge difference. Pense is a very good hitter, but his outfield skills are average. He is NOT worth $15 million per season and will be on the move next year as well as SF will NOT pay both Pense and Melky Cabrera that kind of scratch. Hopefully, as I write this, Joe Blanton is also on his way out of town to Baltimore. Time to retool this line up. Bring up Brown, give Darin Ruf a move to AAA.— drhoffman
- This comment has been deleted. — Dew Schbag
- The Typo Police strikes again! — ICU812MI
- Phillies will be giving half refunds to anyone who bought a Pence or Victorino jersey this year. Anyway, Pence had is audition this year as a big time producer, he came up a bit short.— bobcitydoc
- Hunter was the perfect fit for Philadelphia, unlike his predecessor in right who bellyached about the fans and the organization after Washington signed him to that crazy contract. He will be missed. Now, the only tough righthanded bat on the roster is Ruiz. Not good. I wish Pence well in SF.
Now, at 4:24 with no other trades, this is turning out to be not that great a day to build on.— DelawareRiverRat - Wow and FYI to drhoffman - Typcially, guys that blurt out endless streams of information and irrefutable opinions while referring to other's comments as idiotic are overcompensating for something.— PhillyDanny
- RAJ please go f yourself— Richardgozinya
- What a mistake, what is Ruben doing? Shouldn't he be mowing lawns instead?— neddyflanders
- He can drop the ball in Frisco too...— jcpaul
- What are the PHILLIES going to do with 46,000 Hunter Pence Bobbleheads? Hunter and Shane were both "CLASSY" guys. I do, however, agree with the trades. The Phillies need to get younger and more consistent. One Home Run in July for Hunter is unacceptable and Shane had only ONE home run since June 8th. Too bad but the PHILLIES have to Re-Build.— cleusner
- I would love to see Manuel cleaning out his locker on the 6 o'clock news tonight. That's the deal I've been waiting for years and years. He's as big a part of the problem as any of these players are. Yeah we traded away 1 of the only guys who hustles, but I don't think that Ruben's phone has really been ringing off the hook for the majority of these slouchers.
I'd love to see Jimmy Rollins wearing a different uniform tonight. I've seen enough of his "swinging for the fences" on every pitch to last me a lifetime. He's not a leadoff hitter, and apparently only he and Manuel are the only 2 people in the world that think he is.
Still alot more ground to cover, alot more people that need to be shipped out.
The Nationals are a force rising in Washington, and they are still very young, as the Braves were in 1990-91 when their dynasty finally started to come together.— BosoxJohnny - The alternate headline was: "Pence Surprised By Ball Heading Toward Him In Right Field."
Okay, a low blow. I like the guy but not for the money he'll make. I viewed him as a shot to win in 2011 and that's it. Good luck in SF Hunter.— s - What a classy way to go out Pence. Now "let's go eat"— Phanatrix
- Lost in all this trade stuff is the really great news that Brian "Mendosa" Schneider has been activated. Wow!— LI PhilPhan
- Juan Samuel is happy.— sillybilly
- TICKETS WILL BE CHEAP NOW! IT'S A DAM SHAME THIS WAS A GREAT TEAM THE LAST FIVE YEARS. WE ALL HAVE TO ADMIRE THIS ORG GROUP WHO GAVE US SOMETHING THIS CITY NEVER HAD IN THE PAST. I'M GLAD LEE IS STILL WITH US HE WILL COME THRU IN THE FUTURE HE IS A CLASS ACT..
— philly27 - "Pence said with a glazed look in his eyes."
What else is new?— PhightinPhil - sad to see Shane go, he was a major part of the resurgence, but the nucleus has aged out, so we need a new chemistry, Rollins is a lost cause, Polanco needs to retire, Utley literally on his last legs, what in the world do they see in Mayberry?, I see little, literally from top to bottom they need to retool, it will be years before they contend again. Being spoiled, as we have over the past five years is really hard to let go of. But the foundation is cracked and needs to be rebuilt.— lancesimmens
- We still have Joe Blanton and Kyle Kendrick. Even if Amaro had gotten 29 1st-round picks for Pence, the fact that we still have Blanton and Kendrick makes Amaro a failure.— Edward Creed
- HP and SV were so special my kids love them and it was hard telling them that they will be gone.— joedig22
- The downfall of the club starts at the top- too much faith in Manuel and Amaro from Monty - Giles and ownership. Can't fault them for spending the money- problem is poor evaluation and team construction at the GM level and weak field leadership, tactically and lack of accountability with the players from Manuel.— Northcountry
- Unless there's some sort of dramatic improvement over the winter that's a part of their grand plan, Amaro has established himself as an incompetent boob today. Dumping salary is one thing, but giving up a lot of major league caliber players for a bunch of minor league "suspects" shows that you got taken by every other general manager you dealt with.— ANGRY AL 2
- I am very disappointed in who ever made this final. Pence had grown to be one of my favorite players and now he is gone. I am shocked at this I think it was a dumb move on your part. All I have to say is I am very disappointed.— farside37
- Shane on MLB TV. Show saying that he still thinks that the Phillies can turn it around because of the people they have.
That is loyal player. Pence is 2nd best right bat we have.
This is bad.— joedig22 - Why are people making excuses for why Pence did not perform? He's an average outfielder and a free-swinger whose many holes have been more artfully exploited as his career has gone on. Some guys cannot adjust to the book against them because they rely too much on their athletic ability. Pence is never going to adjust (reminds me of Soriano), so he'll be a dangerous -- but very limited -- hitter, and easy prey for any quality pitcher with plus location. The moves today are positive for the team's prospects next year. The pitching staff is intact with the bullpen being marginally better, and if we're going to rebound next year, it's going to start there. Finally we're going to reach some conclusions regarding Dominic Brown.— auntesther
- Thanks to Vic--part of a lot of good memories, and worked to become a pretty good professional player. And no regrets about Pence: it was worth the gamble last year, and it is a good move this year.
I still think having to pay the luxury tax is a little overrated: it would have only been a million or two...but if they got under it for this year, they can go close or over next.
Regarding Vic trade: there was rumor that they were only going to get a low A prospect, so to get a major league bullpen piece is better than what was projected.
Regarding Pence trade: the giant outfielder is worth the rest of the season, could be an inexpensive corner next year, or a good 4th outfielder. And if the catching prospect pans out, that will be great. it seems to line up well with when Ruiz's contract runs out, and in that sense, I appreciate Amaro planning ahead.
While sad to see the two go...in whatever way it signifies some type of transition, I think Amaro did some potentially good work.
— kgood - Now if they could only get rid of Rollins, Utley and Howard....— SteveS11
- He's shocked?! He should be delirious with joy! For the second year in a row, he got traded from a last place team to a first place team. I doubt that anyone else can make the same claim.— nmlawyer
- Time will tell how both these deals turn out; if they don't turn out well, it will be because of the short timetable the Phils FO(and involved ownership)left themselves to make these deals. A truly wise GM would have seen "fools gold", not only with the Brewers series, but before that as well. You're also expecting a lot when 2 guys who couldn't lift you over San Fran and STL in consecutive years(Utley and Howard)were expected to be "saviors" this year, coming off significant injuries and rehab, and trying to lift the Wiggintons, Nixes, and Qualls of this world to another division title. Many people figure firing Charlie, by itself, will fix the problem. The problems with this team go much higher.— 76erfn
- Clueless rube has decimated this franchise with a series of the most imbecilic signings and trades in history...and he still hasn't gotten any "younger" ...to the contrary Phils don't have a single decent young position player or genuine prospect --unbelievable how a complete imbecile does nothing but collect aging garbage and mediocre middle relievers --worst g.m. in baseball cements his reputation
....
Phils got useless trash for both Victorino and Pence -- 2 major leaguers acquired (scheirhotz and Lindstom) are mediocre middling nobodies and are a dime a dozen in free agency every winter; the other "prospects" are unlikely to ever make any major league impact and are not in same league as the dozen that Rube has given up --and yes to all you ignoramuses, D'Arnaud, Singelton, Gose, etc are all likely future major league stars...Royals got better for Broxton whom they got for cheap past winter than Cluless imbecile got for his starting outfield— warbiscuit - The Phillies already had a first baseman with zero plate discipline who struck out all the time with runners on base. The team didn't need two players like that. Victorino, on the other hand, was a gold glove centerfielder who was hitting .357 since the All-Star Break. When Victorino is carrying the World Series trophy down Sunset Boulevard with Jeff Carter and Mike Richards how idiotic is the Phillies organization going to look?— Gnip Gnop
- Well the time had come and the moves made today were a start. Pence was moved to get us under the luxury tax...good player but not great and not worth 14+mm. Victorino gave us 8 great years but it was time for him to go. It will be tough to do a complete rebuild with so much money tied up in Halladay, Lee, Hamels and Howard but it can be done. While I don't like his approach at the plate, Rollins is still a top 5 shortstop. I really hoped Amaro would have moved Pierre and Blanton today as well but they could still be moved later. At one point, I read Pierre to the Reds for T.Frazier...revisit this if possible and forget about L.Andrusek. Amaro also needs to make a play for Upton and Headley and a phone call to Milwaukee to see what they want for A.Ramirez. If nothing else happens, they still have Polanco and Blanton off the books next year and can target Bourn and middle relief. What about moving Utley to 3B next year...less wear on the knees/legs and putting Galvis at 2B as long as he can still play after the broken back.— CMack
- I liked him and thought he got a bad rap because he did play hard and to the best of his ability. Sure he looked goofy but despite that he was the second best player on the team. It's unfortunate it didn't work out. But if he's getting $14 million next year, that's about the threshold I'd be willing to pay him.— AvoidSundanceVacations
- This guy is the major league equivalent of Odi. Decent player but we can get better value somewhere for 15 million.— Brainiac
- Most of you may not like this deal, but you did definitely upgrade your right field play if you start Schierholtz...he is the real deal with his glove and arm. Having said that he has been the classic streaky hitter for the Giants with ten game hot streaks followed by 0 for 30's. I also think you got a great catching prospect in Tommy Joseph. Go Giants!— corker
- As should be obvious by now the Phils got ripped off when they got Pence BY ED WADE. Then Amaro trades Pence a year later for almost nothing. Nobody even pretends we got a fair deal the best reason is that it was a "salary dump" and the reason we had to dump is the all the other contracts so awful other teams won't take even if you give them for free. Good luck to the Giants and Dodgers in the playoffs this might be the worst outfield (except Pierre) I can remember.— subgen
- WOW ALL THE MAJOR LEAGURE READY PROSPECTY THE PHILS TRADED ! any of them playing in the majors.?so these guys so far are nothing. nothing. trading prospectws for established players is always the best way to go. wake up mprons. none of these guys that were traded have been in the majors so you need to shut up and pay attention.— benny1
- And one more thought...exactly which prospects have we given up in the last 3+ years have panned out? Drabek had surgery this year, the Indians have nothing to show for Lee and the "stud" catcher we gave to Toronto also just had surgery. None of the prospects we gave up to get Halladay, Lee, Oswalt and Pence have done anything which is why they are prospects.— CMack
- The plate discipline thing is played out. Vlad Guerrero had no plate discipline either but is a HoF candidate.— dglass1
- What kind of magic can Amaro work to get rid of Rollins, Howard and Utley? We just plain need a whole new group who can run and hit.......
Please wake me when Rollins isn't leading off......— westie33 - Shane had speed and a good arm, coveted attributes, he couldn't hit this year - I think his heart was broken that they didn't want him back.— robinlupe
- Can't hit and Charlie can't make chicken salad out of chicken --it. Time to retool with players who don't make 12-15 million. Amaro said it 2 years ago that he can't pay 15 million at every position. I am afraid we will have to take the inevitable slide before we come back up for air. Go Phils!— Dr. D.
- SteveS11- You have to have some veteran players to still be here so they can show the newer guys the ropes and how the team works. Who will do that if they get rid of who you say.....Ruiz.... he cant run the whole team from behind home plate. The problem with this team is that they should have started getting younger rite after they won the world series. They are slowly doing it now, but it will take a long time to get back to where they were.— huntnmike3666
- Yes, Pence was a free swinger like Vladimir Guerrero, but he never approached that kind of production. Vlad Guerrero hit .345 with 44 HR and 123 RBI, and that wasn't even his MVP year.— Gnip Gnop
- I posted on here yesterday about gutting the entire starting outfield. After the smoke clears, only Mayberry remains. Vic and Pence were class acts, but it was their time to be moved. Victorino wasn't getting an extension in Philly. Hunter Pence, when watched on an everyday basis, had some flaws. Effort wasn't one of them. I wish both guys luck in their NL West playoff chase. A shakeup was necessary, but the fact of the matter is, Manuel and his coaching staff are still here. I would like to think that new reliever Josh Lindblom would possibly get a look as the set up man for Papelbon. What scares me is that every single pitcher acquired through a trade or called up from AAA, regresses under Dubee. Dubee is the grim reaper to the Phillies pitching staff. Manuel has been handed some suspect personnel and hasn't made any adjustments this year. I would love to see Ryne Sandberg taking the reigns for the last 60 games and getting back to fundamental baseball. This would take a new mindset for the team going into Spring Training in 2013.— FreeCable4Ever
- You can't blame Charlie. I didn't see him take the field once! If anyone is to blame, other than the guys who step between the lines, it would be Amaro. The injuries killed us, Howards contract killed us, trying to use role/bench players as every day players killed us and complacency killed us. Would I like to see Sandberg?....sure but there is a reason other teams have passed on him too. It has to play out with a mixture of veterans and "hard charging", "hungry" players wanting to make a name and the chance at the big bucks! Go Phils!— Dr. D.
- Holy smokes! Can you see Pence playing outfield in SF!?!?!?! I'm getting uncomfortable just thinking about that. Good luck brother. And good luck Shane!— Drumphil
- Amaro Jr. SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!— realtruth
- Agree with Brainiac times two: If we're offering two- or three-year deals, we can get two players for Pence's $15 milllion salary next season, say a Cody Ross and ____. Pence made sense last year when we had historically dominating starting pitching and needed offense. This year, less so and his arbitration figure next year is exorbitant. Good guy, played hard, had flaws, had to go. Victorino as a free agent at 33 was gone, gone, gone. Surprised we got what we did for him. Obviously, the Orioles had so-so interest in Blanton because he's, well, average.— eman
- Shane should have stayed because his defense was great and his offense would have come around with time.Hunter should have been traded.He was one of the worst outfielders ever in our uniform.In order to clear money they also should have gotten rid of the bench players except for Juan P.and brought up minor league players.— Andrew Grier
- Writing from San Francisco.... Schierholtz was a fan favorite here. He has tools -- one of the best arms in the game, surprising speed for a big man, and a flat, flat swing -- but has never put it all together, never been consistent enough to keep other guys on the bench. Maybe in a new setting he'll blossom. He's a great guy. I hope he works out for you.— mollymaguire
- I hope Pence works out for you and we beat you in 2013 playoffs good luck Frisco — angrywhtguy
- Update: Pierre 2 for 2, 2 stolen bases, 1 run scored hitting in the 2 hole. Cholly plans unusual double switch mid game so he can move him back to the 7 slot.— subgen
- way overrated player and he cost to much— stayoutofphilly
- anyone that knows baseball is shocked too...you suck amaro— 1stamendment
- I think phillies did ok. They got second highest rated players in Giants farm system for a guy (pence) who at times looked like Edward scissorhands in outfield. I also was disappointed to see that Pence really played small when the team needed him to step up. It was time to move him. Next up - Blanton and Pierre on Aug 31st and Lee in offseason.— Tripod691
- We gave up gold to get this guy, and we recieve fools gold in return. Why a catching prospect and not a third base prospect, he was scouted(Pence) and I remember reading an article that said he was on the downside of his career. Outrageous contracts and questional trades will doom them for awhile, we need the DH now to help our offence but they did suck in interleague anyway, maybe some good offseason moves like firing Cholly and Rube and somesmart personal moves we could be right back in it.— angrywhtguy
- mwright252...Phillies demise started the day they made DUMB RUBE g m.Bad news it continues today.— tobyjoe
- sick of the Rube and Monty combination of smugness and stupidity.
still ticked about the lunacy of signing ryan coward 18 mths earlier than he had to (I guess Rube learned that at Penn)
zero faith he can rebuild .....maybe he will sign another $25 million pitcher in the off season
should have traded Blanton & Pappelbon too.— jp4210 - I don't agree with trading Pence who played 100% every play, with passion, excitement and is a 300 hitter (290 this year as "bad" year).. Alot of his problems this year was having no one around him supporting him in the lineup. We need right handed hitters and we need offense. Should have traded Rollins who is a 245BA since WS, jogs to first on ground outs, swings at too many first pitches for a leadoff hitter...selfish. Phillies need to trade old, washed up "core" players like Rollins, Maybe even Ulley with Victorino deal. Another trade that needs to be considered at least is Howard. Good player but his $25M yr contract is really the core issue why Phil's payroll needs to be reduced. He is nowhere near a $25M player!! Not even an All Star, strikeout way too much, about a 250 hitter, opposing teams intentionally walk player in front of him to rather pitch to him in key situations... If serious about realigning payroll to win then need to forget distant past history and really think about breaking up old core.— cu2ny
- Comment removed.
- Maybe I am missing something but didn't washington have major injuries this year and they have the best record in baseball? That is a reflection on the players and the manager. The players skated too much this year and the manager let them.— alihajishank
- He should have seen it coming because the Rube announced in the beginning of the season that the team needed to bring up young players, that the team could not afford to pay the high contracts of the current outfielders. He could not hide the goods from his overspending sprees, particularly Papelbon in the off season. The closets were full. He needed to cover his mistakes. Can we put the Rube on waivers?— NoSpitZone
1
Popular Posts
About this blog
The Phillies Zone is the place for up-to-the-minute Phillies coverage from the Inquirer.
Matt Gelb
Inquirer Staff Writer
Bob Brookover
Inquirer Baseball Columnist
Search this blog:
Classifieds:
Site Services:
Partners:
Powered By:
