Phillies belong in the basement right now
Last place is the last place you want to be even in the middle of April.
Phillies belong in the basement right now
Bob Brookover
Last place is the last place you want to be even in the middle of April.
But that's where the Phillies stand in the National League East, a division they have dominated for the last five seasons.
They begin a four-game series Thursday night in San Diego in last place and it is the exact place they deserve to be right now.
They have played four series and lost three of them.
They lost two out of three to the Pittsburgh Pirates, a team that is last in baseball in runs scored.
They lost two out of three at home to the New York Mets, the team that just about everybody believes will finish last in N.L. East.
They lost two out of three to the San Francisco Giants even though they had a starting pitcher provide them with 10 scoreless innings Wednesday night at AT&T Park.
Those are the kinds of efforts that anchor a team at the bottom of a division.
Everybody knew when the Phillies left spring training that they were flawed, but it's different when you actually see it.
The Pirates have the worst offense in baseball, but the Phillies without Ryan Howard and Chase Utley are only slightly better.
When manager Charlie Manuel tries to inject some offense, he does so at the risk of exposing players with defensive shortcomings.
Placido Polanco's slumping bat was left in the rack Wednesday night against the Giants, but that meant Ty Wigginton had to defend at third base while Laynce Nix played first. A normally outstanding infield defense instantly becomes mediocre at best.
Wigginton made the 11th-inning error that allowed the Giants to pull out a 1-0 victory that Matt Cain deserved every bit as much as Cliff Lee.
Charlie Manuel had a chance to be the man to make a difference, but he defied conventional wisdom by letting a left-handed hitter face a left-handed pitcher when he had the option to do otherwise.
With Carlos Ruiz at third base and one out in the top of the 11th, Manuel sent up Jim Thome to hit for Lee, who had provided the Phillies with one of the most memorable pitching performances in franchise history during a game that was played at a pace that defied television-commercial delays.
When Giants manager Bruce Bochy replaced righthander Sergio Romo with lefty Javier Lopez, Manuel had two decent options: Polanco or John Mayberry Jr.
They'd be better options, of course, if they were not both mired in early-season slumps. Manuel explained after the game that he thought Thome was his best option to drive a fly ball deep for a sacrifice fly. He recited Thome's numbers against Lopez and noted he had put the ball in play eight times in 11 at-bats.
Not this time, however. Thome struck out, Mayberry hit for Juan Pierre and grounded out softly to end the top of the 11th. Wigginton's error was followed by Melky Cabrera's game-winning hit to right field off Antonio Bastardo.
Polanco was 1-for-7 against Lopez, but had never struck out against him and is still a better option to make contact than Thome. Mayberry had never faced Lopez until the at-bat after Thome struck out and his weak grounder to shortstop would not have plated the run.
You can't win if you can't score and it does not appear as if the Phillies' struggle for runs is going to end any time in the near future.
That's the main reason they are in last place for the first time since April 20, 2007 and it has to be the main topic of discussion when general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. and his band of decision makers are behind closed doors.
Great starting pitching and the schedule are the two things the Phillies have in their favor as they attempt to escape their unfamiliar place in the standings. They play eight of their next 11 games against the Padres and Chicago Cubs, who are a combined 6-19. Three games against a good Arizona Diamondbacks club are sandwiched in between.
After a nine-game stretch against division rivals — three in Atlanta, three in Washington and three at home against the Mets — the Phillies play seven games against the Padres, Houston Astros and Cubs, who may be the three worst teams in the National League.
The latter stretch ends May 18 and if the Phillies are still in last place then, this team will have more flaws and issues than we ever could have imagined.
More coverage
Buy Phillies tickets Comments (78)
the sky is falling, the sky is falling!— pbuscio- Only one way out of this predicament.
UP.— 24sDad 
Comment removed.- @theGuy: Realist. At the end of the season it wasn't about 'standings' it was sudden death. We all joined together in the death part. Pretty real.
Right now, a little blind optimism wouldn't hurt anybody. Everyone treats this team as though the bottom is out of the boat. On July 17th, when they are 17 games out, and trade Lee and Halladay to build around Hamels a totally new club, and fire Manuel, and re-assign RAJ, then we can talk about winners and losers in this never ending argument. Until then, we're all speculators, some blinder than others.— 24sDad - Who didn't see this coming? Amaro made basically no changes to an offense that could not score one run for Roy in the final playoff game, then lost Utley and Howard, and loaded with junk-pile journeymen. Add Charlie as manager who needs a three run homer to win, and you have a recipe that cooks up just like it has.— bmcw
- Agreed. The writing has been on the wall for anyone to see since 2010. The Phillies are an aging lineup scoring less runs and the GM does nothing to address it. — F. Harry Stowe
- +1. The "oh wait a minute, Utley's knees are still bad?!" epiphany after a 5-month offseason, and whoever's genius idea it was to have Howard running around doing drills 4 months after Achilles surgery, were the 2 last straws.
During the offseason I was accused by some on here of not doing jumping jacks over the moves to add castoffs like Thome and Laynce Nix. The same superfans praising those as non-sexy but critical moves are now left saying things like "It's only April!" Well guess what, they're not going to be scoring runs in May or June or September, either. Regardless if the team is coming off 7 straight division titles or 7 straight losing seasons, they did nothing to truly get better in the winter, and my disappointment was the same regardless if it's 2012 with a $170 million payroll or 1995 with a $40 million payroll. I'll still follow the Phillies because I have my whole life. But anyone thinking this is just going to work itself out and they'll be pounding teams come summertime is just delusional - For starters, I was no fan of adding Thome and Nix. (Wigginton was a reasonable add -- a bench guy with pop who can play multiple positions where we might need backup.) And I do not believe that it will just work itself out; it needs fixing... But I have not seen one medical opinion that says Howard shouldn't have been active 4 months post-surgery. Have you? Please cite. His activities seem in line with the original projected timeline in his case and in the cases of other Achilles surgery patients. The point being, SOME things are not anyone's fault -- if you've learned how to control human health and prevent all infection, please share... As for Utley, he struggled last spring and then found an exercise regimen which worked. It allowed him to play the rest of the 2011 season and his offense lifted the Phils' run production to the top of the NL when he was in the lineup. So why in the world would you CHANGE that exercise regimen over the winter? Utley didn't. And it simply didn't work again. Maybe this new plan will help, maybe it won't. Again, sometimes human health is not under our control. Yes, you'd say that Amaro could foresee this potentiality. Sure. But then do you sign or trade for another top-flight 2B? Where does that money come from? (Even if you go cheap in the bullpen -- which could have been leading to different losses right now -- that money would have to go to an outfielder.) Who has the luxury to pay two top starters at one position? I've yet to see the alternative plan detailed by anyone on these boards. — PhilaLogic
- Some citations below, both medical and sports related. I'm not a doctor, but the data suggests he was at least a month early, and that doesn't account for the fact that he's a 250lb man.
As for Utley, he hit .250 last year. I'm not going to credit him for lifting the Phils to the top of the NL. The guy has CHRONIC knee problems that aren't going away. Since you ask, MY plan would've been to not sign a closer to the richest deal in history and instead focus on bats. The ballpark has been sold out for 4 years now and they stand to get a ginormous windfall of cash when the TV deal expires in a couple years (a la Angels and Rangers). If money is an object, I'm wasting my time rooting for this team
http://www.lowerextremityreview.com/article/strategies-for-rehab-after-achilles-tendon-surgery
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/31/typical-time-of-return-from-ruptured-achilles-is-11-months/ - Thanks for your factual reply. It advances the conversation much more rapidly.... Re Howard: One, NFL activity is something else altogether and not relevant. Two, the first link ambiguously notes "return to activity" after surgery as 18-26 weeks. But this can only mean return to full, aggressive activity, because there are many PT activities which it specifies as taking place well before that window. Other links (even webMD) mention 26 weeks/6 months as the usual full recovery. Here's one example: www.med.umich.edu/ortho/patient/pdf/ACHILLES-TENDON.pdf. More to the point, Howard did not re-injure his Achilles. He developed an infection, and the document you cited notes that this is not uncommon a month or longer after Achilles surgery. Howard was following the protocol with light physical activity at 4 months out. — PhilaLogic
- Re Utley, his OPS last year was in the top tier of all 2B and the Phillies' offense, which had ranked near the bottom of the NL, was #1 in the league after his return in May. Yes, he has a chronic condition. But he played out the season under a regimen that seemed to work. To then go out and sign or trade for another starting 2B, and carry both salaries, would be impossible. No 2B, nor any 1B, would sign to be a starter with Utley OK over the winter and Howard expected to return in May.
The money could have gone to bolster the offense with a starting LF, but then you're giving up on Mayberry -- figuring his return to part-time status upon Howard's return. They could have signed a starting 3B and relegated Polanco to the bench. But not both additions -- unless they also went without an elite closer as well as without a reliable shortstop. But each of those choices could be causing defeats now, especially if, say, we got Joe Nathan on the cheap and he was blowing saves. I'm all for upping the payroll to $200 million and spending that TV deal money now, but that's not the gripe I hear. Many instead portray the off-season fixes as easy, but they don't add up the dollars nor do they acknowledge the impossibility of managing a situation where two star hitters might contribute a ton, or very little. I can think of several failed moves by Amaro, but the larger culprit here is age and injury -- and the fact that stocking up on veterans to make the playoffs 5 years in a row will always come at a cost.— PhilaLogic - Fair enough all around. Personally, instead of 4yrs $50 million on a guy who pitches 1 inning every few days, and instead of another 3 years and $33 on the .250 leadoff hitter, I would've inked that 6yr $100 mil deal for Reyes in a heartbeat. Miami (another cash windfall team) is only paying him $10mil each of the first two years, by the time the big money kicks in the Phillies Comcast deal would be up and the Baby Aces would be up also
- That's a choice worthy of discussion. Let's stipulate that Reyes is a good team guy and that we wouldn't have had to outbid Miami by too much. Even if Reyes declines some, his production would be greater than Rollins' this year and more so the next two as Rollins ages. But if the trade-off is no elite closer in 2012, the added offense (and improved future) MIGHT wind up costing the 2012 club a title. For I'm of the school that an elite closer is almost always vital to winning a World Series.
See this 2009 article: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/267053-does-a-team-really-need-a-dominant-closer-to-win-the-world-series ... Or, simply analyze the post-season failures of the 1991-2005 Braves. And their one success, when Wohlers was flawless as a closer.
For over 15 years, champions have received amazing performances from their closers in the post-season. And most have been established guys or dominant rookies (no Jenks or Wainwright on the horizon for the Phillies). The Cardinals' Motte was an exception last season.
I think this point is even more true if teams have great starting pitching and play low-scoring games. Reyes' added production, over Rollins', wouldn't have altered that formula very much... Anyway, it's worthy of debate.
— PhilaLogic - Citing Bleacherreport really? My content is published but I don't go quoting it on message boards. Your whole argument hinges on Papelbon being a "dominant closer." I say, look at how each of the last 3 Red Sox seasons have ended, and look at his 2010 (or 2009? it's friday) season when he couldn't get anybody out. I know last September he basically shook off everything but a fastball late in the year, and he got torched for it. I see him throwing 93mph this year, and I still say... talk to me in October. We'll see if he's a "dominant closer."
- Of course Amaro and everyone saw the Phillies had an offense that would struggle, but it's worse at the moment than they or we imagined, and please stop referencing NLDS Game 5. That had just as much to do with Carpenter pitching the game of his life—the '27 Yankees weren't going to score off him—as it had to do with the Phillies offense.
The problems with the Phillies are fixable, and in all likelihood they will walk away with another division title and advance farther in the playoffs this year than they have the past few. (Anyone disagree with me, talk to me in October.)
The biggest problems facing the Phillies
1) Charlie Manuel
While he is well-liked by the players, it's his decisions that have cost this team from winning more titles. (Why was Roy Halladay not pitched with the season on the line TWICE in a row? 2010 NLCS game 4; 2011 NLDS game 4? Or Cliff Lee in 2009? And he needs to stop tinkering with the lineup and being "loyal".
2) Jim Thome
He's a great guy, loved him throughout his career and have always rooted for him, but he looks done. He hasn't connected squarely on anything—not even foul balls—which shows his bat speed has lost its bite. Hope he can turn it around, but until he does, he should NEVER come to the plate with the game on the line. (Cliff Lee was a better offensive option than Thome last night, and at least a righty to face Lopez. Has ANY left-handed hitter from the Phillies gotten a hit off him since he's been in SF? Not that I remember.)
Got more to say, but got work to do.— Eilex826 - Regardless of left-right matchups, I felt Thome was the wrong guy, period, because you need a contact hitter there. Polanco, despite his struggles, would have been the better choice. But now hearing that Thome had made good contact vs. Lopez, and that Polanco's numbers were poor, it wasn't a horrible choice statistically. (Still not the best option in my view.) At a certain point, players simply have to come through in clutch situations. Because with this club, there are going to be a LOT of close games. Already, this team is a few clutch hits away from being 7-5 or even 8-4... It's still early, but Thome is starting to feel like a bad option in almost any situation. That seems like a decision for early May.— PhilaLogic
- Time to fire gross and bring in a professional hitting coach like Milt Thompson------oh never mind.— tmkatz
- time to start trading ( sorry doc and cliff ) and rebuild— moremaui
- Refreshing to see this type of candor from the media regarding the efforts of this team right now. We thank you.— Sam Crow
- Comment removed.
- It is only going to get worse.— eaglesman1
- Seasons Over— FABER
- It doesn't really matter how good your pitching staff is if you can't consistently put up 3 or more runs most nights. They could have had Ryan Franklin starting last night and gotten the same result.— Bobby G
- At least the Phils pitching has been good. Just got to find some players who can hit.— zeke128
- Cholly manual again rears his massive incompetence and LOSES a game for the Phils and I don't mean literally "lose" because he can't pitch or hit......but he is responsible for putting the right player out there at the right time but did he? NO! He used Tome in a critical situation with Ruiz on second and one out and then stuck with him when Bochy brought in a lefty because Tome is Cholly's buddy! He left Wiggington at third base knowing that defense was now the priority in late innings, inexcusable! How long can Phillies fans tolerate the astounding ineptitude of Cholly Manuel? These examples from last night perfectly support the case I have presented for three years now, that Manuel is one of the most incompetent field managers in Major league baseball and that he has erroneously been credited with the Phillies winning ways over the last 5 years where in reality, he was only an impediment and its a credit to the teams talent that they won DESPITE his inept, imbecilic field management. Now that he is exposed without Utley and Howard to save him, its quite apparent that the case for Manuels incompetence is now explicitly demonstrated and will continue to show itself in all its ugliness. Cholly might be a nice guy, I have got nothing against him but he is a huge detriment to the team and now more than ever since he took over from Bowa, they desperately need a real MANAGER who is skilled with field tactics, strategy and can communicate in coherent, 21st century English. The Phils will likely end up in last place or at least 4th and the only way we can pressure the team to cleanse itself of their inept management will be to fire Amaro, Manuel and all the coaches along with their scouts and minor league management. The Phillies need a purge and they need it now!— daystrum
- Brookover wrote the article just for you Bisquit? daystrum. It must mean they are listening to you. You write with such panache and with such conviction how could an normal thinking solid American not just hang on your every word. Any moment I bet Dave Montgomery will be calling you for your advice about how to go forward. You should really be running the club. Just wondering if Dave knows which screen name he needs to check to find out where to contact you? ( lest there be a doubt ,this is sarcasm , don't wait up for the call)
— DUDESKINS - We don't know if the sky is falling -- yet. Of our first 19 games (through April 25), 13 are on the road. If we emerge from that at, say, 9-10, OK. Not great, but OK. Then, 18 of our next 26 games are at home, through May 23. If we're not at .550 or better by then, we can tape tin foil on the windows and huddle in our basements.— eman
- The GM did not do his job. There were bats available. He spent too much on Paplebon and at a garage sale. The GM is at fault. The manager can do so much. Pitching is important for success, but so is hitting. For the old timers, the Indians had 4 20 game winners and could not win a World Series. You have to score to win.— wmontanez27
- Don't know how much more time is needed to grasp the glaringly evident realization that Thome, Wigginton, Nix, and Polanco no longer have what it takes to be on a MLB roster.— Seegs
- Utley really threw this team under a bus and Amaro put blind faith on hims that he would be honest with them. Utley could have told them that his knees still hurt and he might not be ready for the season, but he says nothing until 2 weeks until the start of the regular season and Amaro is left scrambling. At least with the hitting, it is an easier fix than pitching or D. One idea is maybe taking a flier on Carlos Lee. Even if the Phils have to go over the luxury tax to get him, he would be pretty cheap and can fill in at 1st until RH comes back and then put him in LF (cant be much worse than Ibanez or Burrell). Big boost to the offense.— ESFjellin
- Offense is pathetic.— TerryW
- LOL. Everyone FREAK OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's freaking half-way through April people...calm down. We'll know significantly more about this team come the summer. We all knew they had issues, we all knew it would be a tough start to the season. Now that they're doing exactly what we all thought they would do, everyone is going to spazz out over it? BTW, this team is going to hit this way (absolutely terribly) all year. This is a pitching oriented club now, just like the Giants have been the last 4 years-ish. P.S they won a World Series doing it. Agreed, this line-up is paid just about 3 or 4 times as much as it should be given the production, but contracts are always awarded based on past production rather than future value (because who the hell really knows?). It may not be as entertaining as it's been in the past but I'm not ready to just give up on this team 4 series into the season.— fightonphilly
- I only hate when the Phils aren't playing so hot because it brings out the armchair GMs like no other. It's like a roach infestation.
Please play better soon Phils!— evolutionary - There are several types of managers, obviously, but I don't understand the love affair with Charlie. Nice guy, but his managerial skills are only suited for a team full of all-stars. He manages egos and personalities, but definitely not games. He could have made the moves to win the game last night. Polanco may not be hitting much, but in a 0-0 game late where any mistake can cost you a win, he should have been in for his glove, not to mention as a pinch-contact hitter in Thome's spot. His managing has been mind-boggling, whether it's matchups, the use of the bullpen, especially Papelbon, or tutoring the hitters, most of whom regress under "the hitting guy" (or we're just told it's hard to change them). Come on, Charlie, step up! It doesn't look like you have a clue, and guess what? You're not going to have a lineup of All-Stars every year...show us you can win with less! The Phils are wasting their best-ever pitching staff, and yeah, it is only a dozen games, but what's happening has a lot to do with how the team is trending, not just a mild "slump."— netcaster
- If Thome had hit a pop-fly last night (like he has before against the same pitcher), we wouldn't be having this conversation, you realize that, right? If sports were a sure thing, then no one would watch. When you play the odds, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, that's sports. Monday Morning Quarterback it to death all you want if it makes you feel better, but just remember that smarter minds than yours are on these problems. — evolutionary
- Everybody needs to stop thinking things will change when Utley and howard come back. They were here in the post season in 2011 that didn't end well. It has to be an entire team effort. Charlie has lost control (Halladay will fight him to stay in a ballgame) and it's time for some new blood there.— rolenfan
- — tmkatz----This isn't Greg Gross's fault. Today's players think they know it all and don't want to listen to him. Charlie should take charge and if the guys don't listen to the coaches put them on the bench and put in somebody who wants to play. Funny how the coaches get the blame for the problems with the offense but no credit when it is successful. Let's go Phillies!!! Spring training is over and these games count.— rolenfan
- As I commented yesterday, Thome is useless and four hits from the lineup in 11 innings is disgraceful. As we saw with Lidge sweating it out in August, 2009, Jed sometimes puts loyalty to his favorite players over common sense- always to the detriment of the team.— pajamas
- The window is closing..........slowly closing on the Phils. They rolled the dice with big contracts on Howard, Utley, Rollins, Lee, etc. But it's over..... At least we had 2008. See you in 2022.— bigdaddyG
- @rolenfan: Like you, I was a fan of the former Phils/now Reds 3B. Regarding your points, I completely agree with your assessment that the Phils' lineup problems started long before Utley and Howard got hurt. The problem isn't "small ball"; the real problem is the Phils neither have the coaching or personnel to make it work. I like Manuel(certainly a lot more than the current GM), but his style is home run oriented. Speaking of 3rd base, Wigginton is below average, and I remember, on the Denver Post website, Rockies fans were more than happy to just be rid of him. It's time for a upgrade; if a better 3B can't be acquired, can a new GM be acquired?— 76erfn
- They started 8-10 in 2008. The level of panic right now is ridiculous.— JCKevo
- Amen. — evolutionary
- this is all on you ruben amaro.
- The ranks of Cholly defenders are going to thin considerably this year. Going to be required to make some tough, daft decisions late in close games & this isn't his managerial strength.— PhillyGuy77
- What do they have at AAA. Just finished watching the Pigs game in Buffalo which they won 8-4 on 14 hits. First baseman Cody Oberbeck had four hits, catcher Erik Kratz had three hits including one over the center fielders head that landed in front of the 404 ft. sign. Of course Pods had two hits in three at bats. Last night lefty Diekman came in the game and got three swing and miss strikeouts in a row against right handed batters. Ruben does have options. Heck even Cody can field better at third or first than Wiggy or Nix.— Dull
- So the countdown to Greg Gross being fired begins...they should swap him with Ryne Sandberg and see if he can get something going with these old dogs. If I see J Roll trickle any more balls to 1st and 2nd I am going to scream. And Mayberry's stance is way too hunched - no where near the open stance that served him so well last season! GRRRRRRRR— bingbangbong
- So the countdown to Greg Gross being fired begins...they should swap him with Ryne Sandberg and see if he can get something going with these old dogs. If I see J Roll trickle any more balls to 1st and 2nd I am going to scream. And Mayberry's stance is way too hunched - no where near the open stance that served him so well last season! GRRRRRRRR— bingbangbong
- bingbangbong - you're absolutely right about Mayberry's stance. He's not listening because he's pressing, not because he's a primadonna like some of the Phils. That issue is on the coaches. Other player decisions are on the GM, who needs to acknowledge that Cholly can't make personnel decisions and force him to give some kids a try (Luna, Brown) or package prospects for a 3rd baseman or LF because we can't rely on Utley or Howard coming back in decent shape (or at all).— The K Man
- no matter how many times cholly shuffles that lineup in every game,,,runs won t be scored in high numbers,,maybe one game out of 8 or 9 they ll blow out the other team,,but the following game they become scoreless,,i really feel bad for the pitchers,,not the management because they re the ones who screwed up— hardball
- Relax. It's a 162 game schedule. All is well. It's always darkest before the dawn. Everything looks worse with a six-pack of Schlitz in your belly. Once the hitters start hitting and scoring runs, they'll start hitting and scoring runs.— GeorgiePorgie68
- Still expect this team to eventually compete, but man, it's tough watching them flail about. And it's basically management not able to get it done when it comes to adding a decent right handed bat, and adding some lefties and depth to the bullpen. Holy smokes. Like the return of Howard and Utley solves everything. Hasn't the last few years, so why should it this year. And I could go on forever about the manager.— JRum
- I am downright pissed at their situation, and wonder why Amaro isn't getting torched!!! Since the NLCS against the Giants when they were roundly embarrassed, and last year against the Cards....he's done nothing to improve the offense, NOTHING!!! I wouldn't blame Hamels for leaving, and I'd advise him to.....if I were his agent......Lee and Halladay are being wasted.....it's disgraceful. This team didn't just get old....it's been happening for years.....and Amaro fiddled, and I'd like his head on a plate. Manuel has hidden his poor managerial talents behind Howard and Utley and now he's hung out to dry as well....he still can't manage a lineup, nor a pitching staff....you're damn right they deserve LAST PLACE and until Amaro is gone they're done.— boasocal
- I am now in a deep sleep. Thanks.— 1danny
- Comment removed.
- San Diego has a "small ball" park-so they should do ok.JUAN P --the singles hitter- in his prime-those hits became doubles or triples because of his ability to swipe bases.If he gets that part of his game going he will be a weapon.— HO HUM
- As I watched the game last night, I couldn't believe Manuel left Thome in there against the left-hander. I just couldn't believe it. The result was not only predictable, it was a foregone conclusion. We just needed contact there. Anything but a strikeout or a pop up. Thome is a strike-out hitter. I still can't believe Manuel's bone-headed move.— Bartleby
- When a guy posts enough hate he reveals things inadvertently. Mr. Reuben Hater is actually a Braves fan and all along I had him pegged for Mr. Met. Maybe the trauma of the Phillies bouncing the Braves in win 102 sent him over the edge. No true Philly fan, regardless of how disappointed in losing to the Cards or for the slow start this year would ever say things in such a hateful disrespectful manner. Fans don't hate their stars or team when they have been as successful as these Phils have been and to suggest trading Doc and Lee for Prospects, fire all management and scouts and sell the team to different owners, well need I say more. This is a sickness.— DUDESKINS
- The problem with Juan Pierre is he is a French Chef and Charlie is eating too much rich food.— BigMike100
- Charlie Manuel's inability to make strategic decisions is now obvious. In addition, his friendships with Pierre, Thome, Herndon, Martinez allow them to take a seat while his abrasiveness has cast Podsednik and Savery to the minors, Valdez to the Reds and last year gave Werth a reason to fly where the money lay. When the Phillies were younger and hitting with confidence, his flawed decision making was often obscured. Now with Polanco washed, Utley and Howard hurt he could finally be on a real hotseat this summer. Although RAJ has brought in an awesome pitching staff he has become an enabler for Manuel's stubborn and inept ways.— Phillip Phan
- No surprise about Chase- he hasn't been the same player since he broke his wrist a few years ago even before the knees gave way. The surprise to me was resigning Rollins and not moving this year to overhaul the club including the manager and resigning Cole as step one..........unfortunately none of that happened and we are in a dangerous place with an weak talent and an under-equipped manager.— Northcountry
- Thank God we have a self-proclaimed "hitting gure" holding down the fort. I'm sure his .198 lifetime average will be an inspiration to all the stiffs RAJ signed in the off season. Anybody venture a guess how many extra base hits Polly Wants A Cracker has had since Aoril 2011?— Wilhelm Von Humboldt
- THIS team is absolutely horrible. Painful to watch. Hamels, Halladay, and Lee, are the real victims here. Hope they all get traded to a winner! Cholly couldn't teach a fish to swim!— shady24
- They wouldn't have to rely on signing free agents already in decline to multi year deals kf they ever spent money in the draft or internationally. A team with this much revenue should not be consistently in the bottom of the league in draft spending. They spent more on Thome, Nix, and Wigginton then they spent on the entire draft. RAJ doesnt seem to grasp the value of pre-arb contracts when players generally outproduce their salaries, it is like he enjoys overpaying for past production.— Ed Gein
- Hey Ed how's the lampshade business?— Phillip Phan
- when you give up on a player who heretofore had done well, claim he is through, then he goes to another team and is resurrected, what's that tell you? i'm thinking of dobbs who, for sure, sucked his last season here. marlins pick him up and he's doing very, very, satisfactorily, maybe even as good as laynce nix. hitting coach? hitting gooroo?— bubba church & granny hamner
- The Phils can turn things around by hitting the baseball. Until they show the fans that they are finished, I will reiterate what I (and many, many other fans) have been saying: The Phils have not hit for 2 years - forget Howard and Utley, they have not hit and, very likely, never will again - and currently lack the ability to demonstate otherwise. Good luck, Roy, Cole and Cliff - you had better develop home-run swings, it is all on you!!!— billtfla
- Why couldn't you "experts" covering this team see this coming or were you afraid to write it in spring training lest you lose your pass to the free spread after the game? Look at the life time averages on each player that will only go down with age and how could you not see this coming.....case closed!!!!— John Harvey
- For the guys debating Howard's injury and his setback...I have some inside that says Ryan got the infection from abrasion from working out in Clearwater in new baseball shoes but wearing them without socks for the first week or so. He got an infection in the incision site from the rubbing and sweat moisture. What a colssal oversight. No socks leading to an extra month or two on the DL. Stupid.— Chrisnchris
- Can we please stop all this Charlie Manuel bashing? It's really dumb. This isn't Manuel's fault. The Phillies are not the '82 Cardinals, stealing bases all the time and laying down bunts. They aren't constructed that way. They need a legit #4 hitter the most. Whether Howard can fill that role again when he comes back remains to be seen. More than anything, it's age. Replacing the player Utley used to be isn't exactly easy.— p-diddy
- Just love reading the laments of you poor Philly fans. Oh, my, if only we had Ryan (Mr. "Gulp" with men on) back. Really, let's give him another ten million bucks. We need Chase (mystery of the knees) back in the lineup. Face it people. This isn't a soft, walkover division anymore. The Phillies are toast. To those of you who keep saying it's a "long" season; yep, that's right, especially if you are among those contributing to the CBP sellouts.— fredfromjersey
- Its a long season. CM in my opinion is finding out who he can count on for what, and no doubt has been a little disappointed. He's never been shy about playing hot hands and benching others. Playing Galvis instead of a vet goes against many posters thoughts that he always plays the vets or his buddies. I think he only wants to win. Stick with him for a while.— KvK
this is not an issue of being positive or negative. Facts: Hardly anyone, other than the pitchers, are acting like or playing like major league baseball players Absolutely no energy from rollins, victorino,polanco,mayberry. Has anyone ever watched such uninterested players as they they strike out or ground out and stroll to and from the plate? No emotion, no energy.
Nix and wiggington have never excelled and are playing their usual low caliber offense and defense.
Jim Thome, love the guy, but his game is gone-he needs to refund his salary and retire.
The manager has lost his magic touch, as demonstrated by his 'moves' last evening in San Francisco. Amaro knew he would not have a second baseman for several months, and if he listened to the orthopedist, he would have known that Howard had virtually no chance of playing this year. Yet he did little to bolster the lineup.
We have no offense, very average defense and a great bunch of pitchers.
This is going to be a long year. The fans and the pitching staff deserve much better.
Maybe next year...
the phlash- Managers know the stats, fans and writers don't— dwilly
- Eilex826,by OCTOBER you and a BANKfull of fans will have jumped off any bridge near you. This OLD ,no HITTING, no MANAGER TEAM won't be in or near the playoff.— tobyjoe
- I'm sick and tired of reading these articles. These writers are doing nothing but perpetuating the nervousness and panic that were tipped off by previous poor offensive performances in the postseason. We are dealing with having our two best power hitters out of the lineup, in addition to declines from current players, particularly Placido Polanco. Everyone has kept saying that we should not be surprised to see the performances that we've been seeing so far. I feel like I've been reading the same articles for 4 months straight now. We all know the offense stinks right now and the pitching is superb. That is the way this team is built and has been dealing with injuries. Remember this team managed to win 102 games last season and are playing in a relatively weak National League. We've played 13 and are 6-7. At the end of the day, we will have Utley and Howard back (hopefully) and if not, I would be shocked to not see a trade from Amaro. So, relax, get over the fact the season has been playing out the way we all predicted it and let them finish the remaining 149 games— jewishcraig
- I think Charlie and RAJ deserve benefit of doubt after guiding us through the most sustained area of winning in history of the franchise. 6-7 is not a hole that cannot be dug out from Mayberry, Pence, Victorino and Rollins will start hitting.— tommazza
- also mentioned before season started wiggington, nix thome maybe one of them should have been brought to phillies not all 3 for what? thome is 42 wigginton 34 nix 31 no speed they have power and too old to field or just too bad a fielder, lets see what brown can do in the 3rd spot rollins is NOT a 3 hole hitter if brown is too bad in LF replace him in the late innings at least he can run take polanco out of the 2 hole last nites game when he could not score from 2nd is a good reason why if galvis continues to improve I would bat him/victorino 2nd.— only 9
- Bob and Matt: baseball front running women, panic panic— gmr18901
1
Classifieds:
Site Services:
Partners:
Powered By:
