The Good Phight

Phillies Top 10 Prospects up at Baseball America

2009-11-09T18:17:12Z

Phillies Top 10 Prospects up at Baseball America

For BA subscribers, full scouting reports are here, and John Manuel will host a chat here beginning at 3:00 p.m. The list itself is as follows:

1. Domonic Brown
2. Kyle Drabek
3. Michael Taylor
4. Travis d'Arnaud
5. Trevor May
6. Anthony Gose
7. Sebastian Valle
8. Jarred Cosart
9. Antonio Bastardo
10. Domingo Santana

SBN Baseball Postseason Awards -- National League Manager of the Year

2009-11-09T17:43:06Z

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

A second consecutive National League Pennant was gratifying, sure, but the real measure of Phillies' manager Charlie Manuel's season? Finishing a solid fifth in the SBNation Postseason Award balloting. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Browse more photos »

Once again, the SBNation baseball blogging team got together to vote for the traditional postseason award winners. Each blog got two ballots for the editorial staff to complete (in our case, jonk and myself). First up, National League Manager of the Year. See the results below...

Later this week: Rookie Of the Year, Cy Young Award, and Most Valuable ~~Pujols~~ Player.

Jim Tracy is a worthy winner. He took a team from the dregs of the division in the spring and made a spirited run at the NL West title, falling just short and settling for the Wild Card. His Rockies took the eventual NL Champion Phillies to four games in the NLDS, nearly forcing a fifth game in Philadelphia, but for a two out rally in the bottom of the ninth of Game Four in frigid Denver.

Phillies' skipper Charlie Manuel finished fifth.

Rk	Manager	Team	1st	2nd	3rd	Pts
1	Jim Tracy	Colorado Rockies	24	1	2	125
2	Tony LaRussa	St. Louis Cardinals	3	7	10	46
3	Fredi Gonzalez	Florida Marlins	2	6	5	33
4	Joe Torre	Los Angeles Dodgers	-	9	2	29
5	Charlie Manuel	Philadelphia Phillies	-	3	5	14
6	Bruce Bochy	San Francisco Giants	1	1	1	9
7	Bobby Cox	Atlanta Braves	-	1	4	7
8	Bud Black	San Diego Padres	-	1	1	4
9	John Russell	Pittsburgh Pirates	-	1	-	3

Phillies Breakfast Links, November 9, 2009: Goodbye Pedro Feliz, Gas Face at 3rd Bas(e)

2009-11-09T13:22:21Z

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

Third baseman Chone Figgins, whose bat (and glove) may be highly coveted by the Phillies this winter. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Browse more photos »

Phillies decline option on Feliz
Smell ya later, Pedro Feliz.

WHO’S ON THIRD? - Philled In

Scott Lauber breaks down the potential Feliz replacements.

Phillies consider changes at third base

Would Chone Figgins bat leadoff? How would Jimmy Rollins feel about that?

SURGERY FOR LIDGE, IBANEZ, EYRE - Philled In

Well, at least we know now what was wrong with Brad Lidge. I hope?

The 10 most memorable moments of the 2009 postseason - Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

I can't believe he forgot Jimmy Rollins' walkoff double in NLCS Game Four the first time through. I mean, really.

Trade Analysis: Hermida a Monster pickup?

Florida Marlins deal Jeremy Hermida to the Boston Red Sox.

World Series Most Watched Since 2004

Thank goodness for this, lining the pockets of MLB and the Steinbrenner family. I was worried there for awhile!

Phillies fans refocusing sights on Eagles’ season

So how did that work out last night?

Jon Gosselin to attend wedding of Shane Victorino | TMZ.com

Shane, I don't like the aroma of these people around you and the team.

Happy trails, Pete: Phils decline Feliz's $5 million option

2009-11-08T23:57:22Z

Happy trails, Pete: Phils decline Feliz's $5 million option

Per Scott Lauber from the Wilmington News-Journal.

Probably a good decision by the organization. Fangraphs had Feliz providing $12.4 million in value over the past two years (on an $8.5 million contract), but nearly all of that came from his glove work, which had been slipping a bit in recent years. The nostalgic among us will remember Feliz for his World Series winning RBI last year, while the realists among us will remember his first pitch swinging pop ups.

Best of luck to Pedro, wherever he winds up. It will certainly be interesting to see how Amaro approaches the hot corner situation; Chone Figgins, Adrian Beltre, and Mark DeRosa are among the available free agents; Alex Gordon and Brandon Wood could be available by trade; and on the low end of things, Garrett Atkins is likely to be non-tendered by the Rockies.

Myers Won't Be Back

2009-11-06T19:45:10Z

Myers Won't Be Back

The part of me that remembers he's a person says "good riddance." The cold-blooded GM wannabe, though, wonders if a low base, make-good deal to bring him back as a fifth starter might not have been a better way to go. Remember that the most likely alternative in-house options are Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick.

Phillies Pick Up Cliff Lee's Option

2009-11-06T18:39:55Z

Phillies Pick Up Cliff Lee's Option

Shocking, just shocking news! Full Zolecki tweet: "Phillies pick up Cliff Lee's option. Haven't decided on Pedro Feliz. Have until Monday to make that decision." We've got to hope Ruben Amaro Jr. makes the right call on Feliz and dumps him.

The 2009 World Series: The Boring One

2009-11-06T16:00:46Z

We're now on our second day post-World Series, and I can't fight off this nagging feeling that the championship series I just watched was, well, pretty damn boring.

Yes, it was a World Series, and with the Phillies' long record of futility, there's really no ground for complaining when the team just makes it to the post-season, let alone to the World Series. But, in the context of a best-of-7 match for the best team in baseball, it's hard to say that this Series had much going for it.

Sure, this was the first World Series to go past 6 games since 2003. And the Yankees won their first championship in their new stadium. And Chase Utley tied the record for most home runs in a World Series. And Hideki Matsui was dominant. And Mariano Rivera was, well, Mariano Rivera. But all of those things added in with the rest of the Series just didn't add up to anything exciting or memorable.

The best way to capture this sentiment is the following: over the course of the six games, there were 2 lead changes. That's it. Even worse is that both of them occurred in drabs over the course of the middle innings. Otherwise, once a team took the lead in this series, the other team never got ahead. Of course, this doesn't mean that it wasn't good baseball, but it does mean that from a fan's perspective, this isn't particularly exciting baseball.

The overall series momentum also didn't provide much excitement. The Phillies took the early 1-0 lead, but then the Yankees won 3 in a row. Had the Phillies won their second in Game 4 instead of Game 5, the Series would have taken on a new level of excitement. But, that's not what happened, and by the time the Phillies had 2 wins, the Yankees were heading home looking for one to clinch. Momentum really didn't shift, and the Series ended as it seemed it would without any real surprise.

Looking at the particulars of each game confirms this, as only Game 4 had much real excitement. Yet, even that excitement lasted only a very short period of time. Here are each of the games re-capped, along with the mostly uni-directional win probability graphs. I've also given each game an excitement ranking on a 1 to 10 scale, with 10 being Joe-Carter-Game-6-in-1993 exciting and 1 being a mid-August Pirates/Padres 6-2 snooze-fest:

Game 1: Cliff Lee dominated the Yankees, holding them to one unearned run. That's a wonderful pitching performance, but it's not high drama. Chase Utley's two home runs against CC Sabathia were exciting, but the rest of the offense was dormant until the last two innings. And, at that point, the game was pretty much over. The Yankees had no chance against Lee, and the graph below shows it. The only thing going for the game on the excitement meter was that it was Game 1, which seemed like a big deal at the time. Excitement factor: 6.

via www.fangraphs.com

Game 2: One of our two lead-change games, the Phillies took an early lead, but then Pedro Martinez slowly gave it back, one run at a time, until the Yankees had a lead that Mariano Rivera protected with a 2 inning save. The lead change was exciting, as was some good pitching from Martinez and A.J. Burnett, but the drip-drip run-scoring from the Yankees along with the certitude of the Rivera save worked against this game having much excitement to it. The steady incline of the win probably graph confirms this. Excitement factor: 4.

Game 3: Here we get out second, and last, lead change of the Series. The Phillies took an early 3-0 lead behind a dominant Cole Hamels. But then it all fell apart in the middle innings, as the Yankees outscored the Phillies 8-1 over the course of innings 4 through 8. The Phillies' feeble comeback just assured another Rivera shut-down appearance in the ninth. This game was over in the fifth, and the entire stadium knew it (and the graph confirms). Excitement factor: 3.

Game 4: This was the only high-drama game of the Series. The Phillies staged a late inning comeback against Sabathia and Joba Chamberlain, who looked great in the eighth inning until Pedro Feliz shockingly tied the game with a home run. Brad Lidge entered the ninth and looked great as well, but followed Chamberlain's pattern of not being able to put away the last batter. Lidge allowed 3 in the ninth, and another Rivera appearance assured the Yankees' third win. This is the only win probably graph with much of a jagged edge. Excitement factor: 8.

Game 5: This game was over early, as the Phillies took a big lead with Cliff Lee pitching. He wasn't as sharp as Game 1, but he was pitching well enough and the offense put up enough runs that the game was not much in doubt. The Yankees did mount a bit of a comeback and made the ninth inning tense, but it was too little, too late. That ninth inning comeback rescues this game from a 1, as the virtually flatlined win probably graph would seem to merit. Excitement factor: 4.

Game 6: This was the worst of the bunch. The only thing it had going for it was that it was Hideki Matsui's 6 RBI and that it was the last game. Otherwise, the Yankees took an early lead, the Phillies' hitters couldn't hit with men on, and everyone knew Rivera was going to come in for more than 3 outs, possibly 6. He ultimately came in for 5 outs and closed the door to finish the Series, as we all knew he would. The graph below merits a 1 on the excitement scale, but the championship win boosts this game, but only slightly as it was a complete bore. Excitement factor: 2.

The average excitement factor here is 4.5 on a 10 point scale. Of course, this is an arbitrary and subjective scale, but take a look at the fangraphs collectively and note the extreme absence of much fluctuation at all. There's no two ways about it: this was a boring series.

Of course, I'd feel completely different had the Phillies won it all . . . .

WANTED: A photo of the blue 2009 National League pennant flag... like this one, except the blue...

2009-11-06T13:19:01Z

WANTED: A photo of the blue 2009 National League pennant flag... like this one, except the blue League Championship one. REWARD: Gratitude, and possible prominent placement on this site for the next 12 months or so.

Phillies Breakfast Links, November 6, 2009: Aloha, Phillies!

2009-11-06T13:04:06Z

I'm taking the Breakfast Links back to couple-times-a-week status for now, although that might change during the Winter Meetings and whatnot. Thanks to Wet Luzinski for handling probably the toughest day so far (I assure you I wasn't doing anything fun that morning). And thanks to everyone else for reading. We'll be here all offseason.

Phillies may try to sign Cliff Lee to extension this off-season
The article discusses Sabathia money... I don't know if it'll be that much, but it'll be a lot. And they'll either have to cut spending in other areas (bye Werth?) or increase payroll quite a bit.

10 questions facing the Phillies
I love Pedro Martinez, but I don't think he has a place on this team going forward. Thanks for everything.

Frank: Next year, Phillies could use help from ace, closer
Cole Hamels will be fine. Trust me. And even if he's not, that ring in 2008? His.

5 questions for the Phillies to ponder
Pedro Feliz has to go. Sorry, buddy.

Myers status with Phillies enters flux
It's a tough call. If he wants to come back on a one-year low value "make good" deal, I'm all for it.

Crowd greets players at 30th Street Station
Cool.

Top 10 Phillies Moments Of 2009
Discuss.

How Did They Do That?

2009-11-06T04:02:53Z

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Ryan Madson: last man standing of the Phillies' 2008 pitching stalwarts. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Browse more photos »

Not quite 24 hours after the Phillies saw their season come to an end one day and two wins before we hoped it would, my disappointment at the conclusion is starting to give way to something like amazement that they got as close as they did. Of arguably the six most important Phillies pitchers from the 2008 championship run--starters Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, and Jamie Moyer, and relievers Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, and J.C. Romero--a stunning five saw their contributions plummet in the season that just ended.

By contrast, consider the last NL team to win back-to-back pennants: the Atlanta Braves of the mid-1990s. The world champion 1995 Braves boasted a rotation led by future Hall of Famers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz, who combined for 47 wins and 601 innings that season. Their bullpen was anchored by closer Mark Wohlers (204 ERA+) and setup men Greg McMichael (153) and Brad Clontz (117). The '96 Braves, who also lost their repeat bid to the Yankees in six games, had a pitching staff led by... Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, Wohlers, McMichael and Clontz. The three starters combined for 54 wins and an amazing 724 innings; Wohlers (ERA+ 145) and McMichael (136) were strong again, though Clontz (77) was much less effective. To sum up, the top five pitchers powered the Atlanta pennant-winners in both years.

Which brings us to the 2008-2009 Phillies.

In '08, Hamels, Myers and Moyer combined for 40 wins and 613.2 innings in the regular season (plus 6 wins and 65.2 innings through the three rounds of the playoffs). Lidge pitched to a superlative ERA+ of 225; Madson (144) and Romero (160) were great as well, and came up even bigger in the playoffs. A year later, Hamels went from "Darth Vader in spikes," as the Braves broadcasters (in perhaps the sole contribution to humankind) once dubbed him, to a young pitcher struggling with command and composure. Myers looked like he might challenge Bert Blyleven's single season home run record through a middling month and a half, then got hurt. Moyer pitched his way out of the rotation, remade himself as a surprisingly effective long reliever, then suffered a season-ending injury in September. They combined for 26 wins and 426.1 innings during the season, and Hamels added another victory in October. Lidge... well, you know about Lidge: his 2009 campaign was arguably the worst any closer has ever suffered through. His ERA+ was *59*. That's not a misprint. Romero missed the first fifty games of the season with a suspension for taking illegal supplements, briefly returned and was middling, then got hurt and missed the last month plus the playoffs. Only Madson stood tall again, with an ERA+ of 131. They were the anti-Braves.

That the Phils came within two wins of raising another championship banner anyway has to be credited mostly to GM Ruben Amaro Jr., whose late July trade for Cliff Lee and bargain-price signing of Pedro Martinez saved the rotation and who gave the bullpen a crucial boost in the person of Chan Ho Park. Manager Charlie Manuel and pitching coach Rich Dubee, who got great work from J.A. Happ and small but important contributions from the likes of Antonio Bastardo, Rodrigo Lopez, Tyler Walker and Kyle Kendrick over the course of the year, deserve kudos as well.

It's unclear what, if anything, this means for the future. Certainly there's every reason to hope Hamels will return to form, and Lidge and Romero seem decent bets to rebound from their miserable 2009 campaigns even if neither recaptures the heights of '08. Myers is a free agent who might or might not be back; Moyer will turn 47 this month and will be attempting to rebound from a fairly severe injury. But if you'd tried to sell the story eight months ago that the 2009 Phils would see five of their top six pitchers from the championship run essentially melt down, yet still win the pennant and take the World Series to six games, you likely would have had few believers.

Not Philly Enough

2009-11-04T21:42:39Z

Promoted from FanPosts, some laughs on an otherwise gloomy day... WC

This week, the Inqy's Frank Fitzpatrick wrote an article claiming that there was simply "not enough Philly" in Cole Hamels, and that this would eventually get to him. I realized that this impenetrable logic also spells doom for many other Phillies, who just may not be Philly enough to make it in this town.

1. Jimmy Rollins
He's too busy doing Red Bull endorsements and bowling for charity to really get his head in the game. And he loves Jay-Z, who's from NY. What kind of Philadelphian listens to Jay-Z?? Or hip-hop, for that matter-- god knows it's not blue-collar enough, always talking about champagne, bling, and whips that couldn't even haul a half-ton of gravel.

2. Shane Victorino
He's from Hawaii (if that IS his real birth certificate). Plus, he replaced Aaron Rowand: the greatest Philadelphia athlete of all time. Shane runs too fast and plays too well to ever have to run into a wall to make a catch, and that's not how we get it done in Philly.

3. Chase Utley
Much like his Hollywood pal, Cole Hamels, Chase Utley is just another slicked-back Cali pretty boy. And he never smiles during games, which just shows that he doesn't have the heart or love of the game that great players need to succeed.

4. Ryan Howard
The man does ads for Subway cheesesteaks. Nothing he could do on the field can make up for that.

5. Jayson Werth
Ok, I want to give it to him because he really does have the facial hair to be Philly enough. But who the hell spells a nice normal name like Jason with a Y? Way too fancy, if you ask me. And he almost looks like he's having TOO much fun. He should take a page from Chase Utley's handbook, and get more serious about the game.

6. Raúl Ibáñez
Seriously, what Philly fan wants a jersey with that many accents on it?

7. Pedro Feliz
No one likes him anyway. Also, Geno's wouldn't even serve him a steak.

8. Carlos Ruiz
He's from Panama. Isn't that where Abreu was from? And we all know how THAT worked out.

9. Cliff Lee
Did you hear him the other day when he said he wasn't nervous before the WS? That just shows he doesn't take the game seriously enough. Everyone knows Happ should've started Game 1 instead.

10. Brad Lidge
He's not performing as well as he used to, but gosh darn it does he try hard! He's got a great face of hair. Despite us being the defending champions, he makes us look and feel like underdogs. And if there's one thing Philly loves, it's an underdog. There you have it-- Brad Lidge is the Philliest Phillie we've got.

Phillies Breakfast Links, November 5, 2009: Too Depressed to Eat Breakfast, Ma Edition

2009-11-05T13:04:16Z

My last few playoff fill-ins on Breakfast Links were wonderful opportunities, for which I remain grateful. This morning, however, I have been passed a bitter cup: Skipper has tapped me to take one for the team on the morning after losing the World Series. Per Skip: Post some links and get out of there. Get on with the offseason while the Blog Lords get a head start cleaning out their lockers. But it breaks my heart. Just hard to watch. Just, just...Hurt.

So I tried to give the Yankees props. I'll even cop to the notion that they were the better team, and think that Matsui being the first Japanese player to win Series MVP is a great story, way better than this one, even though it came at the expense of Chase Utley. And if you thought last night sucked for you, imagine if you were this guy. Even, to a lesser degree, this guy.

But then I took a look at this:

Ghosts of '57 Game 7 remain just that

I swear this was one of the first postgame links out there last night. But for crissakes, the lede that you take is that it's a damn shame there's no game 7 in Yankees Stadium, and this continues a 52-year drought of game 7s? Right there-RIGHT THERE-I tapped into the vein of deep Yankee Loathing from which I will never return. It just seems like this is what America would be like if the Nazis had won. Don't believe me? Then try this.

So even though I feel like one of those guys in the late afternoon at the Aqueduct, stooped over below the day's post-racing cigarette haze picking through discarded betting slips looking for a winner, there really is reason for optimism as a Phillies fan, say, compared to the last team that managed to beat the Yankees in the World Series. Still hurts though, even though this '09 team didn't quit. Even though Manuel has plenty of room to be second-guessed.

Transit union chief says he's "most hated" man in Philadelphia. Joe Buck and Tim McCarver breathe easier. Everyone else has to walk or ride their bike to work. Meanwhile, in New York, well, you know.

Ogasawara busts out but keeps poker face.Game 3 of the Japan Series. Maybe somewhere over in Japan there's a slugging third baseman. And now it's official: the Japan Series is the baseball equivalent of Branson, MO. Go Ham Fighters!

That's all I have stomach and time for this morning. Feel free to add your links in the comments. Thanks again to all for a fun season. Until right now. Wait 'til next year.

The End: Yankees 7, Phillies 3

2009-11-05T05:19:23Z

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

4 days ago: Philadelphia Phillies watch the seventh inning from their dugout during Game 6 of the Major League Baseball World Series against the New York Yankees Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009, in New York. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Browse more photos »

A wild seven-month ride came to a dispiriting conclusion in the Bronx Wednesday night as the Phillies fell to the New York Yankees by a 7-3 score, falling in the World Series by four games to two.

If they had to go down, this wasn't the way you'd draw it up: done in by myriad self-inflicted wounds including a subpar Pedro Martinez start, bad at-bats against a less than overpowering Andy Pettitte, the painfully baffling move to bring in Chad Durbin with the game still within reach at 4-1 in the fifth inning, and a near-total inability to retireHideki Matsui, who celebrated his return to the lineup with the DH back in play by driving in six runs in his first three at-bats. Matsui started the scoring with a two-run homer in the second inning off Pedro, who battled as always but just didn't have his good stuff in his last and biggest start of the season. After the Phils got one run back in the top of the third on a Carlos Ruiz triple and Jimmy Rollins sac fly, Matsui drove in two more in the bottom of the inning with a bases-loaded single to put the Yankees ahead 4-1.

The game took on an air of inevitability after Charlie Manuel, in his last and arguably worst questionable move of the Series, brought in Durbin to start the fifth. Derek Jeter started the inning with a ground rule double, and after Jerry Hairston Jr. moved him to third, came around to score on a Mark Teixeira single. After walking Alex Rodriguez, Durbin gave way to J.A. Happ, who surrendered a two-run double to Matsui that made it 7-1.

The Phils did chase Pettitte a half-inning later, as Chase Utley worked a one-out walk and Ryan Howard hit his first home run of the Series, a two-run shot that barely cleared the wall in left. Two batters later, Raul Ibanez doubled with two outs, and Pettitte left in favor of Joba Chamberlain, who retired Pedro Feliz to end the inning. In the seventh, the Phils had their last real shot: Ruiz, who turned in another great game, singled with one out. He was forced at second by Jimmy Rollins, but Shane Victorino walked to bring up Chase Utley. Joe Girardi called on Damaso Marte, who struck out Utley on three pitches to retire the side.

After Marte started the eighth by striking out Howard--the record-setting 13th K of the Series for the Phils slugger--Mariano Rivera came in, as everyone knew he would. He struck out Jayson Werth, but allowed another double to Ibanez before Feliz once again ended the inning. In the ninth, Ruiz tried to spark one last rally, walking with one out. Rollins followed with a long flyout to the track in right field. Victorino came up as the Phillies' last hope and kept it alive through one last long at-bat, working the count full after fouling off a bunch of tough pitches before grounding to Robinson Cano for the final out.

Congrats to the Yankees, 2009 world champions--and to the Phillies, who won 102 games and a second straight National League title. The disappointment will fade, but the good memories this team gave us should endure.

World Series Game Six Discussion Thread, Phillies at Yankees, November 4, 2009

2009-11-05T00:30:31Z

Hey, there's a baseball game tonight!

Pedro Martinez, World Series, Yankee Stadium, Andy Pettitte, Game Six, etc. etc.

Pedro, if this is your last game for the Phillies... it's been a privilege watching you.

Discuss the game below.

Lineup

Philadelphia Phillies @ New York Yankees

11/04/09 7:57 PM EST

Philadelphia Phillies	New York Yankees
Jimmy Rollins - SS	Derek Jeter - SS
Shane Victorino - CF	Johnny Damon - LF
Chase Utley - 2B	Mark Teixeira - 1B
Ryan Howard - 1B	Alex Rodriguez - 3B
Jayson Werth - RF	Hideki Matsui - DH
Raul Ibanez - DH	Jorge Posada - C
Pedro Feliz - 3B	Robinson Cano - 2B
Ben Francisco - LF	Nick Swisher - RF
Carlos Ruiz - C	Brett Gardner - CF

Pedro Martinez

#45 / Pitcher / Philadelphia Phillies

Height: 5-11

Weight: 195

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Oct 25, 1971

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Pedro Martinez	5-1	9	9	0	0	0	0	44.2	48	18	18	7	8	37	3.63	1.25

Andy Pettitte

#46 / Pitcher / New York Yankees

Height: 6-5

Weight: 225

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Jun 15, 1972

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Andy Pettitte	14-8	32	32	0	0	0	0	194.2	193	101	90	20	76	148	4.16	1.38

Next Game

Philadelphia Phillies
@ New York Yankees

Wednesday, Nov 4, 2009, 7:57 PM EST
Yankee Stadium

Pedro Martinez vs Andy Pettitte

3 comments | 0 recs

Complete Coverage >

Six for Six

2009-11-04T19:26:33Z

More photos » by Jason DeCrow - AP

The man who gave us Game Six. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

Browse more photos »

We have exactly six hours, as I write this, before the scheduled first pitch of World Series Game Six. Below, a half-dozen thoughts, most of which have been bubbling for a few days now, to pass at least a bit of that time:

Tonight's pitching matchup, in which future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez (age 38) goes for the Phillies against all-time postseason wins leader Andy Pettitte (37) for the Yankees, is the first time two starters with a combined age of 75 or older have faced off in the Series since Game One of the 2005 Fall Classic between the Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox, when two ex-Yankees, Roger Clemens (then 43) and Jose Contreras (allegedly 33) went at it. Pettitte's on three days' rest, Pedro is facing an augmented lineup compared to the one he saw in Game Two (when weak-hitting Jose Molina, not slugger Jorge Posada, was behind the plate), and it's gonna be cold. The game easily could become a battle of the bullpens, a scary prospect for both managers.
Phils second baseman Chase Utley has tied Reggie Jackson's World Series record with five home runs in the five games thus far. As several pundits have noted, there's a real chance that Utley could be named the Most Valuable Player of the Series even if the Yankees win: no one player has stood out for New York other than perhaps Johnny Damon, who's batting .381 and has scored five runs, including the Game Four winner; and closer Mariano Rivera, who has finished off all three Yankee wins to this point. (Hideki Matsui is batting .556 with two homers, but he was reduced to pinch-hitting for the three games in Philly; he has just nine at-bats.) Meanwhile, Utley hit two homers in each of the Phils' wins, has scored six times, leads all batters with eight RBIs, and is basically the only reason the Phils have generated any offense in light of Ryan Howard's epic slump and overall subpar hitting from Shane Victorino and Raul Ibanez. If Pettitte pitches a great game tonight and gets the win, he'll be MVP with two victories in the Series--but if, say, the Yankees win a high-scoring game in which someone like Mark Teixeira (2 for 19 thus far) or Robinson Cano (3 for 18) is the big hitting star, while Utley goes 4 for 5 with another homer and a bunch of RBI, he'll probably by the MVP. This would be, at best, terribly awkward: for Chase Utley, the one downside of greatness is having to be recognized for his greatness. Imagine Fox's Ken Rosenthal saying, "Congratulations Chase, but your team lost--how do you feel?" You'll get either nothing or a response they'd better have on at least a five-second delay.

Neither manager has covered himself in glory this Series. As I've written here many times, I think Charlie Manuel is easily the greatest manager in Phillies history--but his in-game decisions hurt the team in each of the last four games. He went with Martinez too long in Game Two, made an inexplicable decision to pinch-hit helpless Eric Bruntlett in a big spot in Game Three and then left reliever Chad Durbin in too long when he obviously had no command, did the same with Brad Lidge in the nightmarish Game Four, and then futzed around with the outfield defensive alignment late in Game Five to near-disastrous effect. Maybe worse, he has a dead spot on his roster in the person of rookie lefty reliever Antonio Bastardo, who hasn't yet pitched in the Series and almost certainly won't unless the Phils are getting blown out; meanwhile, with Victorino hurting after getting hit on the hand early in Game Five, there's a chance he'll have to use Bruntlett, among the worst hitters in baseball, as his DH or left fielder in a win-or-die game tonight. I'd seriously rather see Cliff Lee or Hamels--both lefties, mind you--in the lineup against Pettitte.
Meanwhile, Yankee manager Joe Girardi failed to leverage the advantage he earned by his team winning three of the first four games, starting talented but erratic righty A.J. Burnett on short rest for the house-money Game Five, watching him get pummeled, and now having to sweat out the 37 year-old Pettitte doing the same tonight. If he falls short, Game Seven would go to ace CC Sabathia, on double-short rest--a situation in which the Phillies knocked him around in the 2008 National League Division Series. Girardi's bullpen management has been questionable as well: heading toward the end of the Series, he really only can trust Rivera (who, distressingly for the Phils, probably is good for two innings tonight) and perhaps veteran lefty Damaso Marte and rookie righty David Robertson.
It hurts to admit this, but if the Yankees go on to win, the big turning point in the Series will have been the role reversals of Cole Hamels and Pettite in Game Three. Hamels took a 3-0 lead into the fourth inning, got a tough call on a full-count pitch to Teixiera that went for a walk, and then fell to pieces, allowing a controversial home run to Rodriguez that made it 3-2 and surrendering three more runs before getting pulled the next inning. It was Hamels' whole season writ small: bad luck or bad karma followed by bad pitching and a downward spiral he couldn't escape. (To be clear: I'm not slagging Hamels here. The guy was the single biggest reason we won it all last year; for that, from me, he has a lifetime pass.) Pettitte, by contrast, escaped near-disaster early on: he'd thrown 51 pitches and allowed three runs through two innings, but held the Phillies to one run over the next four on a night when, as he reportedly later told teammates, he had "nothing." I kind of hate the guy, as I do most ostentatiously religious athletes, but I can't deny that he pitched like a champion Saturday night.
There's a lot about the Yankees that baseball fans find irritating, from the eternal sense of entitlement among their fan base to the whining about balls and strikes and the innumerable, interminable mound conferences and other delaying tactics they've used in this Series. But what really turns my stomach about their push for a 27th world championship is the notion that they need to "win it for the Boss," ailing owner/tyrant George Steinbrenner. To put it mildly, this isn't a sympathetic guy: he's a convicted felon (for illegal campaign contributions to kindred spirit Richard Nixon) and a confirmed sexist--and this is even before you think about his depredations among team employees or his contributions to worsening baseball's competitive imbalance. As even Yankee great Don Mattingly acknowledged, he's less likable than Monty Burns. The Yankees, and their fans, should have enough reasons to crave victory beyond wanting to provide still more ego validation to a world-class asshole like Steinbrenner, who's probably too unwell to enjoy it anyway.

Meanwhile, the clock continues to wind toward 7:57pm and at least one more baseball game for the highest stakes.

Three Up, Three Down: Reasons The Phillies Will Win (or Lose) Tonight

2009-11-04T19:03:43Z

The Phillies faced their first elimination game in two years on Monday night and prevailed. Can they do it again tonight? Here are three reasons they will, and three reasons they won't:

The Good

1) Road Warriors. The Phillies were tied with the Angels for the best road team in baseball this year. The Phillies went 48-33, with a +70 run differential away from CBP this year. The Phillies have played five games at Yankee Stadium so far this year, and have outscored the Yankees 22-15. Their record at Yankee Stadium is 3-2 in those five games, but the two losses were incredibly close, one coming on a Brad Lidge blown save and another despite Pedro Martinez's gem last week.

2) Rested and ready. Despite some criticism, Charlie Manuel's decision to keep his pitchers on normal rest could pay off huge. Pedro Martinez, on 5 days rest, is going up against Andy Pettitte, on 3 days rest. Martinez has always been at his best when he's on regular 4 or 5 day rest. When he gets too much rest, 6 days or more, his game suffers. Batters hit him better (a .070 jump in OPS on his career, about a .200 jump this year) and he gives up more runs (his ERA jumps about 1.00 on his career, about 3.00 this year). Martinez is in his sweet spot going on 5 days rest. On the other hand, Pettitte will be challenged on 3 days rest. For his career, Pettitte is only slightly worse on 3 days rest compared to regular rest. But, here's the rub -- he hasn't pitched on 3 days rest since 2006, when he was 34. The body works differently at 37.

3) Righty power. The Phillies right-handed hitters can demolish Pettitte. Even though Pettitte had a small reverse platoon split this year (.730 OPS for lefties, .717 for righties) and just a very small platoon split for his career (.728 OPS for righties, .711 for lefties), the Phillies righties have demolished Pettitte in the past. It's all on the small to miniscule sample size end of the spectrum, but the results have been great. Including the post-season, Jayson Werth has a .188/.188/750 line with 3 home runs in 16 plate appearances, Pedro Feliz has a .300/.462/.400 line in 13 plate appearances, Ben Francisco has a .400/.500/.400 line in 6 plate appearances, and Carlos Ruiz has a .500/.667/1.250 line in 6 plate appearances. The Phillies' switch hitters have not done well but have held their own against Pettitte, with Shane Victorino posting a .375/.333/.375 line in 9 plate appearances and Jimmy Rollins a .250/.286/.400 line in 21 plate appearances.

The Bad

1) Hometown heroes. The Yankees had the best home record in baseball, at 57-24. Since July 1, the Yankees are even better, with a 35-10 record at home. They'll be returning to their home crowd with a chance to win their first World Series at home since 1999. For most franchises, that's not that long of a time between opportunities. For Yankees fans, that's three lifetimes.

2) Lefty troubles. It's been well documented how poorly the Phillies' lefties not named Chase Utley have performed this Series. It gets worse when you look at how they've performed historically against Pettitte. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley have a combined 2 singles, 8 strikeouts, and 1 walk against him in 23 career plate appearances. Raul Ibanez has been better, but not much. Thanks to playing most of his career in the AL, he has 25 plate appearances against Pettitte, in which he's put up a .250/.280/.417 line with 1 home run, 7 strikeouts, and no walks.

3) DH. Shane Victorino will be a game time decision tonight. If he's not able to make it because of his sore finger, the Phils will be forced to play Francisco in center, keep Ibanez in left, and DH either Eric Bruntlett or Matt Stairs. Bruntlett has had a truly awful year this year, and Stairs has been a non-existent hitter since July 1 (.082/.274/.245 line for the last three months of the season). They are a combined 0 for 10 lifetime against Pettitte. With the DH adding Hideki Matsui to the Yankees' lineup, if the Phillies counter with Bruntlett or Stairs, they're in big trouble.

The Outcome

With six hours to go until game time, these are the important factors that could influence this game. All in all, I think Pettitte's short rest combined with the righty dominance the Phillies have shown over him will win the day, and we'll see a Game 7 battle tomorrow night. Here's hoping....

Phillies Breakfast Links, November 4, 2009: Old Goats, Smearing Hamels, Silent Chase

2009-11-04T12:56:01Z

More photos » by Jason DeCrow - AP

Badly underdiscussed this season is how awesome Chan Ho Park has been. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

Browse more photos »

Tastykake Soft, Hamels Can't Do Game 7 -- FanHouse
Jay Mariotti, with the worst thing I've ever read.

Gonzo: Some jokes have truth to them
No smear campaign too absurd...

WHO’S PEDRO’S DADDY? - Philled In
Terrific blog post by Scott Lauber about Pedro Martinez's mentor.

Pedro Martinez looking at Game 6 start for Phillies as 'a blessing'
I really hope this isn't the end of the Pedro Martinez Era in Philadelphia, but if so... it's been incredibly fun.

Cleveland Indians Ace Cliff Lee: The Southpaw Straphanger
An older story, but awesome nonetheless: Cliff Lee, Duke of New York, Subway King.

Girardi has put Yankees in bad position
It's amazing, the New York press is writing like they're the ones down 3-2. Not that it ultimately means a thing, but, it's funny.

Phillies Give All Fans Reason to Cheer Against Yankees - Eric Ortiz - NESN.com
Thanks, I guess. We'll fight your proxy battles, I suppose.

Best Second Baseman Ever? Utley Makes a Case - WSJ.com
Uh, no. I think very highly of the guy, but... no.

Chase Utley on Track to Be the Next Derek Jeter
KILL. ME. NOW. He's BETTER. Always has been.

Phillies Scoop: Manuel won’t finger Shane’s return date
How horrendous would it be to have Eric Bruntlett as the DH? Might as well surrender.

Phillies' Utley quietly making a big stir
One good thing to come out of this is that the rest of the world gets to see what we've known for years: Chase Utley is awesome. the odd couple.

Bob Ford: Short rest for pitchers was once routine in Series
WE KNOW!

Phillies Breakfast Links, November 3, 2009: Phight On, A.J. LOL, Bowa Attraction

2009-11-03T13:20:15Z

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

EAT SOULS!!! (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Browse more photos »

Hey, I'm sure you noticed the different look around here. Everything works the same. Sorry for the lack of "warning" on the announcement; we've had lots of other stuff to talk about lately, to be honest.

Chase Utley ties World Series home run record
Greatest Phillie since Mike Schmidt, and it's not really close anymore.

Hamels, Myers tussle after Game 5 win
Okay, who put Brett Myers up to this? Amaro? Rollins?

A day in Philly for a New Yorker: from Giants to Yankees in one day
I love this genre of amateur field anthropology writing: "I went to Philadelphia to root for a rival team and the mean men were MEAN MEAN MEAN WAAAHHHH!!"

Phillies stealing Yankees' signs?
Larry Bowa: "I won't be ignored, Monty!" What a piece of human garbage. I hope he dies.

The Red Sox' Effect On The World Series
I guess they call Boston "The Hub" for a reason. What a bunch of self-centered twits.

Buses, subways halted by Philly transit strike
Well, at least they waited...

Phils mum on Victorino plunking
Clearly looked like an accident.

Gibson scoffs at rest 'issue'
Bob Gibson also never had to pitch to 30 HR hitting shortstops, in the modern "cozy" ballparks, etc.

Phils try to follow 5 comeback teams
See, there is precedent...

Phillies force Game 6 with win over Yankees
I am so incredibly excited to see Pedro Martinez pitch on Wednesday.

Pedro Martinez to carry Phillies' hopes in Game 6
The stuff of legends. I can't wait.

Bill Lyon: Start spreadin' the news: The Fightins live
Read Bill Lyon!

We Go On: Phillies 8, Yankees 6

2009-11-03T04:57:25Z

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

One day, there's gonna be a statue in South Philly that looks a lot like this. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Browse more photos »

Facing their first elimination game in the last two postseason, the Phillies rose to the occasion once again behind Chase Utley's power and Cliff Lee's guts, holding off a furious late Yankees rally to send the World Series back to the Bronx for Game Six Wednesday night.

Lee wasn't quite as sharp in his second start of the Series as he was in the opener, but through the first seven innings he held the Yankees to single runs in the first, on an Alex Rodriguez RBI double that scored Johnny Damon, and the fifth, on a Damon groundout that plated Eric Hinske. Using all his pitches once again, he held New York to four hits and three walks through seven, striking out three.

Meanwhile, the Phillies battered A.J. Burnett, working on three days rest after shackling the Phils in Game Two. Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Jimmy Rollins singled, Shane Victorino was hit by a pitch on his hand while trying to bunt. That brought up Utley, who crushed Burnett's first pitch for a three-run homer--his fourth of the Series. Two innings later, they chased Burnett after he started the inning with walks to Utley and Ryan Howard and surrendered a run-scoring single to Jayson Werth. Raul Ibanez followed with a single to bring Howard home, and Burnett gave way to David Robertson. The Phils added another run on a Carlos Ruiz groundout to go up 6-1. Utley struck again off lefty Phil Coke in the bottom of the 7th, blasting his fifth home run of the Series to tie Reggie Jackson's record. Later in the inning, Ibanez hit a tape-measure shot off the facing of the upper deck to make it 8-2.

Then disaster nearly struck. Continuing a run of questionable in-game decisions over the last three days, Charlie Manuel pulled Victorino to start the top of the 8th, sending Ben Francisco in to play center field; Victorino was obviously perplexed that Francisco was coming in for him, rather than Ibanez. The decision loomed large as the inning unfolded: Lee, over 100 pitches, seemed to have Damon struck out on a curveball, but couldn't get the call. On the next pitch, Damon hit a soft grounder to short that Rollins could not get out of his glove. Mark Teixiera followed with a double to left, putting men on second and third with none out. The next hitter was Rodriguez, who turned on a first-pitch fastball that Ibanez dove for and saw bounce off the heel of his glove, scoring both men. With the lead cut to 8-4, Lee gave way to Chan Ho Park, who got Nick Swisher on a groundout and induced a fly to shallow center from Robinson Cano. But Francisco's weak throw was too late to get Rodriguez at the plate, and the Yankees had pulled within three runs at 8-5.

It stayed that way going into the 9th, with Ryan Madson now on for the Phillies. Jorge Posada began the inning with a double to right that barely stayed in the park; Hideki Matsui followed with a single through the hole on the left side to put runners at the corners. With visions of disaster dancing in a million Philadelphian heads, Madson fell behind Derek Jeter 2-0--but came back to induce a 6-4-3 double play as Posada scored to make it 8-6. Damon, again the Yankees' most effective hitter, battled back from an 0-2 hole to single up the middle. But with the crowd roaring, Madson struck out Teixiera to end the game and send the Series back to New York.

This is still a steep uphill climb. But they didn't go out feebly, and with the bats hopefully heating up at last, they've got a puncher's chance as the Series shifts back to New York.

World Series Game Five Discussion Thread, Yankees at Phillies, November 2, 2009

2009-11-03T00:24:52Z

One thing is for certain: This is the last baseball game in Philadelphia this year.

The Phillies, down 3 games to 1, look to stay alive in the 2009 World Series behind their ace Cliff Lee, who has been virtually unhittable the entire postseason. He'll be opposed by A.J. Burnett, who was virtually unhittable in Game Two.

Keep that glimmer of hope alive.

Lineup

New York Yankees @ Philadelphia Phillies

11/02/09 7:57 PM EST

New York Yankees	Philadelphia Phillies
Derek Jeter - SS	Jimmy Rollins - SS
Johnny Damon - LF	Shane Victorino - CF
Mark Teixeira - 1B	Chase Utley - 2B
Alex Rodriguez - 3B	Ryan Howard - 1B
Nick Swisher - RF	Jayson Werth - RF
Robinson Cano - 2B	Raul Ibanez - LF
Brett Gardner - CF	Pedro Feliz - 3B
Jose Molina - C	Carlos Ruiz - C
A.J. Burnett - P	Cliff Lee - P