I haven’t done nearly as much writing about the Phillies as I had planned to - mostly because I didn’t expect to have so little to complain about. It’s much easier, as a long-suffering Philadelphia fan, to write about the frustrations of watching a baseball team day in and day out. There is also a part of me that is hesitant to write too much positive stuff about a team because I’m so used to Philly teams disappointing that I’m almost numb to success because I expect the downfall. OK - well, enough about my crooked, clearly damaged psyche - let’s talk about the Phillies through the first 67 games.
- I know I’ve said this out loud, and I may have written it before, but the first thing that comes to mind with this team is that we really should appreciate the time we have with Rollins, Utley and Howard. They are easily the best Phillies ever at their respective positions and when we are older, we will tell our disinterested grandkids about how great it was to watch all three of them play day-in and day-out. I imagine we will see Utley and Rollins’ numbers retired one day (as I’ve said before, I don’t think Howard will re-sign).
- These 2 losses to the Marlins are a great example of why it’s important to get out strong and not hover around .500 until July. The last couple years, these 2 losses would have infuriated me. We would have been around .500 going into the Braves series and the sweep would make it look like we had turned the corner and these 2 losses would have taken all the air out. But this team is the first Phillies team since 2001 that has consistently been good to start the season off. Now if we can only combine this with the 2nd halves we’ve had the past couple years, we might finally win the 90-95 games we are capable of.
- The most pleasant surprise of the season so far has been Brad Lidge, who has reverted to his pre-Pujols form. He’s 3rd in the NL in saves (17), has the best ERA of any NL pitcher with 25+ IP (0.96) and the 4th highest K/9 rate (11.25). It’s clear that he is comfortable in Philly and has his ridiculous slider back, and I think the Phillies should push to extend his contract well before he reaches the open market in the winter.
- The biggest disappointment has been Brett Myers. The one thing that is keeping this Phillies team from being very, very good, like World Series good, is a #2 starter behind Cole Hamels (you know, someone like Gavin Floyd). Myers has shown a couple times that he has the stuff to be that guy, but his inconsistency with his location and velocity have been frustrating. He is currently 3-8 with a 5.34 ERA. At this point, his 6th as a starter for the Phils, I really don’t know whether we should ever expect good things from him.
- So that brings me to my next point - what do we need to add moving forward to not only make the playoffs, but do some damage in there. Everyone is going to be talking about landing an ace, maybe C.C. Sabathia or Ben Sheets. I’ve got news for those people - we will not be able to offer what those teams will be asking, and there is NO WAY we will trade for Sabathia given he is a free agent after the season, and we will not sign an extremely overweight pitcher to a long-term deal. Best case scenario? Greg Maddux. The Padres are out of it, and he is old enough that even though it will take good prospects to get him, it won’t take our best prospects. I would also like to add a bullpen arm - I’m not comfortable with Tom Gordon pitching in the 7th or 8th.
- I would really like us to re-sign Pat Burrell. He’s had his ups and downs, I’ve loved him and despised him. But he’s a Phillie. He’s averaged 31 HR and 104 RBI for 162 games in his time here and if he signs an extension his will likely finish his career 2nd on the Phillies all-time HR and RBI list. He’s only 31, and I think he has at least 3 more productive years in him. He came in with impossible expectations, and people have always talked as though he is a disappointment, but aside from his ridiculously awful 2003, he’s been a really solid player - and someone who has showed how much he cares about the game and winning in the last couple years.
- Almost as enjoyable as watching the Phillies do well has been watching the Mets fall flat on their face. They have obnoxious, loud-mouth fans who always run their mouths in January much more than they do in July. The Johan Santana trade took their ego to a new level and while he has been good, their team simply does not have the heart and determination that we have - and I’m loving every second of it.
- Given that the MLB draft is such a crap-shoot, I don’t mind the Phillies taking high-risk, high-reward players. This is a strategy they often use and it sometimes works (Cole Hamels) and sometimes doesn’t (Greg Golson and Kyle Drabek, so far). However, this is most important draft the organization has had in awhile (7 picks in the first 3 rounds) and they used their first 4 picks on these types of players. I would have liked to see 2 high-risk, high reward guys, and 2 safer picks. Their first pick, Anthony Hewitt, is an intriguing player. Baseball prospectus said he might be the best athlete to come out of the draft in the last 5 years, but also said that he was not yet a “baseball player.”
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{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
PETE: Thanks for the baseball post. I enjoy basketball a lot and do my best to hang with those topics, but I’m really a baseball guy. You’ve hit on a lot of areas, so I’ll take them one paragraph at a time.
I am definitely enjoying Rollins, Utley, and Howard. As we’ve talked about before, Howard’s situation is a tough one. His asking price is too high in both years and dollars for us to re-sign him. The only way we could afford him would be if his numbers slide enough for him to lower his contract demands BUT, if his numbers stay down, we won’t want to keep him. I still say the best case for the Phils is for Howard to put up numbers similar to ‘05 and ‘06 for the next 2+ years, help us win a bunch of games and hopefully a title or two, and then trade him before he becomes a free agent. I would love for things to work out differently with him, but it doesn’t seem very likely.
I agree with your ideas about what these last two losses to the Marlins mean, to a point. Where concern creeps in for me is that I get the sense that since we are playing pretty well and have a lead, the Phils feel like we have time. Time to allow Eaton and Myers to try and straighten out. Time to allow Howard to regain his old form, so they keep him in the cleanup spot. What these last two losses to the Marlins mean to me is that we don’t have that kind of time. Think about it. Even though we’ve come up short except for last year, we have made a second-half run in each of the last several seasons. The Phils better be very well aware that someone else may have a great second half and make a run at us this year. There’s a good chance that every lousy start we get from Eaton and Myers now will come back to bite us later. The same goes for Howard. If he’s hurting us offensively, there’s no reason he shouldn’t be dropped a spot or two in the order. I’m not talking about a major shakeup, but we might be sorry if we keep going the same way in hopes that it all works out. You’ve got to “make hay while the sun shines”, as the saying goes. The Mets and Braves are struggling. It’s time to put the hammer down and build up a sizable lead. Even if Florida hangs tough, at least we’re only looking at a two team race.
Lidge….Lights out…Gotta keep him.
The best case for us concerning Myers is that he agrees to go back to the bullpen next year and recaptures the mindset and success he had last year. Gordon can’t pitch forever, so the 8th inning spot would most likely be his for the taking. I think we’re seeing the worst case for Myers this year(at least I hope we are) where we basically have no better option than him and are forced to ride it out and hope he does better for us. For now, adding a bullpen arm seems doable.
I don’t like trying to get starting pitching at the deadline. Usually there’s not much out there, there is always a bidding war for what is, and teams end up overpaying for what they get. There have been huge fusses made over guys like Sidney Ponson and, even our own, Kris Benson in past years. Teams somehow become deluded into thinking that some mediocre pitcher will somehow put them over the top and they literally give up the farm to get him. Since the Phils made such a huge deal about all the draft picks they had this year and their need to restock the farm system, I highly doubt that Gillick will turn around and give up the few prospects we do have to pick up a rental pitcher that most probably won’t be much of an improvement.
As crazy as it sounds after waiting all these years for his contract to expire, I too think we should re-sign Burrell. As long as it’s a reasonable deal, in both years and dollars, I think it’s worth it. He seems to be over his foot problems and has been pretty consistently productive. If we move Howard, Burrell can take over first base and clear a space for a young outfielder.
The Mets can’t struggle enough for me. Love to see them fall apart.
let me preface this by saying i am a phillies fan—and not a mets fan by any means…
but i am pretty tired of people saying the mets are “falling apart”…it is the 12th of June people and the mets are 6.5 games out—-the phillies were 6 games out last year on the last day of june—were the phillies “falling apart” last year, not even close, its a long season boys….the best pitcher in the world has not started to pitch well yet and they have had some injuries—but dont worry, come september, it will be a two horse race again in the nl east
in addition—come trade deadline time—you know the mets will make a big splash to get more competitive while the phillies will sit still..
with that said—GO PHILS!!
MOLE: “Rat” Wagner blew another one for the Amazins yesterday. As long as he stays in NY and we’ve got Lidge, I’ll take my chances.
PETE: I just read Paul Hagen’s article in today’s Daily News. Here are the pitchers he names for the Phils to consider: Sabathia, Bedard, Burnett, Maddux, Byrd, Wolf, Livan Hernandez, Miguel Bautista, and Odalis Perez. I remained firmly in my seat while typing those names.
I agree with your take regarding Sabathia. Of all the rentals we can get for the remainder of this year, you’re probably right that Maddux is the best bet, but I still don’t like it. Bedard intrigues me because he’s got a couple years left on his contract which could make him worth a couple prospects. If Gillick can use his Seattle connections to bring him here without giving up too much, I think I’d be interested.
MOLE: I feel the need to see if you’re still tired of people saying the Mets are falling apart.
haha….
i think everyone knew the willie firing was coming, just a matter of when—so now that the air is clear, this team may be able to play good baseball….
still only 6.5 out—-with 92 to play…
…About Gillickball, I actually have been thinking about it, and I have some ideas, but nothing solid:
1) He was the GM of the Mariners when they set the record for wins. The next year, they had basically the same roster but didn’t make the playoffs. How do you explain that? I looked at the players’ stats for each year, and it was amazing - pitchers had higher ERAs, less strikeouts; hitters had less RBIs, lower OBPs… Huh?
2) I think he needs to do a bold move for the Phils, similar to the McGriff/Fernandez for Carter/Alomar deal. Last night was a preview of how our hitters are going to struggle in the postseason. If we’re gonna make a blockbuster trade with our current roster, I’d rather have him do it than Amaro/our next GM.
3) What kind of players are Gillickball guys? Borderline All-Stars? Also, his players seem to be the consistent-production type, not streaky guys.
PETE: Almost a week has gone by and I’m still sticking to my first post, with a few minor tweaks.
I think we simply must get Myers out of the starting rotation. It looks to me like Gordon is on the verge of missing some time. He’s got to be suffering from the same shoulder problems as last year. Overall he’s pitched well, but lately he is very inconsistent. We’ve been using him heavily and the days when he doesn’t have it are now more frequent. I really think it’s only a matter of time before he won’t be able to go for a while. This gives us an opening to move Myers to the bullpen, mid-season switches be damned. He is pretty much giving us no chance to win every time he takes the mound. I mean 6ip, 6er, 8h (3hr, 3 2b, 1 3b) is awful. We are consistently behind 4-0, 5-0 after 2 innings. We just can’t have this every 5th day.
In order to move Myers to the bullpen, Gillick needs to add a starter. I’m guessing he will. I’m also guessing it will be a semi-off-the-radar, middle-of-the-road, relatively inexpensive type. I say that because, two years ago, he picked up Moyer(who actually turned out to be much more than any of us thought he would be) and last year it was Lohse. I fully expect another starter along those lines to be added.
I am glad to see Ryan Howard coming around and hitting the ball hard the other way, however he is only doing this against right handers. On Monday, he was 3-3 against the righties(2-2, 2hr against Colon, 1-1, 3b against Timlin), but he was 0-2, 2so against the 2 lefties out of the Red Sox bullpen. Tuesday he was 0-3, 3so against another leftie, Jon Lester(for good measure he struck out against a rightie as well, Papelbon). Howard needs to either be dropped a few spots in the order or sit out against lefties.
ZACK: I think I’d like to see a bold move along the lines you suggest from Gillick.
I know what I’m about to say might seem like an overreaction, but I think our offense could use a shakeup. I know we’re in first place. I know everyone goes through periodic slumps. I just can’t shake this uneasy feeling I have about our inconsistent offense. For me, we struggle to score way too much for a high powered offense with three mvp caliber players in a hitter friendly ballpark.
Our pitching is by no means lights out, but every starter, other than Myers, is pitching well enough to keep us in games and giving us a chance to win. I would love to get a starter to take Myers’ place and maybe add another bullpen arm, but I’m really more concerned about our offense.
We consistently struggle against good pitching and against ALL left handers. We pretty much get the bulk of our wins against everyone else’s #4 and #5 starters. Most likely we will win enough games to take the division or maybe win the wild card. The difficulty comes when you realize that we are not going to face any #4 or #5 starters in the playoffs. The only way we are going to make any serious run at the championship is to beat good pitching. If we can’t, we’re in for more of the same of what happened to us last year against the Rockies.
When you look at our lineup, I know it seems half-wacky to suggest making some changes for the sake of our offense, but compare the Phils to the Sixers. The Sixers played pretty well last season. They won many more games than anybody thought and made the playoffs. What happened when they got there? Playoff basketball is a different beast from the regular season. The Sixers were not good enough to win in the playoffs. It was glaringly apparent. Do you think the Sixers should just continue with what they have? No way. You want the Sixers to improve so they can make a title run. I think the same goes for the Phils. They are a good team who can win a bunch of games and make the playoffs. They got there last year and fell flat against the Rockies’ top pitchers. Why should we think staying with what we’ve got will get the job done this year? I realize Gillick improved the club with a couple additions, but again I will go back to the Sixers. Do you think a little tweaking will get the Sixers over the top? No. What are we talking about? We think the Sixers need a major, superstar pick up to put them over the top. (Actually, we think the Sixers probably need two top tier players to get the job done). Well, the Phils already have 3 superstar players in the everyday lineup and they can’t get the job done consistently. What makes you think that a little tweaking will put them over the top?
All of that is why I support some sort of shakeup. Sure, we may be moving a good player in the process, but we are lacking something and I think we need to try and get it now while we still have guys like Utley, Rollins,and Hamels to make a run.
bski, I completely agree with the shakeup you mentioned. I’m actually more concerned about it than our pitching.
I’d target a seasoned slugger, like Chipper Jones, or like I mentioned before, Griffey. To continue the Sixers analogies, I want an Andre Miller-type for the Phils. That’s one thing Gillick’s teams never lacked: strong veteran leadership.
Look at what Jamie Moyer’s done - I don’t if know if you feel the same way, but every time we needed a big game from him, he usually pulls through. What he did in Colorado in game 3 last year was phenomenal. He stepped it up against the Red Sox last night. I think we need a similar guy experience-wise in our lineup, most championship teams seem to have that guy - look at some old guys that were a big part of the past 5 championship teams’ lineups:
2007 - Varitek, Lowell, Ramirez
2006 - Jim Edmonds
2005 - Dye, Carl Everett
2004 - Millar, Mueller
2003 - Pudge
Basically, I think we need to get that really good old veteran in our lineup. I think Gillick tried to fill this “need” somewhat with Geoff Jenkins.
ZACK: Glad to see you’re sticking with the baseball talk. Don’t sell yourself short. You’ve got a lot of good points to make here. I know I “cover a lot of ground” as you said. I guess I just have a lot rolling around in my head and I like to work it out when I can.
I agree we need something to improve the lineup. A veteran presence would fit the bill. I’ve been trying to put my finger on what I think we’re lacking. The best I can say is that we need a steady, rock-solid, right handed bat in the middle of the lineup to act as a fulcrum or a galvanizing force(an Andre Miller type, as you said). I don’t think we need a guy to put up beastly numbers, like Howard in 2006(although that would be fantastic). What we need is solid, reliable, dependable, steady production. Howard is not giving us that because he only produces against right handers(Even then it’s only when he’s seeing the ball well and staying on it and driving it the other way). Utley and Howard are our two biggest run producers but they both hit from the left side. We don’t have the left/right combo like Ortiz/Ramirez. When we face lefties, they just don’t produce consistently. The key is that the rest of the lineup doesn’t make up that loss of production from them. Burrell is doing his part, but Feliz, Ruiz, and to a lesser extent Werth, are not. Add to that the fact that Rollins and Victorino don’t hit as well from the right side and you can see why we get shut down by lefties. The same argument can be made as to why good righties shut us down as well. As a better pitcher they can minimize the damage that Utley and Howard, and to a lesser extent Rollins and Victorino, can cause. At the same time, being a rightie neutralizes our right handed bats.
I think you’re right that Gillick thought Jenkins would fill a need, but he really isn’t giving us much. The right field platoon doesn’t seem to be working out. Jenkins isn’t hurting the righties and Werth isn’t hurting the lefties consistently enough to make a real difference. Maybe neither one of them is playing enough to really get zoned in at the plate. Werth played much better when he took Victorino’s spot and played every day.
I agree about Moyer. What he does for us is very similar to what Danny Jackson did in ‘93. He’s not dominant. He doesn’t throw complete game shutouts. He also does not get whacked around very often. He’ll give up 3 or 4 runs per start, but he will consistently keep you in games and give you a chance to win, which is a heckuva lot more than Myers is doing.
That’s what we need, a Moyer for the lineup. He won’t give us eye-popping numbers but we’ll get steady production. That would push some runs across and help us win some games when Utley and Howard are in one of their funks or get shut down.
I am all for adding to the lineup, but who do you replace? We could use upgrades at 3rd and catcher. I dont think they will get another catcher, got some coming up from the minors soon (Marson, Jaramillo). And we all know they cant ever find a productive 3rd basemen. Who else can you replace (Taguchi?) but what does that get you? The hitters are here, they just need to produce.
And I think we need to see what have within our system before we make a trade. Give Durbin, Happ, Carrasco a chance. Regardless I think Gillick makes a move, probably something like Moyer/Lohse. Man I wish we had kept Lohse, he’d be our #2 right now.
KEVIN: Yes, the simplest and best answer is for the hitters who are here to produce. The problem is that they are giving us what they’ve got and it’s still not enough. Waiting and hoping for increased or more consistent production is a tough way to go.
I don’t think we can expect much more from either Rollins, Utley, or Burrell. Howard could give us more, but I’m really starting to believe that 2006 was just an out of sight, career year, and we are going to continue getting more of what we are seeing now. I’m ok with what Victorino is giving us. He may be able to do a bit more, but I’m not expecting big increases in his numbers. At most his avg and obp could climb as he becomes a more mature hitter and that would be great.
The production we are getting from those guys is not our major problem. The problem is that they are our first five hitters in the lineup and after that it gets dicey. For the last few years we’ve had a 4 spot gap in our lineup. That’s why we don’t score if we don’t hit homeruns. It is impossible to consistently keep rallies alive(or start them for that matter) and keep pushing runs across when you aren’t getting much out of 4 consecutive spots in the batting order(after all you only get 3 outs per inning). Think about it. Most of the time we score when the top of the lineup gets on and the middle drives them in. We don’t score that often or that much when the middle guys get on to start an inning. When the bottom of the order starts an inning, we’re in the same situaition. Rollins comes up with 2 outs and the bases empty. It’s tough to start a rally then.
I really think that one of the biggest differences between the AL and NL teams is the fact that most AL teams have a much tougher bottom of the order than NL teams do. Even taking the DH out of the equation(the DH replaces the pitcher in the 9 spot), the 6-7-8 hitters in the AL are better than the 6-7-8 hitters in the NL, for the most part.
You asked who would we replace. When you look at what I’ve just laid out, I’m talking about replacing someone in the 6-7-8 spots. That means Feliz, Jenkins, and Ruiz.(Werth and Dobbs are bench guys). To narrow it further, I don’t see us getting rid of Feliz. Manuel has raved about his defense and 3rd base has been a trouble spot for us since Rolen left. If he can solidify 3rd base I’m ok with him. I just don’t really want him hitting 6th. So we are down to Ruiz and Jenkins. I would love to get more out of both spots but if I have to choose one, I’ll choose Jenkins. Catcher needs to be addressed and upgraded, but for now I would rather see Coste catch 3/4 of our remaining games. His extra offensive production should make a difference.
Now we’re down to the nitty gritty. I would like to see the Phils add a really solid, productive, right hand hitter(or switch hitter), every day, difference making outfielder(centerfielder or rightfielder—Victorino can play the other spot). Do what you must to clear Jenkins out. If we can make this addition, we can have a lineup like this: Rollins, Victorino, Utley, New Outfielder, Howard, Burrell, Coste, Feliz, Pitcher.
My hope is that this would separate our left handed hitters, bring more balance to the lineup, make us less vulnerable to left handed pitching, bump a couple lesser hitters lower in the lineup, all of which should translate to incresed and more consistent offensive production.
This is just one man’s opinion. What’s yours?
bski, what you just wrote is much more enlightening (no, I will not call you the Baseball Buddha) than what Jim Salisbury wrote for his “Team’s flaws showed in series” article today. He didn’t say anything we didn’t already know (like a lot of Sixers writing). You should copy and paste this in the comments section for that article, people will read.
ZACK: Thanks. I have not had time to read either the Inquirer or the Daily News today, so I have no idea who wrote what about whom. Everything I posted just came out of what has been rumbling around inside my head. These are just my own insights, whatever they are worth.
Ok wasn’t thinking about Jenkins. Sure I’ll take an upgrade at that spot. Don’t know who that would be, especially a guy that you have projected to bat cleanup. And I am sure Ryan would not be happy about being bumped down. Carlos sure is killing us with all the DP that he hits into, and the Sox were sure running on him this past series.
I think moving Ryan down one spot would be terrific provided we get the right player. Regarding Ryan’s happiness, if Manuel can bench Rollins for not hustling, I’m sure he can move Ryan down a spot.
“Now we’re down to the nitty gritty. I would like to see the Phils add a really solid, productive, right hand hitter(or switch hitter), every day, difference making outfielder(centerfielder or rightfielder—Victorino can play the other spot).”
@bski Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t we have that player last year? The player who is hitting .305 for the Giants this season? Granted, his on base % isn’t that great, but Rowand was that difference maker last year. I understand why we didn’t sign him long term, but…
Remember all those years when Manny Ramirez was made available by the Red Sox? He would be perfect.
KEVIN: I realize what I’m saying is closer to pie-in-the- sky than an actual possibility but if we can include Jenkins in the deal(or trade Werth or Dobbs and move Jenkins to the bench), that opens up the outfield spot. We can bat the new outfielder 6th, if he’s not suited for the cleanup spot, and move Burrell up to 4th. That would work for me as well because we would still move our less productive hitters further down in the order. Another bonus if we can add a solid, everyday outfielder now is that he will be on the roster for next year, which would really help if we don’t re-sign Burrell.
As far as Howard being happy, that’s his problem. I would like to see him take the mature, winning-is-the-most-important-thing, anything-for-the-team attitude that Burrell has. Besides, I’m only suggesting we move him down one spot in the order. I’m not hitting him 7th or 8th or sitting him down(which really might not be that bad of an idea against lefties right now). Howard needs to understand that it’s about the decline in his production. Manuel has said many times that he’s all about winning and the only way you get in the lineup is by producing. Look, if Charlie can send a message to Rollins by benching him for a lack of hustle, there is absolutely no reason why he can’t send a message to Howard about his slipping productivity by dropping him a spot or two in the order. He can hit his way back to 4th.
Hey I am all for it, if we can find another big bat that is not a liability defensively, then let’s do it. But lets face it, we get any production out of the 3-4-5 spot the last two weeks the we wouldn’t have lost the last 3 series. We may be able to upgrade in RF, but Feliz and Ruiz are here through the year.
Next year’s catcher spot should be Lou Marson, with Ruiz or Coste backing him up. I have a good feeling bout that.
RARO: We were both typing the same thing at the same time. I laughed when I saw we both used the same reasoning(benching Rollins) to justify moving Howard down in the order.
Yes, you are absolutely correct that we did have that player last year. He is exactly what we need now. I’m not the one who didn’t re-sign him.
You know, that is exactly my point about building a winner. In order to make a run at a championship, you need to accumulate a bunch of good players. That means you need to keep the good players you have(or sign good free agent players) IN ADDITION to bringing up a steady stream of good young players. If you let your good players go or don’t spend the money on good free agents, then the good young players you bring up only REPLACE what you are losing. In order to accumulate enough good players at one time, you need to add both together. Otherwise you just end up treading water. You may be able to field a good team but, chances are, you’ll never truly be capable of winning it all.
That is what is so frustrating about the Phils right now. We are not that far away. I’d say we’re about 80% of the way there. The problem is that our window is small, probably only a few years. If they don’t act soon to try and get us over the hump, we will be stuck treading water in the good but not great, 80-something win territory.
ZACK: We don’t need a Jamie Moyer for the lineup. We need Aaron Rowand! Raro hit it on the nose. I have no idea why I didn’t think about this when we were talking yesterday. Duh! It’s his production we are missing. Jenkins and Werth are not making up for his absence.
Yeah we definetly are missing Rowand’s production but I really don’t blame them for getting in a bidding war for him. He’s just not worth was SF paid him.
Hey bski, great minds think alike! Or something…
But this is tough. Part of me agrees with Kevin that Rowand is not worth the 5 years that SF committed to him. Rowand was getting up there in age and 2006 was kind of an fluke. He was known as a great defensive CF with modest power. Who knew whether or not he could replicate 2007’s numbers? But if you’re talking about being a serious contender, then cost and worth take on different meanings. If Rowand is the difference between 80-something win territory and world series territory… then Rowand is priceless. Philadelphia is not a small market team and should not approach player retention as such. I think Boston is the model you want to follow here bski. Boston would have kept Rowand but would also have players like Pedroia and Ellsbury waiting in the wings. Problem with Philly is, we have no Rowand now and no Ellsbury. Problems about in the city of brotherly love.
RARO: I couldn’t agree more. I realize it’s easy for us because we don’t have to make the tough decisions. I also understand that by committing a lot of money to certain players, Rowand in this case, it leaves less money for other needs. That being said, I still don’t see any way around the fact that teams must spend the money to have a shot. Like you said, “If Rowand is the difference between 80-something win territory and world series territory, then Rowand is priceless.”
You know, Zack(sixerzguy) and I have had a continuing discussion about this. Zack is a big Billy Beane/Moneyball fan. I always say that Moneyball is fine as far as it goes, but what have the A’s won? How they draft and develop is great, but it’s only half of what is needed to win a title. Then Zack brought up the Red Sox and how they have won since they’ve adopted the Moneyball approach(by hiring Bill James and such). I say that the Red Sox are exactly the point, and you nailed it as well. The Red Sox win because they COMBINE the Moneyball approach of drafting and developing players ALONG WITH spending the money necessary to keep the good players they have and add others through free agency. Only by using both avenues will a team have any chance at accumulating enough talent at one time to make a run.