Comments on: Phils take 4, make case to eliminate all home games

By: jurnee16

jurnee16 — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:11:54 +0000

We’re tied for first with the Mets again…anyone wee how the blew it against the Dodgers last night?…that was great…I enjoy it more when they blow games by not stepping on a base and making a crucial error than when they just get blown out….

By: Pete

Pete — Mon, 18 May 2009 22:40:26 +0000

bski-

absolutely should bring up John Mayberry Jr.

.270 with 8 HR and 25 RBI in Lehigh after an impressive spring. Don't think he'll ever be a regular, but he can hit a little.

By: bski

bski — Mon, 18 May 2009 22:32:05 +0000

The Phils just signed Paul Bako to a minor league contract. OK, now that you’re finished running around your living room whooping and hollering over this great pickup by Amaro, I have a question. Any chance this might mean that Marson is the right-handed bat we will call up and take into interleague play with us?

By: Stu

Stu — Mon, 18 May 2009 21:52:38 +0000

Who plays OF this season if Ibanez is not being run out there? Taking Raul’s bat out of the lineup not only loses his production, it also puts more pressure on the other big sticks in the lineup and I feel like Utley, Werth, and Howard would be struggling.

Ibanez has been the tie that binds so far this season and has single handedly won a number of games…

Sure, Lowe would have been nice and effective, but even with a TERRIBLE starter’s ERA, our bats have kept this team as front runners. Pitching will correct itself with some flier from the minors like Carrasco coming up if necessary; running Eric Bruntlett out there in LF instead of Ibanez would be a massive downgrade.

By: bski

bski — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:58:38 +0000

I’d take Lowe. Over the long haul, you win with pitching—–we just did last year—–and you can never have too much of it.

If Zagurski makes it back to Philly, don’t listen to the radio when he pitches. Larry Andersen has some sort of a mental block and cannot say his name correctly.

Agree about not using enough of our own minor league relievers on the major league level. The Phils standard line is that they prefer guys with big league experience. They don’t like to just throw guys out there. This of course begs the question, how are they to get big league experience if you don’t give it to them? Also, how do you know what you’ve really got unless you give it a look?

By: jjg

jjg — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:33:54 +0000

Clobber for show and pitch for dough.

By: jjg

jjg — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:31:34 +0000

Ruben looks like a Mensa card-carrier at the moment for Ibanez signing. Long season though; he may get dumb and dumber.

By: Pete

Pete — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:30:53 +0000

Stu-

I’m still concerned about year 3 of that contract, but there is obviously nothing to complain about now, and having learned more about his work ethic and watching him play, I’m becoming less concerned.

Here’s a question for everyone. Who would you rather have on the Phillies for the next 3 years: Raul Ibanez or Derek Lowe? I wrote all off-season that I wanted Lowe, not a hitter. Lowe is currently 5-1 with a 3.80 ERA.

Personally, I think I’d still take Lowe, as much as a love Ibanez. It was clear we needed pitching before the season, and it’s more clear now. Ibanez is not going to collect the 60 HR and 160 RBI he is on pace for, and we have Michael Taylor and Dom Brown tearing up the minors.

Not saying I wouldn’t re-do the Ibanez signing, just something to think about since the Ibanez / Burrell debate is no argument.

By: Stu

Stu — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:22:12 +0000

How smart does Ruben look right now for giving Ibanez a multi-year deal? He doesn’t look like he i son the tail-end of his career…we’d all be sweating bullets already if we gave him a one-year contract which would have been lauded as the “smart move” at the time…

By: jjg

jjg — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:20:57 +0000

Agree. After all, boiled down, it is just backyard pitch-and-catch (with 80,000 or so extra eyes on ya). Worst case: failure. Best case: success. Typical case: a little of both. It’s not like decisions are irreversible. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.