Jimmy Rollins Breaks His Silence

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia

After Friday night’s heartbreaking loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, both Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins declined to speak to the media leaving Ryan Howard to do most of the talking once he changed out of his uniform for the last time in 2011. Rollins declared he would speak out on Tuesday instead.

Almost without missing a beat, Victorino took the more modern route of reflecting on the Phillies season via his Twitter account, from thanking the fans for their continued support to wishing Howard well after he ruptured his Achilles tendon in his last at bat of the year.

Rollins, on the other hand, waited until Sunday afternoon to make a peep about anything Phillies.

He shared the message “Thanks to all the Phillies Nation that helped to make 2011 such a wonderful experience to be a part of! I love you all.” on both his Facebook fan page and Twitter account. The response was overwhelmingly positive; fans asked him to consider signing on with the Phillies for the next leg of his carrier and thanked him for his contributions in the division series.

As far as what comes next? Well that’s all going to be a matter of hearsay and speculation until the ink is dried on whatever contract free-agent-to-be Rollins winds up signing next, be it with the team he’s grown with in Philly or with a team in need of a short stop closer to the town he grew up in such as the Giants.

J-Roll has played 12 seasons with the Phillies receiving multiple bids to the All-Star Game, Gold Glove awards, and winning an MVP in 2007. He batted .268/.338/.399 in 2011, and led the team in the 2011 NLDS batting .450/.476/.650 along with Chase Utley (.438/.571/.688).

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J-Roll vs. the Fans, Part 2?

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

In 2008, he sparked controversy by calling the fans front runners. In 2011, Jimmy Rollins comments on how quiet the crowd was at Game 2 of the NLDS and Twitter is in an uproar.

After Sunday night’s 5-4 Game 2 loss, Rollins tweeted, “Not the result we wanted but that's the way it is!! Now we just gotta handle biz on the road! Also fans were waaay to quiet tonight (sic).” With more than 100 retweets and hundreds of fans (and otherwise) sharing their two cents with the Phillies shortstop.

Reactions varied from defensive (@M_C__McKenna tweets “@JimmyRollins11 don't ever say "us" fans weren't loud enough #thatspunk good luck with the fans in oaklyn or mets fans next yr when u leave”) to supportive (@rachie919 tweets “@JimmyRollins11 digging the positive attitude..Think positive & positive things will happen! #redoctober”).

Rollins wasn't just heating up Twitter with his rheotoric. Before he powered up his iPhone to do the talking, John Clark reported, "Jimmy Rollins said after the game 'You could hear a pin drop out there. Fans were a little uptight. It was not a good atmosphere.'"

Jimmy followed up Monday evening by tweeting “So I'm hearing that the media said I blamed the loss on the fans last night??!! Smh if you believe what they said... U should know better!”

I admit when I woke up Monday morning and read through both Jimmy’s and commentary from various members of the media, I was angry. How dare they try to blame the loss on the fans! What do they want them to cheer about when their team blows a four-run lead and only hits in three out of nine innings -- held scoreless for the last seven innings of the game?

To his credit, Rollins is on fire so far this postseason having gone 5-for-8 scoring five of the Phillies’ 15 total runs in the first two games of the series, so perhaps he’s the best candidate to “talk the talk” since he is in fact walking the walk.

For some people, though, his hitting doesn’t make the loss any easier of a pill to swallow.

But amid the interpretation and possibly misinterpretation of Jimmy’s words over the past 24 hours, it begs the question of what role the fans really have at the game.

Are they really the “10th man on the field” as the commercials boast? For the past five years, Citizens Bank Park has been known to house the toughest fans in baseball. Analysts and players alike will tell you how rough it is playing in that park when the fans are not on your side -- and that goes for the visiting team and the Phillies.

But what happens when the gas tank runs dry? Maybe the game is boring or slow or just flat out bad. So bad that the fans can’t even be bothered to boo -- something they’re known for especially in South Philly. Sure, these players are getting paid millions upon millions of dollars to do their job (as envious of a job as it may be), but how easy is it to turn it up a notch when a ballpark that’s packed with the most fans ever in attendance is so quiet you can hear a pin drop? I mean, they don’t hand those rally towels out at the door for nothing.

Perhaps it works both ways. The fans are quiet because the team isn’t giving them something to cheer about in that moment. The players are just going through the motions because the fans aren’t giving them anything to feed off of. Just like the Phillies fans can get under the opposition's skin (Jamie Moyer vs. Johan Santana, anyone?) the visiting club can get to the fans. The same fans that have been seemingly spoiled yet almost justifiably cautious in letting too many of their emotions get in the way of reality after being disappointed day after day, week after week, season after season for the 25 years prior to 2008 and once the fans are out of it, the Phillies can get sucked into a vicious cycle that churns for nine straight innings, maybe even nine straight days, making it harder and harder to break out of a funk.

The point, however, is that the Phillies don’t have nine days -- they have two. The Cardinals are bringing the momentum of Sunday’s win back with them to Busch Stadium and the Philly faithful aren’t going to be in St. Louis to be that 10th man for the Phillies.

So let the team hear you when they get home, because they’re going to need you in the NL Championship Series or even Game 5 of the NLDS. Cheer for every at bat; get in the pitcher’s head; get in the dugout’s head and make them feel like they have something to play for. Something more than a ring.

They wouldn’t even have this opportunity if it weren’t for you filling the stands every single night giving Ruben Amaro, Jr. the financial flexibility he has to bring in star players like a Cliff Lee or a Hunter Pence to give the team the edge. Prove it wasn’t all for naught.

Let’s face it -- this isn’t Tampa. You aren’t part of an average 9,400-person crowd every night. You’re one of 45,000-plus waving those rally towels above your head.

Make them proud. Be heard, Philadelphia.

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2011 Key Moment: The Power of Pence

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

All this week Philthy Stuff will be looking back on some of the key moments in one of the best Phillies regular seasons ever.

---

In what has become tradition across Major League Baseball, the Phillies were part of the mad scramble that is the July 31sttrade deadline and for the third year in a row walked away with the top billed player of the summer. First it was Roy Halladay, then Roy Oswalt, and in 2011, the Fightins added some offensive pop with Hunter Pence.

With Domonic Brown’s declining performance and a roster full of seasoned, yet sporadically slumping sluggers, the Phils knew they had to make a move to give them an edge on their competition. Prior to Pence’s debut with the club on July 30, the Phillies had a 66-39 record (.628 win percentage). They led the National League East by five games, still hadn’t been swept in the three-game series and were averaging just above four runs per game.

Excluding the team’s historic post-clinch eight-game skid, the Phils posted a 35-13 record (.729 win percentage) when Pence had an at-bat in a Phillies uniform. They averaged just above five runs per game, clinched first place in their division, reached 100 wins for the third time in club history and still have a chance to have the best record in team history with a “W” on Wednesday against the Braves.

Coincidence?

Sure, the numbers look good, but it’s what the presence of Pence has done for those around him in the lineup. For example, prior to July 30, Ryan Howard was batting .246/.337/.459 (BA/OBP/SLG) in 104 games with 20 home runs and 78 RBI. Since, he is batting .269/.368/.563 in 46 games with 13 dingers and 37 RBI. The team as a whole was batting .249/.322/.388 prior to his arrival and .259/.324/.406 since.

Of course there are always players, even entire teams, that have a tendency to turn it on closer to the end of the season, but Pence’s own stats don’t lie. Entering play Tuesday Pence was batting .320/.387/550 with 10 homers, 31 RBIs, 33 runs and 12 doubles in just 200 at bats since joining the Phillies. All it takes is one person to add a spark to a clubhouse and incite a little friendly competition. Who wants the new guy to show up perennial All-Stars and hometown favorites?

Just like the playful rivalry between the Five Aces (I have no problem throwing Vance Worley in with the rest of them after his outstanding performance this year), the position players can and should be inspired by one another to be better. Looking back, the turning point in the Phillies season for me wasn’t necessarily the return of Chase Utley, or when they turned it on against the Cubs in June and never looked back, but I feel as though it would have been much easier for the team to fizzle towards the end of the season without a stand-out player like Pence keeping the squad on its toes and seemingly having fun.

Let's eat!

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Mayberry Seeks Mermaid – Inquire Within

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

Perhaps all the rain the Phillies have seen lately has John Mayberry, Jr. wondering what it would be like to actually live under the sea.

Mayberry has his sights set on Antoinette Nikprelaj, who played the part of a mermaid in the latest “Pirates of the Caribbean” installment, and his CAA (Creative Arts Agency) representative has been trying to make the actress part of his world, according to the New York Post.

In an e-mail from Mayberry’s CAA representative to Nikprelaj’s agency:

"I imagine you’re familiar with CAA and some of our clients, as we work with Ryan Howard, Roy Halladay, Buster Posey and Andre Ethier among others. 

"I hate to even be sending you this e-mail, and I’m quite embarrassed to say the least, but we have a young client on the Philadelphia Phillies who asked us if we knew any agents at Innovative Artists and could connect him to Antoinette Nikprelaj.

"I know you’re not a dating or set-up service, but John Mayberry Jr. (Phillies OF) would love to meet Antoinette or invite her to a baseball game sometime. Would this be possible?"

He added, “Here’s a bio of John to give you some more info on him (he’s a great guy, down-to-earth, humble, Stanford-educated, etc.) Thanks for considering this as you know how this business is and servicing clients.”

If Nikprelaj isn’t impressed with his college transcript, or if her, uh, husband takes issue with her dating someone else, maybe Daryl Hannah still has that mermaid outfit laying around (bonus: she’s single!).

Teammate Hunter Pence is taking a different approach for finding Mayberry a date:

Unconventional? Perhaps. But if the mermaid thing doesn’t work out for him at least there are plenty of fish in the proverbial Twitter sea. Although, he may not be taking Vance Worley up on his suggestion to join the social media world until things blow over.

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Marlins Wash Out Phillies, Oswalt

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

After shuffling the weekend’s schedule around twice in preparation for Hurricane Irene, the Phils and the Fish kicked off a two-day (perhaps even one-day) series as the Marlins came out on top with a score of 6-5 Friday night.

Righty Roy Oswalt, in his fourth game since returning from his second stint on the disabled list this year, went 5 2/3 innings allowing 12 hits, six runs (five earned) and one walk while striking out two. 

The biggest hit of all came off the bat of John Buck, a grand slam in the sixth inning, which wound up providing just enough for the Marlins.

Former Phillie Greg Dobbs had a banner night for the Fish, going 4-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI. In nine games against the Phillies in 2011, Dobbs is 6-for-19 (.316) with two RBIs.

The Phils tried to rally in the bottom of the sixth, when Ryan Howard hit a three-run home run, his 27th of the season, bringing the Phightins within two runs. Raul Ibanez and Michael Martinez teamed up with Cliff Lee (who pinch ran for Ibanez as he is still resting with a sore groin) to bring home a run in the bottom of the ninth, but it was all for naught as Shane Victorino (0-for-5) and Placido Polanco (1-for-4) failed to bring it home for the win.

Some notes:

• Wilson Valdez hit his first home run of the season in the bottom of the third, tying the game 1-1.
• David Herndon, Michael Stutes and Ryan Madson combined for three-plus scoreless innings and five strikeouts in relief.
• The Phillies lost back-to-back games for just the sixth time all season.

Roy Halladay is expected to take the mound for Saturday’s game, which is scheduled to start at 1:05 p.m. As a reminder for those headed to the ballpark, this will be Sunday’s game being played at its rescheduled time. Tickets will be honored only with the date Aug. 28 printed on them. Saturday night’s game has been rescheduled for September 15 with a time TBD.

If the game is played, Charlie Manuel plans to send Hamels out on Monday and Lee on Tuesday against Cincinnati. 

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Contreras Out for Season, Phils Evaluate Future of Pen

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

Sometime between news breaking of Cole Hamels being placed on the disabled list and the many East Coasters experiencing their first earthquake, it was announced that Phillies relief pitcher Jose Contreras would have season ending elbow surgery.

Contreras, who pitched in 67 games in 2010, had appeared just 17 times for the Phillies this season, with five saves, 13 strikeouts and a 3.86 ERA in 14 innings pitched. He was placed on the disabled list twice in 2011 for a flexor pronator strain in his throwing elbow. The righty was active on the roster for less than 60 days.

Although the Phillies have been without the Big Truck for the majority of the season, the question of the bullpen lineup looms as the team continues to march their way towards the playoffs.

The Phillies bullpen currently plays host to Antonio Bastardo, David Herndon, Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, Michael Schwimer, Mike Stutes and on-again, off-again spot starter Kyle Kendrick. Drew Carpenter, Justin De Fratus, Scott Mathieson, Drew Naylor, Juan Perez and Mike Zagurski are also on the 40-man roster wrapping up their season with Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Vance Worley should also likely move to the bullpen once the playoffs begin to provide some long relief alongside Kendrick. Joe Blanton hopes to return to the team (and bullpen) in September as well but his status remains uncertain to say the least.

The Phightins' current crop of relief pitchers boast a combined ERA of 2.98 in 92 innings pitched. Philadelphia’s bullpen overall season’s ERA is tenth in baseball at 3.45. Of all 30 MLB teams, the Phillies pen has been called on the least, having pitched in just 111 games. They have pitched the fewest innings in the National League at 313 2/3 -- third fewest in the Majors.

Bastardo, Lidge, Madson and Kendrick all have experience pitching in the postseason, and others have been on the expanded roster to be able to watch the biggest games of the year from either the dugout our bullpen, but for the vast majority of Phillies pitchers, most will get their first taste of October baseball in just a few short weeks.

In 2011, the Phillies have used a total of four closers, each one having picked up the slack for another’s ailments and injuries. Contreras and Madson began the season competing for the closer’s role due to Lidge recovering from shoulder troubles. Once Contreras was placed on the disabled list in late April, Madson assumed the position. Madson has an ERA of 3.25 in 44 1/3 innings pitched and has converted all but two saves in 25 opportunities.

Bastardo took over the closing duties when Madson spent a brief time on the disabled list himself for a bruised right hand. There have been times throughout the 2011 season in which Bastardo has been virtually unhittable. Having pitched 48 2/3 innings, Bastardo boasts a miniscule 1.48 ERA and has converted eight of nine save opportunities. To put into perspective how key he has been to the Phillies bullpen this year, Bastardo has appeared in 52 games so far in 2011 -- in 2010 he pitched in 25 games with a 4.34 ERA.

Lidge returned from injury on July 22 and has been weaning his way back just a little bit at a time. He has appeared in 11 games and has one save in eight innings pitched with a 2.25 ERA. He is still fine-tuning his control, as he has walked seven batters, but has not allowed any triples or home runs, and just two doubles. Although he is the epitome of why statistical analysts are hesitant to make hypotheses based off of small sample sizes, the Phillies are more than likely not going to be looking at Lidge to carry the team in the postseason as they had in the past as Madson and Bastardo have proven how capable they are to shut down the opposition when needed.

The bullpen could be almost as crowded as the dugout come September when the rosters expand, but if history is any indicator (as it usually is), the Phillies will have approximately six to seven relief pitchers per playoff series roster. With Madson, Lidge, Bastardo, Kendrick and Worley all a likely shoe in, Mike Stutes may be the wildcard should Charlie Manuel decide to bring Blanton along for the ride.

Stutes has appeared in 44 games for the Phillies this season with a 3.33 ERA over 46 innings pitched. Posting an ERA of 2.45 in 29 1/3 pitched with 30 strikeouts between April 25 and July 8, he has an ERA of 4.86 since July 8 in 16 2/3 innings. Opponents are batting .242 against him as compared to .170 just over a month ago. (Note: these figures do not include his stats from Tuesday’s game, in which he allowed three runs on four hits over two innings.)

Perhaps if Contreras had remained healthy this season, the coaching staff wouldn’t have to wonder how Stutes -- a rookie -- would fair in a postseason environment when he has already started a backwards slide nearing the end of the season. Perhaps it's just a little fatigue, but when the Phillies could have as many as 56 games remaining until the World Series winner has been decided, now may be the only chance Stutes has to let things slide a bit. If he isn’t back to his A-game soon, the Phightins may be forced to go another route come Oct. 16 when the MLB Divisional Series kicks off that hopefully does not backfire.

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Gosewisch Reaches Elite 8 in MiLB.com's Moniker Madness

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

Minor League Baseball’s fifth annual Moniker Madness has reached the quarterfinals and Reading’s Tuffy Gosewisch is still alive.

Lehigh Valley’s Tagg Bozied entered as a 16 seed and didn't make it out of the first round of voting, but Phillies fans still have a chance to make a push for some brotherly love in the final rounds.

Seeded seventh in the Natty Nattress Bracket, Gosewisch -- the lowest seed remaining -- has surpassed Drew Smyly, Helpi Reyes and Zelous Wheeler in the voting and is currently up against No. 1 seed Beamer Weems of the Padres double-A affiliate, the San Antonio Missions.

Voting for the quarterfinals ends on Thursday so cast your ballots while there’s time. Voting also enters you for a chance to win prizes from Minor League Baseball, just as MiLB.com shop gift cards and free MiLB.tv subscriptions.

Click here to join Team Tuffy and cast your vote!

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Phils Sweep Away Rockies

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

The Phillies (71-39) beat the Rockies (51-60) for their sixth straight win as they completed a sweep in the Mile High City.

Roy Halladay (14-4) picked up his NL-best 14th win of the season despite allowing four earned runs over seven innings. Antonio Bastardo allowed one run in relief -- a home run off the bat of Todd Helton, his seventeenth career long ball against the Phils.

Then surprisingly Brad Lidge pitched the only 1-2-3 inning of the day for the Phightins as he secured his one 100th save as a Phillie in his home town of Denver. It was his first save of the 2011 season. 

Normal closer Ryan Madson was reportedly unavailable to pitch because his wife is having a baby.

As Halladay struggled, the Phightins bats once again came alive. Every Phillies starter -- including Doc -- had a hit. Ryan Howard had another big offensive day going 2-for-4 with a walk and four RBIs -- two of which came on his first home run off a left-handed pitcher this season when he tagged Rex Brothers in the sixth inning.

Howard was also responsible for the two Phillies errors in the game. In the bottom of the first, Dexter Fowler reached on a fielding error by the Big Piece. In the same play, Ryan tried again to get Fowler out at first but committed a throwing error by lobbing the ball over the 6-foot-6 Halladay, allowing a run to score.

Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence picked up an RBI each. Pence has a hit in each of his five games as a Phillie.

The Phillies head to San Francisco for a four-game series beginning Thursday. According to Scott Mathieson’s Facebook page, he is on his way to San Francisco as well. The rotation is expected to be Cliff Lee, Vance Worley (now on Twitter!), Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt. The righty has been on the disabled list since June 24 with back problems.

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Bozied, Gosewisch Candidates in MLB.com's Moniker Madness

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

Need both a baseball fix and a laugh to get you through until late-night baseball tonight?

Minor League Baseball has launched their fifth annual Minors Moniker Madness to determine who has the best name in the minor leagues.

With 64 players with names such as Seth Schwindenhammer (Class A, Red Sox), Rougned Odor (Class A, Rangers), Boof Bonser (Triple-A, Mets), and Luis Domoromo (Class A, Padres) seeded in a five-round bracket, you’ll have fun stumbling over some of the tongue twisters and find yourself stumped when trying to pick a winner.

Future Phillies Tagg Bozied and Tuffy Gosewisch (Lehigh Valley) find themselves seeded seventh and sixteenth in their respective brackets. While they may not stand up to Balbino Fuenmayor (Class A, Blue Jays) or Bradley Boxburger (Triple-A, Reds), they can only make it as far as your votes get them!

Voting for the first round ends on Sunday, August 7 and submitting your selections enters you for a chance to free subscriptions to MiLB.tv and gift cards to the MiLB.com shop to score you some Phillies affiliate swag.

Click here to vote for your favorites today! Pin It Now!

Beat It! (The Heat, That Is)

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

As the Phillies are gearing up for 80’s Retro Night at Citizens Bank Park Friday evening, ballpark attendees only have their mind on one thing: how will they survive the heat?

Roy Halladay certainly felt the heat Monday evening in Chicago as he took himself out of the game in the fifth inning suffering from noticeable heat exhaustion and dehydration. Many news articles and blog posts reminisce about the game with notes that perhaps Halladay is human, and not a machine after all.

Last time I checked, machines tend to malfunction in extreme heat and humidity.

Halladay is known as one of the most well-conditioned players in Major League Baseball – arriving for Spring Training workouts hours ahead of time, hitting the weight room after his perfect game, always seen running up and down the stairs at the ballpark between starts.  He is the model athlete, hydrating before, during and after workouts and games with water, Gatorade and Pedialyte. But when temperatures are planted firmly in the triple digits, and heat advisories are popping up all over the country as the system holds more than half of the country hostage, even the best of the best need a break now and then.

ESPN investigated into Halladay’s white-hot statistics and found that since 2004, when the temperature is at least 90 degrees, Doc’s ERA rises with the mercury, averaging over a full run higher. He also gives up at least one extra home run per scorching hot game. One Monday, he allowed three runs on seven hits including a home run to Armaris Ramirez in four innings of work.

Headed to the ballpark this evening? Here are some tips from the Red Cross to keep you in your seat and away from the emergency room:
 

• Stay hydrated – And no, not by drinking more beer (sorry, beer guys!). Try to steer clear of any diuretics such as alcohol, iced teas and coffees, and sodas. Bring a backpack full of ice water (unopened) to save some money, or if you buy from the vendors, be sure to tip generously – the guys in yellow are going to be working hard tonight!

• Wear light clothing – Unless you have shelled out the money for an authentic Cool Base jersey, skip the polyester replicas tonight and opt for a shirsey instead. Wearing your best 80’s gear to the game? Don’t forget the sweatbands!

• Stay in the shade – Citizens Bank Park is heralded for its open concept design, and there’s hardly a spot on the concourse you can’t see the game from. If you’re sitting on the first base side of the park or in the front rows of the terrace decks especially, try to stay under cover until the later innings.

• Be aware of your surroundings – Be a good Samaritan and keep an eye on the fans around you. If anyone starts to exhibit severe signs of heat stroke, contact an usher, text for help (text “PHILLIES” followed by the issue and location to 69050), call Guest Services at 215-218-5469, or, if able, help get them to a first aid station immediately (behind sections 105 and 318).

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Vote for Vic!

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

The 2011 All-Star Teams have been unveiled, with Placido Polanco, Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee all earning spots on the National League roster, but there’s always room for one more Phillie.

For the tenth straight year, fans can vote for one final player to make it to the 33-man roster, and one of the candidates is Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino. Victorino attended his first All-Star Game thanks to the Final Vote in 2009, making him the first Hawaiian-born position player to go to the mid-summer classic.

The "Vote for Vic" campaign urges fans to pick the Flyin’ Hawaiian over L.A.'s Andre Ethier, Colorado's Todd Helton, Arizona's Ian Kennedy and Washington's Michael Morse.

On Monday the Phillies announced that Shane had the early lead in the voting. But that doesn't mean Phillies fans should gear back their voting. Fans have until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday to vote as often as they like and send a fifth Phillie to Arizona for the game.

Click here to do your part. Pin It Now!

Polanco on Brink of All-Star Nod

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

Only one Phillies hitter is likely to start the All-Star Game in Phoenix next month and the answer might surprise you.

As the voting for the 2011 All-Star Game draws to a close, Placido Polanco leads perennial fan-favorite and future Hall of Famer Chipper Jones by over 1.2 million votes to lead third base for the National League with just hours left to vote.

A career .302 hitter, it may appear that Polanco is struggling, batting “only” .289 after 77 games. However, as compared to his fellow Phillies, he is second only to Ryan Howard in RBIs and Shane Victorino in batting average and (of course) leads the Phightins with 87 hits.

But how does he fair against other National League third basemen?

The short answer is “not bad.”

The more complicated answer is that perhaps Chase Headley (San Diego) or Amaris Ramirez (Chicago) deserve the All-Star nod just a little bit more.

Polanco certainly has high marks when stacked against his competition. When Albert Pujols (who only played a few games at the hot corner this season) is removed from consideration -- Pujols is out 4 to 6 weeks with a fractured forearm and would be unable to participate -- Polanco is fifth in hits, third in RBIs, batting average, and on-base percentage. He leads NL third basemen in hits, but either Ramirez and/or Headley outrank him in nearly every other category.



Polanco has only been voted onto an All-Star team one other time -- in 2007 as a second baseman for the Detroit Tigers. It was hands down the best season of his 14-season MLB career as he finished with 200 hits, 67 RBIs, and a remarkable .341 batting average in 142 games, earning a Silver Slugger and one of his two Gold Gloves. Polly could potentially flirt with some of those stats in 2011, especially hits and RBIs.

So what gives Polly an edge over Ramirez and Headley in the voting?

The best fans in baseball, that’s what.

Whether you have voted once, 100 times, or not at all, you have until midnight Thursday to head over to Phillies.com or MLB.com to ensure Polanco's spot in the Mid-Summer Classic. Pin It Now!

Fave Phillies Moment So Far - Mayberry's Game-Winner

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

With the Phillies about a third of the way through the 2011 season Philthy Stuff will look back at our favorite moments from a memorable season so far.

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He may be racking up almost as many frequent flyer miles as Vance Worley lately, but there’s one thing John Mayberry, Jr. has on his resume that the Phillies can’t take away from him.

On Opening Day, Phils fans stood on their feet as Mayberry walked up to the plate with the bases loaded and one out as a tie game was in the bottom of the ninth. The Astros’ Brandon Lyon threw an 89 mph fastball for a ball. Then another that was fouled off. An 88 mph cutter was called a ball. Another 89 mph fastball was fouled away.

Then, on the fourth fastball of the series, the ball floated to center field and landed just past the reach of Michael Bourn. Ben Francisco scored as the team swarmed Mayberry at first base for bringing them their first victory of the season, and in walk-off fashion none the less.

The Phillies are no stranger to high-anxiety games and heart-stopping finishes, but it was Mayberry’s first ever walk-off hit and one he’s not likely to forget any time soon.

Mayberry has been part of the Phillies organization since 2009 and made his first post-season roster in 2010. This is the first year he had made the Opening Day 25-man roster after an impressive showing in Spring Training after picking up some extra innings following Domonic Brown’s hand injury.

But lately he has been shuffled between Triple-A Lehigh Valley and the Phightins.

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Victorino's Return -- Who Goes to Make Room?

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

The Phillies will be almost whole again as they kickoff a weekend series in Pittsburgh Friday night. When Shane Victorino was not in the Reading Phillies’ lineup Thursday morning, it was speculated and later reported that he would likely be activated from the disabled list on Friday and join the team on the last leg of their road trip this weekend.

After being plagued by early season injuries, Joe Blanton and Brad Lidge remain the only staff regulars left on the disabled list.

With Victorino back in center field, the club has to decide who goes and who stays on the 25-man roster, and the decision won't be easy.

The Candidates:

• Domonic Brown
• John Mayberry, Jr.
• Ross Gload
• Michael Martinez
• Ben Francisco

It’s probably safe to assume that Brown and Mayberry will remain with the team upon Victorino’s return. Ruben Amaro, Jr. and Charlie Manuel were heavily criticized for the use of top prospect Brown in 2010 heading into the post season, and after a long Triple-A tune-up following his hand surgery, Amaro was leery to bring him back up to the majors stating that "he wasn’t ready."

Since becoming a (mostly) regular fixture in the outfield, Brown has batted.324 OBP/.368 OBP/.898 OPS in 11 games. Chase Utley is .194/.324/.647 over nine games. A small sample size, yes, but Dom's been impressive nonetheless.

Mayberry is no stranger to the big club, having played 95 games since his debut with the team in 2009. So far this season he is batting a less impressive .231/.316/.682, but provides some hard to come by right-handed power off the bench. Keeping both Brown and Mayberry in the wings also allows for an easier platoon with Ben Francisco -- who has options but it would be hard to see him being sent down -- and Raul Ibanez throughout the season.

Ross Gload is a conundrum. He has a tear in his hip that has Charlie’s hands tied. Putting him on the 15, 30, or even 60-day DL won’t help anything. Surgery will end his season. But he’s the best pinch hitter the Phillies have on their bench. Kyle Kendrick even pinch ran for him on Tuesday night just because the team doesn’t know how far they can push Gload without injuring him further. However, he is unlikely to cover first base should Ryan Howard need a day off if he can’t run the bases without worrying the coaching staff.

At the end of the day Gload’s a lefty bat, batting .275/.275/.550 in 40 plate appearances. Perhaps deactivating him and getting him the surgery he needs makes sense if he’s going to be walking on eggshells the entire season anyway.

Michael Martinez provides a different scenario should the Phillies choose to cut him on Friday. Being a Rule-5 Draft pick, he isn’t eligible to be sent to the minors. The Phils would have to offer him back to the Nationals along with $25,000. 2010’s Rule-5 experiment, David Herndon, hung on all season but was optioned to Lehigh Valley during the ongoing game of bullpen musical chairs this year.

Martinez seemed like a lock to make the big club out of spring training as his versatility gave the Phillies some much needed depth in the infield and outfield. If he fails to make the cut this time around, however, Wilson Valdez would be left as the sole backup infielder (and outfielder, and catcher, and pitcher, and Phanatic...).

Hitting a measly .184/.212/.416, Martinez stands to be the opposite of Gload -- he can bat, he can field, and he ca run. Would he be merely a pawn? Just a run-of-the-mill pinch hitter for a pitcher when the game isn’t on the line? I can’t imagine anyone finds him terribly vital at the moment.

If I were a betting girl, I would guess that Martinez will be wearing a Nationals uniform as the Phillies take the field at PNC Park Friday evening, but crazier things have happened.

Cliff Lee, anyone?

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Lee Fans 16, Phils Score Zero

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

The Atlanta Braves put another notch in their now six-game winning streak as they shut out the Phillies 5-0 Friday night.

No. 2 ace Cliff Lee was brilliant as he struck out 16 batters over seven innings -- tying Steve Carlton’s record for most strikeouts by a left-handed Phillies pitcher. It was also the most K’s in a game since Curt Schilling struck out 16 Yankees in 1997 and the most in any single game of Lee’s career. He tossed 117 pitches, 87 of which were strikes.

Nine hits and three runs were also scattered amongst the masterpiece Lee brought to the mound. After allowing the Braves to lead off the game with a pair of hits, he retired the next seven batters in a row before getting into trouble in the third inning. Lee (2-3) allowed three doubles and a single, resulting in three runs that the Phils just weren’t able to get back.

Lee’s final line: 7 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 16 K. His ERA is currently at 3.69 for the season.

Lee's counterpart Derek Lowe (3-3), fresh from having a hand in the MLB’s latest DUI scandal, seemed to be matching Lee pitch for pitch as he no-hit the Phils for six innings before allowing a single and a ground-rule double to Shane Victorino and Placido Polanco respectively. They would be the only hits the Phillies would have all evening.

JC Romero and Danys Baez pitched one inning each in relief. Baez gave up three hits and allowed two runs before striking out Chipper Jones to end the top of the ninth.

Some other notes:

Polanco left the game after his hit in the seventh. He had fouled a ball off his foot during the at-bat and was noticeably in pain after running the bases. Todd Zolecki reported that he has a bruised big right toe and that the X-rays were negative.

Roy Oswalt will not pitch as scheduled in Saturday’s game due to back soreness and is headed for the disabled list. Kyle Kendrick will start in his place. Kendrick is 5-1 in his career against the Braves with a 2.55 ERA. He enters the game 1-2 on the season with a 2.08 ERA in 13 innings pitched.

The Braves are calling up their top pitching prospect Julio Teheran to make his Major League debut against the Phillies on Saturday in lieu of using Time Hudson or Tommy Hanson on short rest. The 20-year-old Teheran is 3-0 in five Triple-A starts with a 1.80 ERA, ranking third in the National League. He will head back to AAA-Gwinnett regardless of his performance.

Game time Saturday is 7:05 PM ET on CSN.

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Plagued early by injury, how much depth do the Phillies have?

Nick Laham/Getty Images

This morning, we learned that Chase Utley had a cortisone injection in his knee on Friday after an MRI showed patellar tendinitis. Next, Domonic Brown left today's game against Pittsburgh (which they subsequently lost 4-3) with the trainer at his side. It was later reported that Brown has fractured a bone in his hand and will more than likely require surgery therefore sidelineing him for approximately 3-6 weeks. Immediately after the news spread, you could almost smell the stench of tear-stained jerseys being packed away for the season as the high hopes of some Phillies fans were being doused in kerosene and lit aflame.

Let's start from the top: Chase Utley.


Chase has always been a rough and tough kind of player - the kind where it eventually catches up with you and something is always hurt. First it was his wrist in 2007, then his hip in '08, and then his thumb just last summer. He's had three surgeries in the last four years and now there's something else that could potentially be added to the list: his knee. The team says they haven't explored the option of surgery just yet, but truth be told, it may only be a matter of time.

So where does that leave the Phillies if the start second baseman winds up having to go under the knife? Last year, Utley only played 115 games due to his thumb injury. In his place, Placido Polanco (who is a Gold Glove second baseman) and the ever versatile Wilson Valdez primarily stood the watch until Utley was able to come back full-time. So far this spring we've seen Valdez, Pete Orr, Josh Barfield, and Delwyn Young start at second, with Young spending the majority of the time there. We've also seen flashes of Jeff Larish starting at third sprinkled into the mix.

It's entirely too early in the spring to speculate on any of this, but if in the event that Utley is not ready come opening day, we could very well see a mix of Valdez and Young at second, with a very rare instance of Polanco at second and perhaps Valdez at third. This of course all depends on how Charlie feels about the depth charts in the coming weeks when cuts begin.
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Chooch Exits Early as Phils Win 8-4

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

The Phillies (16-8) avoided a sweep as they defeated the Diamondbacks (10-13) 8-4 Wednesday afternoon.

Cole Hamels (W, 3-1) threw 108 pitches over seven innings, allowing three runs on four hits, walked one, and struck out eight – an impressive line considering he went 126 pitches in his last outing.

It was just the fourth time the Phillies have scored more than three runs in the last 16 games Hamels has started for the club dating back to last season.

The Phightins had long ball fever as Shane Victorino and Ryan Howard each hit solo blasts. It was Howard’s first home run in 55 at-bats. Jimmy Rollins led the squad with three RBIs, two of which came on his first homer of the season.

But it wasn’t all about going yard, as Placido Polanco, Ben Francisco, John Mayberry, Jr. (who started in place of the ever-struggling Raul Ibanez), and even Hamels contributed to the Phillies’ 12 hits. Polanco would go 4-for-5, scoring three runs, and leads the team with his .389 batting average.

Is it too early to wonder if the bats are back?

Although the Phillies got the “W,” it didn’t exactly go off without a hitch -- Carlos Ruiz left the game in the first inning due to tightness in his lower back. Jim Saliisbury with Comcast SportsNet tweeted that Ruiz will see a doctor tomorrow. "Asked if he's worried he said 'yeah.'"

As of this writing, the Phillies have not released any additional information on the Ruiz’s condition, but back pain in any catcher can become a lingering problem. It can hamper the ability to squat or kneel comfortably, as well as make routine mobility quite difficult, such as throwing out a base-stealer or reacting to foul balls and wild pitches.

What does this mean for the Phillies immediate future behind the plate should Chooch need to spend any time on the disabled list? Brian Schneider would presumably take over initially. I would be inclined to believe Erik Kratz would be called up from Lehigh Valley to back up Schneider. If necessary, Dane Sardinha and Tuffy Goeswhich would be the next catchers in line to fill in. Sardinha spent some time with the clue last season while Chooch recovered from a concussion.

The Phightins will be taking Thursday off as head back to Philly to begin a nine-game homestand, starting with Joe Blanton vs. the Mets on Friday. Pin It Now!

My Favorite Phillie: Carlos Ruiz

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

As part of a weeklong series, the bloggers of Philthy Stuff will be explaining their favorite guys in red pinstripes.

Sometime late last season, I was trying to come up with an appropriate way to describe what Carlos "Chooch" Ruiz brought to the Phightins. He was aggressive at the plate. Clutch. He could crush the other team with one swing of the bat. He was the Aggressosaurus of Clutchitude, if you will.

We all remember his walk-off double off Jonathan Broxton last August, and his huge bases loaded hit in Game 3 of the 2008 World Series but Chooch has played the role of the most underrated catcher in baseball since his rookie season in 2007.

In his first three full seasons with the Phillies, Ruiz was batting .245, and averaged 83 hits and 43 RBIs in 339 games. Among MLB catchers with a minimum 330 plate appearances, his batting average ranked 15th in 2007, 23rd in 2008, and 13th in 2009. In 2010, he boasted a career high and team leading .302 batting average and .400 on-base percentage.

He may not be immune to the Phillies’ offensive woes of late, but when it comes to Chooch, it usually what he’s doing behind the plate rather than at it that catches everyone’s attention -- especially Roy Halladay and the pitching staff.

It's been said more than once that Doc neglected to shake off Chooch during some of his biggest outtings, including his perfect game. When the team honored Halladay for perfection, Doc honored Chooch by presenting him with a watch engraved with the phrase “we did it together.”

Similarly, Chooch and Cliff Lee had the same type of chemistry after his momentous start against the Washington Nationals. For nine innings, two hours, and less than 100 pitches, Lee did not shake Chooch off while he mowed down the Nats, striking out 12.

Doc did a great job summing it up in his recent MLB 2K11 commerical: “Every perfect game needs a Carlos Ruiz.”

If you ask me, every Phillies game needs a Carlos Ruiz. Pin It Now!

Oswalt, Phillies Shut Out Padres 3-0

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

Back to back home runs by Brian Schneider and Ben Francisco gave the Phillies an early lead, and it would be all they needed as the Fightins hung on to win 3-0 over the Padres in the first of a four-game series Thursday night.

Roy Oswalt tossed six innings of one-hit ball, striking out seven on 106 pitches as he shut out the Padres and improved to 3-0 this season. Oswalt, who left Friday’s game early with a lower back strain, seemed to have no problems at all picking up right where he left off as he dominated the mound in San Diego.

The Padres pegged him for a couple of drawn-out at-bats, which raised his pitch count significantly. Leading off the bottom of the fourth inning, Jorge Cantu went to battle with Oswalt in a 14-pitch at-bat. Cantu fouled off nine pitches, eight consecutively, before being struck out by Philly’s third ace. Oswalt would go 1-2-3 in the inning, but did so on 23 pitches.

David Herndon, Antonio Bastardo and Jose Contreras picked up in relief to combine for the shut-out, allowing just one hit each. Bastardo and Contreras’ ERA remains at 0.00.

Early in the game, the Phillies capitalized on the defensive errors by San Diego to put themselves on the board. The Padres bobbled three balls in the first half of the game, and Cameron Maybin found himself up against the wall as he tracked Francisco’s home run ball. It should have been caught, but instead it snuck just over the center field wall for Francisco’s third homer of the season.

Placido Polanco and Shane Victorino combined for three stolen bases. However, besides the stolen bags and the homers, the Phils did little else offensively. The team left a total of 12 runners on base and were just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. They were given a free pass as they were walked seven times in the game, but failed to generate any additional runs.

Insurance runs or not, the Phillies increased their winning streak at Petco Park to eight games in a row. They look to add one in the win column Friday night as Cole Hamels (1-1, 4.32 ERA) takes the mound against Clayton Richard (1-0, 4.50 ERA) for the second game of the series in San Diego. Pin It Now!

The Art of Being a Fan

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

I like to believe that one day I’ll figure out the magic formula for knowing which ex-Phillies to boo and which to cheer for upon their return to Citizens Bank Park -- or in Thursday night’s case, a road trip to CBP South, a.k.a. Nationals Park.

I was at the 2010 Opening Day at Nats Park (much to the chagrin of Nationals Fans). I usually get a mini ticket plan through the Nats so I can add a few extra Phillies games into my summer without having to drive the six hours to Philly. I’ve gone with Phils fans,

I’ve gone with Nats fans -- heck, Thursday night I went by myself and had a grand old time. It’s true what they say: the place is usually so overrun by Phillies fans it feels like a home game. But the latest series with the Nationals seemed to serve a purpose other than cheering for the Phightins on someone else’s turf.

Having watched the previous two games on television, I saw the smirk creep across Jayson Werth’s face as he was jeered after catching a fly ball or when he was at bat. But when Werth stepped up to the plate for the first time Thursday evening, the seats practically shook as the thunderous boos rained down from the stands.

Only this time there was no smirk on his face. No mocking hat tip to the raucous fans in right field that sang out chant after chant in his direction.

“Jay-son Werth-less.” “Ben Fran-cis-co.” “You suck Jay-son.” And of course the infamous “A-hole” chant -- which when you pay close enough attention, kind of looks like the Tomahawk Chop (which probably means you should cut it out).

Oh, and of course the obligatory “E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES” and a “Let’s Go Flyers” chants rang out briefly, but for the most part the Phillies faithful stuck to sticking it to Werth and his $126-million reason for wearing that curly "W" with pride.

But what about the booing? When Scott Rolen comes to town, the hatred is deafening. Pat Burrell practically gets a curtain call for hitting a home run against his former team and enjoys enthusiastic cheers every at bat. J.A. Happ had a loving reception on Opening Day this year, while Brett Myers nearly got booed out of the park. Matt Stairs and Jim Thome always get a nice round of applause. And most people by now have forgotten to show any sort of emotion for the rest of the remaining ex-Phillies in the league that still make an appearance at Citizens Bank Park every now and again (e.g. Randy Wolf, Aaron Rowand, etc).

It’s clear what kind of treatment Werth is going to get when the Nationals head north in a couple of weeks to the original CBP.

I’ll report on how the fans receive Greg Dobbs at Friday’s weekend series opener against the Marlins when that time comes. Will they boo because he was such a disappointment in recent history or cheer him for the Phillie he once was?

I’m not going to stand on my soapbox and say anyone should boo or cheer for anyone in particular, because you shelled out your hard-earned cash to buy a ticket, a jersey, a beer, and the right to be as rowdy as security will let you be without escorting you out. But to drive 150 miles to someone else’s park just to boo someone seems a little excessive to me. I suppose it’s just the opposite of driving 150 miles to watch Stephen Strasburg pitch a game just to say you saw the rookie phenom in person (which I did, and the Nationals beat the Mets, and it was glorious).

But when the booing of Werth is louder than the cheers for Carlos Ruiz’s home run, I start to wonder where people’s priorities lie. Maybe if the Phils had a losing record and the Nationals had sole possession of first place and Werth was ruining all of our lives I would understand the sentiment a little bit more. But we have Cliff Lee, the Phillies are winning and they’re doing it all without Werth on the roster.

I’d say we have a lot more to cheer about than we have to boo. Pin It Now!

Werth Booed, Nats Beat Phillies 7-4

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.
 
Joe Blanton and the Phillies looked to carry their momentum from the Braves series as they stopped over in Washington D.C. for a three-game set against the Nationals before heading back to Philadelphia.

But Jayson Werth had other plans for his former team.

Ryan Howard gave the Phils an early 1-0 lead thanks to an opposite field homer in the second inning.

Blanton started strong, working quickly to allow only singles to two of the first eleven batters he faced. At the end of the third, the Phillies and their new division rivals were all tied up at one run each.
Big Joe fell into trouble in the fourth when Werth hit a double off the second pitch of his at bat. Blanton gave up four hits and walked one batter on 23 pitches, allowing three runs in the inning. He made a couple of good pitches, but for the most part he wasn’t locating the ball at all where Carlos Ruiz was calling for them. He was mixing up his pitches, depending primarily on his slider and sinker, but it was just what the Nats were looking for as they took a 4-1 lead.

Blanton would go for six innings, giving up five runs on seven hits while walking one and striking out four.

It wasn’t until the top of the seventh inning that the Phils looked like they were rallying for a comeback. Raul Ibanez, Carlos Ruiz and Wilson Valdez singled their way past Livan Hernandez and loaded the bases with one out for John Mayberry, Jr.

Where had I seen that before?

Hernandez knew just how to handle Mayberry, who has had trouble with off-speed pitches for the majority of his career, and struck him out swinging at a low and away 61 mph curveball. Shane Victorino would strike out to end the inning, leaving the bases loaded.

It was only the second time Victorino had not reached base in a game since the season began.

The Phightins tacked on two more runs in the eighth and ninth innings, but the Nats kept pouring it on in return.

Werth would go 2-for-3 with an RBI on a solo home run and a walk (and a chorus of “boos” for every fly ball he put his glove on). Fellow former Phil Matt Stairs, who was batting cleanup (yes, really), went 0-for-3 but had an impressive defensive backhanded stab at a line drive off the bat of Jimmy Rollins early in the game.

Despite their inability to defeat the Nationals, Raul Ibanez remains the only Phillie in the starting lineup with a sub-.300 batting average (.256).

Roy Halladay has only allowed one run in 23 innings against the Nationals last season. He takes the mound for the Phillies Wednesday evening. Pin It Now!

Game Recap: Phillies 10 Braves 2

Philadelphia Phillies' Carlos Ruiz, right, high-fives teammates from left, John Mayberry Jr., Raul Ibanez, hidden, and Wilson Valdez, hidden, after hitting a grand slam in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, April 9, 2011 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman

The Phillies crushed Atlanta 10-2 Saturday afternoon as Roy Oswalt earned his first career regular season win against the Braves.



Oswalt pitched six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits. He walked two and struck out two while he lowered his ERA to 2.25.

David Herndon, JC Romero, and Danys Baez were nearly flawless in three innings of relief, as only Baez allowed a hit and struck out one in the ninth.

But the real news isn’t the pitching – Carlos Ruiz (grand slam, RBI double) and Brian Schneider (two-run home run) combined for seven of the Phillies’ ten runs.

Not to be outshone, Shane Victorino also went 4-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base.

Some other fun facts:

• The Phillies had their first hit following a Ryan Howard intentional walk since September 14, 2008.
• The Phillies lead the majors with nine pinch hits. They were last in the league in 2010.
• John Mayberry, Jr. leads the majors with four pinch hits.
• Carlos Ruiz hit the first Phillies pinch-hit grand slam since September 10, 2009 (Matt Stairs, Nationals). It was his first pinch-hit home run and career grand slam. His five-RBI game was a career high as well.

Cole Hamels takes the mound tomorrow against Derek Lowe and the Braves at 1:35 PM ET from Turner Field. Pin It Now!

Phillies Offense Explodes, Beat Mets 11-0

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

Roy Halladay (1-0) and the Phillies (5-1) fiery offense smoked the Mets (3-3) 11-0 Thursday afternoon.

Halladay struck out seven batters in seven innings, allowed six hits, and walked one on 113 pitches, dropping his season ERA to 0.69. Doc faced 27 batters, throwing 21 first-pitch strikes.

Danys Baez and David Herndon combined with Halladay to shut out the Mets and win the series.

But it wasn’t all pitching as the Phillies carried over their offensive explosion from Wednesday night and pushed Mets starter John Niese out of the game after just four innings. Niese struck out seven Phillies, one short of matching his career high, but allowed six earned runs. The Mets defense suffered as well, as they committed two errors.

Every player in the starting lineup recorded a hit, including Halladay. Wilson Valdez rounded out his day going 4-for-4 and Raul Ibanez put his first home run of the season in the books. Plus the Phils’ leadoff man reached safely in each of the eight innings they batted in.

Not a bad showing for a team that went into the game 10 for 51 lifetime against Niese.

The Phils hit the road and send Cliff Lee (1-0) to the mound Friday evening at Turner Field, as the Phillies start a three-game series against the Braves. Pin It Now!

Ice Cold Hamels Leaves Early in Phils Loss

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

Cole Hamels looked as cold as the windy night air in his first first start of the 2011 season.

Hamels (0-1) struggled Tuesday, allowing six runs in just 2 2/3 innings pitched. The Phillies (3-1) went on to lose 7-1 to the rival Mets (3-1).

The Phillies’ fourth ace was in trouble immediately, allowing a lead-off single to Jose Reyes and then plunking Angel Pagan with a pitch. Hamels appeared to have settled in when he retired the next five batters in order, but disaster was just around the corner.

Hamels was hit for six singles, six runs, and walked two on 40 pitches in the third inning before being replaced by long-reliever Kyle Kendrick. It was only the fifth time in his career that he pitched less than three innings in a start. With the loss, Hamels is now 2-9 lifetime versus the dreaded Mets.

The Phillies tried to rally, but failed behind Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino’s three strikeouts a piece. The Phightins had nine players left on base in the game and were 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position -- something they did really well over the weekend against Houston.

Hamels is no stranger to being left hanging by the Phillies lagging offense. The club was shut out three times by the Mets with Hamels on the mound in 2010.

Placido Polanco drove in the lone run of the game with the Phillies only extra base hit of the evening, and Raul Ibanez showed some life going 2-for-4 despite a fielding attempt that had him turned around in the third inning. Ben Francisco hammered two balls to deep left field that were knocked down by the wind, but would have easily been home runs on a muggy summer evening.

Jimmy Rollins played some small ball, laying down a bunt single, stealing a base and drawing a walk to round out his evening.

The most impressive offensive showing of the evening came from Mets pitcher Chris Young, who went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

Despite the rocky start by Hamels, the relievers did a respectable job holding the Mets to just one run for the duration of the game. J.C. Romero, Danys Baez and Antonio Bastardo combined for a solid effort allowing just two hits, striking out two and walking none in the last three innings of the game.

Joe Blanton faces Mike Pelfrey and the Mets Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Pin It Now!

Tickets! Get Yer Tickets Here!

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

One year ago, on an Opening Day far, far away in Washington D.C., 40,000 Phillies fans descended upon Nationals Park to the chagrin of the 1,290* Curly W fanatics in attendance. (*Approximately)

To quote Nats beat writer Mark Zuckerman:

In other words: If you want to avoid a similar scene next year, start organizing your Opening Day 2011 ticket purchasing groups ASAP.

There was a treat in store for those who chose not to plan ahead as of Thursday morning:

Just two hours before the first pitch, tickets for the Nationals/Braves Opening Day game were being sold for under a dollar. Maybe it was the weather or maybe Jayson Werth just doesn't do it for the women in Washington? But after hearing about how excited Nats fans were to "be able to go to Opening Day" for the past year, I would have guessed their tickets would sold out months ago, not going for pennies a couple of hours before first pitch.

I guess Phillies fans aren’t so bad for business, after all.

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Jamie Moyer Joins ESPN as "Baseball Tonight" Analyst

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

There comes a moment in every ballplayer's life when the game simply tells them there aren’t going to be any more games. I’m not so sure Jamie Moyer believes this day has come for him, but ESPN announced that the 48-Year-Old Ageless Wonder will join the Baseball Tonight team of analysts. Oh yeah – he still hasn’t retired.

It seemed almost seemed too good to be true last year when Moyer pitched a two-hit shutout of the Padres in just an hour and 58 minutes. He had the city in the palm of his hands after his infamous at-bat versus the Johan Santana. Then on July 20, 2010, he injured his elbow in what would wind up being his last game. The fans were heartbroken. The 2010 season was shaping up to be Jamie’s year, but unfortunately it ended with the game finally telling him it was time to hang it up and go out on top after 24 years in the majors. He underwent Tommy John surgery during the offseason, and tried to rehab, but didn'tt bounce back despite his determination to make it back to the mound.

If you had asked me this morning what role I saw in Jamie Moyer’s future, I would have told you I could picture him as a bullpen or pitching coach one day. I was surprised anyone was able to convince him to trade his stirrup socks for a suit and tie, but I couldn’t be happier knowing that Jamie Moyer and John Kruk will be the last two faces I see on television every night for the next six months. Pin It Now!

Amaro, Jr. & the Amazing Technicolor Smugcoat

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

Ruben Amaro, Jr. probably wasn’t terribly surprised when he signed a four-year contract extension with the Phillies, but when he subtly seduced the Lees back to Philadelphia, the hometown hero’s Smug Level™ was at an all-time high.

A feature on Ruben in Philadelphia Magazine highlighted much of what we already knew about the ninja GM. He gets what he wants, he doesn’t really care what you think about him and he’s not going to sugarcoat anything.

On bringing Cliff Lee back to the Phillies:

“That reaction from Jayson was funny,” says Amaro in his office in February, again flashing that smile. “He was pissed off. He had just signed with Washington. He said to me, ‘You dumbass. You could’ve had both of us.’ And I said, ‘You’re the dumbass. You could have taken our arbitration offer.’”

Roy Halladay’s reaction to signing the city’s second favorite staff ace?

“Ruben, I just want to win,” the pitcher told Amaro. “I don’t care what you give the guy.”

And how does the mother of smug justify his constant intense yet indifferent demeanor?

“Ruben’s played baseball in Venezuela, where you get batteries and beer cans thrown at you. Listening to some guy on the radio scream ‘You’re a moron!’ 25 times in a sentence isn’t really a big deal.”

Normally I try err on the side of Halladay and be the gracious type, but Amaro hit the nail on the head with his snarky reply to Werth. I guess hindsight really is 20/20. Pin It Now!

Breaking Down the Bench

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

The Phillies sent another batch of players back to the minor league system this weekend. Among them were Mike Zagurski, Scott Mathieson, Josh Barfield, Tuffy Gosewisch and Dane Sardinha.

With Zagurski and Mathieson headed for Lehigh Valley, the Phillies bullpen appears to be almost set. With Lidge starting the season on the disabled list, there is presumably one spot left to fill. The eight remaining relievers are Kyle Kendrick, JC Romero, Danys Baez, Antonio Bastardo, Jose Contreras, Ryan Madson, Michael Stutes and David Herndon.

Stutes was optioned to the minors earlier last week, but was called back up after the news of Lidge’s newest injury. Stutes’ Grapefruit League ERA is 0.90 in 10 innings pitched, Herndon’s is 4.09 over 11 innings pitched. It seems likely that Stutes will make the opening day roster with Herndon possibly being optioned to Lehigh Valley.

Optioning Josh Barfield was probably the most interesting move of the weekend. With one less player in the running for the last three roster spots, the field is narrowed down to Luis Castillo, Delwyn Young, Pete Orr and Michael Martinez.

It seems unlikely that Phillies would move on without Castillo. Despite his age and propensity to injury, the three-time Gold Glove-winning second baseman is a veteran that (on paper) wins the job over the other candidates any day of the week.

Assuming Castillo makes the cut, Martinez, Young and Orr are left to compete for the last slot, although rumblings in the press show all signs pointing to Martinez.

The biggest advantage for Martinez is that he is a Rule 5 Draft player, meaning if the Phillies cut him from the roster at any point during the season, he would not be optioned to the farm system, but sent back to the Nationals. Both Young and Orr could head to Lehigh Valley without repercussions. Martinez has played some good defense in the infield, which alleviates some of the burden off of Wilson Valdez being the lone infield utility player, and he adds some more badly needed depth to the outfield (which apparently Valdez can play, too!).

There would be room for two on the roster if the Phillies were planning on carrying just 11 pitchers. The likelihood of that happening, though, is slim. Lefty specialist Antonio Bastardo appears to be a lock for the bullpen this season, and the team showed a lot of confidence in Stutes by bringing him back (while optioning others) after Lidge was placed on the disabled list. And let’s face it, folks: Kendrick and Baez are just plain old here to stay.

All of that being said, here is my prediction for Charlie Manuel’s Opening Day roster:

1. Roy Halladay
2. Cliff Lee
3. Roy Oswalt
4. Cole Hamels
5. Joe Blanton
6. Kyle Kendrick
7. JC Romero
8. Danys Baez
9. Antonio Bastardo
10. Michael Stutes
11. Ryan Madson
12. Jose Contreras
13. Ryan Howard
14. Luis Castillo
15. Jimmy Rollins
16. Placido Polanco
17. Raul Ibanez
18. Shane Victorino
19. Ben Francisco
20. Carlos Ruiz
21. Brian Schneider
22. Wilson Valdez
23. Ross Gload
24. John Mayberry, Jr.
25. Michael Martinez Pin It Now!

Everybody Hurts

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

The Phillies regular season begins in less than one week, and eyebrows are being raised at the number of injuries the team has already sustained this spring.

Chase Utley is the organization’s biggest concern, as evidenced by the decision to sign Luis Castillo to a conditional contract. It was announced Thursday that Utley will begin the season on the disabled list after struggling to rehab his knee. No suprise there but the four-time Silver Slugger leaves a substantial hole in the lineup, and a noticeable defensive gap on the field. If surgery is in his future, it would be his third in four years.

Ruben Amaro, Jr. confirmed that Brad Lidge will begin the season on the disabled list as well. Another repeat D-Lister, Lidge underwent elbow surgery in November 2009 and sat out much of the first half last season. He was sidelined for two weeks with bicep tendinitis this spring, and word of his new shoulder pain has the club worried. Ryan Madson and Jose Contreras are Lidge’s more obvious successors, but Charlie Manuel prefers not to name a closer just yet.

Placido Polanco has been plagued with elbow troubles ever since Tim Hudson hit him with a pitch last April. He played through the pain for most of 2010 and had surgery in the off-season to remove bone chips and repair his exterior tendon. On March 15, Polanco exited a game early with a hyperextended left elbow. He made his return to the lineup on Friday, but is still experiencing soreness. He will rest on Saturday and is expected to play the rest of the way, but it remains to be seen if this is going to be a persistent setback. 

Domonic Brown is working his way back from surgery to remove the fractured part of the hamate bone in his right hand. Brown was named Baseball America’s No. 4 prospect for 2011 and was being looked at to fill Jayson Werth’s vacation spot in right field. If he does not experience any setbacks in his recovery, he should be swinging a bat again at full power within a few weeks, but the Phillies are working overtime trying to find the best fit for his position. Ben Francisco, John Mayberry, Jr. and Ross Gload are the top contenders for the job.

Roy Oswalt and Jose Contreras thankfully appear to be fine after their recent mishaps. Oswalt was struck behind the ear by a line drive off Manny Ramirez’s bat Wednesday, and Contreras returned to action Friday after suffering from a corneal abrasion earlier in the week.

The good news is that the season has yet to begin, so hopefully the more severe injuries can be dealt with sooner rather than later. The bad news is the Phillies have the oldest team in baseball (even without Jamie Moyer on the roster), and many of the players will be battling the ailments that come with aging for the remainder of the season and their careers. If the squad can prepare for the worst ahead of time, they have a chance at not letting their shiny and new pitching rotation go to waste.

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