Game Recap: 04.16.10

Originally posted by Chicks Dig the Long Ball.

I'll be honest - I don't have anything insightful to say about tonight's game other than the following:

• Gee, I sure wish we could clone Roy Halladay a few times so we never had to use any other pitcher ever again (8 IP, 100 pitches, 70 strikes)
• Boy, that Chase Utley sure can hit
• Placido Effing Polanco
• Don't starting worrying about Herndon - I shouldn't have to explain why.
• Not that I want Lidge back anytime soon but I'm ready for Ry Dog to get back to being the set-up man
• The first base umpire was clearly not trying to get everyone home and out of the rain especially in the 9th inning
• My new life goal is to get on the Bongo Cam

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Dear Kyle: A Formal Request

April 15, 2010

Mr. Kyle Rodney Kendrick
c/o The Philadelphia Phillies
1 Citizens Park Way
Philadelphia, PA 19148

Dear Mr. Kendrick:

I am writing in regards to your recent performance as the temporary number three starting pitcher of the Philadelphia Phillies. As you are certainly aware you are currently sporting an abysmal 17.47 ERA and a 0-0 record because you have yet to qualify for a decision due to you only pitching a total of 5.2 innings over two games.

You may not have ever been our ace, a Cole Hamels of yore or a Roy Halladay of today, but you’re not new to the mound at Citizens Bank Park. In 2007 you started 20 games for the Phillies and ended with a 10-4 record and a 3.87 ERA. You even finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year voting. In 2008 you started 30 games and finished 11-9 with a 5.49 ERA. The team called on you again in 2009 and allowed you to compete for the fifth starter role for 2010. You have been depended on before and delivered and rarely disappointed.

That is until now.

Just like Cole Hamel’s 2-0 start to the season is a prime example of why a win-loss record is one of the most useless statistics in baseball, your spring training line is equally futile:



It was reported that you were following around Doc like a “puppy dog,” trying to beat him to the ballpark most mornings for workouts.  You even grew out a reddish beard adding to the intensity of the budding bromance.  It was all very cute and it seemed to be working.  The only thing standing in your way of the 2010 starting lineup was Jamie Moyer – the spot was his to lose, not yours to win.  You certainly played your heart out in Clearwater and when it was announced that you would be heading to the bullpen it was assumed that should Moyer become unreliable, you would be at the ready to take his spot.  In a lucky break (although Joe would look at it differently) you still wound up as part of the phantastic-phive when Blanton hit the DL with an oblique strain.  I was practically giddy when it was announced you would be starting a game I was going to be attending in DC for the Phils because I wanted to see mini-Doc (resident? intern?) in action.  It wasn’t long before you started to struggle on the mound and make your stellar spring training stats totally forgettable:



The Phillies went on to notch their only loss of the year that night. Granted we’re only 8 games into the season but for a team that has the best record in all of baseball a week and a half after Opening Day that one loss sticks out like a sore thumb.

Tonight was more than just a repeat of last Thursday, it was an implosion of epic proportions. In case you forgot, here’s the line:



Yes, you read that right: 32.40 ERA and just 1.2 innings pitched. Obviously no club in their right mind would ever leave a pitcher in to see if they could actually give up 32 runs in nine innings but you have to admit – this is a little ridiculous. Again, I know this is only your second start of the season and these things sometimes happen even to the best pitchers in baseball, but it doesn’t make us miss Blanton any less, that’s for sure.

I’ll tell you the same thing I told Colbert. You can’t always depend on the offense to bail you out – even this lineup will fizzle once in a while and that’s something that can’t be helped. Baseball is a streaky sport and it’s expected to see ups and downs over the course of a season, but the start you’ve made leaves us nervous for what the future holds. We still have a few weeks before Joe B is ready to take over again and quite frankly the Phillies don’t have any other options if you keep this up. You don’t seem to be having emotional meltdowns like 2009 Hamels and you have the best mentor anyone could ever hope for in Roy Halladay so I’m still optimistic that this is going to be a quick fix – but it’s going to have to be quick. There are just too many question marks when it comes to the pitching staff that can’t always be answered by two touchdowns a night.

I just want you to look at the difference a few weeks have made and try to figure out how to get back to your spring training form, or at least split the difference. Even though we all know spring training means nothing when it comes to the real deal I can’t help but see just how far off the beaten path you’ve gone:



I believe in you and I believe you can straighten out before it becomes too late for you to rebound from. There is no telling when you’ll be needed again and I can only hope that you’ll become the gem you’ve been for Philly in the past when you’ve been needed in a pinch.

Your prompt attention to this matter is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Michelle O’Malley for the people of Philadelphia Pin It Now!

Dear Cole: A Formal Request

April 12, 2010

Mr. Colbert Michael Hamels
c/o The Philadelphia Phillies
1 Citizens Park Way
Philadelphia, PA 19148

Dear Mr. Hamels:

I am writing in regards to your recent performance as number two starting pitcher of the Philadelphia Phillies. As you are certainly aware you are currently 2-0 with a second-rate 5.06 ERA. Considering your tenure as a professional baseball player I assume you are familiar with the criticism of W-L records accurately depicting a pitcher’s reliability to lead one’s team to a victory. Based on this assumption it would be safe to say that you realize your record means nothing to the city of Philadelphia right now.

In 2008 you were named both NLCS and World Series MVP. You were our ace ending the season with a record of 14-10 and a 3.09 ERA. You made hitters fear you and fans of every other team envy the Phillies for having you in their arsenal. Philadelphia will forever remember 2008 as a magical year, something that was meant to be, and you will always be part of that story when those of us who lived to see it tell our grandchildren about that glorious run at the title 50 years from now.

I won’t dwell on your off-season behavior because it’s neither here nor there. The Phillies fell short in 2009 and as much as I would like to blame it all on you I am smarter than that to know that wasn’t the case. The 2009 season certainly would have had a brighter sheen to it had you performed the way you expected to but we all know the problems lied in the bullpen and more specifically in Brad Lidge. Your 2009 record was 10-11 with a mediocre 4.32 ERA. You went on to lose both of your post-season starts and let your emotions get the best of you on the mound. By the end of the season you had figured out that yes, it would indeed be impossible to replicate the year you had in 2008 and you started to settle finally, but it didn’t last long and you became visibly rattled almost immediately after your first sub-par outing. You left the fans holding their breath with every pitch you threw and rarely gave us cause to exhale. We all hoped that you would spend the off-season focused and reflective and come to spring training ready to prove everyone wrong and you almost had us fooled – almost.

Rich Dubee said you looked the best you had ever looked coming into spring training. You spoke about spending more time training and conditioning and less time touring the late-night talk show circuit. But when the regular season began the fans were on the edge of their seats – and not because they were witnessing you pitch a gem.

The Phillies were riding high on their 11-1 win over the Nationals on MLB Opening Day in front of 41,290 fans (mostly their own) in the nation’s capital. The fans were anticipating what you had seemed to promise us going into the regular season and it wasn’t long before we were clenching our fists and biting our tongues just like last year. Our all-star lineup gave you a two run cushion in the first – whether they were carrying over their success from the previous game or just trying to give you breathing room early on remains to be seen. It didn’t take you very long to settle into your 2009 mid-season form giving up a home run to Desmond and allowing a single to Willingham bringing Zim home – all of a sudden the lead was erased and the people in the stands were left muttering “not this again.” If it wasn’t for such high-caliber offense backing you up (and yes, even your own hitting proved more effective than your pitching that day) you would not have been so lucky as to somehow end up with the “W.” I’m not going to read you back the box score verbatim because that doesn’t change anything and truth be told you didn’t technically throw all that bad of a game, but it wasn’t what we wanted to see from you fresh out of the gate. When you are given a head start and eliminate any good it did in the blink of an eye it’s enough to make the fans leave the ballpark giving you the stink-eye and trying to figure out if this is what they’re in for all season long.

This brings me today’s game. I regretfully could not watch my beloved Phillies take to their home field for the first time in 2010 and had to turn the radio broadcast off (the only thing I was looking forward to all day) by the fourth inning because you were just making it too painful. I could handle giving up a Willingham home run in the first, in fact I almost expected it, but when the runs kept piling on I couldn’t bear to listen anymore. Somehow, thanks to the offense yet again, you managed to sneak away with another “W.”

I can’t say you deserve either of those wins. I can’t say I’m confident in you when you take the mound for the Phillies again on Sunday. I can’t say I want to see what happens when you have to pitch against a team that isn’t the Nationals or the completely defeated 0-7 Astros. I can’t say I look at you and see one of the best pitchers in the National League anymore. To be honest, I personally don’t respect you as our number two or even number three starting pitcher and quite frankly I think the city of Philadelphia deserves better. I shouldn’t feel that way about the man who led us to a World Series victory just a year and a half ago especially just two games into your season. But Roy Halladay cannot pitch 162 games a year. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Placido Polanco and Jayson Werth cannot score 7, 8, 9 runs every time you pitch just in case you let your focus slip for a nano-second and find yourself mid-meltdown before the Phanatic can even do one complete belly roll. We don’t expect you to be a 2009 Cliff Lee. We don’t expect you to be Mr. 0.56 ERA Roy Halladay. You are Cole Hamels and we expect you to pitch like someone who used to be our ace – no one ever said a team could only have one.

We may call you Princess Cole, we may joke about you carrying a puppy in a backpack, but to be honest it’s only to keep the matter at hand off our minds – you’ve wandered off the beaten path, Cole, and we need you to find your way back.

Your prompt attention to this matter is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Michelle O’Malley for the people of Philadelphia Pin It Now!

You Suck, Roy Halladay!

Roy Halladay has now pitched two regular games for the Phillies and I cannot be more disappointed.

In his debut at the season opener on Monday, Roy threw 7 innings, gave up 6 hits and 1 earned run, walked two, and struck out 9. In the same despicable outing he tossed 88 pitches and only 67% for strikes. What I would like to know is why he did not throw 9 innings, why anyone got a hit, let alone a run, and why he couldn’t have struck out at least 10. I mean, what kind of year do the Phillies expect to have with such subpar pitching?

Today’s game was even worse. He threw a complete game on 111 pitches (only 75% for strikes), gave up 7 hits and no earned runs, walked no one and struck out eight. Oh, and don’t forget the error that was charged to him.

I just don’t get it. I thought this guy was supposed to be good. How hard is it to throw a perfect game already when you’re name is Roy freaking Halladay? And where does he think he gets off throwing a complete game near-shut out and only whiffing 8 batters? I mean, come on!

I for one will not stand for it. Until the Doc pitches at least a no-no I will be boycotting the remainder of his starts.

That’ll show him. Pin It Now!

Don't Count Raul Out Yet

Imagine showing up to work every morning and having your performance appraisal plastered all over the walls in every hallway and as you walk to your cubical you overhear people in the other departments whispering about the contents of the evaluation.

It seems pretty farfetched that something like that would ever happen at your job, right?

Now imagine being Raul Ibanez and every time you walk to the plate you see your less than stellar figures splashed all over the ballpark.

Sure he’s not the only player in baseball to have to see his stats every single time his name in mentioned either at the ballpark or otherwise but when you think about it in terms of your run of the mill office job, it can, for lack of better terms, really suck to have yourself shoved down your own throat at every turn.

That being said, let’s talk about Raul’s numbers and why I disagree that it’s time to start thinking about benching him just four games into the 2010 season.

When Raul Ibanez signed on with the Phillies for the 2009 season he (literally) came out swinging. In the first half of the year before making his first every appearance at the All-Star Game at the tender age of 37 Ibanez had 22 home runs, 60 RBIs, a .309 batting average and slugging percentage of .649. Not to get too sabermetricky on you but his OPS was an impressive 1.015 heading into the mid-summer classic, as well. In plain English, his hits were frequent and effective. During this time the Phillies record was 48-38 (and don’t forget about the 5-game win streak they had going into the break).

Immediately after the All-Star break Ibanez was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a groin injury that he never quite seemed to bounce back from. In the second half of the season Raul hit 12 home runs, had 33 RBIs and was hitting just .232 with a slugging percentage of .448. Like everything else, his OPS also took a noticeable tumble to .774. During this stretch the Phillies actually enjoyed a slightly better record at 45-31 and, in case anyone forgot, played all the way up until the 11th hour missing the last game of the 2009 by just four runs.

So what does any of this have to do with anything Raul is doing (or not doing) in 2010?

Raul had a rough spring training. He started the 2010 season off going just 1-11 with a .091 batting average. If you’ve bought into the hype you’ve probably called for him to take a seat for a game or maybe even take a trip to Lehigh Valley to get himself back on track. If you think there is even a chance of either of those things happening, though, I have two words for you: Charlie Manuel. If Hamels was never sent down to AAA to get a handle on his emotions last year and the organization continues to give Moyer just one more chance to live out his dreams, Raul is going to keep on playing until someone comes up with a REALLY good reason for him not to.

Let’s all keep something in mind – it is only the FOURTH game of the season. And tonight Raul went 3 for 4 with 3 RBIs and a walk pretty much shutting EVERYONE up. Is his streak of bad luck over? Or is this actually the real Raul Ibanez and Philadelphia just picked him up right when he got?

Let’s review:

Lifetime, Raul has averaged 23 home runs and 95 RBIs per 162 games played. His BA averages .284, slugging percentage averages .479, and OPS is .825. When you look at his 2009 numbers combined he actually had a pretty – I’ll say it again – AVERAGE year all things considered: 34 HRs (which was rare for him, I’ll admit), .272 BA, .552 SLG and .899 OPS. Clearly his slugging percentage and OPS were beefed up a bit above average because of the number of home runs he hit but his batting average really wasn’t all that far off. Even his walks were right on par (55 in 2009 with a 162 game average of 54). The reason Raul’s abilities stood out so much and why we have tee-shirts printed up with “RAUUUUL” on the back is because he had such an imbalanced split.

Believe it or not, lifetime Raul has a pretty even split both before and after the All-Star Game. Pre-ASG Raul is batting .282, after he is .287 and his slugging percentage and OPS follow suit. Even from 2006-2008 when his stats took an upswing after the break it was very slight. Would we all be saying the same thing about Ibanez and his struggles had he not had two very distinct streaks in 2009? If he showed up in Philly doing the same thing he had been doing all along in Seattle and Kansas City the fans probably would not have even blinked an eye at him and saw him as just another left fielder.

Because he came out of the gates with such a fury the city took notice of him and when he stopped performing like a superstar they noticed him even more. Unfortunately he’s taking a little longer than the rest of the bunch to warm up again in 2010 and that’s leaving a lot of people skeptical.

Obviously it’s frustrating to go to work every day (or every at bat) and stare at sub-par stats that are yours and yours alone – all those zeros can become very intimidating very fast. Working in the sales industry I can tell you it’s easy to let bad numbers affect you but once you’re in a groove it’s pretty easy to ride high on a good streak, too. I’ve had days (months, years) that just weren’t going my way and no matter how bad you want to sell to that next customer there is something in that desperation that prevents you from doing what you need to do. Once you snap out of it though be it just through a stroke of incredible luck or you figure out what you were doing all along (which is usually just a matter of overanalyzing and trying too hard) it can turn everything around.

I’m hoping that tonight’s game against the Astros is enough to turn Raul around so that he can put the past behind him and focus on the task at hand. He has one mission – to not be “the hole” in the Phillies lineup (which, frankly, there really isn’t). Today alone raised his batting average to .267 and we’ll know tomorrow night if he’s really on his way to stabilizing himself for the long run. The Phillies are obviously capable of moving on without him should they choose with Mayberry in the wings and Domonic Brown on deck after that, but for now Charlie will stand by him faithfully, as he always stands by his players, until he is left with no other options. Pin It Now!

Phield Trip! Thousands of Phillies fans invade Nationals Park

Originally published by Big League Stew - Yahoo! Sports Blog.

Busloads of Phillies fans, some organized by Phillytailgate.com the blog Phillies Nation, made a pilgrimage to Washington, D.C. on Monday. The phaithful wanted not only to see Roy Halladay's(notes) debut, but also to watch the Phils begin their quest to become the first NL team in 66 years to reach a third straight World Series. Michelle O'Malley, a Phillies fan transplated to southeastern Virginia, joined the group — comprised mostly of strangers — that tried to transform Nationals Park into a home away from home. 

WASHINGTON — Notice the two Nationals fans? Yeah that's all I could find, too.

The Phillies could have opened the 2010 season in San Diego and their fans still would have found a way to pack the stadium just to witness Roy Halladay's first official start for Philadelphia.

A "Phield Trip" to Washington, D.C. was easier — and it worked out just fine. 

If giving high fives to a thousand strangers to make them seem like your closest friends wasn't enough to set the tone for the day, once we got into the park there was an energy I certainly had never felt before — especially as a visitor to another club's stadium. 

The atmosphere was nothing short of electric — it almost felt like a home game. Fans were on their feet for practically every at-bat. Jimmy Rollins lays off the first pitch? A standing ovation. Chase Utley walks three times? Three standing ovations. Halladay gets a hit? Another ovation. Placido Polanco hits a grand slam giving him a career-high six RBIs in one game? The crowd goes ballistic.

Phillies fans (perhaps 25,000 or 30,000 of them) were witnessing something special, and not just Halladay's big debut — which went as smooth as butter after he settled in. 

* * * 

Hours earlier, about 1,500 Phillies fans had departed Citizens Bank Park in 27 charter buses. About the same time, I was beginning my drive north on I-95 from Virginia Beach, Va. Thousands more made their own way to Nationals Park.

The streets of D.C. near the ballpark soon were a sea of Phillies red — and even a few Nationals fans showed up. The Navy Yard lot filled up with one of the most familiar and comforting sounds a Philadelphia native can hear — music of a Mummers string band.

Phillies fans marched up N Street, finding a way to kick off the 2010 season with the only thing that was missing for Philly at the end of 2009 — a parade. 

The area near the park became so congested that security opened the gates early, at 9:30, attempting to keep the entrance lines manageable. Considering that President Obama was set to toss out the first pitch in 3 1/2 hours, Nationals security and the Secret Service should pat themselves on the back. It could have been a much worse situation.

* * *

 As the Phillies piled up runs, the crowd started to taper off (mostly Nationals fans that had little faith in their rally caps). But Nationals Park was still over half-full in the late innings, with mostly Phillies fans hanging around.

All-Star outfielders Raul Ibañez, Shane Victorino & Jayson Werth seemed to get a kick out of the fans' enthusiasm and rewarded a section by waving or tipping their cap on more than one occasion. Little things like that get people to spend half of their day in a car (or a bus, or a train, or a plane) just to go to a baseball game. 

* * *

Once the game ended, we expected the usual D.C. rush-hour traffic to be awaiting us outside, but we weren't expecting this:

It was like watching another parade, and it reminded me of why I took time off work, made the three-hour drive into the city, suffered the sunburn, battled the limited view around a foul pole and made the 4 1/2-hour return crawl to southeastern Virginia. These fans keep me going.

It's easy to love a team like the Phillies — they are no doubt a group of very classy guys, have fantastic characters and that they're among the best at what they do sure doesn't hurt. But Phillies fans are a subculture all of their own.

By the end of the ninth inning, I had a whole new family — one that shared my obsession enthusiasm for doing crazy things such as traveling 200 miles to watch a baseball game with a bunch of people they had never met before.

Phillies fans have every reason to believe there will be a parade into Citizens Bank Park this fall — and they can talk to you about it intelligently and at length (as the phenomenon known as "The Phield" has recently shown).

* * * 

There is no more looking back on 2009. This year's focus is clear: the Phillies have unfinished business and the fans are going to be at their side every step of the way —  even if that means planning a road trip to San Diego if they have to.

In fact, I already am. Pin It Now!

When I first started this blog last summer I led off with an entry about why I am a Phillies fan for life. As time went by and we got into the playoffs and the off-season I got to know so many of you through Twitter and it really made my heart swell to feel that brotherly love reach all the way down here to Virginia Beach. I grew up in the Philadelphia area and I was always surrounded by the team spirit that comes with that but I can’t help but feel incredibly lonely in a city that is such a hodgepodge of cultures. Living in the home of the largest naval base in the world I meet tons of people every day that are from all walks of life – but not many of them hail from Philly.

I recently discovered the woman who sits on the opposite side of the cubical wall from me at work is a big enough Phillies fan to wear a Victorino jersey (complete with WFC patch on the sleeve) on a casual day and I nearly hung up her phone while she was talking to a customer just to have a conversation with her about baseball. I’ve slowly but surely gotten my husband’s wardrobe to include a couple of team shirts and I’m pretty certain he’s learning to tolerate my “enthusiasm” better and better every day.

So that brings me back to my Twitter family. I love knowing day or night, winter, spring, summer or fall you guys are there to talk about our national past time. You are some of the most dedicated, hardcore fans I have ever known and for that I thank you. I cannot wait to see you all at the Phillies Nation tailgate before opening day and to cheer on Doc & the rest of our Fightin’ Phils as they take the field for the first time in 2010.

The other day I asked you all to tell me what the Phillies mean to you, what your favorite Phillies memories are, or just why you love baseball in general. The response was overwhelming and I must say – you made me love baseball even more than I thought I already could. So with that here is why YOU are fans, why YOU love your team and why YOU continue to make Philadelphia the best sports city in the WORLD!

“My favorite memory was making last minute plans with my dad to see Ashburn & Schmidt get inducted. Had to stay in Scranton.” – John Cruice (@phi162)



“Phillies getting beat by the Reds in a meaningless 1990 game – it was the first time I saw them at the Vet (from the 700 level).” – @soundofphilly



“Three rows from the top of the 700 level… pennant clincher vs. the Braves in 1993 with my dad… the whole Vet mocking the tomahawk chop… never forget it. I also remember the ‘96 All Star game at the Vet. I had box seats on the field for the HR derby. 115 degrees on field that day. Hot as hell.” – Ian Dixon (@dixonij)



“Driving in the car with my dad back when I was a kid, I remember we would get to our destination on more than one occasion and we would just sit in the car and listen to Harry and Whitey because we had to find out what was gonna happen.” – Michael Hendricks (@JudeNewcomb)

“Cliff Lee’s ‘you bore me’ catch in the World Series.” – PJ Gillam (@pjgillam)



“Phillies = Love! Favorite moment has to be the 2008 World Series title!” – Amanda Orr (@amandax23)

“In ‘93 I realized for the first time that the world sucks. In ‘08 I remembered that sometimes it’s not that bad.” – Mike Mader (@mikeonthephils)



“Harry’s final out call of 2008 World Series.” – @DurtyBirdz



“What baseball means to me: the feeling that anything is possible. Favorite Phillies Moment: Game 6 NLCS 1993. Bright eyed & bushy tailed. I felt sure they would win it all.” – Jessica Quiroli (@heelsonthefield)

“Walking around my house carrying a broom for every sweep in ‘93 – I was 8.” – @seeley2



“As of right now my favorite Phillies memory is being at game 4 of the 2008 World Series with game 5 of the ‘09 NLCS a close second.” – Tommy (@TommymacWFC)

“When I was four, my mom lost me at Sears because I stopped to look at a Phillies hat. She found me, and I got the hat!” – Valerie Duhaime (@valerieduhaime)

“The only game I saw with both of my parents was in 1972. It was the game that Steve Carlton won his 20th of 27 that year!! Cy Young!!” – Todd Schmitt (@tfs27)



“My favorite Phillies memory has to be seeing Kevin Millwood’s no-hitter in 2003 from the upper deck, right behind home plate.” – Max (@uublog)



“When Maine’s own Matt Stairs launched the Broxton pitch into the seats in the 08 NLCS. Best. Moment. Ever.” – Matt Boutwell (@CMSBMatty)



“Simply stated the Phillies are the first team that I feel has ever given back as much as the fans put in.” – Brendan Mooney (@BrendanCMooney)

I couldn’t agree with you more, Brendan. I couldn’t agree with you more. Pin It Now!