2011 ST Random Phillies Stuff III: The Search for Grit

by 1 » Fri Mar 25, 2011 16:24:04

ek wrote:no man, i was ecstatic that day

because he was deep in the heart of florida, and he didn't have to deal with the traffic.

by **Wheels Tupay** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 16:24:47

ek wrote:this is concerning me, this whole thing now. the injuries, etc. someone talk me down. ftn preferably

Roy Halladay, CLIFF LEE, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels

Just repeat this anytime you get nervous or sad

by **joe table** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 16:30:55

Big Joe had the changeup working today huh. IMO that was his key pitch for his 09 improvement

by **Trent Steele** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 16:33:09

Starting Mayberry over Francisco would be borderline retarded

by **bleh** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 16:49:30

Monkeyboy wrote:
ek wrote:hate to put more fuel on the fire but polanco is still having elbow issues

JSalisburyCSN Jim Salisbury
Polanco still little sore in elbow. Says he will manage it. He is disappointed by it. Day off Sat. Play rest of way, he said.

There goes what little power he has.

His last home run was on July 22nd. I'd say it's gone already.

by **Phan In Phlorida** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 16:55:03

ek wrote:hate to put more fuel on the fire but polanco is still having elbow issues

JSalisburyCSN Jim Salisbury
Polanco still little sore in elbow. Says he will manage it. He is disappointed by it. Day off Sat. Play rest of way, he said.

by **Houshphandzadeh** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 16:57:40

gimmefuelgimmefire gimmethatwhichidesire baladnenltnltnlnlfldflg

by **philliesphhan** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 17:02:23

Wheels Tupay wrote:
ek wrote:this is concerning me, this whole thing now. the injuries, etc. someone talk me down. ftn preferably

Roy Halladay, CLIFF LEE, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels

Just repeat this anytime you get nervous or sad

Can't forget probably no Kendrick. EK, think of all the starts he made last year.

by **smitty** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 17:18:25

Trent Steele wrote:Starting Mayberry over Francisco would be borderline retarded

I think I read some Mayberry/Werth comparisons because Werth seemingly came out of nowhere to be a big star. Adn he didn't really establish himself as a big league starter until he was 29. Both guys are tall and toolsy but that's about it.

Mayberry has had three years in the high minors to show something and here's what he's done:

.264/.317/.480

.256/.332/.456

.267/.328/.412

He hasn't really done anything to make you think he can be very useful has he?

He does have a career .923 OPs vs. lefties in MLB. 44 whole plate appearances.

Maybe he can have one of those freaky Ryan Ludwick kind of late 20s seasons.

by **BigEd76** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 17:20:32

Not worried yet, but an offense that will struggle to score 3 runs makes me sad

btw while watching that game today, did anyone else notice ESPN had pretty much every Phillie on a major decline this year for fantasy baseball?

by **Phan In Phlorida** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 17:49:43

Cuz they old

by **joe table** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 18:06:28

Fantasy analysis = proxy of statistical analysis, which at many cases at ESPN Fantasy, is a proxy of simplified groupthink of the Fangraphs opinion du jour on certain player

Of course they could be right about several of our guys, but they can still go f*ck themselves

by **Napalm** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 18:20:40

Regarding our pen and more doom and gloom regression, from espn.com

Tim Kurkjian reports that Brad Lidge won't be ready for the season opener, and included this scary-sounding quote from Lidge: "I've never had shoulder issues before."

As good as the Phillies' rotation is, the bullpen is starting to look the opposite of that. Last season, the bullpen was only 10th in the NL in ERA, and that was with good Lidge (as opposed to the 2009 disaster), a career year from Ryan Madson and the surprising effectiveness of Jose Contreras. Check out the 2010 numbers of the projected relievers:

Brad Lidge (2.96 ERA, 1.23 WHIP)
Ryan Madson (2.55 ERA, 1.04 WHIP)
Jose Contreras (3.34 ERA, 1.22 WHIP)
J.C. Romero (3.68 ERA, 1.61 WHIP)
Danys Baez (5.48 ERA, 1.64 WHIP)
Kyle Kendrick (4.73 ERA, 1.37 WHIP as starter)
Antonio Bastardo (4.34 ERA, 1.50 WHIP)

That is not a good pen, especially with the likely regression of Madson and Contreras. The good news is that the Phillies' bullpen pitched the fewest innings in the NL last season, a number that should decrease with the addition of Cliff Lee. The Phillies survived Lidge's 0-8, 7.21 season in 2009, but overall that pen was still ninth in the NL with a 3.91 ERA. We don't know if Lidge's injury is serious or will linger, but even with a healthy Lidge this is a mediocre group that provides another reason why the Phillies aren't a lock to win the East.

by **joe table** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 18:26:34

I think Contreras is more than capable of having another fine season as a legitimate high leverage pitcher. And Madson is one of the top 5 relief pitchers in the NL, IMO. But other than that, yeah, kinda shaky....some guys with talent but some mediocre at best options.

Good thing we have the #1 rotation in the league for shielding a mediocre middle relief core.

Also I can't have been the only one who is completely unsurprised at Lidge getting hurt given how he looked last season (even though he was largely effective). If it turns out he's definitely done for the year, then yeah, that will sting some because he's far better than any of the non-Jose non-Madson pen options. But let's get more info on the injury first. Also this pretty much takes the idea of an ill advised LIdge extension off the table, which is comforting

by **Napalm** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 18:31:58

How does everyone feel about giving Madson big time money after this season? I hate the thought of relievers making loot, like the Lidge contract, but I realize that's the nature of the business

+ boras.

by **Monkeyboy** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 19:25:22

bleh wrote:
Monkeyboy wrote:
ek wrote:hate to put more fuel on the fire but polanco is still having elbow issues

JSalisburyCSN Jim Salisbury
Polanco still little sore in elbow. Says he will manage it. He is disappointed by it. Day off Sat. Play rest of way, he said.

There goes what little power he has.

His last home run was on July 22nd. I'd say it's gone already.

He usually gets about 10 a year and about 30-35 doubles. He had 5 by the end of May last year. After he hurt his elbow, he stopped driving the ball. I'm more worried about his doubles disappearing than his HRs, but yeh, I think the elbow will make his power even worse.

by **LastTrain** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 09:11:23

Per a Zolecki tweet, Mathieson and Zagurski optioned, so it looks like Herndon and Bastardo have made the opening day roster (assuming 12 pitchers).

by **stevemc** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 12:10:24

Stutes has been called up for the day though. Me likey.

by **WheelsFellOff** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 12:59:27

! turn on PHL17 for the game and see the end of the 2010 video yearbook. What a dickpunch.

by **Grotewold** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 13:04:02

Napalm wrote:How does everyone feel about giving Madson big time money after this season?

I feel fine

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2011 ST Random Phillies Stuff III: The Search for Grit