<===================== love this

Topps is celebrating the 25th anniversary of that memorable set (for card collectors anyway) and the 50-card set includes Doc, Howard, Utley and Victorino

RichmondPhilsFan wrote:

Bucky wrote:

RichmondPhilsFan wrote:Okay, this may have been a repeat, but I just saw Dave Cameron on MLBN discussing his picks for worst moves of the winter. Of course Papelbon was his #1, but what pissed me off was that he said that they could've used some of that money to get a real LF (um, who?) and that right now we have Laynce Nix penned in as the everyday LF. And that "maybe" he'd be splitting time with Juan Pierre.

Yup. Didn't even mention Mayberry.

I realize that I shouldn't be bothered by what some dbag with a clear axe to grind has to say about my favorite baseball team, but Fangraphs is a very good website. Their lead guy shouldn't have to resort to flat-out lies.

don't automatically attribute malfeasance to that which can be easily be explained as stupidity

Oh I was attributing it to both.

He's kinda spooky looking on that show.

Yeah, he was just spouting the knee-jerk analytic party line (as opposed to the analytic folks who actually think -- there's plenty of those guys too).

Duhhhh .. ... you don't spend big money on closers .... duhhhhh .... you can get closers anywhere ...... duhhhh fungible.

It's not that these ideas are without merit but they just don't apply in this situation.

Plus, what great LFer did they miss out on? (LF is a surprisingly weak position right now).

This logic always missed the point in my view. The idea that if you spend money somewhere your missing out on fixing some other problem. It works in theory but not in real life. The Phils will most likely get pretty good production from LF. And they will also have one of the top two or three closers in the big leagues without having to thrash around trying to find one of the fungible types.

I mean, if reliever performance is so variable every year, wouldn't a guy who has been top-notch and durable (and who isn't real old) for 5 or 6 straight years be kinda unique and valuable and nice to have?

I think the less-rigid thinkers are realizing that elite closers matter on winning/contending teams, but not on other teams. It makes sense for the small-market also-rans to try the closer roulette thing, but not for contenders and potential contenders.

But Cameron and some other sabermetric writers think all teams should use the same approach to roster construction, which is just wrong.

Since I get killed for thread proliferation issues... I think this is the Phils musings thread?

Seems to me the biggest challenge to the Phils this year is health.

Utley, Rollins, Polanco - and the recovery of Howard. I sense that a of veterans are missing a lot of games this season. It's really a shame that Dom B, hasn't emerged as a terror because feel like we need a phenom to help carry offense. I think if Chase can magically stay healthy and play about 135-140 games and get close to Chase of old, will go a long way for this team. I like their make-up. I like their veteranosity. I luv the pitching - and if they can be more or less healthy, most of the year and at the end - we got as good a shot as any team in MLB.

Not sure if this has already been posted, but I read on rotoworld that Monty said they have the money to sign Hamels long term, and that it will just come down to the length of deal he is seeking.

From Nick Cafardo Boston Globe column

Vladimir Guerrero, DH/OF, free agent - The Phillies really want to add a righthanded bat, a guy who can pinch hit and occasionally play the outfield. The problem is, they’re perilously close to the competitive tax and don’t want to go over the threshold. Guerrero is one of the righthanded hitters out there, along with Magglio Ordonez, Xavier Nady, and Manny Ramirez (who must serve a 50-game suspension). Manager Charlie Manuel loves hitters, so don’t be shocked if one of them winds up in Philadelphia.

i don't even

Someone start the Manny is a Phillies thread

Man I'd still love to sign him though just cause it's fucking Vlad

joe table wrote:

Man I'd still love to sign him though just cause it's fucking Vlad

What you didn't see was him throwing a vapor trail to second and killing the runner

do it, Vlad is the best

joe table wrote:From Nick Cafardo Boston Globe column

Vladimir Guerrero, DH/OF, free agent - The Phillies really want to add a righthanded bat, a guy who can pinch hit and occasionally play the outfield. The problem is, they’re perilously close to the competitive tax and don’t want to go over the threshold. Guerrero is one of the righthanded hitters out there, along with Magglio Ordonez, Xavier Nady, and Manny Ramirez (who must serve a 50-game suspension). Manager Charlie Manuel loves hitters, so don’t be shocked if one of them winds up in Philadelphia.

Kendrick!

Barry Jive wrote:do it, Vlad is the best

Would give me a good chance to resurrect my vlad is a phillies mspaint job

viewtopic.php_f=1&t=11790&start=20.html&hilit=boomstick

stevelxa476 wrote:Not sure if this has already been posted, but I read on rotoworld that Monty said they have the money to sign Hamels long term, and that it will just come down to the length of deal he is seeking.

Saw it on Philly.com. One of the goons has an interview with Monty, they talk about the tv deal, starting their own network, the luxury tax and hummus. If its just about years, not money, then give him 7 years and be done with it. He'd an elite pitcher and will be elite now and when Roy and cliff are rounding out their careers he'll be able to bridge te gap to the next generations.

Gelb had the interview with Monty and here's the link, if anyone is interested in reading it.

http://mobile.philly.com/sports/?wss=/i ... ver=iphone

Sorry, it's a mobile link, but it should work for everyone.

Bill McNeal wrote:

stevelxa476 wrote:Not sure if this has already been posted, but I read on rotoworld that Monty said they have the money to sign Hamels long term, and that it will just come down to the length of deal he is seeking.

Saw it on Philly.com. One of the goons has an interview with Monty, they talk about the tv deal, starting their own network, the luxury tax and hummus. If its just about years, not money, then give him 7 years and be done with it. He'd an elite pitcher and will be elite now and when Roy and cliff are rounding out their careers he'll be able to bridge te gap to the next generations.

I love Hamels but I'm not going seven years for any pitcher. Lee got five and an option on the open market, no way Hamels should get more than that in an extension.

Ya but 7 years for Chole would take him to age 34, while we're paying Lee to age 36. And apparently Lee had an offer for 7 from Yanks

I just think it's hard to draw sensible lines for objective worth of Hamels (ie I'm okay with 6, but 7, see ya). He's potentially worth so goddamn much to the 2013-15 teams with Lee and Halladay (ie they could maintain our WS contention status even if we do really decline to piss suck offense) that I personally find it hard to see a point where diminishing marginal utility would make me unhappy with a deal. Plus 170mm payroll teams can survive these surplus contract years (w/high probabilities of poor return on investment at the back end of deals), we've seen it here with Lidge and Ibanez and the Yanks/Sox have been carrying those deals for years. IMO it's okay to take this "credit card" type approach for certain FAs if 1) their short term value is crucial and 2) we think the revenues are going to remain stable in future. I see 1) and 2) as both true in this case

The trucks rolled out for Clearwater today. YE

Speaking of CLIFF LEE, I liked this quote from the New York Times today on L'Affaire Cashman:

When Ms. Neathway was arrested, she was a few weeks away from having harassment charges cleared in a case with an ex-boyfriend. Currently, 13 people have restraining orders against her. Perhaps Mr. Cashman’s Google access was impeded when he was getting to know her, or perhaps he saw in Ms. Neathway the potential for drama that the failure to have acquired the Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee could not alone supply.

joe table wrote:Ya but 7 years for Chole would take him to age 34, while we're paying Lee to age 36. And apparently Lee had an offer for 7 from Yanks

I just think it's hard to draw sensible lines for objective worth of Hamels (ie I'm okay with 6, but 7, see ya). He's potentially worth so goddamn much to the 2013-15 teams with Lee and Halladay (ie they could maintain our WS contention status even if we do really decline to piss suck offense) that I personally find it hard to see a point where diminishing marginal utility would make me unhappy with a deal. Plus 170mm payroll teams can survive these surplus contract years (w/high probabilities of poor return on investment at the back end of deals), we've seen it here with Lidge and Ibanez and the Yanks/Sox have been carrying those deals for years. IMO it's okay to take this "credit card" type approach for certain FAs if 1) their short term value is crucial and 2) we think the revenues are going to remain stable in future. I see 1) and 2) as both true in this case

I recognize the differences there but I also just mean for an extension. I just don't see the point in locking him up pre-FA if we're just going to give him a FA-esque deal anyway