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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – December 14, 2014
(Photo by William Thomas Cain/Getty Images)
It is time for The Sunday Request!
@sullybaseball Now Jimmy Rollins? What do the Phillies have to do? Rebuild from ground up? New management? New ownership? What say you?
— Susan Magee (@PSUMagoo) December 12, 2014
The Phillies had a lot of work to do and they aren’t doing it right so far!
They need to make a major change right now.
And somehow I tied it into the movie Enchanted.
Not a lot of brotherly love on today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
The Philadelphia Phillies Players In All Organizational Affiliates, Prospects + Depth Charts (MLB + MiLB) Fall 2013
The club was one of the premiere franchises from 2007 – 2011, with 5 straight NL East Titles, 2 World Series Appearances, and taking home the big prize in 2008. The ‘Phightins’ have been battling old age, the injury bug, plus the management not knowing whether to pull the plug on the core talent of this squad – or to give it one more go at it. Charlie Manuel was finally the fall guy last month when he was let go from his managerial duties. Ryne Sandberg has the team playing better. Will it be enough for the organization to back him beyond this season? Or maybe the franchise restocks for another kick at the can in 2014? Here is the players they currently possess in the system.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @mlbreports and welcome Jeff Kleiner (Salary, Roster and Depth Chart Expert for the MLB) – visit his website here Follow @prosportsroster
The Phillies have posted winning records since 2001. While the year may be getting away from them in 2013, there are some extremely encouraging signs for the future.’
Ben Revere was excelling at his position at CF and at the plate before he went down with a season ending injury.
The emergence of Domonic Brown in the 1st half, and 1B/OF Darin Ruf, have given the team a cost conscious alternative to combat huge salaries like Cliff Lee and Ryan Howard, that combine to be over $50 in the next 3 years, the latter, has been injured the most of the last 2 seasons.
You add high priced Veterans like Jimmy Rollins, and $22.5 MIL a year Cole Hamels, and you are talking about a lofty payroll for the next several years.
However, the team also extended franchise face Chase Utley, for 2 YRs/$25 – 30 MIL – that should see him possibly retire a Phillie.
The club has played much better since Ryne Sandberg assumed the helm as manager.
The team also has traded several veterans away in the last few years, to accrue Minor League Talent back in return. Among the departed have been Hunter Pence, Shane Victorino and Michael Young.
The question going forward is to what this team will do with Roy Halladay and Carlos Ruiz. Somehow, I think that Ruben Amaro JR, will find a way to re-sign these two guys for a limited years, and possibly incentive laden contracts this coming winter.
Whatever the case, it should be an interesting ride in Philly the next few years.
For a Full 3 year Salary Outlook plus last years Stats for every player in the Phillies Organization click here.
For the 3 Part Historical Series I did on the Phillies organization, click here.
Chase Utley Highlights
A Phillies 2014 Forecast, Part I: “The Emperor Has No Clothes”
I certainly wish Amaro was a little more Ben Franklin and a lot less Daft Punk as 2013’s Song of the Summer, “Get Lucky”, coincidentally captured the embattled GM’s philosophy for this year’s Phillies. When the song’s lyrical hook defiantly proclaims, “We’ve come too far to give up who we are”, I can easily see Ruben’s head bobbing an arrogant yes, yes, yes to the beat en route to his office at One Citizens Bank Way. Unfortunately, who the Phillies are right now under Amaro’s stubborn direction are a team that is painting themselves into a corner. The current roster carries several veterans already past their prime, but with very few promising young stars in the making ready to carry the torch.
By Chris Creighton (Phillies Correspondent via http://www.oldcitybaseball.com – visit the website here) Follow @phillybeerschris
Follow MLB Reports on Twitter Follow @mlbreports
“I live on a one-way street that’s also a dead end. I’m not quite sure how I got there.” – Steven Wright, Comedian
Sounds about right.
It should be obvious to most that Ruben Amaro Jr.’s ego has been waging war against his own rational sense of decision-making and his ability to consider the future of this Phillies franchise since he was handed the keys to the palace back in November 2008.
A speckled and spotty track-record ripe with big-splash acquisitions along with several transactions banking on a player’s abilities of yesteryear–each of which left the cupboard mostly bare down on the farm–is all he has to show during his tenure as the big boss man.
Even the most optimistic of Philadelphia fans (including myself) now envision the Phillies ship as a tired, rudderless old vessel drifting through uncharted waters without a compass. How did it ever come to this?
Ryan Howards Injury 2011 NLDS
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – August 18, 2013
Photo: Phil Pilling – MLBGetty Images
It is the Sunday Request on The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast!
@sullybaseball What are your thoughts on the Phillies firing Charlie Manuel?
— Sarah (@SarahatCHB) August 16, 2013
Charlie Manuel is out. Ryne Sandberg is in. And the sports culture of Philadelphia has changed.
I wrote about this topic on the blog HERE.
Clayon Kershaw, Miguel Cabrera, Martin Prado and John Lackey all owned baseball on August 17, 2013.
To see the up to date tally of “Who Owns Baseball?,” click HERE
Subscribe on iTunes HERE.
Cliff Lee Is Dealing Right Now – But Will He Be Dealt?
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Thursday, July 4th, 2013
Cliff Lee is 83 – 35 -with an under 3.00 ERA since the beginning of the 2008 season (.704). In 2009 and 2010, Lee was a Trade Deadline acquisition – that then proceeded to lead that new team to a World Series Birth 2 years in a row. Both teams ( PHI – 2009) and TEX (2010) lost those World Series. Maybe a 3rd crack would see him net a title. The 34 Year Old makes $25 MIL this year, plus $25 MIL for both of 2014 and 2015, he also has a Vesting Option for 2016 worth 2016, worth $27.5 MIL – if he can pitch 200 IP in 2015 or a combined mark of 400 IP In 2014 and 2015. The deal carries for a $12.5 MIL Buyout if he reaches these. He could potentially make $62.5 MIL total for 2014 and 2015.
By Chris Creighton (Phillies Correspondent via http://www.warrroomphilly.com – visit the website here) Follow @WARROOMPHLCHRIS
I remember how I could hardly sleep on that Thirteenth night of December 2010. Rumors were abound that something secretive was simmering on the MLB Hot Stove involving Cliff Lee, but the teams involved weren’t 100% clear.
The Rangers, Yankees and Angels were all obvious suitors with suitcases stuffed with sawbucks, but a buzz was a-buzzing. You see, a mystery team was now in the hunt and with a belly full of butterflies, somehow I knew it was the Phillies as my head hit the pillow.
Cliff Lee was about to come home and for the first time since my early childhood, I awoke the next morning at 5:00 am without the help of an alarm to read the news. Cliffmas had, indeed, come early to Philadelphia.
Phillies Riding The Roller Coaster Of Hope
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Sunday, June.16, 2013
It took the Philles 77 years to win their first World Series in 1980, however since that time, they have been to 4 more World Series in 1983, 1993, 2008 and 2009 – while taking home the Trophy in 2008. The Phillies have finished .500+ or better for every year since 2002. However 2012 saw their streak of 5 straight NL East Division Titles come to an end. Now that they have started slow at 33 – 36 – can they come back to make the playoffs and a have a shot at a World Series in 2013?
By Chris Creighton (Phillies Correspondent via http://www.warrroomphilly.com – visit the website here) Follow @WARROOMPHLCHRIS
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| Phillies 2013 Win-Loss Chart http://patrickschneider.photoshelter.com |
I hate roller coasters. I really do. Can’t ride them and won’t miss them if they ever went away. Maybe it’s the lack of control or just too many movies I’ve seen where the ride goes straight through the railing when it’s supposed to turn. Either way, I’m happy to hold your purses, jackets, hats and any other items while sitting on a bench planted firmly on the ground. Go ahead and enjoy the ride while I take inventory of all the other manly things I can do in this world.
Enter the 2013 Philadelphia Phillies. Lately, I get that same, uneasy feeling watching our fightin’ Phils rise and fall as they bring us all from agony to ecstasy, mostly in streaky stretches leaving us to believe they’re anything from world-beaters to bottom-feeders. Yet, here I sit again, watching the ride go up and down day in, day out while I cling on to what the team leaves me to hold: hope.
2 And A Hook Podcast Episode #6: Fantasy, Phillies And Rangers Expert Interviews + Notes
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Follow @mlbreportsFriday, May.31/2013
MLB reports and The Benchwarmers Show present 2 and A Hook Podcast.
‘2 And A Hook’ is an expression from Baseball: ‘Throw the guy 2 Fast balls and then a Hook’ (AKA Curve Ball, Wiggly one, Chair etc..)
By James Acevedo – Host (Podcast Veteran) Follow @yankeeman1973
People in this Podcast:
On today’s show, brought to you by MLB Reports (www.mlbreports.com) & The Bench Warmers Show (thebenchwarmers.podomatic.com), I started by paying respects to a follower of mine on twitter (the great late Kiley) Follow @jeterfan_02 who passed away last week…not only she was a great Yankee fan who loved Derek Jeter – but also was the most sweetest giving person ever, R.I.P….
I start to talk about the Subway Series then I interviewed my first guest Derek Jackson (10 Minute Mark – 20 Minute Segment. Follow @djaxmlbreports who is a fantasy expert for MLB Reports! We talked about which callups to watch midway through the season,a look at the rookie crop of players & second year players…check out his latest fantasy article here Read the rest of this entry
The Phillies Patience At The Plate Is Painfully Petulant: Brown Has Carried The Club In May With 10 HRs
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Thursday May.30, 2013
Jimmy Rollins (.309) and Ben Revere (.302) were the only regulars in the lineup last night to feature an OBP of over .300. Despite that, plus a 1 – 8 start from Cole Hamels – and losing Roy Halladay for the season, the club is within 1 win of .500 heading into their 54th game tonight. Otherwise know as the 1/3rd mark through the season. Domonic Brown has hit 5 HRs in his last 5 games – and 10 for the month of May. The problem is that no one is on base when he is doing this damage. The team enters play today only 5.5 Games behind NL East leading Braves. The club is also without Chase Utley right now.
By Chris Creighton (Phillies Correspondent via http://www.warrroomphilly.com – visit the website here) Follow @WARROOMPHLCHRIS
We woke up today with the Phillies still flirting with our feelings by taking two steps forward, three steps back over the long weekend, unable to overtake the struggling Washington Nationals for second place while falling flat in Boston on Monday.
However, with the team driving in a division where neither of the top three teams seem to want to take the wheel and steer it to Titletown, the Phillies still remain within a decent hot streak of making some noise and maybe gaining some confidence in the process.
With the Memorial Day weekend in the rear view mirror, there’s no more room for excuses and it’s certainly getting a little too late to say “It’s early” anymore as almost a third of the season is in the history books.
Luckily for the Phillies, they are playing in a division which many might call weak with the Braves and Nationals battling their own demons. Tuesday’s 3-1 victory over the Red Sox was sweet, but in reality was largely due to Cliff Lee limiting the Boston nine to only four hits over eight innings.
The Nationals and Braves were busy yesterday polishing off their own victories plating nine and seven runs respectively.
Cliff Lee May 6th Start
MLB Team Power Rankings: Week 7
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Follow @mlbreportsMonday May.20/2013
The Padres have played great baseball since they plugged Chase Headley back in the lineup. Players like Yonder Alonso, Will Venable, Everth Cabrera and even Kyle Blanks have bashed the ball around. Since a lot of the NL West clubs have not run away with the Division, the San Diego club has entered the picture for the Division Race.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
The Rangers are #1 again based on the Division lead they currently possess, plus the fact they play all of these teams a total of 76 Games this year.
The Braves (rose their division lead to 2.5 Games with a 4 – 2 week), and Padres (18 – 13 in their last 31 Games and have been clubbing the ball lateley) were the biggest movers up for the week standings by climbing 6 spots apiece.
The biggest drops were the San Francisco Giants (hate their Starting Pitching right now – except for Madison Bumgarner) and the Baltimore Orioles (late inning magic might be dying – and still need a DH + a Veteran Starter or 2).
The Los Angeles teams keep losing ball games – and the Blue Jays lost 2 straight versus the Yankees just when they looked to be on track.
Cleveland is still ranked outside the top ten because I don’t have faith in their strength of schedule in the next month starting May 21st: 2 vs DET, 4 @BOS, 2 vs CIN, 2 @CIN, 2 vs TB, 3 @NYY, 3 @DET, 3 @TEX, 3 vs WSH and finally 3 vs KC. If they are above .500 after this stretch, I will be impressed.
The Delmon Young Effect Is Crippling The Phils Lineup: Does it Need To Be Eradicated?
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Follow @mlbreportsSunday May.19, 2013
Delmon Young has not exactly lit it up for the Phillies this campaign – hitting .208/.286/.619 and just 1 HR, plus 4 RBI in 48 AB. Despite this abysmal start, Delmon Young is still going to hit 5th Today? Really?
By Chris Creighton (Phillies Correspondent via http://www.warrroomphilly.com – visit the website here) Follow @WARROOMPHLCHRIS
Charlie Manuel is, if not anything else, loyal to his players and his gut-feelings when it comes to filling out the Phillies lineup card every day. If it’s his dedication to Jimmy Rollins batting lead-off over the years or leaving Cliff Lee in for 120+ pitches when he might be cooked, he certainly honors a hunch for better or worse.
So it should come to no surprise there exists a strong belief in his mind that Delmon Young is the right-handed bat to protect Ryan Howard in the five-spot.
While maybe later this season that could eventually be true, the Delmon Young Effect has been plaguing the lineup over the past month after his return from an ankle injury.
Any batter entering into the MLB season a month late due to injury–and slightly out-of-shapedness–is going to play a little catch-up baseball at the plate and Young is certainly not an exception to the rule.
Fixing The Phillies Offense: All Good Things To Those Who Wait
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Follow @mlbreportsFriday April 19, 2013
Ryan Howard once was an extremely great OBP Player before the last couple of years In his MVP year (2006) – he was 5th in the NL with a .425 OBP. He went for a .392 clip in 2007, before a precipitous fall to .339 in 2008. 2009 saw a .360 mark, 2010 – .353, 2011 – .346 and finally a Career Low in 2012 for the tune of a .295 OBP. This year he is not much better at ,303. Howard’s Career 3 Slash Line is still .271/.363/911 but plummeting.
By Chris Creighton (Phillies Correspondent via http://www.warrroomphilly.com – visit the website here) Follow @WARROOMPHLCHRIS
The late, great Harmon Killebrew, author of 573 Home Runs during his Hall of Fame career, was also exceptionally talented in another skill when he stepped to the plate: drawing Walks.
Charlie Manuel knows this better than most because he played alongside “Killer” for four years as a member of the Minnesota Twins in the late 1960’s. Over dinner, in the clubhouse and on the bench they’d talk baseball quite a bit, mostly about the art of hitting. Manuel said of Killebrew:
HR Derby Between Killerbrew vs Mantle Part 1:
HR Derby Between Killerbrew vs Mantle Part 2:
“Killer used to preach to me that the most important thing was getting strikes [to swing at]. He said he didn’t like to walk, but that he had to take pitches to get good strikes.”
Killer was an 11 Time All – Star and a 6 time HR King. He also hit 40+ HRs 8 times. The man had a Hall Of Fame Career. The Phillies could take a page out of Killebrew’s patience…He Walked 1559 times in 2435 Games Played. His 3 Career Slash was .256/.376/.884.
Amen to that. Killebrew didn’t need to say much at all on the matter as his patience did all his preaching for him. He led MLB in free passes four times in his career – with a high mark of 145 drawn in the 1969 season. It’s not a coincidence that he went on to hit 49 Home Runs and drive in 140 RBI that Summer.
And in his best seasons, Killebrew would crack the 100-Walk plateau seven times while reaching 90+ Bases on Balls in three other campaigns.
Killebrew’s 1969 MVP season totals:
| Year | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 555 | 106 | 153 | 20 | 2 | 49 | 140 | 145 | 84 | .276 | .427 | .584 | 1.011 |
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/19/2013.
Returning to present day, the Phillies are mired in a severe slump where they’re finding runs are about as hard to produce as water from a dry sponge.
Our boys of Summer have been as impatient as children at church with little to no plan or approach at the plate, swinging their bats like orchestra conductors at a dubstep concerto.
Show a pitcher you’ll offer at a ball outside the zone and they’ll pitch it outside the zone.
Too many Phillies batsmen have been all too eager to flail away in undisciplined fashion, such as Ryan Howard (3 Walks), Ben Revere (4), and even Chase Utley (4).
Of those three, only Utley is producing with two doubles, two triples, three home runs and 13 RBI, but with a very un-Utley-esque .339 OBP (career .379). Impatience has begotten impatience among the Phillies’ brass:
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| “Who wants to go for a walk?” Courtesy of DelawareOnline.com |
Please take note of that quote having been tweeted about two hours before game-time last night vs. St. Louis, a one-run loss which would also see the Phillies earn a big, fat zero in the walk column.
For those keeping score, that’s zero walks in four straight games. Clearly with no change in plans at the plate, our boys have forgotten that sometimes the best things in life are free.
The translation is quite simple, really, even in today’s game. So far in 2013, three of the top four National League teams in drawing walks (Reds, Rockies and Mets) are also the top three teams in runs scored.
And while the Phillies are ranked sixth in hits as a team, they are 14th (of 15 teams) in seeing ball four which again translates to scoring runs, where they rank 11th in the National League. Combine all of this with a third place ranking in Strikeouts (126), they currently sit 13th in the NL with an OBP of just .291.
To drive the point home, this is only slightly better than the cellar-dwelling Chicago Cubs and the lowly Miami Marlins. Yuck.
It took the Philles 77 years to win their first World Series in 1980, however since that time, they have been to 4 more World Series in 1983, 1993, 2008 and 2009 – and took home the Trophy in 2008. The Phillies have finished .500+ or better for every year since 2002. However 2012 saw their streak of 5 straight NL East Division Titles come to an end. Now that they have started slow at 6 – 10 – can they come back to make the playoffs and a have a shot at a World Series in 2013?
*** The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com or their partners.***
A big thank – you goes out to our Philadelphia Phillies Correspondent Chris Creighton for preparing today’s featured post.. Chris is a Phillies Phan, Baseball fan & player. He thinks that there is no better place for food and is a proponent of the city of Philadelphia. Huge U2 fan. Phillies writer at http://www.warroomphilly.com .
Chris says: “Follow a Web Show covering everything in the Philadelphia Sports Scene. Sit back and enjoy from the hearts of two die-hard Philly guys here ! You can follow Chris Creighton on Twitter Follow @WARROOMPHLCHRIS or the WarRoomPhilly Follow @WARROOMPHILLY
Please e-mail me at: mlbreports@gmail.com with any questions and feedback. You can follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. To subscribe to our website and have the Daily Reports sent directly to your inbox, click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage.
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The Marlins Seriously Make Stupid Choices
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Follow @mlbreportsTuesday, April.02/2013
The Marlins will start year 2 of their ball park with about 33 % of their 2012 Team Salary. They essentially have traded away every veteran over the course of last season and in the winter of 2013. Just like they have always done, the club builds up for a few years, then tears it all down with lighting fast movements. When will the cycle end and the Marlins have some consistency with the product on the field?
MLB Reports: Welcome to our newest Kids writer Jason Alpert-Wisnia – for being selected to join our MLB Reports Kids Writing team. We are pleased to present the readers with a youthful look to the game of baseball. Moms and Dad’s – if you have a young kid who loves baseball and wants to write about the game, please email us at mlbreports@gmail.com. We will be selecting three more kid writers for our website this year.
By Jason Alpert-Wisnia (AKA “JAWS”): (MLB Reports Kids Writer – visit his website here )
The Miami Marlins are a semi-new team compared to other teams such as the Red Sox, debuting as a team in the season of 1993 as the Florida Marlins. They won two championships in that time, yet tore down the team right after.
In 2012, the team moved to Marlins Park with a boatload of new players and I say, after that, it was only a matter of the, before the team was headed for a downfall. The past was sure to repeat itself.
Florida Marlins Story on 1997 and 2003:
Domonic Brown Needs to Shine in These Next Couple of Months
Saturday August 11th, 2012
Sam Evans: Only a couple of years ago, Domonic Brown was one of the top five prospects in all of baseball. His combination of tools and outstanding production made him appear to be primed to become a superstar. However, things haven’t gone as planned. Brown never got a full-season in the majors, and his numbers in the minors started to drop. Now in 2012, with Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino no longer in Philadelphia, Brown needs to prove he can produce at the major league level.
Before the 2009 season, Domonic Brown was viewed as the #48 prospect in all of baseball according to Baseball America. Before the 2010 season, Brown had jumped to 15 in BA’s rankings. In 2010, after hitting .318/.391/.602 in sixty-five games at Double-A, Philadelphia promoted him to Triple-A, where he .346/.390/.562 in just twenty-eight games before getting called up to the majors. In the majors, Brown only got seventy plate appearances, thanks to the talented trio of Raul Ibanez, Jayson Werth, and Victorino starting almost every day. Read the rest of this entry
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