Oswalt Remains Unemployed

By Amy McGinnis

With ten days left before pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in Clearwater, it seems that Ruben Amaro, Jr. has no plans to offer Roy Oswalt a contract.

Little Roy is seeking a one-year contract, but with the Phils, there seems to be one thing standing in his way. "We really don't have any room for him. We have five, six starters, and our resources are about where we want to be right now," Ruben said. "I think he wouldn't mind coming back, but I don't know that's feasible or a real possibility."

Joe Blanton and Roy Oswalt missed portions of the 2011 season due to injuries, and some would say that the two RHPs are interchangeable.  It makes sense: each has four pitches, postseason experience, and less-than-stellar numbers from their abridged season last year.  The biggest difference is that Blanton will be making $8.5M this season, and Oswalt appears to be set to make nothing. 

If we look at last season's numbers, they're not a fair assessment for either pitcher, since Oswalt pitched 139 and Blanton pitched just 41.1.  The fact is, though, that Blanton's 1-2 record, 5.01 ERA and 1.476 WHIP fall just short of Oswalt's 9-10 record, 3.69 ERA and 1.338 WHIP.

So, let's visit a fantasy land for a minute where another team would agree to take Blanton for this season.  I would love to have Oswalt back for one more year.  I've always been a big fan of his.  His tempo still impresses me, because he wastes no time between pitches.  He and Blanton each throw a fastball in the low 90s, but Oswalt always looks more aggressive.  In addition to the fastball, Blanton and Oswalt both throw a curveball, slider and a changeup (Oswalt added the Vulcan changedup in 2010). 

In this fantasy land of mine, Blanton gets picked up and we suddenly have room for Little Roy (insert inappropriate joke about Roy and Joe taking up the same amount of room).  I like Oswalt's attitude and grit.  Remember Manny Ramirez's line drive to the back of Little Roy's ear? Oswalt stood up and adjusted his hat.  Dubee had to say, "Yes, you are leaving this game to get checked out."  Remember Oswalt playing left field in August 2010? I love that little redneck and I think swapping him for Blanton for 2012 would reap big rewards.

To be fair, I don't mean any disrespect to Blanton.  I think he serves well as a #4 or a #5.  He catches a lot of criticism in this city, and most of it is unfounded.  My intention is not to badmouth Big Joe, so save the hate mail.  I prefer Roy Oswalt, though, and I think he'd make a good addition to our rotation this season.  In my fantasy land, anyway.

Should Jimmy Stay or Should He Go?

By Amy McCormick

Since the untimely demise of the 2011 Philadelphia Phillies, there’s not much to talk about.  Sure, we’re watching the league championship series, and we’ll watch the World Series, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll do it bitterly.  I predicted a Rangers-Phils series and I’m not going to get it.  Sigh.  I suppose it’s time to start thinking about next season.

A big question that has been on the minds of Phillies fans all season has been: will Jimmy Rollins return once he is a free agent?  There are a few things to consider here, and as always, I’ll throw in my two cents along the way.

J-Roll has only ever known baseball in Philadelphia.  He’s just three months older than I am (so please save the “but he’s so old” comments) and came in the second round of the 1996 amateur draft.  He and I weren’t even old enough to vote then; he’s been with the organization a long time.  He has spent the last decade in the bigs, serving as the team’s leader, whether you like to admit that or not.  Jimmy’s charisma alone is enough to make fans optimistic.

Jimmy likes being here.  I have no doubt that he wants the Phils to meet his salary requirements.  "I look good in red, I think," Rollins has said. "You go back to when I got drafted, I didn't know much about the Phillies. But when I put that hat on, looking at those first pictures when I got drafted, holding a bat, you know, and a Phillies T-shirt on, it started to look real good on me. I think I've worn it pretty well over the years. I really haven't thought about putting on any other colors other than the red-and-white pinstripes."

It seems that the Phillies would like to keep Jimmy as well.  "There's no question we want Jimmy back and be in our uniform and play shortstop for us for the next several years," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "Whether that happens kind of depends on if we get to the finish line on it. But Jimmy knows where we stand. Those things will be private."  As usual, don’t expect RAJ to spill any details; we’ll have to wait until the deal is signed (or not signed) to hear what went on in negotiations.

So, if Jimmy was 2007 NL MVP and a Silver Slugger, and he’s a three-time All-Star, why is there even a debate about whether or not he should stay? Well, to begin with, he hasn’t put up numbers anywhere near his MVP season since, well, 2007.  It could be that he’s not getting any younger.  It could be that injuries have kept him from playing full seasons.  Whatever the reason, 2007 Jimmy and 2011 Jimmy are hard to even compare.  It’s symptomatic of those respective teams, as well.  In 2007, the Phils fought like hell (and were thrilled to have won) the NL East.  In 2011, complacency took over.  In 2007, Rollins hit .296.  In 2011, he posted a .268 batting average.  His defense has been fine, but the “take a shot every time Jimmy pops up on the first pitch” drinking game got old awhile ago.  Personally, I don’t like change just for the sake of change.  But sometimes, things get static; sometimes, they gradually slide downhill.  For me, it’s a toss-up: Jimmy’s leadership / personality / swagger or some new, younger (yes, I said it) blood at shortstop?  Rollins has made it very clear that he wants five years.  With his downhill trend, I don’t know that I’d sign him for five.  He’ll be 38 right after that fifth season, and I don’t care how much yoga his wife has him do … his speed, reflexes and range of motion will gradually decline. 

The Phillies’ payroll is expected to mimic this past season’s pretty closely.  That being said, we’re looking at a potentially large chunk of change being saved if we unload a few players whose contracts will be up.  Madson, Ibanez, Hamels and Lidge are signed through 2011, and Oswalt has a $16 million option.  As much as I love Little Roy, I see Hamels as the only must-sign in that group.  If that’s the case, then maybe the Phils could afford to pick up a new shortstop while they’re shopping for closers. 

I like Jimmy Rollins.  I always have.  He’ll be the first to tell you, though, that this is a business.  He’s not the only one in a Phillies uniform that I think should move on, but Charlie Manuel is another post for another day.  It doesn’t make me happy to say it, but my vote (sometimes I like to pretend that I actually get one) is to not break our backs to meet Jimmy’s salary demands.  As usual, we’ll have to wait and see.  In the meantime, let’s watch Phillies-less baseball with total disdain and wish for quick, easy recoveries for our injured and surgery-bound … including, but not limited to, but especially Cole Hamels.

Phils Clinch, Lose Four Straight

By Amy McCormick

As expected, the Philadelphia Phillies clinched the NL East early this season.  On Saturday night, Roy Oswalt recorded the win against St. Louis.  Oswalt pitched well through seven, and Ibanez tore the game open with a grand slam.  Phils defeated the Cards, 9-2. 

Champagne sprayed from every direction in the clubhouse.  Hunter Pence looked like a five-year-old on Christmas morning.  It was time to celebrate a division five-peat, then regroup and move onto finishing the season.

Well, the celebration happened.  I've yet to see the team move on to finish the season.

The way I see it, our rotation and starting lineup should stay with their routine.  I'd like to see our positinal players put in five innings or so each game.  I know what you're thinking.  "Why risk injury? Why not let them rest? The rest of the season is a waste." I don't see it that way.  I believe in finishing what you start - there are 162 games in the season, and it would be a shame to throw away the last dozen or so games.  Do you really think our opponents want us to call it in?  If we want to get lazy and sloppy at the end, then you might as well  scrap the remainder of the season once we clinch.  Rest is important, but too much will result in rusty post-season performances. 

I've never been an "Oh well, you can't win them all" kind of fan.  There are some games that are sloppy and embarrassing.  There are some teams we should not be handing games to.  This is what frustrates me.  I know that Charlie is very much a laissez-faire manager, but in this instance, I'd like to see him get into some faces and say, "Get your pinstriped ass out there and play ball like you mean it." 

This should not be vacation.  This is prep time for the postseason; the World Series is ours to lose.  I want to see grit and aggressiveness.  These past four games have bored me to tears.  I feel like Curt Schilling with a towel over my face.  Please, Phils, now is not the time for complacency.  Don't run out of steam now.  A great season should end on a high note.

Oswalt in October?

By Amy McCormick

This summer has flown by; all of a sudden, our magic number is twelve and we’re speculating the Phils’ playoff rotation.  Who will join Halladay, Lee and Hamels and be our fourth ace this October?  There are definitely arguments to be made for both Oswalt and Worley.  Luckily, they’re both outstanding pitchers; either way, we’ll have a group of four fantastic starters.

I am somewhat torn, because each of these two pitchers has a lengthy “pro” list.  If it were up to me, and I had to choose tonight, I’d select Roy Oswalt. 

Sure, Vance Worley has been unstoppable this season.  He’s a young, focused winning machine.  Why would anyone ever pass on that?  Well, I don’t see it as dismissing Worley.  I’d like to see him as long relief in the postseason.

Oswalt came back from an extended absence due to back injury and has looked healthy and focused.  As much as it kills me to admit it, I’d say that this might be the last chance that Little Roy has to win a World Series.  Tonight’s game showed us that Roy continues to want to fight for it, though.  I love his intensity, tempo and grit.  Roy Oswalt is a badass.  C’mon - he wears high socks, owns his own tractor, and merely fixes his hat after taking a line drive to the jugular.  He has a southern accent, people. He's what Roosevelt was talking about when he said "Speak softly and carry a big stick." He’s my favorite good ol’ boy on the planet. I’d like to think that he calls people “son” and pulls it off.

Oswalt is 5-1 in the postseason, including two NLDS wins and three NLCS wins.  His postseason ERA is 3.39 and his WHIP is 1.357.   I’d put my money on Little Roy for the fourth spot in October’s rotation.  At this point, I feel comfortable sending him out there for every fourth start and having Worley as long relief.  Like I said, though … this is a good problem to have.  It’s like judging a beauty contest … how are you supposed to pick which set of fake boobs looks better than the pair next to it?  Either way, we should be solid.  It will be interesting to see which direction Charlie takes.  Magic number is twelve, kids …

LOLMets

By Amy McCormick

We fans really needed to see the Phils destroy the Mets tonight, after the weekend we had.  What a bizarre weekend it was at CBP South!  Rain delays, two consecutive “starts” for Oswalt, and an uncharacteristic few days for the bullpen seemed to throw the Phils for a loop.  While I was impressed (relieved, excited, I could go on) by Oswalt’s outing on Saturday, it seems that his performance was the only highlight of the series.  Well, that and Schwimer’s debut.  Phils lost the series.  To the Nationals.  Seriously.  During the rain delay on Sunday, I joked that I would write a post titled “Mother Nature Interrupts Halladay Beating Wang; He’s Unable to Finish.” I was too depressed by the end of the game to even bother.

So, what’s a team to do after such a series? How do the Phils get their mojo back?  What’s a good pick-me-up for players and fans alike?

Beat up on the Mets.  Duh.

And did they ever.  Cliff Lee records his 14^th win of the season and the Phils are now 82-44.  We saw homers from Pence and Mayberry, a triple from Vic, and a double from Chooch.  Phils win, 10-0.  If it had been a Little League game, it would have been called after six innings.  There’s no mercy in the bigs, though … not even for the Mets.  Ricky Bo said after tonight’s game, “This is what the Phillies should have been doing to the Washington Nationals.” True.  One thing (of many) that I love about our team, though, is the ability to shake it off and put a bad game behind them.

We’ll see New York again tomorrow night at 7:05.  It just doesn’t get old for me.  LOLMets.

Phils Don't Sweep, But They Take Out the Trash

By Amy McCormick

Thursday, August 4^th began a four game series against the Giants in San Francisco.  Aside from the late start times, the series promised to be a good one.  Here’s a rundown of what happened.

Thursday.  Cliff Lee was matched up with Madison “My Parents Clearly Wanted a Girl” Bumgarner.  Lee pitched well; half of his eight strikeouts belonged to Cody Ross.  “That’s probably the best game I’ve had as far as commanding the ball,” Lee said.  “I was getting ahead of the hitters and staying away from the middle of the plate.  I felt like I could throw any pitch at any time to any location.” Can you ask anything more of a pitcher?  Phils took the first game with a score of 3-0, which is Lee’s fifth shutout of the season.  Hunter Pence and John Mayberry, Jr. had back-to-back homers in the 2^nd inning.  Bumgarner stated, “That second inning cost me I guess.  The way he [Lee] was throwing, he looked like he could throw about fourteen innings out there.” After the end of the game, of course, tragedy stuck not far from AT&T Park.  Ryan White, 9, of Yardley, had attended the game to cheer on the Phillies.  A drunken jerk of a Giants fan managed to mow White down with a car, putting him in critical condition.  Luckily, the suspect was caught not much later. 

Friday.  Wonder why fans in San Francisco act like reckless criminals? Well, the top of the sixth inning in Friday’s game is an indication of what the fanbase seems to aspire to.  Vance Worley and Jonathan Sanchez were the starting pitchers, and the Phils won 9-2; not a whole lot else matters, considering all anyone has been talking about is the brawl that ensued on the field.  In the top of the sixth, Ramon Ramirez quite obviously hit Shane Victorino in the back intentionally with a pitch.  When asked if he thought Ramirez hit him deliberately, Victorino said, “Yeah, absolutely, I think he did.”  Vic started toward the mound, which caused Giants’ catcher Eli Whiteside to jump around like a lunatic.  Placido Polanco came to back up Victorino, and Whiteside tackled him.  Benches cleared; teammates and coaches from both sides poured onto the field.  The bullpens emptied.  It was one of those fights you can’t wait to see again in the highlights after the game.  Bruce Bochy remarked, “It’s baseball and things happen fast.  Tempers flare.  It’s part of the game … it’s competition.  Things aren’t going well for us.  It happens and you deal with it … I thought it was fairly clean out there.” Um, I assume he was talking about the Phillies’ involvement, because the Giants instigated the brawl from the get-go.  The Phils merely reacted.  Whiteside, Ramirez, and Victorino were ejected.  Charlie defends Victorino, because his reaction was pretty appropriate.  Ramirez wasn’t pitching well and it looked as if he just wanted to nail a batter with a pitch.  The Giants’ lowly tactics couldn’t land them a win.

Saturday. Cole Hamels started for the Phils, and the Giants sent Matt Cain to the hill.  A lot of fans expected a repeat of the previous night’s fight.  Not only did we not see such action, the game didn’t last much more than two hours.  Phils won, 2-1.  Hamels said, “I was one out away from a shutout.” It was 2-0 going into the bottom of the ninth, but Pablo “I Shouldn’t Be Playing in This Game Because I Choked Chooch Last Night” Sandoval hit a two-out homer.  Bochy, when asked about the Giants’ lethargic offense, said, “You don’t win the World Series unless you can beat good pitching.  Right now, we’re not doing that.” Yeah, no kidding.  Even your fans agree.  Aubrey Huff, a fan favorite in San Francisco, was booed when he grounded out to Ryan Howard.  Like I said, the fans in San Francisco are suitable for their classless team.

Sunday. Today’s broadcast began with Tim Lincecum on the mound, the breeze flowing through his long (and disgusting) hair.  I hate to say it, but Lincecum pitched well.  He kept the Phils’ offense at one run; the Giants ruined Philadelphia’s attempt at a sweep and won 3-1.  It was “Little” Roy Oswalt’s return to the bigs after being absent more than six weeks.  He looked healthy, and his velocity was fine.  He just seemed a little rusty.  He let up twelve hits in six innings, getting himself into jams and working his way out of them.  Oswalt scored the Phils’ only run, and said, “It’s good to be on the field.  It’s good to be well again.” Though Philly suffered the loss, it is nice to have #44 back in the rotation.  The Phillies played a great series, and I hated to see it end on a Brian Wilson note. 

Here’s what the series means to me: the Giants aren’t the contender they might think they are.  We are 74-40 (34 games above .500).  San Francisco is 63-52 (11 games above .500).  I used to view them as a tough team to beat, but they’re hanging onto the lead in the West by a thread.  (Meanwhile, the Phils are up 8 ½ games over Atlanta in the East.)   I used to see San Francisco as just a team with terrible hair (facial and otherwise) and a bunch of girls’ first names.  Now, thanks to poor behavior and poor sportsmanship, I see them for what they are: a team with trashy players and a trashy fanbase.  This I know: we will be seeing Phillies baseball well into October.  If the Giants would like to join us in the postseason, they’ll need to get their act together.

Good News, Bad News

By Amy McCormick

The good news … The Phillies pulled off an 8-4 victory over Arizona this afternoon, giving Cole Hamels his third win of the season.  The Phils’ offense woke up for the final game of the series.  Rollins, Victorino and Howard each homered and Francisco and Polanco each doubled.  After two dismal losses to the Diamondbacks, it was nice to see some of the bats wake up.

The bad news … Today, the Phillies announced that ace pitcher Roy Oswalt will be leaving for his home in Mississippi to tend to personal matters.  When the news came out, a reason wasn’t really given, and the timeline is still indefinite. 

On Tuesday night, Oswalt pitched three innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks and left the clubhouse well before the game’s end.  We fans assumed that he was just having an off night; at the time, we didn’t know what was weighing on his mind.

About a year ago, Oswalt’s parents’ Mississippi home was destroyed by storms.  With the recent tornadoes near his home, our #3 starter chose to go home to ensure that his wife and children were safe.  Ruben Amaro, Jr. announced that the Phillies organization hopes to have Oswalt back before his next start but admits that they will continue to “take that day by day.”  We’ll continue to keep Roy Oswalt and his family in our thoughts.

In unrelated news, Carlos Ruiz left during the first inning today with lower back pain.  While this doesn’t sound serious, when asked if he was concerned, Ruiz answered, “Yeah.”  He is scheduled to visit a doctor tomorrow, and we’ll know more then.  Brian Schneider filled in this afternoon, and will likely do so if Chooch needs to miss any more  playing time.

Hopefully, our team will be intact and healthy by mid-May, when we’ll oppose the Cardinals, the Rockies, the Rangers and the Reds in the span of eleven days.  Fingers crossed.

 

Don't Underestimate Oswalt, Polanco

By Amy McCormick

There has been a lot of hype about our starting rotation for months now.  It worried me in the beginning that Joe Blanton would be easily forgotten; it seems that he is getting plenty of attention (both positive and negative).  It actually seems that the middle of our outstanding rotation, Roy Oswalt, gets overshadowed by Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee.  Granted, Roy Halladay is superhuman and Cliff Lee is the most beloved man in Philadelphia; however, Little Roy is a quiet powerhouse who deserves some attention.  In addition to Oswalt, we have another Phillie who seemingly flies under the radar.  Placido Polanco shows a combination of skill and talent that cannot be manufactured.  His defense at third base and his offense make him virtually unstoppable. 

Roy Oswalt seems comfortable in his role as our #3 starter, because thus far, he has remained out of the limelight. Halladay and Lee are easily the fans’ favorites.  Hamels (my personal favorite) garners attention for reasons such as his infamous lack of run support.  Blanton, at the back end of the rotation, has created a buzz because he’s the fifth wheel with two bad starts.  In the middle, we have Oswalt.  It’s no secret that he feels uncomfortable with media attention; he’s a good ol’ boy from Mississippi who just wants to hurl the ball and do his job. 

And what a job he’s doing.  The righty has a 3-0 record, and it’s still April.  His ERA is 1.88 after 24 innings.  My favorite thing about watching Oswalt pitch is his tempo.  He fires pitch after pitch with little time in between.  He throws a lot of fastballs (92-94 mph), usually one after another in the strike zone.  In addition to the fastball, though, he throws a curveball, changeup and a mid-80s slider. 

Another thing I love about Oswalt is his toughness.  We all remember the sixteen-inning game last August when Charlie was low on options and Roy volunteered to play left field in the fifteenth.  We all saw Manny Ramirez (before he not-so-gracefully bowed out of baseball) nail Oswalt behind the ear with a line drive in March, knocking him to the ground.  What did Roy do? He got up and fixed his hat, insisting he was fine.  Little Roy is all business, and he plays to win. 

At third base, we have Placido Polanco.  He has appeared in an All-Star Game (2007) and has earned two Gold Gloves (2007 and 2009).  Even with issues from an elbow injury, Polly’s defense is quick and consistent.  At the plate, wearing what I'm sure is a custom-made helmet, he has had seven .300+ seasons (not including 2011).  Currently, after nineteen games, he’s batting .359.  This includes 28 hits and fifteen RBIs.  With a team offense that seems to be dwindling these days, we should all be sending Polanco thank you cards.

So, why is it that Polanco isn’t the talk of the town?  I think a lot of fans are busy talking about the rest of our infield.  Will Ryan Howard hit 40 homeruns this year? (Yes.)  Is Chase Utley coming back soon? (No.)  Will Jimmy Rollins swing at the first pitch? (Yes.)  Polly, much like Oswalt, seems to do his job aggressively but quietly.  He allows his performances to speak for themselves.

I realize that not every Phillie can be the town favorite.  Roy Oswalt didn’t snub the Yankees and their money, and Placido Polanco isn’t a heartthrob.  Neither of them seems to want a lot of media hoopla, which is fine with me.  As long as the two of them continue to post numbers consistent with what they’ve been producing, I’ll be happy.  I look forward to a fantastic season from both of them.