Getting Antsy

By Amy McCormick

Well, gang, I haven't written so much as one word since we signed Thome. This has seemed like an endless offseason thus far.  I'm getting very eager for things to get underway in Clearwater.  There's not much to report, really; I'll put my two cents in on some things that have happened, though.

Ryan Howard seems to be healing in an expected timeframe.  No one expected him to start at first in April, and if you're like me, you'd much rather he take his time getting fully rehabilitated this time.  The timing of his injury is probably the only silver lining to the whole incident.  At least it didn't happen in August, right?

Ryan Madson agreed to a one-year deal with the Reds.  As much as I don't like to see him go, I'm not surprised.  Acquiring Papelbon was a clear indication that Amaro was making other plans; for a short while, though, Mad Dog was just sitting at home, waiting for his phone to ring.  While I would have loved to see him stay in Philadelphia, I would have hated to watch him sitting in the bullpen, waiting for the phone to ring.  It didn't make sense to have Madson and Papelbon, even if the money allowed it, and I wish Ryan the very best.  It's hard not to like a dude who kicks chairs. 

Jamie Moyer signed a minor league deal with Colorado.  Minor league? At 49 years old? C'mon, Jamie, you really want to go out like that? He's one former Phillie who will undoubtedly always be well-received in this city, and I would love to see him in a pitching coach position in the future.  I hate, hate, hate that he signed a minor league deal.  I hate it.

Say what you want about Wilson Valdez ... "He's no Chase Utley." No shit.  He's a substitute infielder with a mediocre bat.  That being said, he has proven to be extremely dependable, filling in at second, short, and third (not to mention his stint as a relief pitcher last May).  The Phils signed a $930,000 contract for one year in an effort to avoid arbitration.  There's not much to argue about here - it was a smart move.  Valdez will never be an All-Star, but his "I'll do whatever my team needs" attitude is pretty priceless.  I'm glad to see him sticking around.

Jimmy Rollins and his wife Johari are expecting their first child.  Let's hope this pregnancy is not a distraction (I'm looking at you, Heidi Hamels, circa 2009).  Best wishes to JRoll and his family ... I'm hoping for a boy with a big gap-toothed smile and some swagger. 

Something that needed to be addressed this off-season was Cole Hamels.  He'll be a free agent after this season, and I'd say it's a safe bet that a team or two might be after my favorite LHP.  At 28 years old, he surely has years ahead of him in his career; Philadelphia would be stupid if they let him walk away.  Some people were upset when they learned that he agreed to a one-year, $15M deal, but it was purely to avoid arbitration.  Hopefully, a long-term deal will be taken care of during Spring Training.  I wouldn't want to see our rotation without him.

On a non-Phils note, Yu Darvish and Texas signed a ridiculous deal of $60M over 6 years.  Sure, the kid has sick numbers in Japan.  We all know that MLB is (pardon the obnoxious pun) a whole new ballgame.  I think it 's foolish to throw so much money at a pitcher who hasn't proven a single thing yet.  Most of you know that I think contracts in general have become a joke.  (I don't care if you're Albert Pujols.  Ten year contracts are ridiculous, and I only see agents inflating the issue over time.)

Well, kids, that's it for now.  I'm counting down the days until pitchers and catchers report (30, if you're wondering).  I'm ready to get this season underway already.  Let's do this.

God's speed, Mad Dog.

Phils' Offense Battered by Myers

By Amy McCormick

Apparently, the Phils’ offense didn’t get the memo tonight that offense isn’t optional.  Victorino and Howard each went 0-4; Martinez was 0-3.  Philadelphia managed to post six hits, but only scored one run. 

Oswalt didn’t have a great outing, and Houston capitalized on that.  The Astros managed twelve hits and five runs in a game where the Phils looked like they never showed up.

Why do the Phillies struggle against Myers? I don’t really get it.  The righty doesn’t have very good numbers this season, and Houston has lost more games than the Phillies have won (not a typo).  We should not be losing to teams like Houston and Florida.

I fully understand that not every game is going to be a win, but it’s frustrating to watch the Phils get owned by a terrible team.  I guess it’s good news for Mrs. Myers that Brett left the field in a good mood tonight, though.

I want to see some aggressive offense (I’m looking at you, Ryan Howard).  Losses like tonight’s are embarrassing and they make me cranky.  Here’s hoping tomorrow night is better.  Magic number is still 6 ….

Tonight's Game, in Numbers

By Amy McCormick

Tonight’s 9-0 victory in Cincinnati brings us one day closer to the postseason.  Here are just a few reasons, quantitatively speaking.

18.  Number of shutouts the Phillies’ pitching staff has recorded thus far this season.

3. Number of RBIs for Halladay tonight.

411.  Number, in feet to center field, the baseball traveled when Pence homered in the 6^th.

6. Number of consecutive 100 RBI seasons for Ryan Howard.

85. Number of games in the Phils’ “Wins” column.

17. Number of homeruns for Raul Ibanez this season.

7 ½. Number of games by which the Braves trail the Phils.

23.  Our magic number.

Do the math, kids.  This team is steamrolling itself toward the Fall Classic.

Worley Delivers, Howard and Polanco Power Offense

By Amy McCormick

Last night, my best friends and I had a girls’ night at the ballpark.  To be honest, we never expect an exciting game when the Mets are in town.  We surely had no idea what was in store for us.

Joe Blanton, now on the DL, seemed long forgotten when Vance Worley took the mound.  We saw him a few times last year; his record was 1-1 and his ERA was 1.38.  Not too shabby for a 22 year old kid brought up to the bigs for the first time.  Last night, Worley was our starting pitcher, and he proved that he has more than just potential.  I love that he’s calm and focused – something you don’t often see in someone so young.  Getting the win, Worley’s line was: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 5 K.  Needless to say, my friends and I were pleased with his performance.  Is he a better choice than Blanton for our #5 spot?  Hard to say, if you ask me, but it’s nice to know that the Phils are adept at making quality substitutions when necessary. 

Offensively speaking, Philadelphia brought their A Game last night.  And by “Philadelphia,” of course, I mean Ryan Howard and Placido Polanco.  Howard hit two homers, one of which was a grand slam; he was responsible for six of the team’s ten runs.  Polanco’s base hit in the seventh scored two runs.  Ryan Howard now has 27 RBIs in the month of April, which breaks the Phils’ record set in 2008 by Pat Burrell (he had 24).  I think that it might be time to stop blaming Howard for losing the NLCS in 2010.  The man is an RBI machine.  Polanco is no slouch, either.  He has posted nineteen RBIs thus far and is batting .390.  If Halladay, Lee, Oswalt and Hamels are the four aces, then Howard and Polanco are our offensive dynamic duo. 

Last night, aside from having to set eyes on David Herndon, we saw a formula for winning games: solid pitching and aggressive offense.  The Phils showed that even with two starting pitchers being out, the show must go on.  They had an offensive slump lasting about a dozen or so games, and it appears to be over.  I know that it’s still April, but Philadelphia is asserting itself as the team to beat. 

Ryan Howard Didn't Lose the NLCS

By Amy McCormick

I’ll try to stay as impartial in this blog entry as possible.  I should include the caveat that I have loved Ryan Howard for several years now, though.  The Phillies signed the first baseman in 2001, and he was called up in September of 2004 at the age of 24.

It’s difficult to argue with Howard’s successful career thus far.  In 2005, he was named Rookie of the Year.  In 2006, he was MLB Player of the Year, National League MVP, played in the All-Star Game, and won the Home Run Derby, the Hank Aaron Award, and a Silver Slugger Award.  In 2008, Howard helped lead the Phillies to a World Series win.  In 2009, he returned to the All-Star Game and earned the NLCS MVP award.  While Ryan’s defense hasn’t been stellar in the past, it seems to be improving.  Offensively speaking, his career batting average is .279.

It seems that a lot of people find fault with Howard’s performance during the 2010 season.  The truth is, six of the eight starters posted batting averages in 2010 that were lower than their career averages.  Howard, one of the six, batted .276 last season.  We saw a monumental offensive slump in the middle of the ’10 season, and Ryan Howard essentially carried the lineup through it.

The biggest element of Ryan’s 2010 season that we need to remember is that he injured himself in August.  He missed nineteen games due to his sprained ankle, and had a season total of 550 at bats.  Mathematically speaking, his 31 homeruns in 2010 would have been 35 and his 108 RBIs would have been 122.  While we’ll never know what could have been, I’d say that those numbers could have been even higher.  Anyone who follows Phillies baseball knows that Ryan Howard’s offense heats up in August and September. 

There are some fans who argue that Howard is responsible for the Phils’ NLCS loss to the Giants.  Everyone remembers that he was the last at the plate, and he struck out looking.  What some people seem to forget is that he batted .273 in the NLDS and .318 in the NLCS.  Not to mention, it could be argued that the Phillies might never have made it to the post-season if Howard hadn’t contributed in the regular season the way that he had.

People also find issue with Howard’s enormous salary.  I’ll agree that his contract surprised me, and $125 million over five years is pretty steep.  That being said, he’s hardly the only player in Major League Baseball to be earning a ridiculous amount of money.  The bottom line is that Ryan Howard doesn’t deserve the constant criticism that he receives.  He’s a power hitter; he bats clean-up for a reason.  He’s not paid for his defense. Strikeouts are also part of the power hitter’s package.  To me, all the runs that Howard produces are far more important than his number of strikeouts.  If the Phillies weren’t paying Ryan Howard his huge salary, I tend to think several other clubs would be willing to.  Our favorite team simply wouldn’t be the same without him.