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Game chat: Phillies back home for date with Braves

Best of the press notes: Kotsay swinging a hot bat

Andruw who? One of the most underrated moves of the off-season has worked for Atlanta, where center fielder Mark Kotsay has hit safely in 17 of his last 20 games, according to the Braves’ press notes.

Dating back to April 17,  Kotsay, who was traded from Oakland to Atlanta in January for right-hander Joey Devine, is hitting .368 (28-for-76) with five doubles, two home runs and 15 RBIs. His .368 ranks fourth in the majors during that span.

One-run woes: According to Elias, the Braves were one of only five teams in major league history to start a season by losing their first nine games decided by a single run. They snapped that streak on Thursday, but on Friday, dropped to 1-10 in one-run games with a 3-2 loss to the Pirates, the 15th consecutive loss for Atlanta in one-run games on the road dating back to last season.

Lefties: The Braves will throw three lefties at the Phils this week: Jo-Jo Reyes, Tom Glavine and Chuck James. According to Elias, before last week, the Braves had not started three consecutive left-handed since June 4-6, 1997, when they started Glavine, Denny Neagle and Terrell Wade.

Phillies transaction: The Phillies have traded organizational catcher Tim Gradoville to the Texas Rangers for future considerations. Gradoville began the season in Reading as a player/coach and has been in the Phillies’ system forever and ever. Gradoville was a fixture. It’s like trading the organ player.

R-Phils at the quarter mark: Four possibilities for help

With talk that the Phillies are seeking additional pitching, Reading beat writer Mike Drago updates the readiness of four Double-A pitching prospects.

Carlos Carrasco: He's a markedly better pitcher than he was last season at Reading, but he's still yet to take that huge step forward people are waiting for. His K/BB ratio is much improved, though it's still not great (44/19). Not sure why this is, but he's been tougher on lefties this year (.191 vs. .237) but not as effective against righties (.276 vs. .258). I'll have to check on that. Bottom line: He's not ready for the big leagues yet; by the end of July we'll have a better idea. He needs to run off five or six consecutive, consistent starts before he's moved up, and he hasn't come close to doing that.

Josh Outman: Early results from the bullpen are very promising. Last three times out: four innings, two hits, no walks, three strikeouts. Key there is no walks. Velocity on back-to-back nights was still good, 92-93. For the season, lefties are hitting just .160 off him, and he's struck out 10 of 25 lefties he's faced. It's early in the process, but he could become a seventh-inning guy, or situational guy, by midseason.

Fabio Castro:  Was actually better in a starting role than I would have imagined, but he's still walking too many batters (19 in 33 2/3). I can see him in some minor role in the major league bullpen, middle innings, situational type thing, though it's interesting this year that lefties are hitting better (.231) than righties (.202) off him.

Joe Bisenius: He had injuries the past two seasons, lost confidence, and now has control issues, but I still like him. He's got great stuff. He could turn it around quickly and be back in the big leagues by midseason.

Antonio Bastardo (honorable mention): He's better, and throws harder, than people have given him credit for. Still very inexperienced, though.

Beer nuts: Blogging, Bissinger and other points

Buzz Bissinger, author of "Friday Night Lights," is making the rounds in Philadelphia, trying to clear his name after the mess he made by losing his cool on HBO.

The author was on 610-WIP’s morning show this a.m. after appearing on Howard Eskin’s show last week. Although I only caught the tail end of the interview this morning, I listened to the Eskin interview in its entirety; I actually pulled into a mall parking lot to give it my undivided attention. Eskin, of course, considers Bissinger a champion for putting blogs in their place and shares his concern about the future of reporting, and that seems to be the sentiment of many established journalists.

It isn’t often that Beerleaguer breaks Phillies' continuity, but for this I’ll make an exception. Speaking on behalf of one of the city’s most established sports blogs, I felt a small sense of duty to respond, even though the integrity of Beerleaguer is rarely in doubt and the site is often praised for upholding journalistic standards, even inside the public comments thread. 

It might surprise some people, but I agree with some of Bissinger’s points, disagree strongly with others, all explained with a cooler head on Eskin’s show.

Like Bissinger has said in these follow-up interviews, there are many blogs worth reading, but many, many more that are not. Some sites do the legwork. Many more, like this one, rely on secondary sources. And many rely on hearsay and throw-away humor, and unfortunately for Bissinger, that’s how he came to take the bait, while the rest of us have dismissed those spaces as the work of amateurs out for kicks. And for the record, there's nothing wrong with getting your kicks, especially in the not-so serious world of sports.

The problem is, Bissinger and others are listening to a vocal minority instead of a silent majority, embodied by vast numbers here who hold traditional reporting and thought-provoking commentary in high regard. Readers take pride in this forum, their forum, which was designed with a journalistic eye. Some have called it the best place to receive Phillies’ information and insight, but I’d bet 9 out of 10 click Philly.com for the real scoop before they check here. This is where they come to debate the issues in a controlled, fun environment.

Of all the points Bissinger made, the most offensive and misguided part is the notion that bloggers would like to see the mainstream media disappear. The fact is, reporting is more valued than ever. It’s more global than ever. It’s also better than ever. We’re bombarded with perspectives from all angles, unbound by geography and circulation. Go back 15 years and the world, in many ways, still existed in relative darkness. Today, everyone is looking and the standards are higher. The same holds true for outrageous speculation and sensationalism. Instead of happening in the neighborhood watering hole, it’s happening in raucous pockets on the Internet.

Bissinger claims to have trouble separating the two. I find it to be quite easy actually. In calling out Deadspin, Bissinger ran into a problem, besides the obvious point that he’s taken the issue too seriously and hasn’t given the average sports fan enough credit for identifying sources they can trust. On Eskin’s show, he said it’s getting hard to separate reality and fantasy in sports, which is ironic, since fantasy is the entire point. We're all fantasy experts, pretend managers and fake GMs. From Howard Eskin to Jason Weitzel, we're all playing a part. Blogs have simply made it easier to reach people, a natural progression in a new, limitless world. Who doesn't glory days of the past? We all do, but step back for a moment and realize this is a great time to be an informed, entertained and connected sports fan. Where newspapers now reach millions, not thousands, the peanut galleries like Beerleaguer reach thousands, not dozens, of passionate fans inside a virtual pub.

Phillies continue AAA overhaul, acquire INF Rouse

To complete last week’s Gookie Dawkins trade with the White Sox, the Phils acquired 28-year-old lefty-hitting infielder Mike Rouse, who’s already appeared in three games for the IronPigs.

Last season, Rouse made Cleveland’s opening day roster as a utility man, but went 8-for-67 and was demoted to Buffalo and was later designated for assignment. He signed a minor league contract with Chicago this off-season, but couldn’t break camp. Drafted by the Blue Jays in the 5th round of the 2001 draft, he’s seen Major League action in 49 games with Oakland and Cleveland, hitting just .165/.238/.209. In seven minor league seasons, the bulk of them coming in the Pacific Coast League, he’s a .273/.360/.404 hitter with 40 home runs.

Beerleaguer: I’d rather have Rouse than Dawkins. Actually, Rouse doesn’t look like a bad spare part, kinda like a middle infield variation of Greg Dobbs, whose career could benefit from a move to the National League just as Dobbs' did. There's no room for him in Philly, but he might be the guy to call if something were to happen to Jimmy Rollins or Chase Utley. He's off to a poor start in LV, however, going hitless in his first three games.

Phillies suffer a case of the Mondays on a Sunday

Nearing the season’s quarter mark, the Phils dropped the final game of their road trip, losing to the San Francisco Giants 4-3 on a two-run home run by backup catcher Steve Holm.

It could be the weather, or Monday morning or watching my team get beaten by a 28-year-old catcher who spent last season in Double-A; in any event, I sit here, look at the Phillies 21-18 mark and realize they’ve only been okay. They haven’t dug themselves into an early April hole, which is fortunate. They're hovering, and there's nothing wrong with that after 39 games. But I look at how they’ve managed to win and see a bullpen that needed to be perfect, a rotation that may be getting lucky and an offense that isn’t producing.

The offense part should take care of itself if Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino get on track, and if a few others can show a just a little improvement over the first month. It’s the pitching that scares me. The pitching, quite frankly, could have been smoke and mirrors for a month. Jamie Moyer gets shelled Saturday and J.C. Romero, who hasn’t been the spotless pitcher everyone says he’s been, gets tagged by Holm. Even Hamels got hit around Friday night. This against a Giants’ lineup generating less than 3.5 runs coming into this series.

The front office understands there’s still work to be done. They’re looking around and shuffling prospects in hopes of uncovering another lefty to add to the mix.

To take nothing away from Arizona, the Phils have run up against a string of teams that can’t hit: San Francicso, San Diego, Colordo is struggling, Milwaukee is struggling, Pittsburgh doesn’t scare you. Now they face Atlanta, a big division opponent, where the heart of the order goes Escobar, Chipper, Teixeira, Francouer and McCann. I can barely recall the Giants' lineup besides Rowand.

This week, we'll start to see what the Phillies are truly made of.

Game chat: Phillies set sights on 4-3 road swing

The Phils can consider their trip out West a success if Adam Eaton (0-1, 5.63) can rebound from his worst start of the season this afternoon against left-hander Johnathan Sanchez (2-2, 4.74 ERA) and the Giants. First pitch is 4:05 ET

Blacked-out game features old pro, budding star

Game chat: Today’s game between the Phillies and Giants will not be carried on television, making it the first Phils game to go unaired since June of 2006. Follow the action here, or tune in to the Phillies' Radio Network on 830-AM WEEU, when Jamie Moyer battles Tim Lincecum today at 4:05. [Live Boxscore]

Saturday: Gillick making the most out of Philly finale

Following a productive night by Pedro Feliz, and another spotless ninth from Brad Lidge, it appears Phillies GM Pat Gillick, expected to step down after the season, saved his best for last in Philadelphia.

Rather than rehash last night’s 7-4 win, which featured the usual assortment of late-inning heroics and moved the club to 21-16 on the season, let’s turn our attention to the moves that were made this winter, starting with the acquisition of Lidge.

During last night’s chat, one reader called Lidge “the steal guys like Millwood and Garcia were supposed to have been,” and there’s no better way to put it. In 17 appearances, the Phils’ closer still maintains a perfect 0.00 ERA to go with nine saves. Along with recent pickups J.C. Romero, Rudy Seanez and Chad Durbin, to go with Gillick Season 1 original Tom Gordon, it’s the best Phillies’ bullpen since the Billy Wagner era. Critics will justifiably argue that in Gillick’s first two seasons, the bar was set quite low, but in '08, it’s a different story, where five of Gillick's hand-selected choices are anchoring a dominant pen.

Moving to Pedro Feliz, the third basemen has 29 hits on the season – not too good – but I’ll bet 10 of them were big hits, such as last night’s game-tying double. His .244/.297/.429 line isn’t pretty, but his addition seems to accomplish the better defense/better bench goal than what wouldn't have occurred with a Wes Helms/Greg Dobbs platoon. Nevertheless, the jury is still out on Feliz.

There’s Geoff Jenkins, too, who hasn’t impressed, but the impact of Lidge cannot be understated. After a month and two weeks, it appears Gillick has hit the jackpot here, taking a chance on an arm who might have simply needed a change of scenery. Relief pitching isn’t the easiest thing to gage, but it looks like Gillick got his man.

Happ dominant, but nothing to show for it ... again: Last night in Triple-A, left-hander J.A. Happ pitched another gem but did not record the win (7 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 2 BBs, 13 Ks). That means the IronPigs starter has given up a total of two earned runs in his last four starts and has not won any of those games. Newly acquired reliever Stephen Randolph actually picked up the win in the 10th inning as Lehigh Valley held on to beat Columbus 4-3. Give Happ some help already. Maybe a lineup that included Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley would do the trick. (Thanks to Denny b. for the report).

Game chat: Rollins rejoins club for San Fran series

Shortstop Jimmy Rollins could be in the starting lineup tonight when the Phillies open a weekend set with the San Francisco Giants. Game time is 10:15 ET from AT&T Park.

Fresh off his minor league rehab, the reigning National League MVP will be evaluated prior to tonight’s game to determine whether he’s fit to come off the disabled list. When ready, infielder Brad Harman will be sent back to the minors to make room on the active roster. ... Tonight’s game will feature a pair of southpaws as Cole Hamels (3-3, 3.10 ERA) squares off with Pat Misch (0-0, 5.40). Tomorrow at 4:05, it will be Jamie Moyer (2-2, 4.15) and Tim Lincecum (4-1, 1.49), then Adam Eaton (0-1, 5.63) and Jonathan Sanchez (2-2, 4.74) in the series finale, also at 4:05. Needless to say, there will be plenty of chances this weekend for manager Charlie Manuel to sit struggling slugger Ryan Howard, who’s hitting a mere .165.

Television viewers will be left in the dark tomorrow

Tomorrow’s Phillies game will not be televised due to MLB’s contract with FOX, according to today's pregame notes. It is the first Phillies game that will go untelevised since June 10, 2006 in Washington, D.C., which was a result of FOX dropping the broadcast. Fans can still kick it old school by listening to Harry Kalas, Chris Wheeler and Scott Franzke on 830 AM WEEU radio in Reading.

Friday: Phils finish series with tolerable loss to Webb

Arizona's Brandon Webb continues to set the bar for Major League pitching, going the distance and an 8-3 win over the Phillies. Meanwhile, Brett Myers falls farther down the measuring stick.

Myers allowed seven runs, six earned, and nine hits in five innings, striking out five and walking three. Once again, the damage came quickly and largely without warning, allowing a four-run fourth after it appeared he’d settled in. The damage started when he led off the frame with back-to-back walks, this after Chris Young touched him up for a two-run shot in the first, the 12th home run Myers has surrendered this season, which leads the league. That’s an average of 2.15 per game, double that of anyone else in the Phillies’ rotation.

It’s not that anyone expects Myers to match Webb. Everyone knows Webb is in a higher class. It’s that Myers isn’t even pitching well enough to be included in the next tier down. He’s slipping into the inconsistent middle class with guys like Kyle Lohse and Braden Looper where you don’t know what to expect in any given start, or even any given inning. September of 2006, the last time Myers pitched like a top-tier starter, seems like centuries ago. Today, he’s just another pitcher in the rotation, at best an innings eater, at worst, architect behind stinkers like yesterday, and I begin to wonder if this is all we should expect from him.

Game chat: Phillies, Diamondbacks conclude series

The first-place Phillies try for their fourth-straight series win when Brett Myers (2-2, 4.70) toes the rubber against undefeated ace Brandon Webb (7-0, 2.49). First pitch is 3:40 ET from Chase Field. Discuss the action here. [Live Boxscore]

Phillies acquire lefty reliever Randolph from Astros

Stephen Randolph, 34, appeared in 14 games for the Astros last season and had been pitching this season for Triple-A Round Rock. The Phils will send a player to be named later, according to the Daily News.

Originally drafted by the Yankees in the 18th round of the 1995 draft, the Okinawa, Japan-born southpaw, who’s been with six organizations prior to Philadelphia, was among the 89 players named in the Mitchell Report. In parts of the three big league seasons with the Diamondbacks and Astros (109 appearances, six as a starter) he is 10-17 with a 5.52 ERA and brutal 134/136 K/BB ratio, consistent with the control problems he's suffered in 12 minor league seasons.

Last season was arguably his best in that regard, but was it a fluke? From Baseball Prospectus: “Randolph had arguably the most random good year of any pitcher in baseball last year, with a 3.6 K/BB and 23 hits allowed in 52 innings at Round Rock. This from a pitcher who typically walks six or more per nine innings. It screams fluke, particularly as he walked 17 in 13 1/3 across four stints with the big club last year.”

An official announcement has not been made. According to the press notes, he has not been added to the club for today's contest, and he isn't listed on the Lehigh Valley roster, either.

Beerleaguer: Randolph was promoted and demoted as much as Clay Condrey last season and only pitched a total of 13 1-3 innings. That says it all. With Round Rock this season, he had a 1.23 ERA while striking out 21 in 14 2/3 innings, but also walked 11 and was no better against left-handers than right-handers. And actually, in 155 Major League innings, there's no great difference in left/right splits other than K/BB ratio.

I do not believe he will help the Phillies’ bullpen due to very poor command. If this is their solution to the second left-hander issue, the Phils have have bitten on something other than black and white results. It's that simple. The numbers smack you across the face with the fact he can't pitch in the show. Maybe he looks good in a uniform.

Thursday: Much man-love being expressed for Lidge

Brad Lidge pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up his eighth save and maintain his perfect ERA after 16 appearances. Readers sounded off on the Phils’ unhittable closer, last night’s come-from-behind win and the continuing struggles of Ryan Howard.

"Lidge is nasty, those batters looked totally overmatched. While we're praising Chase and Pat for their incredible play thus far and contribution to the Phils’ success, I think it’s also fair to say Lidge is playing at that level as well so far. Some of these ninth innings are almost Marianoesque." – Bob

"In my memory we've never had a closer as dominant as Lidge. Whatever mental issues he might have been having is Houston seem to have gone away." – sifl

"Good win by the Phillies. Bruntlett with a big hit. Feliz with the tying run shot. Victorino going Pete Rose on Conor Jackson. Chase MVP. Nice job by Romero/Gordon/Lidge. Good job by KK for keeping the game close enough to tie. I wouldn't call this game a "grand theft". This is what the Phillies do." – mike cunningham

"One thing which is absolutely beyond dispute is that Howard needs to be hitting lower than fourth in the order. That nine-pitch AB he had in the 8th was ridiculous - every single pitch was down and in and he flat out wasn't seeing it. He was fouling them in all kinds of odd directions, and the last pitch was on the ground and he swung at least a foot over it. His stance is messed up, his balance is messed up, and his head flies off the ball every time. I actually feel for him a little - he must be going through some kind of hell right now. He looks utterly defeated mentally and he needs at least two or three *full* games off. I can't remember a hitter struggling as mightily for this prolonged a period as Howard in the last two Aprils, except possibly Burrell in '03." – RSB

Game chat: Kendrick takes turn tonight in Arizona

Kyle Kendrick (2-2, 5.01 ERA) has been solid in his last two starts, thanks to better control and no walks. He'll try to keep it going tonight against Micah Owings (4-1, 4.42) and the D-backs. First pitch is 9:40 from Chase Field. Lineups are in: Shane Victorino, Geoff Jenkins and Carlos Ruiz get starting nods. [Live Boxscore]

Broadcast beer nuts: Wheels calls it down the middle

On April 1, seldom-interviewed color man Chris Wheeler participated in an informative Q&A with Morning Call columnist Keith Groller, and one of the questions asked was how Wheels responds to critics who consider him a homer.

"That makes me laugh when I hear that,” Wheeler said. “Actually, that's the one thing that frosts me -- when I hear someone say that I don't criticize our guys and I'm a homer. I may not be a wise-guy when I do it. But I point it out when something [bad] happens. I'm not going to do a talk show. That's for someone who wants to sit there and add all of those nasty adjectives. That's not what we do.”

Beerleaguer: Actually, one such criticism occurred last night when Pedro Feliz was gunned down at second trying to stretch a misplayed shallow fly into a double. Wheeler said Feliz should have gone only if he was 100 percent certain he would make it.

As a matter of fact, such criticisms are surfacing more and more with Wheeler. Has anyone noticed this? Perhaps he’s taken Groller’s interview to heart, because this season, Wheels has gone out of his way to call it down the middle. If you listen closely, sometimes you can actually hear him sigh when a Phillie does something foolish at the plate, which has occurred several times with Feliz, the type of first-pitch fastball hitter Wheels loves to expose. 

Reader feedback: What's your impression of Tom McCarthy? Here's mine. He talks too much, too many facts and stats that undermine the work of his color men and the subtle nuances of the game. I like the tone and energy, however. If he picked his spots better and adjusts, it would make for a more memorable experience. Given time, he could be solid. 

Wednesday: Despite loss, Eaton good bet to stick

After walking the bases loaded, Phillies starter Adam Eaton committed the unforgivable sin of walking Randy Johnson, the pitcher, to plate a run and trigger a five-run Arizona rally, capped by a three-run Stephen Drew home run. The Phils fell 6-4.

In the world of weather, meteorologists issue “watches” when conditions are favorable for certain weather to occur. Eaton probably has another shot to prove himself before a “watch” is issued and the storm chasers of fantasy baseball can begin tracking his potential replacement. If the minor league picture wasn’t so cloudy, a fifth-starter watch might have already been issued. Remember, a "watch" wouldn't necessarily facilitate a change, not like a "warning" would. A "warning" means Eaton is in the eye of the storm. In other words, right now, conditions are favorable for conditions to be favorable for something to happen. Got that?

Nevertheless, don't underestimate the team's frustration with Eaton. The team made offers to several free agents this off-season aimed at replacing the beleaguered right-hander, who pitched himself out of the rotation and onto the imaginary DL at season's end. In the past, Pat Gillick, who was the one who courted Eaton out West, has demonstrated a willingness to play the hot hand, and reportedly made a special trip to scout rising Double-A right-hander Antonio Bastardo. J.A. Happ has also pitched well at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Game chat: Eaton seeks to record first win (or loss)

Adam Eaton (0-0, 4.72) goes for his first win of 2008 when the Phillies continue their series with Randy Johnson (1-1, 4.79) and the Diamondbacks tonight at 9:40 ET. Eaton’s string of six no decisions to begin a season is a new Phillies record, according to Elias. He pitched six mostly shaky innings against San Diego his last start. Johnson earned his first victory of the season last Friday in San Diego, tossing six innings, allowing a run off three hits with seven strikeouts. [Live Boxscore]

Utley, National League out-hitting American League

There are signs of a power shift between the once mighty bats of the AL and the upstart NL, paced by Chase Utley and others.

Once in a while, I’ll check the league leaders and today I was struck by how far ahead Chase Utley was of Carlos Quinten, the current AL leader in home runs with 8. Utley has 13. So I did a little more digging, clicked Hardball Times and came up with some advanced findings. Utley leads baseball in runs created with 35. No surprise there. However, you need to go down 11 spots before running into the AL leader in the same category, Kevin Youkilis with 27. It’s the same for gross productive average, in which Utley ranks third in baseball with .379. The AL leader, Tampa’s Eric Hinske, ranks 9th overall with .328. Last season, the AL placed four sluggers – Alex Rodriguez, Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Pena and David Ortiz – in the top five in GPA, and four of the top six in RC.

NL pitching appears stronger this season, too. In the prevented runs created category, only four AL pitchers place among the top pitchers before Cole Hamels, who ranks 16th overall. Cincinnati’s Edinson Volquez leads baseball with 36.

Two conclusions. First, with interleague play just around the corner, you have to like the National League’s chances. Second, Chase Utley is setting an early pace for MVP.