Hamels to test arm, throw bullpen session Wednesday

Another chapter to the Cole Hamels spring-training saga will be written Wednesday.

Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg told reporters Monday afternoon that his lefty ace is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday.

Hamels' live throwing session last Friday was canceled because of a "fatigued arm." The 30-year-old said he needed to "step back and start over."

Well, maybe this is step one in starting over, but it seems like every step will be an unknown.

We'll have to wait and see until Wednesday if the Phils' all-important arm has some more life to it.

Lee on track, Howard hits fifth
The Phillies lost another spring game on Monday, 8-1, to the Braves.

A couple things to note:

• Cliff Lee struck out five in 3 2/3 innings of two-run ball. For all the club's starting pitching woes, Lee looks just fine and on schedule. That's a relief for fans.

• Ryan Howard hit fifth and went 0 for 2 with a walk, as Marlon Byrd batted cleanup. Sandberg told reporters he wanted to "split up the left-handed bats" of Chase Utley and Howard, and that it was "something to try in spring training … it gives us another look." 

Spring is the time to experiment and it looks like that's exactly what Sandberg is doing.

What's next?
David Buchanan starts Tuesday in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., as the Phillies take on the Braves.

Comments

[Fan From Fifty]

"Howard hits fifth."
I thought that was good news. 5 HR's already. Wow.
Oh well.

[If the Schu fits]

The season rests on Hamel's bullpen session Wed.

[Bob]

Ruben must go!!!!!!

[SLO Phan]

"Cliff Lee struck out five in 3 2/3 innings of two-run ball. For all the club's starting pitching woes, Lee looks just fine and on schedule. That's a relief for fans."

Much the same way passengers on the Titanic were relieved that only the starboard side of the ship was damaged by the iceberg.

[NEPP]

She's made of iron, sir...

[PLM]

Late but Marson is stiffer than Nieves

[Delaware Avenue]

Marson is stiffer than Nieves?

Better hope that Reality isn't all over that one since he repeatedly mentions how he likes to svck cokk.

[Rob Roth]

If I had to coach this team-I would be going ballistic.After seeing the Nats and the Braves play this spring-the Phillies look awful. Poor presence at bat-weak presence on defense-and overall lack of focus -on the fundamentals of the game.
I will have more fun watching the local high school play!
[email protected]

[Reality]

So I see Delaware Avenue is the troll weasel who is on here posting homophobic slurs at people. Seriously dude- grow the fvck up you stupid child

[Jackamac]

Excellent showing by Pap Smear today. Only 5 runs. All aboard the Hollands-for-Opening-Day train!

[Bubba]

I will have more fun watching the local high school play!
[email protected]

Rob- The Phils used to play an early ST game against a FLA college team in past years.

I'm glad they didn't this year, they would have gotten embarrassed.

[lookingforaspark]

There's no spark. It's like the whole team is a dead arm.

[If the Schu fits]

So of Cole still has a fatigued arm during his bullpen session on Wed., I'll assume that no MRI will be done. That it will take pain or discomfort of some kind to initiate that?

[If the Schu fits]

*if Cole

[Dickie Thong]

I guess the arm twirl test was successful today.

[Dragon]

Well, they can't blame the lack of hitting and "lack of spark" on Ol' Charlie this year for a change. Managers come and go, talent wills out.

[Bubba]

Whatever special assignment they have given Charlie sure doesn't have a lot of contact with the media.
Was he even at the Alumni Day game?
I only saw a brief news cast clip of Dalton.

[Dragon]

I think Ol' Charlie has orders to maintain a low profile so as not to undermine the new manager.

[Delaware Avenue]

So I see Delaware Avenue is the troll weasel who is on here posting homophobic slurs at people. Seriously dude- grow the fvck up you stupid child

Posted by: Reality | Monday, March 10, 2014 at 10:59 PM

-------------------

Hahahahaha..... Yeah, that's pretty funny. ME a troll weasel. Well, I guess I've been called a lot worse in my many years on this planet. Whatever. Funny, Reality, how you want ME to grow up when it's YOU who acts like a child on here. (Notice that I didn't stoop to your level and call you stupid).

[PLM]

Yea the stiffer one who bats .190..

[Reality]

Amazing- how those posts appear about the same time you do and you are the only one who thinks it is funny.

So yeah- a person who thinks gay jokes are funny is a stupid child. Sorry if you feel that is stooping low to speak out against juvenile humor.

[Reality]

Also- I love the theory that disagreeing with people vehemently is considered "being a child." Do we want debate or groupthink?

[NEPP]

I wonder if the Braves will give Beachy an MRI...sure its just "bicep tendonitis" but I bet they go ahead with one anyway.

[MG]

Limbo contest to see who takes the backup catcher job on Opening Day? More interesting than watching Nieves/Marson ABs in ST.

[Cyclic]

HAHAHAHAH

Atlanta is 3-9, by the way, Rob.

"no spark" in spring training. Give me a break.

Hey Debbie Downers, I'm sure this team will give you plenty to b!tch about when the games actually matter. Save your comments for then. It's spring training. Let there at least be a glimmer of hope that the regular season won't be as bad as we think. (Which, yeah, might mean 75 wins instead of 65)

[Jackamac]

Enough with the self-righteous, politically correct caterwauling. Gay jokes CAN be funny, I mean cum on guys. What isn't quite as funny is a personal attack on someone by insinuating that he engages in homosexual activity. I mean, the first 2 or 3 were entertaining because you'd see the guy's name and the outrageous claim above it, but that's long gone. BUT, enough referring to every gay comment as a "homophobic slur". I've called plenty of people a "faggot" in my lifetime, and I don't fear gay people. Down to its base, 'homophobic' means afraid of two of the same. Would you prefer I use a word used by Shakespeare and Chaucer, such as "cunt"? Because people who are supposedly grown men that complain this much about being called names are whiny cunts.

[Cyclic]

"Self-righteous"? "Politically correct"?

No, it's called being evolved.

[Jackamac]

'Being evolved' is why this country is becoming completely pussified. The days are long gone when people understood that being called a name had no actual effect, and that you had every right to bite back. Now, everything is censored. Everything must be litigated. There's no individuality when you fight to take away the words that a person chooses to use.

[Reality]

Jackamac: Using the term "faggot" is homophobic but the way in which you are using it may not be. Or at least- you don't perceive it to be. By that I mean- you probably aren't using it as a means of degrading a person who actually engages in homosexual acts. You are participating in playground smack talk.

The person who is on here trolling the board and posting gay things is using it in a slur sense and as means of an insult to someone. Furthermore, they aren't trying to engage in a discourse here. They are just trying to stop everything and grind the site to a halt. That person, rest assured, is a child who thinks gay comments (they aren't even jokes) is the height of insults. And by some clues it looks like that person may be Delaware Avenue.

The bigger issue though is that Comcast owns this site and their admins here are allowing that garbage to continue without recourse.

[NEPP]

Dont engage the trolls.

[Will Schweitzer]

Jackamac, you're a pretty repulsive human being. Please find somewhere else to post your crap.

[Will Schweitzer]

Sorry NEPP. You're right.

[Cyclic]

Gwynn
Galvis
Byrd
Howard
Frandsen (DH!)
Brown
Asche
Hernandez
Nieves

I challenge anyone to come up with a lineup worse than that, spring training or not.

[Jackamac]

Everything is a 'hate issue' today. I call both a gay man and a straight man a "faggot". It's hate-speech with the former, and just meanness with the latter. The double standards are incredible. Man up. Take your punches.

[Jackamac]

Will, you are a self-righteous human being who will never accomplish anything for a lack of intuition. I've described multiple valid points and you labelled me as repulsive. Go work in HR, you oaf.

[Will Schweitzer]

Valid points? Sir, you're either joking or you're so far gone that you're not worth debating.

Comcast? Can we please ban this hateful troll?

[bay_area_phan]

"The person who is on here trolling the board and posting gay things is using it in a slur sense and as means of an insult to someone. Furthermore, they aren't trying to engage in a discourse here. They are just trying to stop everything and grind the site to a halt."

Now THAT is rich. A poster who never contributes a single word to any baseball-related discussion, but who trolls the board just to insult everyone else, is complaining that a different poster refuses to engage in discourse & is trolling the board just to insult people.

[Cyclic]

http://www.thegoodphight.com/2014/3/11/5494888/the-beatings-will-continue-until-the-offense-improves

This article on TGP was pretty good.

I didn't realize the Red Sox were second lowest scoring team so far this spring after the Phils.

I didn't realize the Phils BABIP was .219, with the next lowest in MLB being .264.

The Phillies walk rate is encouraging as well, 7th highest in MLB.

[Cyclic]

bap's phlipper alert is in tip top shape.

[bittel]

I challenge anyone to come up with a lineup worse than that, spring training or not.
******
Easy.

Abreu for Brown
RFD for Byrd
Brignac for Galvis (and Galvis blows as it is)

[Lake Fred]

Howard hits fifth

Fan from Fifty, I thought the same thing about HRs. With his performance, maybe it meant a fifth of bourbon. He sure has been a Wild Turkey since he signed the big bucks contract.

[Cyclic]

bit-- Touche.

[Reality]

Hey BAP- go fvck yourself if you don't see the difference. I have said numerous things about the baseball practices of the team, and have at times just stayed the course of heckling people who say dumb things like you coming on here every day and getting your dander all riled up because of *GULP* SPRING TRAINING *GULP*.

I have lurked here enough to know your game. You think your opinion is far more meaningful than everyone else's to the point that it shocks you- absolutely shocks you- that someone might differ from you. You are a hack and a shallow thinker. Your depth of thought is an inch deep and a mile wide. But you try to use enough words and rile people up enough so you can participate in discussions and pat yourself on the back when the others on here who think as deeply as you agree.

Lastly, you can disagree with me and I can disagree with you and at times that may have some names thrown (something you have done in the past)but if you advocate the idea of someone using "homphobia" as an argumentative tactic than I have lost what little respect I ever had for you.

[bay_area_phan]

Cyclic: Yeah, I usually ignore him. But the irony of Phlipper being trolled, and getting angry about being trolled, simply demanded commentary.

[Phillibuster]

Apropos of baseball...

The three worst records in the Grapefruit League are as follows:

St. Louis: 2-6
Atlanta: 3-9
Philadelphia: 2-9-2

Also, lest we get worked up over the amount of runs our pitching game up in any single game, let's not forget that in a single game thus far this ST:

The Tigers gave up 10 runs to the Phillies.
The Nationals and the Braves completed a game 16-15.
The Twins put up 8 on the BoSox, and the Marlins put up 9 on the Mets.
The Twins put up 9 on the O's, and 12 on the Blue Jays (in the same day).
The Nats put up 11 on the Mets, and the O's put up 11 on the Twins.
The Pirates put up 10 on the Rays, and the O's put up 13 on the BoSox.
The O's put up 9 on the Pirates, and the Mets put up 8 on the Braves.
The Tigers put up 17(!) on the Cardinals, and Marlins put up 11 on the Mets.

[Cyclic]

What bugs me the most about certain posters getting worked up over the Phillies horrible spring so far, is that if it were the opposite, and the team were piling up hits and runs and shutting other teams down, they would be the first ones ringing the "IT'S ONLY SPRING TRAINING! THESE RESULTS DON'T MEAN ANYTHING! THIS TEAM STILL SUCKS!" bell.

[Phillibuster]

Also interesting about that article, Cyclic:

The Braves are currently sporting the lowest ISO in the game, the Marlins are slightly better than average in every category but K%, the Cardinals sport the 4th-best K% but also the 5th-worst BB%, the Rays have the best ISO, and the Astros have the 2nd-best K% and 4th-best BB%.

[Cyclic]

It's almost like the results of the last 2 weeks can't be used to draw any sort of conclusions about how these teams will fare in the upcoming season...

[Jackamac]

"Hateful troll"
There you go, proving my point! Every insult is hate speech! Everything mean is bullying! Furthermore, who exactly am I 'trolling'? Please also include your definition of 'troll'. From what I understand, to troll is to deliberately annoy or insult for nothing more than one's own pleasure. I'm calling you out on your nonsense. How is that hateful?

[NEPP]

Stutes outrighted off the 40 man.

Cross him off then.

[Cyclic]

I agree with Schu at 716pm yesterday though...

[Reality]

Cyclic at 10:42 for the win.

That is the crux of everything here and a huge problem that has always been prevalent on Beerleaguer.

BAP and the like would absolutely be downplaying Spring Training if the Phillies were lighting it up last year. Jack did it all last spring (and it ended up it didn't matter)

The issue is- spring training means nothing- either positive or negative.

[Meyer]

Tell that to Stutes.

[Phillibuster]

I'm reasonably certain Stutes would have been dumped even if all he did was look as bad as he did with no ST included, just in bullpens and batting practice.

[Phillibuster]

It is amazing how poorly he recovered from that injury, though. I figured he'd at least be a 4.00 ERA-level reliever after that first year, but it's just been injury and 100% downhill.

[Cyclic]

Shame he couldn't pitch effectively. I liked the cut of his jib.

[Will Schweitzer]

So, we have an open roster spot.

Any chance that Amaro will completely lose his mind and sign Santana?

[Phillibuster]

I suppose it's possible his K rate wasn't sustainable, but it looked ok at AAA (not great, but ok) in 2013.

Looks like almost all of his other peripherals were either almost as good or better in 2013 than they were in 2011 at AAA/MLB level.

[Phillibuster]

I hope not, Will.

If this is the second season in a row that he doesn't try to save the Braves from themselves (they're allegedly heavily in on Santana), I'd be quite fine with that.

[Cyclic]

Think Santana goes to the Braves

[JohnnyD]

OK, so I just read an article quoting Ryno as "not concerned about hitting - after all, it's March 10th" (paraphrased).

I'm not an expert when it comes to hitting, but I'm a believer in trends. When you take a current look at the nucleus of the Phillies team (Rollins, Utley, Howard, Brown(?)), and you factor in at least last year, don't you have to accept the fact that the trend is continuing? Is there a fundamental hitting issue going on with (at least) these guys? And does that explain the hitting coach revolving door? And is this post just a rambling vent...?

[Willard Preacher]

Doesn't sound like a good diagnosis for Medlen (damage in right elbow ligament). No decision on surgery...

[Dickie Thong]

I'm reading that Medlen had an MRI which showed damage around the right elbow ligament.

Question: What's this MRI thingy they keep mentioning?

[Phillibuster]

Johnny: I think we can probably say that last year was at least a little aberrational for Rollins, and he's more likely to post an OPS North of .700. I think we can say that last year is about what we can expect from Utley. I think we can say that Asche (or Franco???) will do better with a year at 3rd than MYoung did (maybe not in BA, but OPS). I think we can say that Revere will likely manage slightly better than last year's season-long number. I think we can say that Byrd will make Delmon Young look like... Delmon Young. I think we can say that Brown may regress somewhat, but probably still sit in at least the .770 OPS range.

The real question mark is Howard. If he's back to near-2011 form, he'll be better than what we got at 1B last year.

Now, that doesn't mean we'll be great... But as far as "trends" go, I don't think expecting this year to go better than last is crazy.

[Cyclic]

I assume the Braves are still waiting on the results of the arm twirl.

[Phillibuster]

There must be something in the water supply in Atlanta.

It makes your pitching superhuman, then slashes your UCL to bits after a year or two.

[JohnnyD]

Phillibuster: I don't disagree with your analysis/assumptions. In fact, my head ends up there as well... It's just difficult to watch some of the AB's of these guys this year and reflect back upon last season, only worse! How 'bout these BA/OPS #'s:

Howard: .182/.523
Utley: .158/.358
Rollins:.133/.649 (en fuego!)
Brown: .091/.350 (not en fuego!)

[Dickie Thong]

What were the results of Medlen's ultrasound?

[nokwurst]

"Braves 8, Phillies 1: Cliff Lee right on schedule"

...for another 5-14, 2.75 ERA, 1.08 WHIP season.

[donc]

"What were the results of Medlen's ultrasound?"

He's having twins.

[Phillibuster]

Johnny: That's the magic of the miniscule sample size and low BABIP.

[JohnnyD]

Phillibuster: you're right. Analagous to why I don't pay attention to our website's analytics too early in the morning.

[Brian G]

MRI. Stands for Might Reveal Injury.

Serves the Braves right. Get an MRI and you find out your pitcher is injured.

Phils have it right. Don't get an MRI and your pitcher remains injury free.

It's science.

[NEPP]

Study it out.

[Conway Twitty]

Bubba: Cholly has said he would not be at ST. Didn't want to be a distraction.

[Willard Preacher]

So, Stutes outrighted (and predictably no one claimed him - he's our mess) to clear a spot on the 40 man for one of Abreu/Camp/Manship?

[LorecorE]

Brain G: The Phillies don't have time for MRI's, they are busy in the labs trying to cure these mystery ailments where the pitcher says "don't worry, i'm fine" but yet can't throw like he normally does.

[Phillibuster]

Ugh. Gameday having all PAs end in 1-pitch resolution.

Even in Florida, Atlanta's stadium is terrible.

[bittel]

What were the results of Medlen's ultrasound?"

He's having twins.

Posted by: donc
*************
We have a winner.

MRI. Stands for Might Reveal Injury.
Posted by: Brian G
***********
And an honorable mention.

[bittel]

O/U: number of innings before Phils' first hit:

3.2 (Over -120)

[bittel]

Wow. Brutal. But meaningless. ;)

[bullit]

buchanan has yet to throw a ball.

[Phillibuster]

And as you say, that, Bullit...

[bullit]

lol 4 balls in a row

[Phillibuster]

Although if you're using Gameday for that, it's not correct. The stadiums that don't have TV capabilities also don't have pitch-by-pitch updating, so you get 1-pitch BIPs, 3-pitch Ks or 4-pitch BBs every PA.

[Phillibuster]

As I said, even in Florida, Atlanta's stadium sucks.

[Phillibuster]

Thus, making this game exceptionally useless for us fans.

[bullit]

the summary lists each pitch if you click the + sign. but you don't know if the bip were balls or strikes.

[Phillibuster]

Bullit: Not on MLB's version.

1 In play, out(s) NaN NaN NaN

I am betting Buchanan didn't have a 3-pitch first inning.

[Meyer]

I'm on my 3rd mug of coffee just trying to listen to these guys.

[Phillibuster]

Oh joy, MLB's announcers. Phleh.

[bittel]

Buchanan moves ahead of O'Sullivan off of today's results?

[Phillibuster]

A homer to Uggla?

[Nonamephame (Founder of the Cody Asche fan club, no scout-lovers allowed)]

serious question: O/U 485.5 runs scored for phillies this year?

[dave]

Noname, I think it will be that number exactly.

[Meyer]

O'Shuttlevan.

[Putin]

Might be time for Ruben to start scouting the Cossacks for talent.

[MG]

Meyer - Get him a ticket on the 'Escalona Express' or whatever they call the shuttle to Lehigh!

[MG]

O'Sullivan is listed officially at 240 and he looks chunkier than that even. More like 250+

Definitely Not in the running for 'Best Shape Ever' and you have to wonder why he wouldn't have come into camp in better shape being a minor league invite.

[Nonamephame (Founder of the Cody Asche fan club, no scout-lovers allowed)]

Can this team avg 3 RPG? WHERE IS THE PRODUCTION?!?!?!