Rockies vs. Phillies: Series open thread

Comments

[bay_area_phan]

Someone at Comcast has a sense of humor. Probably jw.

[Dragon]

Thank you for the new thread, Zombie Corpse, but if you have come here looking for brains to feast upon, you've come to the wrong place.

[GBrettfan]

Love the screen name! Thanks for a new thread.

[Curt]

Bap - google "how to create a blog.". Easy peasy, even for a moron.

[Fatalotti]

BAP, you should probably start by googling "how to google how to google how to create a blog".

Google can be tricky sometimes.

[bay_area_phan]

curt: I assume I could probably figure out how to create it. The harder part would be running it from day to day. For instance, I wouldn't have a clue how to trouble-shoot if the blog went down, and I certainly wouldn't know how to keep out the obnoxious or abusive posters whom I'd want to keep out.

[bay_area_phan]

Fat: I'd need to figure out how to Google "how to google how to google how to create a blog."

[Jake]

Reading the comments in the last thread, it would seem the Phillies just finished a 150 loss season and declared the end of the franchise.

[Jake]

BAP - www.bayareaphan.com is available

[GBrettfan]

What's with all the walks, KK?

[Unikruk]

So this is Bad Kendrick, right?

[Juums]

Per Matt Stairs, the home plate umpire has traditionally been a hitters' ump. Which gels with the eye test, as KK's not so much "bad" today as "not getting any close calls".

[bay_area_phan]

28 strikes, 20 balls, 3 walks, and a WP, and yet he has somehow thrown only 48 pitches through 3 innings.

[GBrettfan]

TV said Jimmy spent quite a lot of time signing autographs for veterans. I like to hear that kind of thing.

Now, let's get some runs!

[bay_area_phan]

It's still a very SSS, but Cesar has really looked terrible this year. For a guy who can only succeed if he hits for high average, he takes some of the ugliest looking swings I've ever seen.

[GBrettfan]

That Cliff Lee figurine has very big feet and looks nothing like Cliff.

The real Cliff Lee, beat writers are reporting, was evaluated by Phillies medical staff today. Not yet cleared to throw. (I was kind of surprised they were already looking at that; didn't expect him to be ready to throw yet.) Three days to next evaluation.

[GBrettfan]

A hit by Howard, a run scored by Utley!

[GBrettfan]

Wild pitch and Howard runs. Aggressive for someone as fleet of foot as he.

[bay_area_phan]

Here's where KK gives the lead right back.

[GBrettfan]

Some unusually heads-up play by Brown, running the bases so well. And very welcome.

[Curt]

Bap - so true about Cesar. He looks like he spent the winter at the Freddie Galvis school of hitting.

[GBrettfan]

Stairs on Cesar during his AB: "He needs to shorten his swing and put the ball in play."

Jamie Moyer on Cesar. post-AB: "He's hitting at the bottom of the order. Put the ball in play and try to advance the baserunner. Two at-bats in a row now, he's chased a breaking ball down and in. I don't think he could have hit that with a tennis racket."

[GBrettfan]

KK used to be a good bunter, didn't he? Stairs, Moyer, and the fans all displeased with that at-bat.

[GBrettfan]

Chris Branch ‏@ChrisBranchTNJ 5m
Kendrick whiffed on three straight bunt attempts. Good job, good effort.

Corey Seidman ‏@CoreySeidman 3m
We're 48 games into the season and Phillies pitchers have 7 sac bunts. So pretty much one successful sacrifice every 1.5 times thru rotation

[GBrettfan]

Nice IF hit by Revere, although I agree with Stairs and Moyer on running through rather than sliding and the dangers of sliding headfirst.

[Jake]

Kendrick hasn't been getting the call on his front-door cutter to LHBs all night. Its probably his best pitch to LHBs, hard to win without it.

[GBrettfan]

Big Piece!

[Curt]

Who is the mystery man wearing Howie's uni tonight?

[Juums]

Ryan Howard was clearly annoyed by just missing with that foul ball. So he decided to it properly and leave no question about it.

[Curt]

So this is the pitcher Rube was unwilling to trade Michael Young for. Rube is a genius.

[They Call Me The King Of The Bop]

So the Phillies could have had another guy who can throw 95 with little control and no other pitch?

[" Cesar Hernandez"]

Well im a 2B one day a CF'er the next. 3B the next now im a SS, and now im apparently LF and RF'er...Dam right my head and swing is messed up..But i be fine..im be a .285 MLB hitter..believe it..

[Curt]

Seems like a little bit of over managing here.

[Docjoe]

KK only 93 pitches and was to lead off in bot 7. Definitely over managing. If Adams has to bat who pitches 8th. Better get tulo.

[Juums]

Curt:
I think you're being a little unfair to RAJ. Kahnle was scouted as a hard-throwing guy with plus stuff and a sketchy ability to throw strikes. While his ERA and BAA are impressive, he's been good for a 4.07 FIP, 4.47 xFIP, and 4.34 SIERA if you look at his advanced metrics. Given the sample size of ~25 IP and his known concerns, it seems likely he's overperforming in a small sample size and will regress towards the mean eventually. (In his defense, though, his K/9 rate is lower than you'd expect for a guy with his stuff and MiLB performance, which can be expected to play-up in the future.)

Would Tommy Kahnle have himself a guaranteed MLB roster spot if we did have him? Probably. But given the offensive problems the team had last year, even a bat as league-average as Michael Young's couldn't be spared. While it can certainly be argued that, as they were doomed anyway, the trade should've been made. But I also think the organization deserves a little slack if there was an aversion to taking on another guy who profiles like Aumont. (Though Kahnle's got a higher floor and lower ceiling.)

[BobbyD]

Not to be randomly negitive during a good game, but I just noticed these numbers:

The Phillies bench:

Mayberry .200
Gwynn .194
Nix .154
Galvis .048
Brignac .200
Ruf .000
Hernandez .133

[clout]

Was out all day and, based on the BL posts, I assumed that Kendrick had given up 6 runs in 4 IP.

I know, I should know better by now.

[Curt]

Juurms - Rube passed up a guy who has a chance to pitch in this league for quite a while for another month of M. Young. If he did that because he thought the Phils had enough talent to win last year, his judgment is just that much worse

[clout]

BobbyD: The first 5 guys on your list can't hit, so the numbers fit. But Hernandez and Ruf can hit, so give it some time.

[bay_area_phan]

"Was out all day and, based on the BL posts, I assumed that Kendrick had given up 6 runs in 4 IP."

If you were out all day, then I guess that would mean you have no idea whether or not the comments were justified at the time.

[clout]

BAP: Your comments are never justified. They are as predictable and non-reality based as they always are.

[clout]

And I see another object of Moronocracy hatred, Ben Revere, is closing in on .300.

[Juums]

Hernandez has looked out of his depth today, but bad days happen to everyone. And Ruf's had all of 4 PA so far, so...yeah.

Also: For a weak-wristed guy who can't his a ball out of the infield, that was a rather well-struck liner by Revere.

[clout]

So, to review, the 3 most hated players of the Moronocracy, Revere, Howard and Kendrick, all had good games.

I predict a huge dropoff in posts.

[clout]

Nice job by Chase to spoil the LOOGY move.

[clout]

Wow, this is a REALLY bad day for the Moronocracy.

[Juums]

If we're tracking targets of Beerleaguer angst and/or hatred, Tony Gwynn Jr. also came in as a defensive substitute and worked that walk, Clout.

With that bit of baserunning by Chase Utley, I've determined that the person truly being honored this Memorial Day is Harry Kalas.

[bay_area_phan]

clout: Speaking of things which are non-reality based, that would be an apt description of your implication that today's thread is filled with statements about KK's bad pitching.

In reviewing the thread, I see all of 2 comments which are critical of KK's pitching. At 5:44, GBRettfan wrote, "What's with all the walks, KK?" At the exact same time, unikruk wrote, "So this is Bad Kendrick, right?" That's the entirety of it. And, at the time, KK had just walked his third batter of the game, even though we were only in the 3rd inning.

[Curt]

The saddest part of BL's demise will be the loss of clout's vociferous love for KK.

[GBrettfan]

Utley and Howard hitting the LH pitcher. Gotta love Utley, crossing home plate on Rollins' heels.

Revere and Howard having a great day (and Revere's been hitting the past few days), as well as Chase. This is big.

KK seemed to put a man on every inning, which I feared would eventually turn out badly, but he always got out of it unscathed. He did a nice job. I missed when he was pulled and am trying to figure out why he was pulled mid-innning.

Mayberry now! Glad I was able to watch today!

[Juums]

Well, the inning's had too many things going right, so we need something to complain about. Thanks for sending Mayberry to pinch-hit, Sandberg! Now we can argue about the logic of it when you've got Ruf sitting on the bench. As one of the few points of Beerleaguer consensus is that Ruf's a better hitter of LHP than Mayb--

...

And as I type this, Mayberry homers. You win this time, Sandberg. This time.

[bay_area_phan]

9 runs today means the over/under on runs by the Phillies tomorrow is 0.

[The Moronocracy]

This is the worst hitting Phillies team of the last 100 years.

Yours truly,

[GBrettfan]

To elaborate a bit on my "This is big" comment, our leadoff hitter getting on base and our cleanup hitter cleaning up is exactly what we want.

I do believe this lead is bullpen-proof. (Do I have to knock wood after saying that?)

[GBrettfan]

Corey Seidman ‏@CoreySeidman 26m
Today was the 54th time Kyle Kendrick has put at least 10 men on base, and the 1st time he's done it without allowing a run.

[Juums]

GBrettfan:
More like knocking on an entire forest. It'd be a spectacular rally to watch if our bullpen did blow this, though.

[clout]

BAP: You forgot this one, "Here's where KK gives the lead right back."

It was a post by one of the biggest haters on here.

[Juums]

BABIP luck turns the first good stroke Hernandez has put on a ball this game into an out. Alas.

[Dickie Thong]

Looks like Eskin is picking fights with Papelbon. Too funny.

http://www.philliedelphia.com/2014/05/report-jonathan-papelbon-and-howard-eskin-had-to-be-separated-in-phillies-locker-room.html

[clout]

curt: Not so much love of KK as exposing the bias of posters like you. But, then again, you are patient zero when it comes to being a moron. You thought the Abreu trade was a great deal for the Phillies. How's your man C.J. Henry doing?

I always wondered why you didn't hang out at the 700 level blog. You truly are one of the dimmest posters on here when it comes to baseball knowledge. BAP is wildly biased, but he knows something about the game.

[bay_area_phan]

"BAP: You forgot this one, "Here's where KK gives the lead right back."

That was a prediction. It wasn't a commentary on how he was pitching.

[clout]

Abreu hitting .289 with a .360 OB for the Mets. Glad we have Gwynn instead.

[Curt]

Dang, clout, I think you're trying to hurt my feelings after all of these years together. But I'll miss you too.

[GBrettfan]

Strange music cues on the game broadcast today.

[MG]

Abreu has really surprised me in how much he has hit so far. Issue though was they needed a backup legit CF and that meant Gwynn was going to get strong consideration for the Opening Day roster (that and he hit LH which Rube said we was looking for offseason).

[GBrettfan]

Congrats to KK on his first win since last August.

Last time out, he said that giving runs back had to stop. This time, he didn't give any runs up. Well done!

[PLM]

Crap they scored too many runs today..This means either tomorrow or if not the next game they be blanked...

[MG]

Would there be any difference in the quality of the broadcast between TMac and Zombie TMac?

[Conway Twitty]

JW's name has been removed from the last 5 threads. Maybe he isn't allowed to post under his own name anymore.
Also, no "jump to" on this one.

[GBrettfan]

No "jump to"? Darn, I love that feature.

[Jake]

Conway - Pretty sure he just changed his Typepad name, which automatically changes the name on all his Typepad posts.

[Account Deleted]

...On the other hand, I don't believe in saying "never." I wonder if the domain name "Moronocracy.com" is still available.

Posted by: bay_area_phan | Monday, May 26, 2014 at 04:37 PM

Used To Rule The World

Doctor Feelgood
Sleepin’ on a concrete bench
Can I get a witness?
Miss South Carolina 1975,
Somebody stole your crown.
You were sleeping
In your happy home,
When you woke up baby,
Your life had come and gone.
Now you’re mystified,
Standing with the rest of us
Who used to rule the world.

Brother Lovejoy
Rappin’ up a blue streak
Can I get a witness?
Miss Hurricane can’t
Keep your hands still
Long enough to count your change.
You were wrapped up
In your daily grind,
The cost of living
It didn’t even cross your mind.
Now you’re mystified,
Standing with the rest of us
Who used to rule the world.

Mr. Blueprint
Used to have it figured out
Now you can’t find your car.
Miss Cocktaill dress
Standing at the bathroom sink
Looking for a back way out.
You can’t believe your very eyes.
Everything that you were counting on
Was nothing but a pack of lies.
Now you’re mystified,
Standing with the rest of us
Who used to rule the world.

Now you’re mystified,
Standing with the rest of us
Who used to rule, used to rule, used to rule the world.

Just do it. What's stopping you?

I can't imagine the tension arising from "clout" as gadfly on a b_a_p-authored blog.

[bay_area_phan]

Believe it or not, the Dodgers have another no-no going. Ryu is perfect through 7.

[Fatalotti]

Thanks BAP, I just turned on the game.

[Fatalotti]

Should have stayed away.

["Chooch"]

Havent been doing much lately anyone noticed?

[Bubba]

A good day.
Phillies play god baseball & win.
KK has a lot of baserunners but gives up no runs. Remember years back , when he always seemed to pick up the W, even when he wasn't on top of his game?

And BeerLeaguer survives to see another day!

Life is good.

[Reality]

Why don't you start a website rally red? You could say inane things with no bearing on anything.

Maybe as a companion site to zoo with Roy you could create "Cookies for Cole" or anything else based off the various idiotic things you have said on here over the years

[Dragon]

The 2014 Phillies have my nomination for The World's Most Infuriatingly Bipolar Team. Every time they look moribund, lost, lackadaisical and ready to be buried for good, they come up with a 9-0 clobbering of the next team on the schedule, and a pretty good one at that.

[PLM]

I dont see it that way Dragon. Up to this point theyve been subpar. Just about all subbar teams will occasionally trump another team on a giving day. Even the Sixers beat the Heat twice this season. I dont believe this current squad is capable of long winning stretches. If things dont turn around soon....

[WSJ]

Yesterday Howard said they just need to get on a run and they'll be right back in it. To me, this is not the sign of a good team, but of a desperate one. Kind of like a gambler who is down a few thousaind dollars, but keeps saying how he just needs a good streak and he'll be back to breakeven. It's not as bad as the putrid late '90s, but it's bad, and a far cry from the good years.

[WSJ]

So on that note, here is something more positive, an article about Carlos Ruiz funding a rescue of his friends lost at sea. You can't make this up, and another reason to love Chooch.

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/good-sports/201405/carlos-ruiz-panama-gulf-chiriqui-boat-capsize-rescue-mlb-phillies

[bittel]

On Memorial Day, we take stock: what direction from here for the remainder of season?

Revere stays at same production level
Rollins declines slightly
Utley declines significantly
Howard improves slightly
Byrd - no idea. Probably declines
Brown/Ruf improves dramatically
Chooch stays same
8th hole improves slightly

Bench improves slightly

Starting pitching - all hinges on Lee. Stays the same

Bullpen - can it possibly decline? I still stay improves dramatically

Verdict: 80-82, with (very) fringe contention through mid September

[NEPP]

Verdict: 80-82, with (very) fringe contention through mid September
***************************

Yup, I stand by my 80-82 pre-season prediction.

[Jack]

The Phillies are pretty lucky to only be 22-26, and even Amaro is likely to see the writing on the wall and make some trades at the deadline (though I doubt he'll get himself to pull the trigger on Lee, even if Lee comes back healthy and effective).

I think 80-82 is really optimistc. I think I said 71 wins before the season (something around there at least), and that sounds about right still.

[clout]

If Cliff Lee misses any significant time, there's no way that can finish 80-82. Keep in mind this pitching staff is 14th out of 15 WITH Lee.

[bay_area_phan]

Straight from RAJ's mouth: "I don’t know if we’ll completely ‘sell’ ever. We can revamp, but we can’t completely sell out. We have to have a contending team in 2015 or ’16 — or at least a competitive team.”

Translation: even as we go through our 3rd straight bad season, there's no way I'm selling when I'm heading into the final year of my contract. Even if RAJ were competent, his lame duck status would be reason, in and of itself, to can him. His contract status compromises his ability to do what's best for the team.

[GBrettfan]

WSJ, great story about Chooch's friends' rescue. Good man, Chooch.

* * *

Ryan Howard is right, they just need to go on a tear. But are they capable of doing so? It doesn't seem so. Especially not without Cliff Lee. Even with Lee, it would be a surprise. But hey, go for it, Howard and the rest of the team. Howard having more days like yesterday would be a big help.

[GBrettfan]

BAP - Is a sub-.500 team what RAJ considers competitive, much less contending?

[bay_area_phan]

GBrett: Note how he subtly lowered the bar in mid-sentence. For several years, he has been saying that the Phillies expect to contend every year. He got so used to saying it that he started to say it again. Then he corrected himself and said that, if they can't contend, they at least want to be "competitive."

And, as you picked up on, it's an adjective that can mean whatever the speaker wants it to mean. I mean, the Astros' GM could say, "Sure, we lost 111 games last year, but I feel good about our team because we really hung in there in most of those games. We obviously have a long ways to go, but we were at least competitive."

[Jack]

I love how Amaro keeps saying how they "have to have a competitive team" and won't rebuild.

Well you don't have a competitive team right now. So what exactly are you doing? The "never rebuild" theory would have just a little more power if there was any chance at the team being good. But they won 73 games last year and are on pace to be worse this year. They already have the bad team. Might as well try and start doing something about fixing that.

[Dickie Thong]

Red Sox reportedly seeking a center fielder. Revere anyone?

[NEPP]

Red Sox reportedly seeking a center fielder. Revere anyone?
****************

How would that solve their CF needs exactly?

They said CF, not "4th OF"

[Juums]

Like a lot of what RAJ says, there's nothing objectionable about his statements re: contending in 2015 and 2016 in the abstract. One might even say he's preaching some hard-won wisdom, as the ultimate lesson of the first Pence trade is that there will always be a tomorrow for your franchise to consider. And his point about never completely selling is also well-taken, because there're some guys who you don't move due to roster construction considerations. (E.g. Chase Utley, as you're not going to replace his bat with how this 40-man is built.)

But, as otherwise applied to the facts? You've got to wonder just what RAJ's thinking he's going to compete with, because he's gotten just about all he could ever hope for from his core this year. That the young talent and role players so far haven't stepped up and carried the weight they need to for the team to contend is sad, but it's even sadder to think the stars will align to let you have a mulligan again next year or the year after.

[WSJ]

GBrett, thanks. Some athletes become desensitized to their roots because of the millons of dollars they make, but it's good to see that's not always the case!

I'm staying with 74 wins for the year. I realize Hamels was injured early, and Lee is injured now, but for the most part so far the Phillies have avoided major injuries to Utley, Rollins, Howard, Ruiz, Brown, Byrd, and Revere. Yet, they are 22-26. If Lee misses time and or one of the aforementined ends up on the IR for a few weeks, it's kind of easy to see them slipping to 7 or 8 games under .500, putting them comfortably out of contention. It could be hard for RAJ to sell people on his view then.

[WSJ]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/lee-not-rushing-return-phillies-145300750--mlb.html

"It's a real small spot right on the edge of the bone where the flexor tendon attaches. When I have to turn (my arm) I can feel it. No sense in rushing it."

"They did a couple tests and I can still feel it a little bit. They decided to have me wait and when I have no symptoms, I'll start throwing. I pretty much agreed with that, it makes sense. There's no sense in throwing if I can still feel it doing some of the tests they had me do."

It sounds like he is not in any hurry to get back.

[clout]

WSJ: What that essentially means is that he has a microtear in his flexor tendon where it attaches to the bone.

[NEPP]

Oh, he's fine then...nothing to worry about.

[Jack]

Hey, remember when everyone said "it's useless to trade Lee for prospects--Lee is a sure thing ace while prospects may never contribute anything"?

Who knew that 35-year old pitchers could get hurt? Certainly not the Phillies. They've had no recent experience whatsoever with an ace pitcher who suddenly loses it at that age due to physical issues.

The idea that any player is a "sure thing" is absurd, and should be remembered when people talk about trading veterans for young players. Veterans are NOT "sure things." Their risk profile may be lower (in some cases, but definitely not all), but it is not zero.

I advocated at the time and continue to advocate that they should have traded Lee last year at the deadline or this past offseason. The longer they held on to him, the longer they were taking the risk of being stuck with an injured/declining pitcher, and the smaller return they are going to get on him when they inevitably do trade him.

[bullit]

do microtears heal themselves with inactivity?