Mr. September vs. Father Time

The Phillies lost 5-0 to MLB's worst team Saturday night.  The Fightin' won 7-straight before dropping 2-of-3 in Houston.  Never-the-less, they remain just 3 games out of the final playoff spot, but with little time left to close that gap. 

"Tonight was unreal," said frustrated manager Charlie Manuel, after his team went 0 for 10 with men in scoring position and stranded 12 baserunners. "We have to keep playing. We've got to play better. They outplayed us."

The Phillies have 16 games left in their regular season.  16 games to determine if they are playoff caliber.  All that must start Sunday when 'Doc', a shadow of himself for most of 2012, takes the mound to show the baseball world what he has left in the tank this year and perhaps beyond.


Halladay struggled in his last outing on 9/11/12

Halladay (10-7, 4.01 ERA), has won 4 consecutive decisions and is 2-1 with a 1.16 ERA and 2 complete games in 4 starts against the Astros.

However, he struggled his last time out, allowing 7 hits, 3 BB and 5 runs in 6 1/3.

The Phillies will need Halladay to step up Sunday, as they desperately must salvage a split in Houston in a series they ought to have swept.

Meanwhile, 'Mr. September' Ryan Howard seemed poised to live up to his name after returning from Achilles heel surgery in July to post a promising August: .255 Ave., 6 HR, 25 RBI.

However, when his team needs him most, he is presently mired in an ugly month: .189 Ave., 0 HR, 10 RBI

If this keeps up, Manuel should replace him at cleanup with Ruiz, who hit there earlier this year with Howard out after surgery.  Ruiz is 4-for-11 with 3 runs scored in 5 games since coming off the disabled list and is hitting a whopping .336 for the year with a team-best .556 slugging % (Howard's is a paltry .411).


Howard could be a difference maker in this year's playoff chase.

Friday, Howard went 2-for-4 with 3 RBI, offering hope that he may have September magic yet-to-come.  Here's a look at Howard's Septembers past, which earned him the title 'Mr. September':

2005: .278 10 HR, 22 RBI
2006: .387 9 HR, 20 RBI
2007: .260 11 HR, 26 RBI
2008: .352 11 HR, 32 RBI
2009: .288 6 HR, 27 RBI
2010: .280 7 HR, 21 RBI
2011: .290 4 HR 13 RBI


The teams ahead of the Phils in the Wild Card Standings are largely struggling mightily, while the Phillies have been one of the hottest teams in baseball over the past few weeks.

Dodgers' Cy Young defender "out indefinitely."

DODGERS: Despite tying for the Wild Card lead, they are reeling at 3-7 in their last 10 and just announced reigning Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw is likely to miss the remainder of the season due to inflammation in his right hip.

It's a huge blow to a team left with Josh Beckett (6-13, 4.94 ERA) now fronting their rotation.  They also lack chemistry after a recent LA-style team face lift.  Add to their misery that they will have to play, largely on the road, 10 of their remaining 16 games against the NL's #1-3 & #5 best teams, and the Dodgers are beginning to look like a playoff long shot, even though if the season ended today they'd be in.

ST. LOUIS: Tied for Wild Card lead, but dropping faster than lead from a plane.  The defending Champs Wild Card lead has evaporated amidst a titanic team slide, 2-8 in their last 10.  They do have the talent and experience to turn it around fast, though.  However, they will face the #1, #2 and #5 NL teams in 7 of their remaining 16 games. 

PITTSBURGH: 2 games out in the Wild Card standings.  3-11 in last 14 games and must battle top teams in 9 of final 18 games.  Plus, they're the Pirates, so enough said.

MILWAUKEE: 2 1/2 games out in the Wild Card standings.  Enjoying a very impressive 19-6 run with a remaining schedule consisting of 10 top teams in 16 games.  However, 3 of those games are vs. the incredibly shrinking Pirates.  This should be Milwaukee's year.

PHILLIES: 3 games out in the Wild Card standings.  The Phils are on a 16-6 and 8-2 hot streak, which is next to best in baseball, behind Milwaukee.  The Phils will play 9 games against 2 of the NL's best teams, playoff bound #1 Washington and #2 Atlanta.  The Phils are a dismal 5-10 vs. Atlanta this year, but a hopeful 7-5 against Washington.  It remains to be seen whether their hot streak is a mirage, promising a better 2013 or a serious run this year.  The present series against Houston has already been a troublesome hiccup.  They will need to win Sunday and charge full-steam ahead straight through the Mets in NY Mon.-Wed. in order to stake a claim on the 2012 playoffs.

Next up:

Sunday, 2:05 EST

Philadelphia: Halladay (10-7, 4.01 ERA)
vs.
Houston: Lyles (4-11, 5.33 ERA)

Phillies Building a Miracle



Kendrick is 7-2 with a 2.08 ERA since June.


Monday, Kyle Kendrick struck out a career-high 8 and took a no-hitter into the 6th inning vs. Miami as the Phillies continued their relentless run at an unlikely playoff spot.

It's official.  After completing their 5th-straight win Monday, their 8th in 10 games, the Phils are the hottest team in the NL and the 2nd-hottest in baseball (after the LA Angels: 9-1, 6-straight wins).

With the Reds beating Pittsburgh 4-3 in 14 innings and St. Louis stumbling to the lowly Padres 11-3 Monday, the Phils moved to within 2 1/2 games of the Pirates and 5 back of St. Louis for the Wild Card with 21 games remaining.

St. Louis, the team presently holding the 2nd and final NL WC playoff spot is now an underwhelming 4-9 in their last 13, while Pittsburgh, barely leading the Phils in the Wild Card standings, is 2-8 in their last 10 and has lost 14-of-19.

Meanwhile, MLB and NL East-leading Washington is only fairly good at 10-8 in their last 18.  Plus, they just shut down arguably their biggest weapon, starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg, for the remainder of the season.  That decision has brought inner-conflict to the team, but was determined before the season to keep his innings-pitched to a specific number as this is his return season from Tommy John surgery.

Tuesday, Wild Card hopefuls Arizona and the Dodgers battle eachother, while the immediate team the Phils must pass in the Wild Card standings, Pittsburgh, faces the 1st place Reds.  Meanwhile, Wild Card hopefuls Milwaukee, tied with the Phils in wins-losses, take on Wild Card leaders Atlanta.

All of this is good for the Phils, whose hair-raising timing in getting hot in August and September, may just amount to something yet.

The 3rd-place Phils are now 33-21 in the 2nd-half and have won 13-of -17.

Remembering that this year's team lost 11-of-12 from June 27th-July 13th puts that into perspective.



Kendrick has been a revelation, leading all pitchers.
.

 Kyle Kendrick-- of all people, the player most likely to produce a groan from Phils fans over the past 4 seasons-- has been an instrumental part of that success.

"We definitely know where we're at," Kendrick said. "We've got to win every night. But we're in the hunt. That's fun. Hopefully we can make something happen."

However, Dominic Brown, who homered in the 5th to put the Phils on the board to stay, disagreed:

"I don't think anybody's looking at the standings," he said.

Meanwhile, Manager Charlie Manuel predicted the Phillies would have to win 14 or 15 games over the final 21 to make the playoffs.

"We might win all 21 of them," he said, offering one of the few smiles he's had all season. 

Why not smile?  The Phils are playing with house money like it was 2006.

That year, they dumped salary at the trade deadline, acknowledging they could no longer compete-- for now.  Then, the team went on to record the majors best 2nd-half record, only to miss the playoffs on the season's final couple days by 3 games, while finishing with 2 more wins than NL Central victors, St. Louis.

The 2012 Phils, heavily favored and by no one's measure underdogs, are mounting a similar run.

"I think for a lot of the season many of the teams have counted us out," All-Star closer Jonathan Papelbon said. "For a while there we were playing spoiler, and then spoiler kind of dominoed into now-we-have-a-shot. I think we have to get to .500 first."

While they have not overwhelmed anyone all year, at 70-71 they are nearly back to .500 for the 1st time since they were 28-28 on June 4th.

What does all this really mean?

Either that they are proving themselves contenders for next year or that the Phils might make the playoffs in a fashion unprecedented in team history and with a rotation that could compete with anyone, if healthy, come October.

Either way, 28 year-old Kendrick is officially reborn. 

He is now 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA in September, after going a team-best 4-1 with a 2.95 ERA in August.  Add to that his July, 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in relief, and Kendrick is 7-2 with a 2.08 ERA since June.  He is also 5-1 with a 1.49 ERA in his last 6 starts.

That's best on the starter-studded rotation, better than Halladay, Lee and even All-Star Hamels.

Kendrick is making $3 million this year.  Halladay $20 million, Lee $21.5 million and Hamels $15 million.

Nate Schierholtz celebrates his walk-off single Friday.



 Whether the Phils make the '12 playoffs or not, they have officially picked themselves up off the floor and dusted themselves off for a run in 2013, reminding fans and themselves that there can still be winning baseball to celebrate in Philadelphia.

"I see more life, more get-up and go," Manuel said of the recent transformation of his players.

"It's fun to watch, and I think that's what we really need to stick to . . . just going out there and doing what we can do and win ball games," Cole Hamels said yesterday.

1B/LF Darin Ruf was called up Monday after he led all minor leaguers with 38 home runs for Double-A Reading, hitting a HR every 12.86 times at-bat this season.



Darrin Ruf is Phils All-Time single-month HR champ.

 "I like seeing his swing on television because he has a very controlled, short compact swing," Charlie Manuel said. "Powerful swing. The way the ball came off his bat, he had a good load and a good hitting position. From a mechanics standpoint, I liked what I saw from him."

"He's had an extraordinary year," Manuel said. "Ruf is trying to hit his way to the big leagues. That's what it used to be like. You had to do something to get to the big leagues. Evidently, Ruf is an old throwback."


1B/LF Darin "Babe" Ruf.

 "Charlie Manuel said he wants to get me in there, see what I can do,” Ruf said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

This season, Ruf shattered Ryan Howard's club record for most HRs in a month at any professional level with 20 in August for Reading and set the HR and RBI single-season Reading Phils record.

In 2012, Ruf earned the nickname "Babe," while being named the Phillies Minor League Player of the Year, Eastern League MVP and Rookie of the Year by hitting .317/.408/.620 with 32 doubles, 38 HRs and 104 RBIs and a 1.028 OPS in the regular season and led the R-Phils into the Eastern League Playoffs as a Wild Card.  Ruf hit his 39th HR Sunday in the R-Phils' 5-4 playoff loss to Trenton.

Next up:

Tuesday, September 11th

7:05 PM ET @ Citizens Bank Park

Marlins 

Nathan Eovaldi (4-11, 4.44)

vs.

Phillies

Roy Halladay (9-7, 3.87 ERA)

Phils Winning Early-- For Next Year

$21.5 million man wins 1st game at home

As if epitomizing the phrase 'Too Little, Too Late' the Phillies won 3-straight at home vs. Washington, sweeping their weekend series with the MLB-best Nationals.

The Phils have now won 7-out-of-9, 10 out-of-15 and are 24-17 in the 2nd-half.

Heck, Cliff Lee (3-7) even won his 1st home game of the season Sunday!

Hard-luck Lee has shown master control in his past 10 games with 67 strikeouts to only 6 walks (his ratio is #1 in MLB this year), while posting an ERA just above 3 since June.  Lee seeks to become the only human being in the world making $21.5 million this year simultaneously deserving of a great big pity-party.

Meanwhile, 'Doc' Halladay is 4-1 with a 2.75 ERA, 29 S.O. and 4 BB in August.

"Thank you for your strikeout contribution."

Kyle Kendrick-- of all people-- went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA out of the bullpen in July, then 3-1 with a 3.10 ERA and consecutive shutouts (13 S.O. to 1 BB in that stretch) as a starter in August.

Kendrick is so happy with his pitches of late, that he has taken to hugging opposing batters, just for striking out against him [see photo., left].

'12 All-Star Cole Hamels is 3-1 with a 1.86 ERA in August.

In other words, if the season had started in August, the 15-10 Phils would be in 2nd place, 1 game behind the 16-9 Nationals.

Instead, the 61-67 Phillies are 10 GB of the Wild Card with 34 Games remaining.  The silver lining is that they finally appear to be laying the foundation for a successful 2013.

However, the NL is not the cakewalk it once was.  Can these aging Phillies compete against the superstar-studded L.A. "Yankees West" Dodgers for the NL title in '13?  There will also be Young Guns Washington, a Veteran St. Louis club, Dogfightin' S.F. and hard-hitting Cincinnati to contend with.

Hunter Pence is hitting .214 with 29 S.O. and 6 BB in his 1st month as a Giants player, making the Phillies look good for trading him and freeing up salary to spend in free agency on a more complete outfielder.  However, Pence still leads the '12 Phils in 5 of the 6 top offensive categories with a .271 Ave., 17 HR, 59 RBI, .336 OBP & .784 OPS, all team-leading a month after his departure.

Ryan Howard returned July 6th and is hitting .245 with 8 HR and 25 RBI.

Chase Utley came back June 27th and is hitting .249 with 8 HR and 25 RBI, nearly identical numbers to Howard's.

The big difference between them is the quality of their at-bats.  Howard has  61 S.O. and 17 BB, while Utley has 27 S.O. and 25 BB.

Hamels' son: cute, but can he play RF?

Next up for the Phils, an NL East rival visits Philly:

METS (59-69, 4th place) vs. PHILLIES (61-67, 3rd place)

Tuesday: RHP Chris Young (3-7, 4.33) vs. RHP Vance Worley (6-9, 4.06), 7:05 p.m. ET

Tale-of-the-tape: Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard are a combined 4-for-29 (.138) with 8 strikeouts in their careers vs. Mets pitcher Chris Young.

Wednesday: RHP Matt Harvey (2-3, 2.75) vs. LHP Cole Hamels (14-6, 2.99), 7:05 p.m. ET 

Tale-of-the-tape: Hamels (14-6, 2.99 ERA) is still motivated this year, pitching for his 1st CY Young, but faces stiff competition, including the Mets' R.A. Dickey (16-4, 2.76 ERA), Cincinnati's Johnny Cueto (16-6, 2.47 ERA) and  Washington's Stephen Strasburg (15-5, 2.85 ERA).

Kendrick has proven he can pitch in the rain, but not against the Mets.

Thursday: LHP Jon Niese (10-7, 3.51) vs. RHP Kyle Kendrick (7-9, 4.12), 1:05 p.m. ET 

Tale-of-the-tape: Niese is 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA in 4 games vs. the Phillies this year.  The Phillies are hitting just .161 against him.  Kendrick, meanwhile, is 0-1 with a 19.29 ERA vs. the Mets in 2 1/3 innings in '12 with 4 BB and 0 S.O.  The Mets are hitting .455 against him.

Bottom line: This is a battle between 2 teams that have a long, cold Fall awaiting them in a few weeks, while they assess the value of their players and their off-season needs between now and then.

Dodgers Claim Lee, Acquire Blanton

'Trading me AGAIN?!'

The Dodgers put a claim on Clifton Phifer Lee before the Phillies pulled back the offer for the left-hander.

Lee was made available prior to Tuesday's non-waiver trade deadline by the Phillies, who were looking for a big package in return.

But Philadelphia then took Lee off the market.

The Phillies can pull Lee off waivers (they would be unable to waive him again this season), they can pull him off and work out a trade with the Dodgers (this would require eating a chunk of his salary), or they can just let him go (unlikely, but cost-free).

The Phils acquired Lee at the '09 trade deadline and rode him through a sensational postseason all the way to the World Series, then traded him after the season to Seattle.  Lee went to the Rangers a few weeks before the '10 trade deadline and helped the club reach its first World Series. Then, before the '11 season, Lee turned down bigger offers to sign with the Phils as a free agent for 5 years and $120 million.  He went a phenomenal 17-8 with a 2.40 ERA for the Phils in '11.

Lee, the AL Cy Young Award winner in 2008, is 2-6 with a 3.73 ERA for the Phillies this season.

Amaro Jr. & co. must be very mad at him, because moving Lee is illogical.  First of all, they would likely eat a chunk of his massive salary.  Secondly, it is improbable they could find a better pitcher on the open market or that Lee's woes will continue.  His ERA is much better than his win record, his run support has been horrendous and he went 2-1 with a 2.75 ERA in July.

It is common for major-league clubs to put players on waivers, especially those with hefty contracts, after the trade deadline. If a player is claimed, the team can either work out a trade with that club or pull the player back, which the Phillies did with Lee.

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. would not confirm that Lee was claimed, but told reporters that he "is not going anywhere." On the other hand, they've said that before-- then traded him and are now hearing offers.

Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti wouldn't comment when asked Friday if the team put a claim in on Lee.

The Dodgers also submitted a claim, then acquired Phillies right-hander Joe Blanton on Friday.

'If you can't beat 'em, join 'em'. The Phils knocked the Dodgers out of the playoffs in the '08 and '09 NLCS.  Now, the Dodgers have former Phils Victorino and Blanton after a busy week, and are seeking more. 

Philadelphia will get a minor league player-to-be-named later or cash for Blanton, who went 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA for the Phils in the '08 World Series.

2-0 with a 3.18 ERA in the '08 World Series

Blanton joined the Phillies in 2008 and was part of the team's World Series squad. He hopes to be the same good luck charm for L.A., where he joins teammate Shane Victorino on the Dodgers.
  

"It was a little bit of a shock, especially since the trade deadline had passed," Blanton said. "But when you're in trade rumors, you've got to be ready to do whatever. And I was happy if I stayed. At the same time, it will be a new thing, a new adventure to go. And that's always fun."
 

The 31-year-old Blanton is 8-9 with a 4.59 ERA in 20 starts and one relief appearance. He is making $8.5 million and, like Victorino, can become a free agent after the season. While the cost-cutting Phillies are preparing for 2013, the Dodgers entered Friday a half-game behind San Francisco in the NL West.

Blanton bolsters a rotation that includes reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw, who has been less than that this year: 8-6, 2.95 ERA, but could turn it on at any time.

"You play for the postseason and a chance to go to the World Series. And they're in a good position," Blanton said. "They have a very good team over there. Pitching against them, I know how good their lineup is. They're in a good position right now. So that's always exciting. They're fighting to win out there, and that's always exciting to be a part of."

To fill the roster spot, the Phillies recalled right-hander B.J. Rosenberg from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Kyle Kendrick was to start against Arizona in Blanton's place Friday night.

 

Blanton came to Philadelphia after a trade with Oakland in July 2008, and helped the Phillies win their second World Series title. He earned a victory in Game 4 against Tampa Bay and even hit a three-run HR.

 "I remember the parade, going down Broad Street and all the fans everywhere," Blanton said. "Just the thrill of being able to come to such a baseball city. The fans have been unbelievable the whole time I've been here. I've had an amazing time here."

'What are the Phillies thinking?!'

Blanton was 34-25 with a 4.47 ERA in 100 starts and five relief appearances with the Phillies. Since 2008, Blanton has the fourth-best winning record among all major-league starters after the All-Star break at 17-6.

He's 38-20 with a 3.83 ERA in 99 games (91 starts) after the break in his career. Overall, Blanton is 81-71 with a 4.25 ERA in nine seasons. He's 2-0 with a 4.02 ERA in 10 postseason games, including six starts.

The five-time defending NL East champion Phillies have been stuck in last place since June and are dumping salaries. They've trimmed enough off their payroll to avoid having to pay the luxury tax this year.

After missing out on Ryan Dempster at the deadline, the Dodgers' brass was insistent it wasn't done dealing. In fact, new controlling owner Mark Walter openly hinted at that idea.

"Do you really ever want to say we did enough?" Walter said. "That's not an attitude I really want a lot of around here. I guess if the entire All-Star team is on your team, you could feel like you had enough. But I don't want to think that way. That's now how you want to look at it.

"I think we are a very competitive team now. But you can always get better." 

The Phillies are done being competitive this season.  They now officially look to the off-season to begin heavily competing on the open market of free agency.

Flyin' HI No More: Goodbye #8

The Flyin' Hawaiian is gone.  In a season of misery and disappointment, peppered with dashed hopes and gutless performances, the front office cut off one of the team's limbs.

It's being termed "The End of An Era," but its much more than that.  It's goodbye to a friend.

As one fan put it, "I can't watch them anymore, I can't.  I care about the team because I care about the players.  If they trade the players, I stop caring."

Shane Victorino was one of the most popular players on the Phillies. He was beloved by fans and was very active in Philadelphia charities.

He recorded 3 Gold Gloves in CF and was twice voted into the All-Star game by fans, who love his spirit and his spitfire intensity.

However, the Phillies weren't going to give him the long-term deal he'll seek in free agency.  So, pragmatically, they took advantage of the short-term opportunity for some return on his imminent departure.

Teammate Jimmy Rollins responded to the trade on Twitter:

"Wishing my Lil Hawaiian brother all the best & continued success. Although he is no longer rockin' the P he has definitely left his mark!"

I was there in 2008, when the most dramatic moment of the NLCS  was 1 at-bat by the Flyin' Hawaiian.  The Phils had a 2-0 series lead, but were playing their 1st in L.A.  The Dodgers pummeled Jamie Moyer early with 6 runs in 1 1/3 innings.  Then, Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda sailed a pitch over Victorino's head as payback for Brett Myers' close shaves in Game 2.  Everybody knew payback was due, but Victorino took offense that it came at his head.  With his typical fire, he protested with vivid animation:

"Not at my head, bro!"

I took these pictures of the bench-clearer at the '08 NLCS in L.A.

What followed was an unforgettable, electric benches-clearing confrontation between the Phils and Dodgers.  Today, one journalist deemed it one of baseball's best-ever pitcher-batter showdowns.  Forever forward, Victorino has been vehemently booed in Los Angeles.  This was true that night and the final game he played in L.A. as a Phil.  I was there for the game in October '08 and the one in July '12.

Ironically, Victorino returns to the Dodgers, a team he is hitting .346 against in 2012.

The irony is manifold:

1) The Dodgers cast Victorino off when he was their property in the minor leagues, after they had selected him 194th overall in the 6th round of the '99 draft. The Phils rescued him from the trash heap of 'could've-been', convinced him he that had major league talent and propelled him to the starting role, replacing then-fan favorite Aaron Rowand with #8.  Now, the Dodgers take him back, officially admitting their error in judgement.

2) This is the team Victorino and co. stopped short of the World Series in '08 and '09, 8-games-to-2. Now, the Dodgers are on their way up, while the Phils will either retool for another run or have begun a rebuilding phase with this move.

3) These are the fans that love to hate him, inexplicably, because a) Kuroda threw at his head and b) he is practically impossible not to like.

I remember watching the 2008 NLDS Game 2 vs. Milwaukee at my sister-in-law's house.

C.C. Sabathia was en route to the biggest contract a pitcher has ever signed with the Yankees.  However, then, he was still the best thing the Brewers had.  He was their 'X' factor.  They had famously thrown him on 3-days rest repeatedly to reach the postseason as the Wild Card, and he had just as famously delivered.  Superstar Sabathia, 6'7" 290-pound, was Goliath vs. 5'9" 190-pound ordinary major-leaguer Shane Victorino.

Victorino came up with the bases loaded and hit a grand-slam.  I, like so many Phillies fans, jumped for joy, hope swelling within my heart.  My dad suffered constant heartbreak with his beloved team.  This was the initiation of something else, something opposite, and it was signaled by that one Victorino swing:

"When I first hit it, I said, 'I've got to get going,' " Victorino said that October day. "As I was running, I looked at [leftfielder Ryan] Braun stop and I was like, 'Wow, did that really just happen?' There was just excitement in the air to know we got an early lead on a guy like CC."

Shane, wife and child at Victorino Foundation charity 6/12.

It was then that I knew 2008 was destiny.  I made my travel plans for Philly and attended the final game of the World Series, watching the Phils win it all, fulfilling a lifelong dream.  The green light to my unforgettable journey that Fall was the Grand Slam at-bat by #8.  I will miss him, the city will miss him, its charities will miss him, his teammates will miss him, and he will always be a Phillies player in our hearts.

Ryan Howard reflected: "As a teammate, you are going to miss him, hearing that voice from across the room. You want the best for him."

"He's been part of everything we've accomplished around here," said his manager Charlie Manuel.

The switch-hitting Victorino batted .279 with 181 doubles, 63 triples, 88 home runs, 390 RBIs and 179 stolen bases in eight years with the Phillies. In 46 postseason games, Victorino hit .269 with six homers and 30 RBIs.

With Victorino a free agent at the end of this season, one can't help but imagine he and the Phils considering reuniting.  To quote a classic movie:  "Come back, Shane!"  Although it is a practical impossibility, it did happen with the Phils and Cliff Lee.  So, who knows?  

Hunter Pence

Trading Pence was about salary dumping, because the Phils are instantly worse without him.  His contract is for $10.4 million this season and exceeds $13 million in 2013. Pence is hitting .271 with 17 homers and 59 RBIs this season. He leads the Phillies in hits, HRs, RBIs, runs scored and walks.

Hunter Pence: going, going... gone.

"Thank you Philadelphia for all your support and passion. Excited to see what awaits me in San Francisco!" Pence wrote on Twitter.

However, his true reaction was much less glossy:

"Very surprising," Pence said with a glazed look in his eyes. "I don't think anyone anticipated the season that has gone on this year. It was a perfect storm of injuries and things that didn't go right for us. That's the business of the game and you have to understand that. We had a great run and now I've been sent on."

"I had nothing but great memories here in Philadelphia," he said. "I am nothing but thankful for the opportunity to play -- unbelievable teammates and really the organization is a class act all the way from the top down. The fans made it an absolute blast to play for, so it was a great experience."

The moves restocked some of the Phils depleted farm system and addressed the immediate and gaping bullpen hole.   They saved almost $6 million in 2 hours and cleared the luxury tax limit for this season by minutes. 

Furthermore, GM Amaro Jr. made plain his intent to replace the departed outfielders from outside the organization with off-season free agent acquisitions:

"Maybe more than one," Amaro said.

What the Phils Got From S.F. for Pence

The Giants' #2 prospect, catcher Tommy Joseph, now the Phils top position-player prospect.  Plus, mediocre RF Nate Schierholtz (.257, 8 HR) and single-A power right-handed pitcher Seth Rosin.

What the Phils Got From L.A. for Victorino

25-year-old righthanded Relief Pitcher Josh Lindblom (3.02 ERA), double-A right-handed starter Ethan Martin*, and a player to be named or cash.

"We have some holes to fill and some things to improve on, obviously," Amaro said. "I think this gives us a better chance to do that."

*ScoutingBook.com:
"Recent results notwithstanding, the powerful, savvy right-hander still looks a lot like the Giants' young Tim Lincecum, with a usually-straight fastball and a nasty hard slider coming from a compact frame. He's still not very close to ready, and really needs to get his walks under control, but when he does add some experience to his talent, he could be yet another in a long string of powerful arms that came out of the Dodgers system."

Phillies Expected To Begin Trades

Amaro Jr. and Manuel, happier days.

What a difference a day makes. Or, in this case, 3.  When they woke up on Friday, July 27th, 3 days ago, the Phillies had just won 4-straight and 8-out-of-11.  They had momentum and appeared to be beginning a 2nd-half run at competing for a 6th-straight postseason birth.

They proceeded to fall flat on their faces by losing all 3 games in Atlanta during a Lost Weekend of agony and defeat, appearing more like the franchise which has lost a record 10,000+ professional games than its very recent incarnation of perennially winning baseball.

From 2007-2011 the Phillies spoiled its fans, many of whom jumped on during that span, with 5-straight division titles, 2 World Series appearances, a World Championship to equal the 1 the organization acquired in its preceding 127 years and the best season a Phillies teams had ever had (102 wins in 2011).

July 27th-29th, Ryan Howard assumed his recent playoff composure in the crucial series in Atlanta that nailed the coffin shut on the Phillies' season.  Howard struck out 8 times in 11 at-bats during the 3-game series.

Fans and journalists alike are calling for heads-- as in 'cut 'em off.'  However, I have yet to hear any logical argument about how that will help the team.

The key players on the team are so old, so injured and so expensive that any trade wherein they depart Philly would likely leave the Phils with a price tag so great (because they would be expected to share salary for departed player) that it would not be worth their while.

In addition, who wants a guy with bad knees or one with an Achilles heel injury?  What would you realistically get from them that would be better than what they might give you?

Victorino and family have bonded with Philly.

Shane Victorino, Joe Blanton, Juan Pierre and possibly Hunter Pence are thought to be on their way out.

However, what would they bring in return?  And who, exactly, would they replace Victorino with?  Likely, they'd get a bullpen arm and start in CF... Domonic Brown?  Really?

Victorino, Gold Glove 2008, '09 & '10, would leave a major hole in CF and in the hearts of many fans.

"He's been part of everything we've accomplished around here," manager Charlie Manuel said Sunday after the Atlanta Braves virtually ended the Phillies season.

“Last year, we had the best record in baseball, and we didn’t win [it all],” Shane Victorino said after last year. “It’s nice to win 100 games, but ultimately, when the postseason starts, that all goes out the door.”

Victorino, a major fan favorite, has usually been a fighter, a spark-plug, a hustler.  He currently ranks 4th in baseball in stolen bases and the Flyin' Hawaiian is being prized by the team that undervalued and discarded him, the Dodgers, who are actively seeking to reacquire him.

Trading Pence makes even less sense.  Pence, despite his loud critics, has actually produced this year-- largely with absolutely no buffer in the lineup, something he learned to do as a lone star in Houston's losing lineup.  Yes, moving him moves a large sum of money, and if you're certain you can replace him with someone better, then there's logic in it.  However, right now the Phils are desperate for -- among other things-- a reliable LF.  Subtracting your 2-time all-star CF and your former all-star RF at the same time just doesn't add up.

7 IP, 2 ER, 1 BB & 7 S.O. in possibly his last game for Phils.

Blanton was a mid-season addition in '08 and shined with the Phils during their Championship run that year.  When asked about his experience in Philly thus far, he came up with a single word: "Phenomenal."  That's how he put it after coming up big in a then pivotal, now meaningless game Saturday, which only served to increase his trade value.

"I came over, we won a World Series, went back again, and we've been in the playoffs every year I've been here. It's one of the best places to play with the fans and everything."

The Phillies starting pitchers posted a 2.86 ERA (best in baseball) in '11 and had quality starts 67% of the time. This year, the Phillies' starters have a 4.07 ERA (15th out of 30 teams) and have had quality starts 58% of the time.

The bullpen has been a tattered, taped together eyesore since Opening Day this year, but you can't discount the failure of the starting rotation on a team composed entirely around them-- especially at their ever-increasing salaries.

"It's nothing that we aren't all responsible for," 2-time CY Young-winner Roy 'Doc' Halladay said this week. "There are times you have to take your lumps. It's not easy to swallow, but we've kind of all put ourselves in this situation, and sometimes you have to kind of take it like a man."

8-time All-Star Roy Halladay pondering.

"We have no choice but to keep playing," Halladay said. "Regardless of what we did coming into this and what we've got in front of us, I think we owe it to our fans, we owe it to ourselves, we owe it to a lot of people . . . to go out and turn things around and play better baseball. It's going to be hard, and obviously we're in a substantial hole, but we need to prove some things to ourselves and get things going in the right direction."

The only realistic answer is FREE AGENCY.

That said, if you figure you don't plan to re-sign Victorino, a free agent after this year, at the price he has earned, then trading him during the obligatory remainder of this lost season makes sense, since the Phils would see a return that they would otherwise write-off after the season.

Then again, that was their option re. Hamels, as well.  Instead, they threw him an almost unprecedented bundle of cash only to watch him go right out and throw the season away, literally, against Atlanta in his very next start.   

This has been a sentimental front office, which has built around veterans, players who are aging and showing it (Halladay, Polanco...).  

Changing this team for the better would mean more than reshaping, it would require rethinking priorities and re-envisioning the entire squad.

Hamels biggest start of year resulted in 5 R, 6 BB in 5 IP.

You must assume your multi-million dollar arms, the core starters Halladay, Lee and Hamels will pick up in 2013 where they left off in 2011.

After that, it's anyone's guess.  Will Utley or Howard ever spend another full-season productive?

Can they continue to survive without a true lead-off hitter (an on-base guy)?  Rollins loves to hit there, but has never really fit that mold.  Now, with his age, he is less the lead-off hitter of a winning team than ever.

Who is this team going forward?

In 2007, they were a free-swinging offensive powerhouse, a punishing mob squad of mashers and one swing game-changers.

By 2011, they were an anemic hitting team whose starting pitching was capable of a shutout every single day.

The 2012 lineup is limp, the starting pitching out of synch, while their bullpen summons fear for the team, not its opponents.

Their needs going forward are vast.  Most obviously: Bullpen, Third Base, and Left Field.

Free agency can solve those missing links.  Maximizing your value by trading a Pierre to a hungry contender now makes sense.  However, there is no need to clean house at midseason before evaluating and re-envisioning.  Instead, evaluate what you have and size-up who, on other clubs, might be available at the end of the season.  Even this is secondary.  

Primary, is deciding what kind of team you are to know how you can get better through addition, before subtracting.

In today's impatient world, where fans turn against players and teams overnight, while managers are expendable as firewood, trigger-happy is the norm.  Let's see if a ring + 5 banners buys Amaro and co. more time than their average peers.

The trade deadline is Tuesday.  Time will tell.

Phils Sign Hamels, Win Dramatically

Cole Hamels will officially remain in Philadelphia beyond his 34th birthday.

Wednesday morning, he signed a 6-year extension worth $144 million with a vesting option for a 7th year, which would raise the total to over $160 million.

Hamels, 28-years-old, has never left the Phillies organization.

He was was the staple in the Phillies 2nd-ever World Series win in 2008, when he was NLCS and World Series MVP.

Hamels relationship with Philly and its fans has changed a lot since he debuted as a rookie in '06.

Hamels was asked in May '11 if 'booing' shows that a fan cares.

“Yeah, they do,” he replied. “That’s the way I see it. Mike Schmidt told me that when I was younger in the minors. Shoot, he’s probably been the most-booed person in Philly [history], and he’s the best player.”

That appreciation and understanding of Philly fans was a far-cry from Hamels' former claim that Philly fans were, "40% Passionate die-hards, 60% crazy lunatics and fair-weather fans."

[More on Hamels in my 5/29/11 post: "Hamels is King of 4 Aces' Hill"]

Team President David Montgomery made it clear that this was his boy.  His priority was Hamels, his devotion to Hamels plain and clear.  This one was the catch that he took more personally than any other.  And now his big fish has a contract that ranks as the 2nd-biggest for a pitcher in MLB history.

In '08, CC Sabathia, signed the biggest ever, a 7-year deal with the Yankees worth $161 million. Meanwhile, Johan Santana's 6-year, $137.5 million contract with the Mets is a close 3rd to Hamels' deal.

There were mixed reports in recent weeks, as the 7/31 trade-deadline neared, that Hamels wanted to sign with the Phils now and that he was open to other possibilities.

One report said he wanted to test free-agency, which would have almost certainly raised his value amidst the sea of high-rollers like the Dodgers, Yankees and Red Sox, all of whom are said to have prized one of the most celebrated lefties in the game.  As one  teammate put it, "Everyone, regardless of their occupation, wants to find out their value."  That seemed like the Hollywood Hamels some have grown weary of, rather than the homegrown talent others, like team president David Montgomery adore.

Another strain of information was from the horse's mouth.  Hamels said that he would be happy to give the Phils 1st-crack at him in free agency if they traded him now for return value and then sought to re-acquire him after this year.  That appeared to some to be Hamels way of giving up on this season, not unlike he appeared to give up on the '09 World Series while still playing in it, when he famously said, "I can't wait for [the season] to end. It's been mentally draining. It's one of those things where, a year in, you just can't wait for a fresh start."  It was an unpopular statement in light of the fact that Hamels had just given up 5 runs in 4 1/3 innings in Game 3 of the World Series with a title still within reach.

There was also concern that this notion of leaving now with the intention to return after the season was merely a PR stunt, a way to depart without ruffling feathers, as though it wasn't his intention to turn his back on the city and its fans, only to help the team now and rejoin it soon after.  There was a major shadow of doubt as to whether that would actually ever happen, especially when the free market Yankees and Hamels home state Dodgers started throwing big market money at him.

Hamels had said in recent weeks that he enjoys playing in Philadelphia and would love the opportunity to emulate one of his boyhood heroes, Tony Gwynn, by playing his entire career for one team.

He may now get his wish.

"I go for it every game," Hamels has said of pitching. "I have high expectations of myself. I feel comfortable. I feel I’m meant to be out there."

"I was fortunate enough for the Phillies to draft me, knowing that they were trying to put together a really good team, and now being a member of what they were able to establish is something I can't thank them for enough.”

Speculation is that the Phils had a chance to sign Hamels for $100 million last fall or $115 million in the spring.

Less than a year later, they paid 75% more for him.  They delay was likely due to disagreements within the front-office as to Hamels' worth.  A season of turmoil and failed expectations, especially from aging starters Halladay and Lee, coupled with Hamels' ascent as All-Star helped create Wednesday's humongous contract.  However, there were other factors also that created the perfect storm for Hamels to claim the biggest Phillies payday of all time: Montgomery's unbending devotion to the organization's prize bloomer and S.F.'s Matt Cain's $141 million, 7-year deal penned earlier this season.

The Phillies have invested $68 million in three starting pitchers — Hamels, Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay — for 2013.

In total, the Phillies are committed to $133 million in 2013 payroll for only nine players.

Rain on The Parade: Reservations on the Hamels signing

The Phillies have guaranteed more than six years to only one player, Chase Utley.  Utley has been a wildly popular MLB player, securing 5-straight All-Star births via fan voting.  However, he has also declined in health to a dramatic degree in recent years, so that his ability to play his position on any given night is a complete mystery.

Does that bode well for the commitment the Phils just made to Hamels, whose lifelong back problems and injury-potential are very real?

What about the 5-year $125 million contract extension lavished on 1B Ryan Howard virtually moments before he incurred a career-altering Achilles heel injury?

Cliff Lee, who is earning $21.5 million this season, has one win in 17 starts.

Hamels' deal is structured similarly to Lee's, which will pay him an average annual salary of $24 million for five years, plus an option for a 6th year in 2016.

Will Lee come around and will Hamels stay healthy or will both serve as an albatross to team moves as their contracts advance in coming years?

That might be the multimillion dollar question.

Phils Comeback Shows Life: Tuesday's 7-6 comeback win over Brewers

It was one for the ages, a relic from days of old, a nearly forgotten era of winning baseball in a season of muck and bad luck. 

Three-in-a-row do not a playoff-birth make.  After all, this is team whose season of inconsistency has left them untrustworthy.

However, it is the team's 3rd-straight comeback victory, and even topped the 4-run 9th inning walk-off win Monday night.  There is life in that.  Whether it is enough air to revive their season remains to be seen.

By the time Ty Wigginton came to bat for the second time in the lengthy 8th inning in Philadelphia, the Phils had already scored 6 runs to take a lead they would keep.

It was Cliff Lee's 1st bad game since the All-Star break.  He hadn't allowed more than 2 HR in any game this year.  Tuesday, he surrendered 4-- including 1 to the opposing pitcher, Zack Greinke.  Lee also tied his season-high by allowing 12 hits.

However, Tuesday, 3rd-string catcher Erik Kratz and All-Star catcher Carlos Ruiz got him off-the-hook.

In the top of the 8th, with the Phils trailing 3-1, Lee allowed 2 HR and got nobody out, before Charlie Manuel pulled him from the contest.

In the bottom of the 8th, with the Phils now trailing 6-1, Wigginton led off with a single.  Then, with one out, Kratz hit a HR to left center to cut the lead to 6-3 Brewers.

Next, Rollins lined out for the 2nd out of the inning.  But then Victorino, Utley and Howard all walked to load the basses for Chooch.

Pitching change.  Out came Kameron Lo, and the hometown team gave him a warm welcome.

First, Carlos Ruiz doubled, plating three and knotting the score at 6-6.

Then, Hunter Pence singled to right, scoring Ruiz and giving the Phils their 1st lead of the game: 7-6.

The 2-out rally resembled so many of long ago, season's like 2008, when the spitfire Phils were 'never say die.'  This year's team had been more like 'never count on us' than 'never count us out.'

Tuesday was different. 

It was the Phillies leading ESPN headlines and highlights for a good reason.  The team that finally boasted of Halladay, Howard and Utley on the field had shown some of the magic that made them great only a season ago.

Even Papelbon, who had blown more saves this month than Madson all last year, looked like the guy Amaro and co. had spent $50 million to nail down games like this.  He came in and sealed it shut with a no base-runner, 2 S.O. 9th and, just like that, the Phils had won 7-out-of-10 for the 1st time since June 1st and for just the 3rd time all year.

Next up for the Phils: They go for the series sweep vs. Milwaukee, which would be their 1st series sweep of a more than 2-game series this entire season!

Wednesday @ Citizens Bank Park, 1:05 PM ET

Milwaukee (44-52) SP: Estrada (0-4)

@Philadelphia (44-54) SP: Worley (5-6)