Utley Controversy Explodes

The debate about Chase Utley raged on through the night.

The N.Y. Daily News wrote:

"LOS ANGELES -- Chase Utley may be wearing Dodger blue these days, but Saturday night, the Mets were seeing red over the former Phillies superstar. Just like he did in 2010, Utley made a controversial late and hard slide into second base, flipping Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada.

Unlike that play between division rivals, this time it was extremely costly.

Tejada suffered a broken leg on the play and the Mets fell apart as the Dodgers rallied for four runs and a 5-2 win in Game 2 of the NLDS."

"It wasn't a slide, it was a tackle," Mets outfielder Michael Cuddyer said of Utley's takeout slide into second base Saturday night that broke the leg of Mets' second baseman Ruben Tejada.

"There was no intent to injure Ruben whatsoever," Utley said. "The whole play happened fast. … You have an opportunity to break up a double play, you should do that.  My focus is seeing the ball."

The Dodgers Howie Kendrick hit a bouncer to Murphy's right. It took Murphy nearer the bag. His flip was slightly behind Tejada, who was racing to the base.

"I didn't realize his back was turned," Utley said. "It happens fast."

Utley is known as a player who 'plays hard.'  He had actually taken out Tejada on a similar play five years ago and many others throughout his 13 year career.  Nonetheless, as playoff time is big stage, social media has buzzed all night and into Sunday, where former player Alex Cora wrote, "Hard slides are acceptable, tackles no," and Mets catcher Anthony Recker wrote of a "brutal dirty slide."

Justin Upton wrote, "If that was a superstar shortstop we would have a Tulo Rule being enforced tomorrow," a reference to Troy Tulowitzki and baseball's new rule protecting catchers, dubbed "The Buster Posey Rule."

More MLB players reactions can be read here:
http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2015/10/11/9496327/chase-utley-slide-ruben-tejada-mlb-players-reaction

There is discussion of a review by MLB, a potential suspension and the pending hostile reception Utley will receive in NY if he is eligible to play when the series resumes there on Monday.

Utley Breaks Mets Shortstop's Leg

Utley being Utley and playing hard has sparked controversy.

In strange but true breaking news, Chase Utley of the Dodgers has gone Hollywood in wishing his present playoff and former divisional foe Mets to 'break a leg' in their first postseason performance since 2006.

In what is now being called a "controversial play" that is headlining every site on the internet (including Yahoo and ESPN), Utley may have unwittingly altered the course of the MLB playoffs with one single pinch hit appearance in game 2 of the NLDS, now tied at 1-game-apiece between the Dodgers and Mets.

The play occurred with one out in the seventh inning Saturday night and the Dodgers trailing 2-1 and 1-0 in the series.  Utley's single was the first hit of the inning for L.A. and sparked the 4 runs they would score in the inning to even the series at a game apiece.  Utley's run scored was the go-ahead game winner.

ESPN's David Schoenfield posted "UTLEY'S SLIDE BROKE THE RULES." He asserts that Utley's play that ended with Ruben Tejada leaving with a fractured right fibula has nothing to do with "'the way the game has always been played.' We evolve. Let's play the game the right way ... clean and fair and by the rules." Should have been out.

Adam Rubin, ESPN: "Old nemesis Chase Utley is still haunting the New York Mets."

More analysis and video of the slide here:

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/64112/saturdays-top-5-the-slide-heard-round-the-baseball-world

Meanwhile, Cole Hamels of the Rangers put the heavily favored to win-it-all Toronto Blue Jays on the brink of elimination Friday when he posted a 7-inning 2-run start walking nobody and striking out 6 in Toronto.

Other ex-Phils factoring heavily in this postseason include middle relief pitcher Jake Diekman (who went to Texas in the Hamels trade), who has been impeccable vs. Toronto this postseason: 4 innings pitched over the 2 games, 3 S.O., 0 BB and reliever Ryan Madson, who helped the Royals tie their series vs. Houston Friday with a 2 S.O. 8th inning appearance reminiscent of 2008.

Chase Utley's Classy Farewell

“My plan is to stay a Phillie for life” -- Utley, July '08

To say that Utley will be missed is like saying you like your right arm.  Words cannot express what he represents or has meant to the organization or to baseball. 

My post on the Utley trade can be linked to here (and appears below):

Phils Play Judas to Beloved Utley. 

If you haven't read it, please do. 

Utley said this at his press conference on 8/8/13 when he re-signed with the team:

Utley never ceased his commitment to the team that cast him off.

“When Ruben first approached me about an extension, I told him I was up for it. I wanted to stay in this uniform, but I also wanted to be treated fairly,” Utley said during a press conference following the signing of his new contract to remain with the Phils. “I'm not trying to break the bank. I'm just trying to be treated fairly in the marketplace. It's a very fair deal for both sides. Like Ruben said, going to free agency, maybe I left a little bit of money on the table with this deal. But it's not about the money. It's about the commitment. There is no better place to play than here.”

Today's press conference announcing Chase Utley's departure from the organization can be watched here: http://www.csnphilly.com/video_content_type/chase-utleys-farewell-press-conference

The following is an excerpt from a 9/3/09 post on this blog celebrating Utley. 

After I published the post, the Phils soared through the post-season to the World Series, going back-to-back for the first time ever.  Utley tied the all-time single World Series home run mark that year with 5 vs. the Yankees.

Utley Plunked, Phils Win
 

It was their final regular season series against a playoff team this year, and the Phillies made it count. On Thursday, they won the deciding game in a good old fashioned pitchers duel, the kind baseball purists savor. The Phils didn't win the S.F. series with their famed bats, they did it with baseball fundamentals of dominant pitching and great defense.

Chase Utley was able to score the go-ahead run in the 6th, when he ran hard and well from 1st to home on a double by Howard, who drove in his 113th RBI on the play. Utley had reached base with 2-out by being plunked for the 18th MLB-leading time this year. Utley has led MLB in Hit-By-Pitch since 2006 (25 times in '07 and 27 in '08). Utley is the consummate gamer, who is the living definition of 'take one for the team' hard-play everyday.

"I think he is absolutely recognized as the gamer in our game," Phils president David Montgomery said. "I don't think there's any question about that."

Former teammates respect Utley for his easy professionalism: "He's not a pretty-boy style flashy player, he's old school. He just goes out and plays hard and continues to get better. It's nice to have guys like that on your team," says Giant's outfielder Aaron Rowand, who homered against his former team Thursday. "He's a gamer," adds Jim Thome, now playing for a title with the Dodgers. "The bigger the situation, he thrives on it. And you can't teach that. Either you have it or you don't."

"I've always been taught to play the game hard," says Utley. "Baseball is such a tough game, it really humbles you at times. You just have to try not to get too high or too low. The harder you play this game, the more you get out of it."

Utley is as smart a player as he is selfless. Case in point: His now legendary run-saving play in the clinching 5th game of the 2008 World Series. The game was tied at 3-3 with two outs in the top of the 7th when Utley got to Akinori Iwamura's bouncer up the middle. Utley faked to 1st, conceding a hit to Iwamura, and noticed that baserunner Jason Bartlett was rounding 3rd and heading home. Utley threw quickly to catcher Carlos Ruiz for the out at the plate. The Phils went ahead in the bottom of the inning and went on to win both the game, 4-3, and their 1st World Championship in 28 years.

"At times, he can put close to what you'd call a perfect swing on the ball," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "It's good balance, rhythm, load, and at the same time getting a ball that you'd like to hit. And just, very slight, underneath the center of the ball. He's a very stylish hitter... Utley’s one of the best players in the game. You sit and watch him day in and day out, and he consistently hits the ball hard. He’s a tremendous hitter."

Utley’s sweet left-handed swing is short, compact and generates a lot of power, although Utley (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) isn’t as big as most long-ball hitters. Phillies hitting coach Milt Thompson observed: "I don't know if there's a perfect swing. But his is as close to it as you can be. He's amazing, one of the most amazing hitters I've ever seen."

George W. Bush, former U.S. President and former Texas Rangers owner, said he’d take Utley if he had his choice of anyone in the majors to build a team around.

John Dewan, author of "The Fielding Bible," regarded baseball's foremost authority on fielding, said in 2008:

"Utley leads major league second basemen with a plus-19 ranking. He has excellent range to his left and his right. He's so underrated," Dewan said. "People don't realize it, but his defense is as good as his offense" (more on "Why Chase Utley is so Good at 2B").

Utley was HBP in July of 2007 that broke his right hand, slowed his productivity and zapped his HR output. In his characteristically quiet, resilient manner, Utley shrugged it off: "As breaks go, it's not that bad of a break," Utley said. "It's definitely disappointing."

However, the injury cost him a likely NL MVP that season. The punishment absorbed by his body also affected Utley in 2008. When he played hurt for some time during a later stretch of the season, his numbers tailed off. Utley denied the injury until Pat Gillick eventually leaked his sore hip to the press: "He's having some trouble with his right hip," Gillick said. Utley remained the hero, telling reporters, "I have no idea what you're talking about." He went on to hit a key HR in the 1st game of the World Series, hip injury and all. Fitting for a guy whose 1st major-league hit was a grand-slam.

After the 2008 season, Utley acknowledged the injury, underwent surgery and was supposed to miss the first couple months of the 2009 season. However, both Utley and his manager knew better, counting him in all along. Utley opened the season with the team, hitting .342 with 7 HRs and 20 RBIs in April and has played in all but 3 of the team's games since.

In April, ESPN reported: "It's hard to tell what's more impressive: Utley playing 159 games and the entire 2008 postseason on a hip so sore it required surgery, or his ability to come back so quickly from an injury that was supposed to keep him out until May or even June. Utley's fast start comes as no surprise to the Phillies' people, who saw him arrive at Citizens Bank Park each day at 9 a.m. and stay until 2 or 3 p.m. during his winter rehab sessions."

 

“My plan is to stay a Phillie for life” --Chase Utley, July, 2008

 

Utley is ever the understated game-day performer. His humility is one of the defining characteristics of his greatness. The only time he uses his fame is in conjunction with wife Jennifer's charity efforts. He is so not a hot-dog in our modern day media circus world, where everyone, it seems, will do anything to get noticed. Utley prefers to go unnoticed. He simply wants to do his job to the best of his ability, injury or not, every day. He is old school in work ethic, effort and team-first mentality. Utley has been a NL All-Star Second Baseman for 5 straight years, and he led all player voting in June for the 2nd-straight year, which says a lot about how he is perceived and admired by baseball fans (more on this: Old School Player in Modern Times).

Utley's manager is among his admirers. In June of '07, Manuel had this to say about his nationally revered 2nd baseman: "What do you want me to say about him? I can't say enough. He is something really special. He's what I call a player. I used to say Kirby Puckett was my favorite player. I love Kirby Puckett, but Chase is getting there." 1 World Series title later, did Utley 'get there' for his manager, the way he has for the rest of us?

“I’ve never seen a guy as prepared as Chase,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. “He’s always early, and he hits every day. He eats it and sleeps it. Puckett for me was the ideal baseball player until I met Chase,” Manuel said. “I see how Utley goes about his business day in and day out, how he prepares and how he plays. He’s tremendous — his dedication, his determination... I think he’s the best player I’ve been around, and I’ve been around a long time.”

Phils Play Judas to Beloved Utley

Are the lights dimming on the Utley era?

The Phillies are trying to crucify Chase Utley.  In the process they are martyring him for anyone who cares to pay attention. 

The Cubs tried to trade for him in July while he was still on the DL.  Utley swatted that deal.

The Angels thought they had a deal Friday, but it fell through, and they've since publicly bowed out of the running.

The Giants gave up Tuesday.

That leaves the Yankees and Dodgers among teams who've expressed interest.  Utley has expressed interest in California, where he's from and makes his offseason home.  However, more than anything and with unwavering consistency, Utley has expressed devout interest in remaining a Phillies player.

Some are speculating that the Phils are declaring the Utley trade rumors "off" to up the ante.  However, many are speculating that it's Utley himself blocking these trades.

Utley, 36, signed a two-year contract extension in 2013 with vesting options for 2016-18. After 13 years with the organization, he had hoped to remain in Philly for the remainder of his career, but will likely become a free agent at the end of the year.

Since returning from an ankle injury, Utley has gone 13 for 26 in seven games with five doubles, five RBIs and a home run. Across the entire season, he is hitting just .213 with a .332 slugging percentage.

Because of his 10-and-5 rights, Utley has the authority to veto any trade, and with his contract likely to expire at the end of the season, he may want to ride it out with the Phillies, where he can get the most playing time between now and the end of the season, especially with the injury to Mikail Franco.  Franco is on the 15-day DL with a fractured left wrist, so Cesar Hernandez will spend a lot of time at third base now.  That means only Freddy Galvis might miss at-bats with Utley in the infield and how much difference will that really make for a few weeks?

Utley has clearly stated that he wants to play next year and play as a regular, not a pinch-hitter or platoon player.  Utley will be a free agent at end of season and his value-- and consequently the likelihood that he will be an everyday starter for a MLB team-- will be determined by what he does over the final few weeks of this season. 

Utley would have been happy to remain a Phillies player.  In fact, he stated that was what he wanted.   He proved it in 2013 when he re-signed with the team.  He even reiterated it in February of this year:

“Obviously I’ve said it before, I really enjoy playing with this organization,” Utley said. “They’ve done a lot for me, personally, and put together some pretty good teams over the years. So I have a lot of respect for the people making decisions. If you go back and look at 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, ’11 — they always gave us a chance to win. We’ve had some great opportunities over the years and I respect that.

“For as much respect as I have for the organization, if they ever came to me and asked me [to consider a trade], I would have to listen, but I don’t think much will change.” --Utley, 2/23/15

Now, the Phillies are pushing him out.  Before this latest move to try to trade him, the Phillies held him out on the DL long enough to prevent him from playing enough games to trigger the "vesting option" in his contract that would have extended his contract through next year, keeping him in Philadelphia.

Utley's 5 HR in '09 tied the all-time mark in 1 World Series.

This seems callous if not cruel, to Utley, but also to fans.  Utley isn't Jonathan Papelbon, Cole Hamels, Jimmy Rollins, Marlon Byrd or Ryan Howard.  The Phils sent the first 4 packing and tried desperately and publicly to get rid of Howard.  They even have offered to eat much of his millions just to be done with him.

With Papelbon, he had real star talent and trade value, but was blocking rookie Kenny Giles from taking over in the closer role.  Furthermore, Papelbon was unhappy in Philly and had said he wanted out publicly.  Ditto for Hamels.  Rollins and Byrd were veterans coming off successful seasons, who could command return while no longer served a higher purpose here.  Their work was done in Philly.  Rollins departure hurt, but his enthusiasm to embark on the next chapter of his career elsewhere made it easier to see him go.

Saying goodbye to Howard has been painful-- and ongoing.  He continues to diminish in skill and performance, while the Phils continue to be unsuccessful at finding him a suitor.  The result?  He eats up the middle of the order, while sucking down millions from the team.  Fans are left to mourn his shrinking image while being as surprised as management is scornful to see him in the lineup everyday.

However, Utley was an all-star starter just last year for the 6th time in his career.  Yes, it was based entirely on a torrid first half that catapulted him in fan votes (it helps that he is one of baseball's most popular figures nationwide).  However, he is swinging the bat really well right now.  As his manager, Ruben Amaro Jr. said this week:

"He's moving well.  His bat speed is very good. You can see his legs are underneath him. And it seems pretty clear that there was something going on in his ankle that was limiting him in some way, shape or form. He looks like he's pretty much a man on a mission."

More than all of this combined, he is one of the most beloved Phillies players of all-time.  He is a Philadelphia icon.  He is a reason people still trickle into Citizens Bank Park.

What are the Phillies truly gaining by trading him now, at this point?  The hope is they will get something in exchange for him.  They have already burned bridges by dipping into his pocket and taking millions away and freeing him up from his contract against his will via the whole extended DL stint.

So, at this point, if they have no intention of resigning him, which is clearly stated by their efforts to trade him in August, then trading him makes more sense than keeping him for a few more weeks to close out a season where they are baseball's worst team.

However, taking a step back, why did it come to this?  Why weren't they content, as he was-- significantly unlike Hamels, for example-- to have him play only for them and retire in a Phillies uniform. Would fans object to that?  What will management actually get in return for shedding themselves of Utley?  A prospect?  Likely, especially based on their track record in recent years, nothing worth mentioning.  In exchange, they are giving up a piece of team history and an opportunity to 'Derek Jeter' Utley, which is to enable him to remain, forevermore, a Philly player and icon, untarnished like Tony Gwynn for the Padres and Mike Schmidt for the Phils in a forgone era.  Utley wanted that.  Every indication is that he still does.  The Phillies soured on the marriage and are forcing Utley to split.  It doesn't seem right or fair to the player, his legacy or the fans and our devotion to the team.

When the going gets rough-- and this season they've hit rock bottom, we hope-- you stand by the flagships that call you home.  Utley is the one the Phils have left.  He beckons us to recall former years of glory.  His stoic, all out play and work ethic reminds us of why we love the game.  His commitment to the team is a commitment to us fans, a reminder that the future holds promise and that we should continue to believe in our team and our town.

The Phillies realize neither what they're doing nor the implications of who they're doing it to. 

 

Hamels Traded To Rangers

Hamels will be fondly remembered for the good times.

A 'bird in the hand' may be 'worth 2 in the bush', but the Phils traded their homegrown premier left-handed ace Cole Hamels for a handful of could-be players on Wednesday. 

The Texas Rangers also get left-handed reliever Jake Diekman in the trade for a group of five prospects.

Top catching prospect Jorge Alfaro, horrendous left-hand pitcher Matt Harrison (6.75 ERA, 1.56 WHIP), outfielder Nick Williams and minor league right-handers Alec Asher, Jerad Eickhoff and Jake Thompson will be shipped to the Phillies.

Harrison is a costly nightmare.  He is owed $26 million over the next two seasons after this year. He has made only nine starts since 2012 because of multiple back surgeries.  His numbers couldn't be worse.  It's likely the Rangers required dumping him and his bloated salary on the Phils to complete the trade, for which the Phils may also owe cash.  That explains why dumping Papelbon's $13 million a year (slightly less than the disastrous Harrison collects; 2015 Salary: $13,200,000) was a prerequisite hours before collecting Harrison.

The best potential net for the Phils in this deal are the trio of catcher Jorge Alfaro, right-hand pitcher Jake Thompson (the Rangers top pitching prospect) and outfielder Nick Williams, who were ranked, respectively, by Baseball America as the Rangers' 3rd, 4th and 5th-best prospects.  However, Alfaro (22) had a season-ending ankle injury last month.

The Phillies had told several teams interested in acquiring Hamels that they'd like to get their "best" offers by Wednesday.

The Phillies had continued to speak with a large number of teams about Hamels, a group known to include the Dodgers, Cubs, Giants, Astros, Diamondbacks, Yankees and Red Sox.

Hamels' next start was scheduled for Thursday against the Braves, the night before the deadline, but that is being pushed back one day until after Friday's 4 p.m. trade deadline has passed.

Hamels threw a season-high 129 pitches in Sunday's no-hitter over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. He is 6-7 with a 3.64 ERA in 20 starts.

Cole 'Hollywood' Hamels, who was rumored to be headed to the Dodgers, will head south instead, to Texas.  The Rangers can hardly be what Hamels wanted.  They have been playing without injured ace Yu Darvish and #2 starter Derek Holland.  They are, consequently 47-52 and on the verge of winning absolutely nothing.

Hamels has said repeatedly that he wants to "win now," while this move will give him only a better chance of winning later.  "I just want to win,'' Hamels said in a February interview. "That's all. That's all any competitor wants.  And I know it's not going to happen here... I want to go to a place where I can win again." 

To complicate matters further, the Rangers are in one of baseball's most competitive divisions, the AL West.  The division leaders are the highly touted, young, deep Astros, who Hamels blocked a trade to, followed closely by the formidable Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The 3rd place Rangers can expect to continue looking up at their division foes for the time being, while eyeing a long-shot Wild Card birth as soon as next year.  Hamels, who turns 32 this year and whose ERA and WHIP are as high as they've been in 6 years, can't love those odds to return to postseason glory.

He's gone from a big fish in a small pond to a big fish in a very big pond.

In Philadelphia, he'll be missed and fondly remembered for the good times he helped usher in.

He finishes his Phillies career 114-90 with a 3.30 ERA, 2 All-Star appearances (2007 and 2012) and 7-4 with a 3.09 ERA in the postseason (2007-2011), including 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in 2008 when the Phils won it all and 1-2 with a 7.58 ERA in 2009 when, without him, they probably would have again. Famously, he became only the 5th player in baseball history to win 2 postseason MVP awards in the same year when he won both NLCS and World Series MVP in his storied 2008 postseason, the Phillies most dominant of all-time.

Hamels was asked in May, 2011 if boos show 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."

"I go for it every game," Hamels said. "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.”

For more on Hamels, please see: Hamels is King of 4 Aces' Hill.

Phils Salary Dump Papelbon To Nationals

Papelbon won't be missed.  His arm will.

Loud-mouth, big-game all-star closer Jonathan Papelbon finally got the ticket he sought, almost since his arrival in Philly: a one-way exit.

You could fault him for his attitude, his lack of commitment, his failure to even fake allegiance, sportsmanship or teamwork.

However, you couldn't doubt his ability or his performance, because they were rarely lacking-- especially when it counted.

Papelbon often jeered teammates.  It was arrogant and unprofessional.  However, when he criticized the notion in 2013 of all-star selection Yasiel Puig, a player some local writers are calling for in return for Cole Hamels from the Dodgers, Papelbon was as spot-on as he was offensive:

"The guy's got a month, I don't even think he's got a month in the big leagues," Papelbon said then. "Just comparing him to this and that, and saying he's going to make the All-Star team, that's a joke to me.  It's just really what happens in baseball when … to me it really does an injustice to the veteran players that have been in the game for eight-, nine-, 10-plus years. It kind of does them an injustice because they've worked so hard to stay there."

When the Phillies passed on Ryan Madson in 2012 to acquire Papelbon via free agency, it was a startling move.  The Phils had a long, bad history with Madson's then-agent Scott Boras (JD Drew, etc.) and Madson was asking for a lot of money for the four year deal the team and player inked and were on the verge of signing.


Madson in the 8th spelled relief.

Homegrown Madson, who was pivotal during the Phils five-consecutive division title seasons, was an institution in Philly, where he had set-up Brad Lidge and the team's first World Series-winning season since 1980.

However, the Phils dumped Madson at the 11th hour and instead signed Jonathan Papelbon, a controversial mainstay in Boston during a number of celebrated seasons.

Papelbon had come to the Phils to win.  From the moment they signed him, they began to lose with steadily increasing proficiency.

Papelbon, never humble or a team player, began to flap his mouth at everyone around him.  While his comments were often accurate, he was obnoxious and arrogant-- to put it kindly.  It's hard to empathize with the guy making $13 million a year for pitching 1 inning every few days.  The Phils received endless criticism for agreeing to that price precisely when the rest of the league made a philosophical shift from valuing closers at anywhere near that rate.

Just last week, the preeminent Philly newspaper published an article criticizing the Phils for, of all mistakes made the past few years, paying Papelbon to work for them.


Fiery, competitive, arrogant, superb.

He is almost impossible to like.  After all, in addition to his miserable personality and prima donna antics, his big mouth and tendency to point the finger, he happens to have very few clean innings.  In Boston, they had gotten a little tired of his walk 2, allow 2 hits, hit a batter, squeeze out the 9th inning habits, which is part of how the Phils acquired him.

However, to criticize a closer who has probably been the best in the game, overall, during his 4 years with the team is like saying your Rolls Royce is at fault for your traffic tickets.

A glance at last year alone tells the tale.  The Phils lost 89 games last year.  Only 2 teams in the NL were worse than them.  Papelbon?  He recorded 39 saves with a 2.04 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP.  This season the Phils are much worse.  They have the worst record in all of baseball-- by far.  Papelbon, however, is better than he was last year.  He has 17 saves, a 1.59 ERA and a 5.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio for a team that is, sans 1 soon-to-be-former starter, basically a AAA squad.  He was the only Phillies all-star this year.  It was the 6th time he has been selected, the 2nd time with the Phils.

Criticizing him and the team for getting him, which local Philly journalists have and continue to, is baffling.  The fact that Madson went on to not pitch a single game for his next 2 teams (he actually failed to throw a MLB pitch from '12-'14) due to injury only cements what terrific kismet (if not forsight) Amaro Jr. had on that move, which at the time seemed somewhat heartless.

[Madson, by the way, is alive and kicking.  He now pitches for K.C.  This is his first season healthy since he last pitched in MLB for the Phils in '11 and his numbers are outstanding: 1.77 ERA, 0.86 WHIP as set-up man for the Royals, who have the best record in the AL.]

9/14 Alienating fans with this response to boos.

Papelbon, 34-years-old, became the Phils' all-time leader in saves on May 13th of this season with 113.  He was traded Tuesday to the Washington Nationals for Nick Pivetta, a 22-year-old right-hander in Double-A.  In other words, this was a salary dump, plain and simple. 

In 18 postseason appearances, Papelbon has posted a remarkable 1.00 ERA and 0.81 WHIP, while sealing a World Series win.  Not the resume for a rebuilding team.

He will replace the Nationals Drew Storen, who will now be relegated to set-up role, despite his 29 saves, 1.73 ERA and 4.89 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Storen was the club’s regular closer in 2011, lost the job, was a setup man, then reclaimed the closer role this year, his best-ever in MLB. Storen has a 8.44 ERA in 6 postseasons, the mirror opposite of Papelbon.

Tuesday, the Phils simultaneously shed themselves of a loud mouth and a great piece.  Apparently, you don't need the Rolls Royce when you're living in an outhouse.  Still, it hurts to see the Rolls rolling out of the division rival neighbor's garage every day while you're shoveling manure.