I friggin hate the phillies

[Reality]

^^ naw.  Don't count out the Mets bullpen.  In fact the Phils should send them a thank you note.
Blown yet another Johan Santana beauty today.  He left them up 2-0 into the 8th.  Bring on the implosion.
3-2 loss.

[jemagee]

And Fat Joe is having another awesome day...the pitcher is actually worse than the rapper

[tk76-]

Have to admit it is impressive seeing the Phils go for a potential 4 game sweep on the road.  I realize that the Brewers are struggling, but you sttill have to go out and perform.

[jemagee]

Have to admit it is impressive seeing the Phils go for a potential 4 game sweep on the road.  I realize that the Brewers are struggling, but you sttill have to go out and perform.

How impressive is it that they are going for a 4 game sweep at home?

I feel like pacino in god father 3...they pull me back in.

[tk76-]

I just came back to fix my post, but you caught it first.

[tk76-]

Congrats to Myers.  He really has stepped up and turned it around this year.  can't imagine him doing any better in a big game- esp on only 3 days rest.

[Skates]

I feel like pacino in god father 3...they pull me back in.

Dang you, I was just thinking that as I opened up this thread.

[Reality]

Another thank you note to the Mets bullpen, Phillies.

[DuckyNinja]

Time for the Phillies to run with the success and not shit the bed this week.

[wow444]

Time for the Phillies to run with the success and ...

Not sure I would put it that way...  But I am with you.  btw if the Phillies don't make the playoffs shouldn't they fire Charlie?

[jemagee]

Why?

I'm not a huge Charlie Manuel fan but tell me why it would be his fault that

A.  The back end of the pitching staff was terrible
B.  Myers crapped the bed the first half of the season
C.  Ryan Howard seems to have forgotten all the progress he made in his plate approach and the balls at his ankles
D.  Injured players
E.  Pat Gillick can't get a single 3rd baseman that doesn't suck or a starting right fielder who is good against both side of the plate.

Manuel has managed the phils as best he can with the pieces given him and the phils have the best bullpen in the national league with scrap heap names (or maybe that just means bull pens are fungible)?

The only moves I ever question are the 'defensive substitutions' of pat burrell, i think they are asinine (considering the giant fielding MESS at first base) to do every damn time, especially if the phils are behind, or tied, but in general their impact on the game is negligible.

My feeling is that whatever is wrong with the phillies (and there are things wrong) is higher up than the manager, it's organizational

[Derek Bodner]

Jason Werth now has 22 HR's and a .881 OPS.  His OPS against right handers is now at .779.  that's certainly not great, but i'm not overly concerned about right field right now.

I also don't think we've been overly injured, and Ryan Howard's had a heckuva year, despite his "regression".

[jemagee]

Jason Werth now has 22 HR's and a .881 OPS.  His OPS against right handers is now at .779.  that's certainly not great, but i'm not overly concerned about right field right now.

Werth is one of those highly touted but oft injured guys, it's why the Dodgers let him go so easily, his injury history...not a guy i want to count on.

This off season is just as huge as the last one in my opinion.

STILL need a 3rd baseman as far as i'm concerned, feliz blows and infects the rest of the team with stupid plate apporachitis...

What to do about pat who seems still viable, is he a more affordable 1st base option over the next two years since the phils seem unwilling to give ryan howard what he's asking for (and will any team really?) in long term salary...and as much as he's loved, Ryan Howard is easier to replace than any quality pitching the phils might be able to get for him from a pitching rich bat barren franchise (and again, the phils have to play to their weakness at their home stadium, not their strength)....how do you replace the back end of the rotation, eaton, kendrick and fat joe can't be part of the starting rotation next year...and at some point jamie moyer is just going to die on the field, i mean he's 130 by now right?

Ryan Howard has had a heckuva year in the counting stats that's very true, but his OPS against lefties is atrocious and regressed below both 2006 and 2007 numbers, his OBP is the worst of his career at this point and his OPS is also the worst number of his career...not what you want to see from a guy 'entering his prime' demanding 100+ million...

His home run rate is also down at the moment (HR/AB) from 2006 and 2007.

You expected a drop off from 2006 to 2007 cause it was momentous, but another drop off is a cause for concern, and this IS a drop off (though last year he actually struck out more times than he has this season in less at bats, but his walk rate is also down uncomfortably compared to last year)

Yes he has lots of home runs and lots of RBIs but he has not been as good as either of his two previous seasons, and since he got a late start in the league you have to wonder if he's peaked already. 

[Derek Bodner]

he had about the worst start to the year you could imagine.  in 54 games since the all-star break he's hit one HR every 12 at-bats (his career average is one every 11.7 at bats), he has a .558 slugging (career average .586), and he's batting .262 (.278 career).  He is walking less, but I'm not overly concerned.  His performance since the all-star break has been about what I expect of him, and pretty close to what he did last year.

Arguing about whether you can rely on Jason Werth in future years is different than discussing the deficiencies in the team THIS year.

And if you're saying that Ryan Howard has regressed, how does that fall against upper management, and not in the purview of the coaches?

[jemagee]

And if you're saying that Ryan Howard has regressed, how does that fall against upper management, and not in the purview of the coaches?

Again, I'm pointing at the roster wide piss poor plate appearance that seems to have coincided with the signing of another mediocre BS 3rd baseman who thinks walks are a disease.

I don't hold Manuel responsible for Howards poor plate approach, because he should know better, and if the whole contract thing got in his head (which it probably did) that ain't Manuel's fault either.