Comments on: Phils Barrage Braves, Hold On

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:56:32 +0000

Imagine, if hopefully the Phillies win the NL East and go to the next level, we will all look back on this Atlanta series and say that the Phillie’s season, this close to oblivion, turned on it!

By: NJ

NJ — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:43:39 +0000

I’m worried we’re going to misuse him and wish we’d started him behind Myers as the 3 giving the pen some rest before facing the back-end of the rotation. He’s going to give up hits a few walks and runs but will eat up innings if the games close.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:36:12 +0000

Yes I know that. Im giving him the benefit of the doubt. Im just saying we really really really need him to be efficient if theyre not going to get another starter.

By: NJ

NJ — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:33:59 +0000

Geoff we don’t know what Blanton would have ended up pitching last night, he very well could have put up a further 6 scoreless innings. The bats need to stay alive so that he can pitch the 7th of 8th in a close game rather than being pulled for a pinch hitter.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:31:35 +0000

For starting pitchers, ive become obsessed with WHIP and ERA. im big on innings too, but i try and focus on efficiency. especially with whip in relation to pitch count. how many pitches does it take to get through 7 innings for this guy as opposed to that guy, etc.

By: Phil

Phil — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:29:31 +0000

Look at our bullpens record though.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:29:21 +0000

Blantons gotta get his act together. they brought him in here because the starters cant make it through 7 innings (except hamels and once with kendrick/moyer) and he needs to provide 7 innings for them routinely.

By: Don M

Don M — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:21:23 +0000

Right.. and obviously that can work both ways… and guy that gives up the lead.. if his team re-takes the lead and he is still on record.. he can get the win.

its not a very telling stat.. I think quality starts.. which revolve around ERA is a good stat… but my point was that a team whose starting pitchers are 32-34 has a tough road ahead of them.. I would be interested to see if any team has made the playoffs whose starting pitchers were below .500….. or what the worst W-L was for a starting rotation of a team that made the playoffs.

By: Phil

Phil — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:17:36 +0000

Hamels should be like 15-4 right now and Moyer should be 13-6.

By: Don M

Don M — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:14:40 +0000

I understand and agree… I’ve said many, many times that the most telling pitching stat is his ERA.

BUT… a number of the Phillies loses this year are because Brett Myers, Adam Eaton, Kyle Kendrick have been ROCKED early in the game and didn’t make it out of the 4th inning..

a number of those loses are 2-0, 3-1 etc where Cole Hamels and Jamie Moyer have pitched amazing, and the offense didn’t show up… Hamels SHOULD have about 15 wins right now

By: Phil

Phil — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:11:48 +0000

Once again wins/losses IS a team stat. Cole Hamels could go 0-20 with a 1.94 ERA. That would mean he didn’t lose 20 games, his offense couldn’t score runs. Once again w/l is a team stat.

By: Don M

Don M — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:10:32 +0000

Geoff… wtf..

Jimmy Rollins is in the “must immediately trade column” ???

Ruiz has actually been playing pretty well since the All-Star break. The only two guys that I think don’t help this team are Seanez and Taguchi… but they are probably the two most limited-roles on the roster anyway, so its not that big a deal

By: Geoff

Geoff — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:09:05 +0000

Im definitely amped up about happ coming back. i just hope its into the rotation.

By: Don M

Don M — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:07:14 +0000

I’m definitely the most annoying person when it comes to pointing something out.. no arguement there.

Phil… i’d say its about a 50/50 split that the loses come from

A. Not bringing the bats to the ballpark. and

B. a couple starting pitchers not getting out of the 4th inning but giving up 6+ ER

Stats can say anything you want them too, but from a guy that has been on the positive side with this team all year, THAT is a tough one to spin that your team is above .500, but your starting pitchers aren’t …. I would be AMAZED if they could carry that into the playoffs, cause I doubt any team ever has.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:34:33 +0000

miguel batista won 16 games last year, but i wouldnt touch him this year. we dont need another old bastard in here. raul ibanez is a class act though and honestly, i think hed really improve this locker room and provide leadership.

dude, youre getting annoying when you point out something i already acknowledged. i already said im changing my status designation of victorino from “must immediately trade” to “is allowed to stay for the stretch run and well go from there”

jimmy rollins is in the “must immediately trade column,” so is brett myers. joe blanton just got here so its not worth the effort to complain about him because hes not going anywhere until his contract runs out.

geoff jenkins, rudy seanez, adam eaton, carlos ruiz are all in the “must immediately cut” category. taguchi is actually not as bad as he appears if you give him playing time. if youre going to give him decent playing time then keep him, becuase he gets rusty fast, otherwise he can go.

utley is in the “if hes hurt then stop f’ing around and put him on the DL” category.

if i ever see cole hamels give up that many runs, errors or not, in one inning then hes going to get it too.

By: Phil

Phil — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:29:38 +0000

Don M, w/l has nothing to do with pitchers. It has to do with a team. How many of those 32-34 losses came from the Phillies offense not bring their bats to the ballpark?

By: Don M

Don M — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:27:02 +0000

Our starting pitchers are 32-34 this year.. that aint good.

We need some help.. they had the Phillies scouting the Mariners in Toronto this week, looking at Miguel Batista and Raul Ibanez ….

By: Don M

Don M — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:24:34 +0000

This is now the EXTREME shift where Geoff starts to love and praise Victorino…

Moyer has been solid… what about Kendrick ??? his ERA is climbing.. now closer to 5.00 then it is to 4.00 … Happ has been solid all year, dominant at AAA and pretty damn good in his starts for the Phillies.. and Im glad they are going to give him a chance.

In the Daily News today they have all kinds of breakdowns.. I think they said the Phillies are 14-20 in day games this year… that is crappy

By: Phil

Phil — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:24:30 +0000

We would be horrible if it wasn’t for Moyer’s brilliant season. He’s been showing up and pitching brilliantly in big games for us. When they pulled him in the 7th the other night he was at a 70 pitch count. He was well on his way to a complete game, but they needed the offense. Moyer and Victorino have really stepped up in our time of need during this season.

By: Lewisauce

Lewisauce — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:23:54 +0000

Don’s right. Vic was the only guy who showed up to hit against the Big Unit in that Arizona game (you know, the game where Eaton … on second thought, why relive all that).