Phillies Go International Against Canadian Team
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Wed, March 04, 2009 12:30 PM | Comments: 31
Posts, Spring Gameday
The Phillies play fodder for the World Baseball Classic Canadian team. Gametime is 1:05 p.m.
Cole Hamels will start his first game for the Phillies.The lineup behind him: Bruntlett (CF) / Cairo (2B) / Ibanez (LF) / Howard (1B) / Jenkins (RF) / Dobbs (3B) / Mayberry (DH) / Donald (SS) / Paulino (C).
Team Canada features Justin Morneau, Jason Bay and of course, Phillies outfielder Matt Stairs.
Posts: 0 Tim Malcolm
Hamels gives up a hit and a walk, but gets out of the first unscathed. Canadians have Morneau, rumored Phillie Pete Orr, Stairs, Corey Koskie and Joey Votto in the lineup.
Posted: 01:14 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Tim Malcolm
Oh, and Bay.
Posted: 01:14 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 JohnKruksLoveChild
Hearing the philly broadcasters calling the game on the mlb.tv broadcast… awww ya, spring is almost here !
Posted: 01:16 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Fran
I’m going to laugh if Stairs takes Hamels deep. That will give him some bragging rights in the clubhouse all year long.
Posted: 01:32 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Tim Malcolm
Hamels goes two strong. Borkowski had a 1-2-3 inning.
Posted: 01:42 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Evan
I’d rather see Mayberry play RF than be DH.
Posted: 01:43 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Ryan S
how’s mayberry doing?
Posted: 01:49 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 JohnKruksLoveChild
mayberry just smashed a 2 run homer !
Posted: 02:15 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 MA Phanatic
Mayberry went deep in the 4th inning. Ibanez also has 3 RBIs. He’s really had a solid spring. Phils up 6-0 so far…
Posted: 02:16 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck P
This is all sounding repetitious…
How good does Mayberry look right now??
AND
You can’t spell RBI without Raul Ibanez… over/under: 120 RBI in 2009.
Posted: 02:23 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Phil
Under Chuck P.
Posted: 02:28 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Havoc
I’ll say under since I’m expecting him to bat 6th.
Posted: 02:29 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Havoc
sorry meant to say under 100 thinking in the neighborhood of 80 something to 90
Posted: 02:30 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 MA Phanatic
i’m pegging Raul for about 100-110 RBIs. He’s been a LOCK for 100 RBIs in Seattle the past 3 years, and that was with shitty offense around him. Here he gets a better offense, and a better ballpark to hit in, against weaker pitching in the NL. I think we see 25-30 HRs, with 100-110 RBIs from him.
And Mayberry has been phenomenal. He’s really pushing for a roster spot.
Posted: 02:40 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck P
Havoc, I have thought about that at length. Do you go L, L, R or do you go with your best hitters? If he’s batting 6th, we have the best # 6 hitter in baseball… not a bad problem to have. Given what he has done in Seattle and his ability to drive in runs, I don’t see how he can possibly bat 6th… he has to be in position to drive in runs for us because that’s what he does best. It seems like Howard does end a lot of innings so the 6 hitter will get chances to drive in runs but not as much as the guys hitting behind Rollins and Victorino… I think that it’s a tremendous waste to have him batting 6th.
Posted: 02:41 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 John Fire
I am pleasantly surprised by how friggin’ amazing John Mayberry Jr. has been. If he keeps this up, he has to make the team. The game announcers just mentioned that you’re going to want him to play so the Phillies have to consider if he does make the team, will he play enough? Bollucks. You take the best 25 with you to Philly. He’s a big, strong right handed bat and if he can play anywhere near this level in the big leagues, we could use him.
Posted: 02:43 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 MA Phanatic
Make that 20-25 HRs, I’m already feeling greedy for expecting more. Phils up 6-2 right now in the 6th. Carpenter allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and 4, yes 4 walks in 2 innings.
Interesting how Tim described this as the Phillies playing fodder to the Canadian team today. Not so far..
Posted: 02:44 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Evan
Batting behind Vic in 2009 (which I think he will) can’t be a bad thing for Ibanez’s RBIs. Victorino can get an extra base hit or steal a base pretty easily. My bet is that Ibanez would put up ~100 RBIs if he bats around 300 and hit 20+ HRs.
Posted: 02:52 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck P
I think he’ll get closer than you think… the guy has been consistent, that is for sure. He’ll have plenty of opportunities and his numbers with runners in scoring position are impressive… which tells me that he loves the opportunity to drive in runs. Seattle averaged 4.14 R/G… second worst in the AL. The Phils averaged 4.93 R/G.
Posted: 02:52 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Tim Malcolm
I believe in the DN Murphy wrote that Greg Golson hit very well last spring. Still, Mayberry’s makeup makes him a much more desirable option.
Posted: 02:54 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck P
Evan, if he’s batting 6th, it means that he’s batting behind Howard and Werth (not Victorino)… that’s why I’m saying that I feel like he needs to be moved up (in order to get the most out of him).
In all likelihood, all of this talk won’t matter because Charlie will juggle the lineup, like he always does, and guys will be rested, like they always are, so Werth/Ibanez/Victorino/Utley will have plenty of opportunities with men on base (with any of those guys batting anywhere from 2nd to 6th).
Posted: 03:01 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Evan
Oh and for the record my 09 lineup would be
Rollins (S) / Werth (R) / Utley (L) / Howard (L) / Victorino (S) / Ibanez (L) / Feliz (R) / Ruiz (R) / Pitcher
Its the best way to break up lefties and righties in the lineup and gives the best hitters the most RBI opportunities. I don’t see any place for Ibanez except 6th. The Phils have a fantastic lineup, power in Howard, Utley, Werth; speed in Rollins, Werth, and Vic; and BA in Utley and Ibanez. I still wish there was a right-handed hitter for the bench.
Posted: 03:03 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Chooch's cooches
BA in rollins and vic, too
Posted: 03:16 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck P
Victorino 5th??
If you’re going to go that route, I would rather bat Rollins 5th… he has 30 HR ability (Vic’s not going to hit more than 20). BUTI wouldn’t do that. You’re handcuffing your speed… if Howard is on base in front of either Rollins or Victorino, you take away the threat of them stealing…
Posted: 03:19 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck P
9-2… looks like a 3 R HR from Jeremy Slayden.
He has been on a different planet.
Posted: 03:25 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Evan
That’s a good point, I didn’t think of Howard getting on in front of Vic. Sometimes I forget he does more than hit homeruns and walk. I don’t like breaking up Utley and Howard.
Rollins/Vic/Utley/Howard/Werth/Ibanez? I’ll leave it up to Chuckie M.
Posted: 03:27 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Evan
Eerr, I meant hit HRs and strike out.
Posted: 03:27 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck P
http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090304&content_id=3916652&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi
The Coste with the most is a bit hamstrung…
Posted: 03:38 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Havoc
Hey Chuck,
I hear ya about Ibanez being in a spot to bay in runs, but the idea of L,L,L for our 3-5 guys kind of scares me. I’m honestly hoping for a big year out of Werth or Feliz. I think they both have the ability to do more than they have in the past.
My current lineup would be:
Rollins
Victorino
Utley
Howard
Werth
Ibanez
Feliz
Ruiz
except when Myers is pitching then i’d move Werth to the nine spot *grin*
Posted: 03:38 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Fuhs
How about the US Toronto game?
J-roll played a big part in getting the lead, and a Met gave it away in the 9th…
Posted: 03:47 PM on March 4, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck P
What do you mean?!? JJ Putz is not unhittable??
Posted: 04:13 PM on March 4, 2009