Feliz Consistent, Clutch During Career Year
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Mon, June 15, 2009 08:00 AM | Comments: 29
Analysis, Posts
With his three-hit game yesterday, Pedro Feliz raised his batting average to .318, third among National League third basemen. His 35 RBI rates fifth in the league, while his .360 on-base percentage (58 points higher than 2008) is sixth.
While we’ve been shining a light on Raul Ibanez, Feliz’s dramatic improvement rates as one of the main reasons the Phillies prodigious offense has lifted the club to a near-.600 winning percentage.
Of course, Feliz’s true weight can be shown in his clutch abilities. From the championship-winning hit to countless other clutch moments in 2008, we saw Feliz was capable of big play in big situations. This year, it continues:
Two outs, RISP: 8-for-22 (.364), .440 OBP, .591 SLG, HR, 10 RBI
Late & close: 12-for-33 (.364), .371 OBP, .455 SLG, 2 RBI
High leverage: 12-for-30 (.400), .432 OBP, .567 SLG, HR, 10 RBI
Feliz also jumps to a .357 hitter (.394 OBP) with runners on base. But Feliz’s clutch abilities were no more relevant than yesterday, when he started the Phils’ four-run fourth with a single, then scored the big hit in the sixth-run seventh, a two-run double that broke open the game.
We shouldn’t forget to mention Feliz’s top defensive skills. He’s fifth in the National League in zone rating (among those with over 400 innings), but that doesn’t properly show the bunches of top plays and almost flawless amount of bullet throws on close plays.
Is a “Vote For Pedro” campaign necessary for the All Star Game? With a few worthy candidates in the Phils’ own division (Ryan Zimmerman, David Wright, Chipper Jones), it might be tough to slide Feliz into the mix. But maybe his manager is thinking about making Feliz his final addition.
Posts: 0 Scotty
Excellent shout, Tim. I’ve been a vocal supporter of “Silent Pedro” for a while now. He’s so money on the hot corner making the tricky stuff look ridiculously simple and his recent patience and prowess at the plate is something Werth could do well to study. We need our righties!
Posted: 08:09 AM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 Tom G
Pedro…has been steady…his one game costing error received too much attention…he has been clutch!
Vote Pedro!
Posted: 08:10 AM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 therookie300
It’s getting to the point where they might have to think about moving Pedro up in the order, but the production he provides at the bottom of the order is making this a very tough lineup to get through.
Posted: 08:18 AM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 Doug D.
Uncle Chollie said that he thought the Pedro could be a .300 hitter. This year, he’s showed a lot more patience (except for Friday’s game against Lester) at the plate and he is not trying to hit long balls. He’s hitting in the 7-hole, where the long ball is not really needed from him. Instead, he is starting rallies and keeping the line moving at the bottom of the line-up, helping to turn it over with men on base. so that the pitchers can sacrifice and get back into the dugout…Let me add Dobbs to the “no high cheese” list, along with J-Roll, Shane, Chase, Rhyno, and J-Werth. The only ones in the line-up who are able to get on top of high fastballs are the Z-Boys, i.e., IbaneZ, FeliZ and RuiZ.
Posted: 08:23 AM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 Jeff of NoVa.
I just finally took a look at the Dobbs foul ball and I am shocked they did not review that. Not saying it was one way or the other, but it should have been reviewed and the Phillies should bring that to Bud’s office!
Posted: 09:08 AM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 Scotty
Heh, “The Z Boys” would be a great t-shirt with a little intelligent caricaturing.
And as Tim pointed out all too well recently, Jimmy is not only not getting it done up top, he’s kind of screwing everything up for the top three. Our best offensive baseball is always when we get the lead guy on and on early.
Please, Charlie.
Posted: 09:11 AM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 Phil
I think the following Phillies should make the all star team:
Utley
Ibanez
Ruiz
I’d also give consideration to:
Madson
Howard
Feliz
Posted: 09:25 AM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 Mark B
I believe Pedro hit .249 last season, so the improvement there has been huge. And when the Phillies have their #7 guy in the order hitting this well, it makes the offense that much more potent. There are no automatic outs in the lineup, not even close to it.
Posted: 09:39 AM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
Mark B.. you forgot about Jimmy…
Posted: 09:57 AM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 Mark B
Manny, you have a point. Hopefully Jimmy will pick it up as we move into July – August – September – October.
Posted: 10:24 AM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 LH
Glad you spoke about the unsung hero on the Phils in the shadow of Raul. He’s having an all-star year and deserves our votes.
Posted: 10:25 AM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 Dan
If Jimmy can start hitting and this team can start winning at home as much as they win on the road then the Phillies will be pretty damn near unstoppable.
Posted: 10:43 AM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 TwoTonsOfIrony
Now this would never happen, but I posted it in the last post as well as a hypothetical conversation starter. But wouldn’t this be our best lineup…
If Names didn’t matter (as in if Rollins wasn’t “2007 MVP Jimmy Rollins”), just production. The lineup should look like this…
Vic/Ruiz/Ibanez/Howard/Utley/Feliz/Werth/Rollins/Pitcher
You have a fast leadoff who isn’t quite the prototypical leadoff man but good.
Ruiz has even showed he has some speed this year while hitting close to .300 with an OBP of over .400.
Ibanez is your best hitter…3-hole
Howard is a prototypical cleanup
Utley has the power and ability to protect Howard
Feliz may be the best hitter behind Ibanez this season
Werth is looking like he is turning the corner but for now keep him down there.
Rollins can play the part of the defensive SS that most teams bat at the bottom of the lineup until he turns it around.
Werth could also take the leadoff or 2-hole if he starts to turn it.
But I like that lineup.
Posted: 11:01 AM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 TwoTonsOfIrony
It’s unfortunate that Feliz is having the year he is with the year that some of the other 3B’s are having. Zimmerman is an underrated defensive player who already had a 30-game hitting streak and is OPSing over .900.
David Wright is a big name who just so happens to be leading the league in hitting with a .364 average.
So while I am loving Feliz’s season he probably still sits behind both of these guys in reality. But I’ll take this production from what is essentially supposed to be the 7th worst guy in our lineup.
Posted: 11:06 AM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 NJ
To think people were sceptical when we signed Pedro and doubted he was much of an upgrade over Bell/Helms/Dobbs… Think people at the time were just bummed over Mike ‘the failure’ Costanzo and now the masses are realising how decent a player this guy actually is.
Posted: 11:17 AM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck
Two Tons, I read your “hypothetical” reasoning in the other thread and the point is that Jimmy Rollins isn”t a hypothetical….he’s J-Roll and he’s just not gonna hit 8th. It’s pointless to even suggest it. AND…..he’s not your typical SS who just flat out can’t hit and is there just for his defense. My money says that within the next month he gets his groove back strong and is a vital force for us in the second half. But that won’t happen if he hits 8th. It’s not his spot.
Posted: 11:23 AM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 Travis
Phillie Players who I think make the All-Star Team:
2B Chase Utley
LF Raul Ibanez
RP Ryan Madson
1B Ryan Howard
* SS Jimmy Rollins – if he heats up till the All star break, he makes it with votes
* SP Cole Hamels – if he heats up till all star, charlie or votes might get him in
Phillie Players who should get recognition:
C Carlos Ruiz
3B Pedro Feliz
CF Shane Victorino
Posted: 11:52 AM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 The Little Guy
Rollins and Hamels shouldn’t make it at all.
Feliz should join Utley, Ibanez and Madson.
I wouldn’t mind Howard or Ruiz making the team, but if they don’t i wouldn’t have a ‘beef’ with the voters or Cholllie.
Posted: 12:36 PM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 Miles
Madson is very deserving of an all-star nod but it’s not gonna happen. Set up guys just don’t make the team unless their ERA is around 0.00. Honestly, I think after Chase and Raul we will see one more Phillie sneak in there and that’s it.
I personally think that the next most deserving Phillie behind those two is Ryan Howard. Not only has he continued to hit home runs, but he has only been a one-time all star correct? This from a guy who was won a rookie of the year, an MVP, and was runner up for MVP another year. The guy deserves to get an all-star nod.
You can also use that logic with JRoll. He obviously does not deserve to be on the team, but people put too much into just April and May. Championships are won in September and October and Jimmy was the leader of a WS team and he produced late in the season last year. So if he gets voted in, I will be ok with it for that reason.
Posted: 01:25 PM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 ryan
I think this is more what I expected to get out of Pedro when we signed him. Remember, for several years he was the guy who hit in the 5 hole behind Barry Bonds. He was a 25 homer a year guy who played in a huge cavernous park in San Fran. We all thought he could hit 30+ homers when he signed with us, but the reality is that he played with a herniated disc and year and it’s a miracle he could even swing the bat at all. he got the disc fixed, and he’s back to the top of his game. I didn’t expect him to hit .320. but that’ll probably drop down. although I do expect him to start hitting more homers.
Posted: 01:26 PM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 Bruce
To TwoTonsOf Irony, if Charlie Manuel took one look at your proposed lineup, he would fall off the bench…rolling in laughter. Think IN the box and try again. ;-)
Posted: 01:37 PM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 TwoTonsOfIrony
Ok, again…let me explain, this was not a suggested lineup. I’m just saying that it would probably be the most productive lineup with how everyone is hitting right now. I would never think that that lineup would showup one any day…ever. It’s just interesting to think about a lineup like that and how it would produce given how everyone has played over the last month or so.
Chuck, the reason it is hypothetical is because you have to look at what Rollins has done this year, which is obviously not what you are supposed to do, that’s why it is hypothetical and to your response…? Right now? Rollins is just your “typical SS who just flat out can’t hit and is there just for defense” that’s all I’m saying. I understand that a player of his caliber cannot hit .220 the entire season.
Posted: 01:49 PM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 The Dispy
These are the points that I would like to make with todays posters:
1. First and foremost is Ryan Howard’s penchant for swinging at absolutely everything that is thrown to him. In years past we could chalk it up to him having no RBI guy hitting behind him so if he didn’t drive in the runs, nobody else would. With Ibanez hitting behind him now Ryan has GOT to be more selective. Stop swinging at the breaking balls. In his first couple of seasons Ryan walked a lot so we know he can do it. He would be doing himself and his team fine service if he eschewed the wild swinging and just took the walk sometimes so the National League RBI leader can knock him in.
2. Pedro Feliz has struck out 28 times this year while hitting over .300. Maybe HE should start batting second for the time being.
#. Please get rid of Bruntlett. If we can get a fair right handed bat then the trickle doen effect would lead to Bako getting let go which would lead to even MORE room for another hitter.
The Dipsy
“Always striving to make the Phillies a better team”
Posted: 01:49 PM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 TwoTonsOfIrony
Dipsy,
I absolutely agree with you about Howard. It is inconceivable why he cannot just sit there for a couple at bats. He needs to watch some of Matt Stair’s at bats, work some counts and make it easy on yourself, they can’t pitch around you anymore. On the other hand it could be that he thinks because they won’t pitch around him that he should just swing and hope that they throw it down the middle. Who knows?
As for Feliz batting second, it’s just too hard to get him around he bases. I mean he’s not going first-to-third on a triple if you know what I mean. He would clog the bases he would be a great 5-hole hitter if we didn’t have 3 other 5-hole hitters already.
Posted: 02:01 PM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 The Little Guy
This is what the lineup SHOULD be, but won’t happen…probably ever
Victorino
Utley
Ibanez
Howard
Werth
Rollins
Feliz
Ruiz
Pitcher
Until Rollins starts hitting thats what I would do. But when Rollins goes back to his typical production, i would flip Rollins and Victorino.
I know, “your best hitter always hits 3rd” and “it would take away RBI chances for Utley” well who cares, he is your BEST contact hitter, and he is an on base machine, so if he can get on in front of Ibanez and Howard, he will score. Also, he could hit that 2 run homer in the first.
Posted: 02:08 PM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 mikemike
I am not a big felix fan, and have stated it before, he is surprising me this year, the one thing is he is going to right and not trying to kill every pitch, he is just going with the pitch, showing more than I thought he had.
Posted: 02:20 PM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 beta sigma shag
Don’t get me wrong I love Raul this year, but I still think Uttley is our best hitter in the long run and should bat 3rd,
I still believe JRoll will come around, but if he does not lead off I would prefer this
Wreth (sees a lot of pitches somtimes too many and walks)
Vic
Uttley
Howard
Raul
Feliz
JRoll
Ruiz
Pitcher
Posted: 03:21 PM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 mikemike
I wouldn’t worry about Werth too much, Taylor will be here sooner, and he is a stud,
Posted: 04:23 PM on June 15, 2009
Posts: 0 ryan
I guess having Taylor and Mayberry, both guys who project to be very good everyday players in the big leagues sooner rather than later, means that one of them is expendable. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Taylor involved in a trade for a top notch pitcher
Posted: 12:07 AM on June 16, 2009