Comments on: Gameday: Phillies (39-34) At Braves (35-40)

By: M.P. aka A.J. #54

M.P. aka A.J. #54 — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:28:51 +0000

Trout Boy – Roids do NOT make you a better player, they help people work out and get bigger faster. Hence, Jimmy does NOT fit that mold. He got no bigger or smaller, he lost it altogether. Had he been at 30 home runs, then lost his power and kept his average it would have been suspicious, but he cannot hit a tee right now. Compounded by his bad breaks when he does hit the ball hard, it is all between his ears right now.

By: Trout Boy

Trout Boy — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:47:17 +0000

Does anyone else have that little voice in their head questioning J-Roll’s conditioning “regiment” back in 07? Unfortunately, his performance is reminding me of a player who was taking “supplements” and stopped. Brady Anderson, anyone? I am truly at a loss for any explanation for his pathetic performance.

Go easy on Madson…Howard should have stopped the pickoff throw and then the next guy hits a check swing bleeder down the line. Nothing you can do about that.

By: Brian of CO

Brian of CO — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:46:33 +0000

FYI beta, J-Roll was 0-5, Werth went 0-4 with a walk. However, had J-Roll walked in either the 3 or 5th inning, what would the score have been going into the bottom of the 8th?

By: Brian of CO

Brian of CO — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:44:59 +0000

I would say its about time our Ace starts acting like ours ace, besides of course when he pitches in LA. Cole seems to LOVE LA, but no where else this season.

By: beta sigma shag

beta sigma shag — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:56:20 +0000

no way even though he went 0-4 JRoll had nothing to do with the loss, it is on Madson, how do you walk a guy in the 8th, and where was Stairs tonight you can pinch him instead of Balko and Balko can still go in and catch. Walks, then throwing over to first for no reason. But Blanton did ok some rough innings,
Cole will get them tomorrow I believe it

By: j reed

j reed — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:25:48 +0000

Doug- keep in mind that JRoll was 27 or 28 years old when he won the MVP. This is the age that many players put up their best numbers. And the pattern of his past numbers show, for a player of his caliber, a resonable progression to his MVP performance. While the relative power outage of the following year hints to steroid use, the league adjusting to him easily explains the decrepancies. Think about it: most MVPs are power hitters who are not lead off guys, JRoll is an exception to the rule. And, where do these prototypical MVP’s bat, in the middle of the line-up where they get protection. Once he put up those numbers why would anyone give him anything to hit….would you? If he started drawing walks, they would, but so long as he doesn’t., no one will give him his pitch. Jimmy’s woes come from the fact that when he’s not leading off (which by the way usually is once or twice a game) he’s batting after the pitcher’s spot and in front of the two hole and this not the spot in the line-up to take a power hitters approach. JRolls problem as with many talented athletes, is he’s overly intuitve, relying on god given abilities and not the more calculated, strategic aspects of the game. Bottom line is he needs to hit what he is given or be dropped in the line-up where once protected by other hitters he can look for his pitch. Unfortuanately, JRoll as a lead-off hitter is better suited for AL play where there is less slack in the line-up. It’s time for the coaches to turn him into a contant hitter because no one in the line-up except for Feliz too slow is truly suited for the job. Shane could if he wasn’t so impulsive. Otherwise, if things continue as is I think it will ruin our chances in the post season. Donald is unavailable. Injuried.

By: Brian of CO

Brian of CO — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:21:03 +0000

But hey, at least we still have a winning record. LOL.

By: Brian of CO

Brian of CO — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:18:19 +0000

mikeB, true, HOWEVER, at least Werth walked once, which is more than J-Roll did, and while Ruiz was also atrocious at the plate, his average is still .243, J-Roll’s average is .207, and will more than likely be under .200 by the end of the week. There is a reason people always say the “Heart of the lineup is the top of the lineup” The top of the lineup are the ones who are supposed to win it for you. Ruiz struggling is piddly junk since he is NOT supposed to in the top of the lineup. J-Roll always talks and wants people to think he is a lead off hitter, and shouldnt be anywhere else, but really of all the starters on the Phillies he is ranked 8th in batting average. Thats not counting the bench players some worse, some better. So what that means is the ever LOUD J-Roll has the WORST batting average of starters on the Phillies, and one of the worst averages in MLB for starters and lead off hitters. I never had a problem with J-Roll opening his trap because he backed it up on the field. Now, he is full of hot air. ALL talk, no action.

By: mikeB

mikeB — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:02:37 +0000

Chooch Ruiz is really struggling at the plate recently too. BA is .243 and was 0 for 4 with 6 runners left on base. Does not appear that he has that confidence that he had earlier in the season. Werth also 0 for 4 with 3 men left on base. Along with Rollins tonight, these 3 Phils did not get the job done offensively.

By: Dennis of VA

Dennis of VA — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:23:02 +0000

Hey is anyone watching the O’s comeback from 10 to 1 in the bot of the 7th to take a 11 to 10 lead in the bot of the 8th

By: Dave M.

Dave M. — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:18:26 +0000

Also, we need more quality starts. seriously. wtf

By: Dave M.

Dave M. — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:16:30 +0000

sweet j-roll. i agree with the comment about the variety of different ways to get out that he pursued.

By: Griffin

Griffin — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:06:51 +0000

I agree that Madson was bad, but don’t forget the short and crappy performance by Blanton tonight.

By: j reed

j reed — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:01:58 +0000

M.P. – Madson was a starter at one time and has to have another pitch that with a little work he could use. The league has caught up to the new Madson, a little more variety might help…i think that’s been Hamels problem as well. Fastball/change-up pitchers have there pitch counts worked with foul balls … a good yakker would help. Hamels has been working on it and has had some success, but needs to go with more. Plain fact is the change-up is to this era of baseball as the “low and away” two seamer was to the 90′s. Batters are more ready for it esp. when you only really have two pitches. Don’t get me wrong, keeping it simple works but when it doesn’t or the oppostion has adjusted their game, you need another variable to swing the odds in your favor.

By: Doug

Doug — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:54:54 +0000

Goats of tonight’s game: Rollins and Madson.

Madson in the 8th, you have two outs and a 1-2 count on the batter, why are you weird about the runner on first? If you get prado the inning is over instead you throw over and the next pitch would have been a ground out if he didn’t throw over becuase howard would be playing right next to the bag.

Rollins 0-5 at the plate, 0-24 Two times he made outs on first pitch swinging, he cost the phils the braves third run booting chipper’s grounder. I hate to say but looking at his stats it would not surprise me one bit to find out he was juicing from the middle of the 05 season until halfway through the 07 season.

If i were Amaro I would see what the market is like for Rollins and give the shortstop position to Harman or Donald.

By: M.P. aka A.J. #54

M.P. aka A.J. #54 — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:52:04 +0000

Sean – you don’t say?

By: Sean A

Sean A — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:50:36 +0000

Via Jayson Stark’s twitter:

Ryan Madson since June 16: 9.52 ERA, 3 blown saves, 1 loss that wasn’t a blown save, 16 baserunners in 5 2/3 IP

Suffice to say Madson been struggling abit

By: M.P. aka A.J. #54

M.P. aka A.J. #54 — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:50:10 +0000

The rookie pitcher beat Santana, Mets losing makes up for the Phillies any day. Wow… Ok, I am off to bed now

By: M.P. aka A.J. #54

M.P. aka A.J. #54 — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:48:59 +0000

Morris, I will leave the spanking alone… That is your department. The Brew Crew cannot get that third out.

No clue if they won or not…

By: M.P. aka A.J. #54

M.P. aka A.J. #54 — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:47:06 +0000

Ooops, Mets down by 3 now