Comments on: Prado Wears Out Phillies

By: Ryan Schromen

Ryan Schromen — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 11:52:27 +0000

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By: j reed

j reed — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:06:21 +0000

mikeB.- i think Ruiz callled the game. In the case of Blanton, the braves did what we don’t do, that is make adjustments at the plate. Blanton was throwing first pitch fastballs for strikes and they came out swinging first pitch in what the 2nd or 3rd inning. Ruiz should have realized this and called for some off speed stuff…Not that Blanton couldn’t have done this, but I feel as though the responsiblity lies wih the catcher to call the game unless the pitcher is more the cerebral/crafty type. Ruiz also had Park throwing a first pitch two seamer to Francouer, a notorious low ball hitter…thankfully Frenchy didn’t come up first swinging like he usually does. Also Ruiz called for a come-back fastball for a guy who obviously having trouble with the big league off speed stuff. Park’s pitch broke a little early, but nonetheless had no business throwing it…and that was Ruiz’s responsibility.

By: LH

LH — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:55:00 +0000

Maybe this will take the jinx off J-Roll…

To the tune of: Oh Where Oh Where Can My Baby Be?

He swaggered and talked in spring training like a czar
But he hadn’t driven the ball very far
There in opening week he was doing misreads
He’d swing and stalled, his technique was dead
I couldn’t watch, but I observed for some insight
I’ll never forget April, May, and June nights
The downstream BA, running out of gas
The painful dream who seems to be outclassed

Oh, where oh where can my Jimmy be?
His bat was taken away from me
He’s gone to hiatus, and he’s got to get good
So I can see my real Jimmy when I go to the park.

By: mikeB

mikeB — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:20:03 +0000

I agree with Mile’s post in that the pitching cost us this last game. Prado and Blanco had 7 hits between them and Prado had the 4 RBIs. Blanco is hitting .219, had 3 of those hits and also a walk. Francoeur also had a couple of hits and an RBI hitting at .251. Prado is hitting pretty well at .299 but come on, he is not exactly Babe Ruth. Had a home run and triple last night. Just a total lack of concentration and poor pitch selection by mainly Blanton and Madsen.

By: Manny

Manny — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:11:13 +0000

I think that ESPN should do a story that runs every half-hour on Sportscenter basically BASHING Jimmy Rollins, and showing him miserably striking out/flying out/grounding out. See if that gets under his skin and gives him a boost or something… hope that some negative national press can get him back to normal.

OR.. as Georgie said somewhere else, maybe he’s depressed or has some type of anxiety… you know, that’s the new *it* ..players going to the DL for that!! Should I just feel sorry for the guy? I don’t know. But I still believe that a little booing might help.

By: Miles

Miles — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:21:35 +0000

While Jimmy’s struggles are obvious, we all have to come to the realization that we are not losing games solely because Jimmy can’t hit. As shag or someone mentioned earlier, this game is a W if Madson doesn’t issue a 2 out walk, uncork a throwing error, and then give up a double down the line on a belt high fastball with a 1-2 count. JB also was throwing hangers for the most of the night. Ruiz grounded into the big DP. Larry Jones made a great play that could have easily cost us 2 runs.

Bad Jimmy doesn’t equal a loss. It was everything. Our staff gave up 5 runs to a Braves team that managed all of one run over the weekend against the Sox. If Martin freaking Prado has 4 RBIs I am putting this game on the pitching.

By: Chuck P

Chuck P — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:13:18 +0000

It’s not like he’s not seeing the ball… he’s just not putting good swings on the ball and balls that have dropped for him in the past are being hit right at fielders. I think that this is interesting… take a look at his strikeout totals through 74 games for each of the past four seasons:

’09: 34, 304 AB
’08: 32, 301 AB
’07: 43, 322 AB (MVP)
’06: 31, 309 AB

He’s seeing the ball but he’s hesitating and he’s not getting his hips behind it. I think that this is a mental funk more than anything else. With each game that passes, Jimmy feels more pressure to get out of it. Unfortunately, his batting average isn’t going to jump 50 points overnight. Big Papi has been able to turn his season around because he’s not only seeing the pitches but he’s also going with them. He’s not trying to hit every pitch out of the ballpark anymore. If he gets a pitch high and away, he’s dropping it into the gap in left field. If he gets a mistake pitch, he’s unloading on it. Jimmy’s still trying to do too much. He’s not getting on top of the ball and he’s taking weak swings. I think that it’s time to give my alternative lineup a shot?

Interesting stat… the leadoff batters for the phillies are hitting .237, collectively (Jimmy, Vic, Werth, etc… whoever is slotted 1). The 9 hole (pitchers and pinch hitters) is hitting .264.

By: bull

bull — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:35:41 +0000

i am not sure we think all will be fine with him batting 6th or 7th but we obviously can see he is hurting the team by leading off. We are already starting the game with an out on the board with him leading off. He is 0 for his last 24 and L.A. gave another stat that he has not walked in over a month and has gotten on base once on this road trip and that was by an error.

By: Chris Iafolla

Chris Iafolla — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:23:52 +0000

It’s no secret that Rollins is lost at the plate. He continues to up to the dish without a plan of attack. That being said, I have no issue with him being in the lineup as there are no better options on the roster. Do you really want to see Bruntlett playing everyday? My problem is with Charlie Manuel’s insistence that he needs to hit at the top of the lineup. Why not bury him in the 7-hole where his failure to get on base would not be quite as detrimental to the team? Manuel has talked about the need to give Rollins a mental break as the reason for sitting him for the last few games but then inserts him right back into the leadoff spot when he returns. I do understand the rationale that the Phillies do not have a prototypical leadoff hitter on the team–but at this point–Cole Hamels would be a better leadoff hitter than Rollins.

One small correction on the original post (very small). While Blanco was in the lineup because of an injury to Nate McLouth, Prado was not inserted due to injury. Kelly Johnson has been struggling almost as bad as Rollins lately and has been given a seat on the bench. So Prado is getting a chance to win the everyday job. The Braves were missing Yunel Escobar because of injury. Either way, it doesn’t change the fact that Prado killed the Phillies.

By: Papa Thompson

Papa Thompson — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:21:49 +0000

The whole idea that all would be fine if we just batted J-Roll sixth is pretty dumb. Sure, he went on a terror when he was dropped in the order a month ago, but he might have hit just as well during those games if he’d led off. And you’re dealing with a minuscule number set when you try to use stats to back up the argument he should be hitting sixth. He has exactly 8 ABs in the 6-hole this year. That’s 2 percent of his total ABs in 2009. In fact, for his career, Jimmy’s hitting 16 points higher in the lead-off spot than he is in all other spots in the lineup — .277 as a lead-off hitter vs. .261 not leading off. And that’s a bigger number set since nearly 24 percent of his career ABs have come from spots other than lead-off.

I’m not saying Jimmy should be leading off. But I also don’t think all of his troubles magically would melt away if you put him in the 6-hole. And I agree with Steve-o that if you’re going to bat him based on his performance, you’d be better off batting him 8th than you would be sticking him in the middle of the lineup.

But the whole thing isn’t really worth talking about to begin with because Charlie has made up his mind that Jimmy will hit lead-off, so we’re going to be stuck with him there, at least up through the All-Star break. I can’t see Charlie’s patience extending much farther than that if Jimmy can’t turn a corner in the next couple of weeks.

By: bull

bull — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:08:16 +0000

Brian of CO, I agree and thought that last year even when the won it all. Charlie can not manage a game. Rollins should be in the 6th spot and Vic should be leading off. Also, did not watch the game but saw the stats any reason Charlie pulled Blanton. He was only at about 93 pitches and wasnt he suppose to be the innings eater guy, it didnt seem like he was in trouble except for the one inning. This is what is killing the bullpen not letting some of our starters go that extra inning.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:05:12 +0000

As of last night I OFFICIALLY and not mad at Jimmy Rollins anymore. I actually just feel bad for him. That was sad. He looked like he was going to cry up there.

By: Steve-o

Steve-o — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:44:37 +0000

Rollins doesn’t need to hit leadoff or 6th, hit him 8th. That’s where you put your defensive stars who can’t hit.

By: beta sigma shag

beta sigma shag — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:58:23 +0000

I am sorry but you can not say if JRoll walks at some point this or that would have happened, once a runner gets on base it is a different ball game. Would I like to see Jimmy get on base sure, how many runs could have the phillies scored if Ruiz flew out with bases loaded with one out. The point is that they had the lead going into the 8th and that should be enough, two outs and two strikes on a guy at the plate is not time to try and keep the runner close to first, concentrate on the batter.
Also I can not help to thinkg that Ruiz behind the plate in the 8th would have made a difference also.
Yes they did lose a heartbreaker, but they played better then they did in the interleague games, I mean Vic could not buy a hit up the middle last night and going in to this series we wanted 2 out of three and we still have a chance to do that wiht Cole tonight and JA tomorrow so let us not get too down on the guys, the Mets lost also, even though the Marlins won so cheer up and let’s get them tonight

By: Brian of CO

Brian of CO — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:22:24 +0000

As much as this hurts to say, because I like Charlie, I think it is becoming painfully obvious, Charlie is NOT the manger we thought he was without Jimy Williams as bench coach.

By: Sean P.

Sean P. — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:07:54 +0000

How come everyone see that J Roll should be hitting 6th and not Charlie? Interesting stat noted earlier that he would on be batting .195 if he was never plugged in that 5th and 6th holes for a few days.

Another thing to note – i think J Roll could get more bang for his buck farther down in the lineup b/c he flys out way more than he grounds out.

Also, look at his splits for his pitch count – he’s actually batting .286ish when the count is 0-0, 0-1, 1-0!! After that it is all down hill. With every other count’s average between .190-.220 .

By: Brian of CO

Brian of CO — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:01:27 +0000

Myers Liars, are you just all of a sudden posting on here without seeing what most “haters” have said. Most of the “haters” or as J-Roll loves to bash philly phans as being “front runners” describe him as a “double edge sword” Its hard to take him out because he defense is so awesome, but annoying and disgusting because if offense SUCKS. like it or not beta, what would the score have been going into the bottom of the 8th had J-Roll so much as walked in either the 3rd or 5th inning? So I suggest you really read the remainder of the posts on most other boards because you act like people “are turning a blind side”. Not to mention another point that myers liars is completely ignoring, is MOST fans, or as you are implying us being poor fans, MOST of us dont want him out, we want him in the 6th spot. or did you skip over this post “Now for J-roll, this is just some bad managing. How can you not notice that he does better in the 6 spot. There are no two ways about it. I thought charlie was better than this.” Look at the numbers. in the few games he was hitting #6, he had a little over .300 average. You know what that means? #1, he is far better NOW as a #6 hitter, and #2, his average as a lead off is BELOW .200. MOST fans dont want him gone, we want him hitting #6 which is where he actually hits the ball, or walks, and scores runs. Scoring runs wins games, not going 0-5.

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:23:02 +0000

J-Roll;
Too much money.Too little results PERIOD!

By: Myers' Liars

Myers' Liars — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:13:16 +0000

A lot of you guys are forgetting the incredible defensive efforts Jimmy Rollins puts in each game.
He had one today, that, if Bruntlett were in, would have easily been a base knock up the middle, extending the inning, and possibly scoring a run.
Yes he is hitting below average, even poor, but he is still our leader who has been here year in, and year out. He has stood by our team before we were even close to WFC. The man deserves more respect than a lot of you fans are giving him now, and are turning a blind side to the other (defensive) half of the game of baseball, that Jimmy dominates.

By: boxage

boxage — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:07:16 +0000

heartbreaker