Phillies Nation

They had the division within their grasp, and fell flat on their faces. Rox and Padres are going to gut what’s left of this season like a fish.

I heard they are working on their swings…golf swings.

They jump on a plane to the West Coast and play tomorrow… with no rest until Sept. 9th… That’s pretty scary.

I hope we send out the Sweeneys, Valdez, Dom Brown, and Co. on Friday… because this team looks spent. And if they’re not, they will be by the end of this road trip.

Manny they are gaining 3 hours. Dont play for 30 hours.
Should be rested.
I have a good feeling about this trip.

7 runs in 1 series, awesome.

prepare for more bandwagoners to hop off (and then back on in mid sept when the phils are hot again) ghey

So upsetting!!!! – but frankly i said to my son, “Watch what happens when utley and howard get back and we have our whole line up together again?!” – becuase u never know?! – they can be totally awesome like they were at the beginning of the season – or they can be totally and embarrasingly off like weve seen them be for far too many stratches!!! – truthfully im not sure i really like this whole group together that much – and i just had a sense that after the tremendous effort made by the “replacement” team to stay so close, showing such unbeleivable heart in the process, the starters would just go thud!!!! – moreover, i have to say that when they go this way i really get so upset with the demeanor of utley, werth, even howard – wheres the frustration? – wheres the anger (other than 2 nights ago by howard re theat call!)? – wheres the passion?! – i just dont get it – arent they human????? – y is it that we get so upset but they dont seem to?? – the only thing good right now r the three starters – and blanton for the moment – and madson/lidge – and possibly ibanez??????

“Ryan Howard continued his run of remarkable incompetence”

A month ago he was hot, seeing the ball well, great timing, etc, etc….then he got hurt and was out for 3 weeks.

He is essentially in Spring Training or rehab mode right now….so to call him “remarkably incompetent” is not only harsh but off-base.

What does this guy have to do…hit a 3-run homer every night in order for you people to be happy??

Chuck, I’d say there’s a wide chasm of “happy medium” between what Howard is doing now and hitting a 3-run homer every night.

Scott, I was being sarcastic.

But seriously, if Howard doesn’t get hurt he’s probably leading the NL in RBI, has 30 HR by now and is hitting close to .300.

On August 26th.

Let’s be fair. The Phils faced three good starters in this series in Myers, Happ, and Rodriguez. Two of those played for the Phils at one time and know all their weaknesses.

What is really frustrating is the stupid play lately. Things like pick-offs and runners thrown out trying to advance on strong-armed outfielders.

I can live with the batting slumps when they’re not accompanied by mental lapses. Batting slumps happen. But this team needs to think. I hope Manuel reads them the riot act on the plane trip to San Diego.

Watching the little league world series. I bet none of these guys get thrown out at 2nd on an intentional walk or caught napping on 3rd.

The Astros are better than their record would suggest. their pitcher today Wandy rodriguez when he is on is as good as anyone. and Myers and Happ certainly had something to prove. Like bourne.
This was a “trap” series for sure.
But getting swept at home is unnaccepettable. Would be unacceptable againt the 1927 yankees or 2010 Yankees or an all star team.
Pressures on now. And SF has backed all the way up into first in the wild card again. and they have been stinking too.

“Run of Remarkable incompetence”- really, really harsh man-

But you have the right to do as you wish with the printed word I guess.

As long as you have the courage leave this comment up, so do I.

Run of Remarkable Competence

AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB HBP SOSB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS
June 100 23 32 8 2 7 22 8 1 24 0 1 .320 .373 .650 1.023
July 105 13 30 2 2 8 26 9 5 30 1 0 .286 .364 .571 .935

At the end of July Ryan Howard was leading the league in RBI, 2nd in hits, 4th in HR’s and top ten in most other batting categories – He was on his way to yet another outstanding, dominating year. Then-

He got hurt, dude. It’s happened to great players before him, it will happen again. Look at the stats of any great player’s career, you’ll always see the down years, sometimes you might even wonder why. Now you know.

You wrote a remarkably incompetent piece today Michael, what’s your excuse, Carpal Tunnel?

I am not jumping off any wagon, and really the Phillies ran into some good pitching? I know we a love Happ but he is a hittable guy, usually strands a lot of baserunners, and pitches well with guys on base. The Phillies could not hit him, Myers with his 89 mph fastball. It is not losing, that is frustrating, it is how they lost. I do not care how good Houston is against the phillies, you can not get swept at home in a 4 game series, lose 3 of 4 maybe, but not all four. They made these three starters look good by swinging for HRs every at bat, and swinging at non strikes, there is a time to be patient but that means you need discipline with 2 strikes on you and not swing at pitches over your head or in the dirt. I mean really I know they are not going to throw a fastball to Ryan Howard with two strikes, they will not even throw a strike. I do give him some leeway here because he came back with out any real rehab starts, I am saying he can not go on like this if the phillies are going to win, which I still believe they will win the East

Why does every pitcher of late look like a Cy Young winner against the Phillies? I thought our troubles would end when Milt Thompson got the boot? They are just as bad under Greg Gross. Raul Ibanez is the only player who seems to be doing anything at the palte. Ryan Howard (for all the money he makes ) just plain sucks!!!

my first entry.
does any body care. the phillies are horrendous and nobody seems to notice the manger is not able to get the overpaid players to perform. please tell me charlie manuel has to go. he has done everything in his limited repetoire and it has failed. some one has to come in and put the fear of death in their eyes and not let these prima donnas get away with their everyday routine. if not, I will be glad to come and put the fear of death in their eyes instead of the prima donna routine they have been getting from charlie. charlie has to go unless you want to have open heart surgery for the next thirty days only to find out we didn’t make the playoffs with the best team in baseball.

charlie manuel has to go.
charlie manuel has to go.
charlie has to go.

this guy has done all that he can do. these prima donnas need someone to scare the **** out of them. we are sitting here undergoing open heart surgery night after night with the best team in baseball. if there is not a change, we will wave goodbye to the playoffs and the year is over. He (Charlie M) is a hitting manger, right. Well, please answer the obvious question. Im sorry, no matter how hard he chews his gum, his decisions are terrible. This sweep by the ASTROS is beyond comprehension.

We have overachieved before maybe its time that our true selfs are starting to appear. Maybe Shane is just a .260 hitter that had 2 good years. Rollins has been on a downfall since his MVP year but gave us enough. Maybe pitchers know how to get Howard to strike out. Maybe injuries are catching up with Chase. Maybe Werth has some personal problems and is out there lost in space. How much gas is left in Ibanez maybe he is starting to show his age. Lot of questions however we have done it before I still think we have 1 more left in us. Is there enough magic left for us I hope so…..

I wont say Howard sucks, but I also wont say he is “the least of our problems”. what is he since getting back, I think its around 3 for 27 with 20 strikeouts. Maybe its just me, but striking out 20 out of 27 at bats IS a problem. Thats bad for Howard. I would more believe that he was rushed back without giving him the opportunity to get some quality at bats or good batting practice. I would rather him slump with now as the Braves are slumping as well, but I hope he breaks out of it soon. Too bad we are now 1/2 game back in the Wild Card. (yes Biz, our winning percentage yesterday was higher than the Giants, but we were still tied, and now with this loss, we are a 1/2 game back).

Howard and Utley belong in the minors for a few weeks. They look lost. Maybe it’s the PED’s they are missing??

JEFF Y-WAS GOING TO GIVE YOU A PASS SINCE ITS YOUR “FIRST TIME POSTING” BUT WITH CHARLIE MUST GO AND PEDS,YOU ARE WITH OUT A DOUBT LOST AND CLUELESS…………15 OR MORE ON THE D.L. AND STILL IN THE HUNT A YOU WANT THE MANAGER GONE????COME ON DUDE!!!! PS. JEFF HALL WAS CHARLIE AND JEFF Y WAS P.E.D.’S

Biz, Chuck, Lefty – guys, are you really watching?
Lets be realistic, there is no need to ‘baby’ Howard – it is not just since his injury that he has been inept at the plate. The 6 games before he got hurt, he was 2 for 20, 2 runs scored, 1 hr and 3 rbi.

Since 7/26 (and coming back from injury) he has continued this chasm (for lack of a better word) – 5 for 36, still 2 runs scored, 4 rbi now and still only 1 extra base hit – the man needs some vitamins, he needs some home cooking and I mean St. Louis home. It is not just since Ryans injury that he has been outright terrible at the plate, it started before the injury.

How is it that the stars align and everybody is stinking at the same time? Bad timing for a bad slump.

BTW, anyone notice something different that Ryan is doing at the plate, before he points the bat at the pitcher? It appears he is tapping the ground about home plate a few time – for what reason I dont know, it certainly cannot be luck.

My buddy was saying watch as they tear up the NL west – Its just hard to get excited, the team is not responding with men on base. And yes, this is frustration talking… I was there for the grueling 5.2 hour loss – what a terrible game, and there yesterday as they just did not look interested in putting any effort into the game.

With all the time spent on the DL by multiple players, you would think the players would be rested. I think some of them are still asleep.

So, if Howard and Utley had been sent out for more rehab, who would you put in their places? Gload is on the DL, so he wasn’t an option. Valdez could play second, but his offense is no better than an ailing Utley’s. Sweeney could have been an option, perhaps, but a minor leaguer would still have to play first at times, or at least be available to pinch-hit. (You need 25 men on the active roster.) Is there a truly experienced bat at Lehigh Valley for this purpose?

I honestly think that Howard would still be rehabbing if it hadn’t been for the bad timing of Gload’s groin pull. It’s just another of those unlucky breaks the Phils have encountered this year. Right now, you can’t sit Howard because he need ABs to get his timing back; it’s just too bad circumstances have forced him to get his ABs with the big club.

Also, I still maintain that Happ, Myers and Rodriguez are good pitchers. Despite being hit a lot (usually) Happ doesn’t give up much. Myers has had a very good season, and Rodriguez has always shown flashes of really good pitching. Look at their records against the rest of the league; they’re pretty consistent winners with decent ERAs.

George, if you really think the the Stros pitching is what led to their weep of the Phils, then you probably think the Phils lost to the Yanks in the 09 series because their pitching is so much better than ours was.

I tire of the same arguments..

Look at Howard’s and Utley’s slugging percentage this year. Well bellow the last few years. Utley looks lost at the plate. Pitchers are making him look foolish.

Falling apart in game 4 was the crux.