Game on Andy Feffer, game on.

The Washington Nationals stirred up some publicity earlier this morning by beginning the sale of single-game tickets for one singular series, May 4-6 versus our beloved Fightin’ Phils. It wasn’t the odd practice of only releasing one series’ worth of tickets to the general public that caught headlines, it was the fact that these tickets were limited to folks with credit cards from the DC-metro area, intended to “Take Back the Park” to block out Phillies fans.

The Nationals are quietly stockpiling nice, primarly young and developing talent to help them ascend to the top of the NL East. And that ascension may come quicker than Phillies fans realize: just yesterday, Buster Olney tweeted that the Phillies would win the NL East and that the Nationals would win one of the two Wild Card spots. As teams like the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland A’s have found, making the playoffs does not always fill up the stadium. But announcing a rivalry with the top dog and telling their fans they can’t come to the games? That will grab headlines and that will fill the seats.

The Washington Post’s Dan Steinberg commented that he, and the rest of the Nationals fanbase, hated seeing rows and rows of Phillies shirts and jerseys.  He interviewed their COO Andy Feffer who said “Forget you, Philly. This is our park, this is our town, these are our fans, and it’s our time right now.” Feffer addressed this e-mail to folks who bought tickets with the Nationals in years past:

Dear Nationals Insider,

Let’s work together to keep Phillies fans out - it’s time to TAKE BACK THE PARK!

Starting today, single game tickets for the May 4-6 Nationals vs. Phillies series will be made available only to Nationals fans who reside in Washington, D.C., Maryland or Virginia.

To take advantage of this offer, click on the green Take Back the Park button below to register. Upon successful registration, you will receive an email with a one-time-use password to complete your purchase. Nationals fans may purchase up to eight tickets per game in one transaction, while supplies last.

We invite you to show your Nationals pride and TAKE BACK THE PARK!

Sincerely,
Andrew Feffer
Chief Operating Officer

And to that I say, thank you.  The Phillies head into 2012 with five straight Division titles and an experienced core. A little competition has never hurt anyone and this may help light a fire underneath the Phillies to have them remain competitive.

A competitive, young Nationals team will help the Phillies remain competitive and respond positively to change. And a competitive and successful team in DC, no matter if they block out Philadelphia-area credit cards or not, means more relatively local baseball to see on a consistent basis. As for Feffer’s comments, they’ve had the intended effect: people are talking about the Nationals and locals will buy tickets and even further engaged Phillies fans will find ways to buy them. A competitive Nationals team helps the entire baseball fanbase and may help the Nationals turn the corner much like the Phillies did in 2007 when Jimmy Rollins proclaimed they were the “team to beat” heading into the season. For the Phillies sake, I hope this is not the case.

What are your reactions Phillies Nation?

Check out the media player below to hear the full interview.
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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league insider. You can check out more from Jay by visiting his site, PhoulBallz.com.

The signing of Chad Qualls means the Phillies are staring down the barrell of a loaded Luxury Tax gun. Photo: AP

The signing of Chad Qualls wasn’t one of the bargain basement signings like Juan Pierre or Joel Pineiro where a Phillies fan can argue if it doesn’t work out, we can stash the journeyman 33 year-old reliever in Triple-A. Instead, the signing of Qualls for $1.15 million was a little puzzling, perplexing, and pushed them right to the threshold of the dreaded luxury tax. And while my colleague Corey Seidman did a fantastic job illustrating why it wasn’t the best signing, I’d like to argue it was a good signing for reasons you may have and may not have anticipated.

In Jonah Keri’s piece on Albert Pujols’s contract, Keri says the going rate for 1 win is about $5 million. Corey praised Qualls for a nasty sinker-slider combo that induces groundballs and projected him as a .3 to .7 win reliever for 2012, which would be a bargain. Bill James has predicted Qualls somewhere between his very good 2009 and serviceable 2010, making Corey’s prediction spot on. Where I differ with Corey is how Qualls place on the team effects the young arms around him and how this signing reflects on the Phillies.

Injuries Happen, Call-Ups are Used

In 2011, the Phillies used 22 pitchers, 18 from the bullpen at some point. In 2010, those numbers were 21 and 16, 2009 saw 22 and 18, 2008’s numbers were 18 and 14, and 2007 saw 28 pitchers take the mound for the Phillies with 23 of them seeing relief duty. 2007 is unquestionably the outlier, but consider this: 16 pitchers appeared for the Phillies out of the ‘pen for 10 or more appearances in 2007 in a worst case scenario, everybody-got-injured-or-is-horrible year. In 2011, with a relatively stable ‘pen? 10 pitchers had at least 10 appearances, with 8 with 24 or more.

Qualls is a serviceable pitcher that was had at the right price. Admittedly, I am intrigued by seeing Michael Schwimer, Justin DeFratus, Phillippe Aumont, and Joe Savery receive an extended shot at the Majors, but signing Qualls will not reduce their chances. Other circumstances that happened at the end of this year and in the off-season have dramatically increased their chances, if anything.

Every year, it felt like the Phillies would trot out a combination of Andrew Carpenter, Scott Mathieson, and Mike Zagurski to varying degrees of effectiveness any time there was an injury. One was traded to Toronto, Mathieson left for Japan, and Zagurski was traded to Arizona. Those road blocks are gone. And the difference with Schwimer, DeFratus, and Aumont? They’re younger and fresher than the previous trio was when they were receiving their shots. If any of those three, along with Savery, does get an extended look due to injury, the Phillies have no problem retaining those players on the roster if their performance remains at a high level, examples being Michael Stutes and Antonio Bastardo.

Injury candidates that may land young arms a spot: Bastardo, Joe Blanton (either from the ‘pen or an injury that gives Kendrick a starting spot instead of the swing-man role) and Jose Contreras.

The Reality that Stutes and Bastardo May Have Caught Lightning in a Bottle

For the first half of the year, Stutes looked like the missing link in the bullpen. The 24-year old was fantastic but hit two distinct walls: in June and in September. And it wasn’t all that crazy to suggest Bastardo was one of the best set-up men in all of baseball midway through the season. Like Stutes, however, Bastardo ran into a wall and lost effectiveness late in the season. There is a real possibility that at some point for either one of these pitchers, the wheels may fall off again, leaving an opportunity for one of the young arms to get their opportunity.

What Luxury Tax?

And perhaps the most exciting, and abstract interpretation, of the Chad Qualls signing is the possibility that the Phillies are willing to go above and beyond the Luxury Tax threshold to acquire the players they need to win a World Series. Philadelphia fans, myself included, long loathed the Yankees and Red Sox, and sometimes the Cubs and Mets, for being big pocketed bullies who did whatever it took monetarily to build a championship team. The Phillies haven’t entered that realm; they’re already in it.

Does the Chad Qualls signing mean they’re going to be able to re-sign Cole Hamels for whatever his price tag may be after the season? Not at all. But what it may suggested is with the added revenue of selling out every night, increased ticket prices, and the very real new TV deal that is around the corner, the Phillies will go straight up to the Luxury Tax and sometimes cross it to acquire the right players.

Enjoy!

Source: REUTERS / Tim Shaffer

As the snow melts, the waiting is almost over. When pitchers and catchers report, there’s a little relief as baseball withdrawal is put on hold, but nothing is like the return of meaningful games. Anticipation and excitement build up as Opening Day approaches. A new year means new hopes, dreams, and memories. For a baseball fan, Opening Day is more than the beginning of a new season; it’s one of the best “holidays” out there.

The words “cold,” “rain,” and “losing” have been associated with Opening Day through the years. Win or lose, it’s great to have baseball back again.

2011′s first game resulted in a victory as the Phillies opened the season with a bang, indicating that there were many more great moments to come.

From 2007 to 2009, Brett Myers was the Opening Day starter. He found himself on the mound at Citizens Bank Park for Opening Day once again, but this time he was on the other side. His opponent, Roy Halladay, was making his second Opening Day start in a Phillies uniform. The edge was given to Halladay, but both starters pitched well.

The game remained scoreless after five, but the Astros took a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh after Halladay exited. The Phillies got two back, but still trailed 4-2 entering the bottom of the ninth. It wasn’t too early in the season for a comeback.

Jimmy Rollins led off the inning with a single. “As JRoll goes, the Phillies go,” and that’s exactly what happened. Rollins scored on Ben Francisco’s single. The Phillies trailed by one. Wilson Valdez singles. Tie game.

Enter John Mayberry.

Mayberry smacked a liner which sailed over Michael Bourn’s head. Bourn did not have a chance as Francisco waltzed home for the winning run.

The Phillies beat the Astros, 5-4, in dramatic fashion on Opening Day.  It was a sign of more exciting things to come throughout the season.

The return of baseball and an amazing come from behind victory — it really doesn’t get much better than that!  (Well, maybe except for our #1 Top Moment of 2011.  Stay tuned to find out what it is).

After struggling in the Arizona Fall League in 2010, when he allowed 12 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings over 5 outings, Diekman refocused his approach on the mound. Diekman entered the 2011 season with a goal of throwing all his pitches for strikes and getting into a hitter’s mentality in order to mix up his approach toward the opposition. That approach helped the Phillies’ 30th round draft choice from 2007 compete against hitters at the higher levels of the minors.

The 25-year-old Diekman sports a pitch repertoire that includes a fastball, a slider and a change up. In 2011, the Nebraska native added a couple notches of velocity after receiving advice from former Williamsport pitching coach Lance Carter, in spring training. The tip, lowering his arm angle when playing long toss, landed Diekman’s fastball at 95 MPH on a regular basis. The increased speed helped Diekman in match ups against opposing batters, as he saw his K/9 rate shoot up from 9.05 in 2010 to 11.49 in 2011.

Overall, as a member of the Double-A Reading Phillies in 2011, Diekman had a strong season, posting a 0-1 record with 3 saves, a 3.05 ERA and a .199 batting average against in 53 games.

As a member of the 2009 South Atlantic League champion Class A Lakewood BlueClaws, Diekman sported a 2-0 record with a 4.04 ERA and a .266 batting average against in 32 games (2 starts). The following year, Diekman began the season back with Lakewood and was promoted to Class A Advanced Clearwater after going 2-0 with a 1.90 ERA and a .178 BAA in 21 relief outings. After his move upward in 2010, Diekman went 0-2 with a 3.66 and a .195 BAA ERA in 24 games.

As further evidence of his improvements as a pro, across three levels in his first two professional seasons, Diekman posted a 7-13 record and a 4.45 ERA with 142 strike outs in 194 1/3 innings.

Mentally, Diekman has displayed the ability to be tough and fearless on the mound.  His focus will be on consistent mechanics, especially with his arm angle, as he continues to strive toward the ultimate goal of pitching in the big leagues.

Headed into 2012, Diekman should get a good look with the big club in spring training and will likely begin the season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. As inevitable injuries arise in the Phils’ bullpen during the regular season, Diekman stands a very good chance at being a hurler that the team counts on to fill those voids and contribute.
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Click HERE for the 2012 Phillies prospect countdown index.

Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league insider. You can check out more from Jay by visiting his site, PhoulBallz.com.

Brown is one of several African-American players on a Phillies roster loaded with them (Photo: AP)

This is a special guest post written by a friend of Phillies Nation, Zaki Edwards, from the always-funny website, PhillyGameday.com. Check out some of his old stuff and have a laugh or two.

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Barry Bonds could have hit 100 home runs in 2001 and I still wouldn’t have been able to convince other black guys at my high school that baseball wasn’t wack. No amount of stealing from Rickey Henderson or wall-climbing catches from Torii Hunter could have changed their minds.

To them, baseball wasn’t flashy enough. It wasn’t black enough. It was a “white sport”.

I’m pretty sure I slept through that day in Blackness Prep or something since I always have and always will think baseball is the greatest sport known to man. No one had to convince me that it was cool to take that piece of metal the coach gave you to hit a ball and run as fast as you can. It’s all I’ve wanted to do everyday for the past 20 years of my life.

Of course, I’m in the minority of the minority. And so is every other black baseball player and fan that can name more than five players on their favorite team.

It’s a phenomenon that has been talked about at length for the past few decades, but one that seems to be fading in the City of Brotherly Love as of late: The Phillies are employing more black players and the number of black Phillies fans seems to be on the rise.

Mayberry Jr. (MLB)

Rollins. (MLB)

One explanation for the rise in black fans is that the Phillies’ roster now boasts a whopping five African-American (non-Latino) players: Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, John Mayberry, Jr., Domonic Brown and Dontrelle Willis. Throw in the newly acquired Juan Pierre and outfielder Tyson Gillies (who is currently on the 40-man roster) and the Phillies start to look like the bizarro New England Patriots.

Some people may say it’s racist to watch a team even partially because of its black players, but it goes a little deeper than that.

For people like my father, seeing Howard and Rollins play for the Phillies is a reminder of the progress the team, the sport and this country have made over the years.

“For guys my age, I can remember back in the 1950′s when the Phillies were still one of the most racist teams in baseball,” my father told me. “To see guys like Howard and (Jimmy) Rollins on the team now, that means something.”

For reasons too numerous to list, a lot of people identify with people of their own race or group, right or wrong. It is this identity that may draw someone to say “hey, there’s a guy like me out there playing baseball and that’s kind of cool.” On a side note, I think professional athletes make so much money these days that the notion of “a guy like me out there” doesn’t apply to anyone, white or black, unless you’re a fellow athlete or CEO–but that’s neither here nor there.

The other explanation–and the one I subscribe to–for why more blacks are tuning in to more Phillies games is a simple one: Because the team is winning.

Winning literally solves everything. It can turn the most wack, boring sport into the coolest and most-watched sport in town. The Phillies won 102 games last year, but see what happens if they win 120 or 140 games. Every black kid in the tri-state area will be rockin’ a Howard or even a Roy Halladay jersey. Houses and cars everywhere would have broken windows from kids playing baseball in the street all day and all night. Winning is cool, and the more teams win, the less cool you become if you don’t keep up as a fan.

Ultimately, I could care less about the number of blacks that watch or play baseball–as long as the reason doesn’t have anything to do with discrimination, of course. But so what if fewer blacks like baseball than in the 1970′s. That’s just the way of things. People get their news online now instead of in a newspaper. Black kids play cooler sports like football and basketball instead of baseball. Who knows, maybe the pendulum will swing back to baseball at some point, but with fans that are more excited by the prospect of a double-switch than a designated hitter, I seriously doubt it.

The Phillies' Tuesday signing of Chad Qualls shows that not every cheap deal is a good deal.

Ordinarily, complaints about a one-year, $1.15 million deal would be silly. But when you consider how Chad Qualls’ presence will affect the short-term growth of Michael Stutes, Michael Schwimer, Phillippe Aumont and Justin De Fratus, the Phillies’ Tuesday signing of the 33-year-old journeyman reliever carries with it as many negatives as positives.

At some point, you need to see what the young guys have.

The Phillies did that with Stutes in 2011 out of necessity, and only because he immediately succeeded did they continue to put him in high leverage situations. The (good) problem with having such lofty team expectations is that you cannot give young players on-the-job training. If the Phillies were the Pirates, or even a team like the Reds, Domonic Brown would probably be working through his troubles at the major-league level.

The same goes for the Phils’ young crop of relievers, which doesn’t have much left to prove at Triple-A.

Stutes showed at age 24 that his fastball-slider combo is good enough to miss bats in The Show.

De Fratus stormed through the minors, dominating at every level and deserves a spot on the Phillies’ Opening Day roster.

Schwimer struggled in the majors, but he too sped through the minors with high-strikeout, low-walk rates and whatever assessment is made of his 2011 performance is incomplete based on the way he was used. At 25, Schwimer already understands and talks about pitching at an advanced level.

Aumont struck out 78 batters in 53 innings last season for Reading and Lehigh Valley and he’s probably the furthest one away.

It’s not that bringing in Qualls is a bad move. He has a rubber arm and a sinker-slider combo that induces plenty of ground balls (57.5% career GB rate). But since entering the league, 13 percent of Qualls’ fly balls have been home runs, a number only one reliever – Brandon League – has topped. And he’ll be pitching at Citizens Bank Park, a stadium which has only seen its home run percentage drop because of a rotation full of aces.

Unless the hops really go way Qualls’ way in 2012, he’ll again be a middling reliever worth 0.3 to 0.7 wins … which is fine for $1.15 million, and would be a welcome upgrade if he were stepping into the Danys Baez spot.

But Qualls won’t be used in that role. He’ll be used in one that takes opportunities away from the Phillies’ quartet of young, potential “stud” relievers.

The bullpen has been an organizational strength for the Phils in recent years and in order for the young righties to continue to progress they’ll need to pitch in high-pressure situations, not in the sixth or ninth innings of a blowout.

Chad Qualls (AP)

The Phillies have made what would seem like one final move to try and solidify the bullpen by signing veteran Chad Qualls.

From the Phillies:

Right-hander Chad Qualls signed a one-year, $1.15 million contract with the Phillies, Senior Vice President & General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced today.  The contract includes performance and awards bonuses.

Qualls, 33, went 6-8 with a 3.51 ERA in a team-high 77 games for the San Diego Padres last season.  In his final 19 appearances, he posted a 1.96 ERA and held opposing hitters to a .219 batting average.  Qualls made the eighth-most relief appearances among all major league pitchers last year.

Over the past seven seasons (2005-11), Qualls has made more appearances (512) than any other major league pitcher and ranks second in relief wins (34), trailing only Jesse Crain (38).

Originally a second-round selection by the Houston Astros, Qualls has a career record of 38-34 with 51 saves and a 3.78 ERA in 537 games for the Astros (2004-07), Arizona Diamondbacks (2008-10), Tampa Bay Rays (2010) and Padres (2011).

Qualls will wear #50.

I think you’re all well aware of my stance on guys of this ilk. Is he going to be a big difference maker over cheaper, younger, less proven relief pitchers like Michael Schwimer or Justin De Fratus, among others? Not that it’s a waste of over $1 million, but it just seems like an unnecessary investment. Perhaps Ed Wade has his paws on this one, as Qualls is a former Houston Astro. That being said, Qualls has been a decent pitcher in this league for a long time.

AP Photo | Matt Slocum

Cliff Lee had a fabulous month of August, going 5-0 with a 0.45 earned run average. He had a 0.78 WHIP and opponents batted .173 against him. Pretty impressive numbers, right? But guess what is even more scary? That wasn’t even his best month of the 2011 season. While Lee had an unbelievable August, his month of June was even more incredible.

Lee’s first start during his terrific month was on June 6. The Phillies beat the Dodgers 3-1 as Lee struck out 10 over seven scoreless innings.

On June 11, Lee pitched 8 solid innings surrendering just one run in the Phillies 7-1 win over the Cubs.

Lee just kept getting better as June moved on. On June 16, Lee blanked the Marlins in his complete game. He gave up just two hits and two walks. In his next start on June 22, he shutout the St. Louis Cardinals in the Phillies 4-0 victory. And finally, on June 28, Lee stunned the Boston Red Sox allowing just four baserunners over 9 scoreless innings.

Overall, Lee went 5-0 with a 0.21 ERA and 3 complete game shutouts in the month of June. In addition he had a 0.69 WHIP and opponents batted .151 against him during the month.

Lee carried a scoreless inning streak from June into the month of July. He went 34 innings before allowing a run — a home run to Jose Bautista.

One number that was not off the charts for Lee in the month of June was strikeouts. He only had 29, the least of any month he had in 2011. Batters may have made contact, but this shows that Lee was able to locate the ball and jam hitters. It may also be a sign of good defense, but Lee has to deserve most of the credit.

Lee’s month of June was for the record books. Having a stellar season, Lee found himself as the star of several Top Moments in 2011. It’s expected that he will appear many times in 2012′s version as well.

Hunter Pence accepting the PSWA 2011 Good Guy Award. Photo by: Ian Riccaboni

On a night where Charlie Manuel claimed he felt like a “mosquito in a nudist colony”, myself and colleague Pat Gallen enjoyed a fine spread, a tribute to Smokin’ Joe, and a celebration of Philadelphia athletics at the 108st Annual Philadelphia Sports Writers Association (PSWA) Awards .

The Phillies earned three awards, with Ruben Amaro Jr. accepting the award for Best Team on behalf of the Fightins, Manuel winning Coach of the Year (Men’s), and Hunter Pence winning the Good Guy award. Former Lehigh Valley Iron Pig Ryan Vogelsong won the Native Son award.

Vogelsong was one of the first guests honored and the Chester-area native confessed he’s still a Philadelphia sports fan. “I really consider myself a huge Philadelphia fan. I’m an Eagles fan, a Flyers fan, a Sixers fan, and don’t tell anyone but I still love the Phillies,” confined Vogelsong to a crowd composed of nearly entirely Philadelphia sports writers. Sorry Ryan, the secret is out. Vogelsong continued, “I wasn’t going to bring this up, but since Ruben, Charlie, Hunter, and I were talking about it, I’ll go ahead and throw them under the bus. I wouldn’t be up here right now if it wasn’t for Ruben. He released me in 2010.” Burn.

Amaro accepted the Team of the Year award about 40 minutes later, following an intense speech from Temple Football Head Coach Steve Adazzio. Ruben spoke for about 2 minutes and made it very clear: World Series or bust in 2012. Amaro saluted the team, the fans, and his colleagues at the Phillies before proclaiming “We’re gonna do our damndest to bring a World Series back to Philadelphia.”

The highlight of my night was Citizen Bank Park’s own Dan Baker introducing Charlie Manuel who wasted no time breaking the ice: “Thank you Dan. I feel like a, uh… mosquiter (mosquito) in er… nudist camp.” (Click here for exclusive audio: Charlie Manuel – Mosquito in a Nudist Camp) I’m not sure what Charlie meant, but he was visibly humbled by the praise Baker heaped on him during his introduction. Manual’s acceptance speech for receiving Coach of the Year was also humble, praising his players and the fans for putting him in positions to succeed. “It’s something a lot of people had something to do with. My organization, my players… I am humble, I’m grateful,  I am very happy about the award I received here tonight. It all shows great team effort… we have some of the best players in baseball,” remarked Manuel. Manuel thanked Ed Wade, Pat Gillick, Amaro, and others for his shot in Philadelphia. Like Amaro, Manuel wrapped up his speech with his eyes on the prize:  “Our goal will always be the same. The first speech that I always give about the season is about us going to the World Series, that’s our ultimate goal.”

Hunter Pence was the last athlete to receive an award for the night and came equipped with some solid material. Pence began his acceptance speech by postulating as to why he was selected: “I try to think about why I won the ‘Good Guy’ award and it’s definitely not for what I did with the team, it’s what I did with my solo actions.” Pence, continuing to be tongue in cheek, listed some of his finer solo accomplishments in Philadelphia, including: getting a champagne shower, fighting in San Francisco, and taking his shirt off at a charity event. “I definitely learned a lot about Philadlephia – you have good humor, thank you sports writers for voting me for this. I’ve had a lot of fun, did a lot of crazy things,” continued Pence. Pence wrapped up by again referencing the San Francisco fight, this time playfully with Vogelsong, “I know you’re from Philadelphia and you think you’re Rocky, but you didn’t have to give me those one-two’s in that fight out there. Charlie’s proud of you but I’m still hurting. Well, that was a lot of fun actually, it was just a lot of hugging.”

On behalf of myself and my colleague, PSWA member, Pat Gallen, we thank the PSWA for having us and we hope to see a lot of hugging this October when Ruben, Charlie, HP3, and our guys bring home another World Series crown.

Pat the Bat retires after 12 productive seasons with 2 World Series rings. Photo: AP

Pat Burrell is set to announce his retirement today according to Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors. Burrell, also known as Pat the Bat and the Machine, was a beacon of hope for a floundering franchise scorned by JD Drew’s famous refusal to sign. Burrell was the number one pick out of the University of Miami in 1998 and provided solid production over nine years in Philadelphia. Drafted as a third baseman, Burrell was selected with high expectations and for his ability to reach the Majors quickly. Burrell joined the club in 2000.

Burrell’s last game as a Phil was Game 5 of the 2008 World Series saw him reach base three times, including a lead-off double that helped the Phils clinch the title. Burrell’s double cemented him forever in Phillies’ lure and reflected his often-clutch performances. Burrell finished his career with a year-and-a-half each with both Tampa and San Francisco. Burrell finished 2010 with 18 second-half home runs and led the charging Giants past Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Texas to capture the 2010 World Series.

For many, Burrell never reached the unrealistic expectations set forth by many as the number 1 pick, but to me, Burrell’s double was the perfect exclamation mark to a terrific career. Playing mostly left field for the Phils, Pat the Bat appeared in 1306 games for the Phillies hitting 251 HRs with a triple-slash of .257/.367/.485.  Burrell finishes his career just shy of 300 (292) HRs, with a career triple slash of .253/.361/.472.  With so many moments to choose from, including many Shea Stadium bombs and his Game 5 double, what is your favorite Pat Burrell moment?

Who would be the best manager for the Phillies if Charlie left? (AP)

We will always be grateful for Charlie Manuel leading the Phillies to the 2008 World Series crown. “This is for Philadelphia!  This is for our fans,” screamed Charlie after the Game 5-Part 2 clincher against the Tampa Bay Rays.  Charlie will likely never have to pay for a beer again in the City of Brotherly Love, but we all know that he can’t manage this team forever.

Just for the heck of it we asked the fans on our Phillies Nation Facebook page which current MLB manager they would choose right now if they had to replace Charlie Manuel?

We took the ten most frequent responses (with some career achievements via Baseball Reference) and now we want your vote.

Which current MLB manager would you choose if you had to replace Charlie Manuel:

• Dusty Baker, Cincinnati Reds (3x M.O.Y. ’93, ’97 & ’00.  .521% CWP in 18 years. 1 PEN).
• Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins (M.O.Y. ’10.  .534% CWP in 10 years).
• Kirk Gibson, Arizona Diamondbacks  (M.O.Y. ’11.  .522% CWP in 2 years).
• Joe Girardi, New York Yankees (M.O.Y. ’06.  .570% CWP in 5 years. 1 PEN. 1 WS).
• Ozzie Guillen, Miami Marlins (M.O.Y. ’05.  .524% CWP in 8 years.  1 PEN. 1 WS).
• Jim Leyland, Detroit Tigers (3x M.O.Y. ’90, ’92, & ’06.  .500% CWP in 20 years. 2 PEN. 1 WS).
• Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay Rays (2x M.O.Y.  ’08 & ’11. .510% CWP in 8 years.  1 PEN).
• Mike Scioscia, LA Angels (2x M.O.Y. ’02 & ’09.   .548% CWP in 12 years. 1 PEN.  1 WS).
• Bruce Bochy, San Francisco Giants (M.O.Y. ’96.  .497% CWP in 17 years. 2 PEN. 1 WS).
• Ron Washington, Texas Rangers (.527% CWP in 5 years.  2 PEN).

Just for comparison, CHARLIE MANUEL… (.561% CWP in 10 years.  2 PEN. 1 WS).

*M.O.Y. = Manger of the Year Award Winner
*CWP = Career Win Percentage as a manager
*PEN = number of Pennants won …
*WS= number of World Series Titles

The current manager of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Phillies AAA affiliate), Ryne Sandberg, was mentioned a lot. And although he does not fit the criteria of “Current MLB Manager,” it’s safe to say that a lot of Phillies fans will be happy if Sandberg eventually takes over for Charlie Manuel.  In 5 seasons as a Minor League Manager, Sandberg has a record of 364-341, good for a .516 winning percentage, and was named 2010 Manager of the Year in the Pacific Coast League, as the skipper of the Triple-A Iowa Cubs.

Lidge’s main role for this coming season will be to secure the later innings before Storen closes it out.  Also, he will be a veteran guy in a clubhouse full of young players.  I think Lidge will help on and off the field for the Nationals.  Pat gave a little Fare Thee Well for Lidge.  We will all remember that 2008 season.

The front office sent Wilson Valdez to the Reds this week for left-handed relief pitcher Jeremy Horst.  It’s a little ironic he ended up in Cincinnati, the same team he pitched against in the 19th inning of a marathon of a game.  PN’s Ian Riccaboni and former PN writer, and current Crashburn Alley guy, Mike Baumann blog battled it out email style about what this trade means for the Phillies and the future of Michael Martinez.

The Phillies added another reserve type player with a Minor League deal.  Juan Pierre presents as a low risk, high reward type guy.  He is not going to hit home runs, and while his numbers around the base paths have dropped Pierre can still provide some excitement at the plate.  It’s a good pick up for the Phillies who are trying to fill in all the gaps heading into Spring Training.  By the way, only 20 days until pitchers and catchers report.

Looking at the fifth starter spot in the Phillies rotation, our own Jon Nisula asks the nagging question, ‘What if Joe Blanton isn’t ready?‘  It’s a fair question to ask for the team and fans.  Blanton is coming off elbow surgery after one of the worst half seasons of his career.

With 38 of the possible 40 roster spots filled, the front office will look to add a couple more guys before Spring Training starts in a little over a month.  Get excited, baseball is back!  Almost.

Charlie Manuel is a big reason the Phillies won 102 games

In the last couple of years, the last day of the season was somewhat meaningless. By that time, the Phillies already clinched the division and September callups saw much of the action.

2011 was a tad different. The division was already clinched, but the Phillies were playing for something else: history. And as it turned out, Game 162 was pretty intense too.

Looking back, the 4-3 win may not have been the best thing. The Phillies finished off the collapse of the Atlanta Braves by eliminating them from the postseason. This changed the playoff schedule as the Phillies were forced to play the St. Louis Cardinals, a red-hot team, in the first round of the playoffs. As we all know, this did not benefit the Phillies, but there is still reason why the 102nd win is a great moment.

Here are a few notes from Pat Gallen’s recap on Phillies Nation:

The Phillies, having run out of games for pitchers to start, ran out not one but three starters this evening, with Joe Blanton allowing a run in two innings, Cole Hamels allowing two in three innings, and Vance Worley pitched around two walks and a hit in a scoreless inning.

Ryan Howard‘s RBI double off Tim Hudson in the first staked the Phillies to a 1-0 lead in the first, but Chipper Jones drove Michael Bourn in to draw level in the bottom half of the frame before Dan Uggla‘s two-run homer off of Hamels in the third put the Braves up 3-1. The Phillies, however, did not go easily. In the top of the seventh, with runners at the corners and one out, Jack Wilson booted a sure double play ball to allow Raul Ibanez to score.

But in the ninth, the levee finally gave way. Craig Kimbrel, one of the best relief pitchers in the game this season, let up a hard single to Placido Polanco, struck out Carlos Ruiz, then walked Ben Francisco and Jimmy Rollins to load the bases. Then, in an instant, the Braves’ cakewalk to a one-game playoff ended with a Chase Utley sacrifice fly.

In the top of the 13th, the Phillies scratched across the killer blow. With two outs and Brian Schneider on first, Scott Linebrink allowed back-to-back singles to Chase Utley and Hunter Pence, the second of which was an opposite-field dribbler that barely rolled to the outfield grass. Linebrink got Mini Mart to kill the rally, but the damage was done.

Michael Schwimer, Michael Stutes, and Justin De Fratus each pitched well out of the bullpen, showing promise for the future. They were able to keep the score close so the Phillies offense could do damage.

It was a pretty intense game that went back and forth, and the Phillies came out on top. The Phillies’ 102nd win set a franchise record. Not only that, Charlie Manuel became the Phillies’ all-time winningest manager.

It’s unbelievable to have witnessed 102 wins in a season. I never thought I would see the Phillies win 100 games in my lifetime, so it’s pretty awesome to say that I rooted for the team with the most wins in franchise history.

Phils’ manager Charlie Manuel knows what Jim Thome can do and looks forward to the type of contributions Thome will make on and off the field. Manuel coached and managed Thome during the 1990′s and early-2000′s in Cleveland, and then managed Thome again in Philadelphia in 2005.

Thome, who ranks 8th among MLB sluggers all-time in homeruns with 604, solidifies a Phillies bench that lacked power last year, especially from the left side.

Manuel, the most winning manager in team history, knew from Thome’s days as an emerging power hitter, that the now 41-year-old would become an elite slugger in the sport.

“I’ve been around Jimmy about the first fifteen years of his career. I’ll tell you something, when I look at him sometimes, for him to hit 600 homeruns, I never thought he would hit 600 homeruns. But, when he was young, and I used to sit and talk to John Hart and these guys, you know, the general manager and the assistant GM Danny O’Dowd, about what he was going to do, I used to say that he’s gonna hit close to 500 homeruns. I used to definitely think that, if Thome was here, he’d tell you that,” Manuel stated.

Locking up a guy that loves to play and that exudes a positive attitude at nearly all times is something that Manuel was very happy about this off-season. The Phils’ skipper feel that Thome’s presence, even on days off, will help the team on the field.

“Thome’s a guy that can walk through our clubhouse and have (a positive) impact. And if he’s not playing a game that day and he goes out and watches the game, other guys are gonna follow him. Things like that are what I look for. He’s so upbeat and he gets along with everybody.”

The Phillies have a plan in place to get Thome, who has played a total of 28 innings in the field since he left Philadelphia following the 2005 season, some time on defense at first base in minor league games, when the spring training schedule begins. After some time, Thome will be eased into some Grapefruit League games against big league competition.

Manuel feels that Thome can contribute a considerable amount in limited playing time this coming season, citing the veteran’s experience as being beneficial toward adapting to new his reserve role.

“He’s still got a good enough bat,” Manuel stated. “In the last couple years, he’s hit 40 homeruns…in about 500 at bats or something.

“If we can get him in a game a week, or two or something like that, I figure he’ll get- I don’t want to put a solid number on his at bats, but, I would say if he can get to 200, that’ll give him plenty of time to stay sharp, and stuff, because I think he’s experienced enough to know how to pinch hit now.”

Accurate numbers for 6-foot-3-inch 250-pound Thome over the past couple of seasons are 40 homeruns in 553 at bats, but nevertheless, Manuel seems correct, as the potential Hall of Famer, Thome, has kept his productivity up while his playing time has dwindled. Add in his .269 batting average, 32 doubles and 109 RBI over that stretch, it is clear that big Jim can still get it done at the plate.

After an August trade last year, the veteran of 21 major league seasons made a return to Cleveland, where his professional career began when the Indians drafted him in the 13th round of the 1989 amateur draft. The manner in which Thome returned to Philadelphia, which became his second pro organization when he signed there as a free agent in 2002, wasn’t attributable to the opening left when All-Star first baseman Ryan Howard required achilles tendon surgery after the 2011 post season. According to Manuel it was more about both sides wanting to reunite for some time.

“I think the opening really didn’t matter. Last year, we were trying to get him, like down toward the end (of the season), ’cause we wanted him to hit for us. But, he had to clear waivers and Cleveland is where he started his career and they picked him up. In some ways that was good for him, but when the season was over and he became a free agent, he had us in mind all along and Ryan getting hurt is something that had nothing to do with it.”

It’s a sure thing that the potential to win that elusive World Series ring helped rank steadily post-season bound Philadelphia high on Thome’s list of desired destinations. If everyone involved has their way, jewelry will surely be in the big man’s future.

Another key addition to the Phillies’ roster this off-season was Jonathan Papelbon, who served as Boston’s closer for six seasons. Manuel expressed additional excitement about the four-time All-Star solidifying the back end of his bullpen.

“He’s a legit big time closer…a proven commodity. When I met him and I talked to him, he was, he gets real excited. He’s really intense, he’s ready to go. And it’s good. I liked him before I ever met him, but at the same time, (now) I like him even more. I think he’s gonna be great for our club, I think he’s gonna go good in our bullpen, I think he’s gonna be everything that we expect of him.”

And in regards to the manner in which the Phillies may ease some ailing players into action this season, Manuel was candid and referenced a focus on light .

“We’ve got some regular players, especially the ones that’s nursing injuries and things like that, we’ll take it easy on those guys. We’ll definitely monitor them and won’t expect them to go out there right away and throw a big heavy workload on them.”
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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league insider. You can read more from Jay by visiting his site, PhoulBallz.com.

The 6-foot-1-inch 180-pounder began his pro career with the Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2010. As that club’s everyday third baseman, Franco posted respectable numbers for a 17-year-old making his professional debut (.222/.292/.330). It was Franco’s defense, however, that immediately began to get him noticed. With excellent reflexes and a top notch arm at the hot corner, Franco impressed many in his U.S. debut.

A year later, Franco began the season in extended spring training and later competed with the short-season Williamsport Crosscutters. The righty hitting Franco looked great against NY-Penn League competition, posting 2 homers, 28 RBI and a .274/.339/.389 line in 42 games before earning a promotion to Class A Lakewood.

As an 18-year-old in the South Atlantic League, the baby-faced Franco struggled mightily. In 17 games for the BlueClaws, the Dominican born prospect went 8-for-67 (.123 avg) and racked up a weak .349 OPS. The Phillies realized Franco was overmatched and that he was growing discouraged, so he was re-assigned back to Williamsport, where he finished the season by batting .333 with 7 extra base hits and 10 RBI over his final 13 games with the Crosscutters.

One definite plus about Franco’s time with Lakewood was that he made no errors in those 17 games. However, striking out 15 times while walking only once in 17 games for the ‘Claws, compared to 30 K’s and earning 25 free passes in 54 games for the ‘Cutters screamed of Franco not being quite ready for the older pitchers of the SAL.

With no career stolen base attempts in two pro seasons, speed is not a facet of Franco’s game.

Mickey Morandini, who managed Franco with Williamsport in 2011 and will surely be reunited with him in Lakewood in 2012, as Morandini was promoted up a level this off-season, describes Franco as being relied on as a middle-of-the-lineup RBI guy. Morandini feels Franco projects as a power bat, as he fills out physically and climbs the developmental ladder.

Still very young – 19 years old until the end of August – Franco is in a great spot to land among the top tier of prospects if he can prove himself offensively at the full season Class A level this year.

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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league insider. You can read more from Jay by visiting his site, PhoulBallz.com.

Photo: Jeff Roberson, AP

One moment can define a career for a player, especially if it happens in October. Ben Francisco had one of those career defining moments in the third game of the National League Division Series.

Cole Hamels kept the Cardinals scoreless over six frames. However, Jaimie Garcia was pitching just as well — that is, until Francisco changed everything with one swing of a bat.

With two on and two outs, Francisco was called on to pinch hit for Hamels. Because of Francisco’s struggles throughout the season and the way Hamels had been pitching, the move was somewhat questionable. Luckily for the Phillies, it payed off as Francisco had the hit of his career.

Garcia left a pitch up in the zone and Francisco hammered it. The ball sailed into the Phillies’ bullpen in left-center field at Busch Stadium. Just like that, the Phillies took a 3-0 lead and all Ben Francisco criticism was put aside. The Cardinals would go on to score two, but it wasn’t enough as Francisco’s blast was the storyline.

The 3-2 win put the Phillies up 2-1 in the series. It seemed liked the Phillies had the momentum and would easily take the series, but we all know how it ended. Despite the unfortunate NLDS outcome, Francisco’s home run will forever remain as a Phillies clutch postseason moment.

Hunter Pence is back. (AP)

According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, the Phillies and Hunter Pence have avoided arbitration by coming to terms on a one-year, $10.4 million contract. Heyman was the first to tweet the news just after 3 p.m.

Pence had originally asked for $11.8 million, the Phillies countered with $9 million, and the two sides have split the difference.

Now comes some interesting days ahead for the Phillies. Not only is Cole Hamels a free agent after 2012, but Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence will be as well. Who do you keep if it comes down to it? Clearly Cole is the priority, but the Phillies just gave up a boatload to get Pence, you’d think he’d be the second priority. He will obviously command top dollar next offseason. Ruben Amaro Jr. will have his hands full, for sure.

Juan Pierre. (MLB)

The Phillies have inked speedy outfielder Juan Pierre to a minor-league contract.

Last season, Pierre, 34, was still a serviceable player with the Chicago White Sox, although we know he is completely one-dimensional. He will give you slap hits and speed and not much else. Over 158 games, Pierre hit .279 in 711 plate appearances, however, his steals fell from 68 in 2010 to just 27 in 2011.

Among active players, Pierre has the most career stolen bases (554) and ranks 26^th on the all-time list. And according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com, he ranks No. 1 among active players in K/PA ratio (1 every 17.8 at-bats). Not much swinging and missing going on there.

That being said, I would rather the Phillies have inked Pierre and gone with him over signing Laynce Nix to a two-year deal. I feel as though this contract makes much more sense. Pierre will provide no power, but with your final outfield spot up in the air, plus the addition of mashers like Jim Thome and Ty Wigginton, it’s hardly a necessity.

All-in-all a low-risk, high-reward move by the Phillies that could pay dividends should one of the starting outfielders go out for an extended period of time. Pierre is clearly declining as a player, but for the price, it’s worth it to take a shot that he’s got something left in the tank as a backup. That said, the Phils still need to address the middle infielder spot that sits empty after the trade of WIlson Valdez. At this point, Michael Martinez is the only legit option.

Pierre’s numbers the last three seasons: