Playing the Rube: A Baseball Experiment – Chapter 3 – Colby Lewis is Pissing Us Off
Then Ruben Amaro Jr. was named general manager.
The Phillies didn’t win another world championship.
Tim Malcolm and Dan Walsh wonder if they can do better. So, we continue “Playing the Rube,” a weekly series with accompanying podcast in which Tim and Dan attempt to steer the Phillies to more victories, starting in 2009, through the deep simulation game OOTP Baseball ’18.
***
CHAPTER 3: COLBY LEWIS IS PISSING US OFF
Halfway through spring training, we receive some bad news: Jamie Moyer is injured. And it doesn’t look good.
Meanwhile, Andrew Carpenter and J.A. Happ are also injured. Our pitching depth is suddenly drying up:
PHILLIES
- Cole Hamels
- Brett Myers
- Joe Blanton
COMPETITION
- Kyle Kendrick
- Chan Ho Park
- Rodrigo Lopez
- Gustavo Chacin
- Carlos Carrasco
Thus we get more aggressive with our old friend Colby Lewis, who wants more than $2 million in free agency despite not playing in the majors in 2008 (he was in Japan) and having a robust injury history.
While we wait for an answer (and get progressively angry with his lazy back and forth), the Phils play aggressively average in spring training. The regulars (mostly) do what’s expected while players on the bubble fight for the final few spots. Competition is high for the following spots:
- Utility infielder (Eric Bruntlett vs. D’Angelo Jimenez)
- Fifth outfielder (Brian Stavisky vs. John Mayberry Jr.)
- Fifth starting pitcher (Eric Hurley vs. Chan Ho Park vs. Rodrigo Lopez)
- Seventh reliever (Mike Zagurski vs. Tyler Walker vs. Scott Mathieson)
These may (or may not) be riveting battles, but they’re battles nonetheless. And before the episode ends, we receive some bad news that’ll shake things up once more before we head back to Philadelphia for the regular season.
Listen to it all below!
