So if you’re on the phillies.com mailing list, you might have received this letter from the desk of David Montgomery. I’d like to think it was personally addressed to me, but I doubt it. I hear it came via snail mail as well, probably to season ticket holders. If you don’t have you’re own copy, read this one:
Dear Brian:
On behalf of the entire Phillies organization, I want you to know that we appreciate your passion and loyalty. We know full well that without our fans there would be no Phillies baseball. I am writing to give you a brief update on ballclub matters.
As I am sure you are aware, a search for a new General Manager is underway. Our intent is to conduct a thorough and intensive search in order to select a General Manager who will get us to the postseason and bring a championship to Philadelphia.
We know that we have work to do this offseason. Getting the right person as the General Manager is step No. 1. From there, we need to make the necessary improvements to get our win total over 90 games, capture the division title, and play in the postseason.
Looking back on the 2005 season, although we didn’t achieve our goals, we believe that there were very positive signs for the future. The players played hard to the very last day in Washington. They never gave up and battled to the end for a postseason spot. Some individual performances were outstanding. Jimmy Rollins’ 36-game hitting streak during the pressure of a pennant race was a remarkable feat. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard — two young players who excelled in clutch situations and fed off the energy of our passionate fans — provided great excitement. Many other achievements and strengths could be mentioned, but we recognize there is more to do and we intend to do it.
Thank you for your support throughout the 2005 season and past seasons. Our entire organization is very appreciative of the dedication exhibited by Phillies fans. We will not take that for granted and we will work hard each and every day to earn and keep your support.
We look forward to providing you with further updates as we proceed during the offseason.
Sincerely,
David Montgomery
President
Wow, he admitted the Phils failed to achieve their goals this season – something Ed Wade might not have done. I also like that he flat out said we need to win more than 90 games. While that certainly won’t guarantee a playoff spot, it is a definitive measure of success; and Dave, we’re gonna hold you to that, especially since you tie it to the GM search in which you are directly involved.
It is also interesting that he only mentions three players: Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, and Chase Utley. It was a subtle note bestowing the untouchable tag on these three players…everyone else is up for grabs!
Although a “From the desk of David Montgomery” mass email might be superficially corny, I appreciate the show of leadership and responsibility. But that’s just process, we need to see results in substance, meaning a quality GM with fearless yet productive offseason moves. Though it might all just be a ploy to keep retain season ticket holders so they have the cash to pay Billy Wagner.
It seems Wags was pleased with the Phils latest offer. “They made a nice offer. It’s the one we expected would be the first offer,” said Wagner, whose price tag went from $24 million at the All-Star break to $27 million after the break, then rose to $30 million when the season ended. You can blame Ed Wade’s incompetence for that, so there goes his $6 million severance pay. Still Wagner is going to think it over for a while and test the market. These players aren’t stupid, Wags knows how to play more games than just ones involving a baseball. Too bad the Phillies front office is still at the AAA-level.
Great Breaking News: Leo Mazzone leaves Atlanta for Baltimore. Though it has yet to be confirmed in Atlanta or Baltimore, the Dirty News seems be sure the deal is done. Finally some relief, it’s the beginning of the end for the Braves dominance!
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