Comments on: Fans hopeful the Phils find a way to get Madson a break next year that doesn’t require him to kick any chairs

By: DaMannse

DaMannse — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:29:14 +0000

Agreed. Esp in the circumstance you mentioned here.

By: egrissom

egrissom — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 03:11:34 +0000

I think you’re right about why Manuel used him. I think I would have been tempted to as well. In the games when you’re up five runs, though, I think you have to not use your best guy even though it’s tempting. I agree that in 2011 the Phillies need other guys to be better, but they’re also going to need to get in the game more often.

By: DaMannse

DaMannse — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:13:31 +0000

My memory is imperfect, but what it tells me is that Charlie may have used the arm that was hot because his other arms were so irregular and unpredictable. I do not think that the pen was very reliable at all. I have to admit that if I have a choice between a reliable Madsen and the crap shoot that was most other guys, I would be likely wearing Madsen out too.

In 2011, the other guys simply have to be better.

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:06:32 +0000

Wow.. is Madson the reason why the Phils got shut out 3 straight games? Seriously, is he a bona fide clubhouse leader or something?

By: egrissom

egrissom — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:39:34 +0000

Hopefully the offense continues to score a bazillion runs when Kendrick starts and can get some wins.

Madson didn’t pitch between April 28 and July 8 last year. Phils were 12-9 after April 28. They went 31-31 while he was gone. Then they went 54-25 after July 7. 31-31 with Madson away, 66-34 with Madson not away.

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:14:50 +0000

Well I was thinking mainly postseason. For the regular season you can probably add 4 innings every 5th game to cover the 5th starter’s outing – otherwise known as “Lose Day” I think. This is also the day Madson rests.

By: egrissom

egrissom — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 20:30:30 +0000

I’m hoping Jim is right about 1-2 innings per game, but I don’t think it’s going to be quite that dramatic. Even if it were two innings a game, that would be 324 innings for the season. That would be a drop of nearly 100 innings from this year, and the number of innings the Phillies bullpen threw in 2010 was already exceptionally low.

By: Greg

Greg — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 19:53:37 +0000

That’s an interesting theory Jim, but it doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes Oswalt is only going to go five innings in game 2 of the NLDS. Whatever the case, I still think you’re going to need at least 400 innings from the pen this year no matter how you slice it.

I totally agree that somebody needs to talk to Charlie about using the “best arm” on games that are followed by an off day no matter the score. It adds up after a while.

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:52:40 +0000

I thought the point of R2C2 was that we only need 1-2 innings of bullpen work per game anyway?

By: egrissom

egrissom — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:52:26 +0000

Letting Madson start the ninth inning of game two with a five-run lead is just a bad decision. I agree that Manuel uses what he sees as his best reliever too often — for me the biggest deal is when he uses him with a big lead. It seems that the biggest factor for Manuel is whether there is a day off the next day — if there is, he too often for my taste uses the best guy he has available. I think that means the best guy winds up pitching a bunch of innings that he shouldn’t. The size of the lead and the number and frequency of appearances for the relievers should be bigger factors than they seem to be for him and whether there’s an off-day the next day or not should be less important.

The Phillies have had a bullpen that’s about league average over the last two years. They didn’t pitch well enough in 2009, although the Phils lost to a better team anyway. The pen was mediocre last year and pitched well the playoffs, but not well enough to pick up the slumping offense. Any time the Phils have a league average pen, it seems like it’s an area where they can improve the team. I agree about the notion that the Phils need three guys in the pen throwing well for the post-season. I kinda of feel like the closer doesn’t count, though, cause Manuel is unlikely to deviate from the way the closer is used much regardless of how he’s pitching.