Comments on: San Dieg

By: Harold

Harold — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:44:09 +0000

Love the modern layout. I really liked the content. Thanks a lot for the marvelous page.

By: egrissom

egrissom — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:52:43 +0000

Hamels has been really fun to watch so far most of the year. I agree I would like to see the Phils start hitting soon.

I really think they should think about firing Milt Thompson again.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:06:57 +0000

Hamels threw a good game for us, but in retrospect, we need to start hitting the ball or our starting pitching staff may kill some of their teammates. I been watching the Lakewood BlueClaws games as well and it seems as if the phillies minor league team has similar problems. I know its early in the season, but this is just food for thought.

By: DaMannse

DaMannse — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 03:04:12 +0000

Lee has allowed 3. Is that a fatal number of runs for a Phillie starter to allow? The announcers keep saying how easy to score runs in Arizona. I hope they’re right.

By: egrissom

egrissom — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 20:27:57 +0000

I agree. I think there’s still hope, given what he did the second half of last season. He looks bad so far, though. He looked bad a lot of the first half last year, too.

By: DaMannse

DaMannse — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 20:13:31 +0000

Ibanez really makes me sad. I love the guy, but he looks really, really old. His bat speed is nil. I’m embarrassed for him when he hits. He’s been far too good a guy to look like this. He is a proud man. This must be killing him.

By: egrissom

egrissom — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:59:13 +0000

I have to agree that I don’t like the formula, either. Everyone knew that the starting rotation was going to be awesome. We knew the runs were going to be down, too, but I didn’t expect we would see what we’ve seen over the last 15 games or so. Overall for the year the numbers aren’t terrible. The Phils have scored about 4 1/2 runs per game. They need to get that up, but not by a ton. The problem, though, isn’t the total for the year — it’s that they scored seven runs per game over their first eight games and 3.0 runs per game over their last 13. They obviously don’t need seven runs a game to win, but 3.0 isn’t going to be enough.

We knew not to expect a lot from Valdez offensively, but Ruiz and Rollins have disappointed so far and Ibanez has been downright terrible. When you add to the mix the fact that Polanco has had such a hot start I think the concerns about the offense is legit, best record in baseball or not.

Over the last 13 games the Phillies have gone 9-4 but outscored their opponents by just three runs, 39 to 36. That’s not a model you want to take to the bank. If they continue to score about the same number of runs as the teams they’re playing they shouldn’t count on going 9-4 in too many 13 game stretches.

By: DaMannse

DaMannse — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:30:59 +0000

I have to say that the formula is not a good one, if for no other reason than we are in a position where our presnt closing staff is not given to bearing such slim tolerances. Over the long haul no pitcher is, not even our starting staff. Long starting appearances and a shakey closing staff is hard enough over a whole season, but adding only 3 runs a game against mediocre opposing pitchers from our offense is going to catch up with us. Eventually, we will have to take on the Rockies and the Giants who have genuine starters of their own.

The offense is troubling. And no one can say that it is a phase they are going through; it has been going on for a long, long time now and it is the key players who are the problem. Rollins, Ibanez, Utley, and Howard are not doing what they once were able to do. This is the new norm for this team; it will not support the present W/L record for much longer.