Comments on: Phils deliver their most impressive bullpen management in days as Lee shuts down the Braves

By: obtzbntpev

obtzbntpev — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:13:42 +0000

nxvmoqijmmjftgmpx, lebbmzeekl

By: DaMannse

DaMannse — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 02:09:49 +0000

Thanks. You make me feel WAY better. A not-so-good Halliday is a nightmare from which I am afraid none of us would awake.

By: egrissom

egrissom — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:23:34 +0000

I hope they give everyone some rest down the stretch, even if the race for the Cy Young is tight.

Not sure about Halladay. I agree that the heat start was worrisome, but his numbers since have been good. The heat start was July 18. Since then he has had eight starts in which he’s thrown to a 2.28 ERA and a 1.08 ratio and has averaged about 6.92 innings per start. In his 19 starts before the heat start on July 18, Halladay threw to a 2.45 ERA with a 1.02 ratio and threw about 7.54 innings per start. He has struck more batters out per nine innings since the 7/18 start — 9.11 per nine after that start and 8.66 before. So the numbers look pretty similar. More innings per start before the heat day is something, but I think a lot of that comes from Halladay’s start on 8/21 where he was forced from the game by a rain delay after just five innings.

Whatever the answer, I sure hope he’s okay. Cause if you think having only one lefty in the pen is a problem, it wouldn’t really compare to a Halladay-is-not-well situation.

By: DaMannse

DaMannse — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:02:28 +0000

Just an observation. Since Doc got fried in that one start with heat exhaustion, he has looked to me like he is laboring all the time. He certainly has not been lights out. He is sstill better than 98% of starters anywhere, but he does not seem to me to be his dominating self. If I am right, and it may just be my imagination, I wonder if HE isnt the one who needs to be shut down for a week or two in September. Am I imagining things?

By: egrissom

egrissom — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:58:51 +0000

The bullpen thing over the weekend was terrible. You really can’t let that happen. 69 pitches for Herndon? Really? A day after throwing 20 pitches and giving up three home runs? I also really don’t feel like Joe Blanton is the answer.

The Phillies still don’t have a second lefty and they aren’t going to. I’m going to be surprised if that doesn’t turn out to be a problem before it’s over. They had a lot of time to solve that one, so they must not think it’s that big a problem. I do.

Still, overall I think we have to say it’s been a rather impressive year for the front office.

I think Lee, Halladay, Kershaw and Ian Kennedy as the likely Cy Young candidates for this year. I think Lee has been a tiny bit better than Halladay so far, but I’d guess Halladay will be better the rest of the way. I’d still guess Halladay if I had to pick one.

I was glad to see Lee carry his success into September as well. He’s been rather amazing of late. Let’s hope he has something left for the post-season.

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:42:46 +0000

Neat. When I misspell my hidden email address I get a new fractal avatar. Yay.

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:42:09 +0000

What happened to Lee taking September off so he’d be fresh for October? Jeesh.

By: DaMannse

DaMannse — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:17:39 +0000

Herndon got mis-used, and badly, over the weekend. With a short staffed bullpen to begin with, the reason Amaro gave for not bringing guys up from the minors to ease the load on the big club’s arms was that he wanted the minor league clubs to have all of their guys for their playoffs.

Um. Excuse me? was it really worth losing two games and (more importantly) maybe trashing some key arms late in the season? Jeepers.

Meanwhile, Cliff Lee is now the number one guy on ESPN’s Cy Young predictor. I have no idea how that works, but it does not surprise me that Lee is up there. When Lee is off, he gets his head handed to him. But when he is on, he is really scary good. He has been on for a while now.