Given that the three leaders on the team were starters who threw a huge number of innings, you can probably guess that the starters overall were a lot better at preventing walks in 2011 than the relievers did.
Here’s the rate at which starters and relievers for the Phils issued walks during 2011:
| Batters faced | BB | % | IP | BB/9 | |
| Starters | 4318 | 221 | 5.1 | 1064 2/3 | 1.87 |
| Relievers | 1751 | 183 | 10.5 | 412 1/3 | 3.99 |
By percentage of batters walked and by walks per nine innings, the relievers overall combined to walk hitters at more than twice the rate of the starters.
Relievers overall walk more hitters than starters in 2011, but not twice as many. In the NL overall, starters walked about 7.5% of the batters that they faced last year and relievers walked about 9.5%.
The Phils are 2-2 in official Spring Training games after pounding the Blue Jays 7-0 yesterday.
Cliff Lee started the game for the Phils and allowed a walk and two hits over two scoreless innings. Kendrick followed Lee and struck out two in two scoreless. Horst, Schwimmer, Ramirez, Valdes and Diekman all threw a scoreless frame.
Galvis was 1-for-2 with a double yesterday and is 3-for-10 with two doubles in the very early going. Victorino 1-for-3 with two RBI. Wigginton started at third and went 1-for-1 with a double. Ruiz 2-for-2 with a pair of singles in his first official Spring Training action. Laynce Nix went 0-for-3 and is 0-for-6 with a walk and three strikeouts so far.
The Phils play Houston this afternoon with Vance Worley expected to pitch.
This suggests that the Phillies and Cole Hamels are trying to negotiate a long-term contract extension.
Didja know that Todd Zolecki and Jim Salibury wrote a book about the 2011 Phillies and their rotation? They did. You can buy it here or here.
March 7th, 2012 on 10:51 am
I know that it is spring training and it really doesn’t matter, but two doubles in the early going for Galvis is very encouraging. If he is the utility infielder and Martinez is the starting SS in Lehigh Valley, I won’t be too upset.
I don’t know that you are going to get Brown-like value in a trade at this point. Everybody in baseball seems to know that the Phillies are down on the guy, so they are going to try and lowball the team in any trade offer. Trading him for another prospect probably won’t work, as prospect for prospect trades are just fairly rare. The last one I even remember happening was Golsen for Mayberry. That worked out fairly well for the Phillies.
Tyson Gillies is the other Phillies outfielder that I’m interested in tracking this spring and through the minor-league season. I really think he has a chance to be the CF next year if Vic leaves and he can stay healthy, neither of which I am sure will happen.
March 7th, 2012 on 11:30 am
I agree about Brown. I think you’re better off trying to get him back on the right track now than to trade him off at a discount.
I will be surprised if the Phillies don’t bring back Victorino. Hoping for the best on Gillies, but I think it’s hard to know what to think of him given how little he has played over the last two years. I agree he could definitely make himself a big part of the picture if he has a nice 2012.
Don’t know what to make of Galvis, but I do hope he keeps hitting. If we have to pick, I think we want him focused on offense rather than learning new positions, but maybe we don’t have to pick. Have to admit to being less than thrilled with Martinez’s homer the other day.
March 7th, 2012 on 4:37 pm
Well, I hope you are right about Brown. So far I cannot see how he will ever play at the major league level.
March 7th, 2012 on 5:07 pm
He doesn’t exactly seem to be on the one step to superstar track at this point, does he? He’s also been rather absent from the field over the past couple of days.
March 7th, 2012 on 6:11 pm
And I am still hoping against hope that there is a way to get a bat at third. Isn’t spring the time for hope? lol