Cliff Lee & Jayson Werth video: Hilarious!

My Fellow Phans, 

Today is a historical day. This is the very first, I repeat, the very first time I am posting a video in my blog. For those of you that read this, I can only say, congrats on witnessing this historical event. 

Enjoy the video as well. It is the first conversation that Cliff Lee and Jayson Werth had after his signing. Enjoy! :-)

Until we meet again Phillies Fans; Happy Readings and Go Phillies! 

He's Back! Cliff Lee returns to the Phillies!

My Fellow Phans,

I’m sure you have all heard the great news by now. Cliff Lee, after weeks of speculation, decided totally unexpectedly to sign with our hometown Phillies!

It seems like a dream almost.  Ever since the start of the offseason, it looked like Cliff Lee would either be returning to Texas or going to the Bronx. However, out of seemingly nowhere, the Phillies popped back into the discussions. Suddenly, Cliff Lee was reportedly close to a decision. Philadelphia fans could feel the tension and anticipation rising. Could it be possible? Hours passed and the speculation grew and grew. In the middle of all this, reports stated that the Yankees were out of the running. It all came down to the Rangers and Phillies.

Suddenly, reports began pouring out of the internet. “Cliff Lee signs with Phillies”. However, the reports originated from a phony twitter account (Yes, I hate those idiots as well). The waiting continued. Finally, after many eager hours of waiting, hoping, wishing, praying, and begging, the deal was announced. The Phillies had brought back the man that helped lead them to the 2009 World Series. The beloved Cliff Lee had returned to the City of Brotherly Love.

So what does this mean for the Phillies? Well, the Phillies solidified themselves one of the best, if not the best, starting rotation in all of baseball. Lee joins the terrific trio of Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels (also known as H20) to create a fearsome foursome. I guess they’ll need a new codename for our rotation. I have heard a few, but “R2C2” is my personal favorite.

R2C2 is ready to roll next season.

Lee’s addition may also mean the subtraction of another starter. Rumors are swirling that Joe Blanton may be traded, to Boston perhaps, to make room for Lee’s contract. If Joe does go, it will be a shame and I do wish him the best. We wouldn’t have won it all in 2008 without him and we cannot thank him enough for what he did for us that postseason.

Of course I may be getting ahead of myself. I have no idea the next move that will be made by the Phillies. I can say this though, whatever happens, our starters will be a joy to watch next season. The only negative of this deal is that it makes me want next year’s baseball season to start even more now. I am already going into baseball withdraw this offseason. Yes, I am obsessed with the greatest sport on Earth. No, that is not a bad 

thing. Don’t judge. 

I’m not sure what I enjoy most about this deal; the fact that the Phillies brought back a star pitcher to add to our already exceptional rotation or the fact that we just totally spurned the Evil Empire. The big bad Yankees lost out on a free agent after throwing a crapload of cash at him. It showed the money isn’t everything. The Yankees are used to getting everything they want and they didn’t get that this time. Not only did Lee turn them down and basically told them that their money is no good to him, he pretty much metaphorically spat in their faces. Ironically enough, that is the same thing that some idiotic New Yorkers did to Cliff’s life during the ALCS last year.  We all know what they say about payback and that rung true in this case.

This says a lot about Cliff Lee. He didn’t jump at the very first, highest paying offer. Instead, he sat back, looked into his heart and let that make the choice where he wanted to go. That is something to commend him on. So many guys, *cough* Jayson Werth *cough*, are all about the cash and less about going to a place where he is comfortable. Werth took the biggest offer to go to a last place team. Lee chose a slightly different path. He rejected the larger offers and went to a place that he is most comfortable.

It doesn’t seem too long ago that the Phillies were the laughing stock of Major League Baseball. We were losing 100 games season after season and high quality players were demanding to be traded. Now, big named players have a deep desire to play in the friendly confines of Citizens Bank Park.  Halladay wanted to come, and now Lee followed suit. It is truly a great era to be a fan of Phillies baseball.

I remember telling my mom quite a few times that I never thought I would see a World Series championship in my lifetime. Oh, how my dreams were met and so much more. I can only hope this continues. Let’s keep it going boys and bring home the gold!

So, now the city is in a baseball frenzy. The players are ready and raring to go with their newest ace, fans  are going nuts all over the city, as Cliff Lee dons the red and white uniform for at least the next five more seasons.  The Phillies’ rotation has become a deck of cards with four aces. The only question that remains is how the team will produce in this upcoming season. The Phillies are already considered to be a favorite to reach the World Series this season; adding Cliff Lee just increases that expectation.

I am not a guy known to get his hopes up, but this signing is casting a different shadow on this team.  The expectations are going through the roof and fans are already being to anticipate another title. I must warn those fans out there who are putting these ideas in their heads. Baseball is a wonderful game due to its unpredictability and uncertainness. I am not saying that I could not see the Phillies back in the World Series, but I am just saying that we should not get so wired this far in advance. That way, if we do blow this somehow, the disappointment isn’t too much for those fans to endure.

Make no predictions now my friends, just sit back and enjoy the upcoming season. We have a long way to go. 

Until we meet again Phillies Fans; Happy Readings and Go Phillies! 

BREAKING NEWS: Cliff Lee Returns to Philadelphia

My Fellow Phans,

BREAKING NEWS: For those of you that haven’t heard yet, although I don’t think there is a single soul in the area who doesn’t know,  the Phillies have signed free agent starting pitcher Cliff Lee! Lee returns to the team that acquired him during the 2009 season and was traded that same often season.

WELCOME BACK CLIFF!

Check back tomorrow for more details.

Until we meet again Phillies Fans; Happy Readings and Go Phillies! 

2010 Look Back: The Bench

My Fellow Phans, 

Now that we’ve completed the individual look backs, it is time to look back at the other significant groups on the Phillies. We’ll start with a group of individuals that any good team needs to survive and that is of course, the bench players.  We’ll look more in-depth at the critical bench players that the Phillies had this past season below. I will start at 1^st base and work my way around the infield using the players’ primary positions as my guide.  

1B / OF: Ross Gload: .281 AVG 6 HR 22 RBI (92 games) – Grade: B+

Gload met or surpassed most of his stats from the 2009 season with Florida in 30 less games. He is a quality and an above average pinch hitter. I was a huge fan of the Phillies signing him and after seeing him this year, I still am a big fan of his. He looks to be the focal point of our bench next season.

1B: Mike Sweeney: .231 2 HR 8 RBI (26 games with Phillies) – Grade: B-

I always liked Sweeney. He was a quality player and an all around good guy. He came to Philly to get a taste of the postseason and that is what he got even though he didn’t get a single change to play in the postseason (I blame Manuel for that disappointment). He won’t back, but I wish him well. Hopefully he finds a team and gets that postseason appearance that he wrongly didn’t get here.

1B / 3B / OF: Greg Dobbs: .196 5 HR 15 RBI (88 games) – Grade: D -

I cannot pinpoint what happened to Dobbs. His talent seemed to be sapped as quickly as it came to him. There is no doubt that he is a natural hitter, it just never came to him last year. He’s moving on to another team next season; maybe they can help him rediscover his talent.

2B / 3B / SS: Wilson Valdez: .258 4 HR 35 RBI (111 games) – Grade: A-

Valdez’s offensive numbers weren’t spectacular, but those numbers do not tell the whole story. Valdez was the most valuable bench player to the Phillies this season. With all the injuries that the Phillies had, Valdez filled in whenever and wherever he was needed. Without him, I don’t know where we would have been. He played some second base when Utley was out, filled in for Rollins at shortstop and even played some third base when Polanco was injured.

He turned out to be better than Juan Castro. Although Valdez is a double play machine, he still provided adequate replacement for the Phillies this season.

SS: Juan Castro: .194 AVG 0 HR 13 RBI (54 games with Phillies) – Grade: C

Castro was a solid player filling in admirably for Rollins after he went down. However, he was run out of town when Wilson Valdez proved to be a better utility option.

C: Brian Schneider: .240 AVG 4 HR 15 RBI (47 games) – Grade: B

Schneider provided exactly what a backup catcher should do. He caught a quality game behind the plate and provided key hits here and there. That’s all that was asked of him and he did that greatly.

OF: Ben Francisco: .268 AVG 6 HR 28 RBI (88 games) – Grade B

Francisco started out slowly at the plate this season, but as he got more plate appearances, his average and production slowly began to increase.  Ben could be a starter for a number of teams and may just get the chance next season in right field for us. Either way, the Phillies are lucky to have him. He was the small piece in the Cliff Lee deal that nobody talked about, but has been paying dividends ever since.

OF: Domonic Brown: .210 AVG 2 HR 13 RBI (35 games) – Grade: C

Here’s the thing about our future superstar. He needs to play! Last season, the Phillies called him up, played him for a little bit and then banished him to the bench when Victorino was healthy. That did nothing to help him. In fact, as his abysmal winter ball stats showed, it hurt him. He may not be ready for the Majors just year, but sticking him on the bench is not going to help him. He is not a bench player; he needs to start every day to stay fresh.

So there is your Bench Look Back. Look next for the “Other Pitchers” Look Back coming sometime later this week.

Until we meet again Phillies Fans; Happy Readings and Go Phillies! 

Werth's Deal: All About the Money

My Fellow Phans,

So, after having a few days to digest the Jayson Werth deal, and now that I have found time to sit down and just blog with you fine people, I will let my two cents in on the deal.

I recently read a post by a fellow Phillies’ blog that said Werth was not being greedy. He said baseball was a job and the goal is trying to get as much money as possible. While, I won’t mention the name of this blog, I will say that I disagree highly with his sentiments.

Playing baseball is not a job; it’s a privilege. There are not many people given the talent to succeed in baseball and those whom receive this gift are fortunate. There are many people, myself included, that dream of playing for a team that wins the World Series.  Unfortunately, I was never blessed with athletic talent so I just have to watch from the outside.

My question would be this: what on earth does a man need with 127 million dollars? The Phillies offered him around 48 million. Either way, it is a lot of money. Hell, I’d take 1 million dollars. Why did he have to take the more obnoxious amount of money for a team with a lower chance of getting him another World Series ring? 

The answer is simple: greed.

I have been saying this all season. Jayson Werth was going to the highest bidder. If an AAA team offered him 150 million to play, he would have gone there. It was all about money to him and always has been.  He got his ring, but something tells me even if we didn’t get him one, he would have left for the biggest paycheck anyway. I have had at least 3 blogs specifically about Jayson this season and I can look back now and say that I was correct all along.

His agent Scott Boras stated that nobody would match the Nationals offer so that is why Werth signed so quickly. Again, just further proof that it was all about the money.  If Werth wasn’t all about the money, explain to me why he decided to switch to Boras as an agent just shortly before he officially became a free agent. We all know his reputation and what he can do. Look at that and tell me it wasn’t all about the money.

To top it all off, Jayson Werth is not worth (no pun intended) all that money. Neither was Matt Holliday or Jason Bay, but the combination of the players’ greed coupled with the biggest A-hole agent out there turns it into one giant payday for the players. 

Anyway, I digress. This leaves the Phillies with no right fielder.

Dominic Brown is not ready to just jump into the role and become a superstar that we all know he can be. I am ok with the platoon idea as long as he actually gets playing time. We called him up last season, had him play for a while, and once Victorino came back, we ditched the guy to the bench for rare pinch hitting roles. That was not good for his development. If he was not going to play up here, he should have been in the minors playing every day. Not playing daily hurt his timing and that showed greatly at the end of the season.

I hear the name Jeff Francoeur thrown around. I can only ask, why. Francoeur is a human green light. He swings at everything, has no plate discipline and hasn’t had a good season since like 2007. I am actually reading a story as I type this that says he is close to signing with the Royals. I’d rather have Ben Francisco than Francoeur nowadays.

The guy that I wouldn’t mind having, Matt Diaz, recently signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Why? I’ll never know. The guy is not a superstar, but he is a quality player and could fit in nicely with our team. After all, he is better than his former Braves’ teammate.

With the pair of former Braves off the market, I have also heard the name Juan Rivera from the Angels being floating around. This deal I like. Rivera is a quality player and could fit in nicely in that platoon type setting.

Either way, the Phillies need a right handed bat in their lineup. I trust they know what they’re doing.

Until we meet again Phillies Fans; Happy Readings and Go Phillies! 

2010 Look Back: Brad "Lights-Out" Lidge

My Fellow Phans, 

It’s been a week since I posted on here, but I am sure with the big 4 set that gave you last Sunday kept you satisfied for quite a few days after this week. So, I will bring to you the final pair of pitchers that I will cover 

 individually starting with Phils’ closer Brad Lidge.

Brad Lidge: 2010 Stats: 1-1 2.96 ERA 27 Saves

Recap:

I know there are a lot of people who have bashed Lidge throughout this season, and while I agree that they have every right to, there wasn’t much warrant to those criticisms this season. The ignorance of people sometimes is shocking, although I guess it is to be expected.

Let’s look at the numbers. Lidge has 5 blown saves. That’s as many blown opportunities that MLB saves leader Brian Wilson, and the legendary Mariano Rivera had this past season. It is also 3 less saves than all-star closers Francisco Cordero and Jonathan Papelbon had this season. When you look at it, Lidge’s 5 blown saves is not that terrible.

His ERA was under 3.00. Again, not too shabby at all. Lidge’s WHIP this season was identical to his perfect campaign in 2008 while his BAA was the best that it ever had been as a Phillie. In short, this was not a bad 

 year for Lidge at all.

Looking Ahead:

Lidge has one more assured year on his contract for the 2011 season along with a club option for the 2012 season. I would think the Phillies would be unlikely to pick the option up, unless of course, Lidge has a stellar year this season which I am predicting the he does. I think he continues his good pitching up presuming he stays healthy all season.

Grade: B

I’m sure people will disagree with this grade, but from an objective viewpoint, this is the perfect grade for Lidge. He had a good season despite the large amount of criticism.

Until we meet again Phillies fans; Happy Readings and Go Phillies

2010 Look Back: Kyle Kendrick

My Fellow Phans,

Here is your final individual starter Look Back today; Kyle Kendrick.

Please note: I will have a recap of the other pitchers, Moyer and Worley ect, in a combined post later in this blog. It will be a recap of all the “Other Pitchers” that I did not cover individually. Look for a “Bench Recap” as well later on down the line.

So now that you know what to expect, here is the look back at Kyle Kendrick:

Kyle Kendrick: 2010 Stats: 11-10 4.73 ERA (Did not pitch in postseason)

Recap:

Before you go ostracizing Kendrick’s season as horrible and labeling the man as the worst pitcher we have, as I have heard people say, firstly remember how bad Danny Baez was, and make a note that Kendrick had a better ERA and WHIP then Joe Blanton did.

Kendrick was a two-faced pitcher last season. He was either really good or really bad. It was just a matter of whom you were going to get. He would pitch shutout ball one start and then give up 6-7 runs. In 14 starts, he gave up 2 earned runs or less. On the flip side, 15 of his starts resulted in 4 earned runs or more. That’s 29 of his 31 starts. There was no middle ground for Kendrick and it was that inconsistency that made his 2010 campaign so frustrating for us Phans.

Kendrick has the capabilities to be a star pitcher in this league, but he just cannot seem to successfully put it together consistently.

Look Ahead:

Ruben Amaro commented on Kendrick’s 2010 season as “a pretty good performance”. I don’t think he has a contract from the Phillies for next season, but I expect that to happen soon. I may be mistaken, so don’t quote me. I think it is safe to assume that Kendrick is the Phillies’ 5^th starter next season, barring some radical change in their offseason plans. Hopefully, he will take the positive pitcher from 2010 and spread that over an entire season. Only then will he be an elite pitcher in the Phillies’ rotation.

Grade: C

I would give Kendrick’s “good side” an A, but his “bad side” an F. I just met in the middle with the grade.

Until we meet again Phillies fans; Happy Readings and Go Phillies