Phillies Clinch!

[WestCoastPhan]

The basement today.

2011 was a very long time ago.

Btw- to the few posters still left here that were really adamant about re-signing utley and chooch prior to this season: how did that work out for ya?

 

[jvett77]

The basement today.

2011 was a very long time ago.

Btw- to the few posters still left here that were really adamant about re-signing utley and chooch prior to this season: how did that work out for ya?

Utley and Ruiz worked out fine and you can't put most of the blame on them. As I said before, the core put up some numbers that were never supported by the younger crew and by those futility players like Gwynn, Galvis and others who were desperately needed to make a difference. The lanky Brown sucked big time at the plate and in the field. Asche has not yet arrived. We expected Lee to pitch a full season. The Phillies have some excellent young starters to go with a great set of relievers. Young prospects will have to mature and that won't all happen in 2015.

Even if the Phillies had traded two of the old core they would not have won any more games. I expect to see more platooning of the old core next year as our prospects pick up experience. Unfortunately, the front office will do this at a snail's pace.

 

[northeastphillyguy]

I have no problem with them. As good or better than replacement level players. But ask me about Howard and Brown, Those two caused a lot of grief. Both must go if we are to improve.

 

[Retroram52]

Especially Howard northeast!

 

[WestCoastPhan]

Utley and Ruiz worked out fine and you can't put most of the blame on them. As I said before, the core put up some numbers that were never supported by the younger crew and by those futility players like Gwynn, Galvis and others who were desperately needed to make a difference. The lanky Brown sucked big time at the plate and in the field. Asche has not yet arrived. We expected Lee to pitch a full season. The Phillies have some excellent young starters to go with a great set of relievers. Young prospects will have to mature and that won't all happen in 2015.

Even if the Phillies had traded two of the old core they would not have won any more games. I expect to see more platooning of the old core next year as our prospects pick up experience. Unfortunately, the front office will do this at a snail's pace.

Where did I blame them? The fact is re-signing them instead of dealing them for prospects didn't help. We finished last. We are a last place team! No excuses. If we can make our prospect pool larger, we won't have to depend on guys like d. brown who is not panning out. The way it is now, we have maybe 4 or 5 decent prospects...that is not even close to being enough. Also what do you mean by we have "excellent young starters"? After Hamels, who is excellent??

 

[jvett77]

Where did I blame them? The fact is re-signing them instead of dealing them for prospects didn't help. We finished last. We are a last place team! No excuses. If we can make our prospect pool larger, we won't have to depend on guys like d. brown who is not panning out. The way it is now, we have maybe 4 or 5 decent prospects...that is not even close to being enough. Also what do you mean by we have "excellent young starters"? After Hamels, who is excellent??

"posters were really adamant about re-signing utley and chooch prior to this season: how did that work out for ya?" Like I said, it worked out fine so that answers your sarcastic question. You blame them because we're in last place. We could have won many more games IF others I mentioned were ready to contribute. I'm always in favor of trying prospects but no one will give the Phillies excellent prospects for the older players. No one. A changeover will take time but I'm still glad they tried to make it work. The Howard contract will remain a serious problem and I'm hoping that he will be platooned heavily next year.

 

[WestCoastPhan]

"posters were really adamant about re-signing utley and chooch prior to this season: how did that work out for ya?" Like I said, it worked out fine so that answers your sarcastic question. You blame them because we're in last place. We could have won many more games IF others I mentioned were ready to contribute. I'm always in favor of trying prospects but no one will give the Phillies excellent prospects for the older players. No one. A changeover will take time but I'm still glad they tried to make it work. The Howard contract will remain a serious problem and I'm hoping that he will be platooned heavily next year.

ahahahaha! anyway... whatever, I didn't blame them. It's a team effort. I blame the whole team for finishing dead last. So you didn't answer, who are the "excellent" young starters after Hamels?

 

[jvett77]

ahahahaha! anyway... whatever, I didn't blame them. It's a team effort. I blame the whole team for finishing dead last. So you didn't answer, who are the "excellent" young starters after Hamels?

ahahahahahahah. I'm hoping that Nola, Buchanan, and Martin can stay in the mix with old man Lee and old man Williams if both are still around. I'm missing someone else and it's not MAG.

 

[Retroram52]

Yea jvett. We should keep fart boy with his awful contract.

 

[jvett77]

Yea jvett. We should keep fart boy with his awful contract.

Hey, maybe we could include fartboy and crotchedy in a package for a premier starter.

 

[jvett77]

Well, we took the 1st game tonight. Let's sweep and move the Braves below Miami and closer to the basement level.

 

[jvett77]

ahahahaha! anyway... whatever, I didn't blame them. It's a team effort. I blame the whole team for finishing dead last. So you didn't answer, who are the "excellent" young starters after Hamels?

Excellent young prospect starters is what I meant, e.g., Nola, Buchanan, Martin, and Pettibone. It will take time but occasionally one or two may get surprisingly good in a hurry like 22 year old Wacha of the Cards.

 

[Raid]

I'm SO happy they hit the basement. This entire management is a joke. Team should have been blown up due to age and they refused to do it. This will take years to fix....and WELL DESERVED.

 

[jvett77]

I'm SO happy they hit the basement. This entire management is a joke. Team should have been blown up due to age and they refused to do it. This will take years to fix....and WELL DESERVED.

Well deserved! Boston: 70-90, .438, 25 GB. Eat your heart out, bozo!

 

[WestCoastPhan]

Excellent young prospect starters is what I meant, e.g., Nola, Buchanan, Martin, and Pettibone. It will take time but occasionally one or two may get surprisingly good in a hurry like 22 year old Wacha of the Cards.

Yes to Nola...he could potentially be excellent. Buchanan, Martin, and Pettibone have ceilings of a #4 or #5.

 

[Retroram52]

Hey, maybe we could include fartboy and crotchedy in a package for a premier starter.

Yep jvett, that would make a dynamite package for somebody who wants a couple of knuckleheads. Back when we were predicting wins and losses before the season began, I was in the camp that suggested the Phillies would not reach 75 wins. Idiots.

 

[jvett77]

Yep jvett, that would make a dynamite package for somebody who wants a couple of knuckleheads. Back when we were predicting wins and losses before the season began, I was in the camp that suggested the Phillies would not reach 75 wins. Idiots.

Houston or Texas could use these "knuckleheads", then Paps and Lee would be closer to their hometowns in La and Ark.

Excellent prediction, retro, especially Phils could do it with a sweep of the Braves. Have you noticed the 3-way tie 77-83 for next to last place in the NL East? What a bad division! I think they're all in the basement.

I still feel that if Brown had achieved what many expected from his 2013 performance and Lee had come through, plus better decisions on callups and utility players, the Phils could have won many more games.

 

[Retroram52]

I noticed that cellar-lover's convention, jvett. Flippin' weakest division in baseball. Brown was such a disappointment this year like so much of this club. It boggles the imagination. It was good doing play-by-play this season when it was often you, Northeast, and myself on the board. There is always next year and I'll be here as I am sure you will be as well. I'll also will see you on the Penn State board too.

 

[jvett77]

I noticed that cellar-lover's convention, jvett. Flippin' weakest division in baseball. Brown was such a disappointment this year like so much of this club. It boggles the imagination. It was good doing play-by-play this season when it was often you, Northeast, and myself on the board. There is always next year and I'll be here as I am sure you will be as well. I'll also will see you on the Penn State board too.

Yeah, a very dreary year for the Phils, retro. But despite that, it was good watching and commenting on the games, and seeing how fans react to what's going on, many with quite hilarious observations. The Phils ended up with the same record 73-89 and 23 games out! While Miami went from 62 to 77 wins. The Phillies are in danger of regressing further in '15. Sunday's 2-1 loss reflected the whole season. I'll be on the Eagles and PSU boards this winter. Yesterday was a bummer for both teams. Judging by their performances, Hackenberg and Foles must be weekend party animals.

 

[Retroram52]

Coming out of the bye week jvett, the Rams play your Eagles this week-end. I'll be on the Rams board game thread but I'll have to sneak over to the Eagles board and vice versa. See you there.