Phillies--Pirates game thread.

[northeastphillyguy]

Galvis had a breakout game. This should boost his confidence. He needs to play everyday until Rollins returns. Franco drove in a key run and made a great defensive play. Good stuff.!

 

[Retroram52]

Work has really picked up so I might end up missing this entire series. I see the Phils squeaked by the Pirates tonight. I say, bench the old guys and play the young guys wherever possible but then boobens will come out of his cage and demand that Howard play at first. That is when I wish Sandberg would grow a pair and tell the brain-dead idiot to go eff himself and get on with the rebuild without the moron.

 

[jvett77]

You know how this really works, retro. I think owners/management want our high paid heroes of the past in there so boobens probably either can't fight it or doesn't want to. Anyway this JRol injury gives the Phillies a chance to see what Galvis can do if he plays regularly. It appears that the extra time on the farm helped. It's important for the impressive Franco to play everyday but the only way that can happen is if Ruf accidentally spills some hair conditioner in front of Howard's locker. I guess they'll alternate Asche and Franco at third.

 

[Retroram52]

They should be playing Rupp as well jvett. He has a helluva an arm even though his batting production is nowhere near Ruiz's but I'd say is closer to Nieves. Rupp's arm strength is way more than either Ruiz or Nieves and he should be playing to see if his batting production was improved from his latest trip to the farm. Franco should be in there along with Galvis and Ruf. Period. They have these guys they might as well get them some experience with 18 games left in the season.

 

[northeastphillyguy]

They should be playing Rupp as well jvett. He has a helluva an arm even though his batting production is nowhere near Ruiz's but I'd say is closer to Nieves. Rupp's arm strength is way more than either Ruiz or Nieves and he should be playing to see if his batting production was improved from his latest trip to the farm. Franco should be in there along with Galvis and Ruf. Period. They have these guys they might as well get them some experience with 18 games left in the season.

So why is it that the average fan can figure these things out? Yet management continues to flounder. Young players make next to nothing and just need the chance to play. No chance to make the playoffs so give these guys some playing time now.

 

[Retroram52]

That is the $64,000 question Northeast. I am quite sure you know the answer but apparently there is some major league insanity going on here that is killing this franchise.

 

[northeastphillyguy]

Franco sits tonight as Asche back in. Sizemore gets the start in right. Brown and Howard are starting. Galvis at short.

 

[northeastphillyguy]

Here we go. Pirates have bases loaded and no one out. Disaster strikes early. Need a pop out and a double play.

 

[jvett77]

The Phillies were lucky to get thru the first without more damage than the two runs. Williams did the job. All we have to do is keep pecking away, a run at a time and hope that Williams can stifle the bucos for 6 or 7 innings. We may even see Franco off the bench.

 

[jvett77]

Very miserable game. Can't win with six ofers (and first five) in a lineup. They can't get away with this next year. Brown really stinks. Pittsburgh had the pitching when they needed it.

 

[Retroram52]

Well, looks like it is win one, lose one with this series.

 

[WestCoastPhan]

Very miserable game. Can't win with six ofers (and first five) in a lineup. They can't get away with this next year. Brown really stinks. Pittsburgh had the pitching when they needed it.

hahaha! Be careful what you wish for next time. You wanted them to sign and stick with this core. You got exactly what you wanted!

 

[WestCoastPhan]

Galvis had a breakout game. This should boost his confidence. He needs to play everyday until Rollins returns. Franco drove in a key run and made a great defensive play. Good stuff.!

I know you just didn't start watching the Phillies! Galvis had other big games during 2012 & '13. He'll get on a mini roll for a games or even a few...his problem has been his offensive consistency...which he has none.

 

[jvett77]

hahaha! Be careful what you wish for next time. You wanted them to sign and stick with this core. You got exactly what you wanted!

That's silly. Utley and Ruiz have performed fine. JRol has performed very well in the field but he's been slipping at the plate. Howard's poor average, Brown's no show, the Lee injury, and management's odd signings of Gwynn caliber players have cost the team a dozen games or so. At least we know where we're at. That's why I said they can't get away with that next year. The Howard contract alone is a huge problem. I think they'll have to find a way to move Franco into the first base position.

 

[WestCoastPhan]

That's silly. Utley and Ruiz have performed fine. JRol has performed very well in the field but he's been slipping at the plate. Howard's poor average, Brown's no show, the Lee injury, and management's odd signings of Gwynn caliber players have cost the team a dozen games or so. At least we know where we're at. That's why I said they can't get away with that next year. The Howard contract alone is a huge problem. I think they'll have to find a way to move Franco into the first base position.

My point, exactly! You don't trade guys when they are "slipping" at the plate and have lost any return value. This core should have been gradually dealt starting after the 2011 season.

 

[jvett77]

My point, exactly! You don't trade guys when they are "slipping" at the plate and have lost any return value. This core should have been gradually dealt starting after the 2011 season.

The whole problem is easier to judge looking back. It's December 2011. Wins for the team since 2006 went like this. 85,89,92,93,97, and 102 in 2011. Utley, Rollins, Ruiz, and Howard had an avg. OBP of over.350 in '11. You are GM. What do you do? Shouldn't the team be able to do 95 wins next year, 2012? I would think yeah, the guys are still hot.

But after 2012's decline to 81 wins, the hindsight answer is they were done. Utley and Howard each played half a season. Yeah it was time to dump these cripples. So you go another year believing in recovery. And you decline to 73 wins. So here we are with 66 wins on Sept. 11. The Phils are lousy at bringing up young subs like Ruf who had a beakout year at Clearwater in 2011 and could have filled in for Howard in 2012. Who knows how that might have gone.

 

[northeastphillyguy]

I know you just didn't start watching the Phillies! Galvis had other big games during 2012 & '13. He'll get on a mini roll for a games or even a few...his problem has been his offensive consistency...which he has none.

Galvis has put up decent numbers in the minors. I think he is capable of hitting .250 or better in the majors. However he will not get any real playing time next year. So allowing him to play in 8 or 9 games at the end of the season could produce decent results. His defense is outstanding and that is the key component for a shortstop. Consistent hitting is still a problem but not something he can't overcome with playing time and instruction. I will be rooting for him!

 

[jvett77]

Tonight's lineup would be more interesting and stronger if Asche was in at 3rd and Franco at first instead of Howard. That way we'd get a better look at the future.
1. Ben Revere, CF
2. Maikel Franco, 3B
3. Marlon Byrd, RF
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Darin Ruf, LF
6. Carlos Ruiz, C
7. Cesar Hernandez, 2B
8. Freddy Galvis, SS
9. A.J. Burnett, P

 

[northeastphillyguy]

Tonight's lineup would be more interesting and stronger if Asche was in at 3rd and Franco at first instead of Howard. That way we'd get a better look at the future.
1. Ben Revere, CF
2. Maikel Franco, 3B
3. Marlon Byrd, RF
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Darin Ruf, LF
6. Carlos Ruiz, C
7. Cesar Hernandez, 2B
8. Freddy Galvis, SS
9. A.J. Burnett, P

I agree. But I do like this preview lineup tonight. Look for Ruf and Franco to hit homeruns. Hoping!

 

[WestCoastPhan]

The whole problem is easier to judge looking back. It's December 2011. Wins for the team since 2006 went like this. 85,89,92,93,97, and 102 in 2011. Utley, Rollins, Ruiz, and Howard had an avg. OBP of over.350 in '11. You are GM. What do you do? Shouldn't the team be able to do 95 wins next year, 2012? I would think yeah, the guys are still hot.

But after 2012's decline to 81 wins, the hindsight answer is they were done. Utley and Howard each played half a season. Yeah it was time to dump these cripples. So you go another year believing in recovery. And you decline to 73 wins. So here we are with 66 wins on Sept. 11. The Phils are lousy at bringing up young subs like Ruf who had a beakout year at Clearwater in 2011 and could have filled in for Howard in 2012. Who knows how that might have gone.

If I were GM, what would I have done? I've been writing it all along...after the loss in the 2011 division series, I would've started selling...maybe only gradually, but definitely started trading and looking to build. Also, I would not have signed all these guys to contracts in '12, '13, and '14....contracts that you wanted them to do...i.e.- ruiz, jroll, utley, etc. To me, after that NLDS, it was obvious that the run with this group was over.