Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - February 13, 2013

 Writer Michael X. Ferraro was the guest on todays episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

We talked Phillies, poetry and Silver Linings Playbook.

  Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - February 13, 2013

It was "Turn Back The Clock" night in Philadelphia

Fans in Philadelphia were treated to a special sight last night. It was Turn Back the Clock night at Citizen's Bank Ballpark and the fans no doubt got a whiff of nostalgia of glories past.

Oh there was no official celebration last night. It just felt like it.

This has been a strange year in Philly. This was a team that was expected to compete and contend all year long. After five straight division titles, a pair of pennants and a World Series title, the Phillies went through one of the best stretches in their teams history.

They went into the 2010 and 2011 post season as prohibitive favorites, both times being upset by the eventual World Series champ.

This year? It's been a big ole bowl of suck.

Injuries, slumps and disappointments have sent the Phillies from first to last and turned them shockingly into sellers at the trade deadline.

Phillies fans thinking they had a budding dynasty realize that it may have ended in many ways when Ryan Howard collapsed in the batters box grounding out to end the 2011 Division Series.

But fans who showed up tonight got to turn the clocks back a whopping 3 or 4 years and experience some of that not so old old Phillies magic.

Jimmy Rollins lead off with a first inning double.
Ryan Howard hit a two run homer in the first inning that game the Phils a 3-0 lead they would not relinquish,
Chase Utley joined with Rollins and Howard in turning a pair of double players.
Cole Hamels went the distance on a five hit complete game shut out.

Everything clicked tonight.
Phillies fans thought it would click like hat 90 some odd times this year.

Savor this game Phillies. It isn't often that an Old Timers Game counts.


 

Phillies season ends with a metaphor

I picked the Phillies to win the World Series.
Chances are you did too.

Chances are you thought the Cardinals were a punching bag for the Phillies on their way to at the very least the National League pennant.

This was a Phillies team that won more games than any team in franchise history.
This was the team that kept Cliff Lee from the Yankees.
This was the team that had Halladay, Lee, Oswalt and Hamels in the best rotation since the Braves of the 1990s.

This was the team that was going to solidify itself as the greatest team in Philadelphia sports history.

The Cardinals were the nice story of a team that stumbled into the playoffs. But even that had as much to do with the Phillies beating the Braves at the end of the season.

So it came down to Ryan Howard at the plate. And I STILL didn't think the Phillies were losing. I thought he was going to park one.

And alas not only did he not park one, he collapsed out of the batters box.

This has to be one of the great upsets in Division Series history.
Right up there with the dual shockers in 2002 (the invincible Yankees and the winning streak A's getting knocked off by the Angels and Twins.)

This might even be bigger. This Phillies team was suppose to have no peer.
Now they have 2 big ones: The Red Sox and the Yankees.

The three big East Coast giants have been slain (not the mention the defending champion Giants).

If you can't win a playoff series where you start Halladay twice and Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt then there is something wrong.

There is no longer a prohibitive favorite to win the World Series.
They collapsed... figuratively and literally.

Why I won't call Ryan Howard's contract a bad one

People who complain about Ryan Howard's contract and bitch and moan about him not being an elite player can point to numbers.

They can show that his stats are declining and the days of sluggers mysteriously getting better later in life have ended.

I get it.
But they don't get what a Ryan Howard can mean to Philadelphia.

First of all he has come through and helped give Phillies fans some great memories. He's an MVP, a World Champion who hit some big homers in the 2008 World Series.

He was the MVP of the 2009 NLCS. And he's a home grown star.

He's someone that Phillies fans can invest emotion in and can cheer whether they come through (as in the 2009 series against Los Angeles) or doesn't (last year against San Francisco.)

So when he comes up and launches a go ahead homer in the playoffs like he did tonight, he is flushing VORP, OPS+ and WAR down the toilet.

He is creating MEMORIES and making fans HAPPY and giving them reason to cheer him on years from now instead of seeing him in an Astros uniform or something.

Other players will have better Sabermetrics than Howard. And none will give tough fans like Phillies fans a lifetime of joy and positive memories.

That's worth every penny.

10 Reasons why the Philadelphia Phillies winning the 2011 World Series would be good for baseball

The latest entry for the Why Each Team's Potential World Championship Would Be Good For The Game series will be for the Philadelphia Phillies.

A lot of these entries have been for long shots or teams that are pretty much dead right now (I'm looking at YOU Indians, Giants and White Sox.)

But now it is time for one team that not only has a shot, but should be the prohibitive favorite against any team.

The Phillies were picked by many people (including yours truly) to win it all. And frankly it would be stunning if they didn't. Now if you are the kind of person who doesn't like offense, pitching and power, then the Phillies aren't for you.

Today they clinched a playoff berth.
With 95 wins and 16 games left, they are a cinch for 100 wins.
If they win 102 games, they will have the best regular season record in franchise history.

And with the memory of last year's stunning loss in the NLCS against San Francisco fresh in their minds, they have gone all in.

The Phillies are the Big Bad Wolf. They could turn the Red Sox or Yankees into underdogs.

So they are another big market Northeastern team with unruly fans using their deep pockets to buy another championship!

What could there POSSIBLY be to root for with a Phillies World Series title?
PLENTY!

10 Reasons why the
Philadelphia Phillies
winning the 2011 World Series
would be good for baseball

1. Another World Series title would make Charlie Manuel's Hall of Fame candidacy very compelling.

Charlie Manuel seems like a cool guy. A classic "Gold Ole Boy" Southern manager who has tamed the wild Philadelphia fanbase and delivered the city's first Championship in a quarter century.

While the classic Hall of Fame manager seems to be a strategist or a fiery, who can deny the results. With a clinched playoff spot this year (and assuming the Division is inevitable) he will have 5 straight Division Titles, back to back pennants and the 2008 World Series title.

Throw in the fact that his Phillies zoomed past the Mets in the wild 2007 Division race and Manuel could be the best manager in the team's history. Who is ahead of him?

(He also has another Division Title as a manager of the Indians.) If he wins another World Series title, his Cooperstown resume would start to look convincing.


2. Another title would shine light on the new "Core."

Jimmy Rollins has been a Phillie for 11 plus seasons. Chase Utley has been a Phillie for 9 seasons. Ryan Howard has been a Phillie for 8 plus seasons. Cole Hamels has been a Phillie for 6 seasons. Ryan Madson has been a Phillie for 8 plus seasons. Carlos Ruiz has been a Phillies for 6 seasons.

They are all home grown players who have been together for all 5 Division Champions. Throw in Shane Victorino who came over to Philadelphia after making his big league debut with the Padres and you have a core of players who have been together through many different Octobers and give the Phillies a sense of stability with the franchise not seen since the Joe Torre Yankee days.



3. The redemption of Ryan Howard's contract.

Speaking of that core, Ryan Howard has been much maligned since signing his long contract extension. I understand the deal emotionally. Having him play the bulk of his career in Philadelphia would mean that Phillies fans could invest some emotion in the big guy. And he is no doubt one of the more likable stars in the game.

But with his numbers declining (except RBI... the REASON he is paid so much) and the age of sluggers suddenly getting good again seems to be over, the deal looks like it might be an albatross for the next 5 years.

Ahh but what if he helps the Phillies earn ANOTHER World Series title? You could say "Sure he's over paid and slipping, but that's the price for an MVP, 3 pennants, an NLCS MVP and being part of 2 of the only 3 World Series titles in team history."


4. Speaking of redemption, Philadelphia fans can show themselves in a better light.

You might not like it, Phillies fans, but you have one of the worst reputation in sports. I know not ALL of you booed Mike Schmidt... or Santa Claus for that matter. I know not ALL of you got tased or threw up on a little girl. But enough of you have to give Philadelphia sports fans a bad rep.

Want to change that? When the Phillies win the World Series, cheer. Clap. Stomp your feet. Have a great time. But don't riot. Don't flip cars over. Show some class. And you can say "Yeah, I'm a Philly fan. At least I'm not a Vancouver fan!"


5. Roy Halladay is great for baseball and deserves to be a champion.

As we move past the Steroid Era and pitchers are becoming more and more dominant, it would be nice to see the BEST current pitcher get a ring.

Halladay could win his third Cy Young this year (although it will probably go to Clayton Kershaw) and last year showed his greatness with a regular season perfect game and a playoff no hitter. Today he threw a complete game shutout to clinch a spot in October. He's already a Hall of Famer. He is lacking the ring and he'll join Tim Lincecum, CC Sabathia, Cole Hamels, Jon Lester, Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter as current aces who are also World Champions.


6. Cliff Lee's bad ass-ness needs to be celebrated.

In 2009 World Series against the Yankees, Cliff Lee casually caught a pop up while barely moving his body. He just was so cool and non chalant. That's how he plays the game. He is good. He KNOWS he is good. And he'll just shut you down on HIS terms.

And those terms also means being a cool customer after being traded from the Indians to the Phillies to the Mariners and to the Rangers in two years. And cool in saying "Thanks but to thanks" to the Yankees money and declaring Philadelphia the place to win.

Like Halladay, Lee is one of the stars of post steroid pitching. And save for his two games in the World Series last year, has been as exciting a big game pitcher as you will see in baseball. He should be a champion.



7. Juan Samuel would get his World Series ring.

In the mid 1980s, Juan Samuel was the best second baseman in the National League not named Ryne Sandberg. He was part of the 1983 National League Champion Phillies and looked like he was going to be a staple in Philadelphia for a long time.

Then he went to the Mets, fetching Lenny Dykstra and Roger McDowell, which turned out to be one of the best deals in Phillies history. Samuel is a baseball lifer. He's been a coach and briefly managed the disastrous Orioles last year before Buck Showalter arrived.

The three time All Star has been in professional baseball since 1980 but has never been part of a World Series winner. The current member of the Phillies coaching staff has earned it.


8. A World Series ring for Brian Schneider, the last Expo.

There are very few Montreal Expos left in baseball. Schneider is one of them and he played for the team as MLB was screwing the franchise sending them to San Juan, not letting them call up players in September even while Frank Robinson was putting a winning product on the field. When baseball sent an All Star team to Japan after 2004, the Expos last season, Schneider represented the team. When he returned, they were the Washington Nationals. So by definition, Schneider was the last ever Expo.

He's now Carlos Ruiz's backup and probably won't see any action in the post season. But it would be nice to see one of the remnants of that lost team be rewarded.



9. Another title would make this the greatest Philadelphia team in history

If the Phillies win the World Series this year, which Philadelphia team would be better in history than this squad? The Dr. J/Moses Malone 76ers? The Broadstreet Bullies? The Jimmie Foxx/Lefty Grove Connie Mack led A's?

This Phillies team might be better than them all.

And sometimes it is GOOD to see greatness unfold and the best of something emerge.



10. Sometimes it is good to have the best team win.

Yeah, underdogs are fun to see win. A little team that could like last year's Giants or the 2006 Cardinals beating the odds can be appealing. But there are other times it is cool to see a team that is clearly the best in the sport take the title and the crown.

Sometimes seeing a champion who was the best from start to finish can be more satisfying than simply honoring whichever team happened to get hot over three weeks. This Phillies team was designed to win the whole damn thing and they played like it since April. There is something to be said for that.

Is there any doubt who the best team in baseball is? Then by definition they deserve to win the World Series!



Oh I know this will be a hard sell for a lot of you. Philadelphia is as bad as New York and Boston in terms of gluttony in many people's eyes. (The Phillies payroll is now bigger than the Red Sox!) But trust me, the world won't end if the Phillies win the World Series. And in many ways, it could be a very cool thing.

Show some brotherly love, my dear readers.


If you liked this then go ahead and read the entries for the other teams.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
CHICAGO WHITE SOX

CLEVELAND INDIANS
DETROIT TIGERS
LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM
MILWAUKEE BREWERS
NEW YORK YANKEES
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

On base versus Run Production...

Not long ago, I wrote about how the batters job is NOT to get on base but to produce a run.

Getting on base is one of the methods to create a run but not the only way.

Simply "not making an out" isn't the name of the game. Putting runs on the board is.

And no game illustrated that more than last night.

The Red Sox had no problem getting men on base.

4 runners got on base in the second inning.

1 got on base in the third.

2 got on base in the fourth.

1 got on base in the fifth.

3 got on base in the sixth.

And another one got on in the eighth.

So a look at those innings, the second, fourth and sixth must have been very successful innings.

More so than the 9th where only one runner got on base.

Yet all of those innings produced a single run... the same as the 9th which included two batters whose intention was NOT to get on base. Ellsbury bunted Scutaro over and Pedroia brought him home with a sacrifice fly.

That is the name of the game. Run production.

Saying the name is On Base percentage is like saying the pitchers job is to throw strikes and keep runners off the base.

That's PART of the strategy. But sometimes it is useful to NOT throw a strike. Sometimes it is useful to intentionally walk a batter. Sometimes it is useful to trade a run for a double play.

Let's not over complicate things, people.

People have been ripping apart Ryan Howard because his on base production is down as are most of his offensive stats.

But he's been producing runs. And he may not be doing it in a pretty way. He might not be doing it in a way that brings his other percentages up with him... but that's not what he's paid to do.

His job is to knock in whatever runners are on base... and few do it as frequently as he does.

So you might downgrade his performance based on his OPS, his on base and whatever stats you like to use... and the Phillies will keep winning and probably will go to the World Series again.

And I am guessing most Phillies fans would rather have Howard producing runs anyway.

I could be wrong.

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These guys have done the hard part for the Hall of Fame resume…now don’t get hurt: My Latest for the Hardball Times

Is it too early to be talking about Tim Lincecum, Dustin Pedroia or Adam Wainwright for the Hall of Fame? Of course it is. But they've all done the hard part of having great individual seasons and post season heroics already. If they can stay healthy and pile up some numbers, they should have quite a Hall of Fame argument.

In my latest for The Hardball Times, I go through the players who just need to reach a few milestones to pad an already glamorous resume.

Read the article here.

Give the Rockies credit... they give their fans players to cling to

You are going to hear a lot of mixed opinions about Troy Tulowitzki's long term contract extension with the Rockies.

Jeff Passan has already chimed in on Yahoo. The panel on MLB Network is split on it. (John Hart pointed out what a no brainer Grady Sizemore's super stardom looked like.) And more will come down the pike.

And yes people are pointing to the Rockies rotten contracts for Mike Hampton and Denny Neagle, but those are disingenuous comparisons. They overpaid for them to lure some pitching into Denver and as it turned out, they were both bad fits. (Although Hampton liked the schools and Neagle liked the women in his car.)

You will hear Todd Helton's name being thrown around as a lousy contract as well. And I suppose technically it wasn't a great one. It was an albatross for a bunch of years and by 2006, they would have dealt Helton for flat Diet Sprite.

But a very cool thing happened the next year.
The Rockies went on their amazing run and stunned everyone on the planet Earth by sweeping Arizona and storming into the World Series.

And the last out was recorded by Helton.

The Rockies had a bunch of players most fans had never heard of. But they had Helton, who might not have been the superstar he was when he signed his bear of a contract. But he was the steady player whom any baseball fan knew and could relate to Colorado.

And that is something that all the stat heads in the world will NEVER understand. Sometimes for a fan base, it is GOOD to have a steady reliable player that the fan base can point to and say "That's my guy!"

Helton was that guy on the 2007 Rockies. Who knows? If the Blue Jays make the playoffs, Vernon Wells and HIS brontosaurus of a contract might have a similar reaction to Helton in the '07 ALCS.

It is why I totally understood the Ryan Howard contract. Lots of people killed it, but I got it. Sometimes you need to put OPS+, VORP, WAR and everything else and put it on the shelf.

Howard the Phillies fan's guy. He delivered for them with those towering homers in the 2008 World Series and as the 2009 NLCS MVP. He was a World Champion and an MVP for the Phillies... and you don't have to worry about him going to New York or Chicago or Boston. The long term contract gave the fans license to get attached to him as a Phillie.

And besides, how do you know if an Adrian Gonzalez or whomever else would be able to produce in Philadelphia or be as loved by the fans.

Sometimes to build up a fan base, regular fans need to have fan favorites to root for. Not everyone is watching the game with a calculator in hand. Some people (and brace yourself here) root for the PLAYERS. Some people like having a player to cheer for through thick and thin, and not drop them from their Fantasy Team because their Base Out Win percentage dropped.

Yes it involves emotion, but not all baseball fans are Vulcans!
Some fans have been stung by departing players and want to know if this is a long term relationship or just a fling.

I wonder if the Marlins would have a bigger fan base if some of their World Champions were able to stick around. I wonder if Padres fans would have shown up at the park this year if they felt like the stars they were cheering for would actually come back in 2011.

So guess what Rockies fans... you can buy a Tulowitzki jersey and know it will be good for a while. In the age of free agency, spending 10 seasons in a smaller market is really all you can ask for.

Todd Helton has given Colorado fans 13+ seasons.
Tulowitzki could spend 14+ seasons in Denver if the contract runs through all of its options.

Either way there will be many Rockie fans who could point to Todd and Troy and say "They were MY GUYS."

Ryan! You don't get hurt AFTER the Trade Deadline!!

Seriously... if you are going to go on the DL, make sure it is on July 30th or before. What good does it do on August 1st?

Anytime between opening day and July 31st, the Phillies can easily make a deal and BOOM! They have another star first baseman.

But now the Phillies are without their big guy in the middle of their lineup and the immortal Ross Gload will be starting at first base.

If Howard had done this a few days earlier, maybe Lance Berkman would be there... or maybe the guy covering first base on the play that sidelined Howard, Adam Dunn.

But noooooo....

Just remember people: TIME YOUR INJURIES!

5 Reasons why the Pujols for Howard trade is a good thing

1. It's a good old fashioned blockbuster deal that will put a spark in Spring Training!

Seriously, is this a Fantasy Baseball trade? I mean this is a deal I would make in June when the Fantasy League is getting stale and I think "Heck, let's shake this up!"

It's not a salary dump... it's not a Johan Santana like "deal away a superstar for spare parts" fiasco. It's not a "We need to get Manny Ramirez off the team" trade. It's a pair of contenders swapping former MVPs, former NLCS MVPs and guys who have delivered a World Series title to their home towns. We don't see enough of these trades.


2. It kind of makes sense baseball wise

The Phillies have too much left handed hittting... throw Pujols into that line up and not only will it be more balanced, but he'll see quite a few more fastballs.

Put Howard in St. Louis with Matt Holliday batting behind him and you'll have the deadliest lefty/righty combo in baseball.


3. It will add a nice plot turn in Albert Pujols' legend

As I wrote the other week, Pujols doesn't owe the Cardinals nor their fans anything. They've had MVPs, playoff heroics and a World Series title with Albert in the lead. He could play the next 10-11 seasons in St. Louis, pile up numbers and work on his Cooperstown speech.

OR he can bring his act to a new city and give him some new challenges. Maybe it will be like when Pete Rose came to the Phillies... or Mike Piazza, seemingly a Dodger for life, brought his legend to Queens (by way of the Marlins) and will probably go into Cooperstown with a Mets hat.

Sure Pujols can be a Cardinal forever and be fawned over by the passionate yet friendly Cardinals fans... or he can jump into the cauldron of the Northeastern baseball and be loved in two different cities.


4. It is an ideal place for Ryan Howard

Ryan was born in St. Louis.
He grew up rooting for the Cardinals.
He went to High School at Lafayette High in St. Louis County.
He went to college at Missouri State University.

He was born to play for the Cardinals. And yes, he is replacing a beloved legend... but Cardinal fans are loving fans (just ask Mark McGwire.) And a few bombs into the right field seats will have Cardinal fans saying "Welcome home!"


5. It will embolden every yahoo calling up WFAN and XM Radio with trade theories

You know those guys who call up, especially late at night, to sports talk stations? They usually have outrageous trade proposals. Usually it is something like "I think the Mets should trade for Derek Jeter... maybe we can send them Luis Castillo, Daniel Murphy and some prospects."

And then Steve Somers would shoot them down.

But now whenever someone has a crazy trade proposal that is dismissable, they can reply "Hey! You never would have thought the Pujols for Howard trade would have happened!"

Yes, it is a good thing to give those looneys some ammo... it makes listening sports talk radio so much more interesting!


Now this trade is probably not going to happen. For what I understand it was an internal conversation among Phillies scouts... and who knows? Maybe some scouts left a spring training game and wandered over to Meg O'Malley's bar in Melbourne Florida, and got hammered.

And one of the scouts just blurted out "Heck, why don't we just trade Ryan Howard for Albert Pujols?"

Next thing you know it is front page news.

It isn't going to happen.
But it would be cool if it did.

Hey Dodgers... LET'S PICK IT UP!

LET'S GO DODGERS! WIN A GAME!

I know sound a little hypocritical here, especially after I wrote about how I am rooting for the Phillies in this series... but in a series where I have tenuous loyalties at best, I want to see a 7 game series!

After yesterday's 11-0 embarrassment, the last realistic hope for a 7 game series might go right down the cesspool.

(The Angels aren't taking the Yankees to a Game 7 and the Yankees should take care of either National League team without much stress.)

So a Phillies/Dodgers showdown was an impartial observer's best hope for winner take all showdown.

And now it could be a 5 and out slaying. (And with the possibility that BOTH LCS could be over in a few days!)

With Ryan Howard homering in the first inning, it doesn't look good.

So let's go... I didn't root for you initially but I want 7 games!

And it's my blog! I can make requests like that. If it were the Red Sox, I would want a sweep and then laugh at the other team. But not Dodgers/Phillies.

LET'S GO DODGERS (for at least the next few days.)

MY PRECIOUS!!!

It's the time of the year that two teams find themselves so close to the ring... and like Gollum, they are willing to kill for it.

Or at least break up a double play.

Now a lot of years there are scenarios where a long time star or future Hall of Famer finally gets their ellusive first World Series ring that warms everyone's hearts.

I can think of Dave Winfield finally getting a ring with the 1992 Blue Jays.

Paul Molitor also got one in Toronto when the Jays won the 1993 World Series.

The 2001 Diamondbacks were filled with veterans getting their first (and for some) their only rings, including Randy Johnson, Luis Gonzalez, Matt Williams, Mark Grace, Jay Bell, Mike Morgan, Steve Finley, Greg Swindell, Tony Womack, Reggie Sanders and Bobby Witt.

(Curt Schilling would go on to win 2 more... I can't remember with whom.)

Sometimes it's fun to see that superstar get the "He never won a ring" stigma before going on to pile up more good numbers.

Pudge Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz all won their rings and kept putting up the numbers.

Well this year seems devoid of the ringless Hall of Fame calliber veterans (unless you feel that Jamie Moyer or Matt Stairs belong in the Hall.)

And there are no entrenched superstars either.

But there is a galaxy of rising stars... potential superstars... and people who could be the face of baseball going into the second decade of the 21st Century.

And one group of young stars are going to get the "He never won a Ring" label removed very early and get into the "Pile up big career numbers category" for Hall of Fame consideration.

For the B.J. Uptons, Evan Longorias, Scott Kazmirs, Matt Garzas and David Prices of the world... it's early to call them superstars. But shine on this stage and win, and not only will you have the aura of a champion for the rest of your career... but you'll be the ones who won one of the most unlikely championships in the history of American sport.

Put up the career numbers and then rehearse your Cooperstown speech... you are 4 wins from getting the "intangibles" part down.

As for the slightly more established Phillies...
Hey Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard. You already have the MVP on your mantle.
Put a ring on your finger, put up the career numbers and don't get hurt. You're already putting together a great resume.

As for Cole Hamels or Chase Utley, win in Philly and they may stop booing you for a month!

Who knows if any of these young stars are going to become Hall of Famers?
Who knows if the likes of Miguel Cabrera, Bobby Jenks, Jonathan Papelbon and Dustin Pedroia, all young stars with World Series rings, will have Hall worthy careers?

Being an electric young superstar with a ring could mean you are on the road to the Hall or you could break down like Valenzuela and Saberhagen...

Or flame out like Gooden and Strawberry.

But take note of the route enshrined players like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan and Cal Ripken took.

Each of them won their only World Series ring very early in their career.
And none of them had the "He never won a ring" yoke to carry around.

Think that's fun to deal with?
Ask A-Rod.
Ask Griffey Jr.
Ask any Chicago Cub for the last 100 years!

Just remember young stars... it's never too early to start padding your Cooperstown Resume.