Wilson! A Strange Phillies Trade…
In an odd move this week, the Phillies traded my favorite utility man, Wilson Valdez, to the Reds for a minor-league pitcher. 26-year old Jeremy Horst spent most of last season with triple-A Louisville, where he posted a 1-4 record and had a 2.81 ERA in 36 games. He did make 12 relief appearances for the Reds and posted a 2.93 ERA. Horst will get an invite to Spring Training.
But back to Valdez…I am not really sure what the Phillies are thinking, aside from the fact that they picked up maybe a few too many bench pieces this offseason. But among all of those bench guys, Valdez seems like the most valuable. Certainly in the last two years, he has proven his worth, filling in anywhere and everywhere he was needed.
Most notabley, Valdez picked up the majority of the slack when Jimmy Rollins was injured. And in a 19-inning affair this past May with the Reds (oddly enough, his new team), Valdez even pitched an inning, picking up a win.
Perhaps Bob Vetrone of “Boopstats” on Philly.com explained it best with this chart. Having started 1/2 of the regular season games for the Phillies, here is how the team did both with and without Valdez:
Not too shabby. And here are a few more important stats, this time with my own special chart:
As you can see, Wilson Valdez has pissed me off far less than all other Phillies combined. If you divide by the other 24 players on the roster, the average percentage of time each other individual Phillie pissed me off would be 4.12% compared to Wilson’s total of only 0.72%.
Not only that, but Wilson played with heart and truly appreciated his place on this team. He will be sorely missed. So, so sad….
Best of luck Wilson! We will miss you!
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Former Phillies broadcaster Andy Musser Passes Away at Age 74
A Phillies broadcaster for 26 years from 1976 to 2001, Andy Musser, 74, passed away on Sunday. Musser called games not just for the Phillies, but also the Eagles, 76ers and several other organizations throughout his career.
Phillies fans will remember that Musser worked alongside Harry Kalas, Richie Ashburn and Chris Wheeler in the booth. Wheeler is the last remaining broadcaster of the foursome.
Musser was a Philadelphia-area native and an Army veteran, making him a popular home-grown addition to the Philadelphia sports circuit. He worked as a broadcaster during many great moments including two World Series, two Super Bowls and two Masters Championships. Musser also called the division-clinching Mike Schmidt homer in 1980.
This is another sad day for the Phillies family. Musser was well-liked and respected and he will be missed. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this very difficult time.
The memorial service for Musser will be held at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, 625 Montgomery Ave., Bryn Mawr, PA at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31. Donations may be made to the church in lieu of flowers.
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Photo by Tom Gralish / Philly.com
Phillies Continue to Crank the Money Machine
The amount of money the Phillies have cranked out over the past several years is pretty astonishing. It is especially shocking for fans like me who previously lived thought decades of penny-pinching squalor and a grand tradition of losing. I definitely prefer the shopping spree…
This week, the Phillies dropped another $15 million to avoid arbitration for the 2012 season with lefty Cole Hamels. Some may be annoyed that a long-term deal was not struck. However, the $15 million may just be a little grease for the money machine wheel leading up to a more lucrative, long-term deal in the near future. Call it a gesture of goodwill to Hamels, letting him in on their forthcoming intentions.
A few more Phillies each got a smaller piece of the pie this week. Utility man and part-time relief pitcher extraordinaire Wilson Valdez pocketed $930,000, the biggest paycheck of his 6-year career. But seriously, they could not cough up the remaining $70,000 to give the guy a cool million?
Even Kyle Kendrick got $3.585 million to avoid arbitration and Valdez might be the better pitcher… Okay, I am kidding. Maybe Hamels can buy Valdez a BMW instead….
The only player left who is arbitration eligible is right fielder Hunter Pence who is looking for $11.8 million while the Phillies are aiming for $9 million. This one may go to a hearing. Maybe Pence is just not making as much money as he had hoped off his “Let’s Go Eat” proverb? I don’t know about you, but I could eat a LOT with $9 million…
And as you all probably know by now, former Phillies reliever Ryan Madson finally signed a 1-year deal with the Reds worth about $8.5 million. Rumor has it that the Phillies offered Madson at least a 3-year deal worth about $30 million, which he and super-agent Scott Boras apparently turned down. What he got stuck with instead is an insult. I would totally fire Boras if I were Madson…
In other random Phillies news, pitcher Joel Pinero, 33, has been signed to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training. In 2011 for the Angels, Pinero went 7-7 with a 5.13 ERA. Lifetime, he is 104-93 with a 4.41 ERA in 12 seasons. It is unlikely that Pinero will contribute with the possible exception of making Kendrick and Joe Blanton a little nervous.
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Hamels photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Questions That Loom Over the Phillies 2012 Season
A new year is upon us and a new Phillies season is almost here, with Spring Training to begin in just over a month. A few off-season signings have solidified some areas, where other areas may still be of concern. Here is my list of Phillies looming questions by position:
The Starting Rotation - The projected starters and order are Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton and Vance Worley. Halladay and Lee are no brainers. Hamels is recovering from elbow surgery but reports are that he is throwing and feeling fine.
This means the two questions remaining are Blanton and Worley. Blanton sat out most of 2011 with a bum elbow and chose not to have surgery this offseason. How he will respond in 2012 is a mystery. However, Kyle Kendrick will be waiting in the wings to fill in should Big Joe go down.
And the question for Worley is simply, will he suffer the sophomore slump or pick up where he left off in 2011. Either way, the Vanimal will be fascinating to watch.
Catcher - Carlos Ruiz returns as Batman with Brian Schneider backing him up as Robin. Choooooch! No questions here.
1st Base – The sight of Ryan Howard tumbling to the ground in agony to end the Phillies 2011 season still burns in our collective memories. Beat-writer Todd Zolecki reports that Howard is recovering well from Achilles surgery and is now beginning a light exercise program.
Still, Howard will miss some time. Experts predict that John Mayberry Jr. will pick up most of the time at 1st with an occasional appearance from Jim Thome. This seems like a terrible shame for Mayberry who should simply be handed left field and allowed to get comfortable there for the long haul. Instead, the Phillies will probably platoon Laynce Nix in left with someone like Scott Podsednik.
My suggestion? Give Nix a shot at 1st base and leave Mayberry in left. Nix has played 1st before and with some work in Spring Training, he could work his way into the role easily. Of course, I have no real say in the matter.
2nd Base – Can Chase Utley start and end a whole season at 2nd with his health intact? We shall see…
Shortstop – Jimmy Rollins returns with a fresh 3-year deal. The question here is that same as that of the other Phillies aging players…can he stay healthy?
3rd Base – I hate to beat a dead horse, but can Placido Polanco stay healthy at 36 years of age, coming off sports hernia surgery? We hope so. Polly’s contract is up after 2012, so who will be our 3rd baseman in 2013?
My suggestion? Glad you asked. Have minor league prospect Freddy Galvis spend the year working on a move from SS to 3rd. Galvis is almost major league ready but out of options with J-Roll resigned at SS for 3 years. Either Galvis becomes trade bait or he finds another way to be useful to the Phils.
Outfield - As I mentioned before, Mayberry should be the left fielder but it may wind up being Nix until Howard gets healthy. At least center and right are set: Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence will both be back and ready to play.
The Bullpen – Once again, the Phillies pen is a huge question mark. The Phils saw rookies and younger, less experienced players, like Michael Stutes and Antonio Bastardo, rise and fall throughout 2011. The status of veteran Jose Contreras is mostly unknown since having elbow surgery. Other veterans, like Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson are gone (for now). However, neither Lidge or Madson have found homes. Could they return? It’s a long shot….but not impossible.
Spring Training is going to be huge in determining the make-up of this bullpen. There will be a lot of opportunities for younger guys to step up and steal a spot. It will also be interesting to see if Dontrelle Willis can conjure up some of his early career magic or if he will slide back into oblivion.
And of course, the closer question was answered with the signing of Jonathan Papelbon. The only question here is will Papelbon play up to his huge salary?
The Bench – Both Thome and Wilson Valdez are set. The rest of the bench could consist of any number of new signings or guys like Michael Martinez and Pete Orr. Again, Spring Training should be very interesting.
FYI - Totally off topic, if anyone has noticed some of my photos and albums mysteriously gone missing, this is due to an unexpected issue with the site I was using to store them. I am in the process of getting it all loaded to a new site and will be working on updating older blogs as I am able to. For now, all 2011 albums are back up and can be found under my 2007 – 2011 Photo Archives. Thank you for your patience while I get everything back up and running :O)
I would like to thank all of my loyal readers for stopping by and helping to make Phillies Phollowers the #1 Phillies Fan MLBlog for the 4th straight year. Among all team MLBlogs, I ranked #10 in 2011.
Many thanks to everyone in the MLBlogs community and congrats to all the leaders!
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Photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
Philadelphia Phillies Fans 2012 New Year Resolutions
Having baseball withdrawal yet? Me too. But it is never too soon to begin thinking about the upcoming baseball season. Anytime a new season is on the horizon, the chance to start over and hopes of success in the coming year breed anticipation.
It is this time of year that Phillies fans should sit down and make a practical list of important New Year Resolutions. Here are a few to get you started:
1. Be thankful that you are not a Mets fan. If you run into one, give them a hug. They really need it.
2. When at a game, be mindful of your children. If I wanted slimy, saliva-tainted cotton candy goo in my hair, I would have put it there myself.
3. Please refrain from cussing out loud at the game. There are children all around with sensitive ears. However, if their nasty, cotton-candy goo-infested hands land on you, this rule no longer applies.
4. We can all stop booing Jayson Werth now for moving to D.C.. His .232 batting average last season is punishment enough.
5. Start a petition to award Roy Halladay with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his bravery in saving a man in the Amazon after an anaconda attack. Could this guy be any more awesome? I think not. I have been up close and personal with such large snakes and can tell you, for Halladay to put himself in danger to save this guy was no small feat. And yes, that is really me in the photo.
6. On Dollar Dog Night, limit yourself to a five dog maximum. Take the other $15 dollars you saved and donate it to Phillies Charities. Your stomach will thank you.
7. I pledge to spend more of my offseason time supporting the Philadelphia Flyers and the 76ers. They have young, exciting teams and also deserve our support. (Do not talk to me about the Eagles though…ugh).
8. Do not yell at the umpires for being blind. The Americans With Disabilities Act says that blindness is a handicap and therefore, it is politically incorrect to poke fun at blind people.
9. For God’s sake, stop spilling your beer at games! The puddles created from the morons behind you flow downward and under your seat, soaking whatever bags you laid there. If you cannot avoid spilling your drinks, please go back to Kindergarten and relearn this skill.
10. Be kind to people, even if they suck or are cheering for an opposing team. You will eventually get back what you give.
I wish you all a safe and happy New Year!
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
The Phillies Night Before Christmas 2011
The Phillies Night Before Christmas
Twas the night before Christmas, when all over the field,
Not a player was stirring, as the 2011 season had been sealed.
The bats were stacked in the clubhouse with care,
In hopes that a Championship soon would be there.
-
The Phillies were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of trophies danced in their heads.
And Ruben with his new closer contract tucked under his cap,
Had just settled down for a long off-season nap.
-
When out in Charlie’s house, there arose such a clatter,
He sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window he stumbled, half asleep,
Having woke from a nightmare of his bullpen being taken deep.
-
The moonlight lit up the old ’08 trophy, causing it to glow
And gave the illusion of a night game on the grass down below.
When, what to his wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh filled with ballplayers in good cheer.
-
With his General Manager, ace pitchers in tow,
He knew in a moment it must be Ruben Amaro.
More rapid than the trade deadline, forward they all came,
And he grumbled, and shouted, and called them by name!
-
“Now, Utley! Now, Howard! Now, Rollins and Victorino!
On, Ruiz! On, Halladay! On, Pence and Polanco!
To the top of the National League! To the top of them all!
Now run away! Run away! And play some baseball!”
-
And then, in a twinkling, Charlie heard, “You The Man!”
From the shouting and cheering of each happy fan.
As he drew in his head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney J-Roll came with a bound.
-
He was dressed all in pinstripes, from his head to his foot,
Having tossed his old contract, which was tarnished, with ashes and soot.
But he arrived with a smile and Charlie gave him a pat on his back,
Surely the new 3-year deal would put this team right back on track.
-
J-Roll spoke many words, but getting on with his job,
He welcomed Jonathan Papelbon, whose new deal has him living high on the hog.
And with thunderous joy, the fans clapped their hands,
With a few shiny new toys, 2011 is sure to be grand!
-
J-Roll then sprang to the sleigh, and to his team gave a call,
“You guys are the best ballplayers of all!”
But Charlie heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,
“Happy HoLEEday’s to all and to all a good night!”
-
Re-wording & photoshopping by Jenn
Nifty Phillies Holiday Gift
Looking for a last minute Phillies-themed holiday gift? Well, allow me to assist. I bought myself a gift this past weekend because I just could not walk past this thing without buying it. It was too much fun.
Most of us are familiar with the latest Pillow Pet craze. They are everywhere. But now you can actually buy what appears to be a Pillow Pet on steroids (totally legal for stuffed animals, no urine test required).
Even better, this company is now making a Jumbo, 30″ Phanatic Pillow Pet. I found it at Modell’s sitting high up on a shelf. I asked a rather attractive male employee in his late 20′s to get the pillow off the shelf for me. And as he handed it over, he grinned and said, “Here is your new Mommy!” Yes, a grown man spoke out loud to a stuffed animal in a store full of people. My life is never dull.
In a show of great restraint, I managed to stop myself from telling him that there was room in my car for one more. Because sometimes, life should be just a little bit dull ;o)
So Jumbo Phanatic and I carried on alone, but not without amusing every person I passed by, watching me try not to trip over anything as I hauled this monstrous creature to the car. As you can see from the photo, it is a bit difficult to see around all the fluff.
Have you found any other fun Phillies holiday gifts? Let me know in the comment section below.
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin’ Phils Phorum in the MTR Media network*
J-Roll Rides The D-Train Right Back to Philly
The wait is finally over and Jimmy Rollins has finally re-signed with the Phillies. The 3-year, $33 million deal is said to have a 4th year option which should be fairly attainable. Both Rollins and the Phillies seem pleased with the outcome. Rollins had wanted 5 years, but that was likely just a matter of him bidding high to ensure at least a 3-year deal.
Rollins shared the joy on his twitter account today:
The signing come right on the heels of the D-Train, Dontrelle Willis, agreeing to a 1-year deal with the Phils. Rollins and Willis are old friends who attended the same high school and whose mom’s are also friends.
A former starter and former Rookie of the Year in 2003, Willis’ career has run way off the tracks in recent years. But he may be useful as a left-handed specialist out of the bullpen for very little cash. Philly seems like a good place for a comeback, but how that unfolds is yet to be seen.
I would have loved to have been a fly on that wall when J-Roll learned that Willis got a contract before he did. It may have gone something like, “What you talkin’ ’bout Willis?” Only here, Willis is Gary Coleman and J-Roll is Todd Bridges. Think of it as a 70′s reverse time warp.
Either way, both players are probably thrilled to finally be on the same side.
Earlier this off-season, I made some predictions on how the free-agent period would play out for the Phillies. Let’s see how I did:
I said that both J-Roll and Brian Schneider would re-sign. Check.
Roy Oswalt and Brad Lidge would not have their options picked up and neither would resign. Check.
And I predicted that Ryan Madson, Raul Ibanez and Ross Gload would also not re-sign. Check.
That makes me 7 for 7. Check. Did you expect any less? ;o)
Technically, anything can happen between now and spring training, but I am fairly certain the Phillies are done making moves. How about you? Feel free to voice your opinion in the comments :O)
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*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin’ Phils Phorum in the MTR Media network*
Bye, Bye Benny
With a plethora of outfielders now in the Phillies system after a few signings, Ben Francisco has been traded Toronto for Minor League relief pitcher Frank Gailey. Gailey, 26, is from Philly and has a record of 23-15 with a 2.45 ERA in 175 appearances in the minors.
Francisco had a promising spring training before the 2011 season, but his hot streak ran cold quickly. While Francisco was not consistent as a starter, the bench role did seem to suit him well. He hit .269 with 4 RBI in 2011 and .289 with 7 RBI in 2010 as a pinch hitter.
But John Mayberry Jr. clearly outplayed him this past season. And with the new additions of Scott Podsednik and Laynce Nix plus Domonic Brown on the roster, the outfield is full.
However, the Phillies seem to have some concerns about Brown’s future and they seem intent on giving him more time in the minors before they bring him up again. Brown should be major league ready by now, but the Phils do not seem convinced.
If this is true, why not trade Brown now while he is still listed as a top prospect? Because if they give him another shot in the bigs and he bombs again, his value will go right out the window. At least now, they could get something in return for him. Just a thought…
In other news, Jimmy Rollins is still in limbo, although rumors are flying that a deal is imminent. J-Roll has not gotten much interest from other teams so resigning him at a descent price may be getting a little easier.
So what has J-Roll been doing while he waits? Apparently, tweeting about “Ryan Braun’s positive drug test“: “I really hope Braunie’s initial test is not upheld. Either way people are gonna judge him. I believe him though.”
Braun was named the NL MVP this year. So this may be the worst timing ever, although many people think the test was an error or some weird medical condition. Whatever the case, we will not have a real answer anytime soon as Braun is appealing the ruling which, if he loses, will end in a 50-game suspension.
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin’ Phils Phorum in the MTR Media network*
Ibanez Gets Nixed & Utley Procreates
Considering it is the offseason, this has been a busy week for the Phillies. In an unusual roster move, the Phillies have potentially signed left fielder Laynce Nix, 31, to a two-year deal, pending a physical. I say this is unusual because in a 9-year career, Nix is a .244 hitter and from 2006-2008, he spent most of his time in the minors.
Last year with the Nationals, Nix hit .250 with 16 home runs. Similarly, Raul Ibanez hit .245 with 20 homers. And this signing pretty much signals the end of Ibanez’s career with the Phillies. So they are replacing him with a guy who is similar and only a little bit younger in baseball years. The big difference here is that Ibanez had a solid career. Nix has not.
So yes, this move is just one more head scratcher this offseason for the Phillies who seem to be going back to their roots of taking out the trash and hoping it turns into treasure. Sometimes that works out; most of the time, it does not. As for Ibanez, it certainly looks like he has been “Nixed.”
In happier news, Chase Utley and his wife Jen welcomed their first child on December 2. His name is Benjamin Cooper Utley; FYI – Cooper is mom’s maiden name. There was a photo posted on Crossing Broad but the Utley’s had them remove it.
So you can either use your imagination…or, use my imagination ;o)
By the way, the market for short stops just heated up. The Miami Marlins have signed Jose Reyes for 6 years at $106 million. He is not a Met anymore, but the NL East is still not rid of the annoying, showboating Reyes.
And his price tag also means that Jimmy Rollins may expect more money than the Phillies are able to give. As a back-up plan, rumors have been flying about interest in Aramis Ramirez. However, Ramirez plays third base. Where does that leave Placido Polanco and who will play short stop?
So many questions, so few answers… I will tell you this though, the 2012 Phillies are starting to look a whole lot different than the 2011 Phillies, although it is more of a lateral-type movement so far.
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Photoshopping by Jenn Zambri Photography
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin’ Phils Phorum in the MTR Media network*
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