Results tagged ‘ Kyle Kendrick ’
Hitting Rock Bottom
You may have thought that the Phillies hit rock bottom days ago. It was hard to imagine things getting much worse. And yet, it did get worse. After getting swept in 3 games by the Mets yesterday, I think we can officially say, here it is; rock bottom.
And it is not because they were swept by the Mets that this is rock bottom. It is because of the manner in which they were beaten, or slaughtered, if you prefer a stronger term. Murphy’s Law even entered the equation last night. Anything that could go wrong did.
Through the first six innings, we saw a glimmer of hope. The offense was hitting, Cliff Lee was pitching well in his first start off the DL; he even collected an RBI for himself. But not wanting to push Lee too hard in his return, he was pulled after 6 innings. From the time the 7th inning began, it was clear that the Phillies bullpen would pull out all the stops to LOSE the game.
Let me begin by saying I have never been impressed with Kyle Kendrick as a pitcher. I am sure he is a fine human being, but his pitching usually leaves a lot to be desired. He is inconsistent, he gets rattled easily and he wanders about with that awful, sad puppy look on his face.
And last night, he managed to impose the sad puppy face upon every Phillies fan watching the game. With a 4-2 lead to start the inning, before he recorded a single out, Kendrick gave up a double, 2 walks and then hit the 4th batter to force in a run. By the time the inning ended, the Mets had 3 more runs and a 5-4 lead.
But Kendrick was not done yet. He gave up 2 more runs in the 8th without recording an out. Jose Contreras helped him out and added a run of his own. Then Brian Sanches gave up a solo homer in the ninth. That is 8 runs out of the bullpen, 7 of them earned runs, which led to an embarrassing 10-6 loss.
The defense added to the humiliation as Shane Victorino dove for a ball which wound up flying right by him. And Hunter Pence dropped an easy fly ball that was right in his glove.
Manager Charlie Manuel was so disgusted after the game, he finally ripped into the team. Manuel said they needed to play better and prepare better. The preparation bit is what was alarming. Are these guys just strolling into the ballpark without getting ready physically and mentally? That sure is what it seems like.
That would also confirm my theory that this team is not focused and an overall sense of complacency has set in. Complacency or apathy could be occurring for a variety of reason including past success, arrogance about one’s abilities, off-field distractions, making a ton of money and the fact that many of these guys have already won the big prize.
While I would hate to think that about this Phillies team, the reality is that all of those factors may be playing a part. As an example, you know who is the opposite of complacent? A guy like Freddy Galvis, who is working his behind off. Galvis was a homer short of the cycle last night, plus his defense and intensity are off the charts. Why? Because he has something to prove. He is trying to stick in the majors, make a good impression and someday, get his payday.
Look around this team. Are there guys who look a bit less focused than others? You know how they say hitting is contagious? Well, so is complacency.
I would say a number of changes are coming this team’s way in the very near future. They have already sent reliever Joe Savery back to the minors. Michael Schwimer went as well. Here is what I think they should do: If someone is not doing their job, like the entire bullpen, for instance, then bring in someone who will get it done or at least give you a complete effort.
I do not care if they stock this team full of rookies. Because if they are going to suck, I’d rather see players out there who are giving it 100% and living up to their potential. This team has spent way too much money on talented players to be this bad. They need a shake up…fast.
Thursday is an off-day, which many of the players will spend at a Chase Utley charity event this evening. But on Friday, the Padres come to town and they need to be ready. Cross your fingers…
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Player photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Blanton Channels Halladay In Complete Game Shut-Out
Since Roy Halladay was unable to perform like Roy Halladay on Wednesday night, Joe Blanton decided to step in and give it a try. Blanton did such a great Halladay impersonation that he managed to shut-out the Braves in a 3-hit complete game for a 4-0 Phillies win.
But maybe Blanton was not channeling the spirit of an ace pitcher at all; maybe this is just who Blanton is when he is actually healthy. Either that, or maybe Blanton just needs to take every other year off and only play baseball during even-numbered years?
After a few tough years, Blanton has finally gone from an average Joe to an ace. And after the previous night’s 11-inning 15-13 disaster that blew out both team’s bullpens, the Phillies pitchers really needed the boost from Blanton’s complete game.
The offense provide just enough offense to sneak out of Atlanta with a series win, 2 games to 1. Shane Victorino and Laynce Nix both homered in the game and Hunter Pence added a sac fly.
The Phillies begin a 3-game series with the first place (gulp!) Nationals on Friday night. Stephen Strasburg will pitch against Phillies fill-in extraordinaire, Kyle Kendrick (double gulp!). Game time is 7:05pm…let the fun begin!
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
The Phillies Team-Wide Recession
The nicest thing I can say about today’s Phillies – Cubs game is that the weather was beautiful. Unfortunately, that is where the joy ends.
Even the Phillie Phanatic’s birthday celebration was toned down from previous years. There were fewer mascots, no Zooperstars except a generic monkey and the cake was less than half the size it usually is. See for yourself…it appears the recession has finally reached the Phanatic birthday bash:
In fact, maybe the entire organization is suffering from a recession. They accidentally give away runs to other teams for free and cannot score any of their own. That is a recipe for going broke fast.
Today’s match-up featured Kyle Kendrick vs. Matt Garza. Guess who won?
Garza sucked what little life was left in the Phillies offense and spat them out like garbage. The only action the Phillies bats saw was a parade of foul balls:
Jimmy Rollins got a hit to start the game and that was it for the whole team until the 9th inning when Hunter Pence added a bookend hit. The only run they scored was also in the 9th and came from a bases-loaded walk.
The defense was just as awful. Here is Laynce Nix impersonating a really bad first baseman:
I say impersonating because he is an outfielder who played a total of 9 games at first base in a 9-year career before joining the Phillies.
And Pence added to the mayhem by overrunning another ball in right field which led to a run for the Cubs. That is 3 straight games that Pence has made the same mistake. I am confused by this…how about you?
And here is a play at the play where, according to my photo, it appears Brian Schneider tags the runner about a foot before the plate. I did not see the TV replay, so maybe the photo is deceptive, but who knows:
Either way, it was just one more crappy moment in another crappy Phillies game. This was officially one of the worst Phillies games I have ever seen in person. The 5-1 loss also guarantees the Phils a losing record in April after dropping 2 out of 3 games so far to the second WORST team in the entire national league. Depressed yet?
No worries…there is always tomorrow (please note my sarcasm here). Feel free to add your own sarcastic comments as well. At least we can all vent together ;O)
Here is the full Photo Album from today’s game. I assure you, my photos are more entertaining than this team is right now. You’re welcome.
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Photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
The Phillies 2012 Roster is Announced
The Phillies have announced their Opening Day roster, which includes 12 pitchers, two catchers, six infielders and five outfielders:
Pitchers (starters in BOLD): Right-handers Joe Blanton, Roy Halladay, David Herndon, Kyle Kendrick, Jonathan Papelbon, Chad Qualls, Michael Stutes and Vance Worley, and left-handers Antonio Bastardo, Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and Joe Savery.
Catchers: Carlos Ruiz and Brian Schneider.
Infielders: Freddy Galvis, Pete Orr, Placido Polanco, Jimmy Rollins, Jim Thome and Ty Wigginton.
Outfielders: John Mayberry Jr., Laynce Nix, Hunter Pence, Juan Pierre and Shane Victorino.
The only surprise here is probably Joe Savery. The shock is not really that he made the team after a very sold spring, but that he made it to the majors at all after a rollercoaster minor league career. Savery, a former first-round draft pick, looked like his pitching career was over before it started as his ERA ballooned to well over 4.00 in 2008 and went steadily downhill through 2010.
That offseason, Savery was converted to a hitter instead where he initially had amazing success. Then after 9 months of not tossing a pitch, Savery was promoted to AA Reading and AAA Lehigh Valley where they decided he should become a relief pitcher.
No one knows how it happened or why, but suddenly, Savery could pitch again. He finished 2011 in the minors with a 1.50 ERA in 25 games as a reliever. And this spring, Savery pitched well enough to earn a roster spot. The only question now is, how long will this run last once players start coming off the DL? It appears that will up to Savery. Best of luck to him!
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Book Review – “The Rotation: A Season with the Phillies and the Greatest Pitching Staff Ever Assembled”
The new Phillies book, “The Rotation: A Season with the Phillies and the Greatest Pitching Staff Ever Assembled” was written by Phillies beat reporters Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com and Todd Zolecki of “The Zo Zone.” The book offers an inside view of the much-hyped 2011 Phillies starting pitching staff led by Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels.
As an avid Phillies fan, the two major things I look for in any book about the team are as follows: 1 – Does it tell me anything that I did not already know? 2 – Is it entertaining? Both of those questions, I can answer with an emphatic, “Yes.”
The thing that really stood out in this book was the amount of behind-the-scenes details. The authors provide a true inside look at multiple aspects of the game, including the modern day player-reporter relationship, front office dealings, personal lives of “The Rotation” and what really makes each person tick.
The Cliff Lee chapter was my favorite. This segment gives an in-depth account of the initial Lee acquisition, the trade to Seattle and the re-signing of Lee. There are verbal accounts from everyone involved including Lee, his agent, the Phillies front office staff and other involved parties. An actual e-email sent to Dave Montgomery prior to re-signing Lee is even posted in the book.
After reading all about the gut-wrenching details and roller coaster of emotions involved in these trades and signings, I actually felt sorry for those people, including Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. and especially assistant GM Scott Proefrock. You will have to read it for yourself to believe it. What these men went through with their families, co-workers and the press is much more intricate than it appeared in the news.
And those are exactly the kind of details that make this book truly stand out. It includes everything you ever wanted to know and then some.
Even the month by month recount of “The Rotation” during the 2011 season goes above and beyond. It not only provides statistics and baseball details, but the authors also bring the characters to life with personal stories and locker room banter. For example, the veil of Halladay’s steel demeanor is slightly peeled back when his first game back in Toronto as a Phillie is recounted. And did you know that Lee made a bet with Kyle Kendrick that involved a belt and smacking each other with it?
What we do know is exactly how the story ends. And that is the only issue with this book, which can hardly be blamed on the authors. We all would have preferred the “happy” ending but it was just not meant to be. Perhaps they can write that happy ending after the 2012 season? I am sure every member of the 2012 rotation is thinking the exact same thing.
If you do not yet have a copy of the book, get it here! Also, Jim Salisbury and Todd Zolecki will be signing copies of their book in various locations as follows:
•March 19: Bright House Field in Clearwater, FL, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
•April 2: Barnes & Noble in Plymouth Meeting, PA, 7 p.m.
•April 3: Chester County Book Company in West Chester, PA, 7 p.m.
•April 26: Barnes & Noble in Marlton, NJ, 7 p.m.
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Spring Has Sprung: Phillies 2012 Edition
The start of spring training is always an exciting time. It means a new year, new players and another shot at the World Championship. For me, the day pitcher’s and catcher’s report does not exactly conjure the urge to cheer out loud; it is more a feeling of relief. It is time to exhale…
Because all winter long, I have been holding my breath waiting for spring to arrive and it is finally here! Winter is the worst season for baseball addicts. You can try to distract yourself with the holidays, football, hockey and hoops, but it is just not the same. And there are so many down days and so much time to fill.
Now, like a child on Christmas morning, we all feel the anticipation of the new season upon us. Just as excited must be Roy Halladay, who arrived to spring training in style. This appears to be a 1932 Ford Roadster; the photo was tweeted by Matt Gelb:
As spring training rolls forward, here are a few things to keep your eyes out for:
Who’s on First? – After Achilles surgery, Ryan Howard will be out of the line-up until at least May, probably longer. Will John Mayberry take over? Or, will he start in left and leave 1st base to new Phillies Laynce Nix and Ty Wigginton? My preference is the latter.
What’s on Second? – The “who” here is Chase Utley. The “what” is what shape will he be in after nursing a bum knee throughout the 2011 season.
Juggling of the Bullpen – There are some significant changes to the pen this year starting with new closer Jonathan Papelbon. But that role is set, so what about the rest of the pen? What role will Kyle Kendrick fill? Will Dontrelle Willis be a real contributor? And can Antonio Bastardo and Michael Stutes move past the awful ending to an otherwise solid 2011 season? Add Chad Qualls and a possible return from Jose Contreras and this has the makings of a huge soap opera.
The Infirmary – One of the biggest question marks on an aging team is can they stay healthy? Many players had off-season surgery including Cole Hamels, Placido Polanco, Hunter Pence and, of course, Ryan Howard. Jimmy Rollins has only played around 1/2 of the last two seasons due to injuries. And this year, he has a brand new contract, making his continued health a real priority.
The Contract Situation – Cole Hamels is on board for the year. But unless the Phillies ink a long-term deal with him this spring, they are likely to lose him in free agency next year. The question is, how much of a distraction will this be? Personally, I think the Phillies need to cut a deal now and be done with it.
Luckily, this year fans will have more opportunities to see these dramas play out thanks to expanded TV coverage of spring training. Comcast has published a list of all 14 games that will be aired plus many news and social media events. This is the first time EVER that you can see every Phillies spring training game without travelling to Clearwater.
Of course, I would rather be in Florida. However, this is a great alternative. With the early March games being aired, you can see a lot of young guys and prospects play that without the TV coverage, you normally would not. In prior years, those players were already sent back to the minors by the time games began to air.
Changing the subject to a more personal note, many of you who follow my blog regularly know that I generally post new content frequently. However, this off-season has been a tough one for me. It seems like life keeps tossing me curve balls. I have been quite ill all off-season. Then a short time ago, my cat of 15 years passed away in my arms. I had to have surgery just 6 days after that happened and am still recovering with another surgery on the horizon.
I will live, but it has been a rough go for a while here. So I thank you all for continuing to follow my silly little blog :O) I hope to be back on track with regular postings and some fun photos real soon. And what could be a better cure for that which ails me than baseball?
Thank goodness, Spring Training has sprung!
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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
Award Season: Which Phillies Made the Grade So Far
Despite an early exit from the playoffs, the Phillies 102 regular season wins and stellar individual performances have earned some players much deserved honors.
Earlier this offseason, Placido Polanco was awarded a Gold Glove for his work at third base. Polly also won the award playing second base for the Tigers in 2007 and 2009. He and Darin Erstad are now the only two players in big league history to win a Gold Glove at multiple positions.
MLB.com also handed out awards on Monday. Ryan Howard was named the club’s Player of the Year, while right-hander Roy Halladay was chosen the team’s Pitcher of the Year. And rookie right-hander Vance Worley was voted the Breakout Player of the Year.
Not to be outdone, the Philadelphia chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America put its two cents in as well. Center-fielder Shane Victorino was the winner of the Mike Schmidt Award for Most Valuable Player and left-hander Cliff Lee received the Steve Carlton Award for Most Valuable pitcher.
The big awards come out next week which will include Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year and the Cy Young award. It is expect that many Phillies will be considered for these top honors, but realistically, none of them will win. Charlie Manuel is overlooked every year in the manager category; Worley will probably lose out to Freddie Freeman. As for the Cy Young, both Halladay and Lee will probably get passed over in favor of Clayton Kershaw who had 21 wins and an almost invisible 2.28 ERA.
Of course, anything can happen. But those are my predictions…how about you? Leave your best guess in the comments and we will see who gets it right.
And if anyone missed it, here is my annual Phillies Photo Tribute slideshow. Enjoy!
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Photos 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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