My Fellow Phans,

I know it’s been awhile since we last spoke, but there hasn’t been much to discuss, outside of the historical Cliff Lee signing.

However, it is my pleasure to say that Philadelphia seems to become a place where players want to play and some will even take paycuts to come here. First, it was Roy Halladay last offseason, Cliff Lee joined him this offseason, and the newest member of this club, is left hander J.C. Romero.

After the Dennys Reyes deal fell through, the Phillies needed a veteran left handed in the pen and with Romero stating that he would take a paycut to come back to the Phillies, it seemed like a perfect fit. Sounds familiar, aye? Anyhoo, Romero is now a member of the Phillies for next season and it is safe to assume that he will take a paycut in this deal with details not announced yet.

I am in full support of this deal. Romero is a quality pitcher despite the fact that he often has control issues. The Phillies needed a veteran lefthander in the pen and Romero is comfortable being here so they are a perfect match. I know some of you are against this deal, but look at it logically. He fills a need that we have and that can only help us in the end.

Throw in the fact that Romero has a very competitive nature which can always help to fire a team up at times.

Until we meet again Phillies Fans; Happy Readings and Go Phillies! 

- Johnny S.

PS: I am still looking for ideas on segments to cover concerning the Phillies this offseason, so if you have any suggestions, let me know!

LHP J.C. Romero Signs
By Kevin K

After the contract negotiations between the Phillies and LHP Dennys Reyes fell through the Phillies had a hole with LHP in the Bullpen. The Phillies then focused eyes back on J.C. Romero.

Last night CSNPhilly.com reported the Phillies and Romero had agreed to terms of a contract.

Romero held lefties to a .217 average last season but has not been the same pitcher as he was in 2008 and has been plagued with injuries after his suspension in 2009.

After the 2010 season, the Phillies declined to exercise Romero's $4.5 million contract option for 2011.

Expect the deal to be less than the $4.5 million the Phillies declined to give him at the end of the 2010 season.

Moment 2: Doc Pitches a No Hitter in the Postseason
By Kevin K

There is one word that describes the Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park, electric. Now add on a Veteran Cy Young Award winning pitcher who has never thrown in the Playoffs in his 13 year career and add the word Ready.

On October 6th, Roy Halladay was ready for his first ever career Playoff game, but no one saw this coming. No one could have guessed that Doc was going to go out in this game and throw a 107 pitch NO HITTER. This is only the second time a starting pitcher has thrown a no hitter in the postseason, the first being Don Larson's Perfect Game in the World Series in 1956.

The Phillies won game one 4-0, but it was Doc's truly amazing performance that has everyone talking.

You can watch all 27 outs here

Moment 3: Roy Halladay is Perfect
By. Kevin K and John S

The game that may have pushed Halladay over the top to win the Cy Young in 2010 was his Perfect Game against the Florida Marlins on May 29th.

Coming into a night where runs would be hard to come by; Doc Halladay did his absolute best to make sure the Phillies came out on top. He threw 115 pitches, 72 for strikes, as e breezed through the Marlins’ lineup through all 9 innings. He struck out 11 in his efforts. Halladay’s perfect game was the second perfect game of the season as the Athletics’ Dallas Braden threw a perfect game against the Rays earlier this season.

Doc became the 20th player in Major League history to throw an elusive perfect game.  It's the first no-hitter for Philadelphia since Kevin Millwood did it in 2003. The last perfect game by a Phillies pitcher came by Jim Bunning on June 21, 1964.

Halladay ended the 2010 Season with a 21-10 record, 2.44 ERA with 219 Strikeouts and only 30 walks.

Doc's magic continued in the postseason ..... more to come

Moment 6: Phillies Win 4th Straight NL East Crown
By Kevin K and John S

The Phillies took care of business for the fourth straight year to win the NL East. The 2010 Season was special for the Phillies, acquiring 3 aces in H2O and having the best record in all of baseball. The Phillies magic ended in the NL Championship after losing to the Giants (who went on to win the World Series), but the magic continues for the Phillies in a surprising offseason.

Here is a post from John Shields regarding the Phillies Fourth Straight Crown:

The NL East race ended like it began; with Roy Halladay toeing the rubber in Washington against the Nationals.

The Phillies came into the game with the magic number of 1. Needing just one victory to clinch the top spot, Roy Halladay didn't need any help sealing the deal. Halladay won his 21st game of the season for the club and marked the fourth consecutive postseason appearance for the Phillies and first for Halladay himself.

We found out how magical that first postseason appearance was for Halladay ... coming up

My Fellow Phans,

After a weekend of celebrating my sister’s birthday and finishing up my final papers this semester, I have finally found time to sit down and blog with you good folks.

I believe that we have one final Look Back to get to and that is the “Other Pitchers”. We covered the Phillies’ 5 main starters and closer with individual Look Backs, so now is the time to look at all the rest of the pitchers that made significant contributions (good or bad) to the Phillies last season.  I will start with the starters and then follow with the relievers in grade order. Enjoy!

SP: Jamie Moyer (9-9 4.84 ERA) – Grade: B-

Moyer had a solid season with his usual ups and downs. At times this season, he was brilliant. He threw a complete game shutout against the Braves as well as a few other gems this season.  Other times, he struggled greatly as his implosion against the Red Soxs. All in all, Moyer was a quality guy this season and it was a shame to see his season end so soon due to injury.

SP: J.A. Happ (1-0 1.76 ERA in 3 starts)

I know Happ wasn’t here this long, but I wanted to mention him on here. I wanted to thank him for all he did for the Phillies during his years here. I won’t give him a grade since I do not have adequate amount of material to grade him on this season. In short, I just want to say good luck with the rest of your career in Houston and thanks for the memories.

Relievers:

RP: Ryan Madson (6-2 2.55 ERA 5 Saves in 55 games) – Grade: B+

Putting aside that he gave up the NLCS clinching home run to Juan Uribe, Madson had a quality season. We are all disappointed in his chair kicking injury that he suffered earlier this season, but Madson came back and stepped it up later on in the season. His ERA after returning from this injury was 1.88. If that’s not stepping it up, then I don’t know what is.  The man earned his B+ this season.

RP: Jose Contreras (6-4 3.34 ERA 4 Saves in 67 games) – Grade: B

At times, he was rough to watch, but those parts were few and far between. Overall, Contreras may have been our most reliable reliever this season not named Madson or Lidge. He lead the team in appearances and always seemed to get a critical out when needed. He is our 7th inning man and will be for the next two seasons.

RP: Chad Durbin (4-1 3.80 ERA in 64 games) – Grade: B-

There is no guarantee that Durbin will be back next season, especially after the Cliff Lee deal, but I would not mind if they resign the right hander. One thing that I have noticed about Durbin over the years is that he is a second half pitcher. His second half ERA this season was 4.32 compared to 3.31 in the first half. Hopefully, we won’t need the bullpen as much as we did last season with our rotation, but we will see. If Durbin doesn’t return, I wish him well in the future with whatever team he signs with.

RP: J.C. Romero (1-0 3.68 ERA 3 Saves in 60 games) – Grade: B-

The Phillies declined their option on Romero, but there are chances that he may be brought back next season. The only problem that Romero constantly has is his control as he walked more hitters than he struck out last season which is never a good statistic. The guy is nearly unhittable when he has control, but that is not a frequently enough occurrence. Last season, he was good, but not great for us in the bullpen.

RP: Antonio Bastardo (2-0 4.34 ERA in 25 games) – Grade: C+

Although his stats may not look like it, Bastardo had a quality season last year. At times, he was bad, but other times, he appeared to be nearly unhittable.  I think as he grows and develops, he will improve into a better pitcher and his grade will rise. I just think the inexperience played a role this season, but should improve as he gets more time in the Majors. It looks like he may be our primary lefthander next season with the Reyes deal falling through so he may get that experience.

RP: David Herndon (1-3 4.30 ERA in 47 games) – Grade: C+

I’m going to give young Herndon the benefit of inexperience. For a pitcher that had no Major League experience until this season, the guy performed admirably. As for a Major League relief pitcher in general, his performance was slightly below average. This guy has the makings of a quality reliever, he just needs to be groomed a little bit more.

RP: Danys Baez (3-4 5.48 ERA in 51 games) – Grade: F

I only never thought that I would flunk someone, but this is a special case indeed. Baez was nothing short of an abomination this season. Only 3 pitchers had a higher ERA in as many games as he did. Everytime Baez came into a game this season, a collective cry of dread encircled the entire city of Philadelphia, it was so bad that it could be heard from miles around.

 I honestly don’t get how he is getting to come back next season as I would have cut him midseason. Maybe, he just needs a season to adjust as I think we are stuck with him for another full season. Hopefully, if he starts the same way he was last season that the Phillies will do the best thing for themselves and just cut their losses and let the man go.

So now we have finished the Look backs for the Phillies. I am working on a new segment for this blog during the offseason so pay attention in coming days for more details!

Until we meet again Phillies Fans; Happy Readings and Go Phillies! 

- Johnny S.

My Fellow Phans,

I’m sure you have all heard the great news by now. Cliff Lee, after weeks of speculation, decided totally unexpectedly to sign with our hometown Phillies!

It seems like a dream almost.  Ever since the start of the offseason, it looked like Cliff Lee would either be returning to Texas or going to the Bronx. However, out of seemingly nowhere, the Phillies popped back into the discussions. Suddenly, Cliff Lee was reportedly close to a decision. Philadelphia fans could feel the tension and anticipation rising. Could it be possible? Hours passed and the speculation grew and grew. In the middle of all this, reports stated that the Yankees were out of the running. It all came down to the Rangers and Phillies.

Suddenly, reports began pouring out of the internet. “Cliff Lee signs with Phillies”. However, the reports originated from a phony twitter account (Yes, I hate those idiots as well). The waiting continued. Finally, after many eager hours of waiting, hoping, wishing, praying, and begging, the deal was announced. The Phillies had brought back the man that helped lead them to the 2009 World Series. The beloved Cliff Lee had returned to the City of Brotherly Love.

So what does this mean for the Phillies? Well, the Phillies solidified themselves one of the best, if not the best, starting rotation in all of baseball. Lee joins the terrific trio of Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels (also known as H20) to create a fearsome foursome. I guess they’ll need a new codename for our rotation. I have heard a few, but “R2C2” is my personal favorite.

Lee’s addition may also mean the subtraction of another starter. Rumors are swirling that Joe Blanton may be traded, to Boston perhaps, to make room for Lee’s contract. If Joe does go, it will be a shame and I do wish him the best. We wouldn’t have won it all in 2008 without him and we cannot thank him enough for what he did for us that postseason.

Of course I may be getting ahead of myself. I have no idea the next move that will be made by the Phillies. I can say this though, whatever happens, our starters will be a joy to watch next season. The only negative of this deal is that it makes me want next year’s baseball season to start even more now. I am already going into baseball withdraw this offseason. Yes, I am obsessed with the greatest sport on Earth. No, that is not a bad thing. Don’t judge. 

I’m not sure what I enjoy most about this deal; the fact that the Phillies brought back a star pitcher to add to our already exceptional rotation or the fact that we just totally spurned the Evil Empire. The big bad Yankees lost out on a free agent after throwing a crapload of cash at him. It showed the money isn’t everything. The Yankees are used to getting everything they want and they didn’t get that this time. Not only did Lee turn them down and basically told them that their money is no good to him, he pretty much metaphorically spat in their faces. Ironically enough, that is the same thing that some idiotic New Yorkers did to Cliff’s life during the ALCS last year.  We all know what they say about payback and that rung true in this case.

This says a lot about Cliff Lee. He didn’t jump at the very first, highest paying offer. Instead, he sat back, looked into his heart and let that make the choice where he wanted to go. That is something to commend him on. So many guys, *cough* Jayson Werth *cough*, are all about the cash and less about going to a place where he is comfortable. Werth took the biggest offer to go to a last place team. Lee chose a slightly different path. He rejected the larger offers and went to a place that he is most comfortable.

It doesn’t seem too long ago that the Phillies were the laughing stock of Major League Baseball. We were losing 100 games season after season and high quality players were demanding to be traded. Now, big named players have a deep desire to play in the friendly confines of Citizens Bank Park.  Halladay wanted to come, and now Lee followed suit. It is truly a great era to be a fan of Phillies baseball.

I remember telling my mom quite a few times that I never thought I would see a World Series championship in my lifetime. Oh, how my dreams were met and so much more. I can only hope this continues. Let’s keep it going boys and bring home the gold!

So, now the city is in a baseball frenzy. The players are ready and raring to go with their newest ace, fans  are going nuts all over the city, as Cliff Lee dons the red and white uniform for at least the next five more seasons.  The Phillies’ rotation has become a deck of cards with four aces. The only question that remains is how the team will produce in this upcoming season. The Phillies are already considered to be a favorite to reach the World Series this season; adding Cliff Lee just increases that expectation.

I am not a guy known to get his hopes up, but this signing is casting a different shadow on this team.  The expectations are going through the roof and fans are already being to anticipate another title. I must warn those fans out there who are putting these ideas in their heads. Baseball is a wonderful game due to its unpredictability and uncertainness. I am not saying that I could not see the Phillies back in the World Series, but I am just saying that we should not get so wired this far in advance. That way, if we do blow this somehow, the disappointment isn’t too much for those fans to endure.

Make no predictions now my friends, just sit back and enjoy the upcoming season. We have a long way to go.

Until we meet again Phillies Fans; Happy Readings and Go Phillies! 

- Johnny S.

Lee is a Phillie
By Kevin K

The wait was short and is it is done. Accoring to TR Sullivan of MLB Blogs "Cliff Lee is going to the Philadelphia Phillies, industry sources said Monday night. The Rangers were told Monday night that Lee is going to the Phillies, It is a done deal"

Lee passes up 7 years $160 Million with the Yankees and signs with the Phillies.

Inside source from a Phillies player, Cliff Lee is now a Phillie, yes believe it or not, Cliff Lee IS A PHILLIE!

The deal is 5 year deal worth 100 million dollars

Source: I am told that if Lee signed, it would be Joe Blanton, not Kyle Kendrick, who would be traded.

Phillies Reportedly in Running for Lee
By Kevin K

Warning, this blog is all over the place, however, it is set up to give you all rumors on Cliff Lee.

Reports came out earlier Monday that the Phillies “may be” the mystery team in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes, this has now been reportedly true. CSN Philly reported that the Phillies are the third team in the running for Cliff Lee. The acquisition would mean the end of Joe Blanton in Philadelphia, as the Phillies look to move him and his $17 Million contract.

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reported that he took a survey of three teams to see if Joe Blanton is movable if the Phillies sign Lee. Consensus was yes, but the Phillies would have to eat half of Blanton’s contract, something the Phillies have done in the past.

The three teams interested in Cliff Lee: Phillies, Rangers, and Yankees. The Yankees have offered Cliff Lee 7 years at $160 million a week ago. The Yankees continue to grow impatient towards Cliff Lee. It has been reported that Cliff Lee does not want to join the Yankees, especially after the fans spit on his wife during the Playoffs.

That leaves two teams, the Phillies and the Rangers.

Todd Zolecki reports, “The Phillies almost certainly are offering less money than the Yankees and Rangers, but here is the 'X' factor: Lee absolutely enjoyed his time in Philadelphia in 2009 and in the past has indicated to teammates he would like to rejoin the organization.”

The Phillies reportedly offered Lee a “spirited” offer which Lee may be seriously considering.

Twitter is literally exploding with rumors right now that I am currently trying to sort out.

An account by the name of IncarnatedBob said that three sources confirmed that the Texas Rangers will host a Press Conference in the next 24 Hours to announce Lee has re-signed with them.

On the other hand, Jon Heyman of SI.com thinks that Lee is going to the Phillies.

Yes that is a gambling blog versus Sports Illustrated, however, this IncarnatedBob has been a reliable source for some people/

Jayson Stark tweeted, “all the buzz tonight has Lee leaning toward Phillies. But if you do the math, he'd likely have to take $30-40M less than Yankees offer.”

Cliff Lee is not expected to make an announcement tonight, but look for an announcement to come on Tuesday for which team he will sign to.

Todd Zolecki was told by a source that the club is shopping Joe Blanton, Raul Ibanez and Kyle Kendrick in order to clear salary.

Right now I am trying to clear out fact from fiction, I know this blog was truly all over the place, but I wanted to get you all of the news for the Cliff Lee sweepstakes. Stick with the Philly Phans for more on Lee and the Phillies.

 

My Fellow Phans,

Now that we’ve completed the individual look backs, it is time to look back at the other significant groups on the Phillies. We’ll start with a group of individuals that any good team needs to survive and that is of course, the bench players.  We’ll look more in-depth at the critical bench players that the Phillies had this past season below. I will start at 1st base and work my way around the infield using the players’ primary positions as my guide.  

1B / OF: Ross Gload: .281 AVG 6 HR 22 RBI (92 games) – Grade: B+

Gload met or surpassed most of his stats from the 2009 season with Florida in 30 less games. He is a quality and an above average pinch hitter. I was a huge fan of the Phillies signing him and after seeing him this year, I still am a big fan of his. He looks to be the focal point of our bench next season.

1B: Mike Sweeney: .231 2 HR 8 RBI (26 games with Phillies) – Grade: B-

I always liked Sweeney. He was a quality player and an all around good guy. He came to Philly to get a taste of the postseason and that is what he got even though he didn’t get a single change to play in the postseason (I blame Manuel for that disappointment). He won’t back, but I wish him well. Hopefully he finds a team and gets that postseason appearance that he wrongly didn’t get here.

1B / 3B / OF: Greg Dobbs: .196 5 HR 15 RBI (88 games) – Grade: D -

I cannot pinpoint what happened to Dobbs. His talent seemed to be sapped as quickly as it came to him. There is no doubt that he is a natural hitter, it just never came to him last year. He’s moving on to another team next season; maybe they can help him rediscover his talent.

2B / 3B / SS: Wilson Valdez: .258 4 HR 35 RBI (111 games) – Grade: A-

Valdez’s offensive numbers weren’t spectacular, but those numbers do not tell the whole story. Valdez was the most valuable bench player to the Phillies this season. With all the injuries that the Phillies had, Valdez filled in whenever and wherever he was needed. Without him, I don’t know where we would have been. He played some second base when Utley was out, filled in for Rollins at shortstop and even played some third base when Polanco was injured.

He turned out to be better than Juan Castro. Although Valdez is a double play machine, he still provided adequate replacement for the Phillies this season.

SS: Juan Castro: .194 AVG 0 HR 13 RBI (54 games with Phillies) – Grade: C

Castro was a solid player filling in admirably for Rollins after he went down. However, he was run out of town when Wilson Valdez proved to be a better utility option.

C: Brian Schneider: .240 AVG 4 HR 15 RBI (47 games) – Grade: B

Schneider provided exactly what a backup catcher should do. He caught a quality game behind the plate and provided key hits here and there. That’s all that was asked of him and he did that greatly.

OF: Ben Francisco: .268 AVG 6 HR 28 RBI (88 games) – Grade B

Francisco started out slowly at the plate this season, but as he got more plate appearances, his average and production slowly began to increase.  Ben could be a starter for a number of teams and may just get the chance next season in right field for us. Either way, the Phillies are lucky to have him. He was the small piece in the Cliff Lee deal that nobody talked about, but has been paying dividends ever since.

OF: Domonic Brown: .210 AVG 2 HR 13 RBI (35 games) – Grade: C

Here’s the thing about our future superstar. He needs to play! Last season, the Phillies called him up, played him for a little bit and then banished him to the bench when Victorino was healthy. That did nothing to help him. In fact, as his abysmal winter ball stats showed, it hurt him. He may not be ready for the Majors just year, but sticking him on the bench is not going to help him. He is not a bench player; he needs to start every day to stay fresh.

So there is your Bench Look Back. Look next for the “Other Pitchers” Look Back coming sometime later this week.

Until we meet again Phillies Fans; Happy Readings and Go Phillies!

- Johnny S.