The Phillies at the Break

We are halfway through a baseball season people. The Phillies are a .500 ballclub, leaving them 4.5 out in the NL east and 4.5 out of the wildcard. Thats right, I'm talking playoffs. An event unattended by the Phillies since 1993.




Love Him, the original fat man.







Making a comeback in '07







Ah the memories...

If you saw the paper today, Steven A. thinks we are going nowhere. I think Steven A. is a jerk who should generally stick to basketball columns.

Why does this guy insist that the Phillies don't have it?




I'm not trying to suggest that the Phillies are a great team or that they are playoff bound. However, we sit in better shape now than we did this time last year. We have a great young core (as mentioned by Screamin' A.) who proved they could turn it on in the second half last year. The offense leads the league in runs. Oh but wait, the pitching.

Lets talk pitching for a while. Right now the Phillies are carrying 8 bullpen pitchers. Can you name them all? Here is a quick rundown with some stats:

Jose Mesa - 8.28 ERA, he is used up, there is no excuse for him being in our lineup. In 25 innings he has given up 23 earned runs, 28 total, as well as 6 homers and an almost even K/BB ratio of 13/12. Why is he here?
J.C. Romero - 2 hits and 0 runs in 3 innings pitched
Alfonseca - not too bad for a fat guy. he has held it down while Meyers and Gordon are out but still just 6 for 9 in save opportunities
JD Durbin - Has his ERA down to 14 after starting his big league career with a 94.5 ERA performance
Ryan Madson - 3.66 ERA including some tough situations, not bad
Brain Sanches - In 10.2 innings: 4.22 era, 5/9 K/BB, 2 HR






Mike Zagurski - In 15.1 innings: 4.7, 14/7, 2 HR. Manchild, love him even when he struggles






Anderson Garcia - 1 appearance for 2/3 of an inning giving up 1 run for a 13.5 era






Looking at those stats is no wonder we own the worst team era in the NL and 3rd worst overall. There are some guys in there who have potential and might help in the future, and there are some guys who aren't good anymore or never were. There are serious needs here. But, a trade and the return of Gordon/Meyers could totally turn this thing around.

I think our starting pitching has been decent: Cole is great, Moyer has battled valiantly, Kendrick could be a decent player in the league, and Eaton has underachieved, but not by Pat Burrel standards. However, four starters won't get you into the playoffs, so, like the bullpen, we need help from a trade.

Gillick must do something. There are a couple guys in the minor league system who have potential but probably not this year. Namely Carrasco and Outman. However, they are not ready and the rest of the minor league system sucks. Look no further than C.J. Henry, the gem of the Abreu trade, who is looking to quit baseball for basketball.


Did you see J-Roll rocking the pants rolled up last Sunday on Colorado? Expect some more of it in the second half. And how about that tarp business? What a bunch of character guys these Phillies are. Real Rolemodels.


I don't know about you but I am ready for the second half to begin. What Phillies team will we see out there? Will Pat Gillick pull the trigger on a big move? Will the team even let Meyers come back if he can return? Will old Coolerpants Manuel keep his job? How many teams have ever finished the season with the most runs but the worst pitching?

I leave you with this advice from the Manchild on Monday night: "If you can't win, then get drunk"...