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Birthrights and Bullpens: A look at the Phillies’ PitchingJune 22nd, 2008
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Philadelphians are bred with certain inalienable rights. You can think of them as parting gifts for hosting that whole Constitutional Convention thing. We can despise tourists or any visitor for that matter, we reserve the right to know that the best cheese steak spots are never what you see featured in any Food Network, Travel Channel, sports broadcast, or other terribly cliché media story, we can add mystery syllables to words that don’t need them or pronounce vowels in their opposite form without skipping a beat, and perhaps most importantly, we reserve the eternal right to know exactly what the Phillies need to do, when, how, and why.
Since I am a native Philadelphia, it would be remiss of me if I ignored my birthrights and the lineage of all those fans that have come before me. We share a communal heartbreak, a brotherhood of failure that is concentrated in a century-old dilemma that this franchise has yet to solve. The Phils need arms, good arms, and while pitching is a commodity for any team, the Phillies could be poised to make a serious run with a couple adjustments and acquisitions.
In dropping two consecutive games to Boston at home this week, the Phillies staff was exposed. While Cole Hamel’s delivered his usual commanding performance to secure one win, both Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick were knocked around early by a lineup just as potent as any the Phillies can field. On the other side of the diamond, Jon Lester and rookie Justin Masterson shut the Phillies down holding them to only four runs in two games. These disparities could spell danger for the Phillies when they are left to play this caliber of team come October -if they make it that far.
So what to do? The first order of business is to move Tom Gordon from setup man to anywhere else in the bullpen. Might I suggest bullpen catcher. While it’s hard to not like Flash on a personal level, the man’s arm is just no longer there. His fastball is too slow, his movement nearly vanished, and his pitches tend to linger a tad too long above the belt. It results in walks, hits, runs, and eventual losses. While Gordon went a month earlier this season without yielding a run, his bad outings are have become more frequent and worthy of demotion. Just look at his 5.08 ERA and that will tell you all you need to know. By the way, did you see him miss that soft toss from Chase Utley last weekend that would have ended the 10th inning? Instead, Gordon missed it completely allowing the winning run to score in St. Louis. Seriously?
The second order of business is to move Brett Myers, the Phillies’ “ace”, back to the bullpen. While I had hoped his recent string of starts was a harbinger of things to come (see Aces Low), Myers dropped another start after being hit early. In the first inning alone this year, Myers has a whopping 12.60 ERA while allowing nine gopher balls and 21 runs. It stands to reason that Myers is not prepared to pitch as a starter. He has not been the same pitcher since returning to the starting mound this year so why not go with the evidence in this case.
If it’s clear that Gordon is no longer your eight-inning guy and Brad Lidge is again one of the most dominant closers in baseball, Myers’ new role becomes abundantly clear. He is comfortable out of the bullpen and may thrive again. Myers’ personality is conducive to letting it fly for one inning and simply relying on overpowering batters without concern for another trip through the lineup. Games could well be over by the seventh inning in anticipation of a Myers-Lidge backend tandem.
So, we’ve moved one guy around the bully, another guy to it, but we’re left with a gaping hole at the top of the rotation and no one in the three through five spots warrants a promotion either through ability or performance. So, we look elsewhere. Every year underachieving or financially strapped teams move talent and salary either to rebuild or get something in return in anticipation of not being able to resign their players at market price. 2008 is proving to be no exception.
The crop of pitching talent expected to move before the deadline this year is exciting to say the least. Any of the big 3 –as I call them- Erik Bedard, Rich Harden, and C.C. Sabathia, would look fantastic in red pinstripes. However, even though the Philies should open the coffers and admit they are buyers when the market opens, a bit of caution should be exercised.
Seattle, in the midst of a terribly disappointing year, may be looking to move salary as part of a much needed restructuring of the franchise. After offering Bedard big money in last season’s free-agent market, the strikeout artist has drastically underperformed posting a 4-4 record in 12 starts and a stint on the DL earlier this season. Bedard comes with a hefty price tag, questionable health, and the most unproven track record of all. While his career has been saddled with pitching for bad teams, he may be worth a shot in loading up for a stretch run.
(Bedard left last’s night game with back spasms in the fourth inning. As of this writing, there is no word on the seriousness of his condition)
Rich Harden, talent-wise, is the crown jewel of those potentially about to pack their bags come July 31st. His stuff is otherworldly, but Harden is rarely healthy enough to take the mound. In 2004, Harden made 31 starts but has only 41 since, 2008 included. However lofty his numbers, a career 8.65 strikeouts per nine innings, and however devastating his changeup and split may be, a pitch for Oakland’s ace may be in vain if Harden winds up on the pine come September.
That leaves the obvious choice, C. C. Sabathia; the pitcher that every team undoubtedly has in their sights. Cleveland’s big lefty, while in the middle of an off year, has proven to be a dominant pitcher in the American League winning his first Cy Young Award in 2007. Sabathia is a workhorse who has averaged 200 IP, 35 starts, and 14 wins over the past seven years. He also brings playoff experience and the heart that this staff needs to make hay in the playoffs. His expiring contract saves the Phillies’ money and allows them the opportunity to establish a frightening combination of Sabathia and Hamels that could dominate in the postseason.
My crystal ball is hardly polished enough to envision who might be your third arm come playoff time. Perhaps there’s some magic left in Jamie Moyer’s arm or Adam Eaton finds himself on the hill again. Believe me, I’m counting on neither, but the Phil’s lineup may provide them the luxury of letting the remainder of the season determine who gets the ball should the Phillies make the postseason again.
In the meantime, let’s all iron our brims, cock them slightly sideways, and hope the Phillies read the tea leaves the way we do. It is, after all, our birthright.
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June 24th, 2008 at 4:21 am
[...] Birthrights and Bullpens: A look at the Phillies’ Pitching We share a communal heartbreak, a brotherhood of failure that is concentrated in a century-old dilemma that this franchise has yet to solve. The Phils need arms, good arms, and while pitching is a commodity for any team, the Phillies … [...]