Phillies 2012

**Zep** · 04-24-2012, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by eldondre

I doubt Philadelphia is the only place with this type of handwringing and kvetching.

Do the letters WEEI mean anything to you?

**Swinefeld** · 04-24-2012, 11:19 AM

That ninth inning was bananas. I actually thought they might pull off a miracle. Then Freddy Galvis hits into a rally-killing double play. I guess coming back from a 9-0 deficit was a bit too much to ask for. After all, we're not the Yankees.

**#1MetsFan** · 04-24-2012, 11:45 AM

And they're not the Red Sox.

**raider.adam** · 04-28-2012, 11:07 PM

Ok, at this point in the season, I am curious about a couple things:

1) Why is Ruiz still buried in the lineup? He is probably their most reliable batter. They should move him to the top part of the lineup or at worst in the 5 spot.

2) Why is Manuel even starting Thome anymore? Just make Wiggington the starting 1st baseman until Howard is ready.

3) Why do they keep putting Rollins in the beginning of the lineup, let alone lead off? Stick him back at 7 or 8 until he remembers how to hit the ball.

4) Why did Manuel bury all the best hitters in the back half of the lineup tonight (2nd Cubs game)? They start getting people on base and then hit Blanton and Rollins in a row (of course to Blanton's credit and the Cubs' discredit, they kept walking or hitting him with pitches). Let's get Pence, Ruiz, Nix and Victorino in the top 4-5 spots (and keep The Mayberry Experience as a pinch hitter for now).

5) What was the point of swapping in Mayberry and Galvis in the 8th inning? To remind us they still can't hit anything?

6) Was with Geno at the game and he made a great observation. The main part of the lineup (the ones getting hits) was doing a great job of working the pitch count. They were being very careful on what they were swinging at. It seemed to generate a lot of walks and good pitches to swing at. The guys struggling seemed to be just chopping at everything that was thrown at them. The trick with these batters may be just getting them to calm down and be more patient at the plate.

7) The team can hit, they just seem to be all singles with the occasional double. Missing a slugger like Howard where he can drive people in is really hurting the team. The other problem is, it seems Manuel has the hitters all broken up, so it is hard to get a rally going. (I mean seriously, Thome is a dead spot in the middle of the lineup, for example.)

And as a general comment, Blanton had a hell of a game tonight. Was happy to see him so dominant and smart at the plate as well. When they pulled him in the 8th inning, the stadium cheered wildly for him.

**Swinefeld** · 05-02-2012, 12:21 PM

How 'bout them Phillies? Only 2.5 games out of first place and big weekend series with the Nats.

**eldondre** · 05-02-2012, 11:13 PM

wtf

**Swinefeld** · 05-02-2012, 11:18 PM

That was a fiasco for both bullpens but Roy Halladay staked to a six run lead should be automatic.

**raider.adam** · 05-02-2012, 11:30 PM

Boy did I call it about Ruiz being their most reliable hitter. But man, this loss was tough.

**phillyTIM** · 05-08-2012, 02:38 PM

Thanks to fake-tough Cole Hamels, Bryce Harper has become a star!

The dysfunctional Phillies really appear to be scraping the bottom of the dirty-tricks barrel now that they are in the desperate, last-place bottom of the division.

My how the tides have changed so quickly from just a few years ago.

**eldondre** · 05-08-2012, 03:45 PM

hamels is still a pretty good pitcher fake phillytim

**ndebergerac** · 05-08-2012, 03:52 PM

Got 2 tickets for tonight's game that I don't think I'll be using, section 434. PM me if you're interested.

**johnnie** · 05-08-2012, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by eldondre

hamels is still a pretty good pitcher fake phillytim

Ive come to realize Hamels cant win in this town. Be one of the biggest reason why Philly broke the 25 yr championship drought and he still can do nothing right, getting boed after one bad start. Lee chokes in a playoff game last year....Still a hero. This town has its head up its azz sometimes.

Hamels will only be pushed back one day from his regular start day and Harper will be a star regardless of what Hamels did, even though plunking a guy, not even in the head mind you, has been around since the start of baseball.

**Hospitalitygirl** · 05-08-2012, 04:07 PM

Originally Posted by johnnie

Ive come to realize Hamels cant win in this town. Be one of the biggest reason why Philly broke the 25 yr championship drought and he still can do nothing right, getting boed after one bad start. Lee chokes in a playoff game last year....Still a hero. This town has its head up its azz sometimes.

Hamels will only be pushed back one day from his regular start day and Harper will be a star regardless of what Hamels did, even though plunking a guy, not even in the head mind you, has been around since the start of baseball.

Yup; I don't get it. Hamels is a fantastic pitcher--among the best of the best, and yet, like Mike Schmidt, unable to make that loving connection with some Philadelphians.

It seems like we have some bad karma going around. I don't know what will need to happen to turn that around. But, it's only May. There's plenty of season left.

**eldondre** · 05-08-2012, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by johnnie

Ive come to realize Hamels cant win in this town.
Be one of the biggest reason why Philly broke the 25 yr championship drought and he still can do nothing right, getting boed after one bad start. Lee chokes in a playoff game last year....Still a hero. This town has its head up its azz sometimes.

Hamels will only be pushed back one day from his regular start day and Harper will be a star regardless of what Hamels did, even though plunking a guy, not even in the head mind you, has been around since the start of baseball.

Lee had plenty of people criticizing him last year and in the offseason so I'm not sure I buy that...and hamels deserved some blame for choking in 09 (for the whole year, not just in one game)but that was a couple years ago and he's a better player today than he was then, I think. Hamels tough? I doubt hollywood will ever be thought of as tough, that's just life, but I'm not sure he hasn't earned any respect in the last two years. you know this town, it's bipolar. if we ain't riding high, we're stuck in the mud, ne'er the tween shall meet. you're a hero or a zero. if you aren't hasek, you're crap.
I also don't think phillytim is a phillies fan, sounds like a nats bandwagoner if you ask me. anyway, it was bound to be controversial.
the baseball gods have been kind of philly the past few years, perhaps they are giving us our share (though werth broke his left wrist). more disturbing than anyone busting hamels balls are the people heckling werth after breaking his wrist, get over yourself. still, after seeing the phils in pittsburgh, I tend to think the travelling fans are the ones who can't get tickets at home.
same paper, two viewpoints.
http://content.usatoday.com/communit...d-five-games/1
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/colum...ing/54812870/1

the reality is, hamels and the nationals both seem to be buying into the rivalry thing, and well, I suppose the phils could use one since the old mets rivalry seems to have disappeared.

**raider.adam** · 05-08-2012, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by phillyTIM

Thanks to fake-tough Cole Hamels, Bryce Harper has become a star!

Bryce Harper was on star status way before Hamels hit him.

Originally Posted by johnnie

Ive come to realize Hamels cant win in this town. Be one of the biggest reason why Philly broke the 25 yr championship drought and he still can do nothing right, getting boed after one bad start. Lee chokes in a playoff game last year....Still a hero. This town has its head up its azz sometimes.

Hamels will only be pushed back one day from his regular start day and Harper will be a star regardless of what Hamels did, even though plunking a guy, not even in the head mind you, has been around since the start of baseball.

Yeah, Hamels really is a great pitcher who had one bad year where he admitted it was how he approached it in the offseason. I am perfectly fine with him having hit Harper and I liked him admitting it. My enjoyment of him as a player increased.

**johnnie** · 05-08-2012, 04:30 PM

Originally Posted by eldondre

Lee had plenty of people criticizing him last year and in the offseason so I'm not sure I buy that...and hamels deserved some blame for choking in 09 (for the whole year, not just in one game)but that was a couple years ago and he's a better player today than he was then, I think. Hamels tough? I doubt hollywood will ever be thought of as tough, that's just life, but I'm not sure he hasn't earned any respect in the last two years. you know this town, it's bipolar. if we ain't riding high, we're stuck in the mud, ne'er the tween shall meet.
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Look at other players/coaches in this town who never even sniffed a championship and how revered they are; Barkley, AI, Buddy Ryan...etc. etc. Win a championship, get booed after the 1st bad start the next year. Unbelievable. Yeah he had a bad year, admitted it, explained why, came back the next year and was stellar, yet still doesn't get enough respect IMO.

I doubt Lee or Halladay would get booed after one bad start in this town yet they havent won squat. Lee got a standing O after giving up 4 runs in a game last year.

**eldondre** · 05-08-2012, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by johnnie

Look at other players/coaches in this town who never even sniffed a championship and how revered they are; Barkley, AI, Buddy Ryan...etc. etc. Win a championship, get booed after the 1st bad start the next year. Unbelievable. Yeah he had a bad year, admitted it, explained why, came back the next year and was stellar, yet still doesn't get enough respect IMO.

I doubt Lee or Halladay would get booed after one bad start in this town yet they havent won squat. Lee got a standing O after giving up 4 runs in a game last year.

you bring up AI in this town and people might feel sorry for him, or ridicule him. practice? he never lived that one down, and playing in turkey because he was broke didn't do much for his reputation. not sure he qualifies as revered, in his prime he was certainly exciting. of course, the phils have a much larger fanbase and probably more diverse. barkley, quite frankly, is about as entertaining as a sports personality gets, you have to admit that. hamels is no mcnabb (who really got the short end of the stick).
when did hamels get booed? was it after his bad season? when was the last time he was booed at home?
hamels doesn't have a compelling story like chooch, coming out of panama for $8k. he's not some underdog (and therefore automatic fan favorite) but he has certainly proven himself in the last couple years.

**Geno** · 05-08-2012, 04:41 PM

Originally Posted by johnnie

Ive come to realize Hamels cant win in this town. Be one of the biggest reason why Philly broke the 25 yr championship drought and he still can do nothing right, getting boed after one bad start. Lee chokes in a playoff game last year....Still a hero. This town has its head up its azz sometimes.

Hamels will only be pushed back one day from his regular start day and Harper will be a star regardless of what Hamels did, even though plunking a guy, not even in the head mind you, has been around since the start of baseball.

Philadelphia fans have an undeserved reputation for being knowledgeable. They can be intense and usually unreasonable, but they don't understand the game. OBP and SP win games on offense. Period. Mike Schmidt was always top in the league with that stuff but Phillies fans booed him because he didn't hit .300 (batting average is virtually meaningless) and because he wasn't an over emotional jack ass like Larry Bowa. I think what Hamels did was fine and I think considering Halladay and Lee's age, he could be our best pitcher

**johnnie** · 05-08-2012, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by eldondre

hamels is no mcnabb (who really got the short end of the stick).
when did hamels get booed? was it after his bad season? when was the last time he was booed at home?
hamels doesn't have a compelling story like chooch, coming out of panama for $8k. he's not some underdog (and therefore automatic fan favorite) but he has certainly proven himself in the last couple years.

1st home game last year. I am not talking about compelling stories like Chooch, but the free pass some guys get while a proven winner, who was the main reason the Phils broke the 25 yr curse, get no breaks. Have you ever heard Lee or Halladay booed? I certainly cant remember. I dont even think Lee was booed after choking in the playoffs last year.

Also, you dont remember when AI resigned here a year or two ago? I would say he is revered in this town.

**eldondre** · 05-08-2012, 04:56 PM

Originally Posted by johnnie

1st home game last year. I am not talking about compelling stories like Chooch, but the free pass some guys get while a proven winner, who was the main reason the Phils broke the 25 yr curse, get no breaks. Have you ever heard Lee or Halladay booed? I certainly cant remember.

so now phillies fans have to boo lee and halladay? it's not rocket science, some guys get a free pass because of compelling stories, others are likable. it's not about sports. people vote for politicians they like (or think they like) rather than any knowledge of what they voted for. lee is likable, utley is likable, hamels needed a PR agent when he started with the misunderstood quip about wanting the season to be over, the annoying comcrap ads, and coming off as, well, a well to do southern california baseball star is want to do. I agree, hamels had it a little rough in the beginning (some deservedly so, and some not so) but I'm not sure I agree with you that he's still a leper in this town. one guy said something on here and now the whole town is painted as being anti-hamels. if the fans boo him at the next home game, I'll believe it. he's not a fan favorite but I'm not sure he's the fan target anymore either.
the flip side of geno's statement, as I've been told, is that he wasn't a particularly likable guy, just a good player.