The Phillies’ Offseason Review

Need something to get your mind off of the cold, wet snow that we can’t seem to escape from anywhere along the Eastern seaboard? Well March is right around the corner, and with March comes spring, and with spring comes baseball. If you’re a Phillies fan, you might have been taking a break from the team this winter in an effort to get over the atrocity that was the 2013 Phillies. So as spring approaches (slowly but surely) you are probably finding yourself wondering, what have the Phillies been up to this offseason? The answer to that is: quite a bit. There weren’t any Cliff Lee sized shockers to come along this winter, but there are certainly some changes in the clubhouse for 2014, so I’m here to tell you what they are.

Who’s missing?

Well, you will be happy (or maybe not) to know that there will be a lot of familiar faces in the clubhouse in 2014. The noticeable absence will be that of Roy Halladay or “Doc” as he is so fondly called. Halladay called it quits this winter, after two years of injuries and decreasing velocity. You’ve got to respect the man for making the decision to go out on his own terms, just as you’ve got to feel bad for the one guy in baseball that probably deserved a World Series ring more than anyone else and had to retire without one. Doc will be missed by all of baseball, but especially by us Phillies fans, because even though these last two years were tough, we were lucky enough to see some of his best baseball.

Who did we re-sign?

Give me a CHOOOOCH! Carloz Ruiz was one of the bigger free agents that the Phils had to make a decision on after 2013. But rest easy, because the lovable catcher will be back for a few more seasons. Yes he is getting up there in age, but Chooch was the only viable option for the Phillies at catcher, because there is nobody in the system that is ready to come up, and none of the other free agents made sense in the lineup or against the payroll. 

There were a few other questions about tendering certain contracts, mainly with Kyle Kendrick and John Mayberry Jr., both of whom will be back this season.

Who are the new guys?

Well this is a trick question, because there are surprisingly (or not so surprisingly if you are familiar with the workings of Ruben Amaro Jr.) a few players that were signed this off-season that have actually played for the Phillies before. A long, long time ago. 

Okay, so who are the new-old guys?

Well, early in the offseason, the Phillies locked up Marlon Byrd, who you might remember having played for the Phillies over a decade ago. I was 11 at the time and he wasn’t that big of a deal, so I barely remember him. So that was when he was in the early stages of his career, and now he is in the twilight. So welcome back Marlon Byrd!

Another familiar name (and this one is really familiar, so brace yourself) being welcomed back is none other than Bobby Abreu. Yes, that Bobby Abreu. His deal is a minor league contract in which he has a chance to earn a spot on the team in spring training. So pay attention to see what happens with him. 

Now that we’ve covered that, who are the new-new guys?

Well with Doc’s retirement and the questions that surround the young guys, we’ve got ourselves a few new pitchers. First is what I have decided to refer to as the Cuban question mark, who is none other than Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, whom you might have already heard of because he was signed last season. Nobody really knows quite what to expect out of this guy, so that is something to keep an eye on during spring training. He could earn the 5th starter’s job, he could really impress and jump over Kendrick in the rotation, or he could be restricted to more of a relief role. Only time will tell.

The other new-new guy is actually kind of new-new-new, as he just signed with the Phillies last week, and I’m pretty sure I saw a photograph of him arriving to spring training still carrying a Pirates bag (You would think that a new duffel bag would come with the contract). That guy is A.J. Burnett. Apparently there was an issue with Hamels’ shoulder and he probably won’t be ready for opening day, so in comes Burnett. It’s unclear how related the two things actually are, but I think the Phillies needed Burnett regardless of any injuries. After (or between since he’s a righty) Hamels and Lee, Burnett will actually give the Phillies a solid top 3. It’s no four aces (or even 3 aces), but it’s a pretty solid top 3 for a team with a lot of other question marks.

So what will the starting lineup look like?

Well, there will be a lot of the same from 2013, but hopefully the lineup (cough, Howard) will be much healthier, which is a necessary factor for this team to have ANY chance to contend. With Howard, Utley, Rollins, Ruiz, and a pitching core with almost literally no depth, there is very, very little margin for error. These guys can still play baseball. That I am certain of. But that is if they stay healthy, and that is a big if.

1B – Howard

2B-Utley

3B-Asche

SS- Rollins

OF- Brown, Revere, Ruf/Byrd

C- Ruiz

Starting Pitchers: Lee, Hamels, Burnett, Kendrick, Gonzalez/Pettibone

What do we expect?

Well, we’re Phillies fans, so not much. I’m an optimist, but even I know better than to expect anything from the Phillies this year. The glory days are behind us. But (yes there’s a but) I will be hopeful. Which is very different from expecting anything. On paper, this team is old and injury-prone and not very deep, but they aren’t bad. Hamels and Lee are still going to be one of the top duos in the game. Burnett should give us a solid third starter. Maybe Kendrick will pick up his game to the level it was in the beginning of 2013 when everyone (briefly) thought he was good. And there is always the possibility that Gonzalez could end up reaching his potential. Everyone keeps saying that Howard is finally 100% healthy, so we are about to find out if it is age or injuries that have really been keeping him down these past few years. Utley looked good last year when he was playing, and if he can keep stay in good health, then that is one less concern. Like it has been for the past few years, A LOT would have to go their way for this team to come even close to contending, but never say never. So my answer is, don’t expect too much from the Phillies. Just try to enjoy some baseball and allow yourself to be just a little bit hopeful.

 

 

My Top 10: Philadelphia Athletes

I’m going to write a series of top 10 count downs, and I figured that the best place to start would be with my favorite Philadelphia athletes. This list will only include athletes of my generation, not any of the greats that I have heard about. As I am not a big basketball fan, no 76ers will make the list, but I will give an honorable mention to Allen Iverson, who is my favorite Sixer.

10. Cliff Lee- There is just something very Philadelphia-likeable about him. It might have something to do with that time that he spurned the Yankees and chose to come to Philly for less money. Or it might be his attitude which comes off as both serious and hilarious at the same time. (Like at the all-star game when he just stared straight at the camera without any change in expression as he was booed by Mets fans). It also could have something to do with how good of a pitcher he is. For all of those reasons listed above, he cracks the top 10 on my list.

9. John LeClair- He was one of the centerpieces of the Flyers team that I grew up with, and he was one of the best on the team. Before Brayden Schenn, the number 10 belonged to John LeClair and it was probably one of the most commonly worn jersey’s in Philadelphia in the early 2000s. I have an autographed photo card of John LeClair’s and it is probably one of my favorite autographs/most prized possessions. He was one of my favorites when he played for the Flyers and he is still one of my favorites now. The only thing he has going against him is that he played for the Penguins. Ouch.

8. Brian Dawkins- I’m pretty sure he is on every Eagles’ fans list of favorite athletes. There was never anything to dislike about Dawkins. He was the definition of the Philadelphia athlete. He played the game the way we wanted him to and he loved doing it. He deserved better than he got when the Eagles chose not to resign him, but in the end it worked out okay, because he retired as an Eagle and had his legendary number 20 retired. Just as it should be.

7. Brian Westbrook- I was a bit conflicted as to whether or not I should have Dawkins or Westbrook higher on my list, but I went with Westbrook because he was the player that I claimed as my favorite back when he was on the team. His was the first Eagles jersey I ever owned, and I always wore it proudly. Like Dawkins, I think that most if not all Eagles fans loved having Westbrook play for the Birds, because he was a dynamic player that was fun to watch.

6. Eric Desjardins- Thinking about Desjardins makes me cringe at what the Flyers defense has become. For over a decade, Desjardins quietly led the Flyers defensive corps, and gave the Flyers a solid and consistent defensive presence for a long time. He always seemed to fly under the radar, but when it came down to it, there wasn’t a Flyers fan out there that didn’t like and respect Desjardins. He was one of my favorite Flyers growing up (as the ones that stick around always are), and looking back at the years we had with him makes me wish we had a Desjardins on our roster today.

5. LeSean McCoy- My favorite Eagle of all time also happens to be the best Eagle of right now, and also possibly the best rusher (at least one of the best) in the NFL today. Maybe my appreciation and love for Shady is based on the fact that he plays right now and that he had a magnificent year, but I think he is in a solid position to remain as my favorite Eagle for a long time. I wear my McCoy jersey proudly every Sunday, and I love watching him dart around the football field. The best part is that I think he still has a lot more in him, and I am looking forward to seeing that.

4. Cole Hamels- He is my favorite Phillies pitcher. I don’t know how you can’t love the 2008 World Series MVP that helped Philadelphia to its first championship in 25 years. The Phillies are special because they have so many players that have only ever played for the Phillies. Players like Cole Hamels, we had the pleasure of watching as they progressed into fantastic players. With Cole Hamels on a new contract, I just hope he sticks around so that the Phillies can have another lifelong player and that he can lead us into a new generation of great Phillies years. 

3. Claude Giroux- My two and three were really close, but Giroux gets third place just out of my unwavering loyalty to my number two. I hope the people appreciate Giroux for what he is: the kind of talent that really doesn’t come along often, and even when it does come around, it doesn’t always pan out (remember Eric Lindros). Watching Giroux play is special, and if the Flyers are to get that elusive Stanley Cup for the first time in over 40 years sometime soon, it will be Giroux that leads us there. He like most players on the list, isn’t only a talented player, but a Philadelphia athlete through and through. If you watch a lot of hockey like I do, you can see that Philly attitude in him. He plays off of the fans, and he always gets into the game. My advice is to appreciate Giroux when you watch him play, because he really is a superstar, and he absolutely could be one of the greats.

2. Chase Utley- I have this serious attachment to Chase Utley that can’t actually be explained. He is everything that you would want in a player. He is hard-working, extremely talented, and he has been the face of the Phillies for as long as they’ve been good. Chase Utley was once the best second baseman in the game, and he was once on track for a hall-of-fame career before knee problems seemed to put an end to that discussion. Many people think of Utley as a has-been, but that isn’t necessarily the case. The thing with Utley is that he has to stay healthy to be effective, but he hasn’t been able to do that consistently for a long time. But when he is on the field, he is still probably the best player the Phillies have. And believe it or not, I do believe that says more about him  than it necessarily does about the team. I believe Chase Utley is the kind of player that really should always be a Phillie. There are very few athletes that play for one team for their entire careers, because at the end, they just go where they can get a contract. I really hope that of all of the players that is still a possibility for that Chase Utley is the one that it becomes a reality for. Because seeing Chase Utley in any other jersey would just be wrong. We’ve got him for a few more years, and hopefully he can finish out his career here with the love and respect that he has earned over the years.

1. Simon Gagne- I don’t know if there is much more I can say about Simon Gagne that hasn’t been said already. He is my favorite athlete of all time. Hockey is my favorite sport, and Gagne was my favorite as a kid, and he is still my favorite now, and he will probably always be my favorite. He was always the kind of player that was really, really good, but never great. He was the player that came to the Flyers when I was just a little kid, and I grew up watching him play and rooting for him to win, even after he was on the Flyers. He loved being a Flyer just as much as fans loved him being a Flyer. Sometimes the players that are really good are the best because it is usually only the fans of the team that they play for that really respect and love them. The superstars are known by everyone, but the players that were just always there and always good and consistent with flashes of brilliance? Simon Gagne was that kind of player, so Flyers fans were the only ones that ever really got the chance to see how great he was. His is another story of what could have been a great career derailed by injuries, but Flyers fans were lucky enough to see and appreciate and fall in love with the classy and talented Simon Gagne, and I was lucky enough to go from a fan of his as an eight year old kid to a fan of his as a college student. Simon Gagne was the player that I grew up with. All of the other players on this list either came into my life later or left much earlier, but to me it feels like Gagne has been around forever, and that is why he is my favorite athlete of all time.