SB Nation - Kyle Kendrick

Pirates Can't Learn Much From Phillies

Charlie — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:05:52 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

Philadelphia Phillies' Cole Hamels throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tuesday, July 28, 2009, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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John Mehno has the right idea in this Beaver County Times column about the differences between the Pirates and Phillies--it's not primarily about spending, it's about building by acquiring amateur talent. But while the technique of comparing some great Phillies draft picks (Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and so on) to picks the Pirates botched at similar points in their drafts is effective for an article written with a word count for a general audience, it doesn't quite tell the whole story.

The Phillies' case is really weird. If you look at their drafts under previous GM Ed Wade (that's basically the time frame described in the Beaver County article), it's very surprising they've been so successful. Working backwards, the best player they got in 2005 was current Athletics reliever Josh Outman; they also got current Reds reliever Matt Maloney. That was it. In 2004 they got J.A. Happ in the third round, Jason Jaramillo in the second, and Lou Marson in the fourth, but they also took Greg Golson as a dubious tools pick in the first round and got nothing in the later rounds. In 2003 they had no first- or second-round pick; they got Michael Bourn and Kyle Kendrick, and that was it.

In 2002 the Phils took Cole Hamels in the first round, which was obviously a great pick, but they got absolutely nothing else. In 2001, it was Gavin Floyd in the first round and Howard in the fifth, and absolutely nothing else. In 2000, they got Utley, Taylor Buchholz and nothing else. In 1999, it was Brett Myers, Marlon Byrd and nothing else. (They also drafted Joe Saunders, but didn't sign him.)

Now, maybe this doesn't sound too noteworthy to some of you. Maybe you think that if you get one good player out of a draft, that's great, and to a certain extent that's true. In this case, the results speak for themselves. But what's odd to me about the Phillies' drafts under Wade is how incredibly thin they were. Wade seemed to get a star player and almost nothing else every year for several seasons in a row. That's strange.

To see what I mean, let's take a look at Wade's first draft for the Phillies in 1998. He took Pat Burrell with the first overall pick (a bit of a no-brainer), but he also got several moderately useful players later on, such as Jason Michaels, Geoff Geary and Nick Punto.

In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter that much if you fail to identify the next Nick Punto in your draft, but it does raise the question of why, if the Phillies are supposed to be a good example of intelligent drafting, they were able to identify so many star players but so few other future productive major leaguers.

Here's an example. In 2000 the Phillies got Utley, who single-handedly made the draft a very successful one for Philadelphia. The same year, the Pirates got Chris Young, Nate McLouth, Ian Snell, Jose Bautista and Sean Burnett. I'd say the Pirates actually did a much better job in that draft, even though it turned out worse--Dave Littlefield stupidly traded away Young a couple years later, and first-rounder Burnett's career was derailed with a ton of injuries. Drafting players who will stay healthy and helping them stay healthy involve skills, of course, and it certainly helps to not take a pitcher in the first round every year like the Pirates did. But there's luck involved too. For example, the Phillies were notably lucky that, for example, high school draftee Hamels basically made it to the majors with his elbow and shoulder intact, particularly after he missed huge chunks of his minor league career with injuries.

In 2001 the Phillies got Floyd, later sent to the White Sox in the Jim Thome trade, and Howard. That was all. Again, the Pirates had a much more robust draft, grabbing a number of moderately useful players in Zach Duke, Chris Shelton, Jeff Keppinger, Chris Duffy, Jonathan Albaladejo and Rajai Davis. (They also might have had some shot of signing 11th-rounder Stephen Drew if Littlefield, who was hired shortly after the draft, hadn't dropped the ball.) The Pirates royally messed up their first-round pick, John Van Benschoten, and that was their fault, but again, I'm not really convinced that Wade and the Phillies had a better idea of what they were doing.

Of course, Littlefield and his team started drafting in 2002, and after that all bets are off. There's no defending much of anything Littlefield did. My point, though, is that I'm not sure the Wade-era Phillies are a particularly good model here. In fact, it looks to me that they repeatedly got very lucky with about one pick each year and totally bombed the rest of their drafts under Wade, with the exceptions of 1998 and 2004. I don't mean to take anything away from the Phillies, who have generally been pretty well run since Wade left. But If there are things the Pirates can learn from this, they are the very basic points that, first, it's generally very important not to screw up first-round picks, and second, that it's important to build a core of homegrown stars. Beyond that, the Phillies' example doesn't tell us a whole lot.

Baseball Remains The Focus As NLCS Begins

Eric Stephen — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:00:24 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

The Kid gets the call for Game 1.

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One of the beauties of baseball is the daily grind, the unending test of wills. Off days can be excruciating, as we wait for our beloved game to return. We don't want to hear about owners potentially getting divorced, we don't want to read a lazy column still clinging to a false premise. In short, we don't want to talk about baseball; we want to watch baseball.

Today, we get that chance.

Clayton Kershaw continues his ascension to the top of the heap, as he gets the Game 1 start. At 21 years, 209 days old, Kershaw is the second youngest Dodger to start a game one, trailing only Fernando Valenzuela, who was 20 years, 339 days old when he started Game 1 of the 1981 NLCS.

Cole Hamels, 2008 postseason hero for the Phillies, gets the start for the Phillies, looking to continue his dominance of the Dodgers. Including the playoffs, Hamels has made six career starts against the Dodgers, and I see a disturbing trend:

Date	Result	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
8/12/08	LA 4-3	7.0	5	2	2	2	7	2.57	1.000
8/23/08	Phi 9-2	7.0	5	2	2	0	5	2.57	0.714
NLCS Gm 1	Phi 3-2	7.0	6	2	2	2	8	2.57	1.129
NLCS Gm 5	Phi 5-1	7.0	5	1	1	3	5	1.29	1.129
5/14/09	LA 5-3	7.0	7	2	1	1	9	1.29	1.129
6/4/09	Phi 3-0	9.0	5	0	0	0	5	0.00	0.556
Totals	Phi 4-2	44.0	33	9	8	8	39	1.64	0.932

Yikes. In each of his six starts against the Dodgers, Hamels has pitched at least seven innings, and has never given up more than two runs. The good news for the Dodgers is that: (a) they won two of those six games, and (b) they have Clayton Kershaw.

Kershaw has given up three runs in only three of his 17 home starts this season, allowing a total of just 22 runs. Kershaw put up a 1.89 ERA and a 2.69 FIP at Dodger Stadium in 2009 so far. In short, Game 1 figures to be a low scoring affair.

In roster news, the only change for the Dodgers from the NLDS to the NLCS is that Hiroki Kuroda is on the roster, replacing Jon Garland. Chad Billingsley has been moved to the bullpen. For the Phillies, Eric Bruntlett and Old Friend Chan Ho Park are replacing Brett Myers and Kyle Kendrick, according to David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News. Bruntlett (a Stanford alum) presumably was added to match the Dodgers' Brad Ausmus (Dartmouth) as the smart guy who can't hit.

[Update] - Scott Elbert made the NLCS roster over Jeff Weaver

Complete NLCS Roster:

Pitchers (11)	Infielders (8)	Outfielders (4)	Catchers (2)
Chad Billingsley, RHP	Casey Blake	Matt Kemp	Russell Martin
Clayton Kershaw, LHP	Orlando Hudson (S)	Juan Pierre (L)	Brad Ausmus
George Sherrill, LHP	Mark Loretta	Andre Ethier (L)
Hiroki Kuroda, RHP	James Loney (L)	Manny Ramirez
Hong-Chih Kuo, LHP	Juan Castro
Jonathan Broxton, RHP	Ronnie Belliard
Ramon Troncoso, RHP	Rafael Furcal (S)
Randy Wolf, LHP	Jim Thome (L)
Ronald Belisario, RHP
Scott Elbert, LHP
Vicente Padilla, RHP

Enough talk. It's time for baseball.

Game Time: 5:07pm

TV: TBS (Chip "Fisted" Caray, Ron Darling, Buck Martinez)

Baseball Reference Game One Preview

NLDS Preview: Pitching - Where Frank Azar isn't the only Strong Arm

RockiesMagicNumber — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:49:41 -0000

Are you all ready to have a little Phun? Or are we all set for a massive PhailPhest?

Starting September, the Phillies were sitting at 76-53, comfortably in charge of the NL East, watching the Braves and Marlins scuffle against each other to try and catch up to the Rockies. Since that point, they went 17-16 to finish the season with a final tally of 93-69, 6.0 games up on Florida and 7.0 up on Atlanta. During that stretch, the Phillies outscored their opponents by a tally of 155 to 146, giving them a Pythagorean W-L of 18-16, or essentially they underplayed their own performance by 1 game.

But seeing how we're here to talk about pitching, let's look at the Phillies' staff down the stretch. During the stretch, opponents batted a collective .271/.330/.414 against Phillies pitching, or about league average in terms of OPS+. The collective pitching staff allowed 4 or fewer runs 19 times and 5 or more 13 times.

Incidentally, the Rockies' Runs per Game is a scratch below 5, at 4.96.

But the staff has sprung a few leaks, which we'll touch on in just a second.

The Phillies plan on throwing 3 tough lefties at the Rockies in an effort to take the NLDS. Everybody is terrified and upset and "oh woe is us, left handed pitching it is our weakest of weaknesses!" Well, I'm not so sold on that concept. We certainly hit RHP better than LHP, and much of that is thanks to the strong lefties in the lineup, but what DO we actually do against LHP vs RHP?

Split	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
vs RHP as RH	.250	.318	.406	.724	99
vs RHP as LH	.276	.371	.479	.849	118
vs LHP as RH	.254	.337	.447	.784	103
vs LHP as LH	.252	.331	.402	.733	109
vs RHP	.264	.346	.445	.791	110
vs LHP	.253	.335	.430	.765	103

Now, the number I'd like to direct your attention to is the one in the bottom-right-hand-corner. That 103. It may seem somewhat insignificant, and definitely smaller than the 110 right above it, but that 103 means that we hit left handers better than the league average against left handers. Relative to us, we hit them worse, obviously, but we are an above-average offense facing RHP or LHP. Let that be a nugget of faith and hope for you all.

Join after the jump and we'll start grading the Phillies.

The Arms: B

Rotation: B

In the months of September/October, the Phillies rotation has posted an ERA of 4.39 and a FIP of 3.92. That's good for 9th in the Majors in FIP and 14th in ERA.

Name	K/9	BB/9	K/BB	HR/9	WHIP	ERA	FIP
Cole Hamels	8.16	1.94	4.20	0.39	1.12	3.69	2.56
Cliff Lee	7.79	1.04	7.50	1.04	1.44	5.45	3.30
Kyle Kendrick	5.56	2.38	2.33	0.79	1.41	3.18	4.07
Pedro Martinez	7.22	1.57	4.60	1.26	1.26	3.14	4.25
J.A. Happ	8.87	2.01	4.40	2.01	1.66	4.84	4.71
Joe Blanton	8.15	4.33	1.88	1.27	1.50	5.35	4.74
Jamie Moyer	4.05	0.90	4.50	1.80	1.05	4.50	5.25

Now, the rotation still gets the higher grade because they've been pretty awesome for the majority of the season. Even though the ERAs of a couple of key pitchers may be a bit high, the FIPs, for the most part, are still in the range of "pretty good", but what's huge still are the K/BB ratios for all of the starters not named Joe Blanton. What that tells us is that while runs are crossing, the pitchers are still doing a lot of their job the right way still.

Bullpen: B-

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Brad Lidge	0-8	67	0	0	0	31	11	58.2	72	51	47	11	34	61	7.21	1.81

Woooo hoo hoo, that's a fun line to look at there. This is the guy Charlie Manuel will be handing the ball to in the 9th inning. Knowing the Rockies' propensity to stage massive heroic comebacks, it could make for an incredibly interesting series.

Even accounting for Lidge, the Phills' bullpen has posted a 3.79 ERA and a 3.80 FIP, essentially showing us that they've earned every run they've given up. Amusingly enough, if you pull outBrad Lidge's failmotronic performance during that time, the bullpen's ERA drops from 3.79 to 3.31, FIP from 3.80 to 3.76. Lidge's FIP was actually decent, if you look at it, but that just kind of reinforces how FIP doesn't really tell the whole story. What we should remember is that underneath Lidge's terrible performances this season, his peripheral numbers are still pretty decent, so taking him lightly will not be a wise decision. In the meantime, Ryan Madson has been pretty decent as well, so we should definitely be prepared to face either of these fellers.

Ryan Madson

#46 / Pitcher / Philadelphia Phillies

Height: 6-6

Weight: 200

Bats: L

Throws: R

Born: Aug 28, 1980

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Ryan Madson	5-5	79	0	0	0	10	6	77.1	73	29	28	7	22	78	3.26	1.23

GAME 1

Wednesday, October 7, 12:37 MDT

Ubaldo Jimenez

#38 / Pitcher / Colorado Rockies

Height:6-4

Weight:200

Bats:R

Throws:R

Born:Jan 22, 1984

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Ubaldo Jimenez	15-12	33	33	1	0	0	0	218.0	183	87	84	13	85	198	3.47	1.23

vs.

Cliff Lee

#34 / Pitcher / Philadelphia Phillies

Height: 6-3

Weight: 190

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Aug 30, 1978

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Cliff Lee	7-4	12	12	3	1	0	0	79.2	80	35	30	7	10	74	3.39	1.13

Despite getting a bit wild over the final month of the season, Ubaldo Jimenez turned in his 6 starts for a 3-2 record with a 4.17 ERA and 3.37 FIP, while striking out 40 and walking 16 (2.50 K/BB). During those 6 starts, Jimenez whipped up 4 QS (2 of which had 7.0+ IP and <3 ER. The other two starts at least featured a combined K/BB of 13/5., or 2.60.

Lee, however, has proven to be somewhat mortal. Over his past 6 starts, he's only recorded 1 quality start (a 6-hit complete game shutout against the Nats), 2 starts allowing 6 or more runs, and 2 starts of 4.0 innings or less. That all said, he has also a 7.50 K/BB during that time....so he's still pretty lethal. Attacks of opportunity will be critical, converting any baserunners we can get, and at the very least, working his pitch count.

Favors: Phillies, slightly.

GAME 2

Thursday, October 8, 12:37 MDT

Aaron Cook

#28 / Pitcher / Colorado Rockies

Height:6-3

Weight:215

Bats:R

Throws:R

Born:Feb 08, 1979

W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP

2009 - Aaron Cook 11-6 28 27 1 1 0 0 158.0 175 76 73 19 47 78 4.16 1.41

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Aaron Cook	11-6	28	27	1	1	0	0	158.0	175	76	73	19	47	78	4.16	1.41

vs.

Cole Hamels

#35 / Pitcher / Philadelphia Phillies

Height: 6-3

Weight: 190

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Dec 27, 1983

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Cole Hamels	10-11	32	32	2	2	0	0	193.2	206	95	93	24	43	168	4.32	1.29

Aaron Cook is getting his first taste of the NLDS in his career. Sidelined for awhile with a shoulder injury, Aaron Cook has bounced back very strongly, tossing 5 scoreless against the Cardinals and 8 innings of 1-run, 4-hit ball against the Brewers.

Meanwhile Hamels had 7 starts between the first of September and now, putting up 4 QS, and his 3 most recent starts all featured 3 or more runs. During the final month and change, Hamels posted a 3.69 ERA and a 2.56 FIP to complement a 4.20 K/BB ratio.

Favors: Phillies, moderately

So finally, let's take a quick check and see who's on a streak.

Hot Blooded, Check 'em and see

Ryan Howard (Howard? Hot in September? Never!) - .395/.458/.744/1.203, 4HR, 48PA

Jimmy Rollins - .318/.375/.591/.966, 2HR, 48PA

They're as cold as ice

Chase Utley - .083/.171/.139, 3-for-36.

They will let you down, They will make you hurt

See Below

Philadelphia Phillies Injuries

15-DAY

PLAYER INJURY TYPE INJURY DATE

John Ennis elbow 08/31/2009

60 DAY DL / OUT FOR THE SEASON

PLAYER INJURY TYPE INJURY DATE

Jamie Moyer abdomen 09/30/2009

J.C. Romero forearm 09/29/2009

Chan Ho Park hamstring 09/17/2009

PLAYER	INJURY TYPE	INJURY DATE
John Ennis	elbow	08/31/2009

PLAYER	INJURY TYPE	INJURY DATE
Jamie Moyer	abdomen	09/30/2009
J.C. Romero	forearm	09/29/2009
Chan Ho Park	hamstring	09/17/2009

Crown 'Em: Phillies 10, Astros 3

dajafi — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:31:11 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

Jimmy Rollins led the way Wednesday night with a double, a triple, and two runs scored in the Phillies' division-clinching win. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Shades of last October fed hopes for this October, as the Phillies rode the energy of a fired-up Citizens Bank Park crowd past an early deficit on an offensive surge of the sort mostly missing the last month-plus, a tremendous relief performance from Kyle Kendrick, and an emotional ninth inning closed out by Brad Lidge to their third straight NL East title with a convincing 10-3 win over the Houston Astros.

It looked iffy early on, as Pedro Martinez walked in one first-inning run and surrendered two solo homers to J.R. Towles in the second and fourth. But a four-run fourth-inning off Houston starter Brian Moehler, highlighted by Ryan Howard's RBI single and Pedro Feliz's RBI double, gave the Phils a 5-3 lead they wouldn't relinquish. An inning later, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino electrified the crowd with back-to-back triples, Victorino scoring on a Raul Ibanez sacrifice fly. Ibanez finished the scoring two innings later with a mammoth two-run homer to right, his 34th of the season.

Kendrick came on for a gassed Martinez in the fifth and turned in three excellent innings, striking out four while holding the Astros off the board. Chad Durbin pitched a scoreless eighth, Scott Eyre notched the first two outs of the ninth, and Lidge came in to get former teammate Lance Berkman on a grounder to Howard at first. Seconds before, the Braves lost their game in Atlanta by a 5-4 score, giving the Phils the division title--but that didn't make the accomplishment of a third straight division title, earned with a win, any less sweet.

Congratulations to the 2009 Phillies--National League East champions. Again.

Monday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:09:07 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

Mat Gamel is congratulated Mike Cameron and Alcides Escobar after hitting a three-run home run during the sixth inning Sunday. Somehow, I skimmed over 1000 posts on over 300 baseball sites this morning and didn't find a single mention of it.

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Some things to read while getting the baby to smile.

The Brewers have a day off today to reflect on the 2009 home season, which saw them draw 3,037,197 fans, down just 31,000 from last season, despite posting their first losing record at home since 2004. Seth McClung was sad he didn't get to pitch in the last game, but also offered some insight into what the clubhouse is like on the final day at home. And tristarscoop has a photo of the carnage in the final sausage race.

For at least three Brewers, the off day will be an opportunity to see a doctor. Casey McGehee (knee), Mark DiFelice (shoulder) and Mike Burns (shoulder) will all see specialists today in the hope of firming up a prognosis and offseason plan. McGehee isn't sure if he'll need offseason surgery to repair a knee that's been sore for months, DiFelice thinks he'll be fine but wants to make sure, and Burns recently revealed he's had shoulder soreness for several days now.

Has Ken Macha managed his last game at Miller Park? He doesn't seem to think so. If he does return next season he could have a new pitching coach, as the team is reportedly considering making an offer to former A's and Mets coach Rick Peterson (FanShot).

Dave Bush had another rough outing yesterday, including hitting opposing pitcher Joe Blanton with a curveball while Blanton was attempting to bunt. That HBP put him back in the major league lead at 15. That's the fifth highest single season total in Brewer history, which is pretty impressive considering Bush has only pitched 114.1 innings this season. No pitcher has ever plunked more than 16 batters while pitching fewer than 120 innings: Bush will likely get one more start to attempt to become the first.

Josh Butler also pitched in yesterday's game, and his rough outing will be his final Brewer appearance this season. While the team is headed out on the road today, Butler is headed back to Huntsville, then to the Brewers' training facility in Arizona to get ready for the Arizona Fall League.

Speaking of HBPs, Jason Kendall picked up his 247th on Saturday on a pitch from Kyle Kendrick. Plunk Everyone has, among other things, the full list of every player with double initials that has hit Kendall. Unfortunately, plunkings mustn't be weighted very heavily in the Elias rankings, as Kendall is starting to slide down the charts and now sits near the bottom of Type B free agents.

Prince Fielder is up to 42 home runs this season, and Plunk Everyone ranked him third in all of baseball in home run difficulty. Follow the link for an explanation: I think the stat has some merit.

Ryan Braun picked up his 30th home run in dramatic fashion on Saturday night. The Dugout Doctors list him as one of their current players to build a franchise around, but Fake Teams asks if he's getting overhyped.

In the minors:

Project Prospect has ranked pitchers from each level of the minors by out %. In AA, Donovan Hand, Bobby Bramhall and Mike McClendon cracked the top 50, and Dan Meadows, Efrain Nieves, Nick Tyson and Wily Peralta made the top 50 for the Timber Rattlers. No Brevard County Manatees or Nashville Sounds made the lists.
Maverick Lasker (11th) and Max Walla (20th) both appeared on Baseball America's rankings of the top 20 prospects in the Arizona Rookie League this season.

If you're already feeling nostalgic for 2009, Big League Stew has a look back at the Brewers season that was.

Baseball Digest Daily has the Brewers holding steady at #17 in their power rankings.

Around baseball:

Mets: Claimed pitcher Jack Egbert off waivers from the White Sox.

Ever wonder what 2009 would have looked like if the Brewers had somehow found a way to hold on to all the pitchers they've discarded over the years? The rotation might have included Justin Lehr, who was getting ready to give up on baseball before the Reds called him up this season. His numbers as a Red haven't been fantastic, but he might actually be an improvement over some of the guys the Brewers have trotted out there this season.

If the Brewers decide not to retain Mike Cameron this offseason, here's another name to add to the list of potential replacements: Oakland's Rajai Davis. A's Nation thinks the Brewers might be a candidate to acquire him, but also thinks they might be willing to give up Brett Lawrie in exchange, and that's absolutely ridiculous. Elsewhere in center field, Rick Ankiel doesn't expect to return to St. Louis. And if the Brewers end up needing another gritty utility infielder to replace Craig Counsell, Omar Vizquel wants to play another year.

If you're already looking ahead to the fall and winter seasons, get your calendar out: The Baseball Zealot has a list of important dates for you.

Or, if you're looking forward to the hot stove season, here's something for you: Circling the Bases has the top ten free agents for this offseason. Ben Sheets, who still hasn't pitched since last September, checks in at #10. Given his extended absence and his history regarding work ethic and rehab, I'm guessing he's going to show up in someone's camp next spring out of shape and/or unable to pitch. In fact, I'll be surprised if he passes a physical.

Speaking of guys who are out of shape, stop back later today for a special surprise. That's all I'm saying about it.

How long can you extend your career, based purely on the ability to get on base? Ken Griffey Jr. is batting .210 this season for the Mariners, but leads the team in walks and drew the 1300th of his career yesterday. That's over 22 miles in walks.

I have two email addresses that get constant emails from MLB.com which I typically delete without reading. It's good to know that's unavoidable: MLB has reportedly been ignoring requests to be removed from their mailing list. That's always a solid business practice.

Finally, after months of rumor and panic, we have a definitive list of the symptoms associated with Royals Fever.

Can you imagine Miller Park being used for this? Seamheads has the story of Milwaukee's Athletic Park being renovated in 1892 to become the home of "The Last Days of Pompeii." Interesting stuff.

Happy birthday today to Brian Banks, who turns 39, and Mike DeJean, who also turns 39.

Oh, and today's Mug probably would have come out ten minutes earlier if Rob Neyer hadn't introduced me to Worldometers.

Drink up.

Top Gun: Phillies 5, Nationals 0

dajafi — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:05:24 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

3 months ago: Philadelphia Phillies' Cliff Lee pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Maybe it was the extra day of rest. Maybe it was a little healthy competition after excellent weekend starts from Cole Hamels, Kyle Kendrick and Pedro Martinez. Or maybe it was just a predictable return to form from a superior pitcher. Whatever the case, Cliff Lee was brilliant tonight in a six-hit shutout of the visiting Nationals as the Phillies took a 5-0 win.

Lee had it going from the outset, striking out the side in the first inning with an array of low-90s fastballs, sharp curves and deceptive change-ups. He scuffled only once, in the 4th inning when he walked the bases loaded--battling not so much the Nats as spotlight-craving home plate ump Joe West--and ended the game with strikeouts of Elijah Dukes and Josh Bard, giving him nine for the night. Lee threw 124 pitches as he ran his Phillies record to 7-2 and dropped his National League ERA down to 2.67.

Offensively, the Phils struck early against Washington's Garrett Mock, as Jimmy Rollins led off the bottom of the first with a double and came around to score on Chase Utley's single. An inning later, Carlos Ruiz came up with the bases loaded and none out and drove in all three runners with a double down the left-field line; Ruiz came around to score on a Rollins single. Though the bats were silent thereafter, Lee's virtuosity ensured that five runs were more than enough.

The Phils tied their high-water mark for the season at 23 games over .500, and reduced their magic number to 12 pending the conclusion of the Marlins-Cardinals game in St. Louis.

Phillies Breakfast Links, September 14, 2009: Chat it Up, Good Starting Pitching, Crabby Finals

WholeCamels — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:29:52 -0000

Baseball Prospectus - Chat with Matt Swartz
Former Good Phighter Matt Swartz holds his first Baseball Prospectus online chat. Go ask him some pointed and quality questions, such as: How great is The Good Phight?

Phils' Kendrick bounces back from 2008 low
I don't really believe he showed he was too much different of a pitcher than 2007-8. That first inning aside, yesterday was a classic "good" start for Kyle Kendrick from 2007-8.

Phillies Notes: Lidge sees progress despite runs
I'm glad he's confident, at least...

SHOULD PEDRO START IN PLAYOFFS? - Philled In
I don't see how this is even a question at this point.

On Baseball: A full roster of thriving ex-Phillies
Loose definition of "thriving" for some of these guys.

BlueClaws, Drive begin championship series tonight
Good luck, Lakewood!

Phillies' Affiliate Lakewood in Sally League Finals
Full preview of the championship matchup.

Burrell shows frustration
It's amazing how his hot streaks this year coincided with Raul Ibanez's cold streaks, and vice versa. Of course it's clear who's had the better season.

Manuel wants Phillies to turn it up a notch
I give the Phillies credit for taking care of the Mets this weekend (although two one-run wins, and a third two run victory, doesn't exactly equal domination).

Irma Conlin, 72, real estate agent & wife of sports columnist
Condolences to Bill Conlin on the death of his wife.

Catastrophic Success: Phillies 5, Mets 4

dajafi — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:09:31 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

3 months ago: Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Kendrick pitches in the second inning of game one of a baseball double header against the New York Mets, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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They came thisclose to *it* happening again: up 4-0 heading into the 8th, the Phillies saw the Mets get two runs in each of the last two innings, and it was only by virtue of their own additional run scored in the bottom of the eighth that the Phils and shaky-as-ever Brad Lidge got away with a 5-4 win.

For the first seven innings, the story was very different: Kyle Kendrick's implausibly great return to the major leagues after a year in triple-A trying to learn a changeup. Kendrick announced his presence with authority, striking out the side in the first inning; he wouldn't get another K all day, but induced ground out after ground out from a frustrated Mets lineup through 7.1 innings of work. Meanwhile, the Phils scored a first-inning run against Mets starter John Maine, making his first start since June, and added three more against reliever Tobi Stoner on a Ben Francisco solo shot in the fourth and Shane Victorino two-run homer an inning later.

Otherwise, the Phils continued their struggles with runners in scoring position, stranding eight runners on the day. But they finally did get a hit in a key spot after the Mets drew within 4-2 on Anderson Hernandez's two-run homer off Kendrick. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, against reliever Lance Broadway, pinch-hitter Matt Stairs doubled. With Eric Bruntlett running for Stairs, pinch-hitter Andy Tracy followed with a run-scoring single to stretch the Phils' lead to 5-2.

They needed it, as Lidge immediately allowed a single to Jeff Francoeur, who took second on defensive indifference. Lidge got pinch-hitter Carlos Beltran to ground out, but Mets rookie Josh Thole drove in Francoeur with his fourth hit of the day. He took second as well, and after Lidge struck out Luis Castillo on an outside fastball, came around to score on a Jeremy Reed single. Finally, Lidge ended it by striking out Angel Pagan on a slider--earning his 29th save, and making all of us hate the save stat anew.

Phillies Breakfast Links, July 29, 2009: Trade Deadline Blackout, The Return of Brett Myers, Pedro Martinez Speaks

WholeCamels — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:20:55 -0000

Sources: Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians exploring Cliff Lee trade
Indians scouting Jason Knapp.

Trade Roundup: Clubs shift focus to Lee
Mr. Leverage, Cliff Lee.

Kendrick is a reminder that future aces can be Happ-less

Yuck. No serious talent evaluators considered Kyle Kendrick a future ace, at any level. Even when he was pitching well, he was walking the razor's edge.

Phillies' Martinez clears another hurdle in bullpen session

"There's no space for harm in my heart. There's only love. Love for the Mets," (Pedro Martinez) said, warming to the moment. "Love for the people. Love for the fans. Love for everybody. Hate? There's no place for hate in my heart."

Happ waits to hear his fate

I feel for J.A. Happ, but it's got to be flattering that teams are fighting over you.

Reading, Lakewood crushed

Joe Savery loses third in a row, three runs over five innings.

Brett Myers of Philadelphia Phillies working toward return to bullpen this season

He might throw a bullpen session this Saturday. Closer...? You know you were thinking it too.

Phillies Breakfast Links, July 22, 2009: Prowling for Aces, Pedro Martinez's Progress, Invoking Moneyball

WholeCamels — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:26:27 -0000

Phils win 10th straight on Werth's walk-off
Phillies longest win streak since 1991.

Rich Hofmann: Phillies rely on senses in game of 'Moneyball'

"A lot of the things in 'Moneyball' are common sense," said Scott Proefrock, the Phillies' assistant general manager. "You're looking for things that are undervalued, that are underappreciated. That's simplified, and it's true that some of the metrics they use to determine value are not simple. But the concept is not rocket science. Everybody is always looking for an edge, looking for a way to gain an advantage. "Our way of trying to do that is with eyes," he said.

Phillies Notebook: Phillies downplay talk of Myers returning in August
Brett Myers, speaking out of turn? Never!

Suddenly, Phillies boast fertile farm system
Smart drafting will do that.

Pedro Martinez shows real progress in simulated game | Philadelphia Daily News | 07/22/2009

"I am going to take my time here and do what I have to do and get ready to be just like them," Martinez said after throwing 64 pitches in a four-inning simulated game. "I don't want to look any less than they are right now. They are a No. 1 team, they are defending champs, and I want to look like a champ out there. I don't want to look like a minor league pitcher or less than they are. I want to look like them and I want to be able to help them to continue to win."

I really want to give him a hug right now.

Jays' J.P. Ricciardi stacks the deck in trade game
Next thing you know, Ruben Amaro is going to visit "his old pal" Mike Arbuckle in Kansas City in light of a possible Gil Meche trade...

Cleveland Indians' Cliff Lee gets complete-game win over Toronto Blue Jays

The Indians reportedly haven't put Cliff Lee on the trade market, but with scouts from the Phillies, Dodgers, Brewers and Red Sox in the stands Tuesday night at Rogers Centre, manager Eric Wedge certainly gave them a long look at last year's Cy Young winner. I like Cliff Lee as a fall-back plan, and to put a little pressure on the Blue Jays.

Morning Juice: Phillies' Werth bops gut-busting homer in 13th
With photo of Shane Victorino body blow to Jayson Werth.

Prospect Taylor inches closer to dream
This beautiful Michael Taylor piece can be yours, J.P. Ricciardi, IF the Price is Right!!!

Stephenie LaGrossa is Kyle Kendrick Girlfriend (Photos, Video)
Your "WTF?" link for today.

SB Nation - Kyle Kendrick

Pirates Can't Learn Much From Phillies

Baseball Remains The Focus As NLCS Begins

NLDS Preview: Pitching - Where Frank Azar isn't the only Strong Arm

The Arms: B

Rotation: B

Bullpen: B-

Ryan Madson

#46 / Pitcher / Philadelphia Phillies

GAME 1

Wednesday, October 7, 12:37 MDT

Ubaldo Jimenez

#38 / Pitcher / Colorado Rockies

Cliff Lee

#34 / Pitcher / Philadelphia Phillies

GAME 2

Thursday, October 8, 12:37 MDT

Aaron Cook #28 / Pitcher / Colorado Rockies Height:6-3 Weight:215 Bats:R Throws:R Born:Feb 08, 1979 W-LGGSCGSHOSVBSIPHRERHRBBKERAWHIP 2009 - Aaron Cook 11-6 28 27 1 1 0 0 158.0 175 76 73 19 47 78 4.16 1.41

Aaron Cook

#28 / Pitcher / Colorado Rockies

Cole Hamels

#35 / Pitcher / Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies Injuries

15-DAY

60 DAY DL / OUT FOR THE SEASON

Crown 'Em: Phillies 10, Astros 3

Monday's Frosty Mug

Top Gun: Phillies 5, Nationals 0

Phillies Breakfast Links, September 14, 2009: Chat it Up, Good Starting Pitching, Crabby Finals

Catastrophic Success: Phillies 5, Mets 4

Phillies Breakfast Links, July 29, 2009: Trade Deadline Blackout, The Return of Brett Myers, Pedro Martinez Speaks

Phillies Breakfast Links, July 22, 2009: Prowling for Aces, Pedro Martinez's Progress, Invoking Moneyball

Aaron Cook

#28 / Pitcher / Colorado Rockies

Height:6-3

Weight:215

Bats:R

Throws:R

Born:Feb 08, 1979

W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP

2009 - Aaron Cook 11-6 28 27 1 1 0 0 158.0 175 76 73 19 47 78 4.16 1.41