Parade

Here's a quick blurb from the article.  I hadn't known I would need tickets.  I guess they'll be doing something extra in both CBP and the Linc.

Tickets for the stadium events will be available starting at 3 p.m. through the Phillies website, www.phillies.com, according to John Weber, vice president for ticket sales.

So with the new rules, Type A's get their departing team a 1st and supplemental 1st, and Type B's get just the supplemental.

The Phils have 2 A's (Rowand and Iguchi) and a B (Garcia).

The Phils could potentially have 6 picks in the first + supplemental first rounds.  

What are the odds that all three are offered arbitration?  

Rowand, certainly.  I'd also say certainly yes for Iguchi, because I don't think he'd accept.  How about Garcia?  

http://www.philly.com/dailynews/breaking/sports/20071004_Werth_to_start_in_Game_2.html

Looks like dajafi is getting his wish, albeit a game late.  And Burrell takes over his rightful place in the lineup against a LHP.

Looks like both the issues from yesterday have been addressed.

It's becoming more and more apparent as each day passes that Pat Burrell will most likely no longer be a member of the Phils in 2007.  The latest news, courtesy of Marcus Hayes:

To this point, Burrell has indicated that he would waive the clause only in deals that would send him to New York or Boston.

The Phillies can add San Francisco to that list.

...In trade, the Giants might want the Phillies, who are looking for bullpen help, to take closer Armando Benitez, who comes with plenty of baggage: a $7.6 million salary for this season, the last on his contract; his bad knees, which limited him to 41 games this season; and a poor reputation as a teammate.

Let's hope the last paragraph is just something Hayes made up.  If the team is going to move Burrell because management and the fans want him to be something he's not, then fine.  Trade him for the salary relief and try to pick up some young guys.  Don't compound the problem by moving him and then wasting 7.5 million dollars on another old, injured relief pitcher.  Good god, you'd think this team would learn something by watching the playoffs the last few years: the Angels in '02, Jenks last year, the Cards' bullpen this year.  You don't need to drop a lot of coin on the 'pen to be successful.

The Good Phight is pleased to bring you the following exclusive question-and-answer session with Mike Radano, the Phillies beat reporter for the Camden Courier-Post.  Radano, whose work can be found online at the Courier-Post's website, recently penned the Abreu article linked to in Monday's Daily Links.

A lifelong Phillies phan from Washington Township, NJ, Radano agreed to sit down with us and answer a few questions regarding the current state of the team.

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Was it worth it?

Piggybacking off of The Game Saver article, let's examine whether or not the catch was worth it.

Following is a bit of email correspondence among The Good Phight participants.

"Great catch, but how people are responding to it is ridiculous.  And all it will do is fuel the wrong type of attitude."

"If Rowand were to miss two months because of that catch, how many phans would say that it was worth it?"

Here was my first take:
     "I'm still torn though.  I understand the larger picture of not needlessly exposing one's self to bodily injury, and I agree with that, but if there was ever a situation that warranted doing this, last night was it, IMO.  

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Sometime this morning, the NOAA recorded a large gust of hot air emanating from the Philadelphia region.  What does this have to do with baseball, you ask?  Well, it was likely due to the collective sighs of relief breathed out by the area's Phillies' phans, upon seeing this article in today's Inquirer.  Aptly titled "Floyd likely to make Phils' rotation," the article gives us the following nugget:

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According to Jerry Crasnick of espn.com, the Phillies have signed RHP Ryan Franklin to a one-year, $2.6 million deal.  

Color me unimpressed, which unfortunately continues a trend regarding every move GM Pat Gillick has made since his terrific Thome trade.

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[editor's note, by Alex Falzone] This article was originally written on August 3, 2005.

The trade deadline has come and gone, and it looks increasingly like the Phils? big first-base decision?Thome or Howard??will be put off until after the season. Which slugger to keep and which one to deal likely will be determined by what clubs offer for both, other moves the Phils might make, and, inevitably, the PR ramifications of moving the team?s signature player.

But there?s another way to approach the question as well: What is Thome?s contract worth?

For this article, I borrowed very heavily from Nate Silver?s recent BP article. Silver?s article analyzed the future contract value of Manny Ramirez and what would be considered an acceptable return for the BoSox in extricating themselves from his considerable salaries over the next couple of years. I decided to do the same for Jim Thome, since his injuries this year have awakened phans to the realities of his remaining contract, which has some ready to Wally Pipp him out of Philadelphia. As you can see, I followed Silver?s methodology , just to try to nail down Thome?s value so that we have a starting point to talk about.

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From Salisbury's article today in the Inqy:

"According to one executive, the Phillies discussed a trade that would have sent rightfielder Bobby Abreu to the Toronto Blue Jays for centerfielder Vernon Wells. The Jays, who are looking for a corner outfielder, turned thumbs down on the proposed deal because Abreu is owed at least $31 million over the next two seasons.

A Wells-for-Abreu deal could still come to fruition if Abreu would waive his no-trade clause and the Phils would eat some of his salary. That deal could help the Phillies on two fronts. It would give them a proven centerfielder and open right field as a possible landing spot for Ryan Howard if they're unable to deal Thome."

Did anyone else fall out of their chair when they happened to stumble across this in the middle of the article?  I like Wells, but at first glance without any further study, trading Abreu to fill the CF spot, moving Howard (who we've all been told absolutely, positively, no way Jose can play the outfield) to RF, and leaving Bourn, Golson, et. al. out of a spot seems a foolhardy move.

Any thoughts?