We Should Be GMs

WSBGMs Super Bowel Preview (Who To Root For?)

2012-02-03T06:00:00.001-05:00

The Super Bowl is unfortunately going to happen this week. And most of us will watch it, or at least be at a party where the game will be shown. So we each need a team to root for. But these teams are so unlikeable, right? Well, don't worry. WSBGMs is here to help you pick the lesser of two evils. With science! Remember, the numbers never lie, so let's go to the Tale OF The Tape!

Schadenfreude (City)
NE - Boston has been waaaaay too successful lately. All four major professional sports teams have won titles recently. That's not acceptable.
NYG - I don't like that city or the people who live there. I don't want any of their teams to win. Ever.
Disadvantage –New York

Schadenfreude (Team)
NE - I know the Patriots have won a bunch of Super Bowls, but now most of those players are gone. And frankly, this team isn't that despicable. They have a tight end who hangs out with porn stars. That's some good mojo. The coach isn't fun to root against, because despite being an incredible knob, he never changes his expression which deprives us of some of the joy of reveling in his misfortune. Check out the pics below. One is of him winning the Super Bowl and the other is of him losing. Which is which?

NYG – Most of the Giants act like classless idiots. There’s way too much dancing and showing-off, for my liking. Someone should tell them they don’t play for “The U” anymore. So I’d like to see those fools get their comeuppance. Post-game tears would be verrrrrrry satisfying. But even more fun than that would be watching the many faces of an unhappy Eli Manning. Every time something bad happens, the camera immediately goes to Eli and he rarely dissappoints. I'm not the only one who enjoys documenting and laughing and the Manning misfortune and the subsequent "golly-gee, oh-shucks, dad-gum" faces that follow. Check out this site.
Disadvantage - New York.

Likeable Coaches
NE – Bill Belicheat - Dick
NYG – Tom Coughlin – Dick
Disadvantage – Push

Quarterback Hobbies
NE - Brazilain supermodels. Getting haircuts designed to look like he didn’t just get a haircut. Ugg boots.
NYG - Long, drawn-out words. Huntin’ and a fishin’.
Disadvantage - Push. The Gisele cancels out all the other negatives. And Eli, by his Southern backwoods nature, likes ties... or at least the feelings they invoke.

Did They Beat My Team
NE – No.
NYG - Yes.
Disadvantage – New York

Verdict - The numbers say you have to root for the Patriots. Hey, you can't argue with science.

[Super Bowl gambling side note - Want a fun prop bet? Go to a Super Bowl party and bet some money on who will be the first person to say something like, "I just watch the Super Bowl for the commercials." It happens at every party so you know there's going to be a winner. Also, if the person who makes the comment is man over the age of 16, you're allowed to hit him in the face.]

Name That Phillie: Smoking Edition

2012-02-02T14:04:00.004-05:00

Puff, puff, give. Who is this former Phillie smoking on a cancer stick?

Chad Qualls Added To Phillies Bullpen

2012-02-01T03:33:00.000-05:00

With Jose Contreras' health in question, Amaro saw a need for a veteran arm in the bullpen. A bullpen that is built with youth aside from Papelbon needs someone capable of taking the ball on regular basis. Chad Qualls is that man, he is one of the most durable relievers in the game and certainly fills the "veteran" role. The Phillies signed him yesterday.

The Stats:
33 years old
Right-handed relief pitcher
Most appearances in MLB since 2005 (512)
8 MLB seasons with Astros, Diamondbacks, Rays, and Padres
Contract- 1 year $1.15M
Career ERA- 3.78, WHIP- 1.27
Has been a solid reliever every year of his career with the exception of 2010, which was disastrous (7.32 ERA, 1.80 WHIP).
Saves- 51, Holds- 130

Phillies 2012 Bullpen: Jonathan Papelbon/Closer, Antonio Bastardo/Set-Up, Chad Qualls/Set-Up, Kyle Kendrick/Longman, and Dontrelle Willis/LOOGY. Hopefuls- Michael Stutes, Joe Savery, Raul Valdes, Brian Saches, Michael Schwimer, Justin De Fratus, David Herndon, David Purcey, and Phillippe Aumont. Health Concern- Jose Contreras.

My Take: I don't see the point in Qualls. Essentially this was a Valdez for Qualls swap, and I'd rather have Valdez. Most of the hopefuls on the list above would likely do as well as, or possibly better than Qualls will next season. Michael Martinez, who is Valdez's replacement, is less likely to do as well as or better than Valdez next season. So I don't understand paying Qualls $1M+ to do the job some kid making league minimum could do that is already in the Phillies system.

Pat Burrell - A Hero Retires

2012-01-31T08:26:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we started voting for the next member of the WSBGMs Hall of Fame. The same day, the inaugural inductee and my favorite Phillie of all-time, Patrick Brian Burrell, retired.

In addition to blog Hall member, Burrell's resume also includes a Golden Spikes Award, first overall draft pick in the 1998 MLB Draft, and two time World Series winner. He can also boast of about $70 million in career earnings.

Some may argue that Burrell didn't live up to the expectations of a number one overall pick, but he was far from a bust. (Remember, Paul Wilson, Matt Anderson, Bryan Bullington and Matt Bush have all been draft #1 in the last twenty years. As have mediocre players Kris Benson, Delmon Young and Luke Hochevar.) And if you look at the history of the Phillies, Burrell ranks pretty high in few offensive categories. He's 4th all-time in home runs, 5th in walks, 8th in RBIs, 8th in sacrifice flies, and 9th in extra base hits. He's also in the top twenty Phillies of all-time in doubles, intentional walks, total bases, OPS and slugging.

The ups and downs of Burrell's tenure in Philadelphia have been well documented all over the interweb and in "traditional" media. One year, he was "can't miss television," capable of planting any pitch into the left field stands. The next year, he would be unwatchable, capable of going games without as much as a foul ball. And which Burrell we would see from year to year was anybody's guess.

But as inconsistent as Burrell was on the field, he was just as consistent off of the field and in the clubhouse. He understood Philadelphia and its fans. He knew that failure would be met with vocal disapproval just as success would be met with glory and fanfare. And he never expected or asked for anything different. Instead of folding up and heading out to St. Louis, he soldiered on and left Philadelphia riding in a parade, as a hero.

WSBGMs Hall of Fame Nominations 2012

2012-01-30T06:00:00.001-05:00

It’s WSBGMs Hall of Fame time. As a reminder, here is how it works. Each year, Carson and I will nominate a few people (players, coaches, ballgirlz, etc.) that have had an impact on the blog. We'll put the nominations up for vote. If the person receives a certain percentage of the vote (which we will arbitrarily change every year to suit our needs), then he/she will be officially enshrined in the Hall of Fame, which will be less of a hall and more of a widget in the sidebar. As for the rules: 1) a person can only be nominated three times 2) a person cannot be currently playing/coaching/working for Phils to be nominated 3) a reader can vote for more than one person but we ask that you only vote once and 4) I reserve the right to make up more rules later.

In the inaugural vote, Pat Burrell was elected, Steve Jeltz, Abe Nunez and David Bell remained on the ballot, but Rick Schu only received a few votes so he is no longer eligible.

In 2010, Eric Bruntlett was elected. Bea Arthur, Adam Eaton, Steve Jeltz and Brett Myers got enough votes to stay on the next year’s ballot. Unfortunately, David Bell, Abe Nunez and Ed Wade will have to hope for a Veterans Committee selection.

Last year, Brett Myers booked his place in the Hall. Bea, Jayson and Adam Eaton got just enough votes to keep hope alive. Steve Jeltz missed out again and will not be on the ballot any longer.

So without further adieu, here are this year's nominees.

Bea Arthur (30% of votes in 2010, 3^rd nomination) - A longshot to get elected in 2010 and 2011, the first non-baseball person nominated is back for her final go-round after two near misses. She and the rest of the “Golden Girls” helped the Phils to an extended winning streak early in the 2009 season and has been mentioned repeatedly, especially when the Phils are struggling. She made such an impact on the team and this blog that she was given a place next to Bowa and Wade in the banner image. Props to Bea.

Adam Eaton (12% in 2010. 3^rd nomination) - The Phillies drafted Eaton 11th overall in 1996. I wish their association with his failures ended there, but sadly he returned to the Phillies in 2007. The Phillies paid Eaton about $24 million and in turn he posted a 14-18 record with a 6.10 ERA. He became the most hated pitcher on this blog (I think Carson even fantasized about beating him up in a parking garage...) and forever will be the standard bearer for disappointing pitching performances. Of course, it also didn't help Eaton's case here that he often didn't think he was pitching that bad, denying his supreme shittyness to the end. When he mercifully left Philadelphia he had this to say, "Granted, there were a lot of horrible games in there, but there were some good ones, too." No, Adam, there weren't, that's why you're still on the ballot.

Jayson Werth (13% in 2011, 2^nd nomination) – Four years with the Phillies resulted in four playoff appearances. He made one All-Star game and was top 20 in the MVP balloting twice. He may or may not have destroyed the sanctity of a teammate's marriage. But more importantly, he once grew a beard that was very enjoyable to look at/write about/photoshop. Remember, Werth beard picshereand here.For this, and possibly this alone, he gets the nomination.

Danys Baez (1st nomination) - Every good story needs an antagonist and Baez played the part admirably over the last two season. While the collective Phillies were successful, in their midst existed Danys Baez. Somehow, Baez got into 80 games and posted a 5.81 ERA and 1.60 WHIP before getting released. Baez sucked. And at WSBGMs, we never missed an opportunity to point that out. Simply. Repeatedly. Ad nauseum. And for that, Baez gets a nomination.

Create the Caption- Yuppy Hamels Edition

2012-01-29T09:25:00.001-05:00

Create the caption...

Phanatic on 30 Rock, Pence no Arb & Oswalt a Card

2012-01-28T07:20:00.005-05:00

America's most loved mascot made an appearance on the sitcom 30 Rock. Thanks Tina Fey for keeping it real...real Philly.

Hunter Pence and the Phillies avoided arbitration, agreeing to a 1 year $10.4M deal. It was the halfway point between the 2 filings ($9M- Phils, $11.8M- Pence).

Roy Oswalt appears to be heading to the Cardinals. With Adam Wainwright returning to the rotation that already boasts Chris Carpenter and Jaime Garcia, Oswalt is a big weapon being added to the defending World Series champs.

Juan Pierre a Phillie

2012-01-27T11:08:00.006-05:00

Looks like my wish might just come true. On Sunday I suggested the Phillies attempt to sign one of either Juan Pierre or Johnny Damon. Pierre seems to be Amaro's choice, and it's reportedly only a minor league deal.

From Sunday's Blog Post:
"Pierre is nothing more than a singles hitter, but he did lead the American League in stolen bases in 2010 with 68, and swiped 27 last year with the White Sox. His arm is atrocious, so RF is out of the question, but he's capable of manning center and left field a couple times a week. He could serve as Jim Thome's personal pinch-runner, or even pinch-hit himself (career .296 hitter, but now more in the mid .270's range). Career pinch hitting: .311/.753 in 105 plate appearances."

In 12 MLB seasons with the Rockies, Marlins, Cubs, Dodgers, and White Sox, Pierre has hit .296/.708 with 980 R, 2020 H, and 554 SB. For the most part of his career he was a center fielder and a poor one at that. However, since moving to left field in 2008, his defense has become average.

Personally, I love this deal. Juan Pierre on a minor league deal is a steal (pun intended). It's a no-risk move with potential upside. Pierre is one of those pesky players that always seems to collects his hits and swipe bags, something that the Phils could definitely use on their bench.

*Side note- Pierre is the god father of Dontrelle Willis' 3 daughters.

Why the hell did Amaro trade Valdez?

2012-01-26T08:23:00.003-05:00

Wilson Valdez has done a serviceable job for the Phillies over the past two seasons as a utility infielder. He logged time at 2nd, 3rd, and SS, playing adequate defense. He even won a game in relief last season. His bat wasn't much (.254/.652 in 210 games), but most UTL players aren't. He was set to earn $930K in 2012. Trading him to the Reds seems like nothing more than a salary dump. How much does it save? Only about $500K, because Michael Martinez, Valdez's replacement as utility infielder, will make league minimum ($480K), but wouldn't have in the minors. This trade just doesn't make sense unless Amaro is upgrading the utility infielder via trade or free agency.

Michael Martinez is shit (.540 OPS in 2011) and always will always be shit (.683 OPS in 5 minor league seasons). He's not young (29). He's already reached his potential, and his potential is shit. I'm okay with him playing in Triple-A and coming up in September, but not for a full season getting lots of at bats due to our elderly infielders maladies.

Not much remains on the free agent market. Jeff Keppinger looks like he's going to the Rays. Wilson Betemit signed a cheap deal with the O's. Aaron Miles and Ryan Theriot are still out there, but not really an upgrade over Valdez. Miles hits for average at least I guess. Edgar Renteria says he's willing to become a utility infielder, but he's not played 3rd nor 2nd base. Carlos Guillen would be an interesting signing on a minor league deal, but he can't handle SS.

Really, I just don't understand this trade. Unless it's a precursor to another deal, what's the purpose?

Jeremy Horst was the player the Phils received from the Reds. He's a 26 year old lefty reliever. He made his MLB debut last season, pitching in 12 games with a 2.93 ERA. Over 5 minor league seasons he posted a 3.08 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, averaging 8.5 K per 9 IP. He may end up being useful, but with Antonio Bastardo and Dontrelle Willis already in the bullpen and Joe Savery at the ready in Lehigh Valley, I don't see the pressing need. So, once again I say "salary dump" to this trade, and because it's for such a minuscule amount and leaves the team worse off, I therefore hate this trade.

Phillies Charities 5K

2012-01-25T08:25:00.004-05:00

Last year I ran in the freezing temperatures of the Phillies 1st Annual Charities 5K. Once again, I will be lacing up the running shoes for this event. The 2nd Annual Annual Phillies Charities 5K will take place on March 31st at Citizens Bank Park. Participants get a t-shirt, 2 tickets to the On-Deck series versus the Pirates on April 2nd or 3rd, and the chance to get themselves into shape while helping out a good cause. I finished at 26 minutes 38 seconds last year. This year, I'm shooting for under 25.

5K = 3.1 miles.

Other Stuff:
*Would you rather have Albert Pujols at 10 yr $240M, Prince Fielder at 9 yr $214M, or Ryan Howard at 5 yr $125M?

*How do you feel about the Phillies bullpen, would you welcome back Brad Lidge on small 1 year deal?

R.I.P- Andy Musser

2012-01-24T09:28:00.004-05:00

From left to right: Richie "Whitey" Ashburn, Andy Musser, Harry Kalas & Chris Wheeler.

They were the Phillies broadcast team while I was growing up. They kept me company on many Sunday afternoons. Now, only Wheels remains, as Musser passed away at the age of 74.

The Phillies issue the following statement on the passing of Andy Musser:

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Andy’s family, especially his wife Eun Joo, his son Allan and his daughter Luanne. Andy was a dear friend to many, an absolute gentleman, and a true professional. I had the pleasure of working with him for 26 years during which time he made a significant contribution to our club. Additionally, along with thousands of Philadelphia sports fans, I admired his versatility in announcing not only Phillies games but also his work with the Eagles, Sixers and Villanova Basketball. Since leaving the Phillies broadcast booth in 2001, Andy remained close to the club. We will all miss our dear friend.”

Phillies President, David Montgomery

Possible Bench Targets

2012-01-23T11:11:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I proposed offering Juan Pierre or Johnny Damon a contract to be a bench player on the Phillies. Neither option is likely because they're looking for starting gigs, and the Phils don't have that to offer. Also, someone in the comments section mentioned that a right-handed bat would be preferable to a lefty, so I looked over the list of remaining free agents and came up with some players that fit that criteria, as well as being versatile.

Possible Bench Targets:
2011 stats - AVG/OPS
* = switch hitter

Jeff Keppinger/UTL (31) - .277/.677

*Wilson Betemit/UTL (30) - .285/.795

*Carlos Guillen/2B/1B/LF (36) - .232/.633

*Aaron Miles/UTL (35) - .275/.660

Ryan Theriot/2B/SS (32) - .271/.662

Edgar Renteria/SS (35) - .251/.654

Notes- Betemit would be ideal, and could take over for Valdez if a roster squeeze came into play upon Howard's return. He'd also likely be the most expensive. At this point in the offseason, Guillen, Miles, Theriot, and Renteria might be able to be had on minor league deals. Keppinger maybe a 1 yr/$1M pact. Renteria is also said to be open to becoming a utility infielder, adding 3rd and 2nd base to his positions.

Do you think Amaro should attempt snagging one of these players on the cheap or just stick with what's already in the system?

Phillies 5th Outfielder: Damon or Pierre

2012-01-22T08:01:00.003-05:00

By all accounts, Ryan Howard will not be ready by Opening Day. Thus creating an open spot on the 25-man roster. The Phillies could use a player with some speed and the ability to play the outfield on their bench, something that Michael Martinez or Scott Podsednik would provide. However, Mini-Mart can't hit, and Pods wasn't in the Majors last season, and only played 34 games in the minors. Pete Orr has plus speed, but he posted an OPS lower than Martinez and isn't really adept for the outfield. Management has already stated Domonic Brown needs more Triple-A seasoning, so burying him on the bench getting very little playing time would not make sense. Where to turn?

How about the always pesky Juan Pierre or the Caveman Johnny Damon?

Pierre is nothing more than a singles hitter, but he did lead the American League in stolen bases in 2010 with 68, and swiped 27 last year with the White Sox. His arm is atrocious, so RF is out of the question, but he's capable of manning center and left field a couple times a week. He could serve as Jim Thome's personal pinch-runner, or even pinch-hit himself (career .296 hitter, but now more in the mid .270's range).

Damon still has a little giddy-up left in his wheels (19 SB last year) and some pop in his bat (16 HR last year), but he only played 16 games in the outfield last year. Let's be honest though, with Mayberry, Victorino, Nix, and Pence the Phils don't really need many innings in the outfield, so the ability to pinch run or hit is far more desirable. Something Johnny remains quite capable of.

Career Pinch Hitting:
Pierre- .311/.753 in 105 plate appearances.
Damon- .217/.642 in 82 plate appearances.

Offer them a 1 year $2M deal and the first one to accept gets the gig. The only problem being when Howard returns a roster spot disappears, but the extra bench bat could always be kept if the Phils opt to go with an 11 man pitching staff (something that is within reason due to the starters ability to go deep into games).

WSBGMs Archive Diving

2012-01-21T16:44:00.002-05:00

On January 21st/22nd back in...

2007 - we were mourning the loss of ex-Phillies pitching coach Vern Ruhle and celebrating the contract extension of Chase Utley.

2008 - I had a premonition that this year might just be the Phillies year...

"The Phils may have choked in the 2007 playoffs versus the Rockies, but in '08 I have much higher hopes! Hey, at least we're not the Mutts."

2009 - checked out Ruben Amaro's busy signing frenzy (Cole Hamels, Ryan Madson, Jayson Werth, and Greg Dobbs all signed multi-year deals within a week's span). We also checked out Phillies on various country's World Baseball Classic rosters.

2010 - Rube was a busy boy yet again, signing Carlos Ruiz, Shane Victorino, and Joe Blanton to multi-year contract extensions.

Carmona Not True*

2012-01-20T09:33:00.000-05:00

[*Subtitled: An Off-Season, Off-Topic Song Parody That Probably Only Carson and I Will Find Funny But I'm Doing It Anyway]

If you haven't heard, Fausto Carmona is not Fausto Carmona. He's Roberto H. Heredia. And he's 31. Which inspired me to write this little number. Count it off, Marky!

Wondering where I'm pitching tonight

Got busted in the D.R., don’t feel all right
I’m Fausto Carmona, Tribe knows that ain’t true
Ran out of VISAs and aliases, too

It's Bud Selig’s fault why I lied today
Can’t get paid pitching in Triple-A
They’ll likely void my contract, now I’m out of “The Show”
I guess it's over, nowhere to go

But I'm not sorry for the things I do
Got paid large not telling the truth
I'm not sorry for the things I do, do...

Carmona not true,
Carmona not true,

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

Rooting For The Old Man

2012-01-19T07:47:00.001-05:00

But Does He Know Where The Rockies Play?
Jamie Moyer signed a minor league deal with the Rockies this week. The 49 year old Moyer, who's coming off of Tommy John surgery, has to pass a physical.

I don't know if any other team offered Moyer a deal, but taking a look at their current rotation options, I can see Moyer getting a shot, especially if the Rockies look at him as part time 5th starter and part time assistant pitching coach.

Now, since it's January and there's nothing else to talk about, let's commence arguing about whether Moyer can make the Hall of Fame. Go!

Bowden Tweets
Four-letter baseball talking head and former shit-GM Jim Bowden punched out some Phillies tweets yesterday. Basically, he said Ty Wiggy will play first base primarily until Ryan Howard gets healthy and Amaro expects Mayberry and Nix will likely platoon left field. Nothing surprising here, but I imagine the Dom Brown lovers will be a little disappointed to see him back with the FeHams this spring.

Fuqua In The Movies - Caddyshack

What's the #?

2012-01-18T08:37:00.007-05:00

A. Total of Mike Schmidt's AS selections, GG & SS awards
B. Multiplied by Von Hayes league leading runs scored
C. Minus Charles Fuqua Manuel's regular season wins as Phillies manager
D. Divided by Rob Ducey's career pinch hit homeruns
E. Plus the total of Wes Chamberlain's MLB jersey numbers
What's the number?

Hamels & Valdez Avoid Arbitration

2012-01-17T13:45:00.008-05:00

Nobody wants to go through an arbitration hearing. Not the player, not the club. It's two parties haggling over money while either building up the player's worth by pointing out all of his attributes or tearing it down by nagging on all his weaknesses. Coming to an agreement prior to that is ideal and the Phillies did just that with Cole Hamels and Wilson Valdez today.

Hamels, in his final season of arbitration before hitting free agency, gets $15M. That's one of the highest salaries for a player that is still arbitration eligible. Many fans were hoping Cole would be locked up with an extension, but now he seems destined to test the open market waters and a $100M payday is a definite possibility.

Valdez snagged $930K from the Phils. Pretty good, considering he was a washed up Quad-A player just two seasons ago that nobody wanted and the Phils only ended up using out of necessity.

Kyle Kendrick agreed to terms on a 1 year/$3.585M contract last week avoiding arbitration.

Hunter Pence is the only Phillie that is arbitration eligible yet to sign. Maybe a deal comes through for 4 years/$50M...probably would take way more than that though.

Side note- Ben Francisco signed with the Blue Jays for $1.5375M.

Welcome Aboard Joel Pineiro

2012-01-16T07:49:00.002-05:00

Kudos to Amaro for signing Joel Pineiro to a minor league contract. The 33 year old right hander has a lifetime 104-93 record over 12 MLB seasons with a 4.41 ERA, 1.35 WHIP in 1754.1 innings. 2011 was a disaster for him with the Angels, compiling a 5.13 ERA in 23 starts, but the 2 seasons prior to that with the Cardinals and Halos were solid efforts (25-19, 3.64/1.18, 366.1 IP). Over his career Pineiro has pitched for Seattle, Boston, St. Louis, and Los Angeles (Anaheim). He's an excellent insurance policy for 7th starting pitcher (Halladay-1, Lee- 2, Hamels- 3, Worley- 4, Blanton- 5, Kendrick- 6, and now Pineiro- 7).

This could also open the door to dealing Heavy B or KK. Blanton needs to prove he's healthy, but if he does so, I imagine a club would welcome his services if the Phils ate a portion of his salary and didn't demand much in return. Can you imagine Kendrick pitching for the Padres, Mariners, or Giants? He'd be a potential 15 game winner.

Interesting side note- Baseball-Reference.com has Pineiro's top 2 similar players over the span of his career as ex-Phillies Paul Byrd- #1 and Vincente Padilla- #2. Also, Kyle Lohse- #6 , Mark Portugal- #8, and Flint Rhem- #10 wore Philadelphia red pinstripes. So in a way, Pineiro is a familiar face.

LoMo Gets Sudsy with Dude

2012-01-15T08:16:00.008-05:00

Miami Marlins outfielder Logan Morrison is not shy with his opinions on Twitter or apparently his bathing habits, as evident by the picture posted below. It's cool that he's so open with with this kinda stuff. He'll fit right in with new coach Ozzie Guillen. Also, the Marlins have been known for this type of stuff in the past, just check out that machete wielding ex-Phillie Ugueth Urbina and Pudge Rodriguez smooching below.

Really, Morrison is just a funny dude. It's refreshing to have his personality in the game. So don't you dare suggest LoMo is a...

Free Bumper Stickers

2012-01-14T07:27:00.003-05:00

Free Bumper Stickers:
We Should Be GMs may not be on the forefront of awesome Phillies themed t-shirt production, but by golly we've created some nice bumper stickers. Below you will find our legendary header design, the endearing term of Phucco, and GM-Carson's other baseball site More Hardball. You can have all three free of charge. All you have to do is email us your name and address and promise to keep reading this wonderful blog.

Twitter:
Don't forget your favoirtes GMs (screw Amaro!) have their own Twitter accounts. Our Twitter feeds can be found on the right sidebar or you can follow each of us- @GMCarson and @GM_Corey.

Facebook:
If you're on Facebook and you haven't friend requested us yet then what the hell is the problem?! Added bonus of being our Facebook buddy is access to our phabulously phunny photoshop collection (Yes, I know the "ph" was unnecessary). Click on the image below to go to our page.

Liscio's Bakery Has New Face

2012-01-13T11:25:00.004-05:00

Ryan Madson's signing with Cincinnati leaves Liscio's Bakery without a face for their advertising campaign. Or does it? Those business savvy Italians were quick to ink Hunter "Good game, let's go eat" Pence to take over for Mad Dog. Suddenly I'm starving for a cannoli.

Wednesday Morning Bench Coach

2012-01-12T09:15:00.001-05:00

Yeah, I know, it's Thursday...

So I never did my "Charlie In The Movies" series this off-season. Instead, I'm going to just throw one or two in every week during this cluster-fuqua. Today, entry, "The Shining." Heeeeere's Fuqua!!!!!

So Long, Mad Dog
Maybe it's because the Phillies have already replaced him with a better closer, but I don't think I'll miss Ryan Madson. For no good reason, I never really liked Madson. Maybe I never got over attending his April 20th, 2006 start against the Nationals when he gave up 9 runs and only got 3 outs. Maybe I think kicking chairs and missing a few months is really stupid. Maybe I'm prejudiced against the change-up.Whatever the reason, I hope Mad Dog likes pitching half of his games in [basically] Kentucky.

Madson got a one year deal worth $6 million, with an $11 million option / $2.5 million buy out for next year, making the deal worth at least $8.5 million. You have to think he was expecting more money, but after the big boys signed, the market for non-elite closers was weaker than some predicted. However, if Madson can put up numbers again like he did last season (and given his performance over the last few years, there's no reason he won't) he could get his big multi-year deal next offseason.

The Phils get two picks for Madson, which is nice.

More after the jump...

Booze and Music
I found a great bang-for-your-buck stout over the holidays. For only $9 I got a sixer of Oatmeal Milk Stout from River Horse Brewing. In it's class, I find this brew quite average. It's a little more bitter than you'd expect and the chocolate flavor is a little too prominent. But it checks in at a potent 6.7% ABV and at that price, it's well worth grabbing a 6-pack.

Gaslight Anthem lead man Brian Fallon has a side project band called The Horrible Crowes. They released and album in September called "Elsie." Here's a live performance for your enjoyment.

Free JC Movement Finally Reaches Conclusion
Remember that 50 game PED suspension JC Romero got in 2009? Remember that Romero said that he tested positive because of a tainted over-the-counter supplement? Well, Romero got his day in court and it looks like he won, reaching a settlement with the manufacturer.

"I didn't cheat," said Romero. "Some other people were being negligent and I had to pay the price. Some fans questioned my integrity. Now there is some closure and I can say the 2008 World Series was legit."

He also said that "justice is served" and that the resolution "gives closure to the fans in (Philadelphia)."

Good for JC. It's obvious that he didn't purposely cheat and this company cost Romero 50 games, a pile of money and clean name. I'm glad he got at least a little retribution.

I must ask though, were there any fans in Philadelphia that needed "closure?" That's a bit of a stretch, JC.

Delay of Game?
When football refs blow the whistle and stop the game just as the offensive team is snapping the ball, then call a delay of game penalty, am I the only one who finds that a bit hypocritical and totally counterproductive?

2011 NL East Right Field Rankings

2012-01-11T09:23:00.000-05:00

WSBGMs concludes our rankings for the 2011 season from the NL East today with position #9 on the diamond- right field.

Stats- AVG/OPS, Runs, Doubles and Homeruns or Extra Base Hits, Runs Batted In, Stolen Bases, and Offensive Wins Above Replacement.

2011 NL East Right Field Rankings:
1. Mike Stanton/Marlins .262/.893, 79 R, 30 DBL, 34 HR, 87 RBI, 3.6 OWAR.

2. Carlos Beltran/Mets .289/.904, 61 R, 30 DBL, 15 HR, 66 RBI, 3.7 OWAR (with Mets).

3. Hunter Pence/Phillies .324/.954, 35 R, 25 XBH, 35 RBI, 2.2 OWAR (with Phillies).

4. Jayson Werth/Nationals .232/.717, 69 R, 26 DBL, 20 HR, 58 RBI, 19 SB, 1.6 OWAR.

5. Jason Heyward/Braves .227/.708, 50 R, 34 XHB, 42 RBI, 9 SB, 0.7 OWAR.

Notes- it's hard to find a better collective group of RF in another division in baseball. Werth and Heyward is much better players than they showed last year. Expect big bounce back years for each. Beltran is gone, but Lucas Duda is ready to take over for New York. Stanton is only 22 years old and is already a beast. He's a future 50 HR club member. An entire season of Pence will help both the Phillies offense and Pence (who had no protection in Houston).

2011 NL East Center Field Rankings

2012-01-10T09:21:00.004-05:00

Being strong up the middle is a focus for most winning clubs, and that means strong defense at catcher, shortstop, second base, and today's NL East position being ranked- center field.

Stats- AVG/OPS, Runs, Doubles, Triples and Homeruns or Extra Base Hits, Runs Batted In, Stolen Bases, and Offensive Wins Above Replacement.

2011 NL East Center Field Rankings:
1. Shane Victorino/Phillies .279/.847, 95 R, 27 DBL, 16 TRPL, 17 HR, 61 RBI, 19 SB, 4.6 OWAR.

2. Angel Pagan/Mets .262/.694, 68 R, 35 XBH, 56 RBI, 32 SB, 1.9 OWAR.

3. Rick Ankiel/Nationals .239/.659, 46 R, 29 XBH, 37 RBI, 10 SB, 0.4 OWAR.

4. Nate McLouth/Braves .228/.677, 35 R, 18 XBH, 16 RBI, 0.8 OWAR.

5. Chris Coghlan/Marlins .230/.664, 33 R, 26 XBH, 22 RBI, 0.2 OWAR.

Notes- aside from the Flyin' Hawaiian, this is a lackluster group and therefore will be undergoing a makeover for the 2012 season. Andres Torres takes over the for the Mets, Michael Bourn continues roaming CF for the Braves (came via trade in '11), Emilio Bonifacio likely gets the gig for Miami, and Roger Bernadina probably is the starter in Washington.

2011 NL East Left Field Rankings

2012-01-09T09:22:00.006-05:00

The infielders of the NL East for the 2011 season have been ranked and now it's on to the outfield, with the least important defensive position on the field aside from pitcher being first on the docket, left field.

Stats- AVG/OPS, Runs, Doubles and Homeruns or Extra Base Hits, Runs Batted In, Stolen Bases, and Offensive Wins Above Replacement.

2011 NL East Left Field Rankings:
1. Logan Morrison/Marlins .247/.797, 54 R, 25 DBL, 23 HR, 72 RBI, 1.8 OWAR.

2. Jason Bay/Mets .245/.703, 59 R, 32 XBH, 57 RBI, 11 SB, 1.2 OWAR.

3. Laynce Nix/Nationals .250/.750, 38 R, 16 HR, 44 RBI, 0.8 OWAR.

4. Raul Ibanez/Phillies .245/.707, 65 R, 31 DBL, 20 HR, 84 RBI, 0.0 OWAR.

5. Martin Prado/Braves .260/.687, 66 R, 41 XBH, 57 RBI, 0.3 OWAR.

Notes- by far the weakest position in the division. Prado is the only one with positive fielding metrics; while Ibanez, Bay, and Morrison are horrible defenders. Not much offense here either, bunch of bottom of the lineup bats. Ibanez is gone and John Mayberry and Nix will platoon in Philly, so that should be an improvement. Morrison is a much better hitter than he indicated last season, look for a bounce back campaign in the .280/.840 range.

Name That Phillie, Miami Shore & New Blog Layout

2012-01-08T07:30:00.010-05:00

This mustachioed masterpiece is a former 1st round pick (selected twice in different drafts) and had a respectable, albeit brief career with the Phillies. In 9 MLB seasons, this man played for nearly that many teams. With neither speed nor power, he was overall a dud, but his lusty 1.319 pinch hitting OPS with the Phils is a nice achievement. Go ahead and name that Phillie...
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The Miami Marlins season might play out like a soap opera next year or be fit for reality tv. From More Hardball- What do you get when you put the flamboyant Jose Reyes, whiny bawl-baby pissy-pants Hanley Ramirez, the combustible and highly volatile Carlos Zambrano, Twitter-happy Logan Morrison, and fellow Tweeter and explicit mouthed Ozzie Guillen all in the same clubhouse? A humongous f'n disaster!!!
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New Blog Layout:
We Should Be GMs is heading into our 7th season of existence, so we thought it was time to switch up the blog layout. Hopefully the wider middle section for posts is more alluring and the background/color scheme is pleasing to the eyes.

2011 NL East Shortstop Rankings

2012-01-07T07:02:00.004-05:00

The ranking of each position in the NL East from the 2011 season continues today with the only spot remaining in the infield yet to be analyzed- the shortstops.

Stats- AVG/OPS, Runs, Doubles, Triple, and Homeruns or Extra Base Hits, Runs Batted In, Stolen Bases, and Offensive Wins Above Replacement.

2011 NL East Shortstop Rankings:
1. Jose Reyes/Mets .337/.877, 101 R, 31 DBL, 16 TRPL, 7 HR, 44 RBI, 39 SB, 6.2 OWAR.

2. Jimmy Rollins/Phillies .268/.736, 87 R, 22 DBL, 16 HR, 63 RBI, 30 SB, 3.0 OWAR.

3. Hanley Ramirez/Marlins .243/.712, 55 R, 26 XBH, 45 RBI, 20 SB, 1.3 OWAR.

4. Alex Gonzalez/Braves .241/.642, 59 R, 27 DBL, 15 HR, 56 RBI, 0.2 OWAR.

5. Ian Desmond/Nationals .253/.656, 65 R, 40 XBH, 49 RBI, 25 SB, 1.6 OWAR.

Notes- Reyes is an injury risk, but there is no mistaking his game changing ability when he's on the field. He moves to Miami now with Han-Ram scooting over to 3rd base. Ramirez was a poor defender at SS, so the switch to 3rd might actually help him in regards to range. Gonzalez ranked above Desmond because Gonzalez is great on defense and Desmond is an error machine (57 E over past 2 seasons), however he is no longer in Atlanta as Tyler Pastornicky takes over SS. Rollins remains a solid all-around threat.

2011 NL East Third Basemen Rankings

2012-01-06T06:59:00.003-05:00

WSBGMs continues in our self appointed duty of ranking each position from the NL East for the 2011 season. Catcher, 1st and 2nd base have already been covered, so we move over to the hot corner, third base.

Stats- AVG/OPS, Runs, Doubles and Homeruns or Extra Base Hits, Runs Batted In, Stolen Bases, and Offensive Wins Above Replacement.

2011 NL East Third Basemen Rankings:
1. Chipper Jones/Braves .275/.814, 56 R, 33 DBL, 18 HR, 70 RBI, 3.1 OWAR.

2. David Wright/Mets .254/.771, 60 R, 38 XBH, 61 RBI, 13 SB, 2.6 OWAR.

3. Ryan Zimmerman/Nationals .289/.798, 52 R, 35 XBH, 49 RBI, 2.3 OWAR.

4. Placido Polanco/Phillies .277/.674, 46 R, 19 XBH, 50 RBI, 0.6 OWAR.

5. Greg Dobbs/Marlins .275/.701, 38 R, 25 XBH, 49 RBI, 0.4 OWAR.

Notes- Dobbs returns to bench duties in Miami, where Hanley Ramirez will be playing 3rd in 2012. Wright and Zimmerman were each injured, leading to down years offensively. Chipper may be brittle, but he still holds good value with the bat. Polly's offense is slipping, but his the 2011 Gold Glove winner remains sharp on defense.

2011 NL East Second Basemen Rankings

2012-01-05T07:03:00.004-05:00

WSBGMs is in the midst of ranking each position from the NL East from the 2011 season. Yesterday first base was examined, today it is the second basemen.

Stats- AVG/OPS, Runs, Doubles and Homeruns or Extra Base Hits, Runs Batted In, Stolen Bases and Offensive Wins Above Replacement.

2011 NL East Second Basemen Rankings:
1. Dan Uggla/Braves .233/.764, 88 R, 22 DBL, 36 HR, 82 RBI, 3.1 OWAR.

2. Chase Utley/Phillies .259/.769, 54 R, 38 XBH, 44 RBI, 14 SB, 2.8 OWAR.

3. Danny Espinosa/Nationals .236/.737, 72 R, 29 DBL, 21 HR, 66 RBI, 17 SB, 2.1 OWAR.

4. Omar Infante/Marlins .276/.696, 55 R, 39 XBH, 49 RBI, 1.7 OWAR.

5. Justin Turner/Mets .260/.690, 49 R, 30 DBL, 51 RBI, 7 SB, 1.3 OWAR.

Notes- If Utley can stay healthy, and that's a big "if", he'll reclaim the top spot among NL East 2-sackers, because he's an all-around threat. Uggla's defense is atrocious and so was Turner's last season. Espinosa is a decent fielder and has upside with 20/20 potential (HR/SB). Infante played great defense last year (1.7 DWAR) and is capable of more offensively.

2011 NL East First Basemen Rankings

2012-01-04T09:14:00.004-05:00

Over the next week or so, WSBGMs will be ranking each position from the NL East from the 2011 season. Yesterday it was the backstops, today position #3 on the diamond, the first basemen.

Stats- AVG/OPS, Runs, Doubles and Homeruns or Extra Base Hits, Runs Batted In, and Offensive Wins Above Replacement.

2011 NL East First Basemen Rankings:
1. Michael Morse/Nationals .303/.910, 73 R, 36 DBL, 31 HR, 95 RBI, 3.9 OWAR.

2. Ryan Howard/Phillies .253/.835, 81 R, 30 DBL, 33 HR, 116 RBI, 2.6 OWAR.

3. Gaby Sanchez/Marlins .266/.779, 72 R, 35 DBL, 19 HR, 78 RBI, 2.0 OWAR.

4. Freddie Freeman/Braves .282/.795, 67 R, 32 DBL, 21 HR, 76 RBI, 1.7 OWAR.

5. Daniel Murphy/Mets .320/.809, 49 R, 36 XBH, 49 RBI, 1.8 OWAR.

Notes- Murphy was a fill-in for Ike Davis, who is set to return in 2012, with Murphy shifting to 2nd or 3rd base. Sanchez is the only one of this group who plays good defense, as Freeman and Morse each had negative DWAR, with Howard breaking even. Howard's injured Achilles coupled with Freeman's maturation (only 22), Davis returning for a broken ankle, and Sanchez moving into a new ballpark with more runners on base in front of him (Jose Reyes), could shake up the 2012 rankings.

2011 NL East Catcher Rankings

2012-01-03T09:38:00.010-05:00

Over the next week or so, WSBGMs will be ranking each position from the NL East from the 2011 season. First up, the men who don the tools of ignorance, the catchers.

Stats- AVG/OPS, Runs, Homeruns or Extra Base Hits, Runs Batted In, Offensive Wins Above Replacement, and Caught Stealing.

2011 NL East Catcher Rankings:
1. Brian McCann/Braves .270/.817, 51 R, 24 HR, 71 RBI, 3.2 OWAR, 22% CS.

2. Carlos Ruiz/Phillies .283/.754, 49 R, 29 XBH, 40 RBI, 2.7 OWAR, 23% CS.

3. Wilson Ramos/Nationals .267/.779, 48 R, 15 HR, 52 RBI, 2.2 OWAR, 32% CS.

4. Josh Thole/Mets .268/.690, 22 R, 20 XBH, 40 RBI, 1.1 OWAR, 21% CS.

5. John Buck/Marlins .227/.683, 41 R, 16 HR, 57 RBI, 1.0 OWAR, 17% CS.

Notes- Ruiz and Ramos were the only two with positive DWAR (Defensive Wins Above Replacement), but McCann is the best by far at the position (one of the top catchers in the game). Thole lost a lot of time to Ronny Paulino, but is the incumbent for the 2012 season. Other than Thole getting more at bats, the rest of the pack looks to remain the same with Ramos possibly surpassing Ruiz in the rankings with an improved offensive campaign.

Name That Phillie- "Big Shot" Edition

2012-01-02T09:01:00.004-05:00

This man will highly touted, but never flaunted his sought after skill set that was so desirable come draft day. Giving credit where credit is due, he does have a higher career OPS than campaigns of 2011 National League All-Stars Placido Polanco and Scott Rolen. Go ahead and name that Phillie...

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T10:15:00.000-05:00

Phillies are Toast

2011-12-30T06:10:00.006-05:00

Nothing says "Happy Holidays" like a Phillies toaster. That's right, you can get the patented Phillies "P" logo emblazoned onto a piece of bread. What happens when you are in the mood for rye though?

As nifty as this appliance is, it is clearly not as cool or functional as a Phillies hammer or toothbrush...

Playoff Hype Video Falls Flat

2011-12-29T08:05:00.003-05:00

FOX 29 News out of Philadelphia decided to air a stunt prior to Game 5 of the Phillies and Cardinals this year in the NLDS. The shtick- a van painted with the St. Louis Cardinals logo gets pulverized by a Phillies backhoe. The outcome- Phillies were shutout and sent home. Boo!

Wednesday Morning Bench Coach

2011-12-28T05:00:00.001-05:00

Phillies News
Nothing. It's Christmas, what do you expect. So, on to useless stuff...

Fantasy Football
Congratulations to me for being awesome at fantasy football and winning the blog league for the third year a row. Now, if baseball would only play once a week and teams would rarely change closers, I might have a chance at the baseball title.

RA Dickey
I don't know how I missed this before, but RA Dickey is climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise awareness for the "Bombay Teen Challenge, an organization that rescues and cares for women and girls in Mumbai who are at risk of being abused and exploited."

The Mets are less than thrilled. They've informed his agent that if Dickey is hurt during the climb his contract will be voided. That makes sense. There's better ways to "raise awareness," many of which don't carry the risks that come with climbing a giant mountain. Whatever. He's a Met. I could care less. What caught my eye was the "Bombay Teen Challenge."

"Bombay Teen Challenge" sounds more like a game show on Nickelodeon than an anti-child prostitution advocacy group. And why the hell does RA Dickey feel the need to "bring awareness" to this group. With all of the problems in the world, how has he singled out the Mumbai sex trade as his personal cause? Wasn't there anything "close to home" that he could help? Don't get me wrong, I'm not for child sex trafficking, but there are problems and issues in America that could use some celebrity (I think Mets count as celebrities) endorsement. He could probably raise a bunch of money for Leukemia/Lymphoma Society or another similar group. Instead, he's going to make people go, "Wow, that's a horrible thing happening to those girls in Mumbai. Glad I don't live there."

But whatever. What he's doing is still better than what 95% of professional athletes in the country contribute to society. Good luck to Dickey on his climb. I hope he gets back safely so the Phils can rough him up next summer.

"More" ATJ...

Booze and Music
If you're looking for a cheap all-purpose Scotch for your liquor cabinet and you reach for a bottle of Johnnie Walker Red Label, put it down, and keep walking (Pun!)

Red Label is not the worst thing I've ever drank (it's better than Old Grand Dad Bourbon, for whatever that's worth) but it's usefulness is limited to shots and heavily mixed cocktails. As an alternative, go with Ballantine's Finest Scotch ($16.99 at the state store). Ballantine's is far from a fine spirit, but it will do nicely for all your low-end Scotch needs.

As for the music, try Canadian rock band The Sheepdogs. They have this southern / boogie rock, Allman Brother, Foghat kind of sound. If music like this ever became real popular, these guys would be huge. But it's 2012 and they don't use synthesizers, auto-tune and they don't dance, so...

Awesome
This makes me smile.They suck.

Milledge, Swallows
Former Met and Pirate Lastings Milledge was signed yesterday by the Yakult Swallows of the Japanese pro league. Hmm, no joke here. Nope. None. Here's wishing Milledge resurrects his career and comes back to the Majors some day. A future Phucco, maybe?

Bowl Games
I hope every sports fan is enjoying the exciting college football out there. Belk Bowl. Independence Bowl. This is some fantastic stuff. I'm soooooooo glad I don't have to sit through playoff football games. That would suck.

The Unsigned
It's almost 2012 and a few big names are still on the free agent board.

Here's hoping Prince Fielder signs with the Mariners and disappears in the obscurity of the Pacific Northwest and the American League.

As for former Phillies, The Next Mariano Rivera (aka Ryan Madson) is being linked with the Red Sox and the Angels, where he would set-up / share closing duty with Jordan Walden. And bulky-backed Roy Oswalt is in the mix for a one year deal with any number of teams. But regardlesss of who he signs for, he'll likely not do much damage to the Phillies next October when he'll likely be on the disabled list.

WSBGMs Phinal Phantasy Phootball Standings

2011-12-27T06:12:00.004-05:00

For the third year in a row, Corey's My Vick In A Box won the WSBGMs Phantasy Phootball League. Corey dominates the football league and I the baseball. Conspiracy?

Final Standings:
1. My Vick In A Box
2. Four TDs in 1 Game
3. Steegles
4. Child Plz Str8 Cash
5. 1-800-BooHoo
6. vicksdicks
7. QB/C Love Connection
8. Outsiders
9. Under New Management
10. Fear Boners
11. Raul Raiders
12. Eagles Bandwagon

Thanks to all that participated. Now only 3 more months until we draft for WSBGMs Phantasy League 6 for baseball.

What's up with the Pirates?

2011-12-26T08:53:00.004-05:00

The Pittsburgh Pirates were on their way to a magical season as late as July last year. However, things quickly unraveled and they plummeted in the standings from 1st place down to 4th, finishing a lackluster 72-90 (their 19th straight losing season). The Buccos bats are what failed them the most, but the health of their starting rotation deteriorated as the season went on. What have they done to improve this offseason, and can the finally break above sea level (.500) in 2012?

Major Additions:
Erik Bedard/LHP- this man is a top of the rotation pitcher when healthy, but he's often not that. Bedard replaces Maholm, and could be a major upgrade. A strikeout pitcher (926 K in 951.1 IP) with a good ERA/WHIP combo (3.70/1.32). Transfer to the National League could really boost his numbers.

Nate McLouth/OF- good as a Pirate, bad as a Brave. Now back in Pittsburgh as a 4th outfielder, McLouth hopes to revive his career. Like Bedard, health is a big part of the equation with him, but he has a nice power/speed combo that could make him valuable trade bait come the end of July should he be playing well.

Clint Barmes/SS- many people didn't like the terms of his contract (2 yr/$10.5M), but he's a solid defender and has a decent bat. This is an upgrade over Ronny Cedeno, and the Pirates need more offense, so I don't understand what's not to like.

Rod Barajas/C- doesn't get on base worth a lick (.284 career OBP), but does have some power (63 HR in last 4 seasons). He was brought in to provide leadership with the pitching staff and play adequate defense. Despite his lone season in Philly, I can foresee this being a good fit.

Casey McGehee/3B/1B- love this trade! McGehee had a down year in 2011, but prior to that he hit .285/.801 with 23 HR, and 104 RBI with the Brewers in 2010. If he rebounds, this is a major coup for the Buccos.

Minor Additions:
Nick Evans/1B/3B/OF- this guy is a steal on a minor league contract. He'll only be 26 years old next season, can play corner infield and outfield, and has done nothing but hit at every level he's played (.278/.822 in minors, .256/.712 in majors). Not sure why the Mets let him go.

Yamaico Navarro/UTL- the 24 year old hasn't done squat at the plate in 42 MLB games with the Red Sox and Royals (.206/.515), but given his minor league success (.279/.778) and the fact that he plays all over the diamond, he could very likely become a useful utility player for the Buccos.

Jose Morales/C- .289/.709 in 4 seasons with the Twins and Rockies over 96 games. Perfect for organizational depth at catcher (.286/.724 batter in the minors).

Jake Fox/C/1B/3B/OF- possesses big time power, but does not make enough contact to play regularly. In 4 seasons with the Cubs, Athletics, and Orioles he's hit .237/.714, but that's nothing compared to his minor league numbers (.292/.882).

Brandon Boggs/OF- the outfielder is set to turn 29 years old and has suffered through failures when given a chance in the majors with the Rangers and Brewers. However, he owns a .376 on base % in the minors and that is encouraging.

Ryota Igarashi/RHP- in 2 seasons with the Mets he was largely deemed a failure, however he showed improvement during his sophomore campaign last season. If he learned to control his pitches a bit more, he could be a passable middle innings reliever.

Shairon Martis/RHP- nice addition as 7th/8th starter that's inevitably needed during the course of a 162 season. 48-40, 3.84 ERA, 1.33 WHIP in minors, and has some experience in 2 seasons with the Nationals too.

Anderson Hernandez/UTL- nothing special with the bat, but is versatile and has plenty of MLB experience (6 seasons, .241/.614).

Lineup Outlook:
1. Jose Tabata/RF
2. Neil Walker/2B
3. Andrew McCutchen/CF
4. Casey McGehee/1B
5. Pedro Alvarez/3B
6. Alex Presley/RF
7. Clint Barmes/SS
8. Rod Barajas/C

Tabata, Presley, and Alvarez should improve due to age/maturity/experience. Walker and McCutchen are already established players and are entering their primes. McGehee could bounce back, Barmes is a nice fit at the bottom of the order, and then there is some thump with Barajas in the 8-hole.

Bench: Garrett Jones/LF/1B, Nate McLouth/OF, and some combination of- Josh Harrison/UTL, Chase d'Arnaud/UTL, Jake Fox, Yamaico Navarro, Nick Evans, Anderson Hernandez, and Jose Morales.

Rotation Outlook:
1. Erik Bedard
2. Jeff Karstens
3. James McDonald
4. Kevin Correia
5. Charlie Morton

Backups: Shairon Martis, Brad Lincoln, and Jeff Locke.

Morton's ability to comeback from hip surgery determines if this rotation is a strength or question mark. Morton reinvented himself last year and became a solid option every 5th day. If not ready to go though, he leaves a gaping hole that will not be filled by a capable alternative.

Bullpen Outlook:
Closer- Joel Hanrahan, Daniel McCutchen, Chris Resop, Jason Grilli, Tony Watson, Evan Meek, and Daniel Moskos.

Overall a decent relief corps. Chris Leroux, Jared Hughes, Garrett Olson, Ryota Igarashi, and Mike Crotta will be at the ready should any of the above falter or need a DL stint.

Rocking Around the Christmas Tree- Phils Rotation

2011-12-25T05:54:00.002-05:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Happy Holidays from WSBGMs

2011-12-24T06:33:00.000-05:00

12 Days of Christmas- Phillies Style Volume VI

2011-12-23T05:30:00.003-05:00

On the twelfth day of Christmas, the Phillies gave to me...

12 games played by John Bowker (yuck!)
11 indictments for Lenny Dykstra (loser!)
10 extra base hits from Michael Martinez
9 Ball Girls dancing
8 wild pitches by Dontrelle Willis (2012 prediction)
7 straight winning seasons with Charles Fuqua Manuel
6 shutouts twirled by Clifton Phifer Lee
5 consecutive NL East division championships
4 errors by Domonic Brown (now where the hell is he?)
3 pitchers finished in the Top 10 Cy Young voting
2 hernia surgeries for Polly
1 ruptured Ryan Howard Achilles
and no trip to the World Series...bastards!

Previous Installments:
*2006- Volume I (Scrooge McCorey)
*2007- Volume II (Santa Carson)
*2008- Volume III (Santa Carson)
*2009- Volume IV (Santa Carson)
*2010- Volume V (Santa Carson)

Minor League Reinforcements

2011-12-22T05:21:00.004-05:00

Welcome into the fold Hector Luna and Luis Montanez, as they're the newest members of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.

Luna, who turns 32 in February, plays all over the baseball field, manning innings at the MLB level at every position except catcher and pitcher. In 6 seasons he is a .265/.705 hitter with his best attribute being his versatility. He last appeared in 2010 with the Marlins, and spent all of 2011 with the Red Sox AAA team. He's developed some pop over the past 3 minor league seasons, totaling 47 HR. Seeing that Polanco, Rollins, and Utley are injury prone, there's a possibility Luna could see some action with the Phillies this season if he outhits the likes of Kevin Frandsen, Michael Martinez, and Pete Orr for the Fe Hams.

Montanez is a former 1st round pick of the Cubs and has gotten at bats over the past 4 years with the Orioles and Cubbies, hitting .223/.586. The outfielder recently turned 30 and is a lifetime .287/.787 batter over 12 minor league seasons.

Philadelphia Phillies 2012 Roster

2011-12-21T09:40:00.009-05:00

Aside from some possible minor league signings or a bullpen arm, the Philadelphia Phillies 2012 roster seems to be complete.

Lineup:
1. Jimmy Rollins/SS
2. Shane Victorino/CF
3. Chase Utley/2B
4. Ryan Howard/1B
5. Hunter Pence/RF
6. John Mayberry/LF
7. Placido Polanco/3B
8. Carlos Ruiz/C

Bench:
Brian Schneider/C, Ty Wigginton 3B/1B/OF, Laynce Nix/OF, Jim Thome/1B/PH, and Wilson Valdez/UTL.

Rotation:
1. Roy Halladay
2. Cliff Lee
3. Cole Hamels
4. Vance Worley
5. Joe Blanton

Bullpen:
1. Jonathan Papelbon
2. Antonio Bastardo
3. Jose Contreras
4. Michael Stutes
5. Dontrelle Willis
6. Kyle Kendrick
7. Michael Schwimer

Other Scenarios:
Pete Orr/UTL, Scott Podsednik/OF, or Michael Martinez/UTL are likely candidates to start the season on the 25-man roster should Howard be placed on the DL.

Justin DeFratus, David Herndon, Brian Sanches, and Joe Savery are relief pitchers vying for the final spot in the bullpen.

He's Back...

2011-12-20T09:30:00.005-05:00

Ed Wade is back with the Phillies...and just in time for Christmas. Yep, the former-GM of the Phils and recently fired one of the Astros got a job in scouting. The details are not yet clear, but it is clear that Wade is back in Philly and ready to screw something up. Let’s hope he has been attending sports management colleges during his time away.

From MLBTradeRumors-
"Longtime MLB GM Ed Wade has returned to the Phillies in a scouting position, Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reports (on Twitter). Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle first reported that Wade would end up scouting for his former team (Twitter link).

The Astros dismissed Wade this fall after four years in Houston and a 56-106 showing in 2011. Wade became Philadelphia's GM in 1997 after spending years in the team's baseball operations department. Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. was Wade's assistant GM from 1999 until Wade's dismissal in 2005. The Phillies drafted Ryan Howard and Chase Utley while Wade was GM and selected Jimmy Rollins when he was the team's player personnel administrator."

I know, yuck!

*Update- The Phillies have announced that Wade will be a special consultant in the club's baseball operations department.

Sorry, But Rollins Is Not Hall Bound

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Jimmy Rollins is not currently a Hall of Fame player.

At the end of his newly signed contract, he will not be a Hall of Fameplayer.

His only hope of the Hall? Play eight more years and get to 3000 hits.*Here’s why.

[*His only chance based on personal achievement, that is. The Phillies could win three more World Championships he could ride the coat tails of that success into a Hall appointment.]

The Hall of Fame is for the exceptionally great players. While JimmyRollins has been good, and while he had one great MVP season, he’s been nowhereclose to great.

Consider his awards to date. He’s made only three All Star games, wononly three Gold Gloves and won just asingle Silver Slugger award. Compared to other contemporary shortstops*, he iscertainly not a standout. Nomar Garciaparra, Miguel Tejada, Edgar Renteria,Omar Vizquel and Jose Reyes have made more All Star games, and Hanley Ramirezhas already made three trips to the mid-Summer classic. Tejada, Ramirez,Renteria and Tory Tulowitzki have more Silver Slugger awards. Vizquel has 11Gold Gloves and Tulowitzki already had 2. And considering that Tulo, Ramirez and Reyesare all at least four years younger than Rollins, he’s going to fall furtherbehind in these categories.

[* I’m not even going to bother mentioning Jeter who’s basicallyalready in the Hall and A-Rod who, regardless of the ‘roids, hit 345 of his600+ homers and won multiple awards as a shortstop. Those guys are in a different class.]

By the time Rollins would be eligible for the Hall, he’ll possibly beranked in the middle to bottom half in the top ten list of contemporaryshortstops. Jeter, A-Rod, Ramirez and Tulo, will be head and shoulders above therest with Jose Reyes and Omar Vizquel probably next, followed by Tejada, Rollins,and Renteria in the following group. Hall of Fame worthy? Not even close.

Consider recently inducted shortstops and how they compared to theirpeers. Cal Ripken had 19 AS games, 8Silver Sluggers and 2 MVPs. Barry Larkin had 12 AS games, 3 Gold Gloves, 8Silver Sluggers and an MVP. Ozzie Smith had 15 AS games, 13 Gold Gloves and anMVP. Robin Yount won an MVP, went to 4 AS games and won 2 Silver Sluggers whileplaying shortstop. He then won another MVP and Silver Slugger as an outfielder.

Consider shortstops that aren’t in the Hall and how they compared totheir peers. Alan Trammell had 6 AS games, 3 Silver Sluggers and 4 Gold Gloves.Dave Concepcion had 9 AS games, 5 Gold Gloves and 2 Silver Sluggers, as well as2 World Series rings.

There are 21 shortstops in the Hall of Fame. Jimmy Rollins has a nice resume, but it’s peanutscompared to those guys.

“Yeah but if Jimmy is able to start another 4-5 years and finishesaround: .270/.750, 1500 R, 2600 H, 525 DBL, 120 TRPL, 225 HR, 1000 RBI, 500 SB,then I think he's HoF material,” some may say.

Hogwash. Those are the definition of “pretty good” stats. If you don’tbelieve me, check out his baseball-reference.com profile and check out his Hallof Fame monitor. Not even close.

Sure, Rollins might have more hits than some, or more steals thananother, but Rollins doesn’t have any one statistical category that’s Hall ofFame worthy. Also, we’ve all seen the “Steroid Era” and the inflation ofstatistics. 2000 hits and 400 homers in the 80’s is much more impressive thansimilar stats put up recently. That’s why it’s important to compare players toothers in their own generation, which I’ve done above.

However, if you want to talk direct stats, here’s some for you. Rollinshas lead the league in triples four times, runs once and steals once. That’sit. The only other time he’s lead the league in an offensive category is at-batsand outs made.

Jimmy Rollins spent most of his career batting leadoff. However, he’snever had 50 steals in a season. He’s never had a OBP over .350. He’s neverwalked more than 58 times in a year which is why despite 1800 hits, he’s neverhit .300. So as a leadoff hitter, he’s average at best .

His career OPS is .761, which is less than the light hitting Jose Reyesand not even close to the premier shortstops currently in the league. He has373 steals, 3 ahead of Reyes. It’s a nice number, top 100 of all time. But it’scertainly not Hall worthy, considering there are plenty of average players with450+ steals.

Rollins’ only shot at the Hall is reaching 3000 hits. He needs 1134 more hits. Overhis last three full seasons, Rollins has averaged 158 hits per season. At thatpace, which likely won’t continue as he gets older, he would need a little overseven more full seasons to reach 3000. Since it’s unlikely he could play 7 fullseasons consecutively at his age, he’lllikely need 8-9 more years to reach 3000. It’s possible. But it’s not verylikely.

Also, how many players should go into the Hall of Fame? It should be only for the greatest and there are loads of past and current players that are much better than Rollins. Griffey, Biggio and Piazza are already posing for their plaques. (Bonds is posing for a mug shot.) Recent players like Jeff Kent, Jim Edmonds, Edgar Martinez, Albert Belle, Mark McGwire, and Larry Walker have a better Hall argument. And older players like Lou Whitaker, Tim Raines, Dale Murphy and many others have good stats but sit at home and not in Cooperstown. And look atthe active players with far better career numbers – Pujols, Jeter, A-Rod,Chipper, Vlad Guerrero, Miggy Cabrera, Ichiro, Ivan Rodriguez, Thome, Man-Ram, Helton,Berkman, Beltran, Abreu, Rolen, Mauer, Utley, Teixeira, Wright, Adrian Gonzalez, Ortiz.And then the players who certainly will have better numbers if they don’t already –Longoria, Holliday, Cano, Kemp, Fielder, Tulowitzki, Votto, Howard, Braun. Thenthere are the good, but no Hall worthy players, that have better numbers than Rollins – Aramis Ramirez, Andruw Jones, Kevin Youkilis, Jose Reyes, Carl Crawford, Michael Young, Torii Hunter, etc. I put Jimmy Rollins ahead of few, if any, of these players.

Consider the aforementioned Craig Biggio. Biggio hung around until he was 41 years old. Why? So he could get 3000 hits and get into the hall of fame. If Biggio retires at 38 and doesn't waste everyone's time with those sub-par last three years, he would have ended up 400 hits shy of 3000 and probably would not have gotten into the Hall. But Biggio went to 7 All Star games, won 4 Gold Gloves and 5 Silver Slugger Awards, all of which top Rollins. Also, he won a GG and SS at two positions, and would have had much better stats if he would not have spent three full years catching. Just look at what happened when he moved out from behind the plate. The point is, Biggio is more of a Hall of Famer than Rollins, but even he would wouldn't have made it without the 3000 hits.

In summary, Rollins has nice stats but you don't get into the Hall by having above average stats. You get in with great stats or being the dominant player are your position during your playing ear. Jimmy Rollins does not have exceptional numbers has not been dominant or elite at his position. His only chance is via stat accumulation through longevity, ie 3000 hits.So, get back to me in 6 or 7 years and we’ll revisit this argument.

Rollins Contract & Stuff

2011-12-18T04:25:00.004-05:00

Ruben Amaro frolics in fields of money, signing players to contracts beyond market value (in both years and money) with reckless abandon. However, the shrewd bastard waited Jimmy Rollins unreasonable demand out (5 years) and walked away smug as ever. 3 years/$33M with an attainable 4th year option at $11M. Well played Rube, well played.

This will be J-Roll's last big contract, as it takes him to his age 36/37 season, and if he continues playing into his later 30's/early 40's it will be on smaller deals. This means Rollins may retire spending his entire career in a Phillies uniform. He also might retire with Hall of Fame credentials. From yesterday's comment section- "If Jimmy is able to start another 4-5 years and finishes around: .270/.750, 1500 R, 2600 H, 525 DBL, 120 TRPL, 225 HR, 1000 RBI, 500 SB, then I think he's HoF material."

Roster Bats:
C - Carlos Ruiz
1B - Ryan Howard
2B - Chase Utley
3B - Placido Polanco
SS - Jimmy Rollins
LF - John Mayberry
CF - Shane Victorino
RF - Hunter Pence

Bench - Brian Schneider/C, Laynce Nix/OF, Jim Thome/1B/PH, Ty Wigginton/UTL, Wilson Valdez/UTL.

Should Howard and/or Polly not be ready by Opening Day, it opens the door for players like Michael Martinez, Scott Podsednik, Kevin Frandsen, and Pete Orr.

Go Get 'em:
The Reds and Padres pulled off a monster trade yesterday (Yonder Alonso, Edinson Volquez, and 2 minor leaguers to San Diego, Mat Latos to Cincy). Having to clear roster space the Friars removed catcher Luis Martinez from the 40 man roster. Making his MLB debut last year, he hit .203/.614 in 22 games. The 26 year old has hit .272/.725 in 5 season in the minors, while gunning down 33% of base stealers. Seeing that the Phillies are limited at catcher, this would be a smart waiver claim and stash him at AAA with Erik Kratz and then have him take over backup duties in 2013 behind Chooch.

WSBGMs College Bowl Pick 'em

2011-12-17T07:19:00.006-05:00

The BCS might be a load of BS, but regardless it lends well to fantasy pick 'em. WSBGMs cordially invites you to join our free Yahoo! league. Bowl games start today, so register as soon as possible.

Info:
League Name- WSBGMs Bowl Pick 'em
Group ID#- 34432
Password- phillies

Winner gets a lovely trio of We Should Be GMs, More Hardball, and Phucco bumper stickers.

What's the Number?

2011-12-16T09:20:00.002-05:00

A. Kent Bottenfield's ERA with the Phillies
B. Multiplied by Marlon Anderson's career triples
C. Divided by the wins from Paul Byrd's All-Star campaign
D. Plus the square root of Doug Glanville's homers with Phils
E. Minus Ryan Madson's career blown save total
What's the #?

Wednesday Morning Bench Coach

2011-12-14T06:00:00.001-05:00

D-train Baby!
During last season, I wrote this in the comment section about Dontrelle Willis:

"it's hard to believe that a pitcher that young and that good (and left handed) could fall so fast and stay down for so long. it is really quite a shame because he was a lot of fun to watch. and he could hit, too.

he was one of my favorite players to watch for a year or two. i've been rooting for him to get back. also, last year i bought a home marlins willis jersey on ebay for like $5. i haven't worn it yet. i'm saving it for twenty years from now..."

F#@& twenty years, I'm breaking that jersey out now!

I'm very excited about this signing. The crooked cap. The exaggerated delivery. The high walk rate. I want it all!

More ATJ...

More CBA Details
Two weeks ago I bitched about the horrible economic disadvantages in the new CBA. Today, just a few silly but interesting details, like:

- replay will be expanded to include fair-or-foul calls, whether a fly ball or line drive was trapped and fan interference all around the ballpark

- there will be a ban on commercial tattoos

- The All-Star break will go from three to four days

There are some other less interesting things too. Players can be fined for "throwing balls or equipment at non-uniformed personnel, or for violating the "social media" policy and for conduct "materially detrimental or materially prejudicial to the best interests of baseball." Whatever. None of this really affects us as fans... except the replay business. And that's the part I don't like.

Here's what I think about replay - it's an all or nothing proposition. Why replay fair/foul but not whether a player was safe at first? Why replay trapped/caught but not whether a baserunner was safe at second on a steal attempt?

MLB wants move into the 21st century by utilizing technology and having calls be as correct and "fair" as possible, yet they want to protect the tradition of the game, which includes large amounts of human (umpire) error. But their half-ass replay rules leaves no one satisfied.

I would prefer to have an NFL type replay system where a manager can "challenge" two calls per game. This would eliminate the lengthy argument/confrontation delays. (Although it would also eliminate those hilarious Fuqua hissy-fits...) It would eliminate the one or two horrible calls that can turn games.

The system as is allows for the correction of calls while still allowing for obviously wrong calls to stand. Stupid.

Booze & Music
I hate Christmas. And I really hate Christmas music. Unfortunately for me, I'm the only one in the house that feels this way. So, if Christmas music must be played, I reach for the Canned Heat: Christmas Album. When I got the blues, I listen to the girls.

As for the booze, drink whatever it takes to get you through this horrible season. Vodka. Listerine. Antifreeze.

Ryan Braun
Cheater. Forget the Hall of Fame. Give back your MVP. And you're an ass.

"I would never do it because if I took steroids, I would hit 60 or 70 home runs."

Nice.

Of course, Braun will have the last laugh. Missing fifty game will cost him a little less than $2 million dollars. The remaining $125 million is safe. The Brewers can't void his steroid soaked contract. It's guaranteed money. Maybe MLB should have addressed this issue in the CBA instead jacking over the Pirates and worrying about tattoos.

Fence-Face to Florida
The Miami Marlins signed Aaron Rowand to a minor league contract. Good for him but I'm pretty sure he's done. Here are his batting averages the last five years: .309, .271, .261, .230 and .233. And here are his OPS percentages: .889, .749, .738, .659, and .621. Yup, done.

Brawl
I'm sure everybody saw the Xavier-Cincy brawl on Saturday. Love me some brawling!

Reaction has been across the board. From "kids being kids" to "the worst thing ever." You know the media's routine. Interesting take from ESPN's Myron Medcalf though:

"I figured some ignorant folks would push the 'that's what young black men do' stereotypes. And I worried about words like 'thugs' and 'gangs' that the same sort of people threw out on the internet after the brawl."

"Ignorant folks on the internet?" Brawl participant Tu Halloway had this to say after the incident, "That’s what you’re going to see... We got disrespected a little bit before the game. We’re grown men over here. We got a whole bunch of gangstas in the locker room, not thugs but tough guys. And we went out there and zipped them up... That’s our motto: Zip ‘em up. And that’s what we just did to them."

Umm, who's ignorant again?

Dontrelle Willis a Phillie

2011-12-13T11:09:00.004-05:00

The D-Train is coming to the Reading Terminal in Philadelphia.

Dontrelle Willis has supposedly signed a 1 year $1M deal to pitch in relief for the Phillies in 2012. WHY? Willis hasn't been good since 2006. He's bounced around teams, had major control problems, and anxiety issues. You think Philly is the place to fix that? Nope. Last year he had a 5.00 ERA/1.52 WHIP in 13 starts with the Reds. That's not good. However, if the Phils do tend to use him as a LOOGY, it might just work- .200/.562 against lefties lifetime. He'll only be 30 years old too, so the transformation to lefty specialist might work. Added bonus- dude can hit (.244/.665). I'd rather him pinch hitting than John Bowker or Michael Martinez. He's also close friends with Jimmy Rollins, as they went to the same high school.

Can't wait to see his straight brimmed crooked-ass hatted head on the mound...so gangsta!

Farewell Benny Fran

2011-12-13T03:33:00.000-05:00

Ben Francisco has been traded to the North Pole. Okay, not really, just Toronto. The Blue Jays sent a 26 year old left-handed reliever to the Phillies in exchange. Francisco batted .259/.732 in 3 seasons in Philly. If you recall, he was the "throw-in" on the Cliff Lee/Indians trade. Interesting note- his closest comparison according to Baseball-Reference is Wes Chamberlain (my favorite non-star Phillie of all-time). He was likely to be non-tendered with the signing of Laynce Nix as 4th outfielder, so getting something for him is better than nothing.

What did we get? A Philadelphia native named Frank Gailey. His minor league numbers are stellar over 5 years- 2.45 ERA/1.03 WHIP, but he only just reached Double-A last season. He does posses excellent control- 69 BB in 304.1 IP. He might never make it to Triple-A, or he might become a LOOGY in the Majors. Who knows...

Deck the Halls- Phillies Remix

2011-12-12T11:06:00.005-05:00

Deck your walls with cards of Shane Rawley,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Next season we will be jolly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Don we now our official Phillies Majestic apparel,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Now help me tap a Yuengling barrel,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

See Halladay's blazing fastball before us,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Strike them out and hear the "boo" chorus.
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Follow Manuel in merry measure,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
While Amaro dreams of playoff treasure,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Fast away the old year passes,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Hail the new, ye Phans and smart asses,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Sing we joyous, all together,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
J-Roll likes to call us "fair weather",
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

More Minor League Dudes

2011-12-11T07:36:00.000-05:00

The Phillies continue to stock their farm system with marginal players. New to the party on minor league deals are Dave Bush, David Purcey, and Steve Lerud.

Bush (player not trendy alt-rock band) is an 8 year vet of the Majors. He's pitched for the Blue Jays, Brewers, and Rangers compiling a 56-69 record to go along with a 4.70 ERA/1.31 WHIP. He ended last season with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs and that's likely his destination again as he awaits a chance to spot start for a fallen member of the Phillies rotation. Fun fact- he was the winning pitcher for the only game Milwaukee took from the Phils in the 2008 NLDS.

Purcey is a former 1st round pick of the Blue Jays, but he's never come close to living up to the hype. In 4 seasons he owns a 5.38 ERA/1.56 WHIP with Toronto, Oakland, and Detroit. He has strikeout type stuff, but his control is poor. He'll be 30 years old next year, so maybe he'll "figure it out" yet. Doubtful.

Lerud is a career minor league catcher, playing in the Pittsburgh and Baltimore organizations for the past 8 years. He's only 27, but has only played 9 games at Triple-A and his bat is weak (.221/.665). Hey, somebody's got to catch the pitches I suppose.

Jingle Bells- Phillies Remix

2011-12-10T07:15:00.005-05:00

Through the competition we mow
Backs of the rotation horses we slay
O'er the NL East we go
Laughing all the way
Dreams of World Series ring
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to laugh and sing
A slaying song tonight

Oh, Phillies go, Phillies go
Phillies go all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
Hamels, Lee, and Halladay
Phillies go, Phillies go
Phillies go all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
Hamels, Lee, and Halladay

A month or two ago
I thought we'd take a ride
And soon St. Louis Cardinals
Were seated by our side
The playoffs were ours we thunk
But misfortune seemed our lot
Bats fell into a funk and stunk
And then we got upsot

Oh shit, Cardinals go, Cardinals go
Cardinals went all the way
Oh, what hell it was to watch
On a big screen TV
Oh shit, Cardinals go, Cardinals go
Cardinals went all the way
At least they lost Pujols
Now I laugh at their tragedy.

Crazy Vizquel Rumor

2011-12-09T11:12:00.003-05:00

Amaro's offseason agenda was to get younger and upgrade the offense. Then why on God's green earth would the Phillies be linked in a rumor involving Omar Vizquel? Unless they're hiring him to be roving infield instructor, there isn't a legitimate reaseon. MLBTradeRumors has the following- When asked if he would sign with the Phillies, Omar Vizquel told Manuel Lira of the Venezuelan newspaper Lider en Deportes (passed on by ESPN's Enrique Rojas) that "We're working on it." Vizquel turns 45 in April and would be playing his 24th Major League season in 2012. Vizquel played under Charlie Manuel when Manuel managed the Indians from 2000-02.

WTF?! Vizquel is equivalent to Michael Martinez, minus the speed and "pop". What I'm trying to say is- Michael Martinez is better than Omar Vizquel at this stage in his career. That's bad! He's the only active player from the 80's (until Moyer makes his triumphant comeback). I'm assuming that this is wishful thinking on Vizquel behalf and Amaro wants nothing to do with a no-hit utility infielder that is nearly as old as him. Don't get me wrong, I hope Viquel hooks on with a team, just not the Phils. I enjoy watching players from my childhood (says the 32 year old man).

Wednesday Morning Bench Coach

2011-12-07T06:49:00.002-05:00

Phillies News
Only some vague reports floating around the Winter Meetings. First, the meeting with Rollins' agent Dan Lozano did "not go well." Maybe the Phils forgot to get the whores? Then, the rumor mill has the Phillies interested in former farmhand Gio Gonzalez. The theory is that getting Gonzalez, who is under team control for another three years on the cheap, would allow the Phils to trade Cole Hamels instead of giving him the big bucks. It's a nice theory, but I'd much rather see Ol' Girl Parts stay a Phillie.

Mess in Miami?
Is it a surprise to anybody that Hanley Ramirez does not want to move away from shortstop? He's the consummate "me" player, forever petulant and temperamental. Now the Marlins go out of their way to anger him then bring in Ozzie Guillen who will do his very best to throw gasoline on any flammable situation. This is not going to go well. And I'm loving every minute of it.

More ATJ...

Division I college football is a joke and I hate it.
It’s the only major sport in this country that relies primarily on subjective judgment to determine their champion. Sure, they play a game, but the participants in the championship game are placed there largely on the collective judgment of poll voters. This season, LSU is undefeated but gets in the game because the consensus opinion has them “#1.” They didn’t earn the spot. Winning football games didn’t get them there because there is no way to win your way into a championship. There have been plenty of undefeated teams that have been deemed unworthy of competing. No, the judges put them there. Same with their opponent, Alabama, who gets in because they were deemed better than Stanford, or Oklahoma State or anybody else because… well, just because.

Could you imagine if the NFL picked their playoff teams based on the ESPN Power Poll? What if MLB managers voted at the end of the season on which teams should play in the World Series? Would you accept John Kruk going on Baseball Tonight and saying, “Yeah, the Yankees finished with the same record as the Rays, but they have a better bullpen and hit for a lot more power. The Rays just aren’t as good. And that is why I voted for the Yankees to make the World Series.”

What a joke. The greed and hypocrisy of the NCAA and its partners is beyond belief.

For me, college football is good for four things, 1) tailgating, 2) following your alma mater, 3) checking out future NFL players and most importantly 4) gambling.

Meanwhile, while DI was playing completely meaningless, made-for-TV football games this weekend, DI-AA was completing the second round (round of 16) of their playoffs and will have their real championship game participants decided the week before Christmas. Personally, I’m looking forward to the Maine-Georgia Southern game next week a lot more than the Beef O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl.

Nostalgia
Some things get better with age. Whiskey. Wine. Cheese. Johnny Cash albums. Unfortunately for football fans, Madonna is not on that list.

NBC and the NFL announced Sunday that the gap-toothed skank will be performing at halftime of the Super Bowl. Shit.

The NFL had been doing a good job of putting some decent acts at halftime. The Boss, The Stones, The Who. Awesome. Hell, even Prince was pretty good. But last year’s show with the Black Eyed Peas and Usher was basically unwatchable. And now we have to watch 95 pounds of herpes gallivant around the stage pretending she’s a sex symbol while singing songs nobody has cared about since the 80’s.

I think I’ll pass on watching the halftime show this year.

Booze &Music
If you like Americana music, I recommend a listen to “Harlem River Blues” by Justin Townes Earle. HERE is a clip of him performing my favorite track from the album, “One More Night In Brooklyn.”

If you’re looking for a winter ale but don’t always like the strong, malty sweetness that often comes with these types of beers, pick up a sixer of Old Man Winter by Southern Tier. The hop character is more prominent than others in this genre and at only 7.7% ABV, you can easily have more than one.

Rumors in the Night

2011-12-06T17:38:00.004-05:00

The Hot Stove is warm and toasty. However, with the Philadelphia Phillies 2012 squad mostly set, there aren't many rumors out there involving them and free agents. Amaro needs a SS and possibly some relief help. Jimmy Rollins is the choice at shortstop, but he wants 5 years, Phils want 3, and J-Roll ain't budging so far. Therefore Rube has set up Plan B- sign Aramis Ramirez for third base, trade Polanco, and play some combo of Valdez, Galvis, and Martinez at SS (yuck, I just threw up a little). Amaro also craves a 2nd lefty for the bullpen and Joe Savery might not be that guy, so enter George Sherrill rumor. Jayson Stark speculates that Ryan Madson may accept arbitration (don't count on it!). Other than that...not much.

Of course, maybe Amaro will work out a trade for Hanley Ramirez, the now displaced Miami Marlins SS, who is reportedly peeved about having to switch positions.

Nix Signs With Phillies

2011-12-05T04:47:00.000-05:00

One outfielder in, one outfielder out. Hello Laynce Nix, goodbye Ben Francisco. Ruben Amaro inked himself an outfielder the day before the MLB Winter Meetings begin in Dallas, Texas (they start today), and that outfielder is Nix, who is a left-handed batter that is getting a 2 year pact from the Phillies. Merry Christmas! Dude lived off 4 straight minor league contracts, so 2 years guaranteed is like hitting the lottery. He's hit .244/.718 in 9 MLB seasons with the Rangers, Brewers, Reds, and Nationals. The 31 year old is a late bloomer, having never been much of anything until the last 3 seasons (OPS: '09- .767, '10- .805, '11- .750). Assuming he platoons in LF with John Mayberry Jr., the overall production should be better and MUCH cheaper than Raul Ibanez of last season. Added bonus- according to advanced defensive metrics, Nix plays quality outfield.

The 2012 bench now includes- Jim Thome/1B/PH, Ty Wigginton/UTL, Laynce Nix/OF, Brian Schneider/C, and Wilson Valdez/UTL or Michael Martinez/UTL. This leaves no room for Ben Francisco, meaning he is likely to be non-tendered since he'll have cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $2M. I know WSBGMs readers are hoping Valdez is the choice over Mini-Mart too.

My reaction- not sure why this has to be 2 years, but depending on the money, this could be an very good deal though. 2 years $2M would be ideal, hopefully not much more than that. If the money is right, I like this move because it takes pressure off Domonic Brown to be ready, rids the Phils of Francisco's contract, and sets up a very good defensive outfield with Nix, Mayberry, Victorino, and Pence.

Name That Phillies- Barely Remembered Edition

2011-12-04T07:36:00.004-05:00

This former collegiate stud was a 1st round pick that became a MLB dud. His time with the Phillies was generally forgettable. In fact, his entire career seems to be just that. He did nearly get some street cred by signing with the Pirates, which would have made him a Phucco, but he never did make the club to get the official title. Go ahead and rack your brain and name that Phillie...

Phlashback Phriday- Jack Taschner

2011-12-02T06:53:00.001-05:00

This former lefty reliever began his career with the Giants and ended it with the Dodgers; in between he was a Phucco (Phillies- 2009, Buccos- 2010). In his career he compiled a 10-5 record in 222 games with a 5.14 ERA/1.65 WHIP. Amaro acquired him for catcher Ronny Paulino. His lone season in Philly was a bust, with an ERA near 5, a WHIP of almost 2, and more walks than strikeouts.

This "phlashback" is not really intended to ~~bemoan~~ celebrate Taschner's ~~failures~~ accomplishments on the mound. Rather, it is to see what he's up to these days, which is being a Wisconsin cop. Thanks to one of WSBGMs Facebook friends who supplied the link.

"I got ready this winter like I did every winter, but my velocity dropped so that the major leagues decided I was no longer needed. With baseball especially being on the mound you have to know who's on first, second, what's going on in the box. With police work it's kind of the same way. I can't honestly say I'd rather be anywhere else."
~Jack Taschner

Sanches Back in the Hizzy

2011-12-01T09:22:00.002-05:00

For those of you not "in the know" the title means- Brian Sanches is back with the Phillies organization. Word!

Anyway, it was announced yesterday that Amaro has signed Brian Sanches, Scott Elarton, and Tuffy Gosewisch to minor league contracts. Of the 3, Sanches has the most upside. In fact, the 33 year old righty reliever owns a career 3.58 ERA/1.38 WHIP over 6 MLB seasons. He's been a cog in the Marlins bullpen the past 3 years and could easily sneak into the Phillies relief corps to work middle innings should the higher ups decide De Fratus, Schwimer, or Aumont need more minor league seasoning. Sanches was in the Phils system from 2004-2007. The only hangup on him is his spotty control (119 BB in 228.2 IP), but he surrenders less than a hit per inning (197 H). I'm surprised he wasn't able to get a guaranteed MLB contract with a team.

Elarton is a reclamation project that's probably best left in the scrap heap. The 35 year old former 1st round pick of the Astros has 10 years of MLB experience, but to the tune of a 5.29 ERA/1.43 WHIP. Um, no thanks. He didn't even pitch all of last season.

Gosewisch has been a catcher in the Phillies organization since 2005 and isn't much of a hitter (.236/.670). Doubtful he ever sees the Majors, especially considering he's already 28. Maybe he works well with the young pitchers...

Interesting Tid-Bit:
The Phillies have now signed 2 pitchers this offseason to minor league contracts that have a "s" to end their name instead of the typical "z": Brian Sanches and Raul Valdes.

Wednesday Morning Bench Coach

2011-11-30T06:00:00.002-05:00

The Pirates Got F#@&3D And Other Thoughts on the CBA
Amongst little fanfare, MLB and the Players Assn. finalized a CBA last week. Yeah, no lockout! Baseball is awesome! Right?

Not so much. Baseball is still jacked up. And in this little agreement, not only have they done nothing to help baseball’s small market teams, they’ve actually made it more difficult for them to compete. Here are some of the lowlights:

1) The draft rule changes really hurt the small market teams. Here is a brief summary of the changes.

Clubs that exceed their Signing Bonus Pools will be subject to penalties as follows:
Excess of Pool Penalty - (Tax on Overage/Draft Picks)
0-5% - 75% tax on overage
5-10% - 75% tax on overage and loss of 1st round pick
10-15% - 100% tax on overage and loss of 1st and 2nd round picks
15%+ - 100% tax on overage and loss of 1st round picks in next two drafts

The ten Clubs with the lowest revenues, and the ten Clubs in the smallest markets, will be entered into a lottery for the six draft selections immediately following the completion of the first round of the draft. A Club’s odds of winning the lottery will be based on its prior season’s winning percentage. The eligible Clubs that did not receive one of the six selections after the first round, and all other payee Clubs under the Revenue Sharing Plan, will be entered into a second lottery for the six picks immediately following the completion of the second round of the draft.

This a brutal. If you look at bonus expenditures from 2011, you’ll see that the top three are the Pirates, Nationals and Royals, by a hefty margin over the other teams. Part of this is due to having the highest picks but much of it is “over-paying” at certain spots to get young players to sign instead of going to college/play football/etc. They won’t be able to do this anymore. The extra ONE PICK is nice, but c’mon, one pick! That’s nothing compared to the number of good young players a team can sign by over-slotting. Instead, MLB would rather have the Pirates over-pay for mediocre major leaguers. The Pirates are going to have to acquire someone with an online accounting degree just to make sure these new rules are followed.

[More after the jump...]

2) The international cap hurts teams heavily invested in signing foreign talent. The cap will be $2.9 million starting next year. Seeing that one player could easily garner a $2 million dollar bonus, it will be hard to sign multiple good young players. And just think about the poor families in impoverished countries like the DR, Venezuela, and others that use MLB signing bonuses like life rafts to carry them out of poverty. This is where MLB wants to crack down, but the Yankees, Red Sox, and Phillies can spend $200 million a year on payroll only to pay a penalty to MLB and then keep right on rolling. [More on this later…]

3) The net transfer value of the Revenue Sharing Plan will be the same as the current plan. The only change is that the fifteen clubs in the largest markets will be disqualified from receiving revenue sharing by 2016.

Really? No more money for the “little guys.” Yeah, they probably don’t need it. The system is working great now.

4) The “competitive balance tax” changes don’t hurt the Phillies and Red Sox too bad and the Yankees are so rich it doesn’t matter to them, so basically it’s pointless to all parties except MLB, because they collect the tax money.

The threshold for having to pay the luxury tax is $178 million for the next two seasons and then $189 million for the three years after that. The penalty is 17% for first offenders, 30% for the second year with a ten percent increase the next two years reaching a max penalty of 50%.

It doesn’t put the squeeze on the Phillies and Red Sox because while 17% is nothing to sneeze at ($30+ million) it’s within reason for these teams to afford it for one year and most teams other than the Yankees do not stay above the threshold for multiple years. And under the agreement, if the team goes back under the threshold the following year, their slate is wiped clean. So, if they go over the threshold again the next year, they pay 17% again, not 30%. The increase tax only applies to consecutive years. Therefore, it’s not that big of a deal to spend wildly for one year to make a playoff run, as long as you can get back under the next season.

As for the Yankees, they have been paying this tax for years. Has it slowed down their spending at all? No. So other than making more money for MLB and creating a gap between the Yanks, who can pay this tax yearly, and teams like the Phillies/Sox/Cubs, what’s the point? Calling it a “competitive balance tax” is insulting. It’s just a plain old tax that doesn’t affect the competitive balance at all.

Ed Wade
I’m thinking that Ed Wade probably won’t get another GM job in baseball. Advanced scout. Assistant GM. Sure. But he’ll never be the “head honcho.” And that’s nothing but bad news for the Phillies. Where will they get their next crop of good players for mediocre prospects? The “Ed Wade Phillies Feeder System” that was in place in Houston has been instrumental in the Phillies’ recent success. Brad Lidge. Roy Oswalt. Hunter Pence. You’ll be missed, Ed. You’ll be missed.

The NBA
Count me as one of those not happy that there will be an NBA season. The NBA is a horrible product. It’s an abomination, a perversion of basketball, full of odd rules placed over many years to manipulate and distort game play to favor or deter specific players or styles of play. They go out of their way to make rules that favor major market teams and don’t hide their desire to for such teams to be successful. And the new CBA only does a little to change that. Above all, it was recently alleged, with a bevy of supporting evidence, to be “fixed.” And the league’s response? “Nothing to see here. Move along.” What a joke.

Booze & Music
I can’t write about booze this week, as I was denied buying my weekend 6-pack at Wegman’s because my license had expired. For real. I guess I should be thankful because I never would have noticed and for some reason the DMV never sent me a renewal, but it was still difficult watching my mixed-six of winter ales get taken away and walked back to the shelves.

On my list of pumpkin love, it’s pumpkin pie, followed by pumpkin ale, then The Smashing Pumpkins, narrowly edging out “punkin chuckin.” Well, #3 just re-released “Siamese Dream” with a second disc full of demos/acoustics/etc. If you are short on cash after Black Friday shopping, you may be able to download the new album HERE. [They also re-released “Gish.” Awesome.]

Gavin Floyd
He bought somebody a pair or prosthetic legs. Really. Nice story. You can read it HERE.

Tebow
I’m still riding the Tebow bandwagon. I recommend getting on because this thing probably won’t last very long. This week’s Tebow Fun Facts:

- Tebow has already beaten every team in the AFC West, on the road. Say what you want about the garbage in that division, winning on the road in the NFL is never easy.
- Tebow has one turnover in 236 touches. By comparison, Eagles quarterbacks have turned the ball over 21 times (18 INT, 3 Fumbles).

Minor Leauge Depth- Misch & Frandsen

2011-11-29T14:19:00.007-05:00

The Phillies signed Pat Misch and Kevin Frandsen to minor league contracts.

Misch is a left-handed pitcher that has seen time with the Giants and Mets over the years (2006-2011). In 6 MLB seasons he's put together an ugly 4-15 record with a 4.80 ERA/1.42 WHIP spanning 200.2 IP in 78 appearances. And before you get the idea that he might be a cheap option for second lefty in the bullpen behind Antonio Bastardo, guess again. Just like Raul Valdes, Misch has worse splits against lefties than righties. This is why he's a future Iron Pig and not a Phillie.

Frandsen was in the Phils organization last year and did get an endorsement from this blog to be promoted over in place of Michael Martinez, but that was before he was suspended 50 games for Ritalin. He's a career .243/.636 hitter over 5 MLB seasons with the Giants and Angels (2006-2010). Last year in the minors he hit .309/.791 at age 29 while playing 2nd/3rd/SS/1st. I still like him better than Martinez.

Update:
*Scott Mathieson has been released. Rumor has it that he'll be pitching for an Asian team next year. The 27 year old Canadian compiled a 1-4 record with a 6.75 ERA in 44 IP for the Phillies in parts of 3 seasons.

*Scott Podsednik is back next year on a minor league deal. The speedy 35 year old outfielder ended the year in the Phils organization (.254/.735 in a minors in 2011). Last played in the Majors in 2010, batting .297/.724 between the Royals and Dodgers. He's good depth should the Phils non-tender Ben Francisco and one of the starting outfielders gets hurt.

Ed Wade Dissed and Dismissed

2011-11-28T07:52:00.005-05:00

The Astros have finally figured out what the Phillies already knew...Ed Wade sucks. Wade has been relieved of his duties as Houston's General Manger. After trading the Phillies Lidge, Oswalt, and Pence the cupboards are bare, so I am not sad to see him go. I suspect he doesn't find an employer anytime soon, unless it's at Target or K-Mart as seasonal help.

Stuff:
*Jimmy Rollins turned 33 years old yesterday. Did Ponce de Leon find the Fountain of Youth yet?

*The Phils received Adam Worthington from the Diamondbacks to complete the Mike Zagurski trade. Worthington is a 24 year old right-handed relief pitcher that has a 4.34 ERA/1.35 WHIP in 3 minor league seasons, none above Single-A. In other words, he won't be heard from again unless he's suspended for PEDs or something.

*Amaro offered arbitration to Raul Ibanez with supposedly a "gentleman's agreement" that he won't accept. Is the supplemental pick really worth a $10M risk? The answer is- No. Ibanez is a good guy and by all account so is his agent, but you have to be a bit leery when dealing with that kinda money.

Name That Phillie - I Love the 80's Edition

2011-11-26T09:15:00.004-05:00

This 80's ~~superstar~~ dud had a .303 batting average in 3 seasons with the Phillies Triple-A affiliate in Portland, Oregon. Having near ready minor league talent the entire way across the country doesn't make sense, so it remains a head-scratcher as to why the Phils ever did it. Of course much of the 80's and 90's were one big fubar in Phillies history. Anyway, see if you can name this Phillie...

Fill in the Blank - Ruben Amaro

2011-11-25T09:10:00.004-05:00

Ruben Amaro Jr. is a(n) _______________ GM.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T08:13:00.001-05:00

Wednesday Morning Bench Coach

2011-11-23T03:30:00.002-05:00

Getting’ Wiggy With It?
[Sorry ‘bout that sub-title. It’ll never happen again.]

I like this move for the Phils. It gives them short-term insurance for Howard at first and long-term they get a serviceable alternative to Polanco/LF a few times a week and then a more than serviceable RH bat off of the bench.

Also, remember when the guy from Yahoo!!!!! tried to steal our “Howard?” From the "Closing Time" blog by Scott Pianowski in April 2010 – “Ty Wigginton(notes) gave us the Wiggy Hat Trick on Monday, a homer, an error and a strikeout.”

If I was a Rockies fan, I think I would be a bit confused by Colorado giving away Wigginton AND $2 million dollars. Odds are, the Phils won’t give the Rox much in return… because they don’t have that much to give. The French reliever, maybe?

A few articles on the interweb have speculated that the Rockies were searching for “salary relief.” Really? $2 milliion in salary + some cash or PTBN is relief.

This is just another example of how the economics in baseball are totally jacked. There are the “haves” and the “have-nots” and if your team in the latter group, good f’n luck. I love the Phils and I love that they have money, but this league is the most competitively unbalanced in American sports. It’s wrong and eventually, like ignoring the steroid problem, it will come back to bite MLB in the ass. At some point it will not benefit the owners of the “have-nots” to just take their beating and their money and keep quiet. Ask the NBA how promoting unbalance is working for the 2011/2012 season…

/off soapbox

more ATJ...

Clint Barmes
Well, I guess the Pirates needed somebody to play shortstop. And somebody had to sign Clint Barmes. Match made in heaven?

So this is what $5.25 million a season gets you these days…

Verlander / Braun MVP
Justin Verlander should not have won the MVP because it should be given to a position player.

Ryan Braun should not have won the MVP because Matt Kemp had a better season.

If I was a voter, I would give the Cy Young to the best pitcher and the MVP to the best position player. Here's why - a players value to his team is the same regardless of how many wins the team gets which is dependent on so many other variables. The best player is always the most valuable. Therefore, my MVPs this season are Jose Bautista and Matt Kemp.

Now, if baseball would create a Cy Young equivalent for position players (Babe Ruth Award?) then I would entertain the ridiculous argument of stats + team record + "value" that people have every year when talking MVP and consider a pitcher for the award.

Penn State

I’m not going to comment on the whole Penn State scandal, but somethingcame through ESPN yesterday that was laughable. From the .com article:

“Former Penn State student disciplinarian Vicky Triponey tells The Wall Street Journal thatfootball players were treated "more favorably than other students accusedof violating the community standards as defined by the student code ofconduct."

This is news? Athletes playing major college sports are treated differentlyand “more favorably.” Holy freaking shit, no way! Who would have thought that?Thank you ESPN for enlightening all of us.

Idiots.

Booze & Music
If you live in the state of Pennsylvania, starting tomorrow, Tullamore Dew 10 Year Old is on sale for $27.99.

After watching that Captain Morgan rum commercial for the 100th time, I'm now addicted to that White Stripes song...

Wild Card
I want to go on record HATING the second Wild Card. After a 162 game season they’ll have a one game playoff series. Really? I think a five game set in the division series is too short. One game is ridiculous. I’ve heard not good arguments for this change except it allows MLB to sell two more “playoff” games and make some more money.

Tim Tebow
Besides the greatness of the Packers and the train wreck in Philadelphia, is there anything more fun to watch in the NFL than Tim Tebow winning games running the triple option?

It’s been painful to watch the non-stop Tebow talk for the last 6 months, but this is really fun. Listening to people constantly bash the guy, however, is not entertaining to me. And I’m not talking about the football pundits trashing his throwing motion, I’m talking about the people intolerant of his religion and his right to express his faith as often as he wants. I couldn’t help but think when I watched a defensive player perform a mock prayer after sacking Tebow, would that be acceptable if he was mocking a religion other than Christianity? Doubtful.

Then, a friend of mine, after making negative comments about Tebow and Tebow supporters, made the following comment on Facebook – “I just think this weird hero worship, man crush thing a lot of people have with him is weird.”

No. It’s not weird. People have “hero worshipped” pro athletes for centuries. Here’s what is weird. As of October, Michael Vick had the third highest selling jersey from NFL.com. Really? You have to pick a specific player to support and it’s a convicted dog torturer? Of course, double murder accomplice Ray Lewis was also in the top 25 in jersey sales. I guess those guys are the real heros…

Phillies Minor League Managers

2011-11-22T09:33:00.011-05:00

Phillies Minor League Managers
Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs:
Ryne Sandberg
Reading Phillies:
Dusty Wathan
Clearwater Phillies:
Chris Truby
Lakewood BlueClaws:
Mickey Morandini
Williamsport Crosscutters:
Andy Tracy

Papelbon a "Junk Baller"?

2011-11-21T12:22:00.000-05:00

From a post I did on More Hardball back in 2008...

Being a former college athlete I'm sorta okay with that whole butt slap thing, but grabbing another dude's junk is out of line and borderline (ahem...over-the-top) gay.

Yep, that's Jonathan Papelbon in the picture grabbing the crotch of Manny Ramirez. Does this make Papelbon (aka- Cinco Ocho) a "junk baller"?

Welcome Aboard Wigginton

2011-11-20T20:04:00.002-05:00

That shrewd bastard Ruben Amaro Jr. has done it again, nabbing Ty Wigginton from the Colorado Rockies for a player to be named later or cash. Wigginton plays 3rd/1st/2nd and corner outfield.

With Wiggy aboard this likely means the courtship between the Phils and Michael Cuddyer is over, and that's a relief. Amaro got the Rockies to pay half of Wiggy's $4M salary, and he's only under contract for 1 year. Far better than the 3 year $30M deal that Cuddyer would have likely commanded.

The stats- 34 years old, .265/.768 hitter in 10 seasons with 158 homeruns and 548 RBI. He played for the Pirates back in 2004-05, so he becomes a Phucco. Last year with Colorado he hit .242/.731, 52 R, 21 DBL, 15 HR, 47 RBI, and 8 SB in 130 games. He's a boost to the bench and allows Manuel to give Polanco, Howard, or Utley a day off without having to worry about Wilson Valdez hitting into a double play or Michael Martinez sucking.

Holy Trinity of Arms

2011-11-20T08:12:00.001-05:00

Name That Phillie: 70's Uniform Edition

2011-11-19T08:48:00.005-05:00

With the Toronto Blue Jays unveiling a new/old school logo next year, I thought it would be appropriate to pay homage to the powder blue/maroon uniforms of yesteryear that the Phillies wore. Go ahead, name that Phillie...

Truly Aces

2011-11-18T09:01:00.004-05:00

Yesterday Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels finished 2nd, 3rd, and 5th respectively in the NL Cy Young Award voting. The trio had an amazing season and much the same can be expected heading into 2012.

The Holy Trinity's Collective 2011 Stats:
50-23, 95 GS, 17 CG, 7 SHO, 682.1 IP, 121:652 BB:K, 2.51 ERA, 1.02 WHIP.

*Picture borrowed from The Zo Zone.

Schneider Robs Phils & Minor League Grab Bag

2011-11-17T14:26:00.001-05:00

*Why couldn't have Schneider disappeared like the man he's pictured with above?

Brian Schneider will "earn" a guaranteed 1 year $800K contract in 2012 with the Philadelphia Phillies with another $200K in incentives dangling like a carrot before the horse. All that for a .502 OPS and 13% CS. Essentially he'll will be robbing the Phils next season. Blame Amaro!
_____________________________________________

The following is a list of some minor league free agents I feel as a wannabe GM the Phils should throw a bone and add for depth playing for the Iron Pigs.

RHP:
Stephen Marek
Robert Coello
Jhonny Nunez
Joe Martinez
Matt Daley - Bucknell University graduate, my Alma Marta.
Jose De La Torre
Robinson Tejada - former Phillie
Eric Wordkemper
Winston Abreu
Mark DiFelice - 3.77 ERA/1.22 WHIP with nearly a K per inning in the Majors.

LHP:
Clay Zavada
Eric Stults
Brad Kilby
Rich Rundles
Victor Garate
Justin Hampson
Ryan Edell - in Phils system last year
Alberto Castillo
Tommy Hottovy

UTL:
Tony Abreu - 27 years old, .310/.799 in 8 minor league seasons.
Diory Hernandez
Brendan Harris
Argenis Reyes
Jesus Merchen - used to be in Phils system
Drew Sutton - 28 years old, .280/.815 in 8 minor league seasons.
Jayson Nix
Angel Berroa
Hector Luna

Corners:
Nick Evans
Jorge Cantu

OF:
Antoan Richardson
Brett Carroll
Jordan Brown
Brendan Katin - .262/.874 over last 4 seasons in AAA
Drew Locke
Brandon Moss - September callup for Phils
Wilkin Ramirez

Wednesday Morning Quarterback

2011-11-16T07:54:00.003-05:00

I’ve got a new off-season ~~ploy to keep at least a few people coming to the website~~ feature to introduce today: Wednesday Morning Bench Coach.

It’s a play on the old tried and true Monday Morning Quarterback column that everyone does where they second guess the events of the previous weekend. Basically, there’s stuff I want to say that’s too long for Twitter, too short for an entire post, and usually not even related to the Phillies or baseball or even sports and this will be my outlet…because it’s my blog… and I can do what I want.

Hey ho, let’s go.

Second Catcher

Remember when Carson advocated Erik Kratz for backup catcher and didn't even list Brian Schneider as a viable option? Well, Carson ain't going to be happy. The Phils are re-signing Brian Schneider, according to "sources." Is a .500 OPS good?

more after the jump...

Nude Vick

There is a woman out there shopping “full frontal” nude pics of the Eagles interception thrower. Apparently, Ron Mexico sent the pic via cellular telephone technology. This all makes sense. Remember when Vick advocated for the Eagles to sign Brett Favre? Vick is now just like Favre… without the passing accuracy, leadership or Super Bowl victory.

Make It Happen

Love this quote from Papelbon – “One day, I finally told [my agent] - I said, 'I want to play for the Phillies and let's make it happen.’”

Booze and Music
Just a few recommendations - Jameson 12 Year Irish Whiskey and Ryan Adams' "Ashes & Fire"

All In The Family

The NL East family, that is. Here are free agents being linked in Rumorville to NL East teams:

Albert Pujols - Marlins (offered a 9 year contract…)

Jose Reyes – Marlins

Ryan Madson - Marlins

Jason Marquis – Mets

Roy Oswalt - Nationals

Cuddyer
The Phils met with Michael Cuddyer earlier, and it sounds like he wants to be a Philly. Charlie Manuel told a reporter that Cuddyer said, " Charlie, I'm a baseball player. I'll play anywhere you want me to play, and I'll do a good enough job that it will pass.

That's nice and all, but where's the money going to come from? It reminds me of my college recruitment. A number of really, really nice schools wanted me to participate on their Division III sports team. But since they were really, really nice schools full of really, really rich people, they gave me no money and I ended up in north Philadelphia on a drinking scholarship. Cuddyer wants the Phils. The Phils want Cuddyer. But eventually he'll have to follow the money elsewhere.

Fill in the Blank- Phillies 2012 SS

2011-11-15T09:43:00.003-05:00

The Philadelphia Phillies 2012 Opening Day shortstop will be _______________.

Top 10 Starting Pitchers in MLB

2011-11-14T11:11:00.004-05:00

What is an ace? Someone who consistenly wins games by continuing winning streaks, or halting a string of losses. Someone who takes the ball regularly and goes deep into games while keeping the opponent off the board in most of those frames worked. The following is my list of the Top 10 MLB Starting Pitchers in the game today, and is based off the last 3 seasons (2009-2011).

1. Roy Halladay 57-26, 97 GS, 723.1 IP, 26 CG, 9 SHO, 100:647 BB:K, 2.53/1.07, 22.2 WAR.

2. Justin Verlander 61-23, 102 GS, 715.1 IP, 11 CG, 3 SHO, 191:738 BB:K, 3.06/1.08, 21.7 WAR.

3. Cliff Lee 43-30, 94 GS, 672.2 IP, 19 CG, 9 SHO, 103:604 BB:K, 2.93/1.09, 20.5 WAR.

4. Clayton Kershaw 42-23, 96 GS, 608.2 IP, 6 CG, 3 SHO, 226:645 BB:K, 2.63/1.12, 15.6 WAR.

5. Felix Hernandez 46-31, 101 GS, 722 IP, 13 CG, 2 SHO, 208:671 BB:K, 2.73/1.14, 18.5 WAR.

6. Tim Lincecum 44-31, 98 GS, 654.2 IP, 6 CG, 4 SHO, 230:712 BB:K, 2.87/1.17, 17.3 WAR.

7. CC Sabathia 59-23, 101 GS, 705 IP, 7 CG, 2 SHO, 202:624 BB:K, 3.18/1.19, 18.8 WAR.

8. Jered Weaver 47-28, 100 GS, 671 IP, 8 CG, 4 SHO, 176:605 BB:K, 3.03/1.10, 15.3 WAR.

9. Matt Cain 39-30, 99 GS, 662.2 IP, 9 CG, 2 SHO, 197:527 BB:K, 2.97/1.12, 12.3 WAR.

10. Chris Carpenter 44-22, 97 GS, 665 IP, 8 CG, 3 SHO, 156:514 BB:K, 3.02/1.16, 14.2 WAR.

Honoralbe Mentions: Zack Greinke, Cole Hamels, Jon Lester, Dan Haren, and Ubaldo Jimenez.

WAR = Wins Above Replacement, provided by FanGraphs.com

Name That Phillie: Closer Edition

2011-11-13T09:05:00.005-05:00

In the spirit of the new Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon, WSBGMs wants to see if our readers recognize this past Phillies 9th inning specialist. Name that Phillie...

Watch Out For Miami Marlins

2011-11-12T08:15:00.003-05:00

It has been reported that the brand new Miami Marlins have made "substantial offers" to some of the biggest names on the free agent market this winter- Albert Pujols, Jose Reyes, and Mark Buehrle. This may seem laughable as a mere ploy to show the public that they (the Marlins) are trying to spend big and be competitive moving into a new home. However, this looks real deal Holyfield, because how could that trio possibly pass up the opportunity to wear these...

Greed Is Good

2011-11-11T16:06:00.001-05:00

Rube's done it again.

Jon Papelbon - 4 years, $50 million.

Discuss.

MLB Veterans Day

2011-11-11T05:09:00.011-05:00

On this day in America we honor the past and current members of our Armed Forces and give gratitude to those who risk their lives to protect our country. Happy Veterans Day.

Keeping with the "veteran" theme, I compiled a list of each MLB teams' longest tenured player, based on years of service.

Does not include free agents that would otherwise be team's "veteran"- Albert Pujols, Jimmy Rollins, Tim Wakefield, Michael Cuddyer, Jose Reyes, Paul Maholm, Ryan Doumit, Jonathan Broxton, and Jorge Posada.

AL East:
Baltimore Orioles - Brian Roberts/2001

Boston Red Sox - Kevin Youkilis/2004

New York Yankees - Mariano Rivera & Derek Jeter/1995

Tampa Bay Rays - BJ Upton/2004

Toronto Blue Jays - Dustin McGowan/2005

AL Central:
Chicago White Sox - Paul Konerko/1999

Cleveland Indians - Travis Hafner/2003

Detroit Tigers - Brandon Inge/2001

Kansas City Royals - Mitch Maier/2006

Minnesota Twins - Justin Morneau/2003

AL West:
Los Angeles Angels - Ervin Santana & Maicer Izturis/2005

Oakland Athletics - Kurt Suzuki, Dallas Braden & Daric Barton/2007

Seattle Mariners - Ichiro Suzuki/2001

Texas Rangers - Michael Young/2000

NL East:
Atlanta Braves - Chipper Jones/1993

Florida Marlins - Josh Johnson/2005

New York Mets - David Wright/2004

Philadelphia Phillies - Chase Utley/2003

Washington Nationals - Ryan Zimmerman/2005

NL Central:
Chicago Cubs - Carlos Zambrano/2001

Cincinnati Reds - Bronson Arroyo & Brandon Phillips/2006

Houston Astros - Wandy Rodriguez & Hunberto Quintero/2005

Milwaukee Brewers - Corey Hart/2004

Pittsburgh Pirates - Ross Ohlendorf, Evan Meek & Jeff Karstens/2008

St. Louis Cardinals - Chris Carpenter & Yadier Molina/2004

NL West:
Arizona Diamondbacks - Stephen Drew, Miguel Montero & Chris Young/2006

Colorado Rockies - Todd Helton/1997

Los Angeles Dodgers - Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, James Loney & Chad Billingsley/2006

San Diego Padres - Tim Stauffer/2005

San Francisco Giants - Matt Cain/2005

2nd Lefty- Raul Valdes?

2011-11-10T13:17:00.000-05:00

While the deal for Ryan Madson remains on hold, Amaro decided to sure up the bullpen by inking 33 year old lefty reliever Raul Valdes to a minor league deal. In 2 MLB seasons with the Mets, Cardinals, and Yankees, he has whittled his way through 70.2 innings with a 4.58 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. His minor league numbers aren't anymore encouraging- 4.63 ERA/1.47 WHIP.

Antonio Bastardo is currently the only lefty in the Phils bullpen. Joe Savery is an option, but an untested one. Maybe Valdes will slip into the second lefty in the 'pen role. Doubtful he has what it takes to be a LOOGY though, with a .322/.936 slash line allowed to left-handed batters. Yikes! It's likely safe to assume that this is nothing but Triple-A filler and that he'll only appear in a Phillies uniform in case of emergency (see Mike Zagurski, RJ Swindle, and Juan Perez for past examples). Although, he is Cuban, so maybe he was signed to keep Jose Contreras company.

In other news- Rod Barajas became a Phucco today, signing a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Would You Rather...? (Free Agent Closers)

2011-11-10T08:19:00.008-05:00

The reported contract between Ryan Madson and the Phillies is currently held up for a myriad of reasons. Since there is pause in the signing, I'd like to look at the crop of free agent closers and the speculative pricetag for each.

*Age listed for upcoming 2012 season.
#:# = BB:K, #/# = ERA/WHIP, % = Save Percentage

Past 3 Seasons:
Jonathan Papelbon (31) 4 yr/$50 - 194 G, 199.1 IP, 10-9, 62:239, 106 SV, 88.3%.

Ryan Madson (31) 4 yr/$44M - 196 G, 191 IP, 15-9, 51:204, 2.78/1.15, 47 SV, 78.3%, 44 HLD.

Heath Bell (34) 3 yr/$33M - 199 G, 202.1 IP, 15-9, 73:216, 2.36/1.16, 132 SV, 90.4%.

Francisco Rodriguez (30) 3 yr/$22.5M - 196 G, 197 IP, 13-10, 85:219, 2.88/1.26, 83 SV, 82.1%, 17 HLD.

Francisco Cordero (37) 2 yr/$14M - 211 G, 209 IP, 13-14, 88:159, 2.84/1.26, 116 SV, 86.6%.

Joe Nathan (37) 2 yr/$13M - 118 G, 113.1 IP, 4-3, 36:132, 3.18/1.02, 61 SV, 88.4%, 8 HLD.

Frank Francisco (32) 2 yr/$11M - 161 G, 152.2 IP, 9-11, 51:170, 3.71/1.24, 44 SV, 78.6%, 21 HLD.

Matt Capps (28) 2 yr/$10M - 200 G, 193 IP, 13-18, 47:139, 4.01/1.35, 84 SV, 80.1%, 8 HLD.

Jon Rauch (33) 2 yr/$9M - 187 G, 179.2 IP, 15-8, 51:131, 3.81/1.32, 34 SV, 73.9%, 23 HLD.

Madson Contract

2011-11-09T07:45:00.001-05:00

4 years, $44 million.

Discuss.

[Ryan Howard thinks he'll be underpaid.]

Fill in the Blank- Jimmy Rollins Contract

2011-11-08T09:55:00.003-05:00

Jimmy Rollins' contract "demands" are ____________________.

Backup Catcher- Go Cheap

2011-11-07T04:51:00.000-05:00

The free agent market for catchers is uninspiring. When the marque name is a 36 year old Ramon Hernandez, you know the pickings are slim. He's likely to command a multi-year deal in the neighborhood of $4M per, so no thanks. There are other viable options like Ryan Doumit, Chris Snyder, Rod Barajas, Ramon Castro, and Jose Molina, but I'd rather not guarantee any of them millions just to catch roughly 40 games.

Carlos Ruiz is the starter. When healthy he's on the field at least 5 times a week. Most of the catchers listed above want more playing time than what they'll likely get in Philly. Therefore, I suggest going cheap. Not Brian Schneider cheap either. Schneider is old (35) and can no longer hit or play solid defense anymore (-0.9 WAR in '11).

1st Choice- Erik Kratz. He's already in the Phillies system and has proven that his bat is worthy in the minors (.267/.810 in AAA), and he's gunned down 33% of base stealers too in 10 minor league seasons. He's a 31 year old "hometown" boy from Landsdale and is familiar with some of the Phillies pitchers because of spending last year in the organization.

2nd Choice- Max Ramirez. At one time, this 27 year old was a big time prospect. He's since been bounced around from organization to organization and lost that label. His minor league stats are encouraging- .295/.867 and even in 45 MLB games has shown the ability to get on base (.343 OBP) despite a low batting average (.217). He's the perfect guy to sign to a minor league contract and have compete for the backup job in spring training and stow away in Triple-A if he doesn't seize the opportunity to start the year.

3rd Choice- Ivan Rodriguez. Amaro has already added one ancient future Hall-of-Famer (Thome) to the 2012 Phils, why not another? Pudge remains an excellent defender and his desire to continue catching remains high in his quest for 3000 hits (currently at 2844). Sell him on the chance to handle the Phillies pitching staff and the shot at a World Series title and it might not take much to lure him to Philadelphia.

Other Options- Wilkin Castillo, Robby Hammock, Corky Miller, Omir Santos, Jose Morales, and Brad Davis all have MLB experience and are minor league free agents, so they will come cheap and add depth in the minors if not awarded the backup job out of spring training.

Name That Phillie: Cup of Coffee Edition

2011-11-06T07:27:00.004-05:00

With a Ted Williams-esque average and impeccable defense, this man's playing career in the Majors was fairly remarkable, albeit brief. He remains an active member of the game in the capacity of a coach. He was a component of the Phillies system as recently as the mid 90's. Go ahead, name that Phillie...

Thome, Thome, Thome

2011-11-05T06:55:00.004-04:00

Thome. Thome! Thome?

I like. I love. I question.

I like- The Phillies will be employing their first member of the 600 homerun club in franchise history in 2012 in the form of Jim Thome. Thome is a feared slugger that is very familiar with Philadelphia, as he played here from 2003-2005 racking up 96 homeruns and a .928 OPS. The price is right too: $1.25M.

I love- Even at the elderly age of 41 he can still wallop a ball and remains a high on base percentage player (.361 in '11). He'll surely be an asset to the Phils pinch hitting contingency. He's one of the good ol' boys of Major League Baseball and is a future Hall-of-Famer.

I question- Amaro went on record as to saying the Phillies need to get younger. Signing one of the oldest players in the game does not flow with that stream of conscious. Thome has not played the field regularly since leaving Philly and has not even manned 1st base since 2007. Certainly does not seem like a NL kinda guy. Maybe the Phils figure he can be a stopgap at 1st while Howard mends and then will be delegated to pinch hitting duties solely. However, he's only a .233/.762 career pinch hitter.

2012 Philadelphia Phillies Shortstops

2011-11-04T04:37:00.001-04:00

To hell with Jimmy Rollins, the Phillies re-signed Pete Orr to a minor league deal. Commence celebration. With super fast super utility player Michael Martinez, half man/half goat Wilson Valdez, "prospect" Freddy Galvis, and now Orr the Phils don't need no stinkin' J-Roll. They've got shortstop covered in 2012. Have fun finding your mythical 5 year deal Jimmy. No members of the quartet can hit a lick, but who cares the Phils have 3 aces!

I'm being completely facetious of course.

The Glove of Rollins

2011-11-03T05:11:00.001-04:00

Jimmy Rollins has committed only 26 errors over the past 4 seasons in 512 games, covering 4484 innings. He might be losing a step or two in regards to his range, but he remains sure-handed. Conversely, Starlin Castro of the Chicago Cubs had 29 errors just last year. Yikes!

Fielding percentage might not be a sexy Sabermetric geek stat like UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating), but it does show a player's ability to at the very least make the routine play, and J-Roll does that quite well, leading baseball in fielding percentage at SS over the last 4 years (.988). Of course, Jimmy's UZR (27.3, 3rd in MLB) ain't bad either over that time frame.

We all know Rollins is declining offensively and is becoming more injury prone with every year tacked on to his age, but fact remains, he's still a top shortstop in the game. Ex-GM Jim Bowden, now of XM Radio, suggested Jimmy is in line for a 3 year $39M deal. That's a steep price, but one that the Phils may have to pay considering the cupboard for SS is bare aside from Jose Reyes (and price and douchiness prohibit his signing). Do you want Clint Barmes, Jamey Carroll, Ronny Cedeno, Rafael Furcal, Yuniesky Betancourt, Alex Gonzalez, Edgar Renteria, Michael Martinez, or Freddy Galvis as the Phils 2012 starting shortstop? Yeah, didn't think so. Sadly, going to have to overpay.

Polly is Golden

2011-11-02T09:04:00.004-04:00

What do Darin Erstad and Placido Polanco have in common that set them apart from all other players in baseball's history?

No, Polly wasn't a college punter for Nebraska like Erstad. Rather, they are the only two that have ever won Gold Gloves at multiple positions. Erstad was a tremendous outfielder and decent at 1st base too (3 GG in his career). Polly picks it well all over the diamond and has won 2 GG at 2nd base in the past and was awarded the GG for 3rd base this year. Baseball-Reference.com credits Erstand with a 14.3 DWAR and Polanco with a 12.1 DWAR for their careers. DWAR = Defensive Wins Above Replacement.

Congrats to Placido Polanco, who with this recognition of his excellent fielding shows that he brings something to the team, because he sure as hell can't hit anymore.

Bad News for Phillies, Bloggers

2011-11-01T08:58:00.002-04:00

The Braves traded Derek Lowe to the Indians yesterday for a minor league pitcher. The Braves will pay Lowe $10 million of the $15 million he is owed in 2012.

This is bad news for the Phils. The drunk-driving home-wrecker was 1-4 with a 5.14 ERA against the Fightins last year. He would have been a great asset for the Phillies by pitching for the Braves next season. Instead, he'll help the Tigers win the AL Central.

It's also bad for bloggers like myself because I lose the chance to make fun of his ridiculous behavior.

In other drunk-driver news, Tony LaRussa retired.

Happy Halloween- Phillies Style

2011-10-31T09:02:00.004-04:00

(Left-Right)
Back Row: Charlies Manuel, Ruben Amaro, Bea Arthur, & Roy Halladay

Front Row: Joe Blanton, Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, & Vance Worley

With 5 straight NL East Division championships heading into the 2012 season, a 6th will be on the line and the above cast of characters will play a large role in that expected success. You've got the fearless leader- Fuqua, smug GM- Rube, good luck charm- Bea, and starting rotation- Doc, Lee, Hamels, Blanton, and the Vanimal.

Phillies Inspired Halloween Costumes

2011-10-30T08:47:00.005-04:00

WSBGMs Offseason Plans

2011-10-29T05:31:00.002-04:00

What's a Phillies blogger to do until spring training starts? Of course there's the Hot Stove rumor mill, the comings and goings of players, and updates on current players' statuses. That's all the normal stuff you would expect to find on the other Phils blogs. That's not us. We do that...and MORE!

WSBGMs Offseason Plans:
*Fill in the Blanks (ex - Ryan Howard is __________.)
*Phlashback Phridays (ex - Noles & Thon: The Dickies)
*Phillies themed crossword puzzles (ex - Phighin' Phils)
*Name that Phillie (ex - Who the hell is this?)
*Random funny Phils inspired Photoshops (ex - Fuqua + Quotes + Photoshop)
*Song parodies (ex - Bohemian Manuel)
*What's the #?
*Off Beat Wednesday (chance to blog about anything we desire, but usually still rooted in baseball)
*Fan Caves (Corey and I will each share pictures of ours, in hopes that you'll show us yours...sounds so perverted)

Charlie In TV - Vol. 1

2011-10-28T04:02:00.001-04:00

Last week I did Charlie in the movies. This week, he's taking over television.

Charles In Charge

Show description – Charles is a young baseball player but only can get contract offers from teams in Japan. To work on his game, he takes a part-time job living with a host family. He stays in their basement and in return babysits the family’s children and occasionally gives them love and hitting advice. His quirky friend, Buddy, is always hanging around. Hilarity ensues.

Episode 1- “Buddy Better Start Hitting”

Show Highlights – Charles takes Buddy to the batting cage. Buddy sucks. However, Charles notices that Buddy is exceedingly quick. Buddy gets 100+ at-bats for the Charles’ rec league softball team and hits a shade over .190.

CSI: Miami

Show description: Charlie leads a team of sharply dressed crime scene investigators who solve murder mysteries in southern Florida.

Episode 1- “Moonshot Over Miami”

Show Highlights – The show has a sizzling opening that climaxes in one of Fuqua’s classic one liners:

Scene – Marlins Ballpark, 8th inning of a game in September
Police Officer – Sir, we found a murder victim sitting in a seat above the left field wall. It was reported by a fan in one of the luxury boxes, just after Hanley Ramirez refused to run out a grounder in the 7th.
Charlie – Well, our dad-gum suspect is probably still here. Call my wife, officer, tell her… [slowly and deliberately puts on sunglasses] that I’ve gone… fishing.
/cue Roger Daltrey’s yell

Other highlights include Charlie picking up Jack McKeon’s cigar butt and placing it in a plastic bag using forceps and Charlie enjoying a mojito, shirtless sunbathing on South Beach.

The Cosby Show

Show description – Dr. Charles Manuel lives and works out of his brownstone townhouse in Old City Philadelphia accompanied by his lawyer wife and five children. Hilarity ensues.

Episode 1 – Who’s Dad-gum Kids Are These?”

Show Highlights – Dr. Manuel wastes no time in asking for a paternity test for each and every kid. When the tests show that the father is actually arch rival Dr. Dusty Baker, Charlie files for divorce. There will be no further episodes.

Crossword Puzzle- 1990's Phillies Edition

2011-10-27T17:19:00.006-04:00

Across:
1. Schmidt's successor
6. Gold Glove catcher of '99
9. 2nd baseman that shared name with famous mouse
10. One-Nut
11. Lovingly referred to as "Tank"

Down:
2. Pompous ass
3. Outfielder that spelled 1st name with a double "g"
4. Created a stir in his rookie season, some sort of "mania"
5. Fell 2 homeruns shy of 400 for his career
7. Bible toting ex-porn addict
8. Mr. Smuggy McSmuggerson (aka- our GM)

*Answers- last name only

Fill In The Blank: Ryan Howard

2011-10-26T09:33:00.002-04:00

Ryan Howard is _______________.