Morning Wood: Hunter Pence Edition

Hunter_pence_lindsay
In your head, in your head

Giants, Giants, Giants

Hey, hey, hey

What's in your head, in your head

Giants, Giants, Giants

Hey, hey, hey, hey

Oh, do, do, dou, do, do, dou, do, do

Dou, do, do, dou, dou, do, do, dou

 

The Phillies lost another one to the Giants, 4-1. Charlie Manuel said they are not in the Phillies’ heads:

“They’re not in our heads. We can get ‘em. I know we can. It’s a matter of putting it together.”

 

He's right, the Giants are not in the Phillies' heads… they just have better pitching. Technically.

The Giants are the only team in the National League with a lower ERA than the Phillies (3.06 vs. 3.11). They have same amount of quality starts (69- heh) and a better opponent batting average (.227 vs. .239). Consequently, the same problems from last year's NLCS showed up this week: The Giants have a bevy (I. Love. That. Word.) of quality starters, an unbelievable relief corps, and a frightening closer. Literally. As an observer, I've lost all faith in the Phillies scoring runs once the game is turned over to the Giants' bullpen. This team makes Chase Utley and Ryan Howard disappear. 

As such… late last night, Ken Rosenthal reported that the Phillies were making progress in trade talks for Hunter Pence and, currently, Dom Brown would not be on the table, which is just great because he would probably fall off it, anyway: [FOX Sports]

The package going from Philadelphia to Houston for Pence would include Class A right-hander Jarred Cosart and Class A first baseman Jonathan Singleton, sources said.

The teams, however, continue to haggle about a third and possibly fourth player in the deal. Phillies outfielder Domonic Brown is not currently in the trade, according to one source; the Astros prefer younger prospects.

 

Jesus, it's like Rube's pissed that, if even for a day, Howie Roseman appeared to have the bigger dick. Nuh uh, says Rube, let me call my friend Ed Wade.

This would be an absolute heist, though I would do the trade whether it included Brown or not. Despite the opinions of the stat heads and blind loyalists, Pence is 28 (prime, yo), an All-Star, durable, and uber well-round: hits for average (career .290), with power (three straight seasons with 25 home runs), lots of doubles (already 24 this year), can run (15 steals per year), can field (unlike Dom Brown), and would be an immediate fan favorite with his quirky, all-out style of play. There are very few guys outside of the Phillies who I follow on a consistent basis, and he is one of them. 

Brown has shown us very little, albeit in a small sample size. Yes, he is fast and strong… but his bat takes 30 minutes to get through the zone, he continuously makes bonehead plays that go well beyond "rookie mistakes," and he can't field. At all. The highest ceiling for Brown is someone just slightly better than Pence (think 2009 Jayson Werth). Why wait and cross fingers, when you could essentially press the fast-forward button and bring the right-handed version of Brown here now?

Plus, Pence would be adored in this city. He's goofy and good- a rare combination. And loves pancakes, too:

I’ll have what he’s having.

In case you needed any more convincing, Pence is reportedly dating Houston Texans cheerleader Lindsay Slott:

Lindsay_slott

Tim Lincecum bothers me:

Screen Shot 2011-07-29 at 9.07.03 AM

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Finally, this guy:

Wilson_picture

H/T to Michael for the screen grab

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45 Responses

  1. “Dom Brown is not on the table, which is just great cause he’d probably fall off.” LMAO!

  2. “fall of it”
    Proofread your shit man. You lack credibility when you have numerous fuck ups.

  3. Brown is not a piece to be traded. If you don’t want him in the starting lineup that’s one thing, but have a little patience.
    And “team specific blog?” That’s not Crossing Broad. Which is also why I like it. Covers all Philly.

  4. olo- i know, but that also includes regional blog. kind of a pain they don’t have a category for city, but that’s the one we qualify for.
    Danny- Get a life.

  5. kyle, the dom brown joke would have been really good if i didn’t read “fall of it”. even though i knew what you were going to write before i read it – i still read “of” and i ended up being pissed for some reason.
    Again, D Brown needs to be demoted, trade for Pence or start mayberry consistently.
    before the season everyone was saying “you could start right field and we will still win.” — oh, really? ..the injury to polanco is some how showing our hole in right field even more. get healthy polly, get going frisco, hello pence.

  6. Im trying to help you. Do yahoo and ap and si have as many errors as this site? No. So lighten up kyle.

  7. thanks to you that awful cranberries song is in my head. i’m gonna need to listen to slayer to cleanse myself of it.

  8. I would fuck the shit out of Pence’s chick. She would be a welcome addition to Philly

  9. Kyle, are you able to introduce some kind of “like” system for comments? be pretty sweet.

  10. I love how you call people that refer to dom brown’s stats to support their reason’s for not trading him as stat head’s. People using logic and statistical evidence to back up their conclusions are stat heads. Good stuff.

  11. K- I don’t think Typepad has that as an option, but I’ll see what I can do. I agree with you.

  12. Can someone answer me this? Now, I know I have a lot of stupid fucking people for friends, most of which gave not a shit about Philadelphia baseball before September, 2008. But, for the love of God, how was last night’s loss Kendrick’s fault? He’s a number 5 starter. If he throws >5 and gives up <5, he does his job.
    But I AM glad that I'm not the only one seeing how Dom can cost us this season. Where was he on Marty's horrible play in the 7th? I can tolerate a young player misplaying a hit ball, or reading a hit wrong and making a baserunning mistake. But baseball common sense tells you that on a ground ball on the left side, the right fielder has to back up. I learned that when I was fucking 7, and I didn't play right field a day in my life. I can't deal with the lack of hustle. I can deal with the misplay mistakes, but not the lack of hustle.

  13. if i could like your comment, joe – i would.
    KK actually pitched well. another example of a dumb ass fan/ woman fan — i heard this during the telecast, while charlie was taking out kyle, a woman screamed – “charlie, it’s not kyle’s fault! it’s howards!” she got it right about kyle, but she failed big time by saying that play was howards fault.
    Dom Brown needs a stern talking to, a spranking, and then sent to his room! (AAA)

  14. @Joe
    Whoever said last night was Kendrick’s fault is mightily fucking stupid, friend or not. Unearned runs- not his fault. Fact the offense can’t score more than one run against Lincecum- not his fault. Kendrick has been doing his job- admirably. The Phils are (am I really saying this?!) lucky to have Kendrick this year. He has filled in nicely.

  15. I still remember the feeling I felt deep in my loins when dom damn near broke the right field wall to pieces with his first ab in the majors. It was a tingle very similar to the first time I hooked up with a chick and I had on mesh shorts with no boxers. Summer of 93, was still playing on 60 foot base paths…what a wonderful time. Oh, my point is I have an emotional (as well as physical) connection to Dom and would like to see him here a bit longer. However, Pence’s chick kind of does the same thing for me, so I guess I could deal. I’m confused now.

  16. “The highest ceiling for Brown is someone just slightly better than Pence (think 2009 Jayson Werth).”
    Are you high? Domonic Brown is 23 years old, and has less than one full season under his belt. Chase Utley had the same struggles in his first season. He was not a good hitter and wasn’t a good fielder, but that worked out well for everyone, didn’t it?
    And that “ceiling” that think Brown has is much better than anything that Pence has ever done or will ever do, by the way.
    Why does everyone think that Domonic Brown is going be the downfall of the Phillies in 2011? They’ve got the best record in baseball and are a mortal lock to make the playoffs. You think that Dom Brown is someone going to wreck that?
    Jesus, you people are ignorant.

  17. @Jay
    Want to know why people are scared? Yes, best record in baseball. Lock to make the playoffs. What happened last year vs. the Giants? Offense was shut down. IF that happens again, defense is key. You make an error, it CAN cost you a game, which, in turn, can cost you a series. This season is too important for that.
    And Kyle’s right, they aren’t just rookie mistakes. If you are not defensively sound, you’re taught since tee ball to catch with two hands. Even when he makes the plays, it’s scary.

  18. Seems to me that Brown made several crucial plays the last couple of nights that cost us DEARLY.
    And gotta say, I’m relatively indifferent to most of the other teams. Of course, the tomahawk chop drives me nuts. But Goddamn, if I don’t HATE the Giants, esp. Lincecum and Wilson! The fact that he’d go and tweet something like that is a great example of why. Arrogant little prick…

  19. I want Pence, but not for Brown.
    Dom Brown is a rookie. Rookies will make mistakes. Peyton Manning was absolutely horrendous his rookie year. Look what he’s become. Dom Brown still has a higher BA, OBP, and OBPS than “franchise savior” Jason Heyward. Give him some time to live.

  20. Lindsay Slott … holy cow …
    Can you imagine her in a cat fight with Ryan Howard’s chick?

  21. @Jay, Tommy K
    Should have said it in my first post, but yeah, I absolutely don’t want to give up on Dom Brown. I’d rather trade other players for Pence, then send Brown down for the rest of the year to get everyday PT in AAA. An outfield next year of Pence, Victorino, and either Brown or a Brown/Mayberry platoon would look awfully good.
    That being said, if the deal absolutely would not get done for Pence without including Brown, I do it. Hesitantly, but I do it. This year is just too damn important.

  22. Don’t get rid of Dom Brown plzzzz RUBE. Seriously, the kid is still learning, It took Utley and Howard a few years in the Majors to improve their defense, Im pretty sure Victorino wasn’t a gold glover right when he entered the majors, even Jayson Werth with Blue Jays/Dodgers probably made his fair share of mistakes. Give him a chance people, it’s very rare for a rookie to be very good at everything.

  23. the Giants are a better team
    they do more with less
    they are coached better
    they field better
    this series was exactly like the playoffs
    Giants – fewer mistakes
    Giants – move runners – score runs
    Phillies – horrible at bats – don’t move runners – only score when HRs are flying
    this is why I cannot get excited about “Best record in baseball” win by 7 runs, go two games with 0 (ZERO) earned runs – shoddy fielding to boot – bad execution – when they do bunt – they mess it up

  24. @Jmac
    I’ll still take charlie any day. I doubt Bochy does as well with as many times he’s Charlie has had to mix and match his lineup and his BULLPEN. Imagine what Bochy would have done if, Wilson, then his setup man went down. Would they have had the bullpen success the Phillies had? Btw we still have made the least Errors in the NL and second least in all of MLB with 49 in 103 games. San Fran in 12th with 71 out of 15 in the NL so yeah I’ll still take out defense, just that series came down to they outpitched us. Lincecum vs Kendrick cmon. Hamels should have won they just couldn’t beat a guy they usually have whooped.

  25. The Phillies wouldn’t give up Dom Brown for Roy Halladay, they should in no way give up Dom Brown for Hunter Pence. I think the Phillies need to get Pence, but not at the expense of Brown. After this year Ibanez is gone, I would like to have both Brown and Pence.
    Also Kyle, Brown’s ceiling is slightly better than Pence is right now? Where do you get your information. The only reason I go to this site is because you put the news up on Philly sports first. You’re an idiot though.

  26. I guess it really amps little Timmie Pinch-his-cum(-nub) to fake food poisoning just so he can go up instead of Kendrick instead of Vanimal. I still believe the Phillies would have won that game.
    I don’t think the Giants are in the Phillies head. I just believe the Giants had an easier schedule with a day-off before the series, so the Phillies might have been a little tired and the rain amplified their mistakes from their fatigue.
    I’m with you, I wouldn’t miss Brown if he got shipped off with the other two Class A’s. But maybe by being hesitant, RAJ is getting into Houston’s head a little.

  27. “… so he can go up instead of Kendrick instead of Vanimal.”
    Correction:
    “… so he can go up against Kendrick instead of Vanimal.”
    I got a little food poisoning myself. Shyte, expiration dates are important.

  28. If the Giants aren’t flat out in the Phillies collective heads, then they’re just outside the front door like a pack of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I will agree with JMac that the Giants certainly do more with less, but even they had to address their glaring deficiences on offense by trading for Carlos Beltran. But I’m not terrified of the Giants, not by any stretch of the imagination, and who’s to say if the outcome would be the same should we face Frisco again in the postseason? Not me!

  29. pitching is the only thing tim lincecum has going for him. no one would like him in the real world.

  30. I don’t even care about the Phillies not being able to score runs at this point. Dom Brown is a liability defensively. Wicked Hard Core. With our offense as anemic as it is, we can’t afford to give up a run or two per series come October.

  31. Linecicum: Hippie skank
    Wilson: Moron with a fake colored beard.
    If any of those guys played on any other club, Linecicum would have his hair chopped off, and Wilson would never have been know for that skankish beard.

  32. My heart is walking around the big city in a pair of kids’ size 9 sneakers. And though I talk about how hard it is to be a mom sometimes, when he’s away from me, I count the seconds until he returns, like Mrs. Kletzky, scanning the passers-by on the sidewalk, waiting for a glimpse of a tousled cowlick, a striped shirt.

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