Today feels like Chase Utley Eulogy Day. And for good reason– it’s obvious that the Phillies’ current run of success is coming to an end, if not now, then soon.
But reports of the Phillies’ death have been greatly exaggerated.
The team won 102 games last season with tons of injuries. They’ve upgraded at closer. And, most importantly, they still have perhaps the three best pitchers in the National League.
Jonah Keri, author of The Extra 2%, penned an article for Grantland today, and while he admits that it’s bad, the SABR nerd also points out that the Phillies most likely remain the favorites to win (their sixth straight) NL East title: [Grantland]
It still might not matter. Use whatever attempts at logic you want to explain away last year's 102 wins (expected record based on runs scored and runs allowed was 103); the bottom line is this team was and is built on outrageously great starting pitching. Halladay, Lee, and Cole Hamels are great bets to vie for Cy Young honors again this year — if anything, Hamels's (sic) trends suggest another possible step up this season. Vance Worley got dismissed as a fluke, but he struck out batters at a higher rate than Hamels and a similar rate to Lee. Even a healthy Joe Blanton projects as a league-average pitcher, a great luxury to have in a fifth starter, assuming the Phillies don't dump his salary.
This is worth a read before you lock yourself in a room and watch Utley’s World Fucking Champions speech on loop (but the video is after the jump, in case you need to see it… and I’m not even joking when I say that, after writing the last sentence, I caught myself watching it… three times).
15 Responses
chase is an a-hole for lying to the phils about his injury
If not now, THEN soon. C’mon Kyle.
We got baseball action yo
Apostrophe-s after a noun ending in “s” is technically correct and considered acceptable usage. But I still read it as “Hamelsisis”.
Also, I read this whole article as: Let’s go Flyers!
wow, kg, so it is. never knew that. i should write for a living.
Opening Day get here please. I bet reports of Utley’s demise are greatly exagerated as well. Negadelphians…you guys are probably all premature ejaculators as well. A game that counts has not been played yet already the phils won a world series and then DOOM. Regardless of what happens with Utley and Howard, there are legit arms in the system to make up for any offensive shortfalls via trade this year. As long as the Phillies have pitching they’re a force to be reckoned with and it looks like they’ll have pitching for a long long time.
Phils should look at signing Johnny Damon, sucks to get older & he blows in the field but he plays 140 games a year (16 straight seasons), he’ll cost next to nothing on a one year deal, play Mayberry @ 1st, Damon in left, he should be able to provide “some” pop & a decent OBP
“Upgraded at closer”
Kind of like putting new paint on the Titanic if they can not score runs, right?
Can Papelbon play 2B?
What a waste of $50 million.
@MM
Thank you, every thing you have written is original, and has never been spewed here before. It looks like your parents were right, you really are special.
Signed,
Sarcasm
@MM
lol Negadelphians. I like it and I like your attitude.
http://www.philly.com/philly/health/Some-answers-from-an-expert-on-Chase-Utleys-knees.html
@Spanish Jose, you ever find your parents?
I fucking hate chase utley. Ive been saying it for two years that rollins and utley need to go because when they go down theyll bring the whole team down with them. i know im gonna get flak for this but what they really need to do is trust dom brown. they guys played in like 40 mlb games…thats really a good sample of good hes gonna be. rubes impatience with him is gonna murder his career the same way the flyers murdered antero niittymakis career. let him play and develop. yeah hes probly gonna struggle at first. every one does. let him get his feet wet and play he will come around. the guy is a wealth of talent and the phils are wasting it by not giving him his chance. after this year i dont care if victorino is back or not. i love him but frankly id rather see an outfield consisting of mayberry brown and pence
the offense is a lost cause though…shoulda signed reyes/ramirez/uggla when they had the chance
@MM
Duh, read the name bitch. They were deported YO!!!
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