PHILLY SPORTS CORNER

The lastest in Philly sports...


* PHILLIES-

Give the Phillies credit for sweeping the brief, two-game series against the Mariners in Seattle. Normally, the Phillies don't do well vs. American League teams, but the team got revenge for losing two games to the Mariners early in May in Philadelphia.

Once ace Felix (King) Hernandez looked like a shell of himself yesterday after a recent arm injury. Seattle isn't catching Houston in American League West ( no one is). The Mariners best hope is for the wild card. They are currently 3 games out of a wild card spot. The loser of the Yankees and Red Sox should grab one of the berths. I can't see Minnesota staying near the top of AL Central. Seattle can hit, but I'm not sure they have what it takes to make a sustained playoff run. Losing two straight to the worst team ni baseball can't help.

The Phils move on to New York for a weekend series with the Mets. They haven't had much luck against the Mets in recent years, but this Mets team is racked with injuries and not themselves anymore. They remain 11 1/2 games behind Washington in NL East.

As the All-Star Game draws near, the unofficial halfway point in the season, despite the dreadful season this has been for the Phillies- still on a pace to lose 110 games or more- some interesting stories are starting to develop:

* Tommy Joseph. He is having a good year, hitting around .260 with 13 homers. Is till think Joseph is nothing more than a good to average major league player, but he is a fighter and seems to be one of the few guys on this team that cares. I still want to see hot-prospect Rhys Hoskins soon, but two things can happen with Joseph now:

Either he is traded in the off-season, and if he continues to hit, should bring back a decent package in a trade, or, move Joseph to left field. I see him as a Pat Burrell- type, power with defensive flaws in the outfield. Why can't the Phillies look ahead and start playing Joseph in left field this summer? You've got nothing to lose, and rather then wait for winter ball or spring training, why not see what Joseph can do in left field now?

* Mychael Franco. I wouldn't give up on him yet. He's still young (24), has power and is better-than-average with the glove at third base. Plus his hitting woes may be effecting his defense. You don't have a capable replacement at third, either at the major league roster or even on the farm. Manny Machado of Baltimore won't be a free agent until after the 2018 campaign. So, I would play it out with Franco. If he needs to demote to Lehigh Valley to clear his head, so be it. I just don't feel a stint at Lehigh Valley is the answer right now.

* Howie Kendrick- Looks like he is broken down from a hamstring issue several weeks ago. He continues to hit, but he is a liability at second or in the outfield now. If Health, he is trade bait in July.

Speaking of which, Kendrick, Nava, Hellickson and Neshek should all go by the July 31 trade deadline. Other regular names- Herrera, Rupp, Joseph- can be addressing in the off-season.

* Hector Neris. He is now making his case to be the long-term answer as the closer. It's do or die for Neris now. He's not going back to the 8th inning  as set-up guy unless the Phils trade for a closer in the off-season. Guys like Neshek and Ramos and Benoit have tried to hands at the closer role and have failed. So, I would ride it out for the rest of the summer with Neris and then address the bullpen situation later.

* I look at the Phillies schedule the rest of the way: they play 16 of 19 games at Citizens Bank Park in September, imagine if the team was in  a pennant race. ).The LA Dodgers, currently sizzling-hot and leading NL West, visit in September for 4 games. It's sad that the Phillies will be mercifully playing out the string by the.n. Hopefully some of the kids at Lehigh Valley will be up with the big club by then, giving the fans a reason to watch.

My concern is the GM Matt Klentak will keep the Lehigh Valley squad together for as long as he could in order for the Iron Pigs to have a fighting chance in their playoffs. A noble reward for players who have played and came through the ranks together, seeking a championship . But what good does a minor league crown do for Phillies' fans? You an say being a winner would translate to winning in Philly soon,having a taste of success.

So, instead of bringing the kids up in August for a good two-moth look-see and giving the loyal fans a reason to care, I can easily see the ultra-conservative Phillies front office holding down the kids until mid-September.

* Pitching should be a major concern heading into 2018. Who can you really count on in the rotation now? All have been wildly inconsistent. There is no true ace. They ar eall no. 3-4 or 5 guys, pitchers such as Nola, Pivitta and Eichoff. Valaquez, Efflin and Thompson are all mysteries.

I think the Phillies will have a better offense once Hoskins, Couzins and Kingery get to Philly.I worry about the pitching, and help via free agency and trades is paramount this off-season.

* If the teams continues to lose and secures the overall no. 1 selection in the June 2018 draft, hopefully there is an ace-like, top of the rotation type guy out there to be had. Sounds like the power arms in the Phillies' farm system now ar eall at lower A-ball, which means a young guy like Sixto Sanchez, who consistently clocks in the mid to high 90s on the gun, won't be here until 2019-2020.

Clayton Kershaw is a name to remember after the 2018 season in free agency. Kershaw would give them a chance to win every 5 days. Add a Cole Hamels ( if he opts out of his contract in Texas after next season), and now you've suddenly got stability at the top of the rotation.

SIXERS-

Free agency starts this Saturday, July 1. Rumors are swirling that the Sixers have interest in J. J. Reddick ( they desperately need a shooter) and former 76'er Andre Iguodala.

Of course, Reddick would bring the legitimate 3-point threat to the line-up. Imagine Markette Fultz driving the lane, dumping off to a Joel Embiid, who then dumps off the a wide open Reddick for a can't-miss jumper?

In Iggy you know what you've got- a good defender with a so-so shot. Iguodala would need to know his role on the Sixers, and he has always been better as a complimentary player, not as "the man." Play him on the second unit with Sarac and Holmes and McConnell and all of a sudden you have a burst of energy from the bench.

PHILLY KIDS-

The atmosphere in Philadelphia sports in the last few years has been at an all-time gloomy low. But think of the young, bright lights on the horizon. There is hope.

Scott Kingery sounds like an exciting, hard-nosed, Chase Utley-type grinder at second base.I can't wait to see him in Philly, if not this summer then certainly in 2018.

Joel Embiid is fun, talented, smart, young, and dynamic. If only he can stay healthy, he could own Philadelphia. From his Shirley Temples to his Twitter proclamations ("Raise the Cat") to his quirky personality ( dancing shirtless  on stage at a hip-hop concert) to his dunks and 3-point shooting, he oozes style and uniqueness and fun.

Ben Simmons we don't know about because he hasn't played even a minute of NBA basketball. He could be great, as he showed at LSU with his passing and ability to jump and athleticism in getting to the basket, or he could be an over-rated stiff, another Shawn Bradley, a guy with loads of unfulfilled potential. We just don't know. Since he refuses to play in the summer league, and we are still not sure of any restrictions on his minutes once the season begins, we still won't know.

Nolan Patrick.Only 18, the recent Flyers top pick, by all accounts will be a solid starter for the Orange and Black, if only GM Ron Hextall lets him make the team and play. The Flyers have a bunch of so-so players now. They need a superstar. I'm not sure if Patrick is that guy. He's no Connor McDavid, but the Flyers really need a star to emerge.

Carson Wentz. Going into his second year, with added weapons around him in Jeffery and Smith, it's time for Wentz to take root and blossom into the quarterback star the Eagles hope to build around for the next 10-12 years. The Birds have playoff and Super Bowl hopes for the foreseeable future because of Wentz. NFL quarterback is probably the most important position in all of sports, and the Eagles finally hope to have a guy that can take them to the promised land.

No more pretenders like Foles, Bradford and Kolb. No more bums like Brister, Sanchez and Young. Finally, the Eagles have a quarterback worthy of Cunningham and McNabb.Wentz' sophomore year will be big, as he is the franchise. If he shines, the organization moves up a level toward greatness. if he fails, the entire franchise is doomed to mediocrity  and hopelessness for another generation.

Markelle Fultz. The Sixers' recent no. 1 draft pick is mature, talented and brings hope and excitement to a team that has been losing for so long. Suddenly, because of Fultz and Embiid and Simmons, Philly is excited ( 14,000 season ticket have been sold already) and can't wait to see Fultz, the consensus best player in this draft.

Playing in far-away Washington, and not playing in the NCAA tournament this year, Fultz  is a little bit of a mystery. But, form the highlights, he brings quickness, speed, good shooting and overall game to his point guard position, a need for the Sixers. And he is only 19.

Rhys Hoskins. Out of all the prospects in Lehigh Valley, I'm looking forward to seeing the young first baseman the most. He's got raw power, but he's disciplined at the plate. He gets on base, takes walks and doen't strike-out a lot for a power hitter. He brings much-needed hope to a Phillies line-up thirsting for power and stability.

OTHER-

Finally, love him or hate him columnist Marcus Hayes of the Daily News always is interesting I don't always agree with his opinions, but at least he thinks out of the box and gives his strong opinion, one way or another. He's not wishy-washy like many of the current, young writers and media in town.

I miss the days of Hochman, Lyon and Conlin. Those days are long gone Ray Didinger remains one of the lone writers of those days.. Today, the media is geared toward Twitter blurbs, podcasts and blogs, not well-thought-out, investigative stories like the old days.

Hayes brings some of the old to his articles. And whether you agree or disagree he is must-read now, and I find myself checking him out, even if I disagree with the headlight.

We need more of Marcus Hayes covering Philly sports.