I was there for the depressing 11-3 Phillies loss to the Brewers on Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Beautiful, sun=splashed spring day! Too bad the game sucked.
The Phillies' offense continues to be in a rut. They strike out too much. They are last in the league in stolen bases. Manager Gabe Kapler is playing like an American League skipper, too many times waiting for the three-run home run. More often than not it never comes.
Kapler said after the game that "action moves" need to be made. In other words, changes. Here are two I can think of right away..
1- Play Scott Kingery when he is healthy. Kingery was red-hot before he got hurt. Cesar Hernandez may be hitting .300 but is defense at second base has been awful so far this season. Maikel Franco at third has also cooler off, which is Franco's pattern- get hot then ice cold. Kingery can and should play some third base. Ideally, GM Matt Klentak should trade Hernandez or Franco while their value is high. Top prospect Alex Bohm will be taking over third down the road anyway.
2- Play Roman Quinn when he is healthy. I get it- Quinn gets hurt too much. Plus when he did have a chance to play when Odubel Herrera was on the Injured List, Quinn failed, striking-out a bunch of times.Kingery and Quinn should hit first and second, respectfully, bringing speed and energy to the line-up. Trade Herrera while his value is high. The club needs relief pitching to survive the season.
Kapler needs to forget analytics and use that speed more, putting pressure on opposing pitchers. If the team isn't hitting the offense must generate runs via steals, hit-and-runs, small ball tactics.
There is also reason to worry about the bullpen,e specially Siranthony Dominguez. He got hit around by Milwaukee yesterday. His fastball is down from where it used to be, and his slider and change-up aren't good enough to get hitters out consistently. Did Kapler burn out Dominguez last season? Does Siranthony need a set role every day, such as closer?
Right now I don't trust anyone in the Phils' bullpen. I agree not to get Craig Kimbrel. But a deal must be made soon.
Zach Eflin only went five innings against the tough Brew Crew, allowing four runs while striking-out seven. He wasn't his best, but pitched well enough if only the offense held their own. Even the few runs which the offense managed to generate from via miscues by Milwaukee, not any sort of torrid hitting by the Phils.
A few years ago, while he was still with Miami, Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich was coveted by the Phillies. Rumor were strong that the Phillies were very interested in obtaining Yelich, but trade talks never blossomed.Instead, the Phils got catcher J.T. Realmuto, who is great, but Yelich is a completely different animal . He won the National Leave MVP last season and should be one of the top candidates for the crown this year too, He drilled two homers yesterday, plus tossed in a double for good measure on the day,I'm not sure what prevented the deal from happening, ( there were reports that the Marlins were asking for Siranthony and Sixto Sanchez in any deal, which was quickly dismissed as too much.
How the Phillies must wish they could do a do-over on those trade discussions!
Here is my assessment of the current everyday line-up:
First base- , Rhys Hoskins has cooled off a bit this week. Let's face it, if Hoskins and Harper aren't hitting this team is going to struggle scoring runs, no matter how the table-setters get on base. I don't worry about Hoskins. He is the core of the Phillies.
Second base- Hernandez picked it up at the plate, batting over .300, ironically just as Kingery is about to come back from the Injured List. But his fielding has been shabby, even on routine plays, and often Hernandez goes into these Odubel-like trances where he doesn't think. Kingery, a natural second baseman, needs to play more.
Shortstop- Jean Segura has been wonderful, especially offensively. He's no Jimmy Rollins or Freddie Galvis in the field but holds his own.
Third base- Franco has done his annual "cool off after being on a hot streak. " Top prospect Alex Bohm, who is tearing up the minor leagues, will in time replace Franco at third. For now he no longer is "the best No. 8 hole hitter.' Kingery could play third as well once he is healthy.
Left field- Andrew McCuthen plays hard and plays a nice outfield. But I would like to see him play more center field until Quinn is healthy and Nick Williams play every day on left. McCuthen sees a lot of pitches but may do well to drop down in the batting order to fifth or sixth.
Center field- I'm tired of Herrera, his "potential" and his antics, especially not hustling. He needs to be traded. If he becomes a great player elsewhere, so be it. When a guy like Bryce Harper busts it on every play, it really magnifies Herrera's laziness when he doesn't hustle.
Right field- Harper is here for the next 12 years after this season. He has been better than advertised in the field. He strikes-out way too much, but he is also a threat on every pitch. I have no problem changing him in the batting order just to shake things up a bit.
Catcher- J.T. Realmuto, has disappointed so far power-wise but he has been a leader all year, and in 2018, when defense was a big hole behind the plate, Realmuto stepped up. Andrew Knapp is a waste anymore . He's a switch-hitter but isn't a good hitter. I worry about him behind the plate, not only with his lack of power but calling a game as well.
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An event I'll always remember was meeting the great Angelo Cataldi at the ballgame. True to his word, he appeared in the bottom of the third inning yesterday. Angelo's wife was there, pushing their baby granddaughter in a stroller, along with Ava Graham and her boyfriend.
Angelo and the morning team were in the WIP Nova Care suite. I knew Angelo would be there so, the loyal listener I am, and we agreed to meet in the right field corner, where one of Angelo;s main callers, Butch from Manyuink was holding court with a few followers.
Butch has been a WIP Sport Radio caller for years. He started out talking about Phillies' minor league prospects, kids he recently saw in person at Reading or Lehigh Valley. Then he started writing his own "songs", little ditties about sports. set to the catchy "Flintstones" tune.
I ventured out to the right field corner between the second and third innings with my girlfiemd. There was Butch at a high-rise table. I knew it was him form the sign he had introducing himself on the table. He also had log-in photo cards where he asked people who stopped by to sign in.
It was a bizarro scene out there, as Butch took an immediate liking to me, giving me a free Phillies pocket schedule and a small wallet he had passed out at the last Wing Bowl that looked like a $100 bill. We talked a while, as he exalted his new venture of do a "radio show" out there in deep right field. He has "guests" and give away free stuff.
He didn't look like I had imagine from his gravelly voice on the radio. I thought he would be an older, gentle, grandfather type of guy. Instead he wore a while Reading Phillies cap. He had wild, Einstein-like white hair sticking out on the sides, and reminded me of Larry from the Three Stooges. He had a Harper white Phillies home jersey on, His pants were indescribable, Christmas emblems and looking more like pajama bottoms then trousers.
It didn't matter that he wasn't hooked up to social media or it wasn't really radio. I guess you can call it "pretend radio."He also wanted to play match-maker as Angelo has done, trying to hook up two single fans. Again, he want his "radio show" to be exactly like the Morning Show"- only with no radio.
He mentioned knowing the famous "Eagle Shirley", also a frequent Angelo caller. Butch attended her church on Super Bowl Sunday, saying that "I was the only white guy there."
Finally Angelo showed up wearing sunglasses and a red shirt. He first warmly greeted Butch and pretty soon knelt beside my chair as Ava recorded it with hopes of it relaying it to Facebook.I couldn't hear her when she asked me something about butch, and I mumbled something about "He's brilliant."
Finally, Angelo and Butch went into this surreal scene of butch trying to ask Angelo questions for his "radio show." he awarded Angelo a roll of John Lennon stamps while Butch ate a drippy chocolate ice cream cone.
The small gathering of on-lookers smiled and stared at the scene as though one was passing by a car accident.
Angelo ended up signing the same Eagles Super Bowl cap which Ray Didinger previously signed. Two Philadelphia sports legends on the same hat.
It was fun and I may stop by to see Butch again when I attend the Phillies- Cardinals afternoon contest on May 30.
Angelo was an awesome guy. Butch was a little strange but I could tell he was a nice guy too and has a good heart. In fact, not only did Angelo bring up his appearance on Butch's "show" this morning on the air, but Butch called in as well.
To my surprise Butch mentioned me three times, as he "forgot what I was going to say because I was so emotional meeting this "little guy in a wheelchair." He wrote a special song about the day for Angelo ( to the tune of The Flintstones), thus I am forever immortalized.
Ava's video of the event is apparently on Facebook for your viewing pleasure. I never like seeing myself on camera or hearing my voice on the radio, so I'll pass, preferring to remember the laughter and the good times during this Phillies game. I can't think of a better way to spend a mid-week spring day!
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