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Superman saves Dodger Stadium?

Jeff may not be the only Kent flashing his super skill in Los Angeles.

Last week, director Bryan Singer ("X-Men") turned Dodger Stadium into a set piece for the upcoming film "Superman Returns."

According to reports on the Blue Tights Network, three different baseball games were being filmed for a very critical scene, though reports said it was only second-unit filming and not principal photography. None of the lead actors were on hand, and most of the filming is taking place in Australia.

The site iesb.com updated the information Friday, reporting the director used real minor league and college baseball players. The batter, catcher and umpire were all reacting and looking towards center field as if something was coming down. According to a stadium employee, the script calls for plane to crash on the field and Superman saves the day.

"Superman Returns" is scheduled for release next summer.

Beerleaguer take
Superman is definitely worth an update, and with Bryan Singer at the controls, I expect "Superman Returns" to be pretty darn good. If more details become available, I’ll pass them along. Beerleaguer.com is proud to be the official Phillies blog of the new Superman movie.

An interesting Hollywood-meets-Phillies sidenote: Former Reading Phillie Walter Dawkins played Wesley Snipes’ butt and body double in the film "The Fan." Dawkins was drafted in the 15th round by the Phillies in the June 1995 amateur draft and played in Reading from 1996 to 1998.

Bell often tolls with men on, two outs

As I watched Sunday’s game against Atlanta, a thought occurred to me: “Is it me, or is David Bell is always hitting with two outs and men on base?”

It turns out it wasn’t my imagination. Bell is tied for the major league lead with Andruw Jones in total at bats with two outs and runners in scoring position with an incredible 37 chances, on pace for 111 this season! He hasn’t fared well in that situation, hitting .189 BA, .231 OBP, .297 SLG. He also led the team in that category last year, earning 77 total chances, but with much better success, .273 BA, .411 OBP, .481 SLG.

In general, Bell, who’s getting about as many hacks out of the six-hole as the seven-hole, is constantly at bat with men on base, hitting with runners on 97 times this year, second-most in the National League.

Bobby Abreu and Pat Burrell have also received lots of chances with men on base but they’ve delivered, earning more RBIs than any tandem in baseball.

But for some reason Bell gets more chances out of his six or seven spot than most players get in the four or five spot. I guess it also says something about how well Abreu and Burrell have been getting on base this season.

Around the league, there doesn’t seem to be a set pattern for which player gets the most tries with men on and two outs. Juan Pierre, a lead-off hitter with the Marlins, leads the team in chances with men in scoring position and two outs with 27, and on the Braves, Andruw Jones, a clean-up hitter, has the most.

I've read that five is the best spot in the lineup for the team's best clutch hitter, but for some reason the chances seem to trickle down to six and seven on the Phils. Is there anything that can be done to capitalize? Not really. I suspect that as the year goes on, Jim Thome and Burrell will start gaining on Bell in that category. One could also look at it this way: By ending the inning, Bell’s just doing what Mike Lieberthal, hitting eighth most nights, would do anyway. Historically, Lieby is the worst at hitting with men on base, with a bad line of .135 BA, .308 OBP, .173 SLG again this season.

Moving Lieberthal to the eight-hole this season was a good move because it shields him from taking at bats with men in scoring position. Where Bell has 64 at bats, most on the team, Lieberthal only has 24.

The courtesy of home field advantage

With yesterday’s impressive 12-5 rout at Turner Field, the Phillies have guaranteed their third series win in a row against four-straight division leaders.

Many believed this grueling stretch against the Cardinals, Orioles, Marlins and Braves would make or break the season. The team responded by rattling off a 7-4 record, with a chance to pull within three games of first place by the end of the day.

Next up the Phils will open a 13-game home stand with a chance to gain real ground against weaker teams, and will play 35 of their next 48 games at home. It’s conceivable the Phils could sit atop the division by the end of the stretch.

This team has earned a mulligan by clawing back into contention. Likewise, fans can earn a do-over by simply acting like good fans.

The first pitch of 2005 hadn’t been thrown and already the season was off on the wrong foot. Fans chastised the manager over a lineup decision, then chastised the player involved for no particular reason. The issue continues to hang over the fans and media more than it should to the point where Charlie Manuel may actually deserve credit for the second-base platoon, which worked pretty damn well last night.

Cynics can say what they want about lineup cards, the money players make, the attitude they take or even the history of the organization. Negativity targeted directly at players wears on even the most hard-boiled jocks. Former Mets first baseman Keith Hernandez, as insular as any baseball man in history, said boos were enough to tear him apart at times. Kenny Lofton, who’s been to the World Series with three different teams, said Philadelphia’s supporters are the least knowledgeable and most negative of any town he’s played in.

I can’t agree with Lofton on that point. Instead, I believe the informed fans - though just as disgusted about losing – keep their mouths shut about it, at least out at the park. They realize no matter how bad things get, it doesn’t help to turn one’s self into the tenth player for the opposing team.

It’s time fans recognize their own impact on the win-loss column when they return home Tuesday.

R-Phils boss granted "leave of absence"

The revolving door of Phillies minor league managers may be swinging wide open again with this latest news out of Reading.

On Thursday morning, Reading Phillies manager Steve Swisher was granted an indefinite "leave of absence."

From Mike Drago’s story this morning in the Reading Eagle, Mike Arbuckle, Philadelphia's director of scouting and player development, called it "a personal issue" for Swisher, but it was evident from the events of earlier this week there is more to it than that.

Swisher’s sudden departure follows a series of bad losses and incidents in the clubhouse. From Drago’s story this morning:

The 53-year-old former major league catcher returned to professional baseball this season after eight years away from the game.

That return, however, was in jeopardy last fall when he was critically injured in an accidental fall down steps while meeting with the Phillies in Clearwater, Fla.

Swisher suffered a head injury and was reportedly in a coma for five days. He has told members of Reading's front office staff that his life was in doubt for a time.

No one could say Thursday whether Swisher's recent troubles were related to that incident or whether it was affecting his current health situation.

The veteran minor league manager came to the Phillies organization with a reputation for being highly intense and volatile at times, a side he showed his players and staff as early as spring training, and on occasion since throughout a slow start to the season.

Following Tuesday's game, a particularly ugly 11-3 loss to Harrisburg, Swisher and Arbuckle held a lengthy, and at times loud, closed-door meeting in the manager's office to address two players.

Beerleaguer take
The recent history of Phillies personnel moves is already a total joke, and now this. Last season’s hiring of Mike Schmidt to coach single-A Clearwater, leading them to a 55-81 record, is probably the worst organizational hiring since Ed Wade selected Charlie Manuel to manage the big Phils this season.

Dave Owen, a former shortstop with the Cubs and Royals, will take over interim managing duties for the R-Phils. Owen was already with the organization as infield coordinator.

Pat Burrell: Innocent of all charges

To the surprise of critics, there have been no signs of collapse in Pat Burrell’s game this season. The only question now is whether his wrist will fail him. (AP Photo)

Obviously, Brett Myers has been the nicest surprise in the Phillies starting rotation, finally living up to his first-round promise. But overall I’d say Pat Burrell’s steady season with the lumber is the nicest story thus far.

I buried “the Bat” this winter, writing three or four posts on the dangers of keeping his contract. After a wretched 2003 and sub-par 2004, I was convinced the writing was on the wall. His mechanics were terrible. He was pulling off the ball. He was cooked for sure.

Burrell wasn't without his supporters, however, as fellow Phils blogger and attorney at law Mike Berquist defended the franchise slugger as we engaged in a mock-trial. As evidence, I had stats on my side. Now, the stats are on his.

The difference: In spring, he entered camp with a new approach. He wasn’t going to think anymore. He was going to hack. And hack he has.

Aside from one stretch in late April, Burrell has earned every cent of his $7.25 million, named NL player of the week twice, the first Phillie that’s done it since Von Hayes in 1986. He still looks terrible at the plate, but so what.

Surprisingly, the ever-underrated Bobby Abreu has received most accolades, otherwise Burrell would be the one getting the push for all-star votes. Rest assured they're both getting my vote.

In terms of runs created (RC)*, he has 33, among the league leaders in that category and tied with the much ballyhooed Miguel Cabrera of the Marlins.

This winter I’m embarrassed to admit I made a wager, betting Burrell would finish with fewer runs created than Raul Mondesi of Atlanta. Mondesi so far has 10.

Burrell is certainly a big reason why the Phils are still hanging on, but suddenly there’s concern. From Ken Mandel of mlb.com yesterday:

It didn't look good at all when Pat Burrell lost his bat on a swing in the sixth inning of Wednesday's 8-5 win over the Marlins.

It looked worse when he grabbed his wrist and grimaced, and still worse when Endy Chavez replaced him in the bottom of the sixth.

Manuel said taking Burrell out was a precaution, and the skipper expected him to be ready for Friday's game in Atlanta.

"It's fine," said Burrell. "I'm not going to overreact. That's for [the media].”

If blogs represent media, than this blogger is about to overreact. I’m pretty scared about this. If Burrell goes down, any chance at the post-season could be dashed.

I want to know your thoughts on Burrell and the ongoing situation with his wrist. More than anything, I want to know if you counted him out as I did, or that his comeback comes as no surprise.

*Runs Created. Invented by Bill James, RC is a very good measure of the number of runs a batter truly contributed to his team’s offense. The basic formula for RC is OBP*TB, but it has evolved into over fourteen different versions. The Hardball Times uses the most complicated version, which includes the impact of hitting well with runners in scoring position, and is adjusted for ballpark impact.

Phillies blog note:
After some minor technical setbacks, Tom Goodman is back writing on Swing and a Miss this morning. Check him out.

Cory Lidle under the microscope

Mike Berquist returns with an excellent, much-need statistical survey of Cory Lidle today on A Citizen’s Blog.

Lidle is exactly the type of pitcher that benefits from advanced stats because he's pitched better than his record and strikeout numbers would indicate.

The thing I’ve noticed about Lidle, on the field, is more than any pitcher on staff, he sets up pitches with previous pitches. He strikes me as a very savvy Maddux-esque pitcher, even more than ace Jon Lieber.

Props to Ed Wade on this $3 million bargain.

Blogger journeys to galaxy far, far away

Even baseball-crazed bloggers need a break, and last night I exercised that right by seeing “Episode III.”

What an excellent film. As a big geek of this series, I appreciated how George Lucas bridged the gap to the older movies as storytelling finally took precedence over CGI effects. Most of all, I liked the understated evolution of certain things, like the republic rising to empire, clones becoming storm troopers, and how the design of certain ships reflected the ships in Episodes IV-VI.

Lucas handled "time" in a good way, from the maturity of Obi-Wan to the downfall of Palpatine and Anakin. “Sith” was a well-conceived finale/beginning, and wraps up/plants a seed for one of the greatest epic films of all time.

As for the Phillies-Marlins, a little-less epic, Brian Peoples at the Philling Station has the story this morning:

The Phils rode 17 hits to an uncomfortably close 8-5 win over the first place Marlins. Each member of the starting lineup had at least one hit as the Phillies managed to fight back after the bitter disappointment of last night. After a much-needed day off (especially for Ryan Madson, who provided three (well, 2.2 anyway) stellar innings in relief of Randy Wolf) they go on to Atlanta with just a little bit of wind in their sails.

The big story this series is still the bullpen implosion Tuesday night. The Marlins remain a half-game up on Atlanta and continue to bully this division.

While the fast start by the Fish is no surprise, I still expect this team to crumble because of the questionably dexterity of the pitching staff. You saw what little Al Leiter has left last night, A.J. Burnett is having elbow problems and tonight they’re sending journeyman 36-year-old Frank Castillo to the mound for his first start of the season.

Bullpen tagged with devastating loss

Rheal Cormier and Ryan Madson allowed the Marlins to get close in the eighth, Billy Wagner surrendered the tying run in the ninth, and Amaury Telemaco and Aaron Fultz relinquished the game in the 10th as the Marlins beat the Phillies 4-3 in a heartbreaker.

A night of champions ... and Phillies
There were plenty of main events last night on the TV dial: Phillies vs. Marlins; Myers vs. Beckett; Underwood vs. Bice (“American Idol”); Mora vs. Manfredo (“The Contender”); Nash vs. Parker (NBA Western Conference Finals); and don’t forget reality-TV celebs Rob and Amber (“Rob and Amber Get Married”).

The Phils and Marlins stood toe-to-toe with all of them until Aaron Fultz vs. Carlos Delgado proved too much for the Phightins, as the slugging first baseman laced a double into the gap in left-center, driving in the winning run from first.

The bullpen squandered another brilliant performance by Brett Myers, who lasted seven sweat-soaked shutout innings and lowered his season ERA to 1.69. The former amateur boxer outpunched his opponent Josh Beckett, but earned a no decision.

Folks … this was one the Phils really needed. They fall to 7.5 back of the division leaders. I have a feeling that when the season ends, we’ll look back at this game with some importance.

I’m interested to know your thoughts on the loss, on Charlie Manuel’s decision to insert Cormier and not Madson into the eighth inning, on Jim Thome, who was hitless again tonight, and what you watched last night on the tube. Here’s how I prioritized:

1. Phils-Marlins
2. The Contender
3. Spurs-Suns
4. American Idol
5. Rob & Amber (or as Boston Rob would say, Rob and Amba)

Adams designated for assignment

Hey Jose! Hold that cab! Less than 24 hours after his latest pitching meltdown, Terry Adams of bloated 12.84 ERA becomes the second veteran designated for assignment in a week, joining Jose Offerman as both men must now take stock of their careers.

The Phillies have asked Adams to accept an optional assignment to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the Associated Press reported. Adams has until Friday to notify the Phillies of his decision.

In the meantime, the Phillies purchased the contract of right-hander Amaury Telemaco from Triple-A Scranton as the bullpen shuffle continues. Telemaco lost a spot in the bullpen this spring to Pedro Liriano, who was sent down to Scranton earlier this year.

Next, Geoff Geary will be sent down and Liriano called back, then Robinson Tejeda will go and Adams will come back, then Telemaco ...

Win Shares added, explained

Passing along some great stat news for those that don't know, the Hardball Times finally added a 2005 Win Shares database. I’ve added a quick link in the Phillies section to the left for continued use this season.

Win Shares, which measures a player’s overall contributions to his team – batting, fielding and pitching – represents a single number that makes it easy to compare players from different positions. In other words, one number that represents total wins a single player contributes to his team.

To compare, Barry Bonds led baseball by contributing 53 win shares last year, Pat Burrell was middle of the pack with 15, and Paul Abbott was bottom of the barrel with 0.

The concept was invented by baseball guru Bill James, pictured, and has since been adjusted for things like hitting in the clutch, ballparks, defense and so on.

Win Shares are a lot of fun, but are also useful guides, especially when looking at NL pitchers because it combines pitching, fielding and batting all in one.

For instance, Hardball Times columnist Studes points out that Jon Lieber ranks seventh in the NL with 6.4 pitching Win Shares, but he has -1.3 batting Win Shares (tied for worst in the league) for an overall rank of 14. Hitting is rarely considered an asset with pitchers, but the league’s best hitting pitcher, Jason Marquis, has already contributed 1 Win Share with his bat this season for 6 overall, which puts him 11th-best in baseball.

I was surprised to see Jimmy Rollins ranks 78th in fielding Win Shares with a 1.1. Meanwhile, NL East counterpart Rafael Furcal is second in baseball with a 2.6. Overall, Furcal - even with his offensive struggles - ranks ahead of Rollins in overall Win Shares with 4, compared to Rollins with 3.

For additional information, Phils blogger Tom Goyne of Balls Sticks & Stuff looks at the current Win Shares leaders.

Right-handed bats no match for Willis

The Phils went with pure match-ups last night against tough left-hander Dontrelle Willis, inserting seven right-handed bats and Bobby Abreu into the lineup, but lost to the Marlins 5-2. (AP Photo)

It had to be the strangest lineup card of the season, featuring Jason Michaels leading off, Jimmy Rollins in the slugging five-spot and Tomas Perez getting the start over a semi-healthy Jim Thome.

Odd as it was, it was a logical strategy based on pure numbers. This morning’s box score doesn’t reflect it, but there were several times they had chances to tag Willis for some runs. Both Perez and Placido Polanco went 0-4, but were swinging the bat with confidence and found themselves on wrong end of some bad luck and bad calls.

The game wasn’t free of inexplicable decisions, however. The first of two strange moves came in the top of the seventh inning when Charlie Manuel used Thome to pinch hit for Jon Lieber. It set up a situation, as Comcast’s John Marzano put it in the post game, where Thome "could only fail," lifetime 3-21 with 10 strikeouts against Willis, on top of his already slumping bat. With men on second and third and two outs, Thome struck out looking.

Then in the bottom half, Manuel replaced Lieber with Terry "Man-boobs" Adams, who lasted a third of an inning, surrendering two doubles and a run making it 5-1 Marlins, basically sealing the deal for the Fish, winners of five straight.

With Mike Hampton and John Thompson landing on the Atlanta’s disabled list, Florida is without question the new bully of the NL East. Willis improved to 8-1 with the win, and with the lumber, Miguel Cabrera has been as dangerous as any hitter this month, mashing his ninth homer last night.

Hey Jose! Wait for me!

Is it too late for Terry Adams to split a cab with Jose Offerman?

The Phils were down 4-1 tonight until they decided they were no longer serious about winning the game, bringing in Adams to gift wrap some more Marlin runs. Adams lasted a third of an inning, surrendering two doubles and a run.

His ERA is now 12.84 – a little shy of what it would cost to take a cab from Citizen’s Bank Park to the airport.

In addition ... not quite sure why Manuel used Jim Thome to pinch hit in the seventh against Willis: 3-21, 10 Ks against him.

Make that 11.

Will Phils play platoon against 'Train'?

The Phils face arguably the best National League starter tonight in left-hander Dontrelle Willis, as the team opens the first to two critical road series at Florida and Atlanta.

"D-Train," 7-1 1.45 ERA, is biggest reason why the Marlins are sitting atop the NL East. For his career, he’s a notoriously fast starter, never losing in April (8-0, 1.91 ERA), with a 23-7, 2.86 ERA career record prior to the All-Star break.

He’s terrorized the Phillies over his career, holdling hitters to a .203 BA, including Jim Thome, 3-21 with 10 strikeouts. Chase Utley has actually never faced Willis, while his platoon partner Placido Polanco has, with little success however, 5-28 lifetime, with one of those hits a home run.

Following up my last post, I said it’s time to start using Chase Utley more against LHP, and though I didn’t write it, from a fan's perspective, I joined the vocal majority in my disappointment he didn’t start Saturday’s game against left-hander Erik Bedard. While Polanco is a better bet to hit LHP, Utley must be thrown into the pool at some point if the Phils stay true to their word that he is the future of second base.

Despite Willis’ early dominance, I think tonight’s a good night to start Utley, though every logical instict tells me it's not.

I did a little research. Last year, following his first defeat – a 7-2 loss to Atlanta – Willis was shelled his next start by San Francisco, going just one inning and giving up six ER. If history tells us anything, it’s that Willis will eventually degenerate. Let’s hope tonight’s the first night of his demise.

The hypocrisy of the platoon
What frustrates some is the platoon game isn’t extended beyond second base. It’s a fair argument, though certain factors like experience play into the equation.

For instance, if the Phils go purely on matchups tonight, it would be hypocritical for Manuel to start Thome. They’d do better starting switch-hitting Tomas Perez at first, 3-12 lifetime with a homer and two doubles against Willis. Others with marginal success against him include Pat Burrell (7-22, 1 2B), Bobby Abreu (7-23, 2 2B) and Endy Chavez (3-10, 1 2B).

Lidle's nine paces Phils past O's

Cory Lidle goes the distance as the Phils top Baltimore 7-2 this afternoon. With the win, Lidle improves to 4-3 and drops his season ERA to 3.75.

The Phillies are certainly getting quality starts this year, with Lidle steadily going deeper into games, marching the distance this afternoon and allowing two earned runs. I’m not sure whether hitters have trouble reading the ball coming out of his hand, or if it’s his outside-in, inside-out action on fastballs, but he’s certainly getting opponents to freeze on first pitches - nine one-pitch outs today. That’s amazing. In addition, he’s a fast worker like teammate Jon Lieber. That makes the busy Beerleaguer happy.

Utley
Sometimes it’s important to step back and reassess my position on certain things, especially this season because there’s much to debate – from Ryan Howard to the infamous platoon.

Readers who’ve kept up with my musings know I’ve advocated the second base platoon of popular favorite Chase Utley and Placido Polanco, arguing Polanco will hit left-handed pitching better. Recently, I changed my view somewhat, saying I’d like to see Utley in a few more games against LHP, with Polanco spotting the weak-hitting David Bell at third on those occasions. Utley got his first hit of the season yesterday against a left-hander, but sat again in Saturday’s game against hot left-hander Erik Bedard. For the season, he’s 1-15 against LHP.

Despite Utley’s steady bat, his eight home runs and improving glove, one gets a sense the Phils are still reluctant to expose Utley’s weaknesses, hence the quotes from GM Ed Wade and manager Charlie Manuel to this effect “We’re close to being almost ready to turn Utley loose.”

Utley’s first weakness is obvious: he doesn’t hit left-handers well. The second is more apparent lately: he’s a dead fastball hitter and can’t read breaking balls. Following his home run Friday night, he struck out the next three chances, including a series of cuts at breaking balls in the dirt.

As much as Phans think Manuel is a bumbling idiot for not making him full-time, remember, Larry Bowa protected him last year, and the organization as a whole has been meticulous with his progress. It’s not to say he won’t someday hit left-handers, or that I’m not an Utley fan, or that I’m not impatient to see them “turn him loose.”

It’s all a matter of which match-ups will help them win right now. The question as interleague ends is this: Is it better to go forward with Utley playing every game and using Polanco to spot Bell, or to stick with the platoon outright and play Bell every day?

What do I think they should do? Read on …

Bell
The number is .250.

What does it mean?

If the Phillies stay true to old-school form, Bell’s rising batting average, up from .205 to .250 since April, will be viewed at as a sign of improvement - a verification that he’s emerging from his “typical slow start.” Unfortunately, all the number does is mask a whole lot of offensive futility.

I feel like I’m spitting in the guy’s face, but I’m not. I like everything about Bell - there’s no flash, no mouth, and his defense, despite the nine errors, is better than most people give him credit for, including a 3.0 range factor - second in the NL - and an .817 zone rating - fifth in the NL.

Most importantly, he plays hard. In his last at bat Sunday, he topped a weak dribbler down to third, but man did he bust it out of the box. I like that, and his team appreciates that. In other words, he’s everything you want out of a player – except respectable production with the bat. That’s why Manuel is having a tough time sitting him, which at this point in the season, would be the right thing to do.

Not only is Polanco a maginally better hitter, but he’s the best No. 2 hitter on the squad, has better speed, and hits the ball hard. His numbers don’t reflect it, but no player has been robbed of hits more than Poly this season.

This isn’t an easy decision by any means. Polanco’s OPS isn’t much better than Bell’s (.686 to .661). The other thing to remember is this: Bell has always been a very average player. The $17 million contract is the only big part of his game. Otherwise, his career year was either 1999 in Seattle or last season with the Phils, which is a pretty low-key career year.

The unfortunate truth is he isn’t giving the Phils what they need offensively hitting six or seven each night, and it’s high time the Phils whittle this down to put their best team on the field. Batting average should be the last number a team looks at when measuring value at third base. As it stands, .250 is about what Aramis Ramirez is hitting with the Cubs, but his slugging is right where you need it from that type of player - .481 – much higher than Bell’s .338.

Granted not every team has an Aramis Ramirez, but when a player of that mold is sporting the lowest slugging of all the regulars, it’s time to make a change, even if it is a small move like making Polanco full-time.

Thome
I’m curious to know how many readers thought the Phils would respond to Jim Thome’s grand return to the lineup EXACTLY how they responded in Saturday’s 7-0 shutout loss. I had an inkling. Excuse the sarcasm, but watching Thome hit right into the shift or pop up a first pitch, to me, is like banging my head against a brick wall.

Stop complaining. They won the series.
Tomorrow, I’ll spin things a better direction with my series wrap. There’s quite a bit to cheer about. That’s two series wins in a row against division leaders. And Friday I asked for three good starts from Randy Wolf, Vicente Padilla and Lidle, and they delivered.

More on the series, and a preview of their rematch against “D-Train” Dontrelle Willis and the Marlins tomorrow.

Phils pesky in win over Orioles

Led by a big night from Kenny Lofton and a two-run blast from Chase Utley, the Phillies manufactured seven runs without the long ball and beat the Orioles 9-3 in their interleague opener at Camden Yards.

Look at this.

Look … at … this.

With last night’s win, the Phils have crawled to 4.5 games back of new division leader Florida, they’ve won four of five, and pitcher Randy Wolf, an early concern this season, is 2-1 with a 2.77 ERA in the month of May.

What do we have here?

We have a baseball team.

Last night was an awesome night for the Phils offense. The most impressive aspect was how they utilized speed, manufactured runs, and played smart with men on base.

When the lineups were announced and Ryan Howard’s name excluded, I scratched my head. All along, I thought interleague would be the perfect spot to showcase his bat unabated.

Instead, Charlie Manuel went with a speed lineup, using Endy Chavez in the nine-hole and Kenny Lofton as DH, and the strategy worked. With the addition of Chavez, and the re-addition of Lofton, the Phils were downright pesky.

Lofton, who was reactivated from the disabled list and replaced Jose Offerman, who was designated for assignment, singled on the first pitch he faced en route to a 3-4 night. He looked to be playing at about 75 percent and needed to dig hard on the two runs he scored.

Several others, including speed merchant Chavez, scored on base hits when a slower player might not have. Chavez’s numbers might not impress you, even less would be the play he butchered last night in center, but the team is 4-1 since the trade, and for what it’s worth, Rollins is playing better, going 3-5 with an RBI single last night.

Rollins and Chavez were also part of the growing trend, delivering RBI singles with men in scoring position, as Pat Burrell and Bobby Abreu each contributed in that area. With the hit, Abreu extended his hitting streak to 13 games.

Aside from base running and hitting with men on base, Chase Utley blasted a typical Chase Utley home run, sending Daniel Cabrera’s (3-3, 5.29 ERA) low-inside fastball over the right-field wall for his eighth of the season

Randy Wolf (3-4, 4.75 ERA) capitalized on the big lead, working six innings, allowing two runs - one earned - and seven hits, walking two and striking out six. It’s nothing but a great sign, as the Phils can’t afford to have two pitchers – Wolf and Vicente Padilla – go back to back and consistently take loses.

With the loss, the Orioles fall to 56-84 in interleague play, the worst record in the majors as the Phils continue to pound division leaders.

That’s right, I said pound.

You know what else?

This team’s heating up.

Now it’s Vicente Padilla’s turn to dish out some pain.

Phils-Cards series wrap

Bobby Abreu moves to the top of the league leaders in nearly all offensive categories, carrying the Phillies to a 2-1 series win against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Phils capitalized against three right-handed starters this series, but I’m surprised to see they’ve actually hit LHP better this season ( .741 OPS vs. LHP, compared to .764 OPS vs. RHP).

Hence, we haven’t seen Placido Polanco in a game since Sunday as Chase Utley has assumed starting duties. Polanco has also been sidelined the last three games with a case of the ol' pink eye.

The next left-handed starter they’ll face is Erik Bedard on Saturday, so we’ll see whether Charlie Manuel sticks with him. He got a hit in each game, including a home run Tuesday, batting each game from the five-hole. Manuel has been sticking with the same lineup lately. Batters 1-6 were the same for each game. The strategy was good for 18 runs, and overall, they’ve been scoring more runs, thanks to the hot bat of Bobby Abreu.

Abreu is the hottest hitter on the planet ... no ... galaxy ... no ... UNIVERSE!, and the fact he caught flack for not tying Wednesday’s game with a grand slam is a travesty of justice. The only reason they were in position to tie it was because of his three-run homer.

Vocal critics of Abreu argue he can’t carry a team, when in fact, he’s carried the team for about two weeks in a stretch I consider quite critical. Moreover, he’s created 40 runs this season, an average of 11 RC/G. Only the Cubs’ Derek Lee has produced more offense. On a team with little offense, Bobby is ALL offense.

Led by Abreu’s .635 SLG, the team’s output in that category is also on the move, now at .403. Pat Burrell also had a great series, going 5-10 with a double, a homer, and three walks. As for new acquisition Endy Chavez, he did OK, going 2-10 with two walks and a double.

When it counts
They’ve been a little better lately with runners in scoring position, with a season line of .247 BA, .356 OBP, .376 SLG, which is only slightly below average.

Turning it on?
Before this series, I told people the Phils could go on a little run, and I think they could win their second series in a row when they face Baltimore this weekend. Unfortunately, Jim Thome, who was scheduled to rejoin the team and work as a DH, suffered a setback in his rehab and is unable to go.

The key to this series won’t be offense though. They need good pitching out of the back of their rotation - Randy Wolf, Vicente Padilla and Cory Lidle. It starts tonight when Wolf faces Daniel Cabrera, who’s been hot lately, including 11 strikeouts and eight innings of shutout ball against the Twins on May 9.

Bourn to run, bunt, field, throw

Forget the immediate future of center field and the leadoff spot. Michael Bourn is showing fans in Reading that the future looks awfully bright.

The fifth-best prospect in the Phillies organization flashed all aspects of his game yesterday, Mike Drago of the Reading Eagle reported in this morning’s edition:

There was Michael Bourn the speedster, legging out a bunt hit in the first. Michael Bourn the defensive whiz, throwing a runner out at the plate from right field in the 10th. And Michael Bourn the offensive catalyst, leading off with an infield single and scoring the decisive run in the 10th in the Reading Phillies' 2-1 Eastern League win over visiting Binghamton.

“You got to see a little bit of all his talents,” Reading batting coach John Morris told Drago. “You got to see him run, you got to see him bunt, you got to see him throw and you got to see him run around the bases a little bit. That's what he's going to be like in the major leagues.”

The Phils are hoping Bourn turns into another Juan Pierre-type slashing catalyst, but from the sound of it he has a much better arm than the Marlins center fielder. After a slow start, his numbers are rising:269 BA, .323 SLG, .362 OBP, 11 SB.

Lieber battered again
Also in the Eagle this morning, Phil Gianficaro focused his game recap on Jon Lieber’s second bad start in a row. Lieber lasted only four-plus innings against the Cards yesterday, his shortest since June 23 of last season.

The strange new face of Ricky Ledee

Former Phillie and current Dodger Ricky Ledee is a pretty weird player, and this season he’s taken on the strangest disguise of all - a singles hitter.

A quick look at the current stats shows he’s sporting a .302 BA through May 19, .57 points higher than his career-average of .245. If the season ended today, he’d also have the highest OBP of his career at .382, notably better than his career average of .331.

As it stands, he represents one of the better free agent bargains of the offseason. The Dodgers are leaning on him a lot and he’s starting most games in left field.

Meanwhile, where’d the power go? He’s only hit one home run. This is the same guy that gained a reputation in Philadelphia as a player that could deliver pinch-homers by the handful. To compare, he hit seven home runs in 123 at bats last year for the Phils, compared to only one in 96 at bats this season.

In retrospect, Ledee has worn a lot of crazy hats over his career. Here’s a quick recap:

• From 1998-2000, he’s in New York with the World Champion Yankees. Early on, team officials and fans start using his name and Mickey Mantle in the same sentence. Soon, they swap “Mickey” for “bum” and he’s traded to the Indians along with pitchers Jake Westbrook and Zach Day for David Justice.
• From 2000-2001 with Cleveland and Texas, his career really stalls. I like to think he went on a baseball “pilgrimage” because fell totally off the map.
• The Phils take a chance on him as a free agent in 2001 where he stays for three nearly seasons. For all the trouble the team has in center field, Ledee is never considered a starting option because of his defense. Ironically, statistics show his defense was solidly the best of any center fielder on the team in 2004.
• Player, ZR, Field Pct.
  Byrd: .846 / .900
  Michaels: .844 / .970
  Glanville: .870 / 1.000
  Ledee: .925 / 1.000
• With center field clearly their weakest position, the Phils brain trust trades their best man at center to San Francisco for relief pitcher Felix Rodriguez. With the Giants, he adorns a radical new hat as a guy that can’t hit squat, hitting .113 in 52 at bats, no home runs, and earning a whopping eight total bases.
• Now doing his best Mark Grace impression, he’s wearing his strangest disguise of all with Los Angeles.

Time to send J-Roll a message

Charlie Manuel should test new acquisition Endy Chavez in the leadoff spot, reminding Jimmy Rollins of .235 BA and .279 OBP that he isn't cutting it.

Unfortunately, it’s a lot tougher than it sounds. The problem, as Tom Goodman writes this morning on Swing and a Miss, is there are too many luke-warm bodies to placate all over the lineup, and Charlie Manuel seems unwilling to ruffle feathers. The result: a drastically different lineup from night to night.

The Chase Utley / Placido Polanco issue is one thing and is basically a done deal. The biggest jam-up is in center, where Jason Michaels, decent numbers, Kenny Lofton, long contract, and Chavez, new acquisition, all want playing time – and frankly, they all deserve it for different reasons.

There are many subscribers to the theory that if the manager, dating back to last year, had stuck with one guy in center, including the recently departed Marlon Byrd, they’d have a more consistent lineup. I’m borderline on that theory.

I’m solidly in favor, however, of seeing what they’ve got in Chavez, at least for now. Maybe he could become a catalyst. More importantly, J-Roll hasn’t done anything to build on last season. And that’s just it – his numbers went up as the games became more irrelevant. Though he finished with the best overall season of any shortstop in the division, he got a lot more credit than he deserved as a leadoff man in 2004.

Phillies, Mom, savor victory

While Phillies third baseman David Bell shielded off the boos after his third error of the game, Sandy Green, my mother, was greeted by a warm round of cheers Tuesday night about an hour north of Philadelphia.

In front of 30 supporters at the Tavern restaurant in Kutztown, she received news she had won the Democratic primary for mayor of Kutztown. The scores:

Phillies 7, Cardinals 5.

Mom ... 339 votes, Mayor Gennaro Marino … 38 votes.

The 89-10 percent landslide represents the largest percent margin of victory for any Berks County municipal race featuring more than two candidates running on their party ballot. That’s unofficial mind you, meaning I got about halfway through this list. If you can find a bigger margin, you have the honor of selecting my next feature. The only stipulation is it must be on former Phillie Ricky Ledee.

Mom, made famous across the blogosphere by the banner located on Berks Phillies Fans, wasn’t the only person that knocked it out of the park last night. Bobby Abreu, Pat Burrell and Ryan Howard each exercised their rights.

Cardinals starter Jeff Suppan did his best Gennaro Marino impression, letting the opposition outscore him by a wide margin. It’s the second time this year Suppan was rocked by the Phils, and is sure to be dumped for about the fifth time in my mixed fantasy league, replaced by Jake Westbrook, Kip Wells or someone like that.

In the real world that often parallels fantasy, Kutztown’s citizens made a swap of their own, picking up A-Rod from the free agent pool.

Way to go, Mom, and way to go Phils!

Chavez, Byrd hope to find lost promise

The unrealized potential of Endy Chavez and Marlon Byrd will need to be resolved in new settings as the Nationals and Phillies swap center fielders. 

This is a clear case of two players in need of a change of scenery. The fact that two divisional rivals swapped 27-year-olds at a premium spot should indicate the hopelessness the Phils and Nats felt.

If I had to pick sides, my instincts tell me it’s better to have an aggressive swinger that’s undisciplined (Chavez) than a guy with a slow bat and declining speed (Byrd). Chavez adds more to the current group than Byrd did, giving the Phils a running threat off the bench.

More interesting than predictions, however, is how these young center fielders reached this point in the first place, especially Byrd, who was once touted with five-tool potential. His signed-and-sealed collapse in Philadelphia represents one of the fastest falls from grace in team history.

Last year in my July 30 post, I reflected on Byrd’s marvelous season in 2001 for Double-A Reading. He finished at the top of the Eastern League in nearly all offensive categories: first in stolen base percentage (.865); second in runs (108); third in stolen bases (32); fourth in batting average (.315); and the biggest surprise — fifth in home runs (28), RBIs (89) and slugging percentage (.555). At the end of the season, Baseball America crowned him “Most Exciting Player” in the EL, finishing two homers shy of 30-30. The only other EL player in history to accomplish it was Jeromy Burnitz.

Like a lot of truths being realized about Larry Bowa’s true effect on team performance, it seems the current core of managers couldn’t get what Reading manager Gary Varsho got from him in 2001, when Varsho called him “a perfect package.”

Bill Conlin, appearing on "Daily News Live" Monday, mentioned that Phils manager Charlie Manuel wasn’t Byrd’s No. 1 fan despite working with his stroke last season as a special advisor. The team’s overall agitation is understandable as Byrd was a prime example of a guy that should have played winter ball but didn’t.

In spite of a winter playing Xbox, he had a pretty good spring, but then again, that turned out to be a lousy indicator for season performace (Gavin Floyd was probably their best pitcher, while Cory Lidle totally sucked).

Nothing will ever symbolize Byrd’s lost promise more than a never realized trade this winter, when the Brewers backed out of a straight up deal swapping Byrd for Jeff Bennett, who’s now pitching for Triple-A Nashville.

Instead, the Phils get a Triple-A player facing identical problems.

Washington manager Frank Robinson and GM Jim Bowden begged Chavez to be more selective at the plate and bunt for hits to utilize his speed. Instead, he drew only 30 walks in 502 at-bats last year, hit .212 and had a .257 OBP, well under what's needed for a leadoff man, or even a No. 8 hitter. Frustrated by his unwillingness to change this spring, they sent him to the minors a week from opening day.

"We tried with Endy," Bowden said. "I don't think I can help Endy. I hope Philadelphia can, but I couldn't do it.”

It sounds to me like Chavez needs someone that can speak his language, and the Phils may have just the person.

There’s no better hitter right now than fellow Venezuelan Bobby Abreu. Abreu is the exact opposite of Chavez at the plate – painstakingly patient and ultra-selective. Along with countryman and super-teammate Tomas Perez, they could help him.

In his debut Sunday, Chavez tripled and nearly bunted for a hit, going 1-5 hitting out of the two-hole. Though he's third in the center field depth charts behind Kenny Lofton and Jason Michaels, the Phils will start by using him as a pinch runner of the bench. Lofton is expected to return to the lineup tonight.

Based on pure entertainment, he’s a real physical livewire, different than the slow plodders throughout the rest of the lineup. I think it's a good trade for the Phils, and a good second chance for both players.

Welcome Reading Eagle visitors

Today marks the unofficial first day of Beerleaguer.com, formerly Berks Phillies Fans, hosted by writer and Phillies junkie Jason Weitzel.

While you can expect the same great Phillies features, you’ll notice some nice new links, easy access to Phillies stats, resources, headlines, plus a spiffy new design.

Tomorrow marks the “official” launch from Berks Phillies Fans as I prepare to make the full transition.

For now, enjoy the new site, enjoy the Phillies day off and feel free to check out some of the great new links!

-Jason

Nick Punto Q&A with Aaron Gleeman

Hardball Times columnist Aaron Gleeman stopped by to answer a few questions on Nick Punto, now starting at second for the Minnesota Twins.

Beerleaguer: What is your take on Ron Gardenhire's decision to start Nick Punto?

Aaron Gleeman: I have long made complaining about Luis Rivas a staple of my blog, so I am thrilled that he is no longer the Twins' second baseman. That has more to do with Rivas than his replacement though, because I don't see Nick Punto as a legit everyday player for anything more than the short term. For now though, seeing Punto in the lineup every day and seeing Rivas on the bench every day is a welcomed sight. Plus, Punto is a tough guy not to root for.

Beerleaguer: What was your reaction in 2004 when the Twins traded Eric Milton for Carlos Silva and Punto? What are your thoughts on it now?

Aaron Gleeman: I liked the trade a lot back then, much more so than most of the Twins fans I talked to at the time. Here's a quote from back in December of 2003:

"I suspect a lot of Twins fans will be saying stuff like "that's all we got for Milton?!" over the next few days. The fact is that simply not having Milton will give the Twins $9 million to play with this off-season and that in itself has a lot of value. I suspect Terry Ryan would have been willing to unload Milton's contract for nothing, if that's what the market for him was down to. Getting a utility infielder, a decent middle-reliever and a PTBNL for him is just an added bonus."

Obviously Silva has proven to be more than just "a decent middle reliever," so the trade looks even better than it did back then. It was a god deal then and, considering what has happened to Milton, Punto, and Silva since, it's a great deal now.

Read Aaron Gleeman’s blog at www.aarongleeman.com.