Beer nuts: Bullpen making Beerleaguers out of us

Everything has fallen into place for the Phillies’ bullpen, considered an Achilles Heel before the season by a majority of readers. Is it too soon to say we should have listened to the top brass?

What’s good for the Phillies has been bad for our comments thread, where readers have virtually nothing worth debating. Indeed, the bullpen is operating under a best-case scenario. Everyone is healthy and pitching well. Closer Brad Lidge has been almost unhittable. Aside from opening day, Tom Gordon has been nasty. The only knock on J.C. Romero has been his performance with inherited runners; otherwise he’s picked up where he left off in ’07. Chad Durbin has been the all-purpose contributor the Phillies had hoped for. The same goes for Rudy Seanez, who has been described as the “missing piece” by readers. The emergence of Durbin, and signing of Seanez, has allowed Ryan Madson to enter situations like last night: to clean up the slop after the Phillies blow it open.

Of course, the Phillies expected this all along. Everyone from top boss Pat Gillick to field boss Charlie Manuel said they liked the way the pen set up, as long as everyone stayed healthy. And as we’ve seen, this group, when healthy, can shut ’em down.

Fallback plans: The success of the bullpen won’t stop us from visualizing the worst-case scenario, like the wet blankets we are. What happens when Gordon gets hurt again, for instance? One option could be left-hander Ray King, who was demoted by the Nationals to Triple-A Columbus yesterday, but the veteran elected free agency instead. King hasn’t pitched since April 23, a mini-meltdown against the Mets, otherwise he’s been a decent situation left-hander again, one area where the Phillies might prefer to use a roster spot, instead of Clay Condrey, who has only pitched in low-leverage spots, and hasn’t pitched particularly well.

Another option, perhaps down the road, may be to rescue left-hander J.A. Happ from the misery of Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Happ, 25, pitched a seven-inning shutout last night, but for the second night in a row, the IronPigs suffered another two-hit, shutout loss, falling to Syracuse 1-0. For Happ, it was his second seven-inning gem in as many tries, and one begins to wonder whether the best plan would be to call him up for some hands-on training in long relief instead of more of the same in Triple-A. Other clubs have had success bringing along pitchers this way.

Comments

[Jimmie J.]

If the Phillies need another bullpen arm, it should be a left-hander. I like the possibility of obtaining Ray King and Steve Kline may get his act together enough to be a help to the Big Team. Things seemed to have shaped up well without Rollins & Victorino and Feliz & Ruiz just over .200. Bruntlett has improved playing every day. Not too bad for an April, I'd say...

[MG]

Phils should keep Happ in the rotation at Allentown and hope he pitches well. My bet is that he will get a chance in this rotation sometime by Memorial Day.

[Steve Jeltz]

If they can convince King to play for the IronPigs, I'd sign him and stash him there until a bullpen injury pops up. Otherwise, I wouldn't mess with what's been working.

[MG]

Speaking of the bullpen - what ever happened to Rosario? He has appeared on the side of a milk carton yet?

[GM-Carson]

If Ray King would take a minor league job with the Phils sign him in a heartbeat. Create some competition between him and Kline, and the winner gets Condrey's spot in the bullpen.

I've been thinking about Ryan Madson. Does he have any trade value?

[RSB]

I'd be very surprised if the Phillies didn't make a run at King.

Manuel on Victorino: "He's still kind of our centerfielder." What a vote of confidence! Thanks for clearing that up, Charlie.

What we can take it to mean, actually, is that either Jenkins or Victorino are bound to be sitting in any given game. Werth, as should be obvious by getting the start with Maddux on the mound, is now officially an everyday player.

[MG]

As I said in the last thread, just hope this bullpen stays healthy because there isn't a single viable alternative at Allentown (unless you consider Kline who would best be used only as a situational guy at this point in his career).

[J. Weitzel]

This would have been a nice season so far to keep a Rule 5 pitcher on the active roster, since they're deep from Lidge down.

[loctastic]

Hey J - please please tell me you saw Buzz Bissinger blow a gasket on Costas Now last night. He apparently hates you and everything you stand for, because of your filthy, uncredited blog.

[SC]

A LOOGY discussion without any reference to Reading uber-LOOGY R.J. Swindle of the 0.55 ERA and prior Beerleaguer fame? You're slipping, Weitzel.

[loctastic]

here's a link to what i'm talking about:

Awful Announcing

[Bob]

Early days yet. I don't say Ryan Howard is down the tubes for the entire season because of a beyond horrendous 1stmonth. Nor do I say the pen has been awesome so far, let's make the assumption that they will continue to be awesome for the remainder of the season.

It's going to take a while for meaningful trends to make themselves known. But I'm enjoying the success of the pen for as long as it lasts just as I'm more than ready for Ryan to bust loose and show us the player he has been for almost three years now.

[GM-Carson]

loctastic- that video was very interesting. Hearing Costas say "F**kface" was priceless. That Buzz Pissinger guy was a dbag, he made an ass of himself.

[Inside/Outside the Parker]

Many on here anointed Oliver Perez the Cy Young a couple of weeks ago. Since then he has 14 BB in 12 innings pitched.

Currently down 0-5 against those mighty Pirates.

And he is gone after an 1 2/3 innings pitched. I wonder why the Pirates gave up on this guy?

[johnnysanz3]

What I wonder is why the pirates score 5 in 1 2/3 inning on him and we get shutout over 5 innings by him.

[Burt]

Anyone notice this rather patronizing quote by Victorino about Werth in Inky today??
Victorino was asked if he minded playing right:
"It doesn't matter," Victorino said. "Going into the season, I was the centerfielder. I still don't feel like I lost my job. I got hurt. The kid has played well." However, the "kid" to whom he is referring is a year and a half older than Victorino.

[Ribbies]

Thanks locastic, I'd been looking for that video. Pretty funny. I like that someone who chooses to go by "Buzz" wanted to take issue with someone's name.

I have to say I don't always like Deadspin, but I can't stand stinkin' sports writers like Bissinger (or Reilly, etc.) who think they're god's gift to humanity. The video that came before it was pretty good to - blogs are the new red menace!

[clout]

As I said on the previous thread, before the season I did not think this was a playoff caliber bullpen, but I was specific in precisely why: lack of depth should anything go wrong.

The depth issue has been addressed in part by Rudy Seanez and, possibly, Steve Kline. But my biggest worry on that front was Tom Gordon. I did not think he could stay healthy and effective for a full season and the lack of depth (pre-Seanez and Kline) meant we'd have to suffer from the comedy of errors we had last season where pitchers were thrust into roles they had no business being in.

So far, Gordon has been fine. And, since the season began, they added 2 veteran arms that provide better depth in Seanez and Kline. Obviously I hope it works out. Also, obviously, I'm not ready to declare victory on April 30

[Inside/Outside the Parker]

Loctastic: Interesting video. Buzz must have been reading from the Mets fans comments.

[Wayne]

Rosario is still on 15-day disabled list. Will be for a while, he has a shoulder problem that is quite bad, but they do not think he will require surgery.

[mike cunningham]

I guess I'm as sanctimonious as Buzz.

[Bob]

Just thinking out loud. I wonder.. if Myers continues to struggle as a starter if he could be traded to another team who wants him as a closer. That team would have to give the Phillies at least a #3 starter in return.

[Bob]

Or the Phils may need to hold onto Myers to be their closer next year if/when Lidge leaves.

[CJ]

Good day to be a Phils fan, so far...

Mets are getting rocked by a bad Pirates team and Perez was exposed again.

Braves put Smoltz on the DL, and there's talk of him moving back to the closer role. And Mike Hampton (prepare to be shocked) left Wednesday afternoon's Minor League rehab start in the fourth inning after feeling more discomfort in his strained left pectoral muscle.

[Ribbies]

Given that trend it makes me worry about the Phils game tonight. I remember Young giving us fits last year.

[Reed]

Howard hits 2 bombs tonight off Young.

[loctastic]

i'm fairly certain buzz is not able to tell the difference between deadspin and here. he reminded me of ted stevens, calling the internet 'a series of tubes'.

not going to be able to see the game tonight. :( bummer.

[bsg]

i was at the ironpigs game last night and what a great lefties m-up, as good as happ was,... as jason said 5 K's 1hit in 7 scoreless innings w/ 4 bb's and a fastball topping out at 92 by the third.also has 37'ks in 6 games with 3.51 e.r.a. Syracuse's david purcey was on fire from the start hitting 91-92 basically from the start and striking out 9 not that means too much against the pigs w/ probably half the lineup hitting below .200 but i would not be too surprised to see him in the jays rotation soon ,w/ 39 k's in 5 gms with a 1.64 e.r.a and 0.91 whip..... So maybe happ takes madson's spot sooner than later? ..

[Jeltz For the Hall]

Re: Terrible AAA Team - I went to the Iron Pigs (day) game today with my students from school (Education Day at the park, natch). What can I say, other than the Iron Pigs stink? The team is just terrible; however, the organization is first class and puts on a good show. I hope the powers-that-be decide to put out a decent team on the field, otherwise baseball won't last in the Lehigh Valley (they don't support losers, even loveable ones).

Re: Three Jerks and Braylon Edwards - Nobody on that video came off well except for Braylon Edwards. The Deadspin guy looked unprepared; the Buzz guy looked like a total jack@ss; and Costas looked like an unprepared jack@ss.

Re: Tonight's Game - I'm worried. Chris Young made the Phillies look silly last year. Of course that was in San Diego's cavernous home park, so that might have contributed to his ownership of the Phil's lineup. But he's the type of pitcher that seems to give this team fits. Oh well, expect the worst, but hope for the best.

[ill]

I like how some of you are standing firm about how you still don't think the bullpen will be a strength on this team. Right now, they are pitching way too well to ignore and I am glad J made apost giving them credit. Now i guess I will have to sit back and wait until the pen goes on a bad stretch and for clout and everyone else to come back with "I told you so".

Always gotta hold strong to that Negadelphian spirit eh guys?