Wednesday: Phillies edge Nationals; J-Roll discussed

Jayson Werth’s tiebreaking home run lifted the Phillies over the Nationals 5-4 on a night when half of Citizens Bank Park showed Jimmy Rollins that carrying last year’s playoff team on his back can’t buy their affection.

Werth smoked a hanging Steven Shell curveball into left-center for his 17th homer of the season, a new career-best. Werth’s shot completed a modest comeback, crawling back from a 4-1 fifth-inning deficit following another shaky start from Joe Blanton (5 IP, 8 H, 4 ER). Chad Durbin, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge combined for four shutout innings. For Lidge, it was his 31st save in as many chances.

Beerleaguer: Another tremendous job by the pen to hold it to four runs. Madson is in one of those good grooves. Mad Dog has not allowed a run in his last eight appearances, surrendering just one hit over that span. This follows a string of nine scoreless appearances back in July. Let’s hope he can sustain it. It seems like whenever he builds up enough trust, he throws an egg when expectations are high.

Of course, the other news is the fan reaction to Jimmy Rollins, a 50-50 smattering of boos and cheers out at the old ballyard ('smattering' always used in conjunction with 'boos' for some reason). Down in our comments thread and over the last few days, the majority of readers have given J-Roll a pass for his comments about fans. Probably an 80-20 majority has expressed either support or indifference, with yours truly included in that group. Color me shallow, but J-Roll bought himself immunity from this level of harsh treatment with '07 and the fine career he's had.

It’s the dishonesty that bothers me most about all this chest thumping. “Philadelphia boos when our athletes don’t play hard!” Don't tell that to David Bell. “We boo because he wasn’t on time!” Don't tell that to Pat Burrell, always the first at the park. "He should just shut up and play!" Don't tell that to Mike Lieberthal, or Scott Rolen, or Bobby Abreu, great players who were criticized for not being more outspoken publicly.

In reality, it's somewhere in between fans cheering Sal Fasano's ironic facial hair and legit frustration over 25 years without a championship. That is to say, an equal blend of wanting attention and wanting a winner.

Comments

[Tony D]

Joe Blanton is a bad pitcher of baseballs.

[roxin3]

50/50 boos and cheers? Did you watch the game? He got murdered after that double play ball.

[J. Weitzel]

Yeah I watched it. Under neutral circumstances, it was even, as others have also reported.

[NEPP]

He's a reigning MVP, and the best defensive SS in the NL...leave him alone.

[John]

Even after the double play, he got some nice applause coming back to the dugout. The fans in that area (where I was sitting -- photos here: http://tinyurl.com/63sb7v) were very supportive, in a "we're not all like that" kinda way.

[phReed]

I have tix for Sunday night's game and I can't go due to a business trip. Bittersweet as I miss the ESPN game, but I am headed to Chicago for the week and I will catch a couple in Wrigley - my first experience there and I'm pumped.

That being said, I am looking to dump these for face + shipping. email me at marc.reed@alliancebernstein.com if interested. Sunday's game is also a lunch-box give-away for kids under 14. Seats (2) are in 109, row 10.

[EastFallowfield]

The boos every time he touched the ball got old real quick. It's like our 'phans' felt we need to make it very clear how boo happy we are.

[Dave X]

Its funny how as Rollins' poor offensive year continues his defense moves up from "above-average" to "good" to "best in the NL." Not accusing you in particular of inconsistency but just an observation of BL as a whole...

[Kiko Garcia]

Jason--great analysis of the Rollins situation.

[Gaze]

I think Philadelphia fans only ask for one thing: That our professional athletes are willing to leave it all on the field. Brian Dawkins has lost a step, but he's still loved because he sells himself out on every play. While Rollins gets a pass for having an "off year", I'm not seeing the same hustle from Jimmy.

[J. Weitzel]

Dave X: I haven't seen many people say Rollins was just above average with the glove.

[Bubba]

From PhillyBurbs.com- Randy Miller's column--
"And then the crowd went crazy again seconds later when Werth stepped in and hit one out to left, this tie-breaking homer carrying the Phillies to a 5-4 comeback win over the Washington Nationals.

“I love playing here,” Werth said. “It’s a good city. The fans are supportive and attendance has been up. This is a great place to play.” "

Hey- if we are going all positive like GM C.suggests this quote should get the same attention as J-Roll's

[J. Weitzel]

"I'm not seeing the same hustle from Jimmy." I can't disagree with that. He hasn't been as good as the 2007 version, and in all probability, never will be. That's why I'm skeptical the situation will blow over. J-Roll probably peaked. It's not a reason to push him out the door however. Stepping back to gain perspective helps.

[NEPP]

****Its funny how as Rollins' poor offensive year continues his defense moves up from "above-average" to "good" to "best in the NL." Not accusing you in particular of inconsistency but just an observation of BL as a whole...****

Look at the stats for NL SS. Jimmy is easily #1 this year. He's at or very close to the best in FPCT, ZR, RF and number of Errors (fewest among SS).

[jobbers]

"Stepping back and gain perspective" - not a strong point on this blog for the majority of posters. There again probably not a strong point on any similar blog, it's what makes fans passionate

[G-Town Dave]

My wife & I were at the game last night, & it sounded far more like 70/30 against Rollins than a 50/50 split.

My feeling: J-Roll's 2007 season already bought him a pass from an thoroughly disappointing offensive '08, & (perhaps more notably) a marked increase in ridiculous diva antics.

He has been both benched & yanked from a game for the above infractions, & he wasn't booed. Pretty much any other Philly athlete would've been immediately crucified in the stands after one, let alone repeated, incidents of tardiness & lack of hustle. J-Roll had a pass, & used it up early. The comments re: the fans were, IMO, the last straw so far as fan patience went.

I wasn't among those booing last night, but I definitely don't feel that those who were should be considered out of line in any way, shape or form.

[TK]

Yeah Rollins has been phenomenal with the glove this season. But his offensive numbers are deplorable. He's gotta step it up.

[Dave X]

I guess it just depends on what statistics you look at. Also making the picture murky is the fact that a lot of plus-defense guys like Furcal and Tulowitzki have been injured most of the year so they don't qualify for stat pages.

[doubleh]

Part of the reason this whole thing won't die down is because of the local media. They are milking this for all it's worth. WIP has hosts saying "Get over it, Philly," all the while they go on and on about it...

Can't we just go back to talking about Brett Favre 24/7? In retrospect, it was so much more fun than this.

[loctastic]

i'm heading to the game tonight. i won't boo, unless he hits into a DP off the first pitch. i can't say the same for my wife, though.

[NEPP]

Tulo has been hurt alot...which is why Jroll should win his 2nd GG. Honestly last year Tulo was the better defensive SS but got overlooked because he was a rookie. This year Jimmy is #1.

[Lake Fred]

Carson gets my vote for nomination to the BL HOF. It shows the power of the internet blogs.

I read something in the past two weeks that talked about booing. I forget where and I forget the context, but it was not characterized as a Philadelphia phenomenon, but rather a Northeast USA, characteristic. The article specifically mentioned Boston and New York before Philadelphia, as being towns where the fans boo their own players.

The Phillies won and who were the heroes? Guys like Werth, Dobbs, Coste and Jenkins; not the A list batters, who believe that "hitting season" ended on June 15th in order for the hitters to enjoy their mating skills and repopulate the herd. I believe that "hitting season" will resume in September when the north winds blow cooler breezes and the hitters are no longer in heat.

[Edmundo]

"J-Roll had a pass, & used it up early."
That's a very good point. His immaturity is what saddens me.
I wish the yahoos who boo all the time could be more clever in expressing their displeasure. I was thinking of getting my sons to go with me as "Jimmie's Frontrunners", dressed in Cowboys, Yankees and Lakers gear. That would show displeasure with Rollins' use of an Philly-offensive term like "Frontrunner" while offering an olive branch with a touch of lightheartness. But no booing -- the persistent booing by the Philly yahoo subclass is for losers.

[BobbyD]

-- It’s the dishonesty that bothers me most about all this chest thumping. “Philadelphia boos when our athletes don’t play hard!” Don't tell that to David Bell. “We boo because he wasn’t on time!” Don't tell that to Pat Burrell, always the first at the park. "He should just shut up and play!" Don't tell that to Mike Lieberthal, or Scott Rolen, or Bobby Abreu, great players who were criticized for not being more outspoken publicly. --

This is a great point Jason. Fans can boo all they want, but don't at the same time say all you want is a championship. From my experience at the park, the majority of "booers" do so to be jackasses and to try to fit into the mold of "Philly fans." I personally just like to sit there and watch baseball and drink beer.

[Michael Jack]

Jimmy will be fine. More concerning is that Blanton would have given up 5 HR's if not for the wind. It was a plus that we got this guy signed to multiple years?

[Colin_K]

The things I liked about Madson's inning
1.) he started the inning so no inherited runners on base.
2.) his fastball had movement down. When you throw 92-94 and have a late downward movement on the pitch, anyone will have trouble hitting.
3.) His cut fastball 90-92 had slider movement down and away to the righties. That is a devastating pitch.
4.) He started the first two batters off with strikes...key for him, or any other bp guy.
I just wish he looked like that 80% of time instead of 40%. He would be the bridge to the 9th if that was the case.

[doubleh]

If only the ownership, GM and FO would take the field before each game so we could direct our displeasure to the proper source.

I would love to jeer the Phillies' ownership. I would travel 3000 miles and stand in line for days to boo them.

Rollins doesn't deserve to be booed, after last year. I do, however, have to say he should turn down further interview requests. There's no more to say on the matter. He needs to tell the media to take a hike. This has been so overblown and how can we move on if it keeps getting brought up?

[Ribbies]

Well put Schmitty.

[J. Weitzel]

Blanton's in his arbitration years.

[Jimmie J.]

>>The boos every time he touched the ball got old real quick. It's like our 'phans' felt we need to make it very clear how boo happy we are. <<

Some of these fans were leftovers from the Tom Bladon era, I bet.

[Edmundo]

"If only the ownership, GM and FO would take the field before each game so we could direct our displeasure to the proper source. "
Excellent point.

Announcer: "Fans, before we introduce today's starting pitcher, let's have a lusty Philly welcome for the man responsible for his 3 year/24M dollar contract, Pat Gillick!"
Phans: BOOOOOO BOOOOO BOOOOO
Announcer: "Starting today, Adam Eaton"
Phans: "Mumble grumble", smattering of tepid applause

If only the Eagles FO had the guts to do that before Santa showed up on the field, then yahoo journalists couldn't use the Santa example to show how awful Philly fans are.

[MPN]

Deplorable? He is batting .263 with 56 runs scored, 8 HRs, 42RBI, 31SB after missing 25 games with a bad ankle. He hasn't used that injury as an excuse -- much like St. Utley hasn't used his hip injury as an excuse. He can still get hot. It's not the season we were looking for coming off the MVP, but it is certainly not a deplorable offensive performance. Sheesh.

[mike cunningham]

@MPN -- Agreed.

Carlos Ruiz' season. Deplorable.

JROLL' season is merely subpar. Unfortuantely, JROLL's subpar season has a greater overall impact on the team offensively than Ruiz. Which gets the greater notice.

[PHIinBK]

Jimmy gave an interview explaining his offensive woes - his timing is off with his front foot not getting planted properly. Obviosly this is much more digestable than he just isn't trying. But as the failed at bats accumulate I don't care what the cause is for the failure, I'm going to get frustrated and let the emotions fly.

In Philly we respond to perception. If you're in a slump but hitting the ball hard or seem to have the right idea we let you go for a good long time. But if you do the same dumb thing over and over, or when you constantly come up short that we crucify you.

[TK]

It's deplorable in that his slugging numbers and OBP are way down and OBP is among the worst in the NL among leadoff batters. And his average needs to be 15 points higher. Factor in the Stolen Bases, though, and I guess deplorable may be a little harsh. It is very disappointing, though.

[NEPP]

Its not his fault he's batting leadoff. Vic should be doing that but Chollie keeps running Jroll out there. He's having an okay season during which he has clearly been hampered by his ankle injury.

[JB]

I am not sure if this was brought up previously but the fans supported Burrell uncharacteristically when he was going through one of his horrendous slumps.

Perhaps this was after Rolen left and Burrell became the adopted son but it was pretty amazing.

Expectations are high for our athletes but Jimmy spoke out and insulted his bread and butter whether he is right or wrong.

He is a professional and whether it is the fans, management, or teammates he has a responsibility to be politically correct or suffer the consequences.

[mvptommyd]

JB: Thank you, couldn't have said it better myself.

[PHIinBK]

I don't honestly remember how we treated him in 2003 or 2004 but i know that in the last few years his leash has been pretty short as he let every inside fast ball go and swung pathetically at every outside breaking ball.

[clout]

NEPP: All you need to know about how bogus ZR and RF are is that last season Rollins finished in the high teens among all major league shortstops (as I recall) in those categories. Was he suddenly so bad last year and so good this year? To my eyes there's not a dime's bit of difference between his glove last year and this. Rollins is a very good defensive shortstop, arguably among the top 2 or 3 in the NL.

[NEPP]

Burrell was brutalized by the fans all the way through the AS break last year...then he starting crushing the ball and has been cheered ever since...Does anyone remember opening day in 07 at all? He was nearly booed off the field during the intros (ridiculous pathetic display by the Phateful)

[NEPP]

clout: I think we're in agreement here essentially. He's been the best NL shortstop with the glove this year...I think we basically agree with that.

[king myno]

I can't believe CSN played a taped Rollins interview over the beginning of his first AB last night. It's not like the Phils are owned by Comcast, and it's not like the timing was a coincidence. If they're a "Philadelphia sports news" station, well, there's your sports news for the evening.

[mvptommyd]

NEPP: True, but you must have forgotten in the 2003 and 2004 season when he had his worst slumps of his career and the fans cheered him night in and out reguardless.

After two years of being in a slump don't you think the fans have a right to boo him then???

[phanatic's brother]

to GTown's point of JRoll having a pass -

I was at the first game J Roll played after being benched for being late.
Not one boo. I was surprised. I realized then the city had given him a pass.

[mike cunningham]

Burrell was given an extremely long leash in 03 and 04 Mostly because most fans recognized that there was an injury. However, frustration did linger and in 05 and 06 that leash was pulled back, despite averaging

Opening Day '06, he was booed on his way to the plate. My buddy turned to me and said he had 117 RBI last year. Boos returned in 07, despite averaging 30 homers and 106 RBI in the previous 2 years.

[NEPP]

Interesting Minor League Stat:

Greg Golson Walk Rate

1st Half: 5.3% (14 in 264 AB)
2nd Half: 11.8% (15 in 127 AB)

His batting average has gone down about 30 points from the 1st half to the 2nd but he has made a major adjustment in that he's taking far more pitches right now.

Optimistic Take: He's finally learning some pitch recognition and the batting average will come back up slowly over time. This happened with Pat Burrell when he was struggling. His SO rate has remained pretty much unchanged right around 33-34% all season...he's been consistent on that but he's taking more pitches which has been his biggest problem up til now.

Thoughts?

[Sport Lover]

Your analysis seems spot on to me. I think it is a very fair assessment to say that he has been given a pass. No boo's? Definitely a pass.

[MPN]

king myno: The Phillies buy out that time from CSN and get the ad revenue for those slots. That's why the announcers are employees of the team, not CSN. This also makes valuing their broadcasting revenue exceptionally difficult, unless, I suppose, you are a forensic accountant.

[NEPP]

****NEPP: True, but you must have forgotten in the 2003 and 2004 season when he had his worst slumps of his career and the fans cheered him night in and out reguardless.****

I've never booed Pat Burrell as he's my favorite player. I also had season tickets in the LF stands about 12 rows up for the 04 season and cheered every game I was there. I do remember that long leash though. If you look at his stats, Pat has been a solid above average contributor for every season of his career other than 03.