Myers returns to roster; Cairo misses the cut

Brett Myers, who last appeared in the Division Series, becomes pitcher No. 12 as the Phillies set their World Series roster this afternoon. Miguel Cairo will be omitted, a nod to Eric Bruntlett's speed and versatility. Bruntlett has had a knack for scoring big runs as a pinch runner. The news also means Antonio Bastardo will stick around the entire postseason. With four games scheduled in an American League city, a lighter bench makes sense.

Comments

[bay_area_phan]

I think Bastardo's got a nice future as a LOOGY and maybe even a "super-LOOGY" in the mold of J.C. Romero. But I still don't understand what purpose he serves on this year's playoff roster.

[Jack]

bap: Despite the fact that I think Bastardo will be the next Johan Santana, I tend to agree with you on this one.

He's basically there for a situation in which Happ has already been used and Charlie doesn't want to use Eyre yet. How often that will occur, we'll just have to wait and see.

[Spitz]

What happens in the case of injury in the WS? I think in the NLDS or NLCS, if there is an injury, you can replace the injured player on the roster, but that injured player must also sit out the next round. Since there is no next round after the WS, what is the penalty for an injury subsitution on the roster?

I ask because if I was Cholly, I would consider having Myers on the roster for the first 2 games, and then claiming that he was "injured" after Game 2 to replace him with another bat. Of course, I don't expect any MLB manager to pull this sort of manipulative move.

[Murgatroid]

I don't understand why Bastardo's there over guys like Walker and even Condrey, who were significant contributors in the bullpen this year.

[Petey Pablo]

Amusing moment on PTI - the tossup question was which slugger you'd rather have for the WS: Howard or A-Rod? Both Wilbon and Kornheiser chose Howard without hesitation.

Hmmmm...even ESPN giving the Phils (or at least Howard) some respect. Amazing

[Valo]

I'm always the last one before a new thread (I know...boo hoo...you don't have to say it). This time I am re-posting!!

Here in Phoenix I am surrounded by Yankee fans, although I am making many converts from among those who would otherwise not care but who are completely turned off by New York arrogance. One of my converts said, after hearing a Yankee fan promise that the Phils were toast, "I just realized that New Yorkers are every bit as arrogant and ignorant as Texans."

My only real ally is a guy from Boston who despises the Yankees just as much as I do. The World Series makes for strange friends!

[MG]

Great article on Howard's change in nutrition and fitness. Haven't seen anything this good or detailed in any of the Philly area papers on Howard although the "Howard is fat and its long-term effects" got plenty of discussion on here last-year especially early on.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AgHa0BputiU.PS7i3rXx28I5nYcB?slug=jp-howard102709&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

[Lake Fred]

I think Cholly likes this playoff style of yanking pitchers all the time. That's why Cairo's out and Myers is in.

[bay_area_phan]

I will say this about Myers' addition to the roster: if Lidge & Durbin can continue their turn-arounds, and Myers can pitch anywhere close to pre-injury form, then the Phillies will suddenly find themselves with such a good bullpen that it might not even matter if Blanton & Hamels continue to stink up the joint.

But that's a lot of ifs.

[MG]

Pedro named the Game 2 starter. So much for all of that 'confidence' that Cholly expressed he had yet in Hamels. Pretty obvious that if Cholly was as confident as he publicly-stated after Hamels' last start he would have been the Game 2 starter.

[GBrettfan]

BAP, don't forget Chan Ho.

[CJ]

Jack: I hope you've grasped my point. Saying you're always negative is as rediculous as saying I'm always positive... yet the latter is what started this discussion, not the former. I think it's fair to say we can move on.

[High Hopes]

Man, Rosenthal just put up a complete trash article, full of poorly thought out hunches and very little of substance. Stick to the spoon fed rumors shorty! Yes, he favored the Yankees, but that's not why the article was trash. He did completely dis Lee by writing as if Lee is not even in the same category as Sabathia. I'm sorry Kenny, who was the better pitcher this year, last year, and this postseason?

[NEPP]

Hamels can go in Games 3 and 7 if necessary. Hardly the mark of no confidence.

[GBrettfan]

As Charlie said (when asked what he thought of Rollins' prediction), the game is played on the field. I've decided not to give a hoot about what the national writers say. The Phillies have to prove themselves the better team on the field, or the Yankees prove they are better.

[Old Phan]

MLB network is showing the Phils-Yanks game from May 24th. Phils are up 4-3 in the 11th.

[clout]

Lake Fred in the last thread suggests that how many games a team wins doesn't tell you whether they are the best team because of imbalanced schedule, different opponents etc.

Which raises an interesting question: If wins don't count, then how do you determine who's best? Average height? How about style points and technique like Olympic judges use in grading gymnasts?

Thus, if the Phillies display the best fundamentals and the best mechanics in the basic skills of baseball, judges could rate them higher than the Yankee even though they might have fewer runs at the end of the game.

How does that sound, LF?

[muchacho peligro]

NEPP stole my thunder...can I have it back?

I think a game 3 & 7 is actually a vote of confidence in Cole. Plus he'll be on the hill in the first game of the '09 series in Philly.

Cole sure is a lightning rod, ain't he?

[Old Phan]

Wasn't there an "expert" that picked the Rays to sweep the Phils last year?

[goody]

Brett Myers=Dickie Noles

ARod=George Brett

[MG]

NEPP - Somebody said it the other day but there have only been 4 'Game 7s' in the past 25 years. Its pretty unlikely that this series will go 7 either.

[clout]

One byproduct of the roster move is that it allows for the possibility that either Bastardo or Bruntlett could be in the game representing or trying to get the last out with the World Series on the line in Game 7.

[CJ]

The Yankees fans sure are getting fired up about J-Roll's prediction! It's fun to read.

[CJ]

clout: Total wins are an imperfect way to compare two teams from two different leagues... but it's still likely the best method. Of course, I'd like to think this 7-game series will be the *best* way to determine who's better.

[MG]

It isn't a big deal about JRoll opening his mouth about winning the series but he could have just avoided the issue just the same.

Here's hoping that JRoll actually shows up and has a big series because he really hasn't earned the right to run his mouth given his pretty tepid offensive production since 2007 in the playoffs.

[bay_area_phan]

GBrett: Yeah, Chan Ho too. I knew I was forgetting someone.

[doubleh]

Personally, trash talk is the byproduct of sports I find least appealing. On CSN they had Rivera's response to Jimmy's prediction (which was basically the same thing he said way back in Feb or May or whenever that was when he predicted Phils-Yanks WS with Phils in 6) where he pointedly said that this result (Phils winning in 5 or 6) would not occur but that he expected nothing less from JRoll.

Yawn. Just play the games already.

[CJ]

MG: Yeah... J-Roll's been a bum in the playoffs.

I mean, apart from his game-winning run in the 9th inning of Game 3 of the NLDS... and his rally-starting hit in the 9th of Game 4 of the NLDS... and his 2-out, bottom of the 9th, walk-off double in Game 4 of the NLCS... he's been absolutely worthless.

[NEPP]

****NEPP - Somebody said it the other day but there have only been 4 'Game 7s' in the past 25 years. Its pretty unlikely that this series will go 7 either. ****

The only way it goes 7 is if they want us to win 6-1 instead of 4-1.

[denny b.]

Too many pitchers and hopefully that short bench doesn't come back to haunt them in one of those 3 games in the NL park.

One of these days, its going to bite the Phils.

[NEPP]

UC has a TON of AL management experience. He's gonna go nuts on pitching matchups in this series...hardly a bad thing considering the Yankees lineup.

[Brian G]

Spitz: I'm fairly certain that you have to replace a pitcher with a pitcher or a hitter with a hitter if there is an injury.

[CJ]

denny b.: "One of these days, its going to bite the Phils."

And you'll be right there to say, "I told you so!" ;-)

[NEPP]

Worthless UC managing us to 3 straight Division Titles, 2 straight NL Pennants and at least 1 WS Title.

[LSG]

Lauber blog: Myers appears to admit that the Phils made the right move in leaving him off the NLCS roster:

“The first couple days [after being taken off the roster], I was torqued off by all means. Then, trying to reflect on whether or not I deserved to be on the roster, it was a no-brainer. I didn’t feel like I was sharp enough to be able to get ready."

http://blogs.delawareonline.com/philledin/

[DH Phils]

clout: Wins are all that matters, even with an unbalanced schedule? I guess the regular season PCL champion, the Sacramento River Cats (86-57) are better than their parent organization, the American League's Oakland A's (75-87).

This is an absurd example, but I think it's silly to say that league strength doesn't matter. Of course, it's much less ridiculous than having a one-game exhibition decide anything.

[TNA]

I wonder if the FO/staff are betting on a high-scoring series that's going to require a lot of pitchers making a lot of pitches. Maybe it's a good thing we have 4 bullpen guys who would be starting on most teams.

[EastFallowfield]

Prima donna Hamels on being Gm 3 starter:

""It's an honor to pitch. It's an honor to pitch at home. Any time you get to pitch at home, I think it's great. Especially Game 3. Game 3 is very important. Jamie (Moyer)showed us how important it was last year. That could turn a series. You know what? I think it's going to be just as important as Game 1 or Game 2 or Game 4 or Game 5."

[A-Train]

The schedule is not balanced so comparing overall records is not a true test. That said, the Yanks did have to play the Sox, Jays and Rays all year. So it's not like the Phils had a tough road and the Yankees didn't.

At any rate, all that really matters, at this point, is which team will be the first to win 4 games.

On a somewhat related note...
I believe the unbalanced schedule possibly screws some teams in the Wild Card race. A team like the Braves this year had to play the Rays, Yankees, Red Sox and Jays. Who did the Rockies play? I'm not sure but it was probably the A's, Seattle, Angels (Good team) and Royals. That could tip the balance. I wonder if the wild card races should include in-league games only.

[J.R. King]

Cole kinda got dissed, but I think Charlie had a very good reason. Hamels has been torched a bit recently by lefthanded batters. In Philadelphia, he doesn't have to face Matsui.

[BENTZ]

Has a team ever gone to the World Series in back-to-back years and used two different starting pitchers in Games 1-2 in both series? (Hamels/Myers in 2008...Lee/Martinez in 2009)?

[BENTZ]

Never mind - found one...Yanks threw El Duque and Cone in Games 1-2 in 1999 and threw Pettite and Clemens in Games 1-2 in 2000. Thought it might be uncommon...apparently not

[phlipper]

"...if Lidge & Durbin can continue their turn-arounds, and Myers can pitch anywhere close to pre-injury form, then the Phillies will suddenly find themselves with such a good bullpen that it might not even matter if Blanton & Hamels continue to stink up the joint."

That was supposedly written by BAP. Either BAP's on something, or that was an imposter.

[Scott]

I'm still not clear on how Cole got "dissed." Throughout this post-season, he's been reasonably competent, with occasional times when he's seemed exasperated, overmatched, and overwhelmed. Give me one positive thing that he's done in October that Pedro hasn't? Sure, Pedro has only had one start, but he made the most of it. I'm not saying it is the right move or the wrong move, but last year doesn't matter, and Cole isn't "owed" anything right now. He'll get at least one start, with a possibility of a second. That's more than a few pitchers on our team that had better seasons.

[Old Phan]

Cole wasn't dissed. He will be starting a WS game.

[NEPP]

Dude...its Pedro Martinez.

He pulls this off and he drinks for free in Philly for the rest of his life.

[timr]

"he really hasn't earned the right to run his mouth"

Thats absurd. "Team to beat" ring a bell? Rollins is the one guy who has absolutely earned the right to run his mouth, now and forever!

[Spitz]

Here's the reason Pedro is going in Game 2: Cholly wants to keep Blanton in the pen and available in case Pedro has a 4 inning start. Remember these are the Yankees and they will take a ton of pitches and try to wear out Pedro (unlike the Dodgers in the NLCS).

So Cholly wants to have Blanton available to go an inning or two during Pedro's start, and therefore needs Pedro to go on Thursday (which would be Blaton's throw day anyway) so Blanton can potentially start game 4 Sunday. Pretty simple IMHO - no slight to Cole, and I'm sure he's had this discussion with Cole.

[aksmith]

If the strike zone in the WFS is anything like the moving postage stamp it's often been this post-season, I think it's smart to take 12 pitchers.

I only wish they'd taken Cairo rather than Bruntlett. Or that they'd called up Berry to pinch run for the earlier series' to get his "feet wet," then had him on the roster to pinch run in the WFS instead of either of them.

Regardless, I have to believe this is the last series of any kind that we ever see the grimacing gnome in a Phillies uni. And win or lose, there is some solace in that.

[GBrettfan]

Anyone else have pregame jitters starting, now that we're less than 24 hours away from the Series start?

[TTI]

I think Myers is a good addition because he does have the capability to miss bats and when he doesn't has gotten better at pitching into groundballs. Cairo and Bruntlett are sort of redundant so it's no surprise to see one go. I would've loved Cairo getting on the Yankees in this series though.

On another note: MG and I are working on a piece for JW's annual and need a good site where you can pull up pitch f/x data for starts from pitchers. I know I looked at one this year for Happ but I don't remember the site that someone had provided me. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Spitz]

From Keith Law...seriously, how do these national writers cash their paychecks? Stairs playing left with Raul as the DH...seriously?

4. Play defense like they did in the regular season
The Phillies are a good defensive club, one that converts balls in play into outs at a high rate; this is important for pitchers such as Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ, who don't miss bats. But the Phillies haven't been as sharp on defense in October, with second baseman Chase Utley's sudden, unexplained throwing issues at the top of the list. The Phils will get to remove Raul Ibanez from left field in the four games in the Bronx, putting him at designated hitter and playing Ben Francisco and/or Matt Stairs in the outfield.

[davthom]

Coste is a free agent.

[Scott]

GBrettfan: Getting there...

[MG]

CJ - JRoll playoff stats since '07 are less than impressive including this year. Yeah he has inevitably had a couple of big moments (that walkoff double probably being the biggest one) but generally his offensive stats have been pretty mediocre offensive line:

26 G, 111 AB, 26 H, 17 R, 3 HRs, 9 RBIs with a line of .234/.286/.396 with a .682 OPS.

[MG]

Spitz - That's a reasonable conclusion. I also think it was just that Cholly thinks Pedro is just a better option right now than Hamels too.

[Hitman]

bap doesn't need his dad to defend him, but I have to agree about the Phils bullpen. For whatever reason, they have elevated their performance level in time for the playoffs. Durbin has looked better than ever. Park and Madson have been very effective, and what can I say about Lidge other than to admit that I was wrong to write him off. How can a pitcher go from 11 blown saves to a 0.00 ERA in the playoffs? We will never know the answer to this question, but who cares? The irony is that the Yankees bullpen, except for Rivera, hasn't looked so great in the post season.

[GBrettfan]

Shane has a point, regarding Jimmy's prediction on Leno:

"If I don't go out there and say I'm going to win, I might as well not be playing in these games."

[clout]

DH Phils: I couldn't agree more. Wins are meaningless in determining the better team. What do you think about my judging suggestion in the post above?

[Wade]

Myers is the hockey enforcer.

If a game gets out of hand and Howard gets hit somewhere along the line, you'll see Myers immediately start warming up.

And I like it.

[awh]

CJ poasted a link at 6:58 to a Yankees blog that has audio interviews with JRoll, Howie and Pedro.

Pedro had a great quote. He was talking about the new Yankees Stadium saying "it's like any other field and I'll take a lot of pride and a lot of joy in doing it". When a reporter asked him whether or not it was a more of a "big" game because he was such a competitio and pitching at Yankee Stadium he said:

"How bigger is it supposed to be? Bigger than 9 innings? Bigger than 27 outs? I don't know.....more than 27 outs?....OK, it's the same game then."

You have to listen to it to hear his tone of voice, but the perspective is refreshing.

[awh]

yo, new thread!

[Old Phan]

"Wins are meaningless in determining the better team."
This is satire, right?

[bake]

The best team in a 162-game series is not necessarily the best in a 7-game series. Especially because teams generally only use 3 or 4 starters in the postseason.

[bake (not even drinking)]

Uhhhh, "162-game SEASON".

[John Hart]

In regards to Bastardo, I believe Cholly will use him similarly to how the Rays used David Price to shut down the Red Sox in the later innings. But anyway, if anyone wants to get their hands on a certified 8x10 of Cliff Lee I found this sweet spot full of all kinds of sports merch!!

http://www.buzzersports.com/