Saturday thread: Halladay has the ball today vs. Tigers

After being blanked by the Orioles 2-0 in yesterday's tune-up, Roy Halladay and the 8-4-1 Phillies go back to work today against Detroit. The game will air at 1 p.m. on MyPhl 17, the first of five televised games in a row.

Summary: Yesterday, Kyle Kendrick made another case for the starting rotation, pitching four strong innings until hitting a speedbump in the fifth, finishing with a line of two runs on three hits and two walks in five innings. Today on MLB.com, Todd Zolecki provides a thorough analysis of where the pitching situation stands, including Mike Zagurski and Ehren Wassermann's chances, representing the two biggest pitching surprises to remain in camp. Read that piece here. ... Today will mark Halladay's fourth Grapefruit League start. So far, the new ace has been spectacular, allowing one run and striking out 14 in 10 innings.

Transaction update: Wassermann, along with first baseman Andy Tracy, were sent to minor league camp this morning. Both are worth tracking as veterans who could provide at-the-ready depth this season.

Comments

[Greg V.]

I believe they announced Wassermann was send down along with Andy Tracy. A shame. I always have a soft spot for side arm pitcher.

[Andy]

Red Sox just got Embree into their camp. They already have Shouse and Okajima there. Looks like they're looking at veteran lefty relievers a bit more seriously than other teams.

Of course, they also have Fabio Castro, who is almost unhittable (since he never throws strikes).

[EastFallowfield]

On MLB network live, I think.

[MG]

Andy - Shouse or Embree are two guys I wouldn't have minded seeing in the Phils camp. Especially Shouse.

Bastardo is going to win the LOOGY job by default at this point. Writing is on the wall there. If he fails a couple of times early though, I wonder if Cholly will avoid him like he is radioactive until Romero comes back sometime later in April.

[clout]

dennyb asked in the previous thread what the Phils have to do to keep Herndon. The answer is: Simply keep him on the 25-man roster. They've already paid the $50,000.

If they choose to remove him at some point, however, they must offer him back to the Angels for $25,000. If the Angels decline, then Herndon must pass thru waivers, meaning any team can claim him. If he passes that hurdle, he can then be sent to LV or Reading.

Oh, and Happy Clout Day everyone! You may now begin taking spring training somewhat seriously.

[muchacho peligro]

define 'somewhat'...

if zags throws a scoreless frame against the Tigers today, can he then vault over Bastardo for loogy-by-default?

loogy is such a silly word

[Ghost of BAP]

Season = Over

[PHIinBK]

I've noticed Mayberry's average has been dropping of late. I know he isn't getting much playing time but is he still hitting the ball hard in his one or two at bats a game?

[NEPP]

Maybe its because pitchers are starting to mix more off-speed stuff (Mayberry Kryptonite) into their gameplans as we get later into the Spring.

[aksmith]

Seems to me that Mayberry has been getting a lot of breaking balls all Spring. And don't forget, he was the hitting star last night.

[MG]

LOOGY is silly but it really applies to a guy like Bastardo who is likely to have as many appearances/more appearances where he only faces 1-2 hitters vs. basically coming in to start and pitch an entire inning in relief.

[clout]

I forget who it was who predicted that the Phillies bullpen lefty is not yet on the roster, but I believe that poster will be proved correct.

[toddzilla]

Andy Martino and Mike Sielski are leaving us now. Including the loss of Lauber we are shedding some good writers. They are both going to be covering the mets.

[NEPP]

The freaking Mets? Oh well, Martino was average at best.

[RodeoJones]

Martino is no great loss.

[Scott]

Reality is subjective. I found Martino to be a pretty good writer, especially with some of his more in-depth pieces. Some people seemed to automatically dislike him because he hailed from New York. I guess that was to be expected...

[Bedrosian's Beard]

Not surprised by Martino since he's a NY guy, but Sielski? Is he from NY? He was at LaSalle a few years I was there. Whey leave the beat of a team that has been in the WS two years running and should be in the running a 3rd year? At least wait until the Castro/Gload era is over.

[goody]

BB:They left because the Bako/Bruntlett era is over.

[NEPP]

Martino was really weak when he started and he got better as he went. He's nowhere near the quality of Lauber but he had gotten better. I liked him more than Murphy sadly.

[denny b.]

"Seems to me that Mayberry has been getting a lot of breaking balls all Spring."

Yes, he has. The 2 games I saw on TV a week ago, he was hitting nothing but off-speed pitches (and hitting them on the screws). He got some fat curveballs and didn't miss them.

He has cooled off recently. But then again, nobody is doing much hittin' lately.

Obviously, a big outing for Grandpa tomorrow.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

denny b-
That's consistent with what I read early - Mayberry was hitting the hanging curve. That's probably teh only pitch I could ever hit. If the things I read are representative, that's not too encouraging.

Xavier Henry didn't overly impress today. Good thing for him it's only March . . .

[PhillyBlunt]

jay-mee!

jayyyyyymeeeeee!!!!

IDK if this is mentioned, but Stark has a nice Jamie piece up. But, you know, its carefully worded and guarded...I don't think Stark expects Moyer to come through. Just another of the brain-trust that has no faith. Watch and see bitches, watch and see.

[muchacho peligro]

You may be confusing your Henrys there, Hugh...

I'm guessing you're wondering where Xavier's older brother (former Phils prospect) CJ was last night?

Buried deep on the Jayhawks bench...

[mikes77Phillies]

I have no problem with Jaime making the team. Kendrick is no guarantee to be any better than Moyer. Put Moyer in the starting rotation, watch him get bombed in the first Month, and get it over with.

One strike against Moyer to start the season, is he can not start in the Nationals series. Moyer has made a living pitching in every Nationals and Marlins series over the last two years. Cholly has been pretty consistant in making sure Moyer never misses those series since they are pretty much the only teams he can beat.

[clout]

mikes77: "Moyer has made a living pitching in every Nationals and Marlins series over the last two years. Cholly has been pretty consistant in making sure Moyer never misses those series since they are pretty much the only teams he can beat."

Now that mvptommy is gone, mikes77 can reclaim his title as the most consistently wrong poster on Beerleaguer.

Moyer past 2 years vs.

AZ 3-0, 0.94 ERA in 20 IP
MLW 2-0, 4.15 ERA in 22 IP
NYM 3-2, 4.92 ERA in 64 IP
AL Teams 3-4, 4.83 ERA in 41 IP, making him one of the better starters vs. AL (against whom the Phils are 10-23 4.99 the past 2 years.)

[pb]

The Detroit News' Lynn Henning expects the Tigers to release left-hander Dontrelle Willis before spring training is through.
Willis has allowed just one run and five hits over 10 innings this spring, but it's probably too little too late. His fastball has not once topped 89 MPH in a Grapefruit League game and the Tigers have a fairly talented crew of pitchers set to head north once camp breaks. The 28-year-old Willis is sure to get a look elsewhere, but we're thinking he's probably finished.

LOOGY for the Phillies?
Could he at least get an attempt to be? We all know who his boy is

[pb]

Never mind I knew his numbers were bad but his splits are even worse.

[EastFallowfield]

You'd think teams that employed Livan Hernandez types last season would take a flier on Willis.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

MP - Indeed I did confuse my Henrys. I didn't realize there were two. Looks like CJ never got off the bench.

[thephaithful]

Most Homeruns Surrounded All Time:

#1. Robin Roberts - 505
#2. Jamie Moyer - 491

Will Moyer pitch enough to give up another 14+HR to become the best of all time?

Frank Tanana and Bert Byleven join Moyer as the only players in the top 10 to not be a HoF(Or Future HoF in #10 Randy Johnson - 411).

[mikes77phillies]

clout said, "Now that mvptommy is gone, mikes77 can reclaim his title as the most consistently wrong poster on Beerleaguer."

clout also said...

'The Phillies would be better off in 2008 having Brett Myers as closer rather than Brad Lidge.'

'Pat Burrell will command no less than a 3 year 40m contract in 2009.'

'Joe Savery is a better prospect than Antonio Bastardo.'

'Jeremy Slayden will be a good 4th OF (like Jack Cust) and is a better prospect than Mayberry jr.'

'Ben Zobrist will not put up better numbers than Pat Burrell for the Rays in 2009.'

'The Phillies should start Greg Dobbs at 3rd base the majority of the games'(2008).

[Unikruk]

Have we decided what went wrong with Dontrelle? Mental stuff, sure, but he just hasn't looked the same physically as when he was dominant.

Also, clout, now with Tommy gone, you seem like the one looking to start trouble.

[awh]

Jason Grey has a blog up at ESPN - insider.

Guess who one of the top OPS with two strikes hitters is in MLB?:

http://insider.espn.go.com/sports/fantasy/blog?name=grey_jason&id=5009566&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fsports%2ffantasy%2fblog%3fname%3dgrey_jason%26id%3d5009566

[awh]

mikey, mikey, mikey....did clout get under your skin?

[mikes77phillies]

Awh, did you get clout flowers for clout day?

[awh]

mikey, let me put it to you another way:

You are focusing on the wrong thing.

Proving that clout has been 'wrong' in the past doesn't do anything for you - that is - it doesn't make you 'right'.

We're all human, flawed, and prone to a mistake or being wrong from time to time.

The only way for you to prove clout is 'wrong' is to be consistently 'right' in your posts. The way to do that is to do a little homework BEFORE you post.

I have actually begun posts that I simply scratched, because as I was researching my 'opinion', the data was inconsistent with what I actually thought, or rather, what my perception was.

For instance, I actually began a post with the perception/opinion that Feliz's range and glove at 3B was superior to Polanco's. I began looking at the data at b-r.com and realized that the data didn't support my perception. Polanco actually fields more chances per inning (an indication of better range) and has a higher fielding percentage (an indication of a better glove).

In other words, my perception was wrong.

We all know how well Moyer has pitched against the Nats and Fish - it's been widely discussed, but had you actually looked up Moyer's track record against other teams before you posted, you would have saved yourself a little embarrassment and aggravation.

[awh]

PBlunt, I cannot find the Stark piece on Moyer that you mentioned.

Do you have a link?

[awh]

mikey, as an example take a lokk at pb's posts above about Dontrelle Willis.

He sis a little homework and then a good Emily Littela imitation.

[awh]

err, that should say "did and Emily Littela simitation"

[awh]

'did an Emily Littela"

(I give up.)

[Unikruk]

Yo, new thread.