Beerleaguer for breakfast: Retribution for Phils' pair

In particular, Raul Ibanez, who's climbing toward career norms, and Jayson Werth, who endured his RISP mix-up and delivered one of the greatest clutch hits of 2010. (Getty Images)

Retracting from a previous edition of Beerleaguer, Ibanez isn't washed up after all. In his customarily streaky way, and on the heels of a 3-for-4 with a homer, he's back to hitting .272/.351/.442 (110 OPS+). That's all one could have hoped for after the first three months or so, watching him drag his bat through the strikezone as if he was coated in a thick shell of molasses. Perhaps the groin is finally healthy. He's hitting it hard and hitting it the opposite way, just like he did in his superhuman opening months of '09. It appeared that those days were behind him, and perhaps even his status as a starting player. Ibanez was essentially platooned for a few weeks with Ben Francisco, an arrangement that seemed beneficial for both sides, but the plan was quietly scrapped, and now this second chance has also worked. Over his last dozen games, he's hitting .467/.529/.800 with three homers and 10 RBIs.

As for Werth, we've read a lot about how producing with runners in scoring position isn't an actual skill, but going 1-for-100, or whatever it was, must have chaffed his beard something fierce. Hang-ups like that are why slumps often go from bad to worse. Manuel benched Werth during several low points in an attempt to clear his head, just so he could be in the right state of mind when it mattered most, which is right now. Werth will never be my favorite player (and certainly not now that he's hired Scott Boras as his representation), but when the Phillies look toward their power-user run producers, there's no question where they're getting most of it.

Comments

[Lake Fred]

Werth must've just started reading BL and it got his pissed off. Great comeback win. He's got Boras as his negotiator? We better enjoy him now. Why couldn't he sign up with Borat instead?

[Jack]

Good for Werth for signing with Boras. Hope he gets every dollar he can. Being mad at players for signing for lots of money means rooting for the billionaire corporate owners over the players who actually produce the product we love watching. Something seems wrong about that.

[A-Train]

Boras = bye bye Werth.

It's nice to see so many players getting hot when it matters most.

I applaud Charlie for setting up his rotation so the big 3 can face the Braves. This is going to be a playoff series. I'm glad I have good seats for tomorrow's game.

Can/will Shane get suspended for his poor decision yesterday? There is such a thing as Baseball IQ.

[MaDubbs]

The Braves are concerned that Jair Jurrjens will be unable to make his Monday evening start due to an injured knee.

Pitching prospect Brandon Beachy has been summoned from the minor leagues and is on standby in case Jurrjens doesn't feel well enough by Monday night. "It’s just a precaution in case," Braves GM Frank Wren said. "JJ felt better yesterday. Nothing serious, just a tweak to knee." .

[Fatalotti]

I agree Jack. The money that is funneled through baseball (and any sport) has to go somewhere, and I'd much rather it go to the players than anyone else.

After all, they are the ones playing the game, which is what we are paying to see.

[Kutztown Fan]

Thank God there's a new thread.

[Bubba]

If I remember right Scott Boras is Madson's agent and he was signed.
Why not Werth?
Ruben says he can deal with all the agents, let's see if he is willing to get a deal done.

But first, there's some real interesting baseball to be played.

[Chris in VT]

I think everyone had figured out Werth was a goner before he signed with Boras....the writing has been on the wall for months now. The team's efforts to trade him in July pretty much tells the story.

[phlipper]

Nice to see that JW steps up to the plate to admit he was wrong about Ibanez being "washed up."

I think that this thread would be a good place for a long line of BL commenters to do the same.

You know who you are.

[jason.tp]

dubbs: usually I would be pretty uspet that another team is throwing a young prospect that the Phils' havent seen before.

But Jurrijens' career 2.56 ERA and 1.022 WHIP vs the Phils in 59.2IP has me ready to welcome any prospect they can find.

[phils and nova]

dont know if this was posted earlier but look at this quote for the bitter SOB that is John Scheurholz

"When they built that damn ballpark, we didn't have a prayer. They started printing money and hitting shorter home runs,’’ Atlanta president John Schuerholz on the emergence of the Phillies as an NL East power coinciding with the team’s move into Citizens Bank Park.

riiight, the only reason the phils are successful is because of CBP, not the in-house talent that was developed like chase, jimmy, ryan, cole etc. plus smart acquisitions like werth, shane, etc.

its from this article on foxsports.com

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Roy-Halladay-Cole-Hamels-Roy-Oswalt-will-face-Atlanta-Braves-091910

[Cliff]

Fatalotti: How about cheaper tickets? Just a thought. :)

[phils and nova]

*from the bitter SOB

[Noah]

I didn't declare Ibanez washed up, but after the way he started the season, considering his age, I am shocked that he's posted an OPS+ above 100, it's not like an offensive decline at 38 was unlikely or impossible.

[jason.tp]

Dear Schuerholz,

Go build a new stadium with shorter walls. You can hit shorter homeruns, but guess what? You're pathetic fanbase wont help you print money.

[GBrettfan]

I'm trying to figure out how the dimensions of our stadium only help our lineup hit homeruns and win games, not the visiting teams' lineups.

Also, can someone please explain to me what is meant by "printing money?" Is he saying that having a "homerun park" means we're going to draw more fans than bigger parks?

[Bedrosian's Beard]

Anyone have a video of the Werth HR?

Instead of a thread full of atonement, how about a thread w/out petty "I told you so's" for once.

[Fatalotti]

I feel like Schuerholz sentiment can be flipped back on him, just 13 years earlier. When Turner field was converted to a baseball stadium in 1997, the Braves would go on to win 9 straight division titles in that stadium. A stadium that is definitely a pitcher's park.

And who were the Braves pitchers when that stadium was opened?

Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Denny Neagle (and a young Kevin Millwood).

Three Hall of Fame pitchers pitching in a pitching park. Yeah, no one stood a chance.

Look in the mirror friend.

[philwynk]

Schuerholz speaks for a team that is 52-23 in their home field, but only 34-41 on the road. Methinks he should not be throwing stones about home field advantages.

Just sayin'.

(Just curious -- how DOES he explain the Braves' SUSPICIOUSLY amazing at-home performance this year?)

[CJ]

Yo, newer thread.

[Bubba]

A stadium full of empty seat always looks bigger than a sold out stadium.

I hope CBP is in the heads of the Braves pitchers as much as it is for their owner.

[Todd]

Boras is also Dom Brown's agent.