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[Scotch Man]

I've seen a few seasons of Vance Worley now in Reading and Lehigh Valley. I'm glad to see him get some more major league seasoning. Should be fun.

[phillyinnyc]

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Philadelphia-Phillies-rotation-cannot-carry-the-team-all-season-042811

Kenny is just a joy to read // sarcasm

[CJ]

From last thread, our fearless leader, Jason, wrote:

"...Eric Kratz is Mike Piazza."

I think I got the context right.

[CJ]

Speaking of which...

No way Johan Santana would be as effective as Antonio Bastardo in the bullpen.

Just sayin'.

[mm]

Like the slogan.

[Jack]

It might not be what people want to hear (in fact, judging by the tone of people on here, it's borderline offensive for them to have to hear it), but I'm confused by what exactly is so bad about Rosenthal's piece?

This has been covered many times on here. The team has problems on offense and injuries in the bullpen. They're going to have to fix at least one of those things long-term if they plan to win a championship, no matter how good the rotation is.

Who disagrees with that?

[CJ]

Jack: Don't think anyone disagrees. Think everyone believes it's rather lazy considering it breaks no new ground at all.

[Cyclic]

Why does he call Utley's return an "if" not a "when"?

[Jack]

For what it's worth, to continue a controversy from the last thread, Vance Worley is a better choice to start than Kyle Kendrick because he's a better pitcher.

[CJ]

Jack: No one would expect you to say any different. That post is about as valuable as the Ken Rosenthal column.

[CJ]

Cyclic: It's common wisdom that Chase Utley's leg was actually amputated. His return to baseball is "questionable."

It seems like a lot of people are assuming Utley won't play this year and maybe not much down the road. Not sure why.

[goody]

Does Dane bat RH? If so, and Mets throwing LH tomorrow, and being day game after nite game, he plays tomorrow.

[bay_area_phan]

I think I'll suspend judgment on whether Worley is better than KK. He would seem to have more upside & he seems to be improving. But is he better than Kyle Kendrick right now? I don't see much evidence to support that belief.

Worley's minor league stats tell me that he strikes out a few more hitters than KK, but he also walks more. His 2010 WHIP in the minors was essentially the same as KK's 2010 WHIP in the majors. And Worley certainly didn't blow any minds with his performance in spring training this year, which was decidedly mediocre. Basically, the case for Worley being better than Kendrick comes down to 2 nice starts at the end of last year, against hitters who had no book on him. That's not much of a case.

For the record, I agree with starting Worley tonight. He's stretched out, has more upside than KK & I'd like to see what he's got. But I'm dubious of the claim that he's a better pitcher than Kendrick right now. At best, I think they're about the same. Neither is on a par with Blanton.

[rauls grandpa]

$10 says Wheels compares Worley to Greg Maddux by 3rd inning.

[goody]

What's the weather down there? If there is an in-game rain delay, we will probably see both of these pitchers "start".

[Spitz]

Hopefully Chooch comes back soon, Great Dane is sent down, and is replaced by Dom Brown.

A la 93, we need the double outfield platoon of Ibanez/Mayberry and BenFran/Brown.

[GTown_Dave]

I entered the Ballpark via the Left Field Gate this evening. Just looking at the lineup posted on the reverse of the scoreboard almost made me burst into tears. Trust me, it looks even worse w/ pictures (or in the case of Worley, neither) attached to the names.

[Willard Preacher]

GTown, relax. 4 aces, remember? Just stake out some good seats for me to pick up via Stubhub for the Series, ok? Thanks!

[GTown_Dave]

goody: It's dreary, breezy & kinda spitting a bit, but I'm guessing we'll start on time. No idea what, if anything else, is coming, though.

[Old Phan]

Batting 1st. OnirotciV enahS

[Willard Preacher]

GTown, I just checked out you pic of the lineup. I gotta say, I love Vanimal's rec specs, but a shot of the neon Liberty Bell batting in the pitcher's spot is pretty fantastic.

[GTown_Dave]

Preacher: Trust me, the gargoyle the Phils have on the field performing right now is WAY more intimidating. Charlie ought to run her (?) out there for a few ABs.

[BloodStripes]

When Brown finally gets the call I wanna see him in there everyday. No platoon at all. Just relegate Raul or whomever it be to the bench.

[BloodStripes]

That bandaid Joe has on should help the impingement. All part of the cure.

[Fatalotti]

Why are the Mets still batting Beltran 4th? I would think they'd like to get Davis and Bay at 4/5 in some order, and drop Beltran to 6.

[Fatalotti]

Worley has really nice downward movement on his pitches.

[GTown_Dave]

Murphy's gotta be good for at least a couple of Errors, right?

[bay_area_phan]

Wheels: "[Worley] really likes to compete."

Unlike so many other major league pitchers, who just hate to compete . . .

A lot of people dump on the Phillies' tv crew but you just can't get insights like this from other announcers.

[Old Phan]

I know it's early, but so far I like Worley's tilt.

[bay_area_phan]

The Phillies' defense is looking stellar.

[3r0ck]

Polly pulls a ball to Howard and Rollins missing a routine ball. Putting Worley on his heels early.

[Fatalotti]

So, it appears as though our infield defense decided to not play tonight. They want to see just how good Worley is.

[Heather]

Way to pick up your rookie pitcher, infield. Way to go!

[Spitz]

Don't worry Fata. Vanimal loves to compete, so this is actually a good thing for him,

[Fatalotti]

Very impressed by Worley there. He endured two errors on what should have been a ground ball out, and then a double play. He just kept painting the corners and attacking the hitters, and got himself out of a jam that he had no business being in.

[timr]

Worley was awesome just there. Confident. Worked fast. Kept the ball down. No worries despite the errors. Very nice.

[bay_area_phan]

All Worley needs to do is pitch one good game & half the board will be ready to trade Roy Hallday for salary savings.

[BloodStripes]

Showing nice composure there Vance. Good start.

[Spitz]

KYLE KENDRICK WOULD HAVE STRUCK OUT THE SIDE!!

[Chris in VT]

"All Worley needs to do is pitch one good game & half the board will be ready to trade Roy Hallday for salary savings."

It's an exaggeration, but not by much...Certain players seem to take on mythic status around here and I'm never really sure why...

[timr]

Phils D is really committed to hazing the rook.

[bay_area_phan]

"It's an exaggeration, but not by much..."

True. I overstated my case a little. I meant Cole Hamels.

[Fatalotti]

Is that how it's gonna be BAP...every praise directed at Worley is going to construed as some poster overvaluing the job that Worley has done?

Sometimes it's okay to just watch the game and enjoy what the player is doing, without thinking long term.

[Fatalotti]

Jimmy's got a little swagger back.

[bay_area_phan]

Fat: I was making a little joke about Beerleaguer's tendency toward overreaction. Sheesh.

[Cyclic]

Where's that swagger meter?

Howard needs to be more patient there.

[Old Phan]

Jimmy Swagger! Testify!

[Fatalotti]

BAP, we don't over react, you're crazy!!!! I'm never posting on this board EVER AGAIN!!!

[Cyclic]

He had a strikeout there.

[Fatalotti]

That walk should go on the ump's record. Terrible call on ball (strike) 3.

[Cyclic]

Horrible strike zone

[Cyclic]

Ball 1 looked better than strike 2

[Fatalotti]

Worley has 42 pitches through 2 innings, but should have more like 30 pitches if our defense was playing well behind him, and if the umpire was calling a consistent zone. What a shame.

[bay_area_phan]

Agree about the goofy strike zone. Several of those balls to Thole looked like perfect strikes, whereas two of those strikes to Pridie, including strike 3, looked kinda outside.

[Cyclic]

Can we make Pelfrey work please?

[Cyclic]

Yes LA, tell me more about how hard Raul has been hitting the ball. You sound like Mark Grace.

[bay_area_phan]

That call was preposterous.

[timr]

0 for 27, albeit on a bad call.

[Cyclic]

Yeah, horrible strike zone all around.

[rauls grandpa]

That last strikeout was reminiscent of Walter Big Train Johnson. Worley = Future HOF.

Should I just take a nap now so I can wake up in time for the 0-0 13th inning?

[Iceman]

This lineup really is downright horrifying, especially with Ibanez playing like a corpse out there.

[Chris in VT]

I've read more about umpires' crappy strike zones this year than ever before on BL...Is this an actual phenomenon or are posters imagining things?

[Cyclic]

I don't care about the size. Just consistency.

[bay_area_phan]

Chris: It really does feel like the umps are calling much smaller strike zones this year, probably in an effort to increase offense. Tonight's strike zone, however, is not so much small as bizarre. Raul was called out on a ball that was almost in the dirt.

[Cyclic]

Hey it's the home run payoff innning....

[Fatalotti]

Worley to the All Star Team.

[Old Phan]

He's another Don Drysdale with the bat!

[Cyclic]

Is is me, or was Beltran playing him way too deep?

[Chris in VT]

BAP/et al - thanks...I dont have MLB.tv or the comcast package, so I've only seen 7 or 8 games so far this year. I read the game threads and almost inevitably read quite a bit of b8tching about the strike zones, which seems out of character for BL.

[Cyclic]

Run run run

[Fatalotti]

Wow, MLB.com is way ahead of my Comcast feed tonight. It's always the other way around.

[bay_area_phan]

That was a dubious strike 3 to Beltran too. Not that I'm complaining.

[J. Weitzel]

Worley has been impressive each time I've seen him, so I don't know why my expectations are as low as they are. Looks like a Major Leaguer so far.

[rare bee glue]

Nothing seems to make wheels happier than when a player gets their first hit and he gets to speculate about the awful things other players will do to it.

[Cyclic]

It's the glasses.

[Fatalotti]

His command seems to have left him.

[Cyclic]

Control issues.

[Cyclic]

DP ball please

[rauls grandpa]

Rare bee glue,
I believe Wheels is "projecting".

[timr]

He's overthrowing now.

[mainerob]

He's been squeezed all night and it's starting to play out. Not exactly a perfect pitch to Thole, but it fooled him.

[Cyclic]

That's good

[Cyclic]

Over 70 pitches so far. He'll be lucky to see the 6th inning.

[Fatalotti]

Worley will go 5 just like his last two starts with the team.

[mainerob]

This is huge if he gets out of the inning, which he did. Great for the confidence.

[bay_area_phan]

He's been squeezed? I was thinking he has been the beneficiary of one of the most liberal strike zones we've seen all year. And he still can't throw strikes.

[Cyclic]

Ha. Worley's reaction was priceless. He thought that was trouble.

[Fatalotti]

Jimmy's swing went from god awful to beautiful just like that.

[Old Phan]

Nice to see Jimmy's bat come to life a bit.

[BloodStripes]

Ba boom!!!!!

[timr]

Oh my that was a shot! Upper Deck it!

[Fatalotti]

We can complain about Howard all day, but I'll never tire of seeing him do that.

[BloodStripes]

Ba boooom!!!

[bay_area_phan]

Cheap, band-box aided homerun. That was an infield pop-up in most parks.

[cjp]

Great news: Ryno with a blast

Awful news: I have to hear JJ's pathetic "gone, goodbye" HR call

I'll willingly suffer through that bush league attempt at developing a trademark line as a trade-off for the Phils showing some offensive spark, but it's tough to stomach.

[bay_area_phan]

Prediction: the slump ends here. Although that wasn't a great start.

[NEPP]

HOWARD!!!

[Fatalotti]

Pelfrey gives up a single, homerun, single, and he must be thinking, "Oh no..."

Then he sees Ibanez followed by Orr followed by Schneider, and he thinks, "Thank God!"

[jay]

THAT BALL WAS KILLED!!!!!

[timr]

Not to continue to beat up on Ibanez, but it's pretty telling that after Jimmy, Howard, and Francisco hit Pelf's fastball hard, Ibanez swung right through it on that first pitch.