Game chat: Worley hopes to stay on 'short list'

And by 'short list,' I mean, the short list of the best individual stories of the season. Vance Worley (5-5, 3.47) toes the slab when the Phillies open a weekend set with Tim Lincecum (3-10, 5.93) and the surging Giants. First pitch is 7:05. Worley, very quietly, has rolled out seven quality starts in his last eight attempts, including a win over the Rockies in his latest start. Lots of buzz about whether the Phils will go into fire sale mode over the next few days, but if they decide to buy for a player such as third baseman Chase Headley, as many have advocated, it would likely take a player like Worley to get it done, and perhaps more. Headley, the surprise jewel of a barren third base market, doesn't become a free agent until 2015. ... Charlie Manuel goes with his new favorite lineup against The Freak. [Jump to the newest comments]

Comments

[Will Schweitzer]

"Blanton won't be back here under any circumstances next year"

Don't be too sure. He won't see another 3yr/$21 mil or whatever ridiculous amount that he is being paid, but it wouldn't shock me one bit to see him back as a back of the rotation starter on a 1yr deal.

In fact, I'd say that there's a good chance that Blanton comes back whether or not Cole re-signs.

Frankly, when you consider payroll limitations, in house options and the 2013 crop of free agent starters, we could do much worse.

[Willard Preacher]

"...but if they decide to buy for a player such as third baseman Chase Headley, as many have advocated, it would likely take a player like Worley to get it done, and perhaps more."

I'm okay with this.

[lorecore]

Good point about Worley - he was considered one of the big question marks going into this year, almost universally doomed to regress.

He hasn't matched his 2011 exactly, but he's given the Phillies plenty more than they could realistically expect. He counteracted a lot of his 'luck' stats form last year with an very solid improvement in GB%, 39% to 49% while keeping similiar k/bb rates.

He was probably one of the most likely guys to fail this year, but outside some DL time has had a solid year.

[Melky C.]

I fully intend to hit a game winning blast tonight and thrust my pelvis thusly at Worley.

[out of my league]

Baseball gods please shine brightly on the Phillies this weekend.

Take no prisoners, Phillies. Please suck the life blood out of the flippin' Gnats and their greedy soul sucking owners.

Go Phillies!

[donc]

Lincecum looks like Miss Gulch.

[MG]

I would be stunned if Blanton is back. I am sure if Amaro could trade him right now that he would.

Not that Blanton is a terrible starter. He's not. I could see him provide real value to a team on a 1 yr deal with option or 2 yr deal at say $5-$6M annually.

If Hamels is resigned, they don't have the cash to bring him back. Even if Hamels isn't resigned, I doubt Blanton would be the guy they go after to replace him either.

[Willard Preacher]

Why do I feel like Theriot is going to have the greatest series of his career this weekend?

[GTown_Dave]

Lookin' good, Ryan.

[Willard Preacher]

Yuck, that's a lot of empty seats. Is there a reason, other than the fact that the Phillies are 17-27 at home this season?

[Willard Preacher]

This is probably as good a time as any to re-visit the BL Most Punchable Faces list:

- Cody Ross
- Russell Martin
- Nick Swisher
- Mark Teixera
- Dan Uggla
- Jonathan Papelbon
- Buster Posey
- Brian Wilson
- Yadier Molina

[donc]

Wow Polly.

[wes covington's ghost]

Lincecum might warrant a good beating as well.

[GTown_Dave]

One gets the impression both Posey & Lincecum would feel right at home in a Turkish prison.

[GTown_Dave]

Dammit. I really thought that one was gonna sneak out. Instead: inning-ending K. Figures.

[Willard Preacher]

I was actually thinking that Utley's number against Lincecum feel like he's due, more than he's just that bad against him (note, I have no real reason to substantiate this). When he hit that ball, I felt kind of justified, and thought he might have a big game tonight.

Now, I figure it's just going to be another typical Phillies lack of offense game and I might as well just find something else to watch.

[Willard Preacher]

Basically, that's been my Phillies season in a nutshell. I think they can't possibly be this bad, see a sign of hope or two, then they reinforce that yeah, they are just, indeed, this bad.

[gobaystars!]

-Chipper Jones

[Willard Preacher]

Worley is looking good early, though.

[Willard Preacher]

I'm just thankful that TBag is keeping us abreast of first inning of the Nats game.

I think we have a real shot at picking up some ground on them tonight.

[donc]

GTown: Should we be calling Timmy's fastball the Midnight Express?

[fumphis]

Pet peeve: use of the term "quietly" in write-ups like this. Jason transcends the crappiness of sports journalism in most other ways; I wish he'd leave that tired sigh of a word behind as well.

[gobaystars!]

I'm adding TBag and Wheels to the punchable face list.

[GTown_Dave]

donc: Absolutely.

[bay_area_phan]

My enthusiasm for the Phillies is so low that I'm watching on Gameday rather than expending the energy to lift my remote control & flip on the game on local tv.

[bullit]

good thing howard wasn't on first or sammy would've tried to score him.

[gobaystars!]

Let's go Juan gone.

[donc]

If we can agree to allow non-players on the list I'd like to nominate Cowpie Joe West. I'm betting that will be near unanimous.

[GTown_Dave]

Hell, if we're allowing non-players I'm adding Kyle Kendrick to the list.

[donc]

Nice Dave. Worley dealing.

[GTown_Dave]

Do you think anyone apologized to Worley for the lack of run support before the game even started, just to save time?

[Chris in VT]

Lincecum might warrant a good beating as well.
Posted by: wes covington's ghost | Friday, July 20, 2012 at 07:18 PM

Or a bath.

[gobaystars!]

shoutout to all the mayors in the house tonight.

[Five-4-One]

Polanco

4-36 in July

[GTown_Dave]

Five-4-One: With, I believe, 0 XBH.

[Five-4-One]

The sad part is, I actually think he has less hard hit balls then base hits.

[GTown_Dave]

Speaking of a lack of balls, let's throw it over to Murph & some smarmy politicians up in the luxury boxes!

[gobaystars!]

K.J. in the house!

[donc]

Melky Cabrera should be on that list. What a skunk.

[Gregm]

Or Eli Whitehair...I mean Whiteside. I still pocture him hopping like a boxer.

[gobaystars!]

that's what the new chase utley needs to do.

[bay_area_phan]

This would be an excellent time for Howard to do something other than strike out.

[gobaystars!]

Thank you grounds crew!

[gobaystars!]

I'd like to see the Phillies help Lincecum finish unraveling here.

[donc]

Looks like Timmy had a mushroom omlette for lunch.

[GTown_Dave]

Oh, Lincecum ... Watching you fail amuses me.

[gobaystars!]

I think patience is our best hope.

[donc]

At least we got Gulch's pitch count up a bit. And oh yeah we got the lead too.

[GTown_Dave]

So are the people who declared Polanco dead at the beginning of the season but then were mocked for being wrong now right again? 'Cause he really sucks.

[bay_area_phan]

Polanco is so bad at this point that I'd be surprised if he's even on a major league roster on opening day, 2013.

[can_of_corn]

- Brian Wilson

[Five-4-One]

Gtown, you can never be right around here. You can only be pessimistic, unfair to the players when they are struggling, unaware of their historic success, or just a total idiot when they are happening to have a brief period of success.

[can_of_corn]

Oops. Didn't see Wilson on the first list. Sorry. Trying to catch up tuning in late. I had been thinking how refreshing it is not to anticipate his entrance from the 'pen.

[Five-4-One]

Thats good, pitch around Tim Lincecum. That makes sense.

[Scotch Man]

Feels like a loss

[GTown_Dave]

Five-4-One: So much criticism unalloyed by the facts!

[GBrettfan]

Lincecum looks like Miss Gulch.

Posted by: donc | Friday, July 20, 2012 at 07:10 PM

I've thought this before! Yes, he does! Just to be clear, that's the Wicked Witch of the West when she's in KS as Dorothy's neighbor, right?

[GBrettfan]

Has Lincecum been pitching well lately, or is that just against us? Before the game, I heard Franzke say this would be the game to win since Lincecum's struggled this year and we have Cain & a good-this-year Zito the next two days.

[donc]

September 18 and 19 Blue Oyster Cult with special guests Foghat. That should make us enough coin to afford Cole and Michael Bourn for next year.

[donc]

You got it GBF. She stole Toto, the miserable wench.

[MG]

This 'league average' offense hasn't been very league average so far this month:

13 games, 47 runs (3.6 runs/game)

[Cyclic]

Good eye, Chase.

[GTown_Dave]

Shame those concerts are scheduled so long after the deadline. r00b could've comped other GMs tickets, & maybe even reworked the show a bit. "Slow ride, take Cliff Lee, please ..."

[bay_area_phan]

Worley has lost it completely.

[Five-4-One]

.....Don't fear the contract, he'll be able to pitch.

[Five-4-One]

Game. Ending. Now

[can_of_corn]

Always comforting, when our starter is running out of gas, to see our esteemed bullpen warming up.

[donc]

Bad 70's and 80's lyrics seem appropriate. The Phillies are playing like a bad 70's or 80's Phillies team. Where's Mac Scarce when you need him?

[GTown_Dave]

Pierre's arm wouldn't intimidate a sickly newborn.

[Iceman]

Has anyone been paying attention to the monster season Ryan Theriot is having?

.268/.312/.311/.623 with an 81 OPS+

If we would've signed this guy like DPat told us to, along with Cuddyer, this team would be a buzzsaw.

[donc]

Schwimper activates my gag reflex.

[Buy sell]

Shallow fly to Lf, luckily our left fielder has a good arm & throw him out.home..

O wait ...

[Pop]

That Theriot AB higjlighted something the Phil's desperately lack. 2 called strikes (both close) then he lays off 2 junk pitches, stays patient for a close ball 3 then takes the guaranteed strike the other way for s base hit.

SF hit patiently and effectively with 2 strikes all through the '10 NLCS and SL was no slouch doing it last year in the NLCS.

[Iceman]

Worley again hits a wall, pitching through injury.

How much longer are they going to make him do this?

[MG]

Worley was pitching well up until this inning, lost command a bit, and ran out of gas.

[Cyclic]

HAHAHAHAHA

[GBrettfan]

Wonderful. Guess there's no point in watching the rest of this game.

[donc]

Maybe there is ladies pool on ESPN 2.

[Five-4-One]

Phuck this phucking season.

[MG]

I guess Cholly doesn't really care anymore. Worley is cooked and should have been out after the Schierholtz BB.

[bay_area_phan]

Yeah, I'd say maybe Cholly left Worley in too long.

[wes covington's ghost]

way to go charlie.

[Buy sell]

Chuck -- master of the art of pitching staff management..

[MG]

Right after I type that Crawford HRs. Game over.

[Five-4-One]

Hamels signing, hamels trade, no hamels, this team is going to suck next year.

[bullit]

iirc Scarce is in Atlanta, selling real estate.

[MR]

Maybe Manuel ISN'T watching.

[GTown_Dave]

I'm more convinced than ever that r00b is gonna cry injuries & bad luck, & then point to Hamels' new contract & say, "But I re-signed Cole! Everything's going to be all right!"

[Chris "Wheels" Wheeler]

"Oh, boy."

[Cyclic]

Hamels signing, hamels trade, no hamels, this team is going to suck next year.

Posted by: Five-4-One | Friday, July 20, 2012 at 08:54 PM

Definitely enough information to make a definitive statement like that.

[kuvasz]

I positively hate Charlie Manuel, that grand slam is representative of his inability to recognize when a pitcher is beat. Worly ran out of gas in the fifth and should have been on a short lease in the sixth.

[MG]

Five-4-One - It really depends on a few things but especially Utley/Howard. If Howard is a sub .800 OPS guy who only hits 25 HRs and Utley is a guy who can only start 100-110 G and is a sub .750 OPS, then yeah they will be hard pressed to contend regardless.

[Jr.]

Blame
A.Cholly
B.Dubee
C.Worley
D.Lack of pen

I'll take A and B

[donc]

bullit: He could be worth a call.

[wes covington's ghost]

Charlie's on mushrooms.

[Iceman]

Pop: Theriot is The Answer.

[Cyclic]

Whenever they do acknowledge this season is done, they will shut down Worley, I hope.

[GBrettfan]

I'm guessing Charlie has zero faith in the BP.

[Chris "Wheels" Wheeler]

Someone tweet Cholly and tell him he's a f-n idiot.

[Cyclic]

Giants BL: 5 run lead won't be enough against 2012 Lincecum.