Game chat: Rollins in, but Brown out, in Atlanta

Jimmy Rollins and Charlie Manuel have made peace and the shortstop returns to the top of the Phillies' lineup tonight in Atlanta. Meanwhile, Domonic Brown (knee) remains out of the starting nine, with Michael Martinez starting in right and Ty Wigginton in left against the southpaw Mike Minor. Playing time could get harder to come by for Brown when rosters expand tomorrow. Nate Schierholtz is expected to rejoin the team. Roy Halladay has the ball for the Phils as the Labor Day weekend begins in earnest. [Jump to the newest comments]

Comments

[Dragon]

Forget about Brown's playing time being diminished, I just hope Mini-Mart's playing time gets greatly diminished.

This organization just tanked when it came to Dom Brown.

As for Brown himself, I would suggest he look outside the org staff for medical advice. Their recent track record of playing players while injured & saying they aren't is fairly highly.

Also, F U To Rube & Charlie for continuing to trot our Martinez. Give me a DIII player over him any day

[Bob]

Are you telling me that we dont have a better option that .134 hitting Mini Mart in right field?

Come on now....I want to evaulate players that will actually be here next season.

[GTown_Dave]

Bob: What makes you think he won't?

[Chuck A.]

Honestly, Id rather have the ghost of Richie Ashburn in the outfield over MiniMart. And I'm being serious.

[Bob]

@G Town

Good point, it's scary. He might just be

[Cole Handsome]

It seems that Brown has no sense of how to make it as a professional athlete. Maybe he should take up another profession.

[Moondog]

I'm amazed that so many people waste so much time complaining about the 25th person on the roster. If Rollins, Polanco, Victorino, Pence and Mayberry did anything no one would even care.

[Bob]

@ Moondog

My biggest problem is this guy is getting more playing time than a 25th man on the roster should get

[Chuck A.]

The 25th man man on a major league roster needs to know how to play major league baseball. That is something that MiniMart doesn't know how to do.

[GTown_Dave]

Bob: I'm steeling myself starting now. Of course should he make the roster yet again in '13 said preparation probably won't help abate my fury even the slightest bit, but I'm giving it the old college try nonetheless.

[Bob]

I will take Jimmy Rollins popping up 600 straight AB's over Mini Mart hitting .134. He is an absolute train wreck. Hopefully he is down when Reading's playoffs are done.

[Chuck A.]

I was at the game yesterday, sat in right filed and so wanted to yell and boo at MiniMart. But there were little kids around me and just could n't bring myself to do it.

[Chuck A.]

Seriously....isn't lefty Laynce Nix better in the outfield over MiniMart? I mean, what the fck...

The object is to put out the best 25 players you can. Martinez could be cut today and would not land on a ML roster for the rest of his career.

Sure he is a nice guy and all but he is NOT a major league caliber ball player. The fact this organization keeps putting him out there just is a joke of how this organization is being led.

[Jr]

How can you call Cholly or anyone else in the organization major league when they continue to allow Mini Mouse to be on the roster.

[bay_area_phan]

I'm gonna go out on a limb & speculate that perhaps the reason that people complain so much about the 25th man on the roster is because, by definition, the 25th man on the roster is the worst player on the team and, hence, the most deserving of complaints.

Not to mention that, in the Phillies' case, the worst player on the roster also happens to be about 5 standard deviations worse than every other team's worst player.

[Bob]

Had this exchange at the game yesterday

Me: Why the hell is Martinez playing? He sucks and is hitting .196

Fan next to me: It's actually .136

Me: takes a look at the right field board, shake my head and drop it in disbelief.

[SLO Phan]

BAP: It's also that the 25th person on this team is not the 25th best player in the entire Phillies system.

[Bob]

Vaild points by BAP, SLO and all....

He just doesnt belong, period. Pete Orr was never impressive but he's a hell of a lot better than Martinez is and I can accept what he would bring as the 25th man

[The Hook]

A little encouraging tidbit about ruf. Stark talking to other scouts and say he should def get a chance and with his extra base power he has. Some scouts are saying he has same kind of plate dis and plate cov like a matt holiday. Not saying he's a matt clone, but offense he has comps favorable to him. Lets hope we get the chance to see him. I am just curious to see. If Ty wig can play left y can't ruf?

[bay_area_phan]

I would complain about the 25th man no matter who it was because he is the worst player on the team, by definition. But in this case, how can anyone NOT complain? If Mother Theresa were a Beerleaguer poster, even she would spew vitriol about Mini-Mart.

[curt]

It's discouraging that there is no one else in this entire organization more worthy of these MM ABs.

[Bob]

@ Hook

That is good news. Hell 38 HR's, 102 RBI's sounds legit enough to warrent a look. The last 3 weeks of this season should be interesting between Ruf/Cloyd getting looks

[GTown_Dave]

What's discouraging to me is that not a single member of the local sports media has bothered to inquire about the reasoning of retaining Martinez ahead of, oh, any other player in the entire organization. It's not like they've got postseason previews to write or anything, which ought to leave plenty of time to stir the sh*t. And Martinez is most definitely sh*t.

[bay_area_phan]

That was an impressive first inning.

[Buy sell]

I wish gillies would get a chance in the OF this September

[Ryan]

Cheap 2012 Philadelphia Eagles Season Tickets - No Waiting List!!!--->http://tiny.cc/5pvtjw

[HammRadio]

Kratz tastic.

[curt]

Ruiz at 3B is a pleasant dream.

[lolwut]

BIG FLY!!

[bay_area_phan]

Now, if only they'd change that Bourn hit to the error that it should have been, Howard would already be 2/3 of the way to a Howard.

[Buy sell]

Jack wilson would have had mayberrys ball

[GTown_Dave]

He'd be on track for the fastest Howard ever.

[R.Billingsly]

*NEWSFLASH*

Mini-Mart is just brutal.

[lolwut]

michael martinez is a terrible person.

[bay_area_phan]

And THAT is why we bitch about the 25th man on the roster.

[Bob]

Solid Mini Mart, just solid

[Buy sell]

MM really adds so much to the Phil'a line up..

What it is-- Drek!

[MG]

TMac blabbering about how playing back-to-back days might help Mini Mart and Wheels just to go into some fluffing before Mini Mart hits an ending-inning GIDP on the first pitch.

So appropriate and fitting.

[GTown_Dave]

The absolute worst ballplayer I have ever had the distinct misfortune of witnessing.

[Meyer]

I was checking on Ruf when Mini (7 yr. contract) was up. What'd he do.

[Buy sell]

Firstv pitch DP...

[Jr.]

No,he's not a terrible person,just a terrible player.Would you turn down a chance to play in the majors? As much as I dislike him as a player,it is not his fault.

[MG]

Yeah TMac he was trying to sneak it through the left side.

STFU at times. No reason to make ridiculous positive spin on something where there is none. Brutal to listen to him at times.

[MG]

Halladay looks beet red again tonight.

[bay_area_phan]

MG: Yep. And not looking terribly sharp with his pitches either.

[UBIK]

Halladay looking sweaty and not terribly sharp. I thought that McCann broken-bat fly ball was a goner at first.

[Docjoe]

Bring up gillies at 12:01 am to play in of. Minimart stealing money.

[MG]

Howard HR tonight is his 10th in 163 ABs. Basically one HR every ~16 ABs or about ~35 HRs in a season.

That's not bad but not if it means that Howard hits sub .250 AVG and puts up these kind of BB numbers.

[Lance Phillips]

I just signed on with this being the 47th comment logged.THIRTY SIX OF THE COMMENTS ARE ABOUT MICHAEL MARTINEZ!!!!! STFU already! You guys are obsessed/posessed with/by this guy!!!

[MG]

BAP - Expecting steam to come out of his ears like in the cartoons when he looks like that. When a guy gets that red looking in his face, you have to think or look for possible signs of heat exhaustion.

[Buy sell]

Split screen bet GG-& Tmac/wheels

Isnt technology wonderful

[Lance Phillips]

Kratz must have the highest pct.of runners thrown out in MLB.

[MG]

Meant to add excessive sweating too.

[CousinIT]

They're gonna have to attach a saline bag to Doc if they expect to get him through 7.

[Bob]

@ Lance

The irony of your post isnt lost on many here

[bay_area_phan]

Given that rosters expand tomorrow, is it too much to hope that this is the last time we will see He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named starting in the OF this year?

[MG]

Halladay is start to settle in after a little 1st inning command difficulties which has been par for the course in a lot of his starts.

He still looks like he is sweating bullets though on the close up on his way into the dugout.

Love to see his career splits where he started where it was 90+ degrees.

[GTown_Dave]

b_a_p: Yes.

[bay_area_phan]

One time top 5 Phillies prospect, Brody Colvin:

3.1 IP, 4 walks, 9 earned runs. His ERA stands at 11.02.

[Meyer]

I like the way Franzke calls the Bourne catches. I really like it.

[bay_area_phan]

GTown: Yeah, that's what I thought.

[Meyer]

Bourn.

[MG]

Minor has had good stuff here early too. Should be a quick game if Halladay doesn't hit a wall in the 5th/6th.

[bay_area_phan]

Also, it wouldn't shock me if the Phillies don't even take advantage of the roster expansion rules until a week from today, when they return home. Barring injury, the Phillies have generally been loathe to call up guys from the minors while they're playing on the road. I guess the price of the plane ticket is too daunting

[GTown_Dave]

Schierholtz is looking downright menacing. He appears more ready to bludgeon a hooker than play baseball.

[MG]

Going out of the country on Sunday for a week and won't miss the Phils much. Still haven't had any takers for my tickets next Sunday even at $20. Going to drop them to $15.

Lots and lots of tickets on Stub Hub with prices this low since '06.

[buLl]

Am I the only one who thinks all of The Hook's posts should end with "Cocaine is a hell of a drug."?

[MG]

Reading is in the playoffs so that might make them a bit more reluctant to call up someone from there.

[GTown_Dave]

L.A. just pointed out Halladay's face is now the same shade of red as his cap. An apt description.

[MG]

Really not a good sign that Halladay is the color of 'rare' roast beef that is pink.

He has gone to the rosin bag 4 times already this inning to get the sweat off his hand/forearm.

[Will Schweitzer]

If Beerleaguer ever decided to put out a second t-shirt.

Red with white letters, two words:
F___ MiniMart

[bay_area_phan]

The Phillies obviously think something is wrong with him because it's not really normal for B.J. Rosenberg to be warming up in the bullpen in the 4th inning, with Halladay on the mound.

[GTown_Dave]

Did I just see Rosenberg up in the pen, or am I having a waking nightmare?

[GTown_Dave]

KRATZ!!!

[MG]

Something is wrong with Doc. Take him the out of the game. He is breathing way too deeply, has red skin, and is sweating excessive. A basic EMT would even recognize that as possible heat exhaustion.

[Buy sell]

KRATZTASTIC

[Iceman]

How the f did he hang on to that????

[Meyer]

Kratzermadazzler I hear from audio.

[curt]

Kratz has always hit, and his arm has been a revelation. And he has guts too. Schneider's grip on a roster spot for these past 2 years, like MM's, makes you wonder WTF this organization is up to.

[Mick O]

Kratz is a BAMF

[lolwut]

halladay needs on of these: http://www.philavania.com/p--chuts-m--the-chuts.html

[Cyclic]

If he slides, he's safe

Thanks, Chipper

[bay_area_phan]

That was a great play on both ends.

[wes covington's ghost]

That was a thing of beauty. A big FU to Larry..Well done..

[Bob]

KRATZY!!!!

[Cyclic]

Credit to Mayberry for the throw as well

[MG]

Get play by Kratz. No room to slide around a guy so big squaring up the plate like that and you aren't going to roll a 6'4' 225-235 guy who is already braced.

[Kutztown Fan]

I now want to have Kratz's children.

[GTown_Dave]

In the NFL, that's an illegal hit. Football has become a joke.

[UBIK]

Nice play by Kratz. A better throw by Mayberry might've saved him a few braincells...

[Iceman]

"Going out of the country on Sunday for a week and won't miss the Phils much"

How much do you post on this site? And you won't miss the Phils?

Don't be coy. We all have the same stupid, strange addiction.

[MG]

FU Larry with the elbow into Kratz. Even better play on the replay and a decent throw by Mayberry on the bounce.

[aksmith]

Doc seems to have heat related illness. And once you get it seriously, as he did in Chicago, it never really goes away. He's going to have to be monitored for the rest of his career.

I don't care if Halladay pitches a no hitter the rest of the way, the player of the game has to be Eric Kratz. If that kid isn't on the team next year, Rube is insane.

[Iceman]

THERE IT IS! Pop the champagne for Mayberry! First BB vs. a LHP.

[bay_area_phan]

" A better throw by Mayberry might've saved him a few braincells..."

It's pretty hard to find fault with a throw from CF that landed right in his mitt on a fly.

[bay_area_phan]

A walk! Too bad. I was hoping he'd make it through the whole year without a walk against a LHP.

[MG]

Iceman - Going to Brazil. Nah I won't miss the Phils that much either especially after the Mets' series.

[GTown_Dave]

Buster Posey would have run away crying before the ball even left Mayberry's hand.