In progress: Mets jump on Kendrick, Phillies early

Catcher Steven Lerud, a nine-year minor league veteran with all of nine games experience above Double-A, gets the start behind the plate catching Kyle Kendrick, who surrendered a run in his first inning of work in today's matinee. The Phillies are trying to avoid another home sweep at the hands of the Mets. [Jump to the newest comments]

Comments

[Kendrick Appreciation Society]

By the way, I've liked what I've seen from Aumont so far... even though as part of the Cliff Lee 3, he's not supposed to ever contribute to our team.

His stuff is good, nice velocity and a "heavy" ball.

[SLO Phan]

What, JW? No mention of Mini-Mart and the rest of the HOF outfield?

[Joe D]

How LaRud?!

[MG]

Steven Larud. Biggest unknown guy to start at C since everyone's 2nd favorite French Canadian Phils' player, Pete LaForest, did in April '07.

[Joe D]

Pete LaForest. MG, that's good work by you.

[Joe D]

The #1 French Canadian obviously being Rheal Cormier.

[MG]

Nevermind. Pete LaForest never started a game for the Phils.

He was just a PH ace (1-11) that Amaro picked up as a waiver deal in Sept. '07.

[MG]

Gillick. Back to work.

[aksmith]

What's the problem with Utley staying at second. He says the position isn't rough on his knees and his knees feel "fine" anyway.

So, it's not second base. It's clearly something else. Winter. We need to send Utley to a Winter league so he can play year round and not take any time off. Time off in the Winter is what's doing him in. How else to explain that when he takes a couple of months off, he's too injured to get on the field. But once he's playing, he's "fine?"

We need to take up a collection to send Utley to Venezuela this Winter so he can stay healthy and come back unrested and ready to play ball.

[GTown_Dave]

That's 2 HR balls landing in empty seats already today.

[bay_area_phan]

Kendrick's looking sharp.

[HammRadio]

when bad Kendrick shows up... its really bad. like 5 or 6 runs bad. This is bad Kendrick. Take him out now.

[Sil Campusano]

WTF is with the Phillies and Hairston???

[HammRadio]

2012 Phillies: Your StubHub Listing Expired.

[J. Weitzel]

This guy stinks!

http://1045theteam.com/profane-tirade-about-mets-player-by-phillies-broadcaster-audio/

[SLO Phan]

KK regressing to his mean.

[MG]

Scott Hairston is definitely a 1st ballet HOF in the 'Philly Killer' wall.

He was at .302/.341/.672 with 11 HRs in 123 PAs coming into today and that increased a bit.

[GTown_Dave]

Wigginton robbed that fan of a souvenir. Jerk.

[Iceman]

Anyone got the audio of Franzke's call on Hairston/Hank Aaron's HR?

[kuvasz]

Has Manuel been investigated for betting against his own team yet? Occam's razor would insist upon it.

[GTown_Dave]

HammRadio: I'm laughing while I'm crying. That describes my season perfectly.

[Sil Campusano]

Sorry to belabor the point, but it seems like every other freaking team in the league knows that you get Hairston out by throwing him offspeed/breaking stuff. Not sure why we can't do it. It's definitely tirade-worthy.

[MG]

For what it is worth, Hairston is having a nice year for the Mets and probably having a career year in large part to his success vs Phils:

2012:

13 G (42 PAs) - .308/.357/.769 with 5 HRs and 11 RBIs coming into today.

Now has 6 of his 15 HRs this year vs Phils.

[TK]

1-8 to the Mets at home for the 2012 phils. Sounds about right.

And honestly, I can't take how awful Mayberry is anymore. Rosters expand Saturday. Play the minor leaguers in his place for the rest of the year.

[Joe D]

That StubHub post is hilarious.

[MG]

Hairston should at least donate a portion of his lucrative offseason contract to a chartity of the Phils' choosing in Philly. Easy going to 2x-3x his $1.1M salary this year.

Only fitting if Amaro acquires him & he proceeds to stink up the place.

[GTown_Dave]

I think Charlie mistook a pair of Hamels' soiled boxers for a Major League lineup.

[bay_area_phan]

MG: I could totally see the Phillies acquiring Hairston in the off-season. RAJ figures, "Hey, he kills us every time we face him. He must be great."

[NEPP]

Rod Barajas worked out so awesomely...why not get Hairston too!

[CousinIT]

Well that's what he did with Nix. Nix makes one (1) great catch on the Phils and RA thinks Sign Him! At Any Price!

[Willard Preacher]

I figured they'd get to Kendrick early, especially after they saw him for 6 innings yesterday.

[GTown_Dave]

Suck it, Baxter!

[Kendrick Appreciation Society]

Yeah, pitching Cloyd and KK back to back is the worst idea ever.

[Sil Campusano]

Frandsen continues to hit.

[Kendrick Appreciation Society]

1) How well would Frandsen have to play down the stretch to earn a legitimate look at 3B next season?

2) Would considering the possibility of Frandsen at 3B next season be equivalent to raising the white flag in 2013?

[Sil Campusano]

Capt. Obvious says: "Utley sure does get beaned a lot."

[Dickie Thong]

What's the problem with Utley staying at second. He says the position isn't rough on his knees and his knees feel "fine" anyway.

Yeah, because Utley is so forthright when it comes to discussing his health status. We should just blindly trust what he says.

P.S. Utley approached Amaro about taking giving 3rd base a try, not the other way around.

[MG]

Terrible AB by Howard. He's had really good numbers (SSS) with RISP but no so much with runner on base.

[bay_area_phan]

The first time that Howard struck out 199 times in a season, it took him 648 PAs to do so. If you project this year's strikeout rate over 648 PAs, he would strike out 240 times. Mark Reynolds holds the single season record at 223.

[MG]

Wow. Just smokes everything against this team.

Sarge commenting on JRoll jumping and saying good for him. Really have loathed him this year.

If there was a award for a color guy in sports for 'Laziest Broadcaster' or 'Least Preparded', Sarge would definitely be a annual contender.

[GTown_Dave]

Speaking of strike outs, the Phillies have the fewest in the NL. I would gladly see them K more often in exchange for a higher number of runs scored.

[SLO Phan]

Mini-Mart trying to get his BA below the "Martinez" line.

[HammRadio]

which comes first? @bap's man crush for Lerud here? or DavThom shows up?

[Meyer]

Say it ain't so Roll.

[GTown_Dave]

Must ... not ... score ... multiple runs ... per ... inning ...

[James Calvin Rollins]

Yo Soy Senor "Pop-Out"

[NEPP]

If Mini Mart ends up batting under .100 on the year, will they end this travesty of a MLB career?

[GTown_Dave]

The TV broadcast has become a complete f*cking clown show. The Phillies should be embarrassed.

[bay_area_phan]

GTown: Agreed. I don't care about strikeouts per se. But I do think a significant uptick in strikeouts is a red flag that the guy's hitting is in decline. At least Howard has the excuse of being injured. Rollins, on the other hand, is as healthy as he has been in years, yet his strikeout totals are rising faster than the national debt.

[Meyer]

Duda done duffed dat one.

[Kendrick Appreciation Society]

1) How well would Frandsen have to play down the stretch to earn a legitimate look at 3B next season?

2) Would considering the possibility of Frandsen at 3B next season be equivalent to raising the white flag in 2013?

[Iceman]

I notice the board's short-bus brigade have kept their traps shut about Kendrick since their initial whining.

Looks like he's on his way to another quality start.

[R.Billingsly]

Was going to post Hairston's career numbers against the Phils. But, it was done. Then I was going to post Hariston's 2012 numbers against the Phils. But, it was done.

So, I have nothing of value to add.

Enjoy the game, all!

[GTown_Dave]

I know Frandsen's kinda redundant when you've already got "Top Fielder" Michael Martinez on your ball club, but it sure would be nice if the Phils could find a space on the bench for him come '13.

[R.Billingsly]

Frandsen might have just removed Juan Pierre from atop my "pleasant surprises of the season" list.

[Kendrick Appreciation Society]

Kevin Frandsen obviously doesn't want to get swept by the Mets.

[bay_area_phan]

"which comes first? @bap's man crush for Lerud here?"

I am not one to fawn over journeymen AAA catchers -- particularly ones like Lerud, whose numbers are absolutely wretched. My "mancrush" was specific to Kratz, and it was never really a mancrush. It was more like an expression of outrage and incredulity that a team would keep running Brian Schneider out there, then re-sign him in the off-season, when they had a catcher at AAA who had a strong throwing arm & was posting an .800+ OPS year after year.

[Sil Campusano]

If he keeps it up, Frandsen has to get that utility spot. The fact that he isn't Michael Martinez should automatically give him a leg up.

[aksmith]

Sarge is the worst color broadcaster i've ever heard. And I think I've actually heard them all over the last three or four decades. Remy and Rizzuto were really bad. Sarge is much much worse.

[DH Phils]

Well, this is rock bottom for Michael Martinez.

[Sil Campusano]

Don't blame the Mets for walking Wiggy to get to Mini Mart. I'd walk Kendrick to get to Mini Mart.

...The Mini Mart bashing continues...

[Danomyte]

Why do you not pinch hit for Martinez here???????????? Michael Martinez and his playing time is the biggest mystery I've ever seen as a Phillies fan in the last 15 years.

[aksmith]

I think we've all seen enough of Minimart. Not sure why Charlie and Rube haven't seen enough of Minimart.

But when the rosters expand, if Minimart gets another at bat or inning in the field, I think we'll need to question their sanity.

Well, this is rock bottom for Michael Martinez.

Posted by: DH Phils | Thursday, August 30, 2012 at 02:23 PM
-------------------------

It is rock bottom for the phillies organization for having martinez on the roster.

[Iceman]

"2) Would considering the possibility of Frandsen at 3B next season be equivalent to raising the white flag in 2013?"

Absolutely not. clout rightly pointed out the other day that plenty of contending teams have a poor everyday player or two in their lineup.

But I think the idea of Frandsen as an everyday player is extremely foolish, and his success now, while nice, should be taken with an extreme amount of caution. John Mayberry was penciled in as a starter after a few good months and he was pretty awful in an everyday role this year. Frandsen has only had a few good weeks.

That said, there's no reason he shouldn't have already earned himself a bench spot on the 2013 roster.

[DH Phils]

Kyle Kendrick has a 3.67 ERA over his last 2 seasons (232 IP) coming into today. Soon, he will have a bad start (as 5th starters sometimes do), and sure enough, Phillies fans will rip him.

[GTown_Dave]

Martinez has a legit shot to finish the season w/ a sub-.100 BA

Seriously. Think about that. And then think about it again when he somehow makes the roster in '13.

[R.Billingsly]

We all have (seemingly) come to an understanding that it's not Mini-Mart's fault that he stinks. So, what's worse: Rube having Mini-Mart on the roster or Charlie for starting him?

[dick allen 15]

Iceman..Why dont you start your luv affair with " dear in the headlights Kendrick" on another site. He blows and has always blown since the time he started. Now would be a great time to see what interest there is around the league to rid themselves of his contract and move on with more legitimate younger prospects !!!!!!!!

[GTown_Dave]

DH Phils: True ... but only because I hate white people.

[aksmith]

dick allen - Seems like of silly to jettison Kendrick, who has been productive, now. This isn't a fluke. He's done it for a while now when he's not yo yo ing from pen to starter. Frankly, I'd like to see him in the pen and have another fifth starter. But he needs to be one thing or the other. And he seems to be making the most of his starts.

[dick allen 15]

aksmith..I understand your sentiment, but it takes an astute GM to read a person's ceiling and right now Kendrick has reached it. Now is the time to cut bait and move on ..

[bay_area_phan]

Not only has Kendrick turned it around and pitched well today, but his batting average is now higher than Mini-Mart's.

[Danomyte]

It's 1979, and the big basher in Japanese baseball is home in the States in the offseason. While unwinding at his favorite watering-hole in Virginia, enjoying a bourbon and coke, in walks in the none other than the Latina bombshell, Mercedes Martinez. A few bourbon and cokes later, what was once the gleam in Manuel's eye, the person now playing RF for the Phillies was conceived in a Waffle House bathroom across the street.

[Iceman]

dick allen- well played, sir.

[R.Billingsly]

And the Phillies have lost two games in a row to THIS team!

...and why is J-Roll not standing on second?

[gobaystars!]

We've got some serious LOLMETS action going on. Just like the old days.
Speaking of which, 5 years since the four game sweep that put the Phillies back on the map.

[Sil Campusano]

LOLMets. Let JRoll off the hook there for another infield popup.

[Mini Mart]

I have pics of Rube you wouldn't believe exist.

[sdphillie]

Sarge : "He's the kind of player who will try to make up for [the mistake]"

Really? How many other professional athletes don't try to make up for their mistakes?

[wes covington's ghost]

Enough of his slacking ass, he should be on second.No accountability.

[R.Billingsly]

Well, that SB at least makes up for Rollins dogging it down the line.

[gobaystars!]

Jimmy what the frig. Frandsen saves the team a bit there.

[Joe D]

Jimmy out for another stroll in the park?

[Kendrick Appreciation Society]

Bad result from Frandsen on that at bat, but heads up running to get to 2nd base to make up for Rollins getting caught in the rundown.

[gobaystars!]

Well if that wasn't the dumbest inning I've ever seen. Ugly all around.

[GTown_Dave]

wes: Agreed. It's constant, & pathetic. Looks like Charlie is having a word w/ him in the dugout. That word should be "sit".

[DH Phils]

Nobody is going to mistake these two teams for contenders.

[Joe D]

LA didn't even rip Jimmy. He must be tired of doing it. He said you don't expect pop ups like that to fall. But really how hard is it to take a light jog around to 2nd on that?

[Corn]

The smug doucheness that exudes from some posters at TGP is amazing.

One person in reply to why the organization loves Martinez so much.

my guess is he’s an easy cheap option right now and he doesn’t have much of a future with the org, but you know, it’s easier to simply assume the org is stupid

by yolacrary

[GBrettFan]

I've been away for a few days so would like to say belatedly that I thought what Jimmy did for the Ugandan Little League team was top-notch. I ate up all the stories about that team and about JRoll's involvement with them. Pretty cool that he, Howard, & Chooch went to watch them play the other day, too. And that he's giving kids money for education.

[Joe D]

I really hate myself for calling for Jimmy to be brought back on a new deal.

[GTown_Dave]

Good job, Charlie. It's about f*cking time.

[gobaystars!]

Wow. He did pull him.

[R.Billingsly]

Rollins has been pulled from the game.

[Sil Campusano]

JStroll yanked. Wow!

[Kendrick Appreciation Society]

J-Roll benched.

[Joe D]

Sit him for the rest of the year so his dumb option has less of a chance of kicking in.

[aksmith]

I'm not sure that's a punishment.

I wonder if he both didn't run hard, then missed a sign. Seems like it takes multiple stupidities to get benched on this team.

[GBrettFan]

Not so cool getting himself benched for not hustling on the pop-up, although that should absolutely have been caught.