2008 Phillies Spring Training Thread

Started by Wingspan, February 14, 2008, 12:25:45 PM

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MDS

oh my god jewish heritage night? sweet gravy. that place will be flying with usy douches and a israel-flag waving chain-smoking middle easterners. no.
Zero hour, Michael. It's the end of the line. I'm the firstborn. I'm sick of playing second fiddle. I'm always third in line for everything. I'm tired of finishing fourth. Being the fifth wheel. There are six things I'm mad about, and I'm taking over.

Rome

Quote from: FastFreddie on February 26, 2008, 09:10:06 PM
Industrial length measuring tape for all, Alabama Slammers for others!

Ahaha.  I bought a shaker full of those things the other night.  A local bar had them for $8 so I bought a round for the group.  Needless to say they were better than the fertilizer we drank at training camp.

Wingspan

Quote from: ice grillin you on February 26, 2008, 09:00:27 PM
so king is much better in every game but the opener?

For whatever reason hamels is below average in day games.

That said it's not going to matter when Gordon blows both of those leads in the bottom of the 9ths
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Sgt PSN

Quote from: ice grillin you on February 26, 2008, 08:46:19 PM
Quote from: Sgt PSN on February 26, 2008, 08:25:20 PM
Quote from: ice grillin you on February 26, 2008, 08:17:08 PM
not to mention the strategical aspect of having your best pitcher against the other teams best pitcher

I've got mixed feelings on the #1 vs #1 philosophy.  If thier best pitcher has a history of just dominating your hitters but you've had success against thier 2 and 3, then why not send one of your other pitchers to the mound the first game?  In other words, "concede" the loss on the first game and give yourself a better chance to win games 2 and 3.

Of course, that's really a playoff argument, not really suited for opening day.  Because of the length of the season and injuries and skipped starts, opening day is 1 out of maybe 5 or 6 times during the year that your #1 pitcher is going up against the opponent's #1 guy.  

as tight as the mets phillies race should be this year you cant be conceding any games

the reason you go 1 vs 1 is for that exact reason...that you dont limit your chances to win...you hope you guy out duels their guy or you hope its a wash and take your chances in the late innings


I agree overall with that concept.  But at the same time, it's kind of a silly one for a 162 game season where the Phillies #1 pitcher isn't going to be matched up with the other teams #1 guy every time he takes the mound.  That's probably not going to happen more than a half dozen times all year.  So getting bent out of shape over it not happening one more time isn't really worth it imo.  

PhillyPhreak54

Pretty much.

They need to win and have a good start in April regardless of who the manager selects to pitch. They will all get the turns so bitching about it or ripping the choice wastes energy, IMO.

Let's bitch about losing Rowand or Pat Burrell being relied upon to be a integral part of the line-up...

ice grillin you

Quote from: Sgt PSN on February 26, 2008, 10:59:23 PM
I agree overall with that concept.  But at the same time, it's kind of a silly one for a 162 game season where the Phillies #1 pitcher isn't going to be matched up with the other teams #1 guy every time he takes the mound.  That's probably not going to happen more than a half dozen times all year.  So getting bent out of shape over it not happening one more time isn't really worth it imo.  

it happens more than you think..but if we go by your premise that everyone gets bumped down because of rain outs off days ect...then that means hamels is now pitching against other twos threes fours...which means by bumping him down you have the four and five guys pitching more games against the other teams ones and twos and threes instead of their four and fives and ones...

theres a reason why guys are slotted 1-5 and i think its a mistake to unslot them

hamels is better period....he won more games last year in a season where he missed a month than myers has EVER won in his career

myers might not even be a #2 guy much less an ace
i can take a phrase thats rarely heard...flip it....now its a daily word

igy gettin it done like warrick

im the board pharmacist....always one step above yous

Rome

Myers isn't a legitimate #2 starter?  Were you dropped on your head as a child?

I know you hate him for your own bizarre and inexplicable reasons, but for God's sake, he's an innings-eater who routinely wins 13-14 games a season as a starter.  And he won those games without the sort of offense that the Phillies trot out there now.


PoopyfaceMcGee

Myers should be a #2 on a competitive team.  Not sure if he's any better than a 3 on a World Series team, but now we're just arguing semantics.

Either way, Cole is the clear #1 and should be the opening day starter.

ice grillin you

on a weak team he might be a 2....which is why i say hes barely a number two guy...more likely a 3

but the point is he not even on the same planet with number one guys and shouldnt have that slot
i can take a phrase thats rarely heard...flip it....now its a daily word

igy gettin it done like warrick

im the board pharmacist....always one step above yous

Rome

Making him the opening day starter puts to rest any hint that he'll be switched to the bullpen.  The Phillies just saved themselves six weeks of "will he return to the bullpen" bullshtein throughout spring training leading up to opening day.

As for the other nonsense, suggesting he's not a legitimate #2 is so silly it's not even worth discussing it anymore.

PoopyfaceMcGee

I made a legitimate #2 this morning.  It clogged my toilet.

ice grillin you

unless my math is wrong and someone correct me if it is then king will miss the mets series because of this

its so comforting to know that the teams ace will completely miss the first series against the arch rival that they will be battling for the division title this year because the manager is a bumbling idiot





i can take a phrase thats rarely heard...flip it....now its a daily word

igy gettin it done like warrick

im the board pharmacist....always one step above yous

Rome

QuotePosted on Wed, Feb. 27, 2008


Why Brett Myers will be Phillies' Opening Day pitcher

By DAVID MURPHY
Philadelphia Daily News

dmurphy@phillynews.com
CLEARWATER, Fla. - When searching for adjectives to describe the Phillies' decision to tap Brett Myers as their Opening Day starter - relegating the unveiling of presumed ace Cole Hamels to the second game, April 2 - "curious" would seem the best place to start.

Except, when you listen to their rationale, it doesn't sound so curious after all.

It's easy to forget that Myers pitched into the eighth inning in the last Opening Day, holding Atlanta to three runs and four hits and striking out nine in a game the Phillies ultimately lost, 5-3. And it's even easier to downplay the psychological significance that accompanies the decision to place the ball in Myers' hands this time around. The Phils open March 31 at home against Washington.

But with closer Brad Lidge injured and Myers' success in that role last season, the Phillies wanted to make sure Myers knows they expect him to pitch, and pitch well, in the starting rotation.

"I don't want Brett looking forward to being a closer," pitching coach Rich Dubee said. "I want Brett preparing for Opening Day."

The Phillies decided the best way to accomplish that was to announce Myers as their starter an hour before the scheduled start of last night's rained-out exhibition against Florida State at Bright House Field.

Manager Charlie Manuel didn't pinpoint a reason why he made the decision, mentioning both setting up the rotation "the way we want it" and the following week's series against the Mets as factors.

All spring training, Manuel has gone out of his way to stress the fact that he views Myers as a top-of-the-rotation pitcher. At one point about a week ago, he called Myers and Hamels "No. 1 and No. 1A." Yesterday, while sitting behind a desk in the manager's office at Bright House Field, he told reporters that "both of them, to me, are No. 1."

From a mental perspective, Myers appears to have the most to gain from getting the ball on Opening Day. After the team announced that Lidge would undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and be sidelined 3 to 6 weeks, Dubee said he was concerned that Myers might get the impression that he would eventually end up back in the bullpen, as he did last season when the Phillies needed a replacement for then-closer Tom Gordon.

Though Myers, 27, has said he is more than willing to return to the rotation, he has also made no secret of his love for closing games. Last season, he converted 21 of 24 save opportunities and was a big factor for the Phillies in their late-season charge to the National League East title.

But Manuel and Dubee also wanted to make sure Myers understands how much they appreciate his self-sacrifice the past year. The righty will be a free agent following the 2009 season, which gives him plenty of incentive to find a specific role and excel in it before he hits the market. Nevertheless, Myers, who won 50 games as a starter from 2003-06, didn't complain when the team asked him to move to the bullpen. And he didn't complain when they asked him to move back to the rotation.

"Unselfishly, Brett went into the bullpen last year," Dubee said. "At first, it was probably a shock to him. He accepted it and did a hell of a job for us. He showed [he was] a pretty good team player by doing so. So part of it is a reward for him."

In his career, Myers is 59-47 with a 4.34 ERA, 773 strikeouts and 325 walks. He has pitched in 193 games, 143 of them starts.

"I'm open to anything," Myers said. "I liked closing, but I'm here to help the team. I can obviously do both. I've done both pretty well, so hopefully I can continue to succeed in what my role is this year."

Throughout the offseason, Manuel and Dubee contemplated making Myers their Opening Day starter. Assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said yesterday he "absolutely" agrees with the decision.

Manuel said he talked with Hamels, who went 15-5 with a 3.39 ERA last season, and that the lefthander was "definitely OK" with the situation.

"We had a good conversation," Manuel said. "I told him look, he was our No. 1 starter last year and he had a big year."

Hamels was unavailable to speak with the media by the time Manuel made the announcement.

After the Phillies' three-game series with Washington, they play four games against Cincinnati before traveling to New York to face the Mets. Myers could conceivably make his second start in the last game against the Mets, depending on how the team uses a scheduled off day between the first and second games. But Dubee said it is far too early to delve into such a scenario. *

Sgt PSN

Quote from: Rome on February 27, 2008, 08:39:36 AM
Making him the opening day starter puts to rest any hint that he'll be switched to the bullpen.  The Phillies just saved themselves six weeks of "will he return to the bullpen" bullshtein throughout spring training leading up to opening day.

You're smart. 

Quote from: Rome on February 27, 2008, 11:40:24 AM
QuotePosted on Wed, Feb. 27, 2008


Why Brett Myers will be Phillies' Opening Day pitcher

By DAVID MURPHY
Philadelphia Daily News

"I don't want Brett looking forward to being a closer," pitching coach Rich Dubee said. "I want Brett preparing for Opening Day."

The Phillies decided the best way to accomplish that was to announce Myers as their starter an hour before the scheduled start of last night's rained-out exhibition against Florida State at Bright House Field.

Rome

I'm about as smart as you are heterosexual.