2006 Philles Season Thread

[SunMo]

ha....

[Geowhizzer]

Looks like Burrell is doing the chicken dance.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Burrell's theme music

[Rome]

ha....

Gutless.

[phattymatty]

ha, look how close to the plate he is before he even attempts to begin sliding

[SunMo]

www.si.com

Billy Wagner is a dope but...

Break up the Phillies
Wagner says former team needs to make big changes
Posted: Thursday July 6, 2006 11:34AM;

People who have spoken to Phillies general manager Pat Gillick believe he will not stand pat this trading season. They say he desperately wants to improve the Phillies' current clubhouse atmosphere. Or at the very least, change it.

While one competing GM said Gillick isn't tipping his hand, it's believed he'll be looking to move Pat Burrell, Bobby Abreu, Mike Lieberthal, among others.

Former Phillies closer Billy Wagner said if Gillick breaks up the team, he's doing the right thing. The problem is the team's "nucleus,'' according to Wagner. "That team has as much talent as this one,'' said the Mets new closer Wagner, whose team leads the second-place Phillies by 11 1/2 games. "But there's something lacking there.''

And Wagner knows just what it is. He said he admires Gillick and manager Charlie Manuel, and that the problem starts at the very top. Wagner contends it stems from upper management, which insists on coddling and pampering their star young players, the result being a sense of entitlement and poor understanding of the team concept. "You don't have the leadership you need,'' Wagner said, adding that it isn't fair to expect it yet from relative youngsters like Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.

Beyond newcomer Aaron Rowand, you don't have much fire, either. "Nobody ever gets upset,'' Wagner said. "If somebody does, he's a big mouth and nobody likes him. They take it as, 'I did my best. I'm going home.' There's nobody screaming, "Hey, we're better than this!'''

When Wagner spoke up last year, he got shouted down. Now the quiet is deafening.

Even a proven trading savant like Gillick may struggle to get much for the high-priced Abreu ($23.5 million through '07), Burrell ($31.65 million through '08), and Lieberthal ($3.75 million through '06). Lieberthal misses a lot of action and is perceived as an offense-first catcher. Complicating matters, Abreu and Burrell have blanket no-trade clauses, and Burrell has suffered from a foot injury, a problem which concerns the Yankees and other potential suitors.

When his name was first floated on the trading block early last winter, Abreu told people he was hoping to go to either the Mets or the pre-fire sale Marlins. But now, Yankees people think he'd accept a trade to them since he owns a condo in the same midtown Manhattan building where Johnny Damon lives. "I don't think he'd mind [going to the Yankees],'' Wagner said. "Bobby Abreu's a good guy, but he's not a vocal leader. The one thing you have to know here (in New York) is, you have to come every day. He's got a real laid-back attitude.''

While former Philly GM Ed Wade spent (overspent, really) to lock up home-grown position players, Wagner said Phillies ownership has never been willing to similarly overspend to get the No. 1 pitcher they've needed since Curt Schilling was traded to Arizona in 2000. However, they do have Brett Myers. "As far as stuff, he's a No. 1,'' Wagner said of Myers. "But mentally, he's a No. 4.'' From what we've seen recently, even that estimate may be high.

[Wingspan]

i looked for 10 minutes to find something to disagree with in that article.

i couldnt find anything.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Let's hope Wagner retires after this season and buys the Phillies.

[Rome]

^^^ I laughed. ^^^

[Geowhizzer]

All need this:

[PhillyPhreak54]

ha, look how close to the plate he is before he even attempts to begin sliding

That isn't an attempted slide.

That, my friend, is Pat Burrell's gutless attempt at running over Mike Piazza. Burrell was out by 10 feet because our awesome 3B coach sent him from 1st. Piazza was a prime candidate to get smashed like a bug on a windshield and Pretty Boy Patty pulled that crap.

He's a farging Hoyda.

[PhillyPhreak54]

www.si.com

Billy Wagner is a dope but...

Break up the Phillies
Wagner says former team needs to make big changes
Posted: Thursday July 6, 2006 11:34AM;

People who have spoken to Phillies general manager Pat Gillick believe he will not stand pat this trading season. They say he desperately wants to improve the Phillies' current clubhouse atmosphere. Or at the very least, change it.

While one competing GM said Gillick isn't tipping his hand, it's believed he'll be looking to move Pat Burrell, Bobby Abreu, Mike Lieberthal, among others.

Former Phillies closer Billy Wagner said if Gillick breaks up the team, he's doing the right thing. The problem is the team's "nucleus,'' according to Wagner. "That team has as much talent as this one,'' said the Mets new closer Wagner, whose team leads the second-place Phillies by 11 1/2 games. "But there's something lacking there.''

And Wagner knows just what it is. He said he admires Gillick and manager Charlie Manuel, and that the problem starts at the very top. Wagner contends it stems from upper management, which insists on coddling and pampering their star young players, the result being a sense of entitlement and poor understanding of the team concept. "You don't have the leadership you need,'' Wagner said, adding that it isn't fair to expect it yet from relative youngsters like Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.

Beyond newcomer Aaron Rowand, you don't have much fire, either. "Nobody ever gets upset,'' Wagner said. "If somebody does, he's a big mouth and nobody likes him. They take it as, 'I did my best. I'm going home.' There's nobody screaming, "Hey, we're better than this!'''

When Wagner spoke up last year, he got shouted down. Now the quiet is deafening.

Even a proven trading savant like Gillick may struggle to get much for the high-priced Abreu ($23.5 million through '07), Burrell ($31.65 million through '08), and Lieberthal ($3.75 million through '06). Lieberthal misses a lot of action and is perceived as an offense-first catcher. Complicating matters, Abreu and Burrell have blanket no-trade clauses, and Burrell has suffered from a foot injury, a problem which concerns the Yankees and other potential suitors.

When his name was first floated on the trading block early last winter, Abreu told people he was hoping to go to either the Mets or the pre-fire sale Marlins. But now, Yankees people think he'd accept a trade to them since he owns a condo in the same midtown Manhattan building where Johnny Damon lives. "I don't think he'd mind [going to the Yankees],'' Wagner said. "Bobby Abreu's a good guy, but he's not a vocal leader. The one thing you have to know here (in New York) is, you have to come every day. He's got a real laid-back attitude.''

While former Philly GM Ed Wade spent (overspent, really) to lock up home-grown position players, Wagner said Phillies ownership has never been willing to similarly overspend to get the No. 1 pitcher they've needed since Curt Schilling was traded to Arizona in 2000. However, they do have Brett Myers. "As far as stuff, he's a No. 1,'' Wagner said of Myers. "But mentally, he's a No. 4.'' From what we've seen recently, even that estimate may be high.

Billy is 100% correct in everything he said.

[SunMo]

i didn't realize that next year is Abreu's last on his contract.  i thought he was locked in longer than that.

that Burrell number is abominable.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

like the snowman!

[BigEd76]

Mathieson was sent down so he can get in a few starts during the AS break