2007 Philadelphia Phillies Thread - DIVISION CHAMPS MOTHER fargER!!!!

[Rome]

any potential he has to be a starter is being wasted this year, he needs to be playing every day in AAA, getting ABs, but no he's here rotting away

Bourn is a pretty bad player.  If we lose Rowand and replace him with Bourn we are probably going to have a pretty bad offense next year.

Hilarious.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

Trade talks fizzle

By RANDY MILLER
ST. LOUIS — The Phillies called the Chicago White Sox to ask about left-hander Mark Buehrle and discovered the price tag is way too high.

They phoned the Florida Marlins to inquire about lefty Dontrelle Willis and were told he's not available.

That's all according to a National League executive who says Phillies management has been contacting every team in a desperate search to fill their latest hole in the starting rotation.

"We'll have something for you in the next couple of days, maybe (tomorrow)," assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Sunday, a day after the Phils learned veteran starter Jon Lieber could miss the rest of the season with a ruptured tendon in his right foot.

Amaro admitted the Phils are exploring trade possibilities, but isn't optimistic they'll be successful. He said it's more likely the Phillies again will turn to their farm system for a replacement, as they did earlier this month when they brought in Kyle Kendrick from Double-A to fill in for Freddy Garcia, who is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury.

The Phils also need a second fill-in starter for next weekend's series at Citizens Bank Park against the National League East-leading New York Mets. They need a spot starter for Friday's day-night doubleheader and another Saturday to take Lieber's spot.

They could make one of those games a bullpen game — they did that in June 2006 at Toronto with reliever Aaron Fultz starting — but Amaro shot that option down.

It appears two Triple-A Ottawa starters, lefty J.A. Happ and righty J.D. Durbin, are the best bets. Happ is a prospect, but has pitched just twice since returning from an elbow injury; Durbin is a journeyman.

Another option is calling up their top prospect, 20-year-old Carlos Carrasco, a right-hander who jumped from Class A Clearwater to Double-A Reading last week.

"I think it's too early to think about (Happ and Carrasco) in a perfect world, but in reality we have to have starters for Friday and Saturday, so we'll talk about everyone," assistant GM Mike Arbuckle said. "It's a tough call. We have to think it through a little bit. At the same time, we have to look outside. We're OK until Friday, so we have a few days to look."

Arbuckle said if the Phils do land a starter in a trade, it probably won't be a front-line player.

"Nobody can give up a good starter, so you're going to get a marginal guy like (Mike) Maroth if you can get it," Arbuckle said.

Before Lieber's injury, the Phils weren't interested in Maroth, who was traded on Friday from Detroit to St. Louis.

"We gotta fill in our holes as much as possible and go from there," manager Charlie Manuel said. "But I'm realistic about things. I see every team in baseball needs pitching, and I know how hard it is to get.

"There's no sense in me complaining when I realize exactly what's going on in baseball. It's hard to find a guy that's going to come in here and be lights out or really help us."

Ha.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

J.D. Durbin has dreamy hair.

[Rome]

ST. LOUIS — The Phillies called the Chicago White Sox to ask about left-hander Mark Buehrle and discovered the price tag is way too high.

Their commitment to win at any cost is awe-inspiring.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Let's trade Carrasco and Happ for someone old, preferably a middle-relief specialist.

[Wingspan]

Frankly, I would rather not obtain another pitcher from the White Sox.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Word is the Phils were looking to sign Rod Beck out of retirement.

Board Member 1:  I've never heard of half of these guys and the ones I do know are way past their prime.
Pat Gillick:  Most of these guys never had a prime.
Board Member 2:  This guy here is dead!
Dave Montgomery:  Cross him off then.

[BigEd76]

From a Phillies beat writer:

Interesting story today concerning the sad news about Rod Beck. During the rain delay several press people were talking to assistant GM Ruben Amaro and someone asked if he had heard the news about Beck.

Amaro's response?

"Who signed him?"

Not even kidding, unfortunately. (For his part, Amaro felt genuinely bad about his lack of decorum.)

[SunMo]

it would've been funnier if he said:

"Who signed him?"

and somebody said:  "God did"

[Rome]

Much funneyer.

[mpmcgraw]

any potential he has to be a starter is being wasted this year, he needs to be playing every day in AAA, getting ABs, but no he's here rotting away

Bourn is a pretty bad player.  If we lose Rowand and replace him with Bourn we are probably going to have a pretty bad offense next year.

Pencil him in as an all-star now then. Everyone who you blast away on turns out to be good and people you praise turn out to be shtein. How's your boy Patty doing? What's he hitting, .149?, since April? Stud!

Yea look at how well Freddy Garcia is doing!

Man, I should have listened to you guys when you told me that losing 8 mph on his fastball wasn't going to effect his ability to pitch and that he wasn't a pretty big injuy risk!

[rjs246]

Are you going to cry a little?

[Rome]

Bourn's been on base a total of 20 times this season (14 hits, 6 walks).  He has 10 steals and is hitting .304 at the moment with two triples.

But yeah, he's a pretty bad player.

[PhillyPhreak54]

any potential he has to be a starter is being wasted this year, he needs to be playing every day in AAA, getting ABs, but no he's here rotting away

Bourn is a pretty bad player.  If we lose Rowand and replace him with Bourn we are probably going to have a pretty bad offense next year.

Pencil him in as an all-star now then. Everyone who you blast away on turns out to be good and people you praise turn out to be shtein. How's your boy Patty doing? What's he hitting, .149?, since April? Stud!

Yea look at how well Freddy Garcia is doing!

Man, I should have listened to you guys when you told me that losing 8 mph on his fastball wasn't going to effect his ability to pitch and that he wasn't a pretty big injuy risk!

Good job trying to flip the script. So what Freddy Garcia sucked. You've been swinging from the sack of Pat for awhile now and hating on Rowand like he raped your girlfriend. Now you don't like Bourn because he's moving in on your boys playing time.

[BigEd76]

Bourn's been on base a total of 20 times this season (14 hits, 6 walks).

And that's not counting all the times he replaced Pat