2009 Phillies Offseason Thread

[PhillyPhreak54]

I have always been a Polanco fan. I like him in the 2 hole because of his ability to move guys along and makes productive outs. Sometimes Victorino would not be able to get that done. But Polanco's usefulness of moving guys won't mean much unless Jimmy can get on base at a higher clip.

I do like Vic moving down to the 7 spot because it gives them some speed there and the ability to have someone to drive in 4-5-6

[ice grillin you]

the only thing polanco does better in terms of moving runners over is he strikes out less (but that is cancelled out by shane walking double the amount of time)...in just about every other number victorino kills him...i dont have a huge problem with either hitting second but the notion that polanco is a better 2 hole hitter than victorino is way over blown...and i would take it a step further and say that victorino is a better 2 hole hitter

[MDS]

i would also submit that victorino is not only one of the dumbest baseball players ever, but one of the dumbest human beings ever

polanco will do less "wrong" things but less "super" things. it might even out by the end.

with that said, if victorino outplays polanco he'll be hitting 2nd by october. these lineups arent set in stone and they phillies basically have a six month spring training before the real season starts.

[ice grillin you]

victorino really is a gargantuan moron...but he can hit a baseball

if the phillies played in a big park and didnt have huge power thruout their lineup shane wouldnt fit as well in a two hole...but in this lineup hes a better option than polanco imo...in fact on this team polanco is a perfect 8 hole guy

[MDS]

i doubt polanco will ever hit 8th but you could very well see a change at some point. manuel has flopped things around aside of jimmy 1 chase 3 and choke 4.

in fact victorino 1 polacno 2 jimmy 6 rual 7 would work if jrol would accept the fact that its not 2007 anymore

[PhillyPhreak54]

Agreed on him being great at 8, that would be good. But then you'd be left with Ruiz in the 7th spot and I don't think he's proven himself capable of doing that...yet.

[ice grillin you]

i know what youre saying about ruiz but i cant say he hasnt proved himself because in the biggest spot there is...the postseason...he has come up large

i think ruiz has a break out regular season this year tho


anyway not much different btwn 7 and 8 but advantage polanco in that he could get to the pitchers slot more than ruiz

[MDS]

if he proves it then yea

but right now hes a .240 hitter who has essentially had a fluky good month the last 2 years.

[Rome]

Hey stupid... have you ever caught a game in your life?   It's hard as farg and I can't even imagine how hard it is at the ML level.

He handles the staff great, occasionally pitches in on offense during the regular season, and he's money during the playoffs.

In short, shut it about Chooch.

[MDS]

wow

hes a good catcher but an 8 hitter. nothings changed.

[Munson]

[PhillyPhreak54]

New Yankee Chan Ho Park: "Philadelphia was the no. 1 choice."
TAMPA--As a reporter, it is my job to be skeptical of messages like "the Phillies have one of the best clubhouses in baseball, and many players want to play for the team." It's not that I'm supposed to be overly negative about something like that; I just have to make sure that it isn't mere spin, repeated so many times that it begins to feel like truth.

In the past week, I've had the chance to touch base with Cliff Lee and Chan Ho Park, two short-term visitors to the Philly area--and two guys who seem to wish they were in Clearwater this month. Both pitched well in 2009, and both hoped to return this season. Lee, of course, was part of the Halladay mega-deal. Park was, in Brad Lidge's estimation, "the MVP of our bullpen" last season, but the team did not re-sign him.

After failing to reach an agreement with agent Jeff Borris in December, the Phils moved on to sign Danys Baez and Jose Contreras instead. It was a gamble for the team, swapping a known quantity for two players yet to succeed in Philadelphia. And for Park, like Lee, it was extremely disappointing. The more you see former Phillies shake their heads, shrug, and say how much they loved it in that clubhouse, the more real the Phils current reputation seems.

Park was no exception.  Standing in the locker room of the defending champs, dressed in the iconic pinstripes, Park made clear that he regretted leaving Philadelphia.

He began by saying the right things about becoming a Yankee. "They have the most history, and they are popular in the world, even in Korea," Park said. "When I grew up, they were a symbol--New York. Yankees."

But he spent most of his time yesterday talking about an off-season he called "frustrating."

"I had a wish after the season," he said.  "Philadelphia was the no. 1 choice.  I had a tough time leaving there.  I had much support from fans and community, and I had the best teammates there, so..."

Well, he was asked, why didn't it work out with the Phils?

"Too late. Too late. Too late.  It didn't work well in the beginning, and later on, too late," he said.

Basically, Park orginally expected a raise from the Phils, feeling that a strong performance had earned him more than the $2.5 million he made in 2009.  His agents negotiated with Amaro through mid-December, and then the Phils decided to move on.  Park was shocked.

"They were talking, and it didn't work," he said.  "Trying to get a deal, and it didn't work out, and then later on they just gave up, and I lost."

He eventually signed for one year, $1.2 million to become a Yankees reliever.  Park said that while he still preferred starting--and claimed to have drawn interest as a starter from several teams, though he declined to name those teams--he was more comfortable in the relief role than ever before.

"I knew a lot of teams were going to expect more" from him as a reliever, Park said.  I" had success in the bullpen last year and the year before."

Park also addressed the criticism leveled by Charlie Manuel this winter. In complimenting Baez and Contreras as pitchers who would never refuse to take the ball, even if injured, Manuel was clearly taking a shot at Park. It is likely that Manuel's view of Park as a victim of frequent minor injuries contributed to the Phils lack of aggressiveness in pursuing the pitcher.

"I was disappointed in what he said," said Park.  "That's what he thinks, but I don't think it has any meaning.  He still is my favorite manager. I didn't talk to him, and I didn't believe it (when he first heard about the comments).  But who cares? He's still my favorite manager.  The whole team; they're the best.  That's why it's so difficult to leave.  The fans, especially the fans. They're the best.

"(It is) mostly sad...to leave Philadelphia.  I had fun last year. Good memories and things.  That makes me sad,  but in the future (I'm on) a good team, and we have a chance to win.  That's what's most important."

Posted by Andy Martino @ 12:03 PM  Permalink | 25 comments

[Sgt PSN]

when i saw the phils play in san fran last year, park was warming up in the outfield and having a good time with the phils fans that were there. 

one dude, standing on top of the high wall in center field kept lowering a metal can on a string that he was taunting park with.  park kept throwing at the can, usually hitting it before the guy could pull it out of the way.  after a few minutes, he motioned to the guy to throw down a pen.  then he signed the ball and threw it back to the guy.  pretty sure he kept the pen though. 

[ice grillin you]

New Yankee Chan Ho Park: "Philadelphia was the no. 1 choice."
TAMPA--As a reporter, it is my job to be skeptical of messages like "the Phillies have one of the best clubhouses in baseball, and many players want to play for the team." It's not that I'm supposed to be overly negative about something like that; I just have to make sure that it isn't mere spin, repeated so many times that it begins to feel like truth.

In the past week, I've had the chance to touch base with Cliff Lee and Chan Ho Park, two short-term visitors to the Philly area--and two guys who seem to wish they were in Clearwater this month. Both pitched well in 2009, and both hoped to return this season. Lee, of course, was part of the Halladay mega-deal. Park was, in Brad Lidge's estimation, "the MVP of our bullpen" last season, but the team did not re-sign him.

After failing to reach an agreement with agent Jeff Borris in December, the Phils moved on to sign Danys Baez and Jose Contreras instead. It was a gamble for the team, swapping a known quantity for two players yet to succeed in Philadelphia. And for Park, like Lee, it was extremely disappointing. The more you see former Phillies shake their heads, shrug, and say how much they loved it in that clubhouse, the more real the Phils current reputation seems.

Park was no exception.  Standing in the locker room of the defending champs, dressed in the iconic pinstripes, Park made clear that he regretted leaving Philadelphia.

He began by saying the right things about becoming a Yankee. "They have the most history, and they are popular in the world, even in Korea," Park said. "When I grew up, they were a symbol--New York. Yankees."

But he spent most of his time yesterday talking about an off-season he called "frustrating."

"I had a wish after the season," he said.  "Philadelphia was the no. 1 choice.  I had a tough time leaving there.  I had much support from fans and community, and I had the best teammates there, so..."

Well, he was asked, why didn't it work out with the Phils?

"Too late. Too late. Too late.  It didn't work well in the beginning, and later on, too late," he said.

Basically, Park orginally expected a raise from the Phils, feeling that a strong performance had earned him more than the $2.5 million he made in 2009.  His agents negotiated with Amaro through mid-December, and then the Phils decided to move on.  Park was shocked.

"They were talking, and it didn't work," he said.  "Trying to get a deal, and it didn't work out, and then later on they just gave up, and I lost."

He eventually signed for one year, $1.2 million to become a Yankees reliever.  Park said that while he still preferred starting--and claimed to have drawn interest as a starter from several teams, though he declined to name those teams--he was more comfortable in the relief role than ever before.

"I knew a lot of teams were going to expect more" from him as a reliever, Park said.  I" had success in the bullpen last year and the year before."

Park also addressed the criticism leveled by Charlie Manuel this winter. In complimenting Baez and Contreras as pitchers who would never refuse to take the ball, even if injured, Manuel was clearly taking a shot at Park. It is likely that Manuel's view of Park as a victim of frequent minor injuries contributed to the Phils lack of aggressiveness in pursuing the pitcher.

"I was disappointed in what he said," said Park.  "That's what he thinks, but I don't think it has any meaning.  He still is my favorite manager. I didn't talk to him, and I didn't believe it (when he first heard about the comments).  But who cares? He's still my favorite manager.  The whole team; they're the best.  That's why it's so difficult to leave.  The fans, especially the fans. They're the best.

"(It is) mostly sad...to leave Philadelphia.  I had fun last year. Good memories and things.  That makes me sad,  but in the future (I'm on) a good team, and we have a chance to win.  That's what's most important."

Posted by Andy Martino @ 12:03 PM  Permalink | 25 comments

btwn things like this and cliff lee the eagles need to take heed and change their culture so that players want to go/stay there

the phillies pretty much do everything the way its suppopsed to be done

[Sgt PSN]

the phillies pretty much do everything the way its suppopsed to be done

except re-sign valuable relievers who want to stay and trade away a top 5 pitcher that would virtually make them a lock to get back to the ws and probably even favored to win it because they don't want to pony up $8mil. 

but, even with all that, the phils are most certainly better run than the eagles are.