Open Discussion: Week of April 10, 2022

Weekly Discussion

This is the courtesy thread for comments and discussion about the Phillies and other BASEBALL topics.

The first weekend is in the books.  The Phillies won 2 of 3 from the A’s.  I think the guys performed the way we expected.  Schwarber introduced himself to the crowd in his first at bat.  They won a high-scoring game.  They got a great start from Gibson.  In fact, the pitching staff performed well.  They recorded 31 strikeouts.  They’ve got a 0.89 WHIP.  They issued a major league-low 4 walks.  Hitting’s a mixed bag.  They are in the top half of the majors with a .324 OBP, .462 SLG, and .786 OPS, but a middle-of-the-road .231 AVG.  Their 22 Ks are among the lowest in the majors.

Joe might have been better.  I thought he left Nola in too long.  I wouldn’t have brought Falter out for a third inning.  And I think he failed the “I can get them both at bats” test as Bohm only had 3 plate appearances this weekend.  If he’s not going to play third when Stott sits like on Sunday, let him bat every day in Allentown.  It’s early.  We’ll see.

Roman Quinn was signed to a minor league contract as CF depth.  Good for us, but probably not for Quinn.

Key Dates:

  • July 15-19, 2022: All-Star Week in Los Angeles
  • July 17-19, 2022: MLB Draft
  • August 2, 2022: Trade Deadline (6 p.m. ET)
  • October 5, 2022: Final scheduled day of the regular season

Transactions:

4/11/2022 – C Colby Fitch assigned to Reading
4/10/2022 – Lehigh Valley transferred LHP Scott Moss to the Development List
4/10/2022 – CF Roman Quinn assigned to Lehigh Valley
4/10/2022 – Reading placed 3B Matt Kroon on the 7-day IL
4/09/2022 – Phillies signed free agent CF Roman Quinn to an MiLB contract
4/08/2022 – Phillies recalled CF Simon Muzziotti from Reading
4/08/2022 – 2B Hao Yu Lee assigned to Clearwater
4/08/2022 – 2B Alexeis Azuaje assigned to Clearwater
4/08/2022 – RF Jadiel Sanchez assigned to Clearwater
4/08/2022 – CF Marcus Lee Sang assigned to Clearwater
4/08/2022 – RHP Malik Binns assigned to Clearwater
4/08/2022 – RHP Oswald Medina assigned to Clearwater
4/08/2022 – C Anthony Quirion assigned to Clearwater
4/08/2022 – LHP Tristan Garnett assigned to Clearwater
4/08/2022 – C Micah Yonamine assigned to Clearwater
4/08/2022 – RHP Andrew Painter assigned to Clearwater
4/08/2022 – LHP Gabriel Yanez assigned to Clearwater
4/08/2022 – RHP Victor Lopez assigned to Clearwater
4/08/2022 – Jersey Shore transferred OF Carlos De La Cruz to the Development List
4/08/2022 – Jersey Shore transferred RHP Jonathan Hughes to the Development List
4/08/2022 – Reading transferred LHP Nick Lackney to the Development List.
4/07/2022 – Phillies placed CF Mickey Moniak on the 10-day IL, broken right hand
4/07/2022 – Phillies placed C Rafael Marchan on the 60-day IL, left hamstring strain
4/07/2022 – Phillies placed RHP James Norwood on the bereavement list
4/07/2022 – Phillies selected the contract of SS Bryson Stott from Lehigh Valley
4/07/2022 – LHP Jonathan Hennigan assigned to Lehigh Valley
4/07/2022 – RHP Braden Zarbnisky assigned to Reading Fightin Phils from Lehigh Valley
4/07/2022 – RHP Noah Skirrow assigned to Reading
4/07/2022 – RHP Jack Perkins assigned to Reading
4/07/2022 – LHP Erik Miller assigned to Reading
4/07/2022 – SS Jonathan Guzman assigned to Reading
4/07/2022 – C Logan O’Hoppe assigned to Reading
4/07/2022 – RHP Julian Garcia assigned to Reading
4/07/2022 – RHP Bubby Rossman assigned to Reading
4/07/2022 – CF Hunter Markwardt assigned to Reading
4/07/2022 – RHP Mike Adams assigned to Reading
4/07/2022 – C Vito Friscia assigned to Reading
4/07/2022 – LHP Brian Marconi assigned to Reading
4/07/2022 – SS Sal Gozzo assigned to Reading
4/07/2022 – RHP McKinley Moore assigned to Reading
4/07/2022 – RHP Matt Seelinger assigned to Reading
4/07/2022 – RHP Jason Ruffcorn assigned to Jersey Shore
4/07/2022 – RHP Andrew Baker assigned to Jersey Shore
4/07/2022 – RHP Ben Brown assigned to Jersey Shore
4/07/2022 – LHP Erubiel Armenta assigned to Jersey Shore
4/07/2022 – OF Ethan Wilson assigned to Jersey Shore
4/07/2022 – RHP Matt Russell assigned to Jersey Shore
4/07/2022 – SS Casey Martin assigned to Jersey Shore
4/07/2022 – OF Jared Carr assigned to Jersey Shore
4/07/2022 – RHP Mick Abel assigned to Jersey Shore
4/07/2022 – RHP Cristian Hernandez assigned to Jersey Shore
4/07/2022 – RHP Christian McGowan assigned to Jersey Shore
4/07/2022 – OF Baron Radcliff assigned to Jersey Shore
4/07/2022 – C Andrick Nava assigned to Jersey Shore
4/06/2022 – Phillies optioned SS Nick Maton to Lehigh Valley
4/06/2022 – RHP Tyler Phillips assigned to Lehigh Valley from Reading
4/06/2022 – C Oscar Gonzalez assigned to Phillies
4/06/2022 – RHP Tyler Phillips assigned to Lehigh Valley from Reading
4/06/2022 – Phillies optioned SS Nick Maton to Lehigh Valley
4/05/2022 – SS Albert Jerez assigned to Phillies
4/05/2022 – OF Gavin Tonkel assigned to Phillies
4/05/2022 – LHP Scott Moss assigned to Lehigh Valley
4/05/2022 – RHP Nick Duron assigned to Lehigh Valley
4/05/2022 – Lehigh Valley placed 2B Daniel Brito on the 60-day IL
4/05/2022 – LHP Ricardo Sanchez assigned to Lehigh Valley
4/05/2022 – RF Jorge Bonifacio assigned to Lehigh Valley
4/05/2022 – SS Ali Castillo assigned to Lehigh Valley
4/05/2022 – 3B Will Toffey assigned to Lehigh Valley
4/05/2022 – RHP Michael Mariot assigned to Lehigh Valley from Reading
4/05/2022 – Lehigh Valley placed 2B Daniel Brito on the 60-day IL
4/05/2022 – RHP Nick Duron assigned to Lehigh Valley
4/05/2022 – LHP Scott Moss assigned to Lehigh Valley
4/05/2022 – LHP Ricardo Sanchez assigned to Lehigh Valley
4/05/2022 – 3B Will Toffey assigned to Lehigh Valley
4/05/2022 – RF Jorge Bonifacio assigned to Lehigh Valley
4/05/2022 – SS Ali Castillo assigned to Lehigh Valley
4/05/2022 – RHP Michael Mariot assigned to Lehigh Valley from Reading
4/04/2022 – Phillies placed LHP Ryan Sherriff on the 10-day IL, left shoulder strain
4/04/2022 – Phillies placed CF Odubel Herrera on the 10-day IL, right oblique strain
4/04/2022 – SS Wilfredo Flores assigned to Phillies
4/04/2022 – SS Uziel Viloria assigned to Phillies
4/04/2022 – C Freddy Francisco assigned to Phillies
4/02/2022 – CF Simon Muzziotti assigned to Reading from Lehigh Valley
4/02/2022 – RHP James McArthur assigned to Reading from Lehigh Valley
4/02/2022 – RHP Francisco Morales assigned to Reading from Lehigh Valley
3/26/2022 – Reading placed LHP David Parkinson on the RL
3/26/2022 – Reading placed SS Chris Cornelius on the RL

214 thoughts on “Open Discussion: Week of April 10, 2022”

  1. I read in several places notations that Joe Girardi is on shaky ground this year. I would not have gotten rid of their last manager and have never been a fan of his. But, as I mentioned before, the real problem IMO is that in today’s game pitchers can not be expected to throw more than 75 pitches and hold up. So, you either have to treat them as a very expendable commodity or have a strong and well used bullpen. Or have them keep their pitch counts low by pitching to contact and have a defensive team you can rely on to make plays behind them,

    1. Joe does have to make the play-offs this season, especially now in this expanded format…if not, adios amigo.

      2. I agree Romus. I thought yesterday couple things. Falter going out for 3rd inning. A’s announcers were even surprised. Said Phillies have 15 pitchers. I was surprised Jones went out for 2nd inning. Both cases runs were scored.

        1. Don….many managers right now are pulling starters earlier than normal due to the shorter ST. Not sure how long that will continue…..hoping Buck pulls Walker early tonight, and Scherzer early on Wednesday.

          1. Romus…my reference was the reliever maybe going one extra inning. I am sure Eflin had a higher pitch count. He was getting squeezed by ump it appeared on TV.

  2. All in all, a feel-good weekend, even if it ended on a sour note. Encouraging stuff from the starters. Here’s to hoping Harper finds his groove against New York.

  3. As much as I want this to not be the case, CF position will be a concern again in 2022.

    1. Too early to say this regarding Vierling because he deserves a chance but I’ve said before that I’m not a believer. I think our best shot at CF being productive is for Herrera to get healthy and have a good year.

  4. Sunday was not hitting weather not in the least…

    Spot on Jimmy-Bohm should not have made the team in the capacity he is being used. They’ll over come this against weaker teams but it won’t fly at some point against the better teams.

    1. The only justification I can think of for Bohm being on the major league team (and it’s a potentially valid one) is that he needs the coaching of Kevin Long – an elite hitting coach – to turn his hitting around. My hope is that, unless he is absolutely killing it at the bat and doing fine in the field, once Kevin gets his swing going, he should be sent down to play every day.

      1. Roster go back to 26, three weeks from now on Monday May 1st, ……a couple of guys will be going down to LHV.
        I would think right now Bohm could be a candidate, unless he starts to rake like he did in 2020.

        1. I think that, with the starting pitchers being (theoretically) stretched out by May 1, two relievers will be sent down instead of shortening the bench more than it is already.

          1. mark….Joe will find it difficult to juggle Bohm/Stott/Camargo enough to keep them current at the plate……unless other injuries come about i the next three weeks.

  5. I also thought the HP ump was inconsistent at best. Hitters can adjust on tight or wide zone. But difficult when it changes from pitch to pitch. Schwarber and Segura Ks were each maybe 3 to 4 inches off the plate. Thought that may have been reason guys got swinging early in later stages of the game. That may or may not have been the case.

    A’s have tough stretch out of the gate. Phillies 3, Rays 4, Blue Jays 3.

  6. My 3 main concerns for this baseball team…
    1 Girardi’s management of the pitching staff.
    2 Girardi’s deployment of Stott, Bohm, Didi and Camargo on the left side of the infield.
    3 The lack of depth in the starting rotation over the course of the season. 3 games in against a weak sister, so far so good.

    1. It was curious that Girardi let Jones and Falter go out for more innings. I’m guessing that the Phillies having no off days for a while played into it.

      One of Bohm or Stott is going down May 1st. Girardi won’t be able to juggle this.

      The Phillies did what they had to do againt the A’s. Yes, there are concerns but it’s early.

      Imagine if you’re the Blue Jays. They had to rally from 7-0 against the Rangers. Their starter eras: Gausmann 5.40, Ryu 16.20, Berrios 108.00! Blue Jays gave Berrios 7 years, $131M, had a terrible ST, and only got 1 out against the Blue Jays before getting pulled. Should they be panicking?

  7. MattM, how did you enjoy the game(s) at Citizens Bank Park? I came into town for the opening series and was at all three games, and I will be there tonight. Yesterday was a freeze-fest in the stands with a relentless biting wind, and a source tells me it was no better on the field (it should be warmer tonight). Our boys actually had more hard-hit balls than the A’s, though the latter had a few more drop. The A’s pitchers were sharper, and we were swinging early at strikes. This game was certainly not as enjoyable as the first two, but it was nothing more than one of the 60 games we are sure to lose this season and one of the games our hitters will surely struggle. Since each of these events are going to occur over 162 games, best case scenario has it happening in the same game. This is a good team that will be fun to watch, even with the inevitable stinker, and Meatloaf had it right: 2out of 3 ain’t bad. Now let’s beat the Mets!

    1. This game also once again shows how difficult it is to sweep a series from even a bad team (just ask the Mets)

  8. All in all it was a solid start to the season. Ill take 2 out of 3 vs any Major League team, even a bad one. Definitely felt like the team seemed a bit disinterested yesterday, but thats because unlike fans, players dont sweat each game like its the NFL. Ill take it, but the Mets will be a bigger test.

    Few thoughts:

    Game 1 I got to see in person and it was a great time. Vibe was awesome, fans came out in droves, and Schwarber set the tone. I will say, this is something I have been saying the last few weeks and getting crap for it…once again,Nola pitches a 90% great game but makes one big mistake that turned his overall line from great to meh/good. Maybe I am crazy, but I do see this as a problem that he seems to give up one 3 run bomb every game even if he is otherwise sharp. It annoys me, because its what keeps him from being a 6ip/2er type guy

    Still was a great time and hopefully, unlike in recent years, we have more games where the offense gives pitchers a little bit more margin for error.

    Vierling seems like a good kid, and he hit the ball hard a few times, but couldnt help but be even more disappointed about Moniaks injury…kid really could have taken that spot and ran with it.

    Lastly, we need Stott at SS and Bohm at 3b…idk what the team can possibly do to get somebody to take Didi’s contract, but he is just the weak link right now. I know Bohm has had his struggles, but I’d much rather see him work at the big league level with Kevin Long. I hate when a player is forced intothe lineup due to his contract and not bc hes the best option.

  9. I remember years ago when a writer was talking about the Phillies of the mid 70s. His comment was that even this really good team will lose 60 or so games that season. It is kind of weird, but baseball is completely different than other sports in that regard. My prediction for season is 90-72. That is a lot of losses but think most here would take those totals.

    It is really difficult to sweep teams. Just here in Indiana. Purdue wins 17-0 on Sat. IU wins 10-3 on Sunday. So, IU had chance to win series after losing game 1. I did not see 3rd game final. But baseball is strange animal.

    1. So true – an awesome baseball team wins 60 percent of its games (97 win season) – a winning percentage that makes you only slightly better than mediocre in basketball, football and hockey. So, when you take two out of three (.667 win percentage), you are doing great.

  10. One thing though in reference to beating the teams you are supposed to beat. Phillies have had issues there. They showed Rays last year series vs Orioles and Phillies. 18-1 vs Baltimore. 4-0 vs Phillies. 22-1 vs 2 teams. That allowed them to win the AL East fairly easily. I believe those were like 8 games better than Boston did. Point is you need to build a cushion against those. Looked like Rays were right back at it with O’s again.

    1. It’s brutal that Peter Angelos is running the Orioles like this. Ownership is just tanking.

      1. Counter point: until MLB does something to address tanking, isnt losing as much as possible the best thing for the O’s this year? They already have a top 10 farm system, so one more year of high draft picks may not be the worst…especially with the state of the rest of the division. They had zero chance at even competing for a wild card, so you can make the case that the worst thing they could have done is put together a lineup of decent veterans and flirted with .500 for the heck of it. Play some young kids, see if you can find some diamonds in the rough and get another top 5 pick.

        Im not saying i dont understand how it would be bad for an O’s fan, but for me, when my home teams are not gonna make the playoffs, id rather them be terrible than mediocre

        1. Degenerate……have to agree.
          That was the idea behind Hinkie’s ‘trust the process’…unfortunately impatient ownership decided on new management along the way, who were able to derail it somewhat in their case. Similar to Middleton bringing in MacPhail and Klentak for the 2016 season

          1. I still think that the process woulda been fine if the league didnt intervene and send the Colangelos our way and let Hinke finish what he started…but even if it hasnt been a resounding success…we have Embiid because of it lol.

            And this is just a good time for the Os to retool bc the East is so stacked, even if they put together an 80 win team theyed probably still finish 4th or 5th!

  11. Romus..I saw that as well. Maybe the reason for so many blown saves and still winning over 100 games. That is the one area the Phillies have not been able to take advantage. They have struggled forever it seems vs Marlins. In the shortened season they did vs O’s and Pirates maybe. I know the O’s. Think it was like 5 of 6 lost to O’s. Rays were only slightly over .500 in all other games.

    Most likely the team who handles the Nats the best will win the NL East. I have not looked at schedules to see who else falls in the lower projections for say Mets, Braves, and Phillies.

  13. Romus…you have access to too much information. LOL. I have question for you or anyone. Do any of you ever get to sit in seats behind home plate that is visible from TV? I ask because one guy yesterday was holding up a sign. I thought that might be you, Romus. Kidding. Also, what does a seat in that area cost? Thanks.

    1. Don…lol….no that was not me with the sign.
      Could have been rocco.
      I have a season tix plan with five other guys…..seats are behind the plate, but way up under the broadcast teams’ booths. TV coverage rarely ever goes up that high

      BTW…John Middleton sits in the Diamond Club seats–somewhat higher up behind the plate, and shaded to the third base side……but purposely seats that are out of the site line of the CF camera behind the pitcher.

    2. I’ve sat behind the plate a couple times. Depending on just how close you are (and the teams playing), it’s generally $150-$185 per ticket. And usually you can only get them by having season tickets (or second-hand from someone who has season tickets), so people usually pay like $10k/year for them.

      If you’re going to a park with a team that’s doing poorly, you can usually grab them for 70-90 bucks a pop. Less than that and the owners of the tickets tend to just eat the cost even if they’re not going.

      It’s a good time, but I prefer sitting behind the dugouts. Or in the box seats if the bar is stocked.

  14. That is neat. They did show that area yesterday. One time the announcers were talking about Kruk, Smitty and they showed all 3 guys in the booth. Murph and Smitty were working. Krukky not so much.
    Guy was just to the right of HP from pitcher maybe 5 or 6 rows back. But I thought of you when I saw sign. They showed Middleton with Bryce and Schmitt when he got MVP award on Friday. That is one of nice things opposing guys do. They show lots of stuff that Phillies guys do not because all of you guys already know. Guys were in their powder blues. That might have been Sat because it was cold yesterday. So, you have a great view. I learned complex is like 10 miles South of Philly.

    1. Don….the Sports Complex….Citizens Bank Park/Wells Fargo Center and Lincoln Financial Field are in the city limits of Philly…the portion called South Philly…close to the very end of the city limits…another mile and a half or so, as the crow flies, you end up in the Delaware River.

  15. They said all right together. I got my white and red jacket a few minutes ago from FedEx. Also, both broadcasts on tonight. So weird. Think game on MLB network as well. Maybe I will get out there someday. I got to the other one a couple times. My wife’s dad was big with Arco back in the day. Long time ago.

  17. 3 errors by Bohm, with the last 2 being particularly brutal. You really can’t have him at 3B anymore, and he needs to get sent down. Hard to believe that Bohm needs a change of scenery already, but the fans are really turning on him.

  18. Really impressed with Nick Nelson. He obviously has starter experience but when you’re throwing 98 and can do it for multiple innings, he’s making a good first impression.

  19. Guru – Three errors, yet no unearned runs. Nelson was laboring that last inning. Giardi went a little too long with him. Another listless stinker by the men in red.

    1. Just a bit premature on that one.

      I’m always happy to make the Mets miserable. Also, they may be down yet another starter. This could be a very, very rough year for them.

      1. I”m right there with Ciada. Turned away from viewing MLB gameday in the 7th, no need to suffer through another loss (but was impressed with Nelson)l Winning box score quite a surprise. And Bohm didn’t let early problems bring him down rest of the day.

      2. Both May and Walker left the game early. I doubt we see May for the rest of the series.

        I have to give Bohm some credit. He could have easily hung his head and dogged his ABs. But it’ll be interesting to see going forward what the Phillies do with him.

  20. Bohm may be suffering from Steve Sax syndrome, but give him credit for hanging in there at the plate. He’s been perfect in a SSS: 1.000/1.000/1.667. He got that 5-run 8th inning going with a leadoff walk.
    Great job by DD in filling the BP with closer options: Knebel/Hand/Familia/Dominguez.

    1. Imo Bohm’s footwork on his throws is terrible. That’s causing many throwing errors. I don’t understand why a 25yo MLB’er has such bad footwork. But anyways, I am happy to see his hitting. He is hitting it hard. This is his game. He is much more of a doubles hitter than homer hitter. His hitting approach has always been good. Very selective eye.

  21. I guess Harper is having his right elbow evaluated this morning.
    Hoping just a slight strain

    1. I had a fantasy baseball draft yesterday evening and thus recorded the last couple innings of last night’s game. As stated during the broadcast, the atmosphere at the stadium was electric. Just this morning, I watched the highlights and saw that Harper hurt his elbow on a throw home. Playing baseball growing up, I recall attempting throws quickly and with authority as he did when he hurt his elbow. I recall the pain I felt. I am guessing that he just strained / has a partial tear in his elbow as if he completely tore it he would not have continued playing. Anyhow, it is worrisome as without rest and care this kind of issue can linger for the entirety of the season.

      1. Harper’s left elbow UCL takes the brunt of the force when swinging as it is back elbow. Gregorious played with a partial ucl tear for years before it snapped in a 2018 ALDS playoff game. Hopefully, the news is good. With what happened to Moniak, I am preparing for a gut punch though.

  22. I am not old enough to remember, but Romus told me Richie Allen had the same problem at third, he couldn’t make the accurate throw, So he got moved, Maybe sending Bohm down to minors to work on left field or first would help, If he can play a decent first and hits, Hoskins could be move for pitching, just a thought

    1. I believe the plan is to try and restore Bohm’s overall value. Hoskins will not be here for long, perhaps as soon as this winter. He’ll cost too much and his profile is redundant on this roster. Bohm will naturally be cheaper for several years, and we ALL know by now that the proverbial elephant in the room is that he’s NOT a major league third baseman. Hit tool? Legit upside, despite his lack of power. Mentally? Ehh…while I appreciate his humility in apologizing publicly after the fact, he reacted immaturely. We’ve seen this movie before. Whether it ends well depends mostly on him. The fans aren’t going to change their (pin)stripes. If he matures, then they probably move him to 1b. Only time will tell…

      1. Mark – your thinking on what will happen with Hoskins is based a lot more on your evaluation of him as a player and not on reality. The reality is that Hoskins is very much valued on this team for this year and probably next and that nobody really know what will happen when he approaches free agency, although it’s very possible they would let him leave. But for now he is anything but redundant on this team. A guy who gets on base at a .375 or so clip and can hit 40 homers in any give year is not redundant and there’s sustained evidence that Bohm would be suitable replacement for him now.

        As for Bohm, I was one of the first people here who said he’s not a third baseman. I haven’t seen any evidence he can hold down the fort there, although I hope I’m wrong. The obvious move would be for him to play left but that ship has sailed for the Phillies. With Castellanos and Schwarber on the team, he’s not playing left, and Harper’s playing right, so the outfield is out, but, in a perfect world that’s where he would go because the hitting bar for first is so high. The current share with Stott and Camargo is unsustainable because nobody will get enough at bats. I still think Bohm is there right now to work with Long and get that going, then Bohm will/should be sent down for a few months to improve in the field and solidify his hitting while Stott establishes himself as a major leaguer.

        1. I meant to say there’s NO sustained evidence that Bohm would be a suitable replacement for Hoskins now. Obviously, if Bohm can go down to the minors and show that he’s an elite hitter, the team will try to find some role for him (or include him in a trade). And, at some level, I do get why the Phillies keep trying to force Bohm at third. If he could play there then he could stay there and Stott would replace Gregorious at shortstop so, in theory, it makes sense. But in the real world, it just doesn’t work unless Bohm can learn to field third base competently.

    2. I believe the plan is to try and restore Bohm’s overall value. Hoskins will not be here for long, perhaps as soon as this winter. He’ll cost too much and his profile is redundant on this roster. Bohm will naturally be cheaper for several years, and we ALL know by now that the proverbial elephant in the room is that he’s NOT a major league third baseman. Hit tool? Legit upside, despite his lack of power. Mentally? Ehh…while I appreciate his humility in apologizing publicly after the fact, he reacted immaturely. We’ve seen this movie before. Whether it ends well depends mostly on him. The fans aren’t going to change their (pin)stripes. If he matures, then they probably move him to 1b. Only time will tell…

      1. I mean Lindor had the same issue last year with the Mets fans. I sometimes feel like players just don’t get it or maybe just aren’t capable of understanding that it is all about the fans.

        Sure you could always play the game in an empty lot with nobody watching or in a place where the game is nothing more than background noise but the revenues to pay the income comes from the fans.

        But all that said some blame has to fall on the FO. Yes DD did a nice job spending some money to bring in highly qualified offensive players but two things can be true at the same time and the second truth is that he essentially built a team of too many bats with severe defensive limitations.

        Something has to give….

      2. Bohm is human. He apologized and was really sincere about it. If he plays well and behaves well, this should blow over, but he now has a shorter leash with the fans.

        1. Yeah, I don’t have a problem with what Bohm said in a moment of frustration. I would probably say the same thing if I was him. It is a defense mechanism to blame others. No issues here. He apologized and we should all move on.

          I am happy to see him hitting. I feel bad for him because he isn’t a MLB 3rd baseman. He is playing out of position out of organizational need, not based on scouting assessment. There is no chance that an unbiased scout would watch him play and think, “yep, that’s a MLB 3rd baseman right there.” But the organization desperately needs him to be a 3rd baseman because there are no other options in our minor leagues and the FA 3rd baseman options are not great. Frankly Camargo might be our best option until we grow someone in our system.

          1. Camargo is the best option…. at least a positive DRS as a 3rd basemen when he is there for an extended period of time.
            But putting Camargo there full-time almost pushing Bohm further away from being a future Philly core player.

            1. I will say that if Bohm continues to hit well, then he will improve his trade value. Some team will take a chance on him if he hits. We can get something of value in return. The problem with Bohm on the Phillies is that we are in win now mode. So there is pressure to perform. If we were the 2015 version of the Phillies then it wouldn’t be an issue. Just stick him there and let him figure it out. So let’s hope that he continues to hit and we can move him for something of value. That would be best for him too…less pressure.

            2. Camargo is this years Torreyes. Hes a backup infielder with a good glove and a light bat. Hes probably a bit better than Torreyes to be fair, but lets not pretend that this guy couldnt crack a ML roster the last few years. He is in no way a guy who should be playing every day.

            3. Camargo has real potential. His AAA numbers were seriously awesome last year – power, average, everything.

            4. Degenerate…Camargo was pushed off third by the hot Atlanta prospect Austin Rileyat the time….who, almost like Bohm, has some defensive red-flags over there. Then there was Dansby and Albies blocking him.
              Gio Urshela was in the same boat 3/4 years ago and the Yankees had the foresight to obtain him, and made out good with him.
              Camargo may be a very pleasant surprise if given the extended opportunity.

        2. Winning cures all ills.If Rollins can get away with calling Philly fans bandwagoners, Bohm can get past this. He just needs to hit and be part of a successful Phillies team.

          But if he doesn’t hit, or if we continue to miss the playoffs… he should probably explicitly ask the FO to be traded.

  24. Great win for the Phils last night. The game was shown on the Mets station so I got to see it. Even though there were a lot of huge hits in the inning by Realmuto, Hoskins, and Gregorius, I thought the key to the rally was Schwarber beating out the double play grounder. After K-ing the first three times, he could’ve loafed down the line but he ran his butt off instead. That was really big.

  25. One other thing: Weren’t we told that Schwarber and Castellanos were going to split LF? Castellanos hasn’t played out there yet if I am correct. Is he hurt? Wouldn’t think so by how he ran the bases on the Hoskins double that Canha made the poor relay throw (another big play).

  26. I’m sure someone smarter than me can help me here! I was confused when the Mets were able to challenge back to back calls. I thought teams only got one challenge, and if they won it, they would still have the challenge. I’ve searched the internet only to find words that support my statement … the below if from MLB website, I guess it’s old. Does anyone know if the rule was changed?

    Major League Baseball instituted replay review — to be used at the umpire’s discretion — on disputed home run calls (fair or foul, in or out of the ballpark, fan interference) on Aug. 28, 2008.

    Replay review was expanded starting in the 2014 season, giving managers one challenge to start the game and allowing them to challenge two times in total provided the first challenge resulted in an overturned call. In addition, a much wider range of calls were made subject to review.

    Replay review was modified again in 2015, permitting managers to retain their challenge after every overturned call; allowing them to signal for a challenge during an inning without approaching the umpire on the field; and providing two challenges for any All-Star

    1. I could be mistaken but i think the home run was an umps challenge, meaning they decided on their own to have a look to assure certainty, but that was not actually an official mets challenge. Could be wrong tho

      1. No, I think you’re right. Umps usually initiate their own challenges on borderline home run calls, in which case no team loses any of its challenge rights.

      2. Both are correct. Umpires did HR. Mets challenge at 1B. Both are fine.
        Back in the day long ago fans were very hard on Richie Allen. They were also very hard on Mike Schmidt in early years. Allen more like Bohm. Mike was always a good 3B but struggled hitting especially average at beginning. I may be off some, but I think he hit like .180 or so his first full season. Then continued to get better. Lots of strikeouts at first for Mike. I go by memory. Romus can find anything. You are up to bat now! LOL>

        The BP did a good job. Had Alec just held onto the ball Ranger deflected he may have avoided the 2nd and 3rd errors. Coaching always taught the kids or tried to teach the kids if we just get the outs that we should get we will be fine. The next 2 after the 1st bad throw were routine DP balls. Murph and Kruk kept emphasizing that. In fact, had Ranger fielded ball most like it was a DP as well.

        Castellanos did play LF I believe on Sunday vs A’s. They flip flopped. It was a good win and I got to see it on Phillies broadcast. Not sure about tonight yet. I also do like the 6:45 first pitch. Where did that idea come from?

        Romus…my new white/red jacket is very cool looking.

        1. Don…correct on Michael Jack’s early years….high Ks and low BAs, but power was there.
          Glad you enjoy the jacket….you got a good price after the discount….willing to bet at the stadium Majestic store it probably goes for double what you paid….

          1. Jacket I had to pay full price on Saturday. It was $109. But on Sunday the full zip hoodie was marked down 30 or 40% so I ordered it as well. It was $87 for one day. $125 regular, I think. It may get here today.

            Grandson starts again tomorrow but we are in line for BIG Severe storms Wednesday afternoon. they are scheduled almost daily like the MLB guys. Like 30 game schedule between now and May 25th or so. Coach told the 2 really good freshman they will pitch once a week now. So far they have played SS and C. Both really good but there will be growing pains.

  27. Interesting game for Spencer Howard on Sunday. He gave up 6 runs and was hit around pretty well. But when I looked at the game info I expected he started strong and then lost velocity and imploded. Actually, that didn’t happen. He got hit around in the first, but struck out the last 3 batters he faced in the third with good velocity. I hope, for him, that he can keep it up. If Spencer can retain his velocity through 5 or 6 innings he has a chance to be a very good starting pitcher. If not, he could develop into a fine reliever.

    1. The Phillies did what they had to do when trading Spencer Howard. He wasn’t the answer in the short term, and the Phillies needed starting help. He definitely has arm talent, but obviously there’s a lot more value in being a starter. Once Spencer realizes that being a reliever is ok, he’ll be fine. Good luck to him.

      Nick Pivetta on the other hand, needed a change of scenery. He was terrible as a starter and not much better as a reliever. Good riddance.

      Did the Phillies give up on Cole Irvin too early? Possibly, but in the end, he’s still a 4-5 pitcher. He’ll get way more starting opportunities in Oakland, and I’m sure he’s ok with that. Good luck to him.

      1. I agree on Howard and Pivetta. That happens all the time. A’s announcers stated on Saturday that Irvin averaged only 15 pitches per inning last season. Tops in MLB. Also, he was 10-3 when they scored over 3. 0-12 when they scored less. He may become a Jamie Moyer type of pitcher and have a long fairly successful career. One of the things right away is you know what you have with Cole.

        1. I know one thing he gave gave up a lot of hits 174 innings,195 hits, i dont see what is so special about irvin, and who cares He is 5 maybe 4 at best you cant find them easy,

      2. I don’t mean to suggest I didn’t support the Howard trade at the time – I did, for many reasons. I am just curious about his career and follow him a little bit.

  28. It sure would have been great if Dave Dombrowski could have swung a deal for Steven Kwan during the offseason. The former 5th round pick wasn’t on the Guardians top 30 prospect list, and had to be added to the 40-man or risk losing him to the rule 5 draft. Cleveland also signed Miles Straw to a LTC to be their every day CFer for the foreseeable future. The league never held the rule 5 (because of the lockout). Kwan made the MLB roster anyway. He would look great in CF, and at the top of lineup for the Phillies.

    1. Nobody saw this coming. He can hit in the minors, but he’s turning 25 in September, he’s the 15th best prospect for the Guardians, and he’s 5’9″, 170 lbs. He’s smaller than Roman Quinn if you can believe that. His size is clearly against him. If he can make it, it’s great. But the odds are against him.

      1. Yeah, the odds are against him, but he doesn’t strike out, he walks, he hits, his power is developing and he’s about the same size as Mookie Betts, so it’s not outrageous to think he could become a good major league player.

        1. But sure, he’s played in 4 games. If it were 4 games in mid-August, nobody would even notice.

        2. Mookie Betts is an outlier because of his lack of size. And Betts already had 17.9 WAR before the age of 24.

          Kwan is a nice story right now but he’ll come down to earth, unless people think he’s the second coming of Tony Gwynn.

      1. Just something to throw out. Didn’t the Philles play Segura at 3B some when he first came over? Both Stott and Bohm look iffy to me at 3B. I totally agree 2B is best spot for Segura. Bohm cannot play 2B. But Stott may be able. Would that even be a consideration at this time? It does already appear 3B and CF may be major issues going forward. Schwarber has not looked bad in LF. No gold glove but adequate so far. Any thoughts on Segura to 3B. I also do not see Castellanos as a 3B option either.

        1. Cade Doughty might be the only college 3Bman worthy of 1-17. He’s more of a high floor prospect. Barber/Dombrowski seem more likely to hunt for higher ceiling prospects.
          I was thinking about doing a Phillies mock. The kid I was going to mock to the Phillies this early is Jackson Holliday (son of Matt). He’s a prep SS. Big time ceiling, and he could outgrow SS, and end up at 3rd.

          .

          Also really like Sal Stewart (another prepster) as a 3rd rounder. Stewart reminds me a lot of Austin Riley.

  30. My take on Bohm’s comments:

    I don’t like the mental aspect of it. Heads out of the game to say that. It’s not a popularity contest. Mind over matter you’re not hearning the fans or concerned about them. You’re thinking get the next one and the next one

    I believe he meant it too, but I don’t hold it against him. I hate this place sometimes too :). Who like RT 95? 422? Yeah a lot of things to hate but let’s not go there. No issues with it other than it taking his mind out of the game

    1. Agree. I’ve believed Bohm has been suffering from a confidence crisis for a year now. IMO, he’s capable of being (at least) an average defender, and an above average bat. He needs the help of a sports psychologist (nothing I haven’t mentioned numerous times in the past) to help him think less, and play more instinctively.

      1. See how far a high school education can get you these days? Who needs college when you can hit baseballs?

      2. Is there a basketball half-court there?
        ….so Nick can practice his outside shooting.

    2. From what I read Bohm had really good numbers against the Mess starting pitcher. He never got to face him since he got pulled in the second.

    3. On the broadcast last night they said Joe didn’t start them because he thought the Mets were gonna bring Peterson into pitch after Walker was done. I certainly don’t agree with that line of thinking but that’s just me.

  35. I root for Bohm to make it because I am a Phillies fan. v1, and others, have said for years that he doesn’t have the athleticism or skill to stay there. My only comeback is I hope they are wrong because his value is as a 3B, and we don’t have another. They have been right, and me wrong I don’t think the answer will be trading Hoskins. He is very much valued by the team. And I have no ill will towards Bohm. He was frustrated. But I believe his future is elsewhere.

  36. Interested in seeing how Muzziotti responds to his first taste of big league action. Vierling may only be a 4th outfielder asked to hold down CF, so our expectations should be kept in check. Some guys seize the opportunity immediately. It’d be nice if SM turns out to be a pleasant surprise. Although he doesn’t profile as a front line player, he has the defensive skills and speed. If he can handle the bat without striking out much, despite his apparent lack of power, his increased bulk may bode well in the majors. Remember, Marchan never homered in the minors, then BAM! My point is, the Phillies are well overdue for an out of the weeds success story. Let’s hope they have one sometime in 2022.

      1. Romus…I thought of Inciarte when he caught that fly last night. Kind of effortless. For some reason Vierling really struggling after doing so well last year. Maybe pressing some at this time.

        I got my dugout hoodie red with the blue sleeves a couple hours ago. Nice.
        Also, only Mets on Extra Innings but Phillies are showcase game on MLB. Thinking it will be Murph and Kruk. Know in a few minutes. Romus…how far are you from the park? Hopefully you do not live in the Delaware River. LOL

        1. Don…..LOL…I am about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes from the park in PA….shorter time if traffic is light.
          And that would be Tom McCarthy and Kruk….Murph is doing something else these days for Comcast….not sure what his role is.

          1. I meant McCarthy and Kruk. Brain fade. Old age. I have not heard guy doing game on MLB. He is real quiet spoken.

          2. Romus you live in the rich section of Doylestown, i thought you used your helicopter, to go to games.

          3. The age of these guys at triple a, amazes me, 33 yr old pitcher making next to nothing, cant figure out why they keep going,

            2. That’s what AAA is. A finishing school for good prospects and a taxi squad for AAAA players, although sometimes an older guy breaks through. Rooting for Mark Appel to finally get there. I saw his outing last night and it was pretty darned good. His pitches sat 94 touching 95 and 96 and his breaking ball was good. And he just has a very different – confident and aggressive – demeanor out there than he used to have when the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Don’t be surprised if he ends up on the big league team this year.

            3. Because 33 year old AAA players are usually free agents that generally make good money. They aren’t playing under 1st contracts that limit their salaries to the minor league minimum amounts we tend to hear about. I would venture a guess that a 33 year old AAA player is making somewhere between $100k to $200k while in the minors.

      2. Muzziotti’s a bit of a mystery in terms of his development. He hasn’t had regular playing time in 3 years, so who knows what he is now or what he could become, but he does seem to be a very good fielder.

  38. Unfortunately, Phillies offense has been blanked in 24 of their last 26 innings. Disappointing.

    And … congratulations to Mr. Singer on Jeff’s promotion. Like I once posted to you, LHPs are always in demand. Happy to see your son earn his chance.

    1. I was proud of the Philly fans last night. Exactly what should have happened. If you are a Phillies fan you wan this kid to succeed. I want Bohm to succeed. My analysis that he doesn’t have the athletic tools to be a MLB 3rd baseman is just an assessment. But I am a Phillies fan first and we need a stud 3B that is cheap, so I want him to turn it around. I am happy to see him hitting. If he continues to show good hitting then he will definitely improve his trade value. Or it would give us options on 1B if we want to move Rhys for pitching depth.

      1. Yup. Just goes to show you, we are not monsters like the media portrays us. We just want to see players be accountable and show they care. If Simmons or Wentz had a better attitude, we would have had their back despite their play on the field. Its all about how you handle yourself.

  40. Agree it was great on the fans part. Announcers pointed out a couple times that Philly fans are into the game. They would scan the crowd and then comment that everyone is not on cell phones like you see many places. They are paying attention and want Phillies to succeed.

    I think what we have seen the first 5 games maybe a precursor for the season. Ups and down almost everywhere. Pitching has been a plus so far and I think if it can continue to be good not great this team will be fine. The hitters are going to hit.

    I was thinking yesterday lots of people IMO did Alec a big disservice for years. You can see he has the hit tools needed to be successful. Somewhere along the IMO he should have been moved to 1B or even one of corner OF spots. Learning these and maintaining your hitting confidence is tough to do at the MLB level. I was trying to think of a 3B with his physical features who has been successful at 3B. I am sure someone. It is definitely not a one size fits all situation. Panda does not look like the typical 3B but he has done ok.

    Trivia I heard last night on broadcast. 1. What year did CBP open? Last night was anniversary. 2. Who hit the 1st HR at CBP? Do not look these up Romus. LOL.

    1. CBP opened in 2004. I’m guessing Jim Thome hit the first home run there.

      Let us know!

      1. Ahhh – I was wrong about Thome – what would have been my second guess was the right guess . . . hint . . . hint

    3. DanK:
      1. ” I was trying to think of a 3B with his physical features who has been successful at 3B. “…Troy Glaus
      2. My guess…….2004 for the year CP opened…first HR there …..BobbyAnreu?

  41. I will be so happy when Max Scherzer retires. I am so tired of watching him wear our hitters out. Enough is enough! LOL.

    1. It’s hard to remember any pitcher so consistently dominating us, although, as I recall, Greg Maddux and Tommy Glavine also did a pretty good job of it.

  42. Can you imagine what Nola’s ERA would be if the outfield fences were 30 feet deeper?

    1. can you imagine how many girls i could have hooked up with if i was 5 inches taller and 30 pounds lighter?

  43. When Nola loses it, he loses it. Why does Girardi ALWAYS have to wait until after Nola gets destroyed before he removes him from a game? If I hate anything about Girardi it’s his slow hook in those instances. The result is so obvious and he does the same thing over and over again. ARgh!!!!

  44. Woulda coulda shoulda…gone after a CF and another starting pitcher. The bullpen should be fine unless they keep having to cover 5-plus innings every game.

  45. I am not sure on BP. Brogdon to me is not ready at this time. Regarding Nola, it appears on TV that he just gets too many pitches up in the zone and it seems often they move back into the middle of the plate area with just not enough velocity. Also, many are with 2 strikes.

    Difference between Nola and Scherzer is that neither had best stuff. But Max was able to work out of almost all of his jams. Aaron could not do that.

    1. Well, the difference is that Scherzer has better stuff and better command, so he has a larger margin for error. It’s far easier for him to put batters away. Nola needs another pitch. Maybe a splitter? Or maybe he’ll settle in to being a 3. Who knows?

      1. Scherzer is also much bigger and stronger, plus the most competitive SOB this side of Roy Halladay, probably the only ornerily competitive since Bob Gibson.

        1. He is all of those things – which translates into the ability to thrower harder for longer (in a game and in his career) and never give in. I think Nola is highly competitive too, but he’s missing that last piece. He’s very close, but he’s not there yet.

  46. Didn’t see the game but Zolecki on Twitter noted all the hit batters today… Some messages being sent back and forth? Segura left the game after being hit on the arm?

  47. Hinkie’s call. Game only in 6th inning and 3 hrs in length. Segura hit in wrist. Probably precautionary but think that was similar to Moniak location. Have to wait and see evaluations.

    1. It’s a very interesting apples to oranges type of comparison. I’m not sure, but Marte being much older probably tilts it to Schwarber. And of course, there’s the recency bias. Ask me again when Schwarber has carried this team for 3 weeks.

  49. Got to watch the game this afternoon on the Mets network. There goes 4 hours of my life that I’ll never be able to get back. But, then again, it’s not like I had anything else to do.

    Speaking of: Here’s one for you guys (especially Romus). What band sang “I’ve got nothing to do and all day to do it. I’ve got nowhere to go and all day to get there”.?

    1. Styx. That’s one song Dennis DeYoung didn’t do lead vocals. His voice was nails to my chalkboard…kind of faux English accent.

      1. Agree on Dennis DeYoung and Styx. Not a fan. Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music, David Byrnes and Talking Heads, and Benjamin Orr and The Cars were the my go to bands.

        And just a lackluster Phillies performance today.

  50. Immediate reactions to today…

    In the 9th, needing baserunners, the Phillies needed to work the count vs Diaz. Harper homered with 2 strikes, great! But otherwise, weak ABs from Nick C, Bohm and Didi, who needs to sit…let Stott settle into SS…if Segura’s out for any length of time, play Camargo at 2b.

    Joe Girardi could have rested Hoskins and other starters in Miami, not at home against a much better division rival. I don’t care for the way he manages this roster. Now, if the bats are bashing, he’s irrelevant. But when they’re not…and they won’t on occasion against some really good arms…then HE will be exposed.

    Nola’s a very good pitcher…some of the time.

    The problem with a 10 man bullpen is that the 8th through 10th guys are AAA pitchers, who will get used because they’re there, and the manager doesn’t want to burn anybody out. But if the pen isn’t fresh because the starters aren’t going deep into games, well….then everybody gets burned out or exposed.

    1. Immediate reaction to yesterday’s game we’re 3-3 with 156 to go 🙂

      Let’s get the duds out of the way early and hope DD can start to see the tweaks he needs to make to get this team into the playoffs.

  51. Baseball prophets could, forsee what the outcome would be.
    For the Phillies the game was over after the first inning…bases loaded, one out…and Segura and DD let Max off the hook.
    Went downhill from there…..professional teams cannot waste opportunities, whether it be turnovers in football or basketball, or wasted power play opportunities in hockey.
    In professional sports a team has to take advantage

    1. Agree Romus. Max issued 3 BBs and somehow managed to get off the hook. Against the best you have to make them pay for early mistakes. This is something that to me the Phillies have done lots of in recent seasons. Many times, they get ahead as well and then never build on it. Mets went from 3-1 to 8-1. That provided the necessary cushion when Phillies finally got some offense going. Phillies have lost many times when the early lead is eventually lost by the BP because no offense is added.

  52. “Too Much Time On My Hands” is a Tommy Shaw song. He and James Young still play out with Styx and only play the rock and roll songs that they wrote. DeYoung still tours singing his sappy songs. He is now a “crooner”. I got to see them a zillion years ago on their final “Mr. Roboto” tour.

  53. Damon Jones and Brogdon are going down to Lehigh. Norwood will be on the roster. Corey Knebel is back with Jeff Singer DFA’d. Another roster move is coming. If it’s a pitcher, it’s either Crouse or McArthur. Morales just pitched today. I don’t think any of the pitchers on IL are ready to come off it.

    I’m not surprised about Jones. He’s too wild to be an effective reliever.

    Brogdon still has the stuff. I guess it’s physical right now and maybe plenty mental. He needs to believe in his arm.

    1. Brogdon’s velocity was way down in ST, but it’s slowly coming back. 2 or 3 less stressful weeks in the minors, with predictable work may be all he needs to bounce back. Here’s to hoping – when he’s full strength he’s an impressive pitcher.

  54. Wasn’t there this hoopla not three days ago on South Jersey boy Jeff Singer getting the call up to the Phillies then yesterday they DFA him? Kind of cold..

  55. Can we please have Kapler back? He’s 100% correct on the unwritten rules of the game. I always thought it was weird that just bc you are up by a lot, you should ease up on the opponent. If you can steal, bunt for a hit, take an extra base, etc you do it, regardless of the score. There’s a ton of reasons why you do this but the main one, in my opinion is, in a series you want to work their pitchers as much as possible. Also the team behind sure isn’t giving up.

    1. I’d like to go in the time machine as well but not to get Kapler back. Instead of Joe we should of hired Buck.

      Kapler works in San Fran because he’s willing to follow Farhan’s script for each game. He’s given a role to play and he plays it well.

      1. No thanks on Buck Showalter. He can be as stupid and ignorantly old fashioned as anyone else. He probably cost the Mets the opening game of the series. They were ahead 3-0 with a man on first, no outs in the top of the second with the superb (and high OBP) Brandon Nimmo up and he had Nimmo put down a sacrifice bunt – like the most stupid thing I can possibly imagine – giving up an out by maybe your best hitter and the opportunity for a breakout inning. Nobody noticed here because we are focused on our own players and manager, but that was a ridiculously stupid, unforced error on his part – he’s still managing games in a bygone era. So dumb.

        1. That’s an interesting take Catch and maybe you’re right but I watch a ton of MLB Network and no one says that about Buck in fact they (and by they I mean guys like Tom Verducci and other analysts) say exactly the opposite.

          At the end of the day there are very few teams these days that aren’t managed from the GM seat.

          If you know some people in MLB who have actually interviewed for managerial positions you’d know what I mean. If you’re working for a guy like Farhan it works; if you’re working for a guy like Klentak it doesn’t.

          I’m a big Farhan fan and its a shame Middleton didn’t go after him when he became available.

          And for Gabe’s role in that org he’s a perfect fit. I’m sure he’s just happy to be there and follow the script like most good actors do.

          1. The MLB Network game day folks are pretty old school and Buck used to work there so of course they’re not going to rip him. But that move he made was astoundingly, indefensibly stupid – YOU DON’T BUNT IN EARLY INNINGS, WHEN AHEAD, WITH NOBODY OUT AND YOUR BEST HITTER AT THE PLATE. And if he made that one, I’m sure there are plenty of other dumb ass things he does every day.

      2. Whatever they are doing, it’s working. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team more overachieve than the 2021 Giants. It was like a .500 team that won 25 games more than it should have. Pretty amazing.

        1. They did beat up on the ROX and DBacks to a tune of 32-6….30% of their wins.
          DBacks draft 2nd and ROX 10th in July.
          Dodgers, were three games difference, they also beat up on them to a tune of 29-9

          1. Interesting that Farhan ended up getting beat in what 7 by a team that he played a big role in building…

            Funny that he inherited the most old school of old school managers in Bochy. Bochy retires after the 2019 season with 3 WS to his credit. We’ll see if Zaidi can catch up.

            1. If Zaidi catches up to Brian Sabean/Bobby Evans remains to be seen.
              They drafted some outstanding talent 12/15 years ago that were all-star caliber players for a long while.

  56. Nice to see Luke Williams playing third base for the Giants and getting the key hit of the game in the second inning yesterday.

    1. There is nothing wrong with Camargo, but maybe they should have just let Luke Williams handle that infield reserve role. Especially with Stott on the roster we do not need Camargo at SS much.

  57. I actually think Kapler overperformed when he was here . . . he had both of his teams in contention for the vast majority of the season and that’s with rosters that, if we are being honest didn’t belong in contention.

    1. I don’t think he (Kapler) got credit for some out of the box ideas … like what is now mainstream of saving the bullpen by having position players pitch in blowouts, or putting his players in a position to succeed- like having pitchers carry cue cards with opposition player trends instead of memorizing them. As Romus has pointed out many many times last year the SF Giants got a lot of victories over some bad division teams but every team in that division played the same number of interdivision games. Last year the Phillies got to play numerous games against a really bad Marlins team…. how did that work out?

  58. CJ Chatham was just released by DBacks. I wouldn’t be surprised to see LHV resign him.

    1. Yep,
      Dave D, did draft CJ Chatham when he was the GM in Boston….so the familiarity is there.

    2. Funny like a root canal – I hope they find out who he is and ban him from the park permanently. This is why people around the country think folks in Philly are rude jerks. They are wrong, but this sort of the behavior fuels the fire.

  60. Not for nothing, but anything less than a split in Miami starting tonight would be a travesty.

  61. A pitch to contact pitcher like Gibson is going to struggle with our defense. I thought poor OF defense cost him 3 of his 4 ERs. Obviously the fly ball to CF was misplayed by Vierling. But also thought that Schwarber in LF has such small range that that cost him runs too.

    My guess is their win percentage when they score 4 or fewer runs will be .300 or lower.

  62. Its so depressing to be a Philadelphia sport fan. I laugh when they say the great tradition. of the spectrum, Listing to wip and the guy saying, What have we done, flyers haven’t won in 45 yrs, Phillies 2 titles, sixers title, one super bowl, meanwhile Boston has 6 super bowls, and i don’t know how many hockey titles and i believe18 basketball titles, Miami has won two baseball titles and they are a expansion team, Chicago with all those basketball titles, 2 super bowls, hockey titles, So if i seem like a downer when i post, i am frustrated, with the way the sports teams operate, The flyers keep hiring old players to try to win, instead of guys who have done it, Phillies hired a guy who knew how to win in Gillick and won, and should have won another at least, then they go to guys who run a team and scout by numbers, and ruin this organization, The minors really is bad, people were right, Last night got to me watching the phillies, Then knowing that Howie will screw up the draft and still be the G.M cause the owner is a moron and is becoming another Daniel Snyder, bothers me. then watching the Blue coats getting blow out in championship game, So to sum it up, its hard to follow these teams,

    1. rocco…..pro championships by cities..top ten

      1 NYC …62
      2 Boston…..40
      3 Chicago….32
      3 Los Angeles….32
      5 Detroit….22
      5 San Francisco Bay Area ….22
      7 Phila….19 ( As have 5- all prior 1931:plus one MLS)
      8 Pittsburgh….17
      9 St. Louis….14
      10 Washington, D.C…..13

      1. Romus you cant defend how bad its been, your counting arena league, pre super bowl when there were only 8 teams, come-on its been really bad for a big city/ you cant count teams with out 4 major sports like Pittsburgh or st louis

        1. rocco…..not defending it all.
          And, I feel your pain.
          If you go back 50 years….it is a paltry 6 rings.
          The locals just have to keep plucking away at it
          Look at Boston over the last 20 years….about a dozen.
          Maybe the Philadelphia teams will also experience that.

  63. I really like Camargo. Great pickup by DD. First, he is very good defensively. He is our best infield defender. (Stott probably second best). He has a good approach at the plate. Occasional pop. A really really solid starting caliber player imo. Obviously his .545 babip will come down a lot but with our lineup, imo he is a perfect fit. Reminds me of Pedro Feliz. And obviously you can win a World Series with a guy like that as they did in 2008. His contract is great too.

  64. Hey all. Just wanted to say I had a great time in Philly and the fans are great and so gracious and caring about Mickey! And it’s not just because of the spring they were that way last year when I went back there and he barely played. I have a comment on the guy/kid throwing the phone on the field. A little uncalled for obviously but, yes there’s a but! Of all places to get in fans face and film at the same time you would think a guy from New York would know that isn’t going to go over very well they’re in Philly. Haha. I told Mickey last night Phillies are about to go on a roll Mark the tape… he is healing up well and has been taking out field without throwing and doing a lot of T work with just his Top Hand. Able to lift and stay in shape as well with special bands for hand injuries. He is so glad he is traveling with the team and so am I! Hoping he can pick up where he left off with his new confidence and approach Etc. Go Phillies

  65. Two more things I left out! As far as the phone throwing incident, hell, in L.A. if a Giants fan did that he may get stabbed in the parking lot. And I’m not joking. And as far as Phillies going on a run, I’m talking an 9-1er, 8-2er! Have a great Easter everyone. And thanks again him for all your hard work.

    1. Great to hear Mickey is progressing, Matt.
      Also glad to hear you had a great time in Philly. Mike Schmidt (during Sunday’s telecast) mentioned he got to speak to you.

      I also believe the Phillies’ bats will heat up shortly. Too much offensive talent to continue scoring 2 or 3 runs per game.

  67. Defense and Pitching rarely slump hitting OTOH well…

    Save for Alcantara is a budding ace. Need to take the next 3 somehow to get back on track and need to get Simon in if not some starts then late game defensive move for Vierling especially in an OF as big as the fish bowl.

  69. Hoping Mickey gets back soon. Someone mentioned how weird baseball is. After watching the first two games of A’s vs Philies last week who would have forecast a week later the A’s would be 4-3 scoring lots of runs and Phils 3-4 scoring hardly any runs. Not sure anyone could have seen that just looking at the two lineups. But it is baseball.

    Grandson team began back again last night. They doubled their opponent in hits. But lost. Left 7 runners on base in first 3 innings. Two times with less than 2 outs. No runs. Come home and Tom and Rueben are talking same on Philie’s leaving runners on with less that 2 outs. I am at a loss that just making contact can be so important in winning or losing baseball games. But that point seems to have been lost somewhere along the way. Today it is K, K, K and more Ks.

  71. Matt M.

    Fantastic to hear from you. Also great to hear that Mickey is progressing. Safe travels home. Always an MM fan.

  72. Happy Jackie Robinson Day!

    Just read an interesting story about JR in Robin Roberts biography. Right after the Phillies eliminated the Dodgers in 1950 on the final day, while the Phillies were celebrating their victory in their clubhouse, Jackie came in and congratulated everyone while shaking all the hands.
    Classy guy.

  73. At what point does it change from “it’s early” to “uhhht ohhh, this isn’t looking too good” . . . ? Because . . . .

  75. It’s early, sure, but these Marlins games usually loom
    Large by the end of the year. It’s a team they should have a pretty dominant record against, yet, the marlins always seem to give the Phillies fits no Matter how bad or good the team is. They gotta win the next 2.

    1. Thanks Hinkie…..I think I have a bad feed or connection……..Philies have 8 runs.

  77. Yes. I have Marlins broadcast on Direct. Are you guys out because of the basketball game telecast? So far this season i am 4-5 on Phillies broadcasts. I am really surprised A’s are 5-4 as of today. Phillies have hit the ball well tonight. Baseball is just so weird the way things go.

  78. Trivia buffs. Stott jus struck out for 5th time tonight.
    Who was last Phillie to do that?
    How many times in the team history has that occurred?
    Stott and JT 9 Ks tonight between them.
    Wonder what is most by 2 players in a game?
    I do not know the last one. I know the first two.

  79. LHV needs to release Marvel. Did something happen to Guthrie? Or did they just take him out before he was hitting .400 ?

  80. Minors lost all 6 games. Reading only had 3 hits in 15 innings and they were all by Okimey.

  82. I want to preface this by saying that I don’t mind having Camargo in at 3B; he’s hitting fine, and fielding pretty well. But with that said… if the goal is to get ABs for both Stott AND Bohm, then there shouldn’t be a single day where they’re both sitting (injuries notwithstanding). If one is sitting, the other should be playing. Otherwise they’re not only competing with each other for time, but all the other bench players as well.

    All this to say, if you’re going to be sitting them at the same time, send one down to LHV to get at bats instead. It wouldn’t hurt to have another defensive-minded option on the bench.

    1. DanK……in two week something has to shake out, they go back to 26 at that point.
      Maybe the next two weeks are an audition for them.
      But agree….both need regular and consistent PAs.

  83. Bad start for Wheeler. I had to re-read v1’s comment that we can’t panic until after 50 games. But, what a disappointing start to the season.

    1. The bright side is that Harper and Schwarber both have a hit already. Their slow start is a big contributing factor to us having 3 games with 1 or no runs scored already this season. So if they’re getting going now (and with how Castellanos and Segura, and JT to a lesser extent, are already hitting), then we’ll be back on track for never having a game out of reach.

      It’s definitely tough to swallow a bad start to a season, but every team has rough patches. It’s just harder to contextualize it early in the season because we don’t have a larger sample with which to compare it.

      But if it helps: last year, despite having 106 wins, the Dodgers had a stretch of games where they went 4-14. It helped that they had already started the season 13-2 before that, but if those stretches had been reversed, literally no one would have believed they were a good team until after the AS break.

      And, while less extreme: the 2022 107 win Giants had two separate 4 game losing streaks. The 2018 BoSox (108 wins) had a stretch of 2-5. The 1998 Yankees (114 wins) started 1-4, and had other stretches of 2-6 and 1-5. The record-holding 116 win 2001 Marines had a 4 game losing streak toward the end of the season, as well as a stretch where they went 2-5.

      So yeah. Even historically great teams can look bad over a sample of a few games. This Phillies team most likely isn’t breaking 100 wins. But they’re also not likely to have a losing record. So fret away. But just remind yourself that we’re not even through the first chapter of the story yet.

      1. Well the Phillies ain’t the ’88 Orioles…..or the 2018 Sox……but I do not want to wait for 1/3rd of the season to be completed to see what they will be.

  84. I’m not a “sky is falling” kind of guy, but I’d be surprised is Zack Wheeler doesn’t go on the IL in the near future.

  85. Did he have a single lousy start last season like this one? If so, I don’t remember it. Sure, way early, but we, frankly, look awful.

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