If it were My Team...

If it were my team, I would have kept Placido Polanco at 3rd base over David Bell.

David Bell had a career year in 2004 batting .291 with 18 HRs and 77 RBIs. His average was about 30 points higher than his career average... his stock was high. It was time to trade him and get something out of it...

If that would have been done, then last year's fiasco at 3rd base with Nunez, never would have occurred. Polanco would have given us his .295 average and solid defense... which is better than what Bell gave us last year.

But.. if it were my team, I would have coddled Scott Rolen from the beginning and payed him what he was worth and give him more than just Abreu and Burrell as company. If I would have done that, then we never would have traded for Polanco, nor would we have needed Bell, and the whole Nunez experiment never would have occurred, and we'd still have a great hitting, gold glove 3rd baseman.

If it were my team, I'd still have Curt Schilling. He, like Rolen, would have been given his fair share, and I would have surrounded him with other talented pitchers. It's not easy being the King when you don't have any Knights to protect you. Though I'm not sure if I would have taken a chance on a young kid with a mustache like that. He might still be an Oriole, if it were my team.

If it were my team I would have hired Jim Leyland over Charlie Manuel. Ed Wade made the wrong decision there. But we'll have to live with it. On that note...

If it were my team I would have gotten rid of Ed Wade years ago... and the decision of Leyland vs. Manuel would have been a whole lot easier because I would have never gotten rid of Larry Bowa.

If it were my team, Ed Wade would not have stayed as GM as long as he did.

With Ed Wade out of the picture, my team never would have tried to sign J.D. Drew, knowing from the beginning what a prick he was. And since we weren't set on J.D. Drew, then we never would have been given the chance to draft Pat Burrell and some other team would have had to deal with him.

So.. if it were my team, and I didn't want to deal with JD Drew, I probably would have picked the next best outfielder in the draft, Vernon Wells, chosen 5th by the Blue Jays.

(http://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/1997draft.shtml)

Vernon wells consistently hits 25-30 homers, 100 RBIs and bats .300 every few years. And he strikes out less than 100 times a year. And he's rarely hurt. Burrell, on the other hand... well we know about Burrell.

To sum it up.. if it were my team, I would have Larry Bowa as my manager, and I'd have Vernon Wells, Scott Rolen, Curt Schilling and Jimmy Rollins.

I'd still have Rollins because he was drafted in the 2nd round in 1996. Since Ed Wade, who I might have hired considering he came up through the ranks and earned his chance to be a GM, took the job as a right of passage in 1997, the Rollins thing still would have occurred.

Also...looking back. If it were my team I still would have brought in Mitch Williams in Game 6 of the '93 World Series. So we probably still would have lost... I'm not one of those jokers who claims he was yelling at the TV to leave in Larry Anderson... that's bull... you wanted Mitch, just like the rest of the Phillies' Nation.. it just didn't work out.

If it were my team, would we still have been given the opportunity to have Chase Utley and Ryan Howard? Would my team have done more to make the playoffs in years past eliminating the chance to draft such studs as Utley and Howard? I don't know.

What I do know is that is always fun to imagine what I'd do, if it were my team.

Freddy Not Ready; Don't Sweat It

Freddy Garcia left yesterday's game with tightness in his bicep. Though this is never a good sign, but don't sweat it. I'm encouraged by the fact that we still have Jon Lieber around.

I've said time and time again that we should keep 6 starters for something like this. I was predicting a Cole Hamels back spasm or a blister of some sort early in the season, but I didn't predict this.

Despite Garcia's injury, all is not lost. We're not sure how long he'll be out, and we have a serviceable replacement. We are in a much better situation than we were last year in the fact that we still have 5 quality starters that many teams would love to have.

What this injury may do is increase the urgency to trade Aaron Rowand. With the youth on this team, and the lack of leadership from Burrell, I think someone like Rowand is needed. What's funny about this statement, is that Rowand is only 29 years old. This says a lot about the future of this ball club.

Lieber is not 29. Jon Lieber is 36. It's ironic that 36 is also the number of donuts Lieber eats the day before his scheduled starts. Lieber is a veteran and will undoubtedly provide leadership for this ball club. As will Jaime Moyer. The oldest of the other four starters is Garcia at age 30. Amazing youth on this ball club.

Lieber has already shown leadership in the fact that he has graciously accepted his role in the bullpen. He's expressed his desire to start, but has not made a stink about losing that status.

I'm disappointed," Lieber said. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. I'm going to do it for these guys in here, but I think I can still start. That was my mind-frame this offseason, to better myself. I signed here to be a starter."

Keeping Lieber around turned out to be a good thing. Here is what I see happening. Garcia is out for a few weeks. Lieber takes his spot in the rotation, but not as the #1. Myers is now our opening day starter. Garcia will return, spend a few days in the pen, and then will be inserted into the rotation. However, I think he'll replace whoever it is that is struggling. If Lieber has a desire to start, now is his time to earn his keep. If he goes 3-0 with a 2.43 ERA, then we'll leave him be and replace someone else.

This injury is a bad thing, I'm not downplaying that, but I the situation is definitely more manageable with the presence of Lieber.

Brawls: Lenny Dykstra v. Rick Dempsey

I've found several Phillies from recent years and I'll be posting them in due time. They'll be labeled under Brawls.

I just had to post this... I found the pic with the intentions of simply leaving it as is... but in trying to find out who Dykstra is man handling, I also found the story that goes with it...



Information below courtesy of Dodger Blues where they have a list of the Greatest Dodger's brawls of all time. What a great idea.

Here's the scoop...

August 20, 1990
With runners at first and third, home plate umpire Ron Barnes called Philadelphia outfielder Lenny Dykstra out on strikes in the fifth inning. As Dykstra, who was leading the league in hitting at the time, approached the plate with two outs in the seventh, he started complaining to Barnes. He then turned to Dodgers catcher Rick Dempsey, accusing him of brown-nosing the umpire. As Dempsey stood up and took off his mask, Dykstra dropped his bat and stepped forward. The 40-year-old Dempsey immediately popped him in the face with his glove and followed with a quick right. The two tangled and fell to the ground and the benches cleared.
Seconds later, Dempsey was on the bottom of a huge pile. "Somebody grabbed my face when we rolled on the ground," said Dempsey, who ended up with a large welt on the side of his face. "After I saw the replay, I saw it was Dykstra. He grabbed me by the side of the face and squeezed every pimple I had."

"What's he mad about?" Dempsey continued. "He made an out. I make four of them a game. If I was hitting .340 I'd be kissing every player on the opposing team."

PS - Dykstra has also been known to grab girls at his carwash. But we know this isn't true, nor is the rumor that he bet on baseball, or the fact that he crashed a car after Kruk's bachelor party ending Daulton's season, or that he took steroids.

Would the guy pictured above do all that?

The Tao of Dykstra

Before Aaron Rowand, the Phillies had Lenny Dykstra. Before Dykstra we had Pete Rose. These are my type of ball players. These are the guys who will do anything to win.

When ever someone asks me the question: "If you could clone any 3 Major League baseball players of all time, 3 times, to field a team of 9. Who would it be?" (I usually ask the question, but anyway...)

It is inevitable that I preface my response with: "I know my guys are going to beat your guys because my guys play to win."

And then I proceed to say..."Lenny Dykstra"... I pause to make it more dramatic..."Pete Rose.." Another pause... "and Ty Cobb."

Having said that, I sometimes get funny looks like I've just named Tinkers, Evers and Chance. And sometimes, here in Atlanta, I'll get "Who's Lenny Dykstra?", which makes me want to turn South Philly on them and punch them in the face as if they've made a move on my sister... but, I regress and simply explain to them the 'Tao of the Dude'.

After my explanation of Petey bowling over Ray Fosse in an All-Star game, followed by a story about how Ty Cobb would meticulously watch every pitcher and adjust his approach to each hurler, to the timely hitting of Dykstra in the '93 post-season spotlight.

But I know my team would beat anybody's team of Ruth, Mays and A-Rod, or Aaron, Bonds and Henderson, simply because I know my guys want it more.

Which brings me to the real reason of my post. My new Lenny Dykstra t-shirt. Now there are some Phillies phans who might balk at this purchase. Still others may applaud me. But I'm happy to say that I'm now the proud owner of a Lenny Dykstra, Mets #4 t-shirt. I'm not ashamed to wear a Mets jersey because it is a tribute to my phavorite Phil of all time... 'The Dude'.

In college I was a Paul O'Neill fan and had a similar Paul O'Neill #21 t-shirt. Despite the fact that I was a die hard Phils fan, I was proud prove that was an O'Neill backer and would root for the Yanks, only to see O'Neill play deeper in the post-season.

I wore my t-shirt for the first time Saturday morning. After my wife and I sat down at a Jewish Deli/Bagel shop and ordered our selves a hearty brunch, a gentleman seated next to us comments on my shirt. He liked it and asked me where I got it. I tell him and then turn to my wife and smile. I was proud of my Dykstra t-shirt. True baseball fans appreciate his play. Dykstra brings joy to me and the gentleman next to us. Dykstra makes the world go 'round. The Tao of Dykstra.

PS - I blogged about the chronology of my phavorite Phils through the years a little while back, which of course includes Dykstra.

PSS - Kevin Curtis signed with the Eagles and plays football like Dykstra plays baseball. Check out the video of Kevin Curtis on my Eagles blog, then check out the comparison to Pinkston. It's funny.

So Long Old Pal...

Vuk was officially put to rest on Tuesday. And though we shouldn't make a spectacle of the situation, it is hard to ignore the cast of characters that attended the service.

The official goodbye to the Phillies' longtime coach, player and friend, John Vukovich, was held Tuesday in Voorhees, New Jersey.

It is apparent that Vuk had the ability to make friends with everyone. This is definitely prevalent when looking at the guest list.

Check out these names:

Larry Andersen, Bob Boone, Larry Bowa, Darren Daulton, Lee Elia, Jim Fregosi, Dallas Green, Dave Hollins, John Kruk, Greg Luzinski, Gary Varsho, Don Zimmer, Mike Schmidt, Terry Francona, Bobby Abreu, Curt Schilling, Scott Rolen, Tim McCarver, Lenny Dykstra, Mike Lieberthal and Randy Wolf.

As well as current players and coaches:

Players Eude Brito, Burrell, Geoff Geary, Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Ryan Madson, Jamie Moyer, Brett Myers, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Manuel and coaches Mick Billmeyer, Ramon Henderson, Davey Lopes and Milt Thompson.

And finally the front office: Team president David Montgomery, chairman Bill Giles, general manager Pat Gillick and assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr.

Imagine the fodder that might go on had these guys met under different circumstances.

The Bull trading barbecue recipes with Kruk.

Boone and McCarver reminscing about catching for Lefty. Schmidt and Rolen gabbing about Gold Gloves.

Schilling, Ruben, Kruk, Hollins, Dutch, Uncle Milt, Fregosi and Dykstra all reminscing about '93.

Larry Anderson and Kruk in the same room... enough said. And add Zimm to the mix...amazing.

Under different circumstances this would be circus. But the reality of it is that these great Phillies took the time to pay their respects for a true Philadelphia legend. I think this shows the human side of sports and more than anything, these guys are family.

Give another shout to Whitey for us Vuke. And while your at it, give Cory Lidle a nudge too... let him know we haven't forgotten about him. Even if we poke fun, we still appreciate him. He's a Phillie.

And we are family.

JEFF STONE NEEDS YOUR HELP!!!

PLEASE HELP JEFF STONE!!!

The oh-so quotable Jeff Stone, does not have a quote for his Baseball Almanac stats page. And I know there are plenty to choose from.

Let's get together as the geniuses of the Phillies' Blogosphere and start a list of Jeff Stone quotes.

We'll take the best one and send it to Baseball Almanac to place on his page.

Here is one entry:

"No thanks. I don't drink."

Jeff Stone in response to the question: "Do you want a shrimp cocktail?"

There are plenty more out there... dig 'em out and post them.

UPDATE: I just found an article from 2004 giving us the low down on the where-abouts of Jeff Stone. Kind of a sad story.

John Vukovich 1947 - 2007

The Phillies' beloved "Vuke" passed away today after a long battle with a brain tumor.

As both a player and coach, Vuke has accumulated 24 years in a Phillies uniform, which ranks second to Vuke's long time friend, Larry Bowa. Are there any two guys on the planet who personify the Phillies more than these two? I challenge anyone to find another duo who bleeds Phillies red like these two? Vuke and Bowa have been friends since their teens playing against each other growing up in California.

Vuke was a career utility man. He played with the Phillies in 1970 (3 games) and 1971 (74 games). He bounced around the minor leagues a bit longer and again got the call to play in 4 games with the Phils in 1976. He played a bit in each of the seasons from 1979 through 1981 but never had any significant playing time. He was a career minor leaguer who would get occasional calls to the bigs.

Here are Vuke's career statistics.

Vuke was a good infield prospect who cold play the left side. But imagine trying to crack the Phillies lineup as 3rd baseman or shortstop during that time. You guessed it. Schmidt and Bowa pretty much had those positions on lock down for a few years. Though Schmidt has been quoted as saying that Vuke was a much better fielding third baseman than he was. Schmidt doesn't usually say those types of things.

Vuke won 2 World Series rings. His first was as a utility infielder with "The Big Red Machine" in 1975, and his second with the Phillies in 1980. Even though Vuk was on the post-season roster, he became the lone Phillie not to make an appearance in either the NLCS or the World Series. Nonetheless, he deserves his ring.

In 1988 Vuke became a Phillies coach after coaching for several years with the Cubs. For seventeen years, Vuke has donned the red pinstriped #18 jersey. He's worked under five different managers, Lee Elia, Nick Leyva, Jim Fregosi, Terry Francona and Larry Bowa. Since his coaching debut in 1988 the Phillies have had 26 different coaches, two different ballparks, and one trip to the World Series.

In 2004 Vuke was honored as the longest tenured Phillies Coach in history, breaking "Irish" Mike Ryan's 16 years stint as bullpen coach/catcher. (I have to believe someone as tough as "Irish" would still squat back there every once in a while.)

The Phillies will be honoring #18 all season with a black arm band with three simple letters; "VUK".

Thanks for 24 great seasons as a Phillie, Vuke.

Say hi to Whitey for us.

Cole Hamels: The Real Deal?

He looks like a pitcher. Tall, lanky, broad shoulders, long legs.

He has the name of a good pitcher. You know what I mean, right? A guy with the name Cole Hamels has a shot at doing something. Where if he were named Larry Murphy, well, that just doesn't cut it. (no offense to anyone named Larry Murphy)

He has the making of a good nickname. "King Cole".

He appears to have the head of a good pitcher. To quote General Manager Pat Gillick: "Other than the physical and natural ability, you look for presence and composure. We don't have any reservation that he'll be able to deal with a crucial part of the game."

He has the mechanics of a good pitcher. I think his high leg kick will be mimicked by kids in the school yards for years to come. I'm looking forward to that being his trademark. (see picture)

He put up decent numbers as a rookie. His K/inning ration is impressive. (145 Ks in 132 innings). He was second in the National League with 101 strikeouts after the all-star break and went 6-3 with a 2.60 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 691/3 innings over his final 11 starts. Not too shabby.

He seems to learn quickly. Check out these charts below from last year, notice the first versus second half.

And now he appears to have the work ethic of a good pitcher. His body fat 6%. (I wonder what Lieber's is?)

And what bodes best for Cole Hamels is that he is not our ace. This is good because he will have no pressure to perform. The weight is off his shoulders. With Myers, Garcia, Eaton and Moyer around him, he's in great company to learn and to grow. That said, I expect him to do well. Very well. And half of this is due to the fact that he can relax and simply go out there and pitch.

Young King Cole, your future awaits.

Charts courtesy of FanGraphs.com

He's Still a Bargain

The Phillies dutifully gave Ryan Howard a well deserved raise. The Phils have renewed Howard's contract for 1-year at $900K. Both sides were hoping to reach a multi-year deal, but were only able to agree to this one year deal which surprisingly does not have any incentives.

Howard, who made $355,000 last year, is in the history books as being the highest paid player not eligible for arbitration in league history. His contract matches that of Albert Pujols who received the same raise after his rookie season in 2003. That's not bad company.

It's encouraging to know that the Phils are now doing what this city has always wanted and rewarding their talent in an effort to keep them here.

Although Howard can't become a free agent until 2011, both sides are hoping to reach a multi-year deal well before that point.

Unlike previous administrations, this Pat Gillick team has a "goal to keep our star players in red pinstripes". With the recent signings of Utley and Howard, you know they're following through.

PS - Ryan Howard homered in his first at bat of spring training, only a few hours after inking himself a new deal. I think we're in for another fun ride.