Friday, August 31, 2007
What a Game!!!!!!
What a game! The Phillies dramatic, come-from-behind 11-10 win yesterday was the high-water mark of the season thus far. Thanks to the win, the Phillies now find themselves two games behind the Mets for the division and two behind the Padres for the wildcard. Boy, do those losses to the Dodgers and Padres last week loom large!
It was a clutch, dramatic win that capped a huge series of successes for the Phillies. A four-game sweep of the Mets was something that I simply did not think was in the cards. Sweeter still that the running runs came off pitches thrown by Billy Wagner.
How important has the running game become for the Phillies? Werth's two steals put him in position to score the tying run and Igushi's steal helped to score the winning run when Chase Utley singled him home from second base. This team is really running and stretching the opposing defenses. Maybe this, speed, is what separates the 2006 team from 2007.
So now the Phillies turn their attention towards the Florida Marlins and Atlanta Braves as they enter the stretch run. They get the Marlins in Miami tonight and this weekend, then the Braves Monday through Wednesday before coming home to play the Marlins again. With the Fishstripes and Braves slumping, the Phillies are poised to roar.
Circle the date in your calendar: Sept. 14-16, Phillies vs. Mets in Shea Stadium. The NL East will be won by someone.
That’s it. I’ll give a little post to keep everyone’s appetite whetted for when I come back, but I am taking a trip to Western New York starting on Monday and I won’t be back until Sept. 10.
(2) comments
It was a clutch, dramatic win that capped a huge series of successes for the Phillies. A four-game sweep of the Mets was something that I simply did not think was in the cards. Sweeter still that the running runs came off pitches thrown by Billy Wagner.
How important has the running game become for the Phillies? Werth's two steals put him in position to score the tying run and Igushi's steal helped to score the winning run when Chase Utley singled him home from second base. This team is really running and stretching the opposing defenses. Maybe this, speed, is what separates the 2006 team from 2007.
So now the Phillies turn their attention towards the Florida Marlins and Atlanta Braves as they enter the stretch run. They get the Marlins in Miami tonight and this weekend, then the Braves Monday through Wednesday before coming home to play the Marlins again. With the Fishstripes and Braves slumping, the Phillies are poised to roar.
Circle the date in your calendar: Sept. 14-16, Phillies vs. Mets in Shea Stadium. The NL East will be won by someone.
That’s it. I’ll give a little post to keep everyone’s appetite whetted for when I come back, but I am taking a trip to Western New York starting on Monday and I won’t be back until Sept. 10.
Labels: Base-Stealing, Iguchi, Mets, Utley, Werth
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Iguchi & Gillick
And the Phillies continue to win and keep pace with the Mets and Padres … Russell Branyan was a nice pickup by Pat Gillick for the Phillies stretch run: an unheralded veteran who has been to the playoffs and has played in a pennant race. Nice work.
One of the major reasons why the Phillies continue to win even with Chase Utley on the DL with a broken hand is the play of Tadahito Iguchi. Iguchi, the long-time White Sox and member of their ’05 World Series championship team, has been playing well with the Phillies: in fifteen games, he has an OBP of .403 and has raised his slugging percentage to .468. He has ten Runs Created, for 6.5 RC/27. He’s also turning in some solid work at second base: 133 innings, no errors, and a .861 Relative Zone Rating.
Confused about what I’m talking about? Here are the stats I refer to defined:
On-Base Percentage (OBP): How often a player gets on base. (H + BB + HBP) / (Plate Appearances)
Slugging Percentage (SLG): Total Bases / At-Bats = Slugging Percentage. Power at the plate.
Runs Created (RC): A stat originally created by Bill James to measure a player’s total contribution to his team’s lineup. Here is the formula: [(H + BB + HBP - CS - GIDP) times ((S * 1.125) + (D * 1.69) + (T * 3.02) + (HR * 3.73) + (.29 * (BB + HBP – IBB)) + (.492 * (SB + SF + SH)) – (.04 * K))] divided by (AB + BB + HBP + SH+ SF).
RC/27: Runs Created per 27 outs, essentially what a team of 9 of this player would score in a hypothetical game.
Zone Rating (ZR): Is a stat which measures a player’s defensive ability by measuring plays they should have made. Admittedly, this is a stat left open to subjective opinions.
If the Phillies do make the playoffs and continue to click on all cylinders, then credit Pat Gillick for stealing Iguchi from the White Sox. Nice move.
Short post today because I’ve been tired. Next week A Citizens Blog will be concentrating on the Phillies pitching staff. Stay tuned, you won’t want to miss it!
(1) comments
One of the major reasons why the Phillies continue to win even with Chase Utley on the DL with a broken hand is the play of Tadahito Iguchi. Iguchi, the long-time White Sox and member of their ’05 World Series championship team, has been playing well with the Phillies: in fifteen games, he has an OBP of .403 and has raised his slugging percentage to .468. He has ten Runs Created, for 6.5 RC/27. He’s also turning in some solid work at second base: 133 innings, no errors, and a .861 Relative Zone Rating.
Confused about what I’m talking about? Here are the stats I refer to defined:
On-Base Percentage (OBP): How often a player gets on base. (H + BB + HBP) / (Plate Appearances)
Slugging Percentage (SLG): Total Bases / At-Bats = Slugging Percentage. Power at the plate.
Runs Created (RC): A stat originally created by Bill James to measure a player’s total contribution to his team’s lineup. Here is the formula: [(H + BB + HBP - CS - GIDP) times ((S * 1.125) + (D * 1.69) + (T * 3.02) + (HR * 3.73) + (.29 * (BB + HBP – IBB)) + (.492 * (SB + SF + SH)) – (.04 * K))] divided by (AB + BB + HBP + SH+ SF).
RC/27: Runs Created per 27 outs, essentially what a team of 9 of this player would score in a hypothetical game.
Zone Rating (ZR): Is a stat which measures a player’s defensive ability by measuring plays they should have made. Admittedly, this is a stat left open to subjective opinions.
If the Phillies do make the playoffs and continue to click on all cylinders, then credit Pat Gillick for stealing Iguchi from the White Sox. Nice move.
Short post today because I’ve been tired. Next week A Citizens Blog will be concentrating on the Phillies pitching staff. Stay tuned, you won’t want to miss it!
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
The View After the Deadline...
With the trading deadline past, I have a couple of thoughts …
… Generally speaking the Phillies made some good moves at the deadline. While I hate sending Matt Maloney to the Reds for Kyle Lohse, the team did a nice job acquiring Tadahito Iguchi from the White Sox and Julio Mateo from the Mariners. Iguchi is a good hitter who can play defense and is a nice stopgap for Chase Utley being injured. When Utley returns, Iguchi will make a nice bench replacement.
Mateo has barely pitched in 2007, but he has a good track-record on the field. In 2006 he went 9-4 with a 4.14 ERA as the Mariners set-up man. You can’t argue with those results. The best part about the deals for Mateo and Igushi are that the Phillies really didn’t surrender a darn thing to get either of them. Aside from losing Maloney, the Phillies didn’t surrender a single plum prospect.
… Aaron Rowand is still a Phillie. I honestly thought he’d be traded, but either the injuries to Bourn and Victorino killed a deal or the Phillies felt that keeping him for the season and letting him walk at the end – I believe they get a first-round pick in the 2008 Draft for him – was the better call. Probably the right decision, given the message that trading him would have sent to the team.
… You could make an All-Star team out of the guys who have been on the Phillies DL in 2007: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Brett Myers, Tom Gordon, Shane Victorino, Michael Bourn, Jon Lieber, Jayson Werth. The injuries to Victorino and Bourn sting. That is a lot of speed gone from the lineup right there: specifically, fifty steals in fifty-four attempts (Victorino: 32 in 35 tries, Bourn: 18 in 19 tries). Will the Phillies lack of speed hurt in the coming days with games against the Cubs and Brewers? Chris Roberson has been recalled: will he get a chance to run?
…Much has been made of the Braves decision to acquire Mark Teixeira from the Rangers along with Octavio Dotel. I’m not sure that the braves did that much to strength themselves. Dotel is a capable closer and Teixeira will supply some pop to their lineup, but the Braves mortgaged a little of their future in the deal and seem a little desperate. I think the Braves real problem is that they aren’t good enough defensively to help their pitching staff and adding Dotel and Teixeira doesn’t help.
… The Red Sox made some nice deals, adding Eric Gagne was huge. What is interesting to me was how quiet the Yankees were at the deadline. Are they conceding defeat to the Red Sox?
…Truly the Pittsburgh Pirates haven’t a clue what they are doing. Why are earth are they trading for an aging pitcher with a massive salary when the team is young and plays in a small market with a tiny payroll? I haven’t a clue. This is incompetence.
Tomorrow, I’ll finally get around to talking about the Williamsport Crosscutters. I promise.
(1) comments
… Generally speaking the Phillies made some good moves at the deadline. While I hate sending Matt Maloney to the Reds for Kyle Lohse, the team did a nice job acquiring Tadahito Iguchi from the White Sox and Julio Mateo from the Mariners. Iguchi is a good hitter who can play defense and is a nice stopgap for Chase Utley being injured. When Utley returns, Iguchi will make a nice bench replacement.
Mateo has barely pitched in 2007, but he has a good track-record on the field. In 2006 he went 9-4 with a 4.14 ERA as the Mariners set-up man. You can’t argue with those results. The best part about the deals for Mateo and Igushi are that the Phillies really didn’t surrender a darn thing to get either of them. Aside from losing Maloney, the Phillies didn’t surrender a single plum prospect.
… Aaron Rowand is still a Phillie. I honestly thought he’d be traded, but either the injuries to Bourn and Victorino killed a deal or the Phillies felt that keeping him for the season and letting him walk at the end – I believe they get a first-round pick in the 2008 Draft for him – was the better call. Probably the right decision, given the message that trading him would have sent to the team.
… You could make an All-Star team out of the guys who have been on the Phillies DL in 2007: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Brett Myers, Tom Gordon, Shane Victorino, Michael Bourn, Jon Lieber, Jayson Werth. The injuries to Victorino and Bourn sting. That is a lot of speed gone from the lineup right there: specifically, fifty steals in fifty-four attempts (Victorino: 32 in 35 tries, Bourn: 18 in 19 tries). Will the Phillies lack of speed hurt in the coming days with games against the Cubs and Brewers? Chris Roberson has been recalled: will he get a chance to run?
…Much has been made of the Braves decision to acquire Mark Teixeira from the Rangers along with Octavio Dotel. I’m not sure that the braves did that much to strength themselves. Dotel is a capable closer and Teixeira will supply some pop to their lineup, but the Braves mortgaged a little of their future in the deal and seem a little desperate. I think the Braves real problem is that they aren’t good enough defensively to help their pitching staff and adding Dotel and Teixeira doesn’t help.
… The Red Sox made some nice deals, adding Eric Gagne was huge. What is interesting to me was how quiet the Yankees were at the deadline. Are they conceding defeat to the Red Sox?
…Truly the Pittsburgh Pirates haven’t a clue what they are doing. Why are earth are they trading for an aging pitcher with a massive salary when the team is young and plays in a small market with a tiny payroll? I haven’t a clue. This is incompetence.
Tomorrow, I’ll finally get around to talking about the Williamsport Crosscutters. I promise.
Labels: Bourn, Braves, Iguchi, Roberson, Rowand, Trade Deadline, Victorino
Monday, July 30, 2007
36 Hours...
Don’t look now, but the Phillies have won eight of their last nine games since Cole Hamels lost a 1-0 pitchers duel on July 19th in San Diego. The Phillies three-game sweep of the Pirates was huge. Simply put, they crushed the Pirates, outscoring them 23-7. While beating the Pirates isn’t a feat to brag about, it is important because it gives the Phillies momentum heading into some rough water.
-The Chicago Cubs. The Phillies journey to Chicago for a four-game set in the Windy City to take on the surging Cubs. The Cubs are playing good baseball behind their imposing pitching staff, so the question is whether the Phillies offense can score some runs, or will the Cubs shut the Phillies down.
-The Milwaukee Brewers. The Phillies leave Chicago to go up Lake Superior to take on the Brewers on Friday and into the weekend. The Brewers have been holding onto the N.L. Central despite the assault of the Cubbies for a little while. Can they continue?
Meanwhile, the trade deadline approaches. Thus far the Phillies have made one deal, sending Mike Dubee to the Chicago White Sox for Tadahito Iguchi. Simply put, I think Pat Gillick picked Chicago’s pocket (unlike in the Freddy Garcia deal) and stole a terrific player for a pitcher with marginal value. Nothing against Dubee, but he’s not one of the Phillies core minor leaguers (Matt Carpenter, Josh Outman, Matt Maloney, Kyle Drabek, Carlos Carrasco).
Iguchi will replace Utley at second base and add needed depth in the Phillies bench when Utley returns in late August or September. As a member of the White Sox, Iguchi had a .340 OBP to go along with 17 doubles, 6 Home Runs and 4 triples. He had 44 Runs Created, or 4.9 per 27 Outs. Defensively, Iguchi is a solid presence at the pivot. Nice deal.
The next thirty-six hours will see a lot of wheeling and dealing for teams. I’ve read that the Atlanta Braves are a near-lock to acquire Mark Teixeira from the Rangers, which hardly makes the Braves a lock in the N.L. race because I think that position players impact pennant races a lot less than pitchers do. I’m curious to see how active the Phillies will be.
More tomorrow!
(1) comments
-The Chicago Cubs. The Phillies journey to Chicago for a four-game set in the Windy City to take on the surging Cubs. The Cubs are playing good baseball behind their imposing pitching staff, so the question is whether the Phillies offense can score some runs, or will the Cubs shut the Phillies down.
-The Milwaukee Brewers. The Phillies leave Chicago to go up Lake Superior to take on the Brewers on Friday and into the weekend. The Brewers have been holding onto the N.L. Central despite the assault of the Cubbies for a little while. Can they continue?
Meanwhile, the trade deadline approaches. Thus far the Phillies have made one deal, sending Mike Dubee to the Chicago White Sox for Tadahito Iguchi. Simply put, I think Pat Gillick picked Chicago’s pocket (unlike in the Freddy Garcia deal) and stole a terrific player for a pitcher with marginal value. Nothing against Dubee, but he’s not one of the Phillies core minor leaguers (Matt Carpenter, Josh Outman, Matt Maloney, Kyle Drabek, Carlos Carrasco).
Iguchi will replace Utley at second base and add needed depth in the Phillies bench when Utley returns in late August or September. As a member of the White Sox, Iguchi had a .340 OBP to go along with 17 doubles, 6 Home Runs and 4 triples. He had 44 Runs Created, or 4.9 per 27 Outs. Defensively, Iguchi is a solid presence at the pivot. Nice deal.
The next thirty-six hours will see a lot of wheeling and dealing for teams. I’ve read that the Atlanta Braves are a near-lock to acquire Mark Teixeira from the Rangers, which hardly makes the Braves a lock in the N.L. race because I think that position players impact pennant races a lot less than pitchers do. I’m curious to see how active the Phillies will be.
More tomorrow!
Labels: Iguchi, Trade Deadline, Utley
