Gentle reminder: GIVE ME MONEY
I hope for 2 reasons that you have had enough time to fully digest all of the players that we've lost over the past five months.
Reason number 1: In one week, you will have to get used to booing those players. We don't deal with phormer players very well
Reason number 2: I'm now going to introduce you to some of their replacements, who you must love more than them.
I know that the transition into a new season can be difficult for many reasons, and one of them is getting to know all of the new faces you will be seeing wearing Phillies pinstripes. Some of these guys come from teams we don't care about, some come from teams we don't like, one comes back after being a member of the Phillies years ago, and one comes up from the minor leagues. Learn their names, and learn them quick, and you'll soon be the most popular person who won't shut up about the Phillies and annoyingly knows way more about them than everyone else you associate with*.
Freddy Galvis - This is hands down the most exciting newcomer in my eyes. It is well-documented how much I love minor league baseball players, and, up until a couple weeks ago, Freddy Galvis was slated to be just that coming into this season. At the beginning of March, he had a solid spot as the starting shortstop for the AAA Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. Then it was revealed that Baseball wasn't going to be coming back to start this season, so the Phils called up Freddy. After the initial excitement, I'm sure Galvis came to the realization that he had no experience at second base and pooped his pants. At least he doesn't have the pressure of replacing one of the most beloved players in Philadelphia history. He can at least count on one person to support him regardless of what he accomplishes. I never desert my Dippin' Dots. They're the Phillies of the Phuture! (Pun intended for the whole "desert" and "Dippin' Dots" thing. Even though that's actually the spelling of the arid wasteland, it's pronounced in this context like the delicious post-dinner treat)
Laynce Nix - Nix is a unique addition to the team, because last year he played his home games in front of a majority of Phillies fans as well. His one year with the Nationals produced 16 home runs and a .250 batting average. That makes him good enough for 2 things in my eyes: 1) Sitting on the bench behind Mayberry; and 2) Inspiring me to start spelling any word that rhymes with his name in the same way (i.e. "We have a good chaynce of making the playoffs," "There's nothing quite like a good pair of sweatpaynce," and, especially for my parents, "Do you mind if we daynce with yo' dates?"
Jonathan Papelbon - This is an especially sweet addition for the Phillies for multiple reasons, one of which is glaringly personal to me. First of all, Ryan Madson is actually having Tommy John Surgery and missing the season. Did the Phillies know this prior to not signing him? If not, they sure lucked out and look pretty awesome right now. It's also extra awesome because my best Virginia friend, Hannum, is a huge Red Sox fan. His favorite player? Jonathan Papelbon. It just gives me more things to make fun of him for since the Phillies tend to make a habit of making the playoffs, while the Red Sox are busy suffering from historic collapses.
(Oh yeah. Papelbon's our closer. And he should be pretty good.)
Chad Qualls - Qualls comes to us from the Padres, and last year he helped to solidify one of the better bullpens in baseball pre-trade deadline with the help of Mike Adams and Heath Bell. He has pretty average career numbers, and I wouldn't expect him to be put in a lot of really big spots towards the end of games. He'll serve as more of a Chad Durbin-type guy for us, and I always really liked Chad Durbin. He was one of the most under-appreciated players on our championship team. Qualls reminds me of him mostly because they are both named Chad, and, yes, that is completely what I am basing this analysis and prediction off of.
Jim Thome - Here is the player that every Philadelphia fan is probably the most excited about getting. Thome has always been known as one of the "good guys" in all of sports, and people also get to save some money because they can break out their old Jim Thome Phillies jerseys from 2003-05. While we should not expect much out of Thome in terms of production, we can at least expect him to be a nice Sunday-afternoon starter and left-handed bat off the bench. Also, he's a guy that we won't threaten to lynch if he strikes out to end a game. That's always a positive.
Ty Wigginton - Wigginton comes over to us from every other team in baseball. The Phillies will be his 7th team in 11 major league seasons. He is expected to share some time filling in at 1st base and 3rd base as needed (you know, 'cause we don't have an infield anymore). He can hit for a little power, averaging 23 doubles and 16 home runs per season. According to Christopher Wheeler, we can expect him to hit at least triple those numbers playing in the matchbox that we call home. I have no real feelings about Wigginton, other than I usually get him mixed up with Josh Willingham, another insignificant utility player. Could Wigginton possibly be Raoops' replacement as team scapegoat this season?**
With the season just one week away, start getting used to these players. It's really hard to know what to expect out of any of them given their histories (or lack thereof), so it will be an exciting start to the season to find out what we've really gotten this offseason.
Before Opening Day, I'd like to get at least 2 more posts in. Impossible, you say? I might agree, but a guy can dream. Look for a new and improved High Hopes Glossary at the beginning of next week as well as a season preview probably on Wednesday.
*Not as glorious of a title as it sounds
**No. It's still Raoops' fault.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Who We Lost
Reminder: I'm still collecting funds for MLB.TV. A simple $5 donation could change a life. The response after that last post was fantastic, but the actual cash that has been coming in has been minimal. If you've sent me something, let me know so I can verify if I got it or not. If you said you would but haven't yet, let this serve as a reminder. If you neither sent nor said you would, what the heck is wrong with you? Everyone still has an opportunity to send me money, just ask me for my address via the medium of your choice: Twitter (@PhilsHighHopes), Facebook, email (PhilsHighHopes@gmail.com), or phone
With just 20 days until Opening Day, it's time to step my game back up and start getting y'all* prepared for the upcoming season. While watching that first series in Pittsburgh, or our home opener against the Marlins, or, depending on your fandom, our first playoff series, there is one inevitable question that all of you will ask: "Wait, what happened to (insert player name here)?"
Despite the fact that I just claimed that question was inevitable, I plan on making it suuuper evitable with this post (Is there a reason that "evitable" isn't a word? If "inevitable" is, then what is it the opposite of? English. Puh). I'm going to go through all of the significant players that the Phillies lost and tell you exactly what that means for us. I won't go too far, though, because in my next post I'll be telling you who is taking their place (if anyone).
As I do this, I won't be addressing the injuries. That may be where the inevitability of your questions will come from. But I will quickly tell you now that Ryan Howard is out for the foreseeable future, and Utley is not going to be around on Opening Day most likely. The next time you see those guys, though, they will still be wearing Phillies uniforms. These guys, however, will not be:
Ben Francisco - I said I would be addressing significant players, but I guess I can make an exception for Joe Camel. He is now on the Toronto Blue Jays, and will no longer be wasting everyone's time randomly playing left field against left-handed pitchers when John Mayberry should be. He was never a bad replacement defensively, but he was nothing to write home about. He had a few clutch hits in his tenure with the Phillies, but to most of us he is just some random dude thrown in the 2009 Cliff Lee trade who looks like a camel.
Ross Gload - Gload was our best left-handed bat off the bench last season, but, as of right now, he will serve that role for no one in 2012. He is currently listed as a free agent, and he's one that I think we could use to start the season at least. Right now it looks like we will be platooning a few different guys at first and in left, both positions that Tobacco Gload could play. Sure, there are probably better options, but I was always kind of a fan of the humongous wad of chew in his cheek.
Raul Ibanez - I'm going to go through all of the significant players that the Phillies lost
Brad Lidge - I am not totally sure what we are losing in losing Lidge to the Washington Nationals. While we will always remember 2008, we can also forget about 2008 when analyzing what Lidge would have done for us. "Lights Out" more often referred to his availability due to injury rather than his ability to shut down opponents. While he was always able to show flashes of greatness, he failed to do anything as well as he did it in '08, which led to the question "Is Lidge back?" wayyy too often. He is someone who can be easily replaced as a solid back-end-of-the-bullpen guy, and we won't have to worry about that baggage with someone else. Probably a good thing for the Phils and for Lidge.
Ryan Madson - Madson is our biggest, most obvious loss of the offseason. He has been nothing short of fantastic for us over the past few years, and it will be extra painful watching him close out games for the Reds this season if (spoiler alert) Jonathan Papelbon slips up at all for us. Madson was always consistent, and consistency in a closer is not exactly easy to find. He used his time in Philadelphia to prove that he was one of the best relief pitchers in baseball, and it is a shame to not see him get rewarded for that in Philadelphia.
Pete Orr - here is someone who only becomes a significant loss because of Baseball's potential for missed time. You know what? Screw that. I was going to say real things about him, but he wasn't even in the majors for half of last year, and he'd only be used as a replacement when Michael Martinez or (ready for it?) Freddy Galvis wasn't playing for Utley. Sorry about this**
Roy Oswalt - this loss might be the biggest wild card of them all. Oswalt is still without a team, and it is probably because no one really knows what they will get out of him. We sure didn't get much last season because it was riddled with injuries. Some games were good, some were bad. He's old, he has back problems, and there were rumors of his retirement. When we have Vance Worley as our 4th starter, do we really need to take a chance on Oswalt? On the other hand, would it hurt to do so? If a series of tornadoes hit the Philadelphia area, should we sign him and his bulldozer so he can clean it up? Here is an answer to at least one of the previous three questions: Yes. Now you be the judge.
Wilson Valdez - Other than Madson, I would say that this is our biggest loss, with Valdez also going to Cincinnati. He does more of the little things that can easily go unnoticed, but he did them a lot for us. Who can forget him picking up a win off the mound last season in the 19th inning of a game against the Reds? It was that kind of contribution that was so common from Valdez. He could fill in for almost anyone, and we will especially miss him to start the season as we are putting together some makeshift infields in the absence of Utley and Howard. Was it a total mistake to trade him to the Reds? I think so, and I have a feeling that we may be feeling eerily similar to Chuck Noland as we drown in an ocean of utility infielders.
That's it for the people that we've lost over the past few months. I know this is a sensitive time for you as you are mourning those that are no longer with us, so I will take at least a few days off before I give you too much information on our 2012 newcomers. See you soon!
*If you're unfamiliar with my terminology here, keep an eye out for the updated High Hopes Glossary that will be coming out sometime before the season begins.
**Is it totally awkward and annoying to you that I just regretted and apologized for typing something when clearly I could have just deleted it? It kind of annoyed me too, but sometimes there might be value in the thought process. I don't know, just give me this one.
With just 20 days until Opening Day, it's time to step my game back up and start getting y'all* prepared for the upcoming season. While watching that first series in Pittsburgh, or our home opener against the Marlins, or, depending on your fandom, our first playoff series, there is one inevitable question that all of you will ask: "Wait, what happened to (insert player name here)?"
Despite the fact that I just claimed that question was inevitable, I plan on making it suuuper evitable with this post (Is there a reason that "evitable" isn't a word? If "inevitable" is, then what is it the opposite of? English. Puh). I'm going to go through all of the significant players that the Phillies lost and tell you exactly what that means for us. I won't go too far, though, because in my next post I'll be telling you who is taking their place (if anyone).
As I do this, I won't be addressing the injuries. That may be where the inevitability of your questions will come from. But I will quickly tell you now that Ryan Howard is out for the foreseeable future, and Utley is not going to be around on Opening Day most likely. The next time you see those guys, though, they will still be wearing Phillies uniforms. These guys, however, will not be:
Ben Francisco - I said I would be addressing significant players, but I guess I can make an exception for Joe Camel. He is now on the Toronto Blue Jays, and will no longer be wasting everyone's time randomly playing left field against left-handed pitchers when John Mayberry should be. He was never a bad replacement defensively, but he was nothing to write home about. He had a few clutch hits in his tenure with the Phillies, but to most of us he is just some random dude thrown in the 2009 Cliff Lee trade who looks like a camel.
Ross Gload - Gload was our best left-handed bat off the bench last season, but, as of right now, he will serve that role for no one in 2012. He is currently listed as a free agent, and he's one that I think we could use to start the season at least. Right now it looks like we will be platooning a few different guys at first and in left, both positions that Tobacco Gload could play. Sure, there are probably better options, but I was always kind of a fan of the humongous wad of chew in his cheek.
Raul Ibanez - I'm going to go through all of the significant players that the Phillies lost
Brad Lidge - I am not totally sure what we are losing in losing Lidge to the Washington Nationals. While we will always remember 2008, we can also forget about 2008 when analyzing what Lidge would have done for us. "Lights Out" more often referred to his availability due to injury rather than his ability to shut down opponents. While he was always able to show flashes of greatness, he failed to do anything as well as he did it in '08, which led to the question "Is Lidge back?" wayyy too often. He is someone who can be easily replaced as a solid back-end-of-the-bullpen guy, and we won't have to worry about that baggage with someone else. Probably a good thing for the Phils and for Lidge.
Ryan Madson - Madson is our biggest, most obvious loss of the offseason. He has been nothing short of fantastic for us over the past few years, and it will be extra painful watching him close out games for the Reds this season if (spoiler alert) Jonathan Papelbon slips up at all for us. Madson was always consistent, and consistency in a closer is not exactly easy to find. He used his time in Philadelphia to prove that he was one of the best relief pitchers in baseball, and it is a shame to not see him get rewarded for that in Philadelphia.
Pete Orr - here is someone who only becomes a significant loss because of Baseball's potential for missed time. You know what? Screw that. I was going to say real things about him, but he wasn't even in the majors for half of last year, and he'd only be used as a replacement when Michael Martinez or (ready for it?) Freddy Galvis wasn't playing for Utley. Sorry about this**
Roy Oswalt - this loss might be the biggest wild card of them all. Oswalt is still without a team, and it is probably because no one really knows what they will get out of him. We sure didn't get much last season because it was riddled with injuries. Some games were good, some were bad. He's old, he has back problems, and there were rumors of his retirement. When we have Vance Worley as our 4th starter, do we really need to take a chance on Oswalt? On the other hand, would it hurt to do so? If a series of tornadoes hit the Philadelphia area, should we sign him and his bulldozer so he can clean it up? Here is an answer to at least one of the previous three questions: Yes. Now you be the judge.
Wilson Valdez - Other than Madson, I would say that this is our biggest loss, with Valdez also going to Cincinnati. He does more of the little things that can easily go unnoticed, but he did them a lot for us. Who can forget him picking up a win off the mound last season in the 19th inning of a game against the Reds? It was that kind of contribution that was so common from Valdez. He could fill in for almost anyone, and we will especially miss him to start the season as we are putting together some makeshift infields in the absence of Utley and Howard. Was it a total mistake to trade him to the Reds? I think so, and I have a feeling that we may be feeling eerily similar to Chuck Noland as we drown in an ocean of utility infielders.
That's it for the people that we've lost over the past few months. I know this is a sensitive time for you as you are mourning those that are no longer with us, so I will take at least a few days off before I give you too much information on our 2012 newcomers. See you soon!
*If you're unfamiliar with my terminology here, keep an eye out for the updated High Hopes Glossary that will be coming out sometime before the season begins.
**Is it totally awkward and annoying to you that I just regretted and apologized for typing something when clearly I could have just deleted it? It kind of annoyed me too, but sometimes there might be value in the thought process. I don't know, just give me this one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)