Fire Tom McCarthy

Three things I thought after watching that fantastic game:

1 - There were many stories (Chris Coste going 4-4 off the bench, Shane Victorino's leadoff triple in the 13th, the bullpen, and Brett Myers' pinch hit at-bat), but the biggest was Jimmy Rollins. It's only two games, but it's nice to have ol' Jimmy-Legs back. If he can play like the 2007 version of Jimmy Rollins for the next five to eight weeks, the Phillies can go deep in the playoffs. If he can't, they may not make the playoffs.

2 - I hate Tom McCarthy. I'm tired of him offering those annoying mid-inning "reports" from the stands that ramble on endlessly while all I really want to do is hear Harry call the game. I've had enough of him encouraging Gary Matthews - who should also be fired - to continue with his mind-numbing comments that we are supposed to think is analysis. I really just want him to shut up. I felt my blood pressure rise when he kept referring to bad outings Scott Schoeneweis has had "here at Shea Stadium." Did he forget he was in Philly? Then I thought I felt blood coming out of my ears when he kept repeating with escalating alarm and certainty that Kyle Kendrick would be unable to start Wednesday's game because he "got all stretched out and warmed up in the bullpen." Yeah, the starting pitcher who averages about 90 pitches a game will be all worn out from that side work that he'll have to skip a start. If he had said that the extra work might limit how long he can go in his start, I would have agreed, but that's not what he said. He said Kendrick wouldn't start Wednesday because he warmed up in the bullpen. If Kendrick doesn't start, I will add an update to this post and publicly apologize to Tom McCarthy, provided that if Kendrick does start, then the Phillies agree to fire Tom McCarthy for making such a stupid comment.

3 - I hate the CW 15 (WLYH). For the second time in the past few weeks, they were not airing the Phillies game. Fortunately, tonight, it was on Channel 249 and, fortunately, that channel is included in my cable subscription. But seriously, fuck the heck CW 15, it's Phillies/Mets... in August... with first place on the line... They should be ashamed of themselves for denying those without access to that obscure channel the opportunity to watch this important game. They should be embarrassed that they haven't bothered to update their "Phillies 2008 Schedule" on their website since April 13th. And they should know that I now plan to make a note of all the local advertisers during the next Phillies broadcast and notify them that I will go out of my way to avoid giving them any of my money - and I'll be sure to tell them why.

Mrs. tmmullen says I should loosen up and just enjoy the fact that the Phillies are in first place. I should listen. She's wicked smart.

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Credit where credit is due

As I have noted in the recent past, I am concerned about Tom Gordon appearing in the 8th or 9th innings of games. While I still feel this concern is justified, that does not mean I shouldn't give him credit when he pitches well (most notably his last three appearances). To wit:

3/31
0.1 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 0 K, 20 pitches (135.00 ERA)

4/3
1.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 K, 34 pitches (33.75)

4/5
0.1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K, 5 pitches (27.00)

4/7
1.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K, 9 pitches (16.88)

4/8
1.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K, 11 pitches (12.27) - Save

If Brad Lidge, J.C. Romero, Chad Durbin, and the April Gordon can all stay healthy, it seems obvious that this bullpen will be lethal. Plus, as I've said before, the way this offense scores runs late, they will win a lot of ball games in the 7th/8th/9th innings.

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A stopped clock is right twice a day

Bill Conlin is a grumpy old man. I could probably end this post right here and the three or four people who read this will agree. But I feel compelled to offer some evidence and - in true Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids fashion - we might even learn something along the way. So I offer Exhibit A from last week, which demonstrates that a stopped clock is still right twice a day and, apparently, Mr. Conlin thinks it's good to be the king.


When I'm King of the World . . .

I'm already annoyed.


Cole Hamels will run for Phillies player representative on the platform of a chicken in every pot and two chiropractors in every clubhouse . . . Now that the Phils have added Dr. Michael Weinik to the biggest medical staff this side of the lovable "Grey's Anatomy" gang at Seattle Grace Hospital, isn't it time for somebody to step forward and admit that Tom Gordon's right shoulder is cooked?

That's textbook writing there boys and girls. Toss a bone to the old folks and give a shout out to the young hip crowd and then get right your point. By the way, "chicken in every pot" is at least 70 years old. That's just inexcusable. But Mr. Conlin does take the Phillies to task with regard to last week's interim closer. So things could be looking up.


The 19-year veteran, whose lack of stuff and command was tragically exposed in a ninth-inning, Opening Day meltdown, has pitched the past two seasons with a torn labrum. I got this e-mail yesterday from an orthopedic doctor friend who used to pitch and understands the slippery slope Gordon is trying to climb: "Why would the Phillies continue to believe that an aging reliever with a known labral injury could stay healthy for any length of time without surgery? Bad shoulders do not get healthier with age and work without getting fixed."

The use of "stuff" and a friend's e-mail notwithstanding, this is a reasonable and rational argument. Perhaps this Conlin column will be informative, interesting and - dare I dream? - coherent.


Astros general manager Ed Wade must have felt right at home when Mitchell Report star Miguel Tejada was a dead duck at second trying to stretch a leadoff single with Houston trailing, 4-0. Gee, where has the Wadester seen that kind of baseball before?

I guess not. And I swear, while I do edit items like this for length, these two sentences are the only ones on this topic in the entire column. More insanity follows.


When I'm King of the World

Please stop.


The Bank sound system will greet Phillies relievers with a stirring excerpt from the spiritual classic, "Dry Bones."

This stirring excerpt:

Your hip bone connected to your back bone,

Your back bone connected to your shoulder bone,

Now hear the word of the Lord!

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones

Now hear the word of the Lord!

Uh Mr. Conlin, are you feeling okay? Have you taken your medication? Maybe you should lie down. And how did we go from Ed Wade to the Phillies bullpen?


Hey, they have the sausage race in Milwaukee and the presidents race in Washington. Why not dress four contestants as an ulna, a labrum, an ACL and a rotator cuff?

Okay, so you sang the bone song because you're not done talking about Gordon and the bullpen. So why the detour through Houston? Wait. Forget I asked.


When I'm King of the World

Seriously, stop that. And apparently now we're done talking about Gordon and the bullpen.


After the Penn State trustees toss a butterfly net over Joe Paterno, the man who has been coaching since Mount Nittany was a hill will be the spokesman for Godfather's Pizza. Hey, can't a guy eat his lunch around here? You writers talkin' to me? No, then who you talkin' to? (Chomp, chomp.) Look, the day I have to worry about not having a contract, I'm in the wrong place. (Which is starting to become more and more obvious.)

Hello kettle? This is the pot. You're black. I guess it takes one grumpy old man to recognize another grumpy old man. But why is he talking about Joe Paterno in a baseball column? Why is that last sentence in parenthesis? And why cannot I not shake the mental image of Bill Conlin standing at the bow of the Titanic proclaiming, "I'm the King of the World!!!"?

Three excellent questions that may never be answered.

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Not bullish on this bullpen (or the starters)

As I sit here fuming at the Harrisburg CW affiliate for not televising tonight's game, it gives me the perfect opportunity to share my thoughts on the Phillies bullpen, as promised here more than five weeks ago.

Come with me now on a trip back to November 2007 - a simple time when the Patriots were still undefeated, Rudy Giuliani was still the frontrunner for the Republican Presidential nomination, and I was still trying to get in shape for basketball season.

Not long after the Phillies completed the trade for closer Brad Lidge (commentary on what we gave away to follow another time), I explained my concerns to Mike. Hopefully, he will confirm that what follows is a close approximation of what I said back then:

I am a little annoyed about this trade. Unless the Phillies plan to re-sign Kyle Lohse and keep Brett Myers as their closer - which appears unlikely - I just don't like it. But consider what that staff would look like:

Starters: Cole Hamels, Lohse, Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick, and Adam Eaton - of course, a priority would need to be made to juggle the rotation to maximize Eaton's starts against the Mets, plus as the #5 starter, they can and should skip his start whenever they can if it keeps the others on their normal pitching days (unless they need the rest).

The bullpen would see Myers (9th), Lidge (8th), J.C. Romero (7th), and Tom Gordon and Ryan Madson sharing duty when needed in the 6th. That would give the Phillies one of the best bullpens in the majors. If the starters can get through five or - praise the lord - six innings, Romero/Lidge/Myers would be a frightening prospect for opponents. Clay Condrey and J.D. Durbin can be those inning eaters in games where the Phils are either winning big or losing big. Either one of them could also be used as spot starters as necessary.

I realize the thinking is that picking up Lidge is like adding a quality starter (Myers), but I'm not buying what they're selling. Myers liked being the closer. Myers excelled as the closer. It suited him and his temperament. Why move him back to the rotation? He barely has the attention span to get through a two inning save - don't get me started on two inning saves - and he has shown time and time again that he cannot maintain his concentration for five, six, or seven innings without losing his temper on the mound and having it impact his pitching. With this in mind, trading for a closer when the team already has an above average one is a bad move - unless, like I said, they keep Lohse.

Only time will tell, but right now, I'm calling it a bad move.

More than five months later, I will concede that so far, I do like the upgrade from J.D. Durbin to Chad Durbin. In fact, depending on how Lidge performs, I could be convinced to feel good about Lidge (9th), Romero (8th), Durbin (7th), and Gordon/Madson sharing the 6th (in case you missed it, my feelings on Gordon are documented in the comment section here).

But I still think keeping Lohse would have been a good idea. His contract demands - or his agent's, depending on who you believe - in both dollars and years were in a free fall before he finally signed a one-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals in mid-March for $4.25 million. He also pitched well in his first start against, ironically, the Colorado Rockies, throwing five shutout innings (with three hits, three walks, and three strikeouts), before being lifted for a pinch-hitter.

Given the addition of Chad Durbin to the bullpen, the Phillies could have still moved Myers back to the rotation. Imagine how formidable it would have looked then: Myers/Hamels/Lohse/Moyer/Kendrick. Regardless of what happens with this pitching staff as the season progresses, management's failure (or refusal) to find a way to make it work with Lohse could turn out to be the missed opportunity that defines whether or not this team makes the playoffs.

Your thoughts?

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Game review: Phillies vs. Nationals, Game 1

As reported yesterday, I was on location for yesterday's season opener between the Phillies and the Washington Nationals. Of course, the Phillies' pitching staff could not hold on to leads or ties, and the Phils lost, 11-6.

What we hope to do here at Mike & Mike's Phillies blog is offer you, the reader, some thought-provoking insight into what's wrong (or right) in Phillies World. The task of opening up this round of discussion has fallen to me.

The Phillies offense did its job yesterday. Sure, there were some individual disappointments, like the Phillies debuts of 3B Pedro Feliz (0-for-4, 2K), RF/PH Geoff Jenkins (0-for-1, K), and OF/PH So Taguchi (0-for-1). CF Shane Victorino (0-for-3) and late-game 3B Greg Dobbs (0-for-1, K) were also hitless. But the season is 162 games long, and it is far too early to say that these guys will be a bust in 2008.

SS Jimmy Rollins (2-for-4, double, two-run HR) was poised at the plate, not automatically swinging at the first pitch. As he showed last year, when Rollins is patient, good things will happen.

2B Chase Utley (2-for-3, solo HR, sac-fly RBI) offered the first salvos of his latest MVP campaign. 1B Ryan Howard (1-for-4, 1K) looked solid, and LF Pat Burrell (1-for-3, RBI, BB, K) reached base in half of his plate appearances. RF Jayson Werth (1-for-3, double, BB, K) showed he was worthy of his spot in the Opening Day lineup, and C Carlos Ruiz (1-for-4, double) also made good contact.

Unfortunately, some early-season rust (Rollins' fielding error), a catcher who may be trying too hard (Ruiz's throwing error), and some atrocious pitching doomed the Phils' efforts.

Starting pitcher Brett Myers seemed to start out strong, but by his own admission, he was getting lucky on bad pitches, which eventually caught up with him.

When reliever Ryan Madson took the mound, Phillies fans' minds inevitably flashed back to last year's opener, when Madson gave up a two-run home run in the Phils' loss. True to form, Madson soon turned and watched a Lastings Milledge two-run homer sail over the Citizens' Bank Park fence. Madson needs to prove he belongs in a Major League bullpen this year, because I don't feel he has done it yet. The Phillies hailed his return from the disabled list, but I'm not sold on the added value he offers over any other Minor Leaguer.

Righty Chad Durbin pitched a solid seventh inning, but had to be lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh because the Phillies were rallying.

Tied 6-6 heading into the 8th, lefty J.C. Romero trotted out to the mound. After Romero pitched a scoreless frame, manager Charlie Manuel's stubborn adherence to his self-imposed pitching "rules" took over. Manuel showed last year that he will insist on pitching his setup man in the eighth and his closer in the ninth even if the Phillies do not have the lead. But with an 11-pitcher roster, Charlie had to know he was hemmed in. Despite the prospect of extra innings and despite Romero pitching a scoreless inning, Charlie stuck to his stubborn ways and lifted Romero for interim closer Tom Gordon in the ninth.

Charlie surely didn't play matchups by putting Gordon in. Lastings Milledge, Ryan Zimmerman, and Nick Johnson are all hitless in their careers versus Romero. (Granted, the sample size is small.) I believe the evidence is there that Charlie went to Gordon because that is just how he operates. And he paid for it.

Of course, Gordon gave up five runs in the ninth, and the Phillies could not recover. The fundamental question here is: Should Charlie have gone to Gordon in the ninth? Obviously, I say no. So what should he have done instead?

I believe he should have stayed with Romero for another inning. His only other bullpen option was new acquisition and rookie Tim Lahey, so that didn't seem to be a serviceable option. By keeping Romero in, there would still be two pitchers available for potential extra innings.

(Incidentally, from the moment it was announced, I have thought going with 11 pitchers on the active roster is an inexcusable mistake. Just release Helms already. Eat the money.)

But the bigger problem is that it has become apparent that Tom Gordon cannot be relied on to pitch in high-pressure situations anymore. I take nothing away from his achievements earlier in his career, but there comes a point where everyone loses their abilities. By now, Charlie has to see the writing on the wall. Gordon cannot handle the ninth inning.

I realize that if Romero had pitched the ninth and the game had gone to extra innings, Gordon would have had to come in eventually. But the longer that option can be delayed, the better for this team.

Do you agree? Can Tom Gordon still pitch the ninth inning? What can Charlie do instead? Will Brad Lidge be any better? Is Gordon even capable of being Lidge's setup man? Am I the only one who opposes Charlie's stubborn "rules for pitchers"?

The Other Mike's Question of the Day: More disturbing - Myers' 5th or Gordon's 9th?

Question: In the long run, which single "inning" performance was more disturbing, Myers' 5th or Gordon's 9th?

Let's review:

Myers' 5th Inning
Threw 29 pitches/21 for strikes - seven in play
Faced nine batters: L-4, Single, Single, HBP, SF-9, Walk, Double, E-6, F-4
Result: Four runs (three earned) in one inning

Gordon's 9th Inning
Threw 20 pitches/nine for strikes - four in play
Faced six batters: Infield Single, L-9, Double, Walk, Double
Result: Five runs (all earned) in 1/3 of an inning

See the comment section for my thoughts and hopefully Mike and the two or three other people who read this blog will add their own.

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