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Phillies stuph, part 1

Welcome to the Phillies baseball blog brought to you by Fox Sports 1260.

Some entries here might be thoroughly organized, and based on one topic. Others, today’s for example, will feature details on various Phillies related matters.

To kick things off on the best note possible, don’t expect the Phillies to make the post season this year. In case you missed it, last week the Phillies announced that they were bringing Mike Lieberthal back for one day, so he can retire as a Phillie. Many of you are aware that every season since 1992 that the Phillies did not have Mike Lieberthal on their roster, that won the division title. Sure, it was only 2 years out of 14, but obviously it’s a certainty that Liebey is a jynx. June 1st, the day Lieberthal returns, will be D-Day for the Phightin’ Phils.

Gavin Floyd: Ace Starter?! Twice in under a month, the phormer Phillies top draft pick has flirted with a no hitter for the Chicago White Sox. His strike out to walk ratio (19:18) is not gleaming at all, but a 2.50 ERA and 0.96 WHIP are enough to make Phillies phans cry out “Dubya tee eff?”

Scott Mathieson may need another surgery. The Phillies' pitching prospect, Mathieson, has been out since late 2006, when he got Tommy John surgery. A second surgery was performed in 2007 to clean up the repaired area, and now Mathieson is facing a possible 3rd surgery…a complete re-do of the initial surgery. The Canadian righty was always said to have a high ceiling, so here’s to a better recovery this time around.

Stat to ponder…the Phillies are 12-4 in games that Pat Burrell scores at least one run, this season. Stop pinch running for Burrell…?

Statement to ponder…JD Drew helped the Phillies become the 1st place, defending NL East champs that they are today. Consider this…If JD Drew signed with the Phillies in 1997, after the annual amateur draft, the Phillies likely would not have drafted Pat Burrell the next season and instead select Mark Mulder. With Mark Mulder in the organization, the Phillies likely don’t draft Brett Myers in 1999. And would all of that effect the 1st round selection of Chase Utley in 2000? Potentially…
So, in the end, David Jonathan Drew’s (where the heck did he ever get “JD” from, anyway?) refusal to sign with the Phillies in 1997 helped form the nucleus that won a division title 10 years later.

More to come soon. Thanks for reading.

Comments

Jay Floyd said…
Yo. A couple typos in the first blog entry. My bad. I thought i proof read it.

Of course, when speaking of Drew signing, I meant 1997, not 2007. Terrible. Anyway...take it easy.

-Jay Ballz

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