Moyer Might Need to Consider Hanging Up His Spikes

I've read some sour reports and opinions online today about Jamie Moyer. Most are, more or less, leaning toward Moyer being replaced in the rotation. I'm not for that. The WSBGM guys consider Moyer going the route of Geoff Jenkins and Adam Eaton, as guys who were signed to considerable contracts, and were later cut and owed the full amount. Scott Lauber mentioned it, but simply touched on the idea of Moyer being bumped from the rotation in place of "Jay" Happ. Others are not pushing the emergency button yet and simply discussing Moyer's struggles. I'm not that relaxed either. Todd Zolecki quotes Moyer as not being worried, and Charlie Manuel saying "Our pitching is what it is. We signed those pitchers to pitch. Will I stay with them? Of course I'll stay with them."

In just a couple of weeks, the whole Phillies world will reminisce, when on Friday May, 29th, we look back two decades and remember Mike Schmidt's retirement. Schmidt retired in early 1989, when it became clear to him that he no longer was at the top of his game, and he didn't wish to continue playing if he could no longer play at a high level and give his team and his fans what he felt they deserved. The time may be fast approaching for Jamie Moyer to feel similarly to how Schmidt felt.

Moyer's trouble did not worry me through his first several starts this season. I stated this publicly on an appearance I made on The Shore Sports Report on Fox Sports 1310. On May 1st, headed into the first big series of the season against the Metropolitans, Moyer was 3-1 and had a 5.09 ERA. I stated on that day's show that Moyer was a veteran who knew what he had to do to improve, whether it was to adjust his own mechanics, adjust to the home plate umpire of the night, or set his own mind straight. I spoke of how he was like an extra coach, and how he was the least of my own worries in the Phillies rotation. Boy, has that outlook changed. Since then, in 3 starts, Moyer's ERA is 13.87. That has raised his season ERA to 8.15. Moyer has quickly gone from "guy I was most confident would rectify his high ERA" to "guy most likely to make me scream profanity during a game".

In 1989, it took Mike Schmidt less than 2 months to realize that he no longer had it. With a semi-milestone (550 homers) just ahead of Mike Schmidt, when he left the game, Schmidt said, "I could ask the Phillies to keep me on to add to my statistics, but my love for the game won't let me do that." Moyer may seem to be chasing the carrot that is his 250th win. Moyer is sitting on 249 wins for his career right now. At what point might Jamie's love for the game prevail and force him to realize he may no longer offer Major League skills to the Phillies?

Lidge Shaky, T-Mac Honored in Trenton

TRENTON, NJ- Brad Lidge made his second rehab appearance for the Double A Reading Phillies on Thursday night and it didn't go as well as the veteran reliever or the team had hoped. Lidge struggled with his command and turned in a rather poor outing for the club that entered the night in a playoff race, 1 game behind division rival Trenton for the Wild Card spot in the Eastern Division. On the disabled list since spring training with a strained right rotator cuff, Lidge experienced an elbow strain when he was working back from that issue in late May. In his outing against the Yankees affiliate in Trenton, Lidge displayed difficulty with his control as he threw three wild pitches, hit two batters, walked another and gave up a single, all while letting up two earned runs on 28 pitches in 2/3 of an inning. After the disappointing performance, Lidge was composed and focused on some positive aspects, having reached 89 and 90 MPH on scouts' radar guns, according to some reports. ...

Rappers in Phillies Caps

Weekend greetings to you phine pholks out there. Today's post features pictures of rappers wearing Phillies caps. Why rappers in Phillies caps, you ask? Because... Any other questions? We will start things off properly by going with a highly recognizable hip hop star. 50 Cent stays constantly relavant by consistantly creating radio friendly material to help sell (G) units, while he "keeps it real" by still rapping about the thug life he lived before becoming the 2nd highest earning black entertainer in America. 50 is seen here in a recent interview rocking a throw-back Phillies cap. Next up we'll use a throw-back screen cap from what may be the very first major appearance by a rapper wearing Phillies gear. Chuck D, of legendary rap group Public Enemy, wore a Phillies cap in the music video for rap anthem Fight The Power in 1989. The song was the lead single from the soundtrack for Spike Lee's film Do The Right Thing . Next up we'll go with some home grown tal...

Drabek Preparing For Next Step

The transition has been easy for Kyle Drabek. In December, he was part of a package of young prospects that was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for ace pitcher Roy Halladay. Now, as though nothing has changed, he's right back where he was last season...the star prospect on the pitching staff of a team in the Double A Eastern League. Drabek has often stated that he wanted to stay in the Philadelphia organization, who drafted him in the first round of the 2006 amateur draft. The 22-year-old thought after the midseason trade rumors, that surrounded him possibly going to Toronto last year, passed with no action that all the turmoil was over and that he could simply relax and focus on getting to the big leagues with the Phillies. That wasn't the case, as the deal eventually came to fruition over the off-season. In the Blue Jays system this season, Drabek doesn't have to worry about being dealt. He only has to concern himself with opposing batters and working on his secondary pit...

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