Morning Extras: I'm Tired of the Chase

I'm tired of this. I'm tired of having to come up with some silver lining for the next two and a half weeks. I'm tired of waking up and seeing the Mets boxscore and wondering if it's even possible to catch a team that has gotten better after each pitcher goes down for the season.

I'm tired of the Chase. I'm tired of chasing the Mets. I'm tired of chasing the Brewers, begging for a four-game sweep this weekend to maybe get into the Wild Card. I'm tired of chasing anyone. This should be a first-place team. That's what we were promised.

This team came into the season – faults and all – as a legitimate contender for the World Series. They boasted the best on-paper offense of any team in the league, playing half their games in a bandbox to boot. They had a revitalized pitching staff with one of the top closers in the game (now healthy) and Big Brett Myers solidifying the rotation that surely needed some solidifying.

The television commercials and ticket brochures had us gearing up for the best season in 28 years. This team had everything. Except, as it seems, leadership.

That's why I'm tired of Chase. You read that right.

I never thought the Phillies should have resigned Aaron Rowand for as much as he was asking. But man if his absence isn't glaring right now. This team has no leadership on the field. We're not in the clubhouse. We don't know which guy takes his bat and slams it into lockers after losses. We don't know how hard each player takes failure. We can't know how much they hate to lose inside.

But it seems to me that nobody wants to be a leader on this team. Jimmy Rollins is a soundbite and this year can't back it up. Ryan Howard only cares about money. So does Cole Hamels. Brett Myers is just happy to be in the majors. Jamie Moyer is just happy to get through six innings without his prostate exploding on the mound. Pat Burrell is just happy to get at-bats.

That leaves one man to lead this team: Chase Utley.

Chase Utley sucks this year. Before you fire off a scathing comment, let me say that he sucks based what we expected of Chase Utley. Like it or not, he is held to a higher standard than the rest. This was his year to be MVP. This was his chance to prove he's the leader of a playoff team. He's been a good player on a good team for a few years now. This was his chance to prove that he's a great player, and this is his team.

Utley is batting .289 with 93 RBI and slugging .535. Last season, he played in 12 fewer games than he has thus far this season and he finished with 103 RBI while slugging .566 and batting .332. And THIS was supposed to be his MVP season. Look at his splits this season. (Note: yesterday's game is not reflected, so I've updated the numbers below).

He's batting .283 in the second half with six home runs and 24 RBI in 50 games. He's batting .218 in the month of September in a pennant race. In wins, he's batting .333 with 64 RBI. In losses, he's hitting just .231 with 29 RBI. As Chase goes, so go the Phils.

Here are the interesting numbers. Utley is batting .261 with RISP with 61 RBI in 194 plate appearances. With at least two men on, Utley has just 13 hits and seven walks in 83 trips to the plate. With runners at second and third, meaning that in most cases any base hit will score two runs, Utley is 1-for-7 with one home run, four RBI and six walks, five intentional. Oh, and he was hit once. With the bases loaded, Utley is 3-for-12 with five RBI and ZERO extra base hits.

His clutch stats are interesting as well. When the margin is more than four runs, Utley is batting .350. He's hitting .281 when it's four, .279 when its three, .273 when the lead is two for either team and .252 in one-run games. When it's considered "late and close" he's hitting just .233 with 12 RBI in 90 AB. He's also batting just .206 against the Mets, while hitting well over .300 against the rest of the division.

These are not leadership numbers. And Chase, show us that you care. And no, I don't mean about puppies. Show us that you care about winning. Show us that you're frustrated with your lack of success in big spots. Throw your helmet once, yell at an umpire for a questionable strikeout call, break a bat over your knee. Do something other than snap your gum, hit a pop up or little dribbler to the right side, put your head down in shame and trot to first.

Show us you're alive. Show us you're a leader. We care so much about this team. We just wish you cared enough to show us you do too.

BASEBALL LINKS:
• The Brewers won, and coming in to CBP four games up on the Phils. Oh, and Houston is now tied with Philly. Great.

• Says Jose Reyes, "This is our year." Way to go out on a limb there, Jose. It's September and you're 3.5 games up.

• Sam Donnellon blames the entire offense. And Ruben Amaro. And the pitching staff. And he's right.

• JC Romero and Chad Durbin are fried, so says Rich Hoffmann.

FOOTBALL LINKS:
• What would the Eagles look like if Terrell Owens was still in green. Ashley Fox revisits that thought leading up to the Dallas game this weekend.

• We can't stop focusing on Five. But according to Yahoo!'s Roy S. Johnson, Donovan McNabb is invisible to the rest of the fans in the NFL. And that's just fine.

• The Washington Post's NFL blog The League poses the question, "How much of a distraction are celebrity girlfriends?"

• Also at The League, they have a new feature once a week called Playback, where they take a look at one announce team from soup to nuts. This week, Lindsay Applebaum takes a look at Kenny, Moose and Goose.

MISC. LINKS:
• The Sports Hernia take a hilarious shot at the Sports Guy mailbag. Really funny questions that may or may not have gotten in.

• Is anyone looking for a place to live in Manayunk? Have I got the place for you. Well, it's not mine, but it's nice, and you should look into renting it. Now!

• Last, today is September 11th. I'll be at the Rutgers/UNC game so if you see me on the sidelines say hello. But, like all of you, my a piece of my heart will be with those who were lost seven years (wow, seven years) ago. Rather than go morbid, the link is more photographic. A look at some older photos of the city with the towers in the back then...and now.

Enjoy some time with your family and friends today, and remember, no matter how mad we get about the Phillies or Chase Utley or Charlie Manuel...it's a game. And as much as we hate it sometimes, we'll always love it.

Comments

[Dave]

Finally someone has come out and said what I've been wanting to say since the beginning of June when this team started to underachieve. And that said part is...everybody is realizing this now, unlike me who realized this four weeks ago. Everyone has been saying how the Mets are going to crumble and I have been saying, prove it...beat them, which they have not done this year (minus the last series).

At the beginning of the year, Rollins was my favorite player. Now, I refuse to have a picture of him posted on my college dorm wall. I can't stand Utley because he shows no life. Ryan Howard for the money he gets paid strikes out too much during clutch situations...or maybe any situation. Forget his production numbers...some stat guru pull me up a stat on how many times he has struck out in key game situations that either mean a win or loss. Pat Burrell has gone into his Pat-Rut again so he is off my good list right now. To tell you the truth...the only players I can get excited for on this team right now are the role players-Greg Dobbs and Jayson Werth-guys who have been coming up with the clutch hits-guys who Harry Kalas go crazy for when they hit homeruns.

And as far as the pitchers go, Jamie Moyer has been awesome this season and the Phils better keep him around until his arm falls off. Cole Hamels has been good, but he hasn't gotten run support and this last outing really has me disappointed. Give Brett Myers credit. He got his stuff together minus the last start. Kyle Kendrick is losing it and as far as a fifth starter goes, the Phils don't have one.

The bullpen---well lets just say it doesn't matter what they did earlier...they're screwing up now and it is costing them A PLAYOFF BERTH!!!!!!

But my biggest complaint...one that I hoped is addressed over the off-season...becasue the off-season (unless they start playing ball) will be here in a couple of weeks...is the coaching staff. Just look at the Mets-they got rid of Randolph..brought in a no bull shit manager...and look at the result. Charlie has lost this team and it is evident by the lack of production and certain players outbursts (a la Rollins and Myers). They need a new hitting Coach. I love Milt Thompson...but this lineup has no business having one guy who hits over .300. Other than that, everyone else has been alright. But, if you are going to get rid of one...you might as well get rid of them all. Its time to clean house in the coaching department. They have no business not making the playoffs and thus 2008 is a disappointing season up to this point...but there are still 16 games left...PROVE ME WRONG PHILS!

[Joe in Haddonfield]

It would be nice to see Chase show he has a pulse. It won't help the team win. But it will help us feel better.

Three words for the Phillies' season:

Revert to norm.

Most of these players are hitting their historic performance numbers after elevated numbers last season.

They are not coached or managed well enough to maintain an elevated performance.

Good-bye 2008.

[MoreGuchi]

I've been in the clubhouse. This year. And there's nobody on that team who will slam a bat after a loss. I'm not saying none of them care, but I'm saying none of them goes Bowa on some metal. They're all "too cool" for that. I have a hard time with you dissing Chase, because it's not necessarily his place to bang shiznit around. But I get your point. This team needs somebody to give enough of a crap. This team needs somebody to represent us. Right now, I'm pretty sure that person doesn't suit up for the Phils...

[Michael C]

Dan, I basically agree. Last season, Rollins and Burrell carried the team through august until Utley came off the DL and Howard got hot. This year, no one is stepping up. Sure, Werth and Dobbs and Vic (on and off) step up here and there, but they aren't getting paid the big bucks. I hate to say it, bu I agree, this team misses Rowand.

Dave, I agree with a lot of what you said, but were you hating on Charlie this much last year when they team played great down the stretch? Difference b/t Mets and Phils- the Mets NEVER played hard for Randolph. charlie absolutely has a track record of this team playing hard for him, both last season and the year before. The fact is that this year, other then Werth, there is not one player on the offense performing to their expected numbers, let alone outperforming them. Utley, Rollins, Howard, Burrell, Feliz- all of them could and should be hitting better. If you want to blame Milt, I can't really argue with you. Something tells me its not all him, but I certainly wouldn't argue with firing him.

And Jerry Manuel is not a no bs manager; if anything, he is more laid back then Randolph was.

As for Chase Utley, I agree that he has not been the player we expect of him this year. I don't know how much is this hip injury, how much is pressure he is putting on himself, how much is teams pitching around him more because they know how to get Howard and Burrell out... But I am tired of people hating on him for 'not showing life' Anyone who watches him bust his ass on every play, break up double plays, get hit by another pitch, whatever, and doesn't think he cares is nuts. It is bullshit that if a player doesn't scream and yell he doesn't care. That attitude drove Scott Rolen out of town. I used to have a friend with seats on the third base, and we would go and just watch him all game. Anyone who didn't think he cared, just cause he didn't throw a tantrum, was a moron. And Utley is the same way, but an even better player. Is Chase having a good year? Hell no. But it isn't because he doesn't throw his helmet

[Dave]

I am in my News Reporting and Writing I Class right now and there is a Mets fan in it. He is currently wearing a San Diego Padres hat...just goes to show that Mets fans are half ass fans! I would never sport any other teams cap other than the Phillies. It is ridiculous that we are subjected to failure while these fuckers are going to win the division. Oh and did I mention, that my school is in Ithaca, NEW YORK!!!! Once the season is over, I am going to get so much shit from Mets fans b/c we didn't win the division...CMON PHILS SHOW SOME LIFE LIKE YOU'RE "FRONT-RUNNING" FANS DO AND BEAT THESE ASSHOLS!!!!!!!!!!

[Dave]

Mike, I know Utley busts his ass, more so than any other player on this team. But the problem I have with him is that he is too "cool" and too "quiet". It would be nice for him to show a litte more emotion than he does. And...wasn't Jerry Manuel the one who stood up to Jose Reyes and called himself a "gangster". Manuel runs a tight ship over there in NY. His players play with so much urgency and the Phils have none. Maybe he is not as hard ass as I thought...but he has better control of his team than Charlie. Last season is last season. This season, Charlie has no control of this team.

[TC]

Helluva post. I couldn't agree more, nor could I have said it any better. Hamels and Howard always seemed to me as if they have one foot out the door. Hamels has not looked like an ace this year (a very solid #2 though) and Howard, well his strikeouts speak for themselves. Hindsight is 20/20 of course, but why didn't the Phils go all out and grab Sabathia? Looks at his stats since joining the Brew crew. That is a true ace. I mean, the Phils don't even deserve to be in the playoffs... They dropped 2 out of 3 to Washington last week! This team is a joke.

[Tartan69]

Yet again the true people that should be held accountable go unblamed: the owners. They stand to make $25 million in profit this year, which is UNHEARD OF in professional sports (save for the NFL). Yet they continue to make personnel moves on the cheap...serving us hamburger and telling us it's filet mignon. And we, "frontrunners" that we are, keep buying tickets. Well, no more.

[Tartan69]

TC - The Sabathia move is one that I won't blame the Phillies on. We just didn't have the package of prospects to offer Cleveland that the Brewers did. There was no way we were getting him. That being said, you can blame them for the non-existent farm system and lack of packable prospects I guess.

They HAVE to go out and sign a true #1 starter in the offseason, however (be it CC or someone else of that caliber).

[Sponge-Worthy]

here what happened this year.

Jimmy got hurt, and hasn't been the same the whole year.

Chase was real hot, then cooled off and has seemingly been hitting like 260 since june.

Pitching never came together, although the bullpen has been the best part of the team all year (66-0 when leading after the 8th)

Ryan Howard hit 240 this year, his power numbers have been there but hes missing at least 20 pts on his avg. thats so many hits he didn't get, so many runs burrell could have drove in.

oh yeah, and they coughed up a 5 game lead in july.

[Not a fan of five]

so basically this team needs Jeff Garcia.

[chris]

i miss enrico

[DLo34]

Baseball Strategist Reaction:

I agree with your post to some extent. Chase Utley this year has not hit like he has in his past. However I believe his numbers are down because he is not getting great pitches to hit. Everyone in the league now knows and is exposing every weakness in Ryan Howard's swing. As a result, no one is pitching to Chase. This was why I was such an advocate for trading for Holliday, because Holliday can hit .320 in any lineup regardless of who is behind him. One hitter with a high BA is exactly what this team needs, especially to protect Utley.

Stats Reaction:

With that said, I believe someone needs to point out that Howard still has 40+ and 120+ while Chase is 30+ and 90+. People are ready to trade/chastise/hate on Howard while at the same time his production is better than Chase Utley's.

Social Commentary Reaction:

Lastly and I am sure that not many will agree with it, but it should be stated. I do not believe it to be a coincidence that it's Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard taking the brunt of the blame for this season in the media, while the Golden Boy Chase Utley goes absolutely unscathed.

[theKrisheim]

i dont think chase is the sole culprit in their struggles, but for the longest time a friend has been saying to me...

chase utley = brady anderson

anyway, agreed on the "this was supposed to be the year" hype, and the scary thing is that outside of rollins injury, this team was pretty injury free, a key ingredient to any sort of WS run

who knows what the next three weeks will bring and maybe we'll not only have a new GM next year, but a new manager

[Mr. Bryan]

GUYS, YOU CAN RESERVE YOUR PHILS PLAYOFF TICKETS NOW!!! Fuck you, front office. Wake up and realize that sellouts do not equal success. This team has lost it's fire. Thank God it's Eagles season.

[Michael C]

Tartan- couldn't agree more about the owners. I don't ever expect the Phils to be among the top 6 spending teams (perenially the NYY, NYM, Bos, LAA, LAD, ChiC) but they need to bump the payroll 5-10 mil. You can not afford to essentially waste 20% of your payroll: Eaton 8M, Jenkins 6M, Thome 7M.

@DLo- I don't think Chase is escaping unscathed here, but it is an interesting point. I think the point in his favor is that he is perceived as playing hard every time out. Totally agree with you about Holliday- this team needs someone who makes a lot of contact, and hits for avg. I know it is fashionable to diss avg for OBP, but it does matter. As for Utley vs Howard production wise, there are clearly different expectations from a 1B vs a 2B, and from Howard vs Utley.

Howard's problem this year has really been a lack of an eye- he is on pace for, last I checked, 30 fewer walks then last year. Deduct those AB's, and his avg would be almost .260. And I would assume that a lot of those ABs have turned into K's. And if he was swinging at less, teams would have to throw him more to hit, and the avg might be even higher .... etc etc.

Dave- East Hill or South Hill???

[Michael C]

The Phillies, if there current attendance rates continue, and I assume they will pretty much sell out every game from here on out, will have drawn almost 350,000 more fans than last season. I don't know the average ticket price, but between tickets and concessions, that should be enough to buy us good #2 SP.

[Joe]

I love Chase … but I couldn't agree with you more. The man is floundering, and so the Phils are too.

[Chris]

Once again, can someone tell me why Rich Dubee is still our pitching coach?

[JimMc]

I traded away Chase in fantasy baseball a month ago for Placido Polanco -- and it got vetoed, with everyone saying it was titled in the other guy's favor. So I got Vlad Guerrero, too. Chase started out great, but has been average the rest of the way.

Rowand is sorely missed.

[Civil Negligence]

It is not the front office when the team, on paper, at the beginning of the season is projected to do great things. I think it is a lack of fire in the belly, as Dan points out here--and it is not only Chase, but Burrell, Rollins and Howard. The latter 3 don't have to be leaders to make sure this team is firing on all cylinders. These guys just don't want it.

[Matt P]

I'm disappointed in Chase's dramatic fall-off, but not really in his attitude. He's never been that guy. Some guys are the firecrackers, some aren't, and there's no faking the in between. I still think he "cares" as much as anyone though. And there's no one I'd rather have at 2B, not by a long shot.

Management didn't have a great opportunity to replace Rowand in the off-season in terms of productivity, but I agree they needed to add someone with his mentality. That's hard to find, but we all knew this team was lacking it to start the season outside of J-Roll, and when he started struggling as a lead-off man, difficulties being a leader probably followed. It's also very possible we're overstating the leadership/mentality thing. The Mets suffered a beautiful collapse last year, and began this season with everyone questioning their heart. Through no significant mid-season on-field additions, they have somehow turned that all around. Is Jerry Manuel that good? I doubt it. But the management question bears asking. Why aren't the Phillies playing for their manager, the way they did last season?

I love reading some number crunching, but I'm not entirely sold on close-and-late versus big-lead stats as a primary determinant of a player being clutch. When a team has a 4-run lead, there's a decent chance facing a shitty pitcher or a decent one who is having a bad day. That alone can inflate stats. If it's close, they may be facing a top of the rotation guy for 7-8 innings. Chase's numbers against an elite closer late are likely going to differ from those against a mop-up guy.

Maybe, maybe not, but I think we can all agree that in just watching the games, this team has not hit well in the clutch. Still, those numbers are pretty disheartening.

[twig]

I am of the opinion that if we're not going for it all then blow it up and start fresh. Let Burrell walk and spend the money on a true #1 pitcher(preferably a lefty). Trade Howard and Jimmy while they're still worth a lot for top tier prospects and possibly a slightly-above-average outfielder or passable bench player. Use the Howard/Jimmy money to sign Hammels long term as our solid #2 starter. Put Happ in the rotation, to find out if he'll work in the majors, with Carrasco waiting in AAA should Happ fail. Kendrick back in the minors until he figures out how to be a true "pitch-to-contact" pitcher, if he ever figures it out, and to develop a changeup or some other off-speed pitch. Sign Moyer to a 1 year extension with a mutual option for a 2nd year. This gives us a rotation of:
Sabathia/Harden/other big-time pitcher
Hamels
Meyers(hopefully post-AS break)
Moyer
Happ/Carrasco/Kendrick?

Get rid of Ruiz, bring up Marson, keep Coste as a backup and to provide Marson with guidance. Move Utley to first, resign Iguchi at second, Jason Donald at SS. Get rid of Bruntlett, Taguchi and Jenkins. Bring up Golson to be a bench player/4th or 5th outfielder. Sign a free-agent outfielder with decent power numbers if one can't be acquired threw previously mentioned trades. New starting lineup/batting order:

Victorino CF
Donald SS
Utley 1B
LF with power numbers
Werth RF
Feliz/Dobbs 3b
Marson C
Iguchi 2B
Pitcher

This whole scheme will give us a year without playoff expectations, but will allow our youngsters to gain a lot of big league experience and rebuild for a big push in the years that follow, and redevelop our farm system to the point that when trades do need to be made, we have the chips to deal. Its also possible that our pitching carries us far enough in the first year that we're still in contention when all the young guys finally hit there big league stride, giving us enough to make a playoff push. Additionally, the day Moyer decides to retire, Amaro should be waiting just out of camera view at the press conference with a pitching coach contract in one hand and Dubee's pink slip in the other.
I'd rather have one year of no hope then 4 or 5 more years of false hope.

[PhiPhan5648]

AMEN Dan... AMEN.

[Kulp]

I'm tired of the payroll argument. Among NL teams, only the Mets, Cubs, and Dodgers have significantly higher payrolls. Meanwhile, the three teams with the lowest payrolls in baseball are the A's, Marlins, and Rays. Money is not the problem.

This team simply is not that good. I felt they had an outside chance at winning the World Series when the season started, but that notion was built on the idea that they had a great offense. They do not.

Rollins last year was an aberration. This season is closer to the norm. Once Victorino started to have the clearly better season, Jimmy should have been moved down in the order. Howard has been unacceptable; you can talk about "production" all you want, but realistically he was not all that very productive when he was hitting below .200 until almost June.

What would I do to fix it? I'd go into a slight stage of rebuilding. Let Burrell walk and pick up two draft picks. If there is a fair offer, trade Howard for three or four prospects, some of whom may be able to help as early as next season. Give Carrasco a shot in the bigs, and consider fast tracking Marson to the #2 catcher spot behind Ruiz, a guy he could probably beat out before the end of the season. If they can add a quality free agent or two in 2010, they should be competitive again.

Besides Burrell leaving, none of that is likely to happen, because people are convinced this team is close. I don't see it. Everybody wanted to trade the farm for Holliday, but I don't get it. This team could make the playoffs, sure, but win a World Series? They don't have it in 'em.

[Michael C]

The team at the beginning of the year was predicted to compete, but have holes. I don't know anyone who thought this was a surefire pennant winner.

This team has the chance, in the next 16 games, to show its heart, or lack thereof. ending with 12 against the Braves, Marlins, and Nats gives them the chance to make up ground against both Mets, who have 4 against the cubs the last week, and brewers, who have 6 with chicago. It is up to them. 12-4 gets them in, i think, anything else will be close but no cigar.

[Rick]

Too many key batters going oh-fers' this season and now that common feeling of non-production during those times has carried along to this present situation. Might as well start thinking that old Phillies team addage, "Wait 'till next year." Maybe one of the other teams will at least take this sour taste away???

[Bob]

It's just been a crazy season. Who would have thought that the New York Mets would show more heart and fire than the Fightin Phils, the same group that overcome a 7 game deficit with 17 to play last season? This is not over by any stretch, but the lack of urgency as a team drives me nuts.

I will not knock Utley for the way he plays, this is why he is getting a "free pass" from most fans and the media. Yes the numbers are down, but how many games has he saved for us by making a great catch or busting his ass down the line to prevent a double play? He needs to hit better, but he is not culprit #1. The rest of this lineup needs to hit better to help Utley get going. Without #26, we are long out of this race-despite his stuggles.

I am not conceding this thing (it's not the Philly way) but they better find whatever the hell they need and get it NOW. 13 out of 16, no less than that. This team can do this, we have seen this before. There is no more "we will get 'em tomorrow".

[Michael C]

Kulp- agreed the payroll isn't the problem; spending 20% of it on guys who aren't playing for you is(Eaton, Jenkins, and Thome. oh, and 2M for Wes Helms). Teams win with a low payroll when they spend smart. Gillick has not done that.

Interesting that a lot of people are willing to trade Howard. I have tossed this out there to friends as well. Both the Giants and Dodgers seem willing to spend money and could use the power. What about a package fronted by either Cain or Billingsley? am I dreaming? Not sure about trading Rollins, twig, but i like your other moves.

One other move I would make; bulldoze the first 3 rows of seats in L and move the fence back 5-10 ft and make it higher too...

[Nick B.]

Things can change fast. I was at the ball park last year when they clinched, it was an unbelievable feeling I'll never forget and worth holding out hope for it again.

[MG]

If it turns out that Utley has been playing on grits and guts with a bad hip for the past 2-3 months, does that totally change the nature of this post?

Oh and if anyone is stupid/crazy enough to suggest the Phils could have replaced even Utley's 2nd half production are nuts. With whom? Punchless Bruntlett or a complete worth of a dice on a guy like Donald during a pennant chase?

[Kulp]

I would trade Howard, but only to the AL. Can't be looking down the barrel of that bat 8 or 9 games every year...

It's not that I am dying to get rid of him, but the reality is that he is almost 30 already, and although he is going to keep hitting home runs at an alarming rate (for now), he is much too inconsistent to rely on in an NL lineup. If he's here, great, but I lean toward a trade if there is a market.

Also, I have not counted the team out either, but even if they make the playoffs, I don't like their chances.

[Aye007]

why is utley the culprit??? hes put nice stats...blame ryan howard for being majorly overrated, he did not deserve the MVP when he won it...and jimmy rollins...what the hell has he done this year, mr mvp, except run his mouth?? he stepped it up lately, but kinda a little too late dont you think?
and then your rotation has not been lights out either...and the phillies have only themselves to blame..the difference is they could not beat the mets this year, they have a losing record against them, while last year, the mets were lucky to win one game...if the phils could beat the mets, they would actually be in first place
i think its uncalled for to put the blame on a young superstar whos only going to get better....he aint no jeff francouer thats for sure.

[will]

the season will be over september 28th. dont blow your load yet. strange year=strange outcomes.

[Gaze]

http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/65850

One less piece of ammo for Mets fans...

[Mike]

Wow, you Phillie fans are really precious. Your team has barely been in contention for two seasons, and already you're "tired" of rooting for a team that has real potential. It's now obvious that your "soundbite" man Rollins was on-point in his critique of his fan base. What's more, you enjoy a reputation as being the most obnoxious, uneducated, and downright vile fans in the whole nation. So let the wins go to the other teams with fans who actually have "heart."

[will]

mike youre talkin about 10 angry fans among millions. nice sample size--disgruntled fans venting with eachother on a local/remote website. where was the mud slinging at the end of last september? I understand its only natural to be bold while you're ahead. you are a courageous man.

[river327]

Twig's post was great, but if they put Amaro, jr. is the new GM, it'll never happen. Sad to say...

[D.Smith]

Dont worry...wipe those tears...and face the facts even IF you did beat us and take over first place and go on to the playoffs..you guys are a weak minded team who got happy to JUST make it to the playoffs...hence the first round sweep...so why go? I mean really...

At the end of the day...last yr was a fluke...you are good at producing mvp players but dont have what it takes to put it all together and make a real run...

Granted the Mets dont make it to the playoffs alllll the time...but when we do...we represent

So stop whining and suck it up...this shouldnt be that big of a shocker...

D.Smith

http://andthisismyamerica.com/

[DLo34]

@Aye007

How about a reality check?

1. "Nice stats"? If we are going to talk about "nice stats" Howard's 42 HR's and 120+ RBI's are "nicer" (Nicer = Leads ALL OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IN BOTH CATEGORIES).

2. The Phils are 3rd in the NL in ERA. Last year they were 24th in the Majors, now they are 8th in the Majors. They are actually much more "lights out" than last year there chief.

3. Your "young superstar who is only going to get better" may have 9 more HR's this year, but his AVG is down 43 points. That doesn't seem like getting better.

4. Is Dan Uggla a "young superstar" too?

Chase Utley 31 HR 93 RBI .289
Dan Uggla 30 HR 84 RBI .262

5. And in your crystal ball which says that Utley "is only getting better," how come Ryan Howard doesn't have that potential in your fantasyland?

Albert Pujols

1st full season: 37, 130, .329
2nd full season: 34, 127, .314
3rd full season: 43, 124, .359

Ryan Howard

1st full season: 58, 149, .313
2nd full season: 47, 136, .268
3rd full season: 42, 126, .241 (not over)

If it's just batting average, your definition of "superstar" is pretty warped. Howard is the only player on this team to have come close to superstar status.

[Mike]

I've been an Orioles fan for 30 years, buddy, and visit Philly often, so I know about your Phillie fans, your Flyer fans, and, bless your souls, your Eagles fans. I'm not talking about 10 fans, I'm talking about your sports fan culture, which is Neanderthal, and everyone knows it. But hey, I know a mirror can be alarming sometimes, especially in the morning after a tough night.

[Dan Levy]

"Granted the Mets dont make it to the playoffs alllll the time...but when we do...we represent"

The Mets just announced that commenter D. Smith will be closing for the team the rest of the way. He represents.

[Mike H.]

I checked out the "Sports Guy" link. Absolutely hilarious. Worth five minutes of your time. I do have one correction to it. One of the letters said "Should I be concerned that I masturbate to the Karate Kid on a nightly basis and have created a Fathead of you that sticks to the wall above my bed?" Clearly, the Fathead would be above the bed on the ceiling, not on the wall.

We will always love baseball. However, Dave Montgomery put himself out there and now he has lost trust. That means this year's profits are going to have to go NOT to a #2 pitcher, but to cover next year's losses. I look at the Angels, who have now won 4 division titles in the last 5 years, and have a good Philly guy in Mike Scioscia at the helm, and start to compare. They are LIGHT YEARS ahead of the Phillies.

[meech.one]

Front-runners.

[Argive]

@Mike:

You have no idea what you are talking about. You see some fans grumbling about a team that has let them down in a year where they were supposed to go the distance (hell, Rollins predicted that they would win 100 games). How many Met fans grumbled when the Phils pulled off that comeback 8-7 win?

We may complain, we may bitch and moan. But at the end of the day, we support this team. End of story. And considering the number of losing seasons, I think that says something about our dedication. We are not abandoning the Phils. We are telling them that we think they may lose, and that they should prove us wrong.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've run out of toilet paper, so I have to go use my honors B.A. instead. Gotta live up to the "reputation."

[Kulp]

DLo, I don't think Ryan Howard's stats are any nicer at all. You know what else he leads the majors in? Oh yeah, strike outs.

If your argument is Howard is a better player than Utley, that's a joke to me. Is he capable of having a better season? Sure, I think he proved that two years ago. Has he gone out there everyday and shown any evidence that he can consistently do that? Not at all.

Sure, he is going to hit a home run every time his bat even so much as touches the ball, so he leads the league every year. Big deal. If you think Howard is having a good season just because he has the most home runs, I think that is also a warped perspective.

Chase Utley is not having his best season, but I would rather have a guy who is an all around great player, a hard worker with no glaring weaknesses, than have someone in my lineup whose only contribution to the team is home runs. Don't get me wrong, I like Howard, but just as much as you say average isn't the only important stat, neither are power numbers.

[Dave]

Michael C.-South Hill. y u ask?

[Mike]

Ooh, a Bachelor of the Arts. I'm so impressed that I'll shut up.

[Steve Indonesia]

You weren't "promised" anything. Jimmy Rollins ran his midget mouth cause he was high off his MVP award and probably whatever else you guys smoke in that crappy city of yours. You'd think as the biggest losers in professional sports, you'd be used to sucking by now.

[twig]

@ Michael C

The only problem I have with trading Rollins is losing his defense. He's a piss poor lead off hitter, and his speed on the base paths is only good when he gets on. I say trade him now, while his value is still high and we can rebuild the farm system and free up a lot of payroll.