Oh, (insert expletive)!

By now you have heard the terrible news of Chase Utley's injured hip that will require surgery and a 4-6 month recovery period. Most of us speculated that Chutley was playing hurt, because his numbers began to drop, but I doubt many us of suspected he was playing this hurt. The dude is one gutsy s.o.b. and the fact that he still played at a level higher than any other secondbaseman in the game while being substantially hindered by a bad hip cements his place with the best Phillies of all-time. Remember that heads up play he made in Game 5.5 of the World Series to nail Jason Bartlett at homeplate? I'll never forget!

What does this mean for the team? According to GM Ruben Amaro, the surgery will be exploratory as doctors do not know the full extent of his injury. While under the knife they will repair any bone and cartilage damage. The less wrong, the quicker Utley is back rehabbing and on the field. Best case scenario, he's back sometime in April; worst case, he's out the first few months of the season and doesn't take the playing field until June. Even when he returns he'll likely be rusty from missing spring training, and slowed by the hip. In fact...take a deep breath...he may never be the same player again. We've become accustomed to watching him go balls-out every game all game, and I'm sure his demeanor won't change, but the hip could keep him from playing at the level he has the past 3 seasons. Lets not get ahead of ourselves though. Short term solution- Eric Bruntlett and Jason Donald split time at secondbase. Bruntlett has no bat, but can field. Donald has no MLB experience, but has hit a ton in the minors, but hasn't played much secondbase. Look for Rube to sign a relatively cheap utility infielder as an insurance plan. *Jerry Hairston Jr., rumored to be on the Phils radar as a righthanded batting outfielder, has played a lot of secondbase in the past.
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More News:
*Pedro Feliz will also be having surgery to fix his broken back. Okay, it's not really broken, more like bulging discs or something, but you get the point. He spent time on the DL last season because of the injury, but came back and helped the Phils win the World Series with a clutch hit and some fine fielding. I'm not a big fan of his because he's an all-around out-making machine, but he is an important part of the team's plan for next season, so I hope for a speedy and full recovery for Pete Happy.

*Mr. Toolsy, that's former 1st round pick Greg Golson, has been swapped for another 1st round pick. Amaro got his trading feet wet by exchanging minor leaguers, as huge disappoint Golson was sent to the Texas Rangers for John Mayberry Jr.. Mayberry has power potential, but his minor league line has been mediocre over 4 seasons- 105 dbl, 82 hr, 275 r, 257 rbi, 42 sb, .255 avg, .802 OPS. He is big, 6'6" 230 lbs, plays outfield while batting righthanded, and is the son of former player John Mayberry who was in the Majors from 1968-1982 smacking 255 homeruns. I could care less that Golson is gone, I just hope Mayberry isn't Rube's solution in the outfield. *Both Amaro and young Mayberry went to Stanford.











*Upon further review, it has been decided that Mayberry Jr. looks a lot like a young Chris Rock. Rock is funny, but he can't hit a fastball.

~Carson

Q&A- Eric Valent

Kicking off the offseason interview series is former Phillies 1st round pick Eric Valent, who was nice enough to do a Q&A session via email with WSBGM's. Valent was selected with the 42nd pick of 1998 amateur draft out of UCLA (Pat Burrell was selected 1st overall). He made his MLB debut in 2001 with the Phils and also saw action with them in 2002 before being traded to Cincinatti for Kelly Stinnett. He spent 2003 with the Reds then was drafted by the Mets in the minor league portion of the Rule V draft and went on to play with them from 2004-2005. He signed with the San Diego Padres in 2006, but was later released. Eric spent 2007 playing Japanese ball for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. In 2008 he become a minor league coach for the Williamsport Cross Cutters. Career line- 205 g, 50 r, 95 h, 20 dbl, 13 hr, 37 rbi, .234 avg, and a .696 ops.

1. Describe the feeling of being selected in the 1st round of the 1998 draft after passing up the Tigers in 1995 in the 26th round.
Coming out of high school, I pretty much knew I was going to college unless I was taken in the first or second round. Out of high school, I was projected to go in the fourth or fifth round if I was signable. Instead, I took my scholarship to UCLA and I knew that was the right approach to take both academically and financially in the long run. It was a great feeling getting a call from the Phillies and being taken in the supplemental first round. All the hard work from when I was a kid, and up until then paid off.

2. Growing up, which team did you follow and who was your favorite player?
My favorite team was the Yankees and Angels. Growing up in Anaheim, CA, the Angels were my hometown team. I was a Yankees fan because my dad was born in NY and my grandfather gave me a Yankee hat when I was like 6 years old and I wore it all the time. Don Mattingly became my favorite player and I used to read the box scores of him every morning before school. I collected his cards and everything else. When I was with the Mets in '04, I met him during interleague in the batting cages at Yankee Stadium. He signed one of my bats for me. It was pretty neat. He was somebody I admired because he seemed to work hard and he wasn't a big guy either.

3. Out of all your college teammates at UCLA, (Troy Glaus, Eric Byrnes, Chase Utley, Garrett Atkins, and of course yourself), who was the most talented back then?
I'll give you my take on all of them because they all have special qualities. During college, Troy Glaus had the most raw talent because of his size and athleticism. Eric Byrnes is a tremendous athlete with natural strength and hand-eye coordination. He's also the most upbeat and positive player I've ever been around. Chase had a great swing from the day he arrived and the work ethic to go with it. He gradually got better, year in and year out, and still works just as hard today. Garrett was the best pure hitter I've seen walk on to a college campus and hit from day one. As a freshman he had a 33 game hitting streak and hit .380 in the conference. That was great competition as well against teams such as Stanford, Arizona State, and USC. For myself, I had great power and was pretty savvy in the field as well. I wasn't that great of a hitter because my career average was around .340, which isn't that high in college. But, my power was really good and I never missed a pitcher's mistake.

4. What have you been up to lately baseball-wise?
I now coach in the Phillies minor leagues and will be going on my second year. In the offseason, I run hitting camps for young players and also do individual and team hitting camps. I teach players about the things I wish I would have done better to become more successful. I keep it simple with them and tell them things that I really didn't realize until the end.

5. Describe what the Phillies did for you and other alumni during the 2008 playoffs.
The Phillies invited every full time employee and guest to Philadelphia for games 3,4,5. It was great. We stayed in New Jersey. We did some sightseeing during the day, game at night, and then an after party after every game. It was nice to see everybody and watch the Phillies players live out their dreams on the field.

6. Which was the bigger thrill- playing in the College World Series in 1997, or winning the 2008 World Series as a Phillies minor league coach?
We didn't win the College World Series. We lost the first two games and were eliminated. It was an awesome experience though because that was something I wanted to experience as a college player and was fortunate to do so. The outcome wasn't successful, but the experience was something I'll never forget. As a coach, it's just nice to be a part of a great organization and see their hard work payoff. When I was drafted in 1998 by the Phillies, that's when they started to really work on getting to where they are at now. It shows that the process has paid off and the Phillies have been a competitive club for the last 4 years or so.

7. Aside from your debut (vs. BoSox on June 8, 2001), what was you most memorable MLB game?
Definitely hitting for the cycle with the Mets in 2004. It took some luck and it will be nice to share that with my kids as they get older.

8. Compare American and Japanese baseball.
Night and day. I'll just hit on a couple things. In Japan, you hit batting practice and take infield before every game no matter what. If the teams can't take infield before the game on the field, the game will be canceled. Not once, will a team ever not take infield before a game. Also, the games can end in a tie at 12 innings as well. Japan is stuck in some old traditions and they are losing some fan base. The best players keep migrating to the U.S. and the game needs some tinkering to keep the fan base strong. Some other different things are in Japan you wear your uniform back to the hotel after a road game and it gets laundered there instead of the locker rooms like the Majors, and when you fly it's commercial and not chartered like the Major Leagues.

9. Which players do we need to keep an eye on as far as being close to making a MLB impact?
I've only been with the Phillies for one year, but from what I've seen and what everybody hears about are names like Lou Marson, Jason Donald, Carlos Carrasco, and Greg Golson. These are all names that the Phillies fans can hear next year at some point and time who could help the Phillies along the way. I'd say watch out for a guy like Michael Taylor. He made a serious impact last year and put up some impressive numbers. If he can continue to perform like that in Double AA, he will be one to look out for.

10. Funniest clubhouse story.
I don't think this is a pay website, so I'll keep it presentable. Funny things in the clubhouse are when guys tape up a player's whole locker, from shirts to shoes, to the opening of the locker. I've seen guys use a ton of white athletic tape and the locker looks like a mummy when it's done.

11. Any superstitions?
Not really. I'd just try to stick to a routine everyday when I played. Tried to take my early work the same way, batting practice, etc. The baseball season is so long that as a player you just want to keep yourself in a good routine that can last the whole year. The routine helps keep players physically, and more importantly mentally strong.

12. What was your best position on the diamond (RF, LF, or 1B)?
Definitely RF. I had good instincts in the OF and a strong, accurate throwing arm. I took pride in my defense and I had to because my offense would shut down for awhile during the season. Strong defense shows that you respect your teammates and are focused for whatever pitcher is on the mound.

13. You have an Eric Valent Fan Site, it's pretty weak, any chance you want WSBGM's to be your new place of homage?
It is pretty weak, but yet again I was a pretty weak MLB player. I'll definitely take the new sponsorship by WSBGM's. I think it's kind of funny that a guy like me has a website out there. He probably bought the name and was hoping I made it bigger and could sell me the rights to the site. That's something I probably won't ever try and negotiate to buy.

14. What are your future aspirations in terms of baseball?
If I stay in coaching, I'd definitely like to become a hitting coordinator in the future and a big league hitting coach. I feel that I can connect well with today's players and have a good philosophy to hitting and helping players become the best hitters they can be. I also have interest in baseball administration, but the opportunities for those are hard to come by. I went to UCLA for 3 years and am now finishing my college degree through University of Phoenix in Business Management. I'll be done this August. I want to have this background to give myself more options in the future. I can then say that I had a good playing career and took the time out to finish my education as well.

15. Do you read blogs at all? If so, which ones, and what is your general viewpoint on blogs?
I read yours of course and BeerLeaguer. That's about it. I mainly go to MLB.com, Milb.com, things like that to see what's going on in the baseball industry. As far as blogs go, I think they're great. They are done by people who are passionate about something and who are not necessarily in it for the money. Of course it would be great to have tons of hits and sell advertising, but bloggers just enjoy writing about their opinions and different stances on different subjects.

16. How much do you miss playing the game?
I don't miss playing that much. I always said that when I was 30, if I wasn't in the big leagues for good I'd hang up the spikes. That was always my thought when I was starting my baseball career at age 21. I knew that if I stayed healthy that I was going to have the chance to play in the Majors. After that, it's up to the player to make the most of it. I was fortunate enough to play 2 full seasons in the majors out of 5 MLB seasons. I picked 30 because that's an age when if you're not on a 40-man roster, the road back to the bigs is tough and you need some luck. I had my opportunities and felt that I would start the next phase of my career.

17. Biggest regret as a player.
I wish I would have had more fun and enjoyed more of the moments in time. At times, I think I worked too hard at baseball because I wasn't blessed with the prototypical body, great running speed, or great hand-eye coordination. That's it though. It's nice being able to walk away saying that, rather than saying I didn't get the most out of my ability and having real regrets.

*Eric has offered his services for a "Coach's Corner" where you can email us at WSBGM's and we'll compile a list of questions for him to answer about MLB and minor league baseball life and fundamentals of baseball. We'll then post his answers with the "Ask the GM's" post that we plan on doing for any equestion you have for Corey and I.

~Carson

WSBGM's Offseason Preview

WSBGM's will continue to churn out posts daily throughout the entire offseason. Trades, signings, and rumors will be discussed. Also on the agenda are some interviews (Eric Valent being first on the docket) and a new installment called "Ask the GM's", where you, the readers, can email Corey and/or me various questions about the Phillies, baseball in general, or even which beer tastes best with Papa John's pizza (toppings sway answer). Of course there will be zany posts about current players, managers, and prospects that are sure to get a chuckle from you, as that's our mission statement. So start emailing us some thought provoking questions and enjoy the autumn weather, because the Phillies are World F*ckin' Champions and it's a long way away from the end of February when Spring Training starts.
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Stuff:
*Gary "Sarge" Matthews has co-authored a book, Phillies Confidential: The Untold Inside Story of the 2008 Championship Season. No offense to Sarge, but I hope the other co-author, Scott Lauber did most of the writing.

*Phils farmhand Jason Donald is really becoming a "buzz name" as a prospect. Great season with Reading, best hitter for Team USA in the Olympics, and now a standout in the Arizona Fall League where he's a finalist for the Stenson Award. From MLB.com- "A shortstop by trade, this third-round pick out of the University of Arizona in 2006 has been working on his third-base skills in the AFL, as the World Champion Phillies already have a strong double-play combination in the big leagues. Donald batted .307 with 14 home runs and 54 RBIs at Double-A Reading this season and represented the United States in the Summer Olympics. Though the Stenson nomination isn't necessarily about level of play, he is also hitting .422 with four homers and 16 RBIs, along with a .747 slugging percentage, for Mesa in the fall campaign."

~Carson

Review & Preview - Vol. 6

So Taguchi
Review: Taguchi started the last game of the season and went 3-5. But if you forget that game, he was hitless in September. He was also hitless in August. He was also hitless in the playoffs, too. For the majority of the season, So Taguchi was hitless. But he hung around and got himself a ring. Good for So.

Memorable Moment: July 22nd, Shea Stadium, Phils down 5-3, bases loaded, one out, So Taguchi at the plate...Taguchi looks sick at the first few pitches, falling behind in the count...until he closes his eyes, throws his bat at a pitch and hits a two-run double to right. So ends So Tachuchi's contribution to the 2009 Philiies.


Preview: He's gone.
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Clay Condrey
Review: Condrey did not have good numbers in 2008. His ERA was an acceptable 3.56, but his WHIP (1.51) and BAA (.302) were substandard. But he is the middle innings guy, so as long as he goes out there and doesn't completely suck, no one complains.

Memorable Moment: In a game on August 26th against the Mets, Condrey relieved Jamie Moyer after the 3rd inning with the Phils down 6-0. The teams traded runs in the fourth so when Condrey came to plate in the bottom of the 5th, the score was a daunting 7-1. Undeterred, Condrey smacked a double down the left field line off of Pedro Martinez. It was the spark the Phils needed. Rollins homered, Utley walked, and Howard homered. Suddenly the game was a manageable 7-5. After 13 innings, the Phils pulled out an 8-7 win.

Preview: Condrey is eligible for salary arbitration, so he'll be a cheap option to work the middle innings. The Phils may try to upgrade the pen, but they'll likely still keep Condrey around. There isn't much sense in spending a bunch of money on a mop-up man.
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Chris Coste
Review: After the first two months of the season, Coste was hitting well over .300. But then things took a turn for the worse. Coste never hit better than .267 in any remaining month and hit well below .200 in the combined months of July and September.

In the end, Coste accumulated the most at-bats (274) in a season in this three year career but had his lowest average (.263).

Coste barely played in September and that trend carried over into the postseason. He got a pinch single in a loss to the Dodgers and went 0-4 as a DH in Game 1 of the World Series. He didn't play in the last four games of the World Series.

Memorable Moment: In the game I described above where Clay Condrey started the Phillies comeback against the Mets, Coste finished it with a bases loaded single to the centerfield wall in the 13th inning.

Preview: Chris Coste is a solid player and his rise to the majors is nothing short of remarkable. In three years with the Phils, he continually made positive contributions to the team and has endeared himself to all Phillies fans. However, his days in Philly are numbered. Coste will be 36 at the start of spring training and his numbers, while not horrible, are trending down.

Lou Marson, if he's not the catcher of the future, is at least the backup catcher of the future. And given that Marson was up with the big club in September, the future could be now. There is still the possibility that the Phils break camp with Ruiz/Coste and Marson heads to Lehigh Valley, but since Ruiz is so firmly settled as the number one, I think Marson takes Coste's spot and Chris is released or traded.


Corey

Review & Preview - Vol. 5

Pat Burrell
Review: Except for possibly Ryan Howard, there isn't a player on the Phillies that is under the microscope as much as Pat Burrell. At least on this blog, that is. So, I'm not going to spend alot of time rehashing Burrell's up and down season (is there any other way for Pat?). He walked a bunch, struck out a bunch, hit 30-or-so dingers, and sometimes played more than 7 innings. Then he hit two homers in the clinching game of the NLDS. Oh, and he hit a double that resulted in the winning run in Game 5 of the World Freaking Series. All in all, he had a pretty good year.

Memorable Moment: Thank you, "ripjgarcia."


Preview: Burrell is currently in position 188 on the all time homer list, tied with Tony Armas, Robin Yount, and former Phil Cy Williams. In 2009, Burrell will most likely pass John Olerud, Todd Zeile and Tim Wallach among other, but he probably won't be doing it as a Phillie.

Pat was the highest paid player on the team last year ($14 million). The first offer this off-season reportedly was two years and $22 million. The Phils know many players are due for pay raises and may try to lock up some of their younger stars (Howard, Hamels) so Burrell shouldn't expect a much larger offer from the club. I think the Phils will be willing to downgrade in left to keep and pay their young big stars. Burrell could give the Phils a "hometown" discount but there are plenty of teams that need a right handed power bat (especially those in the AL that can put Pat in the DH spot part of the time) that will offer him a better, longer deal.

I hate to do it because Burrell has been my favorite Phillie since his rookie year, but I have to start thinking about who will be replacing Burrell in the outfield next year. Some possibilities...

Rocco Baldelli - free agent - "Cheap potential." That's how the Phils may be looking at Baldelli and it is the reason he may be one of the leading free agent candidates to replace Burrell. No one knows if Baldelli can return to the form he exhibited before being diagnosed with a "medical condition" that limited most of his 2008 season and threatens to shorten or end his career. If he could, he would be the biggest steal since the Reds got Josh Hamilton in the Rule 5. If he doesn't, he could be the biggest waste of time since Danny Tartabull.

Magglio Ordonez - trade candidate - This is a money issue for Detroit. He's due $18 million in 2009 and if the Tigers don't think they can compete for the Central Division, they may want to dump him. Of course, Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski had this to say this week; "We're not looking to trade Magglio. He's one of the best hitters in baseball and an important part of our club."

A more likely scenario has Ordonez being traded close to the deadline to a contender when the Tigers are out of it. So, I would scratch Ordonez off the Phils' list, but do it in pencil, because he may be back on the list next July.

Jermaine Dye - trade candidate - The Phils have not been shy recently about dealing with the White Sox (Jim Thome, Freddy Garcia) and I really think this is rumor that has some legs. If the Sox are willing to deal Dye, he fits what the Phils need. He's older and lacks Pat's lusty walk rate, but he is a righthanded power bat that can protect Howard. He will also come at a reduced rate and time commitment ($11 million in 2009 with a $12 million option in 2010). The Phils would also get draft picks for Burrell leaving, so a deal like Dye + draft picks for a combination of Kendrick, Happ, Golson, Bastardo, d'Arnaud, etc. could really benefit the Fightins.

Bobby Abreu - free agent - The Yankees just traded for Nick Swisher, who will be used mainly as a first baseman, but should also see some time in the outfield along with Johhny Damon, Melky Cabrera, Hideki Matsui and Xavier Nady. Considering the money the Yanks are likely to throw at Sabathia/Lowe/Burnett, they may not be willing to give too much for the diminishing skills of Abreu. Abreu can't field worth a shit, he doesn't hit for power, and he would likely cost as much as Burrell. But the Phillies have done dumber things...

Juan Rivera - free agent - Before Rivera missed most of the 2007 season with a broken leg, he was turning into a fine outfielder. He hit for average and power and was an above-average fielder. But a missed season in '07 was followed by a sub-par 2008 (.246-12-45). Like Baldelli, taking a risk on Rivera could result in an absolute steal. A return to .280-20-80 isn't that much of a stretch. Of course, another year of hittig .240 isn't a stretch either.

Raul Ibanez - free agent - This guy is the captain of the "All Underappreciated Team." He's been a lock for .290-20-100 this whole decade, yet he only made $5 million bucks last year. The Phils don't need another lefty, certainly not one that is only a few years younger than Jamie Moyer. He'll sign with Chicago or New York.

Milton Bradley - free agent - Milton Bradley is a dick. But he can hit like a mutha. And except for that time when he tried to go after one of the KC Royals' television announcers, he had an uneventful 2008 season. Besides his emotional stability, the other concern on Bradley is that he only played 19 games in the outfield last season after his famous ACL injury. He may have to stick in the AL where he can DH part time. Sill, I know it wouldn't be a popular thing (I can picture the litany of blogs and comments crying about team chemistry...) but the Phils should at least consider bringing Bradley in based on his offensive ability and the vast contributions he would make to Phillies blogs...

Jay Payton - free agent - Please, God, no.

Jerry Hairston - free agent - See above.


Corey

Who is the NL MVP?

Who is the NL MVP? Well, all the baseball know-it-alls have cast their votes and the winner will be announced this Monday (likely Ryan Howard or Albert Pujols). I'm wondering what an MVP is though. The acronym stands for most valuable player and it has long been debated that the player winning the award should be from a playoff team. If you remember back in 2006 when Ryan Howard won the award the Phils did not make the playoffs (slightly edged Pujols whose Cardinals won the World Series), and there have been players in years past that have been deemed worthy of MVP status, but their clubs failed to play into October (Larry Walker 1997 Rockies, Robin Yount 1989 Brewers). Personally I feel the MVP should be the player with the best overall numbers that contributed the most to his team's success, but that team doesn't necessarily have to be a playoff caliber team, but at least one that was in contention for the better part of the season. By that reasoning, that means Ryan Howard was the correct choice in 2006 even though the Phils feel short of the postseason, and that Albert Pujols would be the correct choice this season as the Cardinals too fell just short. I'm a diehard Phils Phan, but I'm also a MLB loyalist and I honestly feel that Albert Pujols should be the 2008 NL MVP because he has the overall superior numbers and is a much better fielder too.




By the #'s:
Ryan Howard- 162 g, 105 r, 153 h, 26 dbl, 4 trpl, 48 hr, 146 rbi, 1 sb, .251 avg, .881 ops, 199 k's, and 19 errors.

Albert Pujols- 148 g, 100 r, 187 h, 44 dbl, 37 hr, 116 rbi, 7 sb, .357 avg, 1.114 ops, and only 54 k's and 6 errors.

Other that will receive consideration- Lance Berkman, Hanley Ramirez, David Wright, Chase Utley, Matt Holliday, Chipper Jones, and Ryan Ludwick.

*Of note, if Pujols finishes 2nd, it will be his 4th time playing bridesmaid.

Who should be the 2008 NL MVP?
	Ryan Howard
	Albert Pujols
	Other
pollcode.com free polls

~Carson

Random Thoughts

Good Manager?
Looking over Charlie Manuel's managing record would lead you to believe he's a good manager. In 7 seasons as head skipper for a Major League team (4 with Philly, 3 with Cleveland), Manuel has a solid winning percentage of .543% with a record of 574-484, and 3 1st place, 3 2nd place, and 1 3rd place finish. He's only endured one losing season, and that was in 2002 when the Indians fired him 86 games into the season. I know the hillbilly West Virginian is poked fun at a lot on this site, but this blogger has been converted from a hater to an admirer. I've gone from thinking he has mush for brains to being mushy for him. Uncle Cholly gets results, and that cannot be argued.

How Old is Moyer?
Soon to be 46 year old Jamie Moyer was a rookie with the Chicago Cubs back in 1986, my first year of formal education in kindergarten. Some of his teammates from that '86 Cubbie team included current Phillies 1st base coach Davey Lopes, Phils broadcast team member Gary "Sarge" Matthews, BoSox manager Terry Francona, Hall-of-Famers Ryne Sandberg and Dennis Eckersley, and ESPN colorman Rick Sutcliffe. I truly hope Moyer pitches until he's 50 so I can look back over his entire career and be amazed by the generations of superstars he has spanned.

Poem:
This was submitted by BloodStripes in the comments sections of yesterday's post-
We are the Phils,
The greatest team of all,
We are the Phils,
We're always on the ball,
We play the game as it should be played,
At home or far away,
Our flag is flying high from dawn to dark,
Down at Citizens Bank Park.

News & Notes:
*Chase Utley won his third straight Silver Slugger Award.

*Charlie Manuel placed 2nd in the NL Manager of the Year balloting behind Sweet Lou Pinella.

*Brad Lidge finished 4th in the NL Cy Young voting.

*Sam Perlozzo was added to the Phils coaching staff, he's been coaching in the Majors since 1989 in some capacity (bench coach, manager, 3rd base coach).

*Mike Arbuckle pulled a vanishing act after Ruben Amaro Jr. was named GM, but has found a new job with the Kansas City Royals. Didn't know KC had a MLB team...hmmm?

*Ex-Phillies farmhand CJ Henry, the "talent" of the Bobby Abreu trade, has quit baseball and is going to play college hoops for the University of Memphis.

~Carson

Veterans Day

Veterans Day was this past Tuesday and with veteran mainstay Pat Burrell likely to leave Philly, unless he accepts a low-ball offer of 2 year $20 million, I wondered who is the longest tenured player of each organization. Therefore, I decided to take a look at each team's roster and identify the player(s) that have been on the squad the longest.

NL East:
Atlanta Braves- John Smoltz, 1988. Smoltz has been tomahawk chopping for 20 seasons now and has built himself a Hall-of-Fame worthy career with 210 victories for the Braves to go along with 154 saves and over 3000 k's. During Atlanta's supremacy (1991-2005), he was the only player on their team I ever liked...unless of course you count that annoying little ankle-biter Mark Lemke. John's playing days are nearing an end at age 41 and rehabbing from arm surgery, but he's not quite ready to hang up the cleats quite yet. When he does decide to retire from baseball a job awaits on the PGA tour.

Florida Marlins- Matt "Misty May" Treanor, 2004. Treanor is best known for having a hot Olympic gold medal winning beach volleyball playing wife, but he's found his niche as a backup catcher with the Fish. It's a good thing he isn't starting catcher or the Marlins would have traded him off by now because of making too much money through arbitration.

New York Mets- Pedro Feliciano, 2002. He is rumored to be on the trading block as GM Omar Minaya views hims as part of the reason the Mets have collapsed in September the past 2 seasons. Personally I feel that's misplaced anger as Feliciano has put up very respectable numbers out of the Mets bullpen over the past 6 seasons as a lefty specialist- 279 games, 3.38 era, 1.38 whip overall, with a .575 OPS against lefthanded batters. Of note- wasn't in MLB in 2005 as he was pitching for Fukuoka Softbank Hawks of Japan.

Philadelphia Phillies- Pat Burrell and Jimmy Rollins, 2000. Burrell is a WSBGM's favorite, and has earned the Phillie Phans respect over his time here. He's more fit for the AL and DH now, but his 251 homeruns and 827 rbi over the past 9 seasons will be greatly missed as he's likely departing for another team via free agency. Rollins on the other hand is the other current Phillie that has been around since the turn of the millennium and he's put up some damn fine numbers from the shortstop position, and is my guess to be a Phillie for life and a possible Hall-of-Famer.

Washington Nationals- Chad Cordero, 2003. He's been with the organization since their Montreal and Puerto Rico days. Cordero was drafted in the 1st round in 2003 and was fast-tracked to the Expos where he quickly became their closer. Chad had arm problems last year and only managed to get into 6 games, but previous to 2008 he racked up 127 saves over 4 seasons as the team's closer. He's a free agent this offseason and it appears the Nationals are moving along without him, but when healthy he's a helluva reliever despite wearing his hat like a mentally handicapped person.

AL East:
Baltimore Orioles- Melvin Mora, 2000. Mora was always a hitter without a position, playing all over the diamond until he settled in as a 3rd baseman over the past few seasons. He's a reliable source of rbi and pop. He's also the daddy of quintuplets and will likely represent Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic in 2009.

Boston Red Sox- Tim Wakefield, 1995. He's a knuckle-baller and has a never ending option with the BoSox, so I expect him to pitch until he's in his 80's or at least mid-70's.

New York Yankees- Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Derek Jeter, 1995. Please allow me to be blunt, I hate the Yankees. With that said, it does amaze me that these three cats have been with the Evil Empire for 14 seasons now and it has been their only employer. Rivera and Jeter are destined for Cooperstown and Posada has been an elite catcher for the better part of this decade.

Tampa Bay Rays- Carl Crawford, 2002. Has been the face of the organization since reaching the big leagues and for most of that time up until recently was the only player of true value (need I mention Damian Rolls or Jorge Sosa?). Crawford has a nice blend of pop and speed as he's racked up 311 extra base hits and 302 stolen bases over the past 7 seasons.

Toronto Blue Jays- Roy Halladay, 1998. This guy is one of my favorite pitchers in baseball today, as he's an old school gunslinger that isn't afraid to pitch a complete game (40 CG in 11 seasons)...even if it means going 10 innings. He's the proud owner of two 20 win seasons, 5 All-Star nominations, and 1 Cy Young. If he were a Yankee or Red Sox he'd be mayor by now.

NL Central:
Chicago Cubs- Kerry Wood, 1998. Has struck out 20 batters in one game, has nearly 200 more k's than innings pitched, has clubbed 7 homeruns as a pitcher, and now is a fire-ballin' closer (34 saves in '08). If not for being injured for parts of 2004-2007, we'd be starting the future Hall-of-Famer talk, but Wood will just have to settle for being a beloved Cubbie. The Cubs have announced they're moving on without Wood, but it's difficult for me to picture him wearing any other uniform.

Cincinnati Reds- Aaron Harang and Ryan Freel, 2003. Harang has been the ace of Cincy's staff and has been a reliable winner and innings eater until falling on tough times due to some nagging injuries this past season (17 losses). Freel is a dirtball utility player that can't seem to stay healthy enough to utilize is blazing speed and solid on-base skills. Perhaps he should visit a witch doctor this offseason to heal his medical ailments.

Houston Astros- Lance "Big Puma" Berkman, 1999. Quietly Berkman has become the Major's most underrated player, a title formerly held by Vitamin B popping Rafael Palmeiro and of course French born Steve Jeltz. He is a 6 time All-Star that holds a career line of .302 batting average and .973 OPS...wow!

Milwaukee Brewers- Ben Sheets, 2001. Corey and I have a buddy named Ben Sheets, but it's not the same guy who has mowed down batters like blades of grass under a John Deere for the Brew Crew. Sheets is a free agent and there's a distinct possibility he won't return to the land of cheese, bratwurst, and beer.

Pittsburgh Pirates- Jack Wilson, 2001. Typical old school shortstop that can field but lacks offensive skills. Has been on the trading block for the past 2 seasons, but the Buccos haven't found the right match yet. I heard they're holding out for Pat Meares or Derek Bell to return before dealing him.

St. Louis Cardinals- Rick Ankiel, 1999. From stud rookie pitcher, to basketcase that couldn't hit a target the size of Rosanne Barr in her glories days, to converted outfielder smacking homeruns...Ankiel has done it all. Of note- was not with the Cardinals from 2002-2003 or 2005-2006.

AL Central:
Chicago White Sox- Paul Konerko, 1999. I knew Konerko has been a productive firstbaseman for the past decade, but I had no idea he's been with the ChiSox for so long. He's closing in on 300 homeruns (298)and 1000 rbi (957).

Cleveland Indians- Victor Martinez and Cliff Lee, 2002. Victor and Cliff are two of the reasons that the Indians will compete for the AL Central title in '09, as Martinez is coming back from injury to produce big numbers from behind the plate and Lee is the reigning AL Cy Young.

Detroit Tigers- Brandon Inge, 2001. Thank goodness the Phils didn't trade for Inge this past season, because he wouldn't have made this illustrious list and the Phils may have not made the playoffs, hence no World Series. Seriously though, Inge is that bad of a player, he's done a rapid downward spiral since his career best season of '06 (27 hr/83 rbi).

Kansas City Royals- David DeJesus, 2003. What, you didn't know Kansas City had a team. That's okay, neither does Kansas City.

Minnesota Twins- Michael Cuddyer, 2001. He's from Minnesota and not named Justin Morneau, so I understand if you've never heard of him, but aside from his injury-riddled 2008, he's been a quality big league player for the Twinkies playing multiple positions.

NL West:
Arizona Diamondbacks- Brandon Webb and Robby Hammock, 2003. Webb is a beast of a pitcher and a perennial Cy Young hopeful. He's won 87 games for the D-Backs over the past 6 seasons. Hammock isn't very good, in fact I heard Abe Nunez mocks him, but he does play many positions (C, OF, 1B, and 3B), so he's hung around long enough with Arizona to actual fit in a category with the likes of the superior Brandon Webb.

Colorado Rockies- Todd Helton, 1997. A double hitting machine (471 in 12 seasons) and a .328 lifetime hitter, Helton is a possibly Hall-of-Famer if he can bounce back from injury and have 3-4 more productive seasons. He's a slick fielder as well, catching 3 Gold Glove awards.

Los Angeles Dodgers- Yhency Brazoban, 2004. Who the hell is Yhency Brazoban? Is this Yhency Brazoban?

San Diego Padres- Trevor Hoffman, 1993. MLB's all-time saves leader with 554, Hoffman has put himself up there with the elite relief pitchers of the past like Dennis Eckersley, Goose Gossage, and Steve Howe. Hoffman's days as a Padre have likely concluded, as they withdrew a piddling offer of 1 year 4 million, which is really more like a slap in the face than a contract proposal.

San Francisco Giants- Kevin Correia and Noah Lowry, 2003. Correia is your run-of-the-mill nondescript pitcher and his days in the Bay area are probably over as the Giants have pretty much cleaned their hands of him. Lowry on the other hand is still around and is actually good, except for the fact that he missed all of '08 with a bum arm.

AL West:
Los Angeles Angels- Garret Anderson, 1994. Always an Angel, but sometimes hailed from California, Anaheim, Los Angeles of Anaheim, or just plain Los Angeles. Garret has been around for 15 seasons now and the man just keeps getting hits (2368). His option was denied, but there's still a chance the Angelics bring him back at a reduced rate. I surely hope they'd show him some loyalty after all those stinkin' name changes and that 10 rbi game he had for them.

Oakland Athletics- Eric Chavez, 1998. Early in his career he was labeled a young Mike Schmidt because of his power and apt fielding, but injuries have taken their toll on him over the years and now he's nothing more than a contract burden on the cash strapped A's.

Seattle Mariners- Ichiro Suzuki, 2001. Guilty pleasure- being a fan of Ichiro. I love homeruns, but I also love a player that can wield the bat and seemingly command it to do anything he wants it to as if it were Harry Potter's magic wand. Ichiro is to hitter as Amy Winehouse is to junky. In his 8 season in MLB he's had no fewer than 206 hits in a season, going as high as the MLB record 262 in 2004.

Texas Rangers- Michael Young, 2000. If not for a nagging finger injury, Young would have likely reached the 200 hit plateau for the 6th straight season, instead he fell sort (183). He is an excellent fielder and perennial All-Star that will go down as one of the best Rangers since Chuck Norris.

~Carson

Review & Preview - Vol. 4

Greg Dobbs
Review: Dobbs had an absolute great season for the '08 Fightins. He put up solid numbers, .301-9-40, with his greatest contributions coming off of the bench and late in games. Dobbs was a true threat off of the bench, breaking the Phillies all-time record for pinch-hits in a season.

Memorable Moment: I can't think of anything. A little help...

And a little help I got. Thanks to reader Maria who remembered this Dobbs moment from July.

Preview: Dobbs only made $440k last season and is set for arbitration, making him one of the best bargains on the team. His role for 2009 Phillies should be very similar to last season. He will be the number one pinch-hitter and see some time at third against tough righties.

However, if the Phils don't re-sign Burrell and go with a cheaper option like Rocco Baldelli, Dobbs could see less of the bench and more of the outfield, working a four-man platoon with Werth and Jenkins.
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Eric Bruntlett
Review: Everyone will remember Bruntlett for scoring the winning run in games three and five (see below) but the fact is, Bruntlett had a rough year. Bruntlett was on the team to provide depth at multiple position and not to hit, but he managed a only a meager .217-2-15 (although he did pilfer 37 runs from Pat Burrell...) He did a great job pinch-running in the playoffs, but he didn't provide anything above what an average AAA utility player could.

Memorable Moment:


Preview: Bruntlett made $600k last year and is elibible for arbitration. The price and availability may make him attractive to Ruben Amaro, so I think there is a real good chance Bruntlett is back next year. I would prefer a better option at the utility spot (a guy like Nick Punto would be optimal), but the team has to save money somewhere and this is as good a place as any. However, if the Phils don't replace So Taguchi with a decent right-handed bat and keep Matt Stairs in his place, then they will have to spend some cash and replace Bruntlett with a more productive RH bat.
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Geoff Jenkins
Review: In the five seasons prior to joining the Phillies, Jenkins hit at least .255 and knocked in at least 64 runs. In fact he hit .290 and knocked in 90 in two seasons. He hit 21 or more homers in four of the seasons also. Last year, his line was .246-9-29 with an OPS of .694, his lowest since his rookie year. To say that Jenkins' season was a disappointment is a Sabathia-sized understatement. He lost his platoon spot to Werth, who despite being atrocious against righties, was still a better option than Jenkins.

Memorable Moment:

And thank goodness Jenkins hit that double in Game 5.5, because otherwise his "Memorable Moment" was hurting himself with his own broken bat.

Preview:
Jenkins is in the final year of a two year, $13 million dollar deal. The Phils payroll is going up due to lots of valuable, arbitration eligible players, Matt Holiday is going to Oakland, and Pat Burrell may not be signed. That all adds up to needing Geoff Jenkins to contribute to the '09 Phils. Like I said in the Dobb's preview above, I see the Phils signing a mid-level righthanded hitting outfielder and using that signing, Werth, Jenkins and a little bit of Dobbs in a rotation for the corner outfield spots.
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Brad Lidge
Review: 48 for 48.

Memorable Moment:


Preview: The Phils locked up Lidge with a multi-year dear in the middle of last season, so he will look to continue his perfect save record next Spring.


Corey

Review & Preview - Vol. 3

Shane Victorino
Review: Does anybody remember when Victorino lost his starting job to Jayson Werth back in May? I do and six months later it was still a dumb move.

I’ll admit, I’m a little biased when it comes to critiquing Vic. Aside from Pat Burrell, he may be my favorite Phillie. I have been adamant in my support for Vic since he came to Philly, so every solid season he has makes me look good. And as far as good seasons go, Vic hasn’t had a better one than 2008. He had the highest average(.293) and the most homers (14), runs (104) and RBIs (58) in any of his full season. He also took home a deserved Gold Glove. Overall, he had a great season.

Memorable Moment:


Best Unused Pic: I got his from a website a long time ago and somehow never worked it into any post about Shane. But I can’t let a good “taint” reference go unused…


Preview: Unless the Phils use Victorino in a trade, he will be back in centerfield and counting on a pay raise. He made $480k last year but should get more in arbitration.
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Adam Eaton
Review: I predicted a positive season for Eaton, something like 12-7 and a 4.67, saying he would “exceed very low expectations.” Carson agreed, having him winning 11 games. I guess we thought if we wished for it hard enough, it just might happen. But in the end, there is no Santa Claus, and Adam Eaton sucked.


Memorable Moment: None. They all sucked equally.

Preview: Eaton will get paid millions by the Phils, but where will he pitch? My favorites to land the services of Eaton, 1) Atlantic League 2) Northern League or 3) Honkbal Hoofdklasse .
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Scott Eyre
Review: Eyre pitched like a lefthanded, short-relief version of Adam Eaton last season for the Cubs. In his defense, he had elbow and groin problems and only pitched eleven innings. But, those eleven innings were all Sweet Lou Piniella needed to see. Scott went from Lou's doghouse, to the waiver wire, to the Phils bullpen, to a champagne victory celebration. I guess he should be thanking Lou letting him get away from that loser franchise in Chicago. Or instead, Geoff Jenkins can tell him to "suck it."


Preview: The Phils have inked Eyre to a one year, $2 million dollar deal, hoping that he can repeat his 1.88 ERA in 2009.
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Matt Stairs
Review: We here at WSBGM's were sad to see Fabio Castro, the Model Dictator, get traded to Toronto. But what a trade it ended up being. Stairs had a solid finish with the Phils, collecting five pinch-hits in 17 total at-bats, including two homers. But it was his one, ginormous swing of the bat in L.A. that cemented Matt Stairs as a Philly fan favorite forever...Oh, yeah, and his quote about getting his ass pounded was pretty good too.

Memorable Moments:



Preview: Matt Stairs could take over for So Taguchi as the fifth outfielder, but really is more suited for the American League. He has a single utility who may have a problem finding a role on the 2009 Phillies. Greg Dobbs is the number one pinch-hitter. Geoff Jenkins is the left-handed outfield alternative. And their just aren't enough interleague games to justify having a DH/pinch-hitter on the roster all year. If the Phils re-sign Burrell or add another outfielder, either of which they have to do, Stairs might be gone in favor of a guy who can actually play in the outfield. He will only make $1 million next season, so unloading him to the Junior Circuit should be easy. How about he goes back to Toronto for Model Dictator?


[Thanks to Big League Stew and TheFightins.com for posting these videos.]

Corey

Review & Preview - Vol. 2

Carlos "Cooch" Ruiz
Review: No one doubts the defensive skill of Carlos Ruiz. His offense, on the other hand...For much of the 2008 season, things didn't go so well offensively for "Cooch." In July, Carson called Ruiz "the new David Bell" and Chris Coste was doing a lot of the catching. His final line reflects his season long struggles - .219-4-31.

Then, the playoffs came. He didn't hit against Milwaukee (1-14) but the Phils won three of four and Manuel kept playing him, citing the recent success of the club and Ruiz's defensive attributes. What a good move by Manuel, because Ruiz hit .313 in the NLCS and .375 in the World Series including a homer and, his most memorable moment of the season, the first World Series walk-off hit in Phillies history.


Preview: Everyone is hoping Ruiz can carry some of his playoff success into the 2009 season. But even if he hits .220 again, Ruiz will be the Phils number one catcher and play 120 games. He is not arbitration eligible and will make a little more than the 425K he made in 2008. Like Roger Daltry would say, "I'd call that a bargain."
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Chase Utley
Review: Utley started 2008 like a house on fire, jacking 18 round-trippers in the first two months of season. At the All Star break, Utley was the leading candidate for MVP. However, his power surge didn’t continue and he only hit eight homers after the break. In the end, Utley provided the solid, All Star numbers we all expected - .292-33-104.

In the postseason, Utley only managed a .220 average and only three hits in the World Series. Of course, two of those three hits were homers in games the Phils won by a single run. So, we’ll give Utley a pass on the average…

Memorable Moment: I was going to say dropping the F-bomb at the All Star game, the homer in Game 1 of the World Series or his slick defensive play to get Iwamura at home in Game 5.5, but in the end, those moments don’t F-ing compare to this:


Preview: I doubt he gets challenged for playing time in 2009, unless the Phils resign Mickey Morandini. He’ll make a deserved $11 million.
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Chad Durbin
Review: It was a tale of three seasons for Durbin. For the first 3/4 of a season, Durbin was fantastic. Through July, his ERA was under two and was locking down the late innings in front of Lidge. Then, his arm fell off. Durbin had never had more than 36 appearances in a season before 2008. He had pitched more innings, but as a starter, which isn't comparable. The fatigue resulted in an August ERA of over 4 that was followed by an ERA of almost 7 the rest of the way.

Success returned for his third season, the playoffs. After Sept. 27, Durbin only pitched in three games. The extended rest obviously helped because he recorded a win in each of those appearances, one in each playoff series, giving up only a run in 3.1 innings.

Preview: Forget penciling in Durbin for the 2009 Phillies bullpen, you can break out one of those giant permanent black markers to do so. Durbin made a Costco-worthy $900k in 2008. He is eligible for arbitration this season and I don't see the Phils trying to lock him up for multiple years like they did with Romero and Lidge. They'll go year by year with Durbin. He should see lots of 7th inning in 2009, though...at least until his arm falls off.
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Rudy Seanez
Review: Seanez appeared in 42 gam