http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/207 Recent articles about Pedro Feliz en-us It was finally a good week for the Phillies, who start this week in first place in the National League East standings, two and a half games up on the second place Florida Marlins and three games up on the third place New York Mets. The Phillies won five out of six games this week, including a three game sweep of the last place Washington Nationals. The Phillies have succeeded in large part due to an effective balance of timely hitting and efficient pitching. In the past week alone, formerly dormant Chase Utley has three home runs with six RBIs, batting .364 during that time. Likewise, outfielders Pat Burrell and Shane Victorino have six RBIs each, as well as a number of clutch hits, including the go ahead four runs in Sunday's victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Slugger Ryan Howard is batting .333 over the past week, as is struggling outfielder Geoff Jenkins. Brett Myers had two starts this week, and finally looks like he has his "swagger" back, going 13 innings while only giving up two runs and one walk. Newly acquired Joe Blanton looked equally as impressive in his last start, going seven innings, giving up just one run on four hits. Ageless Jamie Moyer continued his streak of holding his opponents to three runs or less, something he has done in every start since June 1, getting the win against the Nationals. Since playing one of the ugliest series of the year against the Mets last week, the Phillies have been on a tear and have started to put some distance between them and their NL East rivals. While the Phillies have won five of six, the Mets have lost four in a row and the Marlins lost two of their three games. The Phillies need to continue to build on their recent success and capitalize on the struggles of the Mets and Marlins. They face off against Florida in a three game set this week in Philadelphia and can look to build on their two and a half game lead and put some real distance between them and their upstart rivals. They need to take at least two out of three this series because the Mets are playing the struggling San Diego Padres and will most likely take at least two from the Pads. In other Phillies related news, the baseball trade deadline came and went with no additional pickups by the club. Even more significant, however, was that neither the Marlins or Mets made any significant deals. The Mets made no moves, while the Marlins actually got worse by acquiring veteran reliever Arthur Rhodes from the Seattle Mariners. This doesn't mean, however, that the Phils won't be acquiring any other players, as GM Pat Gillick is notorious for being more active after the non-waiver trade deadline then he is before it. Phillies' reliever Rudy Seanez has been placed on the disabled list, as was third baseman Pedro Feliz. In basketball news, the Sixers' signed point guard Lou Williams to a new, five year contract. He has averaged 7.2 points, 2.2 assists and 1.5 assists in 171 games over three pro seasons. Continue to check back as we bring you the latest from Eagles' training camp, the Phillies attempts to build their lead atop of the NL East standings, and the progress of contract negotiations between the Sixers and forward Andre Iguodala. Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:59:53 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/300977 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/300977 The Phils are a butt-spanking 39-20 against teams currently with losing records, but only 20-30 against teams currently on the plus side of .500. Wins are wins, and as long as they make it to the playoffs I'm cool, but remember the teams in the playoffs are on the good side of .500. For the full article about the Phils winning ways against bad teams anad losing woes against good teams along with a Cole Hamels, Ryan Madson, Rudy Seanez, Les Walrond, Eric Bruntlett, Greg Dobbs, Pedro Feliz, and Joe Blanton update click on URL. Sat, 02 Aug 2008 05:17:16 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299718 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299718 A tweak or two is likely between now and Aug. 31. Let us not forget one of Gillick's Top 5 deals in Philly was the mid-August stealing of Jamie Moyer from Seattle in 2006. Fri, 01 Aug 2008 09:31:07 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299250 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299250 Phillies third baseman Pedro Feliz underwent an MRI and was seen by a back specialist. The diagnosis: mild disc bulge, according to the beat writers. Feliz has been suspended from baseball-related activities until next week, they report. Beerleaguer: This isn't a crippling blow, but it's still a setback, especially against left-handed pitching; Feliz is hitting .291/.339/.555 against left-handers. There's been no mention about third base, but it doesn't mean they're content to head into the stretch run with Mike Cervenak... Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:15:31 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298918 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298918 The Phillies have placed third baseman Pedro Feliz on the 15-day disabled list with a sore back. Feliz missed the entire series with the Braves with his back woes, but hoped to return to the lineup in Washington. Unfortunately it hasn't improved. "Pete Happy", as the fans refer to him, is doing exactly what the Phillies expected this season, batting .256 with 12 home runs and 46 RBI's (right in line with his career averages), while playing stellar defense. In Feliz's absense, Greg Dobbs will get a majority of starts at third base, with Eric Brunlett getting the nod against left-handers. The Phillies have recalled Mike Cervenak to take Feliz's place on the roster. Cervanak, a utility guy, had a brief stop in Philly before the All-Star break, when J.A. Happ was sent down. He's 0 for 1 on the season. Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:58:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297702 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297702 As expected, the Phillies recalled left-hander J.A. Happ from Lehigh Valley, but the team also made an unexpected move, placing third baseman Pedro Feliz on the 15-day disabled list and recalling corner infielder Mike Cervenak, according to the Morning Call. Transaction summary: Happ went 7-6 with a 3.30 ERA in 20 games for the IronPigs and made two starts for the Phils earlier this month. Cervenak, a minor league journeyman who can play first and third sparingly, was up with... Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:45:02 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297634 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297634 All you people out there telling me that the Phillies have one of the best offenses in the league and have no need for Matt Holliday (.343 AVG, 17 HR, 60 RBI, 60 R, 13 SB), I want you to look me in the eye (figuratively of course) and tell me you still think that. I agree with you that this is one of the best offenses in the league, on paper. A team composed of reigning MVP Jimmy Rollins (career* .277 AVG, 16HR, 62 RBI, 96 R, 35 SB), former MVP and Rookie of the Year Ryan Howard (.279 AVG, 42 HR, 97 RBI, 83 R)*, this year's MVP front runner Chase Utley (.299 AVG, 21 HR, 83 RBI, 85 R, 11 SB)*, and Pat Burrell (.260 AVG, 29 HR, 96 RBI, 75 R)* should be leading the league in offense, and somehow, this team still does. Despite having an awful almost two months of baseball, the Phillies are still second in the National League in runs scored, behind Chicago. To show you just how Jekyll and Hyde this offense has been this year, let's look at the numbers. Since June 1st, the Phillies have scored 181 runs. They have given up 182. Now let's take out the game against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 13th in which the Phillies won 20-2. With that game out, the Phillies have scored 161 runs and given up 180. That figure says a couple things. First off, they were really good in the beginning of this year. In April and May they scored 302 runs and only gave up 236. That is the run differential of a playoff team. Second, the fact that they are still the second highest run scoring team in the NL also shows just how weak the NL is this year. You can't say it's the pitching, because the Phillies have given up less runs in June and July then they did the first two months. Granted July isn't over yet, but even the Phils will be hard pressed to give up more than 50 runs in one week. This team just is not hitting. They aren't hitting with runners on base, with runners in scoring position, with no runners on. They aren't hitting. During the month of July, Utley has two home runs and five RBIs; Rollins hasn't had a home run since June 16th, and has seven RBIs this month; Geoff Jenkins has 16 hits since June 1st, with six of them coming in the first six days of that month; Jason Werth has six RBIs in July and Pedro Feliz has seven. The team's Jekyll and Hyde nature was never more evident then this past series with the Mets. The Phillies were the Kings of the Come From Behind Win last year and they showed that Never Say Die attitude on Tuesday when they scored six runs in the 9th inning to beat the Mets 8-6. After getting manhandled by Johan Santana through the first eight innings, this team showed an incredible amount of character (which they have lacked for the better part of the past two months) and grit and did not give up. Then they dropped the ball and let the momentum gained from that inning fade off and played like garbage the next two days. Despite a rocky outing by Brett Myers on Wednesday, the game was still tied at three coming into the sixth inning. The Phillies were very much in a position to win when the bullpen gave up three runs and you could just see the air go out of this team. They just laid down and conceded. Thursday the Phillies absolutely blew a beautiful gem thrown by Jamie Moyer and once again made the erratic Oliver Perez look like a Cy Young Award winner. Moyer went seven strong innings giving up only one run. J.C. Romero came into the 8th inning and gave up two runs. Romero has unequivocally been the Phillies best reliever this season aside from closer Brad Lidge. He has also pitched more innings than any other reliever and it is starting to show. Romero gave up a total of six runs in all of April, May and June. He has given up five so far in July, which is still remarkable and I am not dumping on him at all. But he needs some help; he needs another lefty in the bullpen that cane take on some of the situational responsibilities. This was the biggest series of the season and the Phillies blew it, despite having the biggest inning of the year. They had the momentum; they had first place; and I still believe they have a better team. The Phillies have just been way too inconsistent this season and the Mets have gelled together since the firing of manager Willie Randolph. This is going to be a very tough road over the remaining 60 or so games, but I still think the Phillies can pull it out. They have to start this weekend against the Atlanta Braves. * When calculating the career stats, I took out the player's first season and this season, as neither were full seasons. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:47:01 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295456 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295456 New York Mets 1st place, Philadelphia Phillies 2nd place. Get used to that, with a note that the Phils may be displaced in 2nd by the Florida Marlins plopping them sourly in 3rd place. What have you done for me lately?: *Since June 10th, a span of 37 games, the Phils have scored 3 runs or less 16 times. That's unacceptable. Record during that time, 15-22, not what a 1st place team is made of, or a second place, or a third place, or a... For a tirade about Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz, Chris Coste, Jimmy Rollins, Pedro Feliz, Adam Eaton, Joe Blanton, Kyle Kendrick, Brett Myers, RJ Swindle, Rudy Seanez, and JC Romero click on URL. Also, I promise a tantalizing picture of Janet Jackson. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:15:29 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295328 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295328 July 22, 2008 Pat Gillick, Senior Vice President & General Manager Philadelphia Phillies Citizens Bank Park One Citizens Bank Way Philadelphia, PA 19148-5249 Dear Mr. Gillick, With the recent trade for Joe Blanton from the Oakland Athletics, it has become apparent that the Phillies are not going to acquire an "A List" starting pitcher. I understand that the Phillies just did not have the prospects to get the deal done with the Cleveland Indians for CC Sabathia, and it seems that the Seattle Mariners' asking price for Erik Bedard is just too steep. Rich Harden is obviously no longer available as he was recently traded to the Chicago Cubs, although I do not understand why he is not a Phillie right now considering the Athletics received better prospects for Blanton than Harden. Regardless of why the Phillies were unable to land Harden, it is now irrelevant. What is important now is that we focus on the deals that can be made, and that means Matt Holliday and Brian Fuentes. It has been widely reported that the Colorado Rockies are interested in dealing the pair to the Phillies for centerfielder Shane Victorino, top pitching prospect Carlos Carrasco, catching prospect Lou Marson, and pitcher JA Happ. That certainly seems like a lot to give up, and it is. With Victorino, the Phillies would be losing a quality defensive centerfielder, as well as a switch hitter with some serious speed. Victorino, despite not having as good a season as we all would like, is still a very versatile player that can lead off, hit second, or deeper in the lineup when needed. Most people balk at the idea of trading away a catching prospect because Chris Coste is already in his mid 30's and Carlos Ruiz has been an all around disappointment. This is not an area of serious concern, however, as one of the Phillies' other big prospects is Jason Donald, also a catcher. The Phillies can afford to trade away Marson. Happ was good in his brief stint in the majors this season, but has also had his share of ups and downs. He is a promising young pitcher, but is the type of player you have to give up to get players the quality of Holliday and Fuentes. The obvious big chip here is Carrasco. I can understand your reluctance to part with the top pitching prospect in the organization, especially since there is not a lot of pitching depth in the minors, or the major league club for that matter. Carrasco, however, is the key to the deal. By trading him you lose a lot, but you also stand to gain a lot. Rather than dwell on Carrasco and what the Phillies lose by trading him, I'd rather focus on what they gain by acquiring Holliday and Fuentes. Let us begin with Brian Fuentes. For starters, Fuentes provides the Phillies with that much needed second left arm in the bullpen. As the only left hander in the pen, J.C. Romero is relied upon more than is probably healthy. Fuentes will be able to carry some of that load and take the pressure off Romero. Likewise, with 101 career saves, Fuentes can step in and get a save once or twice a week to give some time off to all star closer Brad Lidge. He would also take the pressure off of Tom Gordon as the 8th inning set up man. Fuentes is arguably more important to the Phillies right now than Holliday. That's not to say that Matt Holliday wouldn't be a huge acquisition for the Phils. As you already know, Holliday is batting .338 this year with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs. Add on top of that 13 stolen bases and you have one of the most complete players in the major leagues. Holliday has hit over 30 home runs in each of the last two seasons and is well on his way to eclipse that mark again this season. The most impressive aspect to Holliday's game is his ability to hit for average despite being one of the premiere power hitters in the league, hitting above .300 in every season of his career except his rookie year in 2004, when he hit a paltry .290. Since it is apparent, as I said before, that the Phillies are not going to be able to land that ace starting pitcher, then you need to position this team to outhit their opponents. This team currently has the type of pitching that will at the very least keep them in every game. With the addition of Holliday, it would give you a starting lineup that looks like an all star roster. Here's an example of what a Phillies' batting order could look like: SS Jimmy Rollins 2b Chase Utley RF Matt Holliday 1B Ryan Howard LF Pat Burrell CF Jason Werth 3B Pedro Feliz C Chris Coste P Cole Hamels Mr. Gillick, I think that that lineup speaks for itself. This is the year that the Phillies have to go for it as the National League is the weakest it's been in year. The only contenders this year are the Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, and by default the Arizona Diamondbacks. That's not a list of teams that are going to make the playoffs; that's a list of teams that are any good in addition to the Phillies. The Phillies need to put themselves into a position to make it to the World Series this year and not worry about four or five years from now. With the aforementioned lineup, and the number of talented pitchers eligible for free agency this coming off season (including Sabathia and Ben Sheets), the Phillies can put themselves in a position to win and compete for the World Series for at least three more years. That is why you need to pull the trigger on this deal and bring Matt Holliday and Brian Fuentes to Philadelphia. Sincerely, Jonathan Atwood HSP Senior Writer Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:33:29 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294074 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294074 I failed to find Alyssa Milano at Citizens Bank Park today. Truth be told, I was more interested in finding Mr. Yuengling. I did, however, find THE Pedro Feliz fan. Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:54:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288759 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288759 Hey the Phils won. No, really, I'm not joking, they won and won well. Ryan Howard, Pedro Feliz, JA Happ, Clay Condrey, and even Carlos Ruiz chipped in for the big "W" in the good column. Wins like that deserve a celebration, a celebration of chugging until the stomach churns. For a recap of the game click on the URL. Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:23:43 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288430 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288430 The Phillies offense has been in a funk lately but they did just enough to squeak past the Cardinals, 4-2, and earn a victory that snapped their four game losing streak. The game was tied 2-2 in the 8th inning when Ryan Howard hit a homer to break the tie and Pedro Feliz followed three batters later with a homer of his own to give the Phils a 2 run cushion. For Howard, it was his 25th of the season and that ties him with Chase Utley for the league lead. That homer also gives Howard 80 RBIs on the season which breaks the Phillies team record for most RBIs before the All-Star break. Howard also got a pair of hits in the game, raising his average to .231, the highest its been since April 5th, the 5th game of the season! Howard has really started to turn things around this month, hitting .361 with 5 homers and 12 RBIs in July. J.A. Happ put together a solid start, going 6 and 1/3rd innings and giving up only 2 earned runs. Happ walked 4 batters and gave up 5 hits, but he managed to pitch his way out of most of the jams. Seeing Happ go deeper into the game was a welcome sight, one that shows he may develop into a reliable starter sooner rather than later. Click the link for more, including video of Howard's homer. Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:36:30 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288317 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288317 Shane Victorino knocked in Pedro Feliz with a walk-off RBI single in the ninth, as the Phillies and their steadfast bullpen overcame a 2-0 deficit to outlast Johan Santana and the rival Mets at Citizens Bank Park. With his pitch count still at 95, Mets skipper Jerry Manuel elected to remove Santana, who had been dominant except for a pair of Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell RBI singles in the sixth. With Duaner Sanchez on in relief, Pedro Feliz roped... Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:35:48 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286805 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286805 Shane Victorino knocked in Pedro Feliz with a walk-off RBI single in the ninth, as the Phillies and their steadfast bullpen overcame a 2-0 deficit to outlast Johan Santana and the rival Mets at Citizens Bank Park. With his pitch count still at 95, Mets skipper Jerry Manuel elected to remove Santana, who had been dominant except for a pair of Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell RBI singles in the sixth. With Duaner Sanchez on in relief, Pedro Feliz roped... Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:35:48 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286805 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286805 It's amazing how quickly things can turn around. Heading into this week, things looked grim for the Phillies, who had lost 11 of their last 14 games and were losing their grip on first place. Now, following a three game sweep of the Braves, everything seems right again. Cole Hamels was the story of tonight's win, nearly shutting out Atlanta in a 4-1 win. Hamels was able to go 8 and 2/3rds innings without giving up a run before running into some trouble in the 9th that forced Tom Gordon to have to finish off the game. Hamels ended up giving up only 5 hits and 1 run while striking out 7 batters. It was good to see him have is first truly dominating performance since he struck out 13 Marlins back on June 11th. Offensively the Phillies relied on the longball, with Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pedro Feliz all hitting homers. Howard and Utley continue to be near the top of the league in both RBIs and homers, with Howard leading in RBIs and Utley leading in homers. The Phillies now set their sights on a four game series with their biggest rivals, the New York Mets. The series begins tomorrow with a tough pitching match-up as newly anointed starter J.A. Happ will take on Johan Santana. It should be an interesting series, with the Mets looking to get back in the race and the Phillies looking to put them away. Click the link for more, including highlights. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:28:58 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285657 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285657