http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/975 Recent articles about Chris Coste en-us 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 With fresh faces on the way for their series in New York, could a catching move also be in the cards for the Phillies? Aside from injuries, teams usually stay the course behind the plate. Heck, if Sal Fasano, Mike Lieberthal and Rod Barajas hadn't been hurt at various points the last few seasons, Chris Coste would have never been given a shot. Looks can be deceiving, but just a hunch that Coste is now the injured party. Following that... Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:00:40 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293508 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293508 The struggles of Carlos Ruiz are well documented, but yesterday, Chris Coste snapped his own 0-for-24. They have five combined hits in July. Driving home from work, I had to agree with Howard Eskin's blunt observation of Chris Coste: "He's fried." The 35-year-old backstop is the first to admit he can't carry the load, and lately, it appears the extra duty has taken a heavy toll. It's been a while since he's really driven a ball hard. Between the two,... Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:19:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290406 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290406 The struggles of Carlos Ruiz are well documented, but yesterday, Chris Coste snapped his own 0-for-24. They have five combined hits in July. Driving home from work, I had to agree with Howard Eskin's blunt observation of Chris Coste: "He's fried." The 35-year-old backstop is the first to admit he can't carry the load, and lately, it appears the extra duty has taken a heavy toll. It's been a while since he's really driven a ball hard. Between the two,... Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:19:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290406 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290406 The Phillies go in search of a series win this afternoon at 1:05. Braden Looper (9-6, 4.14) and Jamie Moyer (7-6, 4.12) have the ball. Lineups have been posted. Geoff Jenkins gets the start in right field. Chris Coste does the catching. Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:39:19 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288610 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288610 On Sunday night, Iron Pigs starter Les Walrond made history. The left-hander became the first pitcher in Lehigh Valley's history to throw a complete game as the Iron Pigs beat the Louisville Bats 4-3. What's more impressive is Walrond struck out 17, an International League season-high, and Iron Pigs team record. With all the talk of the issues with the Phillies rotation, and who at Triple A might get the call to Philadelphia, Walrond is never a name you hear mentioned. You hear J.A. Happ, Travis Blackley, even Brian Mazzone, but no Walrond. It begs the question, who is Les Walrond? Walrond was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 13th round of the 1998 draft. After spending five seasons in the Cardinals farm system where he went 31-35, Walrond was claimed by the Kansas City Royals. In late 2003, Walrond made his debut with the Royals, and appeared in 7 games, going 0-2 with a 10.19 ERA. The following season he spent in the Royals system, then was signed by the Marlins in 2004. In 2006 he made it again to the majors, this time with the Cubs. In 10 appearances Walrond went 0-1 with a 6.23 ERA. After spending the entire 2007 campaign at Iowa (the Cubs AAA affiliate), where he went 11-5, Walrond began the 2008 season back at Iowa, but was claimed off waivers by the Phillies this May. Now 31, Walrond is still trying to make it to the major leagues. He's 3-7 on the season with a 3.44 ERA. With all the chaos in the Phillies rotation is there a chance he gets a shot? It's probably a long one. Given his age, the Phillies would probably bring up a prospect before handing the ball to a journeyman. Walrond is in a similar position that catcher Chris Coste was. When you're in the minor for such a long time and are no longer considered a prospect, the odds of you getting a shot are remote. Regardless, if Walrond continues to post 17 strikeout performances, he'll begin to turn some heads, even if it's not with the Phillies. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:19:49 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287168 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287168 Manny Ramirez is out of Boston's lineup when the visiting Red Sox face Kyle Kendrick (6-2, 4.54) and the Phillies in the rubber match of their three-game set. Rookie Justin Masterson (3-1, 2.90) goes for Boston. Lineups have been posted: Geoff Jenkins, Greg Dobbs and Carlos Ruiz earn starts against the right-hander. Unless Chris Coste is hurt, Ruiz's insertion in the starting lineup, after the night game in which he went 0-for-3, says a lot about the importance of his... Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:37:16 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279441 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279441 This week's most recommended Waiver Wire pickups from FFToolbox, The Hardball Times, Yahoo! Sports, and CBS Sports. Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:13:21 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/276099 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/276099 The Phils have an off day, so we have an extra day savor the sweep of the Braves. Enjoy two of my favorite plays from the weekend. The Kelly Johnson dropped 2 out 9th inning Chris Coste pop-up, and the Shane Victorino riffle to the plate to gun down Gregor Blanco. -------------------------- Chris Snelling Snelling has two hits this year separated by 2 months - a 9th inning homer in a 4-3 win over the Astros and a 10th inning double in a 4-3 win over the Braves. Could Snelling help the Phils on a more consistant basis? I don't know, but I'd like to see him get more of a chance. I drafted a post a few weeks ago about my disdain for So Taguchi and my hope that somebody would take his place. He then went out and had 3 hits against the Rockies and I scrapped the piece. But unless Taguchi breaks out of his funk, I'm going to be calling for Snelling to be that person to replace So. -------------------------- Mets 30-32 Not be overlooked this weekend is the Padres 4 game sweep of the Mets. And the icing on this cupcake - The Rat gave up a 3-run homer in the 8th when the Mets were holding a lead. Beautiful. Mon, 09 Jun 2008 05:46:03 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275992 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275992 Thank goodness I didn't push the power button on the remote when Chris Coste hit what should have been the game ending pop-up, because I would have missed one helluva finish to the game. Braves second baseman Kelly Johnson drops the ball allowing Eric Bruntlett to score, but did throw Pedro Feliz out at the plate, thus ending the top of the 9th with the score tied 2-2. Tom Gordon worked a scoreless frame in the bottom of the 9th, then magic-maker Shane Victorino stole the show in the 10th. Chris Snelling doubles, Jimmy Rollins sacrifice bunts, Vic triples (2nd of the game), Chase Utley doubles...Phils up 4-2. Then in the bottom of the 10th Brad Lidge surrenders what looks to be a game-tying single, but Vic guns the 2nd runner down at home plate to save the game and Phils triumph in the series opener in what is going to be just one tough game in a series of tough games. Starting with last night, the Phils are set to play 35 games before the All-Star break and every single club they face has a record of .500 or better (thanks scheduling geniuses!). That truly was a great game last night. Jamie Moyer pitched well, Tim Hudson was dominating, Phils bullpen was good, Pat Burrell and Vic threw men out at the plate, home plate umpire was getting bitched at from both dugouts, Brian McCann showed why he's one of the best young catchers in baseball...just a great game, and made all the greater because the Phils won and gained ground in the NL East (now up 3.5 on the Fish). Notes: *Bobby Cox is a fun manager to watch. He's the smartest manager I've ever had the pleasure of viewing on the diamond, and he really goes off when he thinks an ump makes a questionable call. *Jayson Werth may be activated from the DL today just in time to be slotted into the starting lineup as the Braves toss lefty Jo-Jo Reyes at us tonight. Poor Chris Snelling is likely ticketed to Lehigh Valley. Snelling has sparked two victories with pinch-hits this season, 1 against the Astros and the other being just last night. *Run differential is a stat that many use to judge the true effectiveness of a team, because it takes into a account for offensive, pitching, and defense. Through 63 games the Phils have outscored their opponents 332-260 for a run differential of 72 runs...wow! Sat, 07 Jun 2008 06:27:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275540 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275540 3 up and 3 down from another Phils win: 3 Up: 1. Eaton's on a roll! Meet your new ace of the Phillies, Adam Eaton. 2. Burrell supplies the offense: Pat Burrell had the big hit on the night, a two-run blast in the 6th inning that proved to be the game winner. 3. The bullpen holds another lead: If Chase Utley is the team MVP then the bullpen has to be a close second. 3 Down: 1. Utley goes homerless: Chase Utley failed in his attempt to break the Phillie record of consecutive games with a homer when all he did was go 2 for 3 with a double, an RBI and 1 run scored. Utley should be ashamed that he didn't hit a homer and was only able to muster a broken bat RBI single. 2. Howard keeps swinging and missing: Like I said before, this team will really take off (as if it hasn't already) when Pat Burrell and Ryan Howard get hot at the same time. Howard went 0 for 4 tonight, striking out 2 more times. 3. Manuel benches Coste: One day after Chris Coste hits his 6th homer of the season, Carlos Ruiz gets the start behind the plate tonight and goes 0 for 4. Hey, Charlie, play the hot bat! Keep Coste in the line-up! Click the link for more on the game, including video highlights. Tue, 03 Jun 2008 21:58:40 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/274065 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/274065 Last week Corey posted a piece on original gangster Bob Apodaca titled Rock Out With Your Pitching Coach Out, due to the inordinate amount of visits to the mound by the Rockies pitching coach. Today I focus on the age old skill of rocking out with your rooster out, which is exactly what the Phils have been doing over the last week. In the matter of a week span I've gone from watching the Phils as a formality to gaping with amazement waiting for the next game. Chase Utley is awesome, Mr. Awesome. For the second time this season he has put together a streak of 5 straight games with a homer, and leads all of baseball with 21. Pete Happy and Coast-to-Coste also went deep to lead the Phils to a 5-4 victory over phenom Jay Bruce and the Reds. The number 14 also played a factor in the ball game with Vic extending his hit streak to 14 games and Lights-out-Lidge notching save 14. Kendrick even managed to pick up the win (#5) despite having nearly every ball hit hard off of him. Overall, it was a great game and Charlie Manuel did a damn fine job managing...as he's shockingly done for the better part of this season. Rock Out/New Tunes: *Pennywise- Reason to Believe *Weezer- Red Album *The Offspring- Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace *H2O- Nothing to Prove Tue, 03 Jun 2008 06:01:30 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/273695 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/273695 Another great win by the Phillies, 5-4 over the Reds, capped by Chase Utley once again going yard. With this article, I am starting something new: after every Phillies game I will post 3 Up and 3 Down, where I highlight the good and the bad from the game. 3 Up: 1. Chase Utley = MVP Another day, another homer for Chase Utley. 2. Feliz and Coste go back to back Pedro Feliz and Chris Coste did their best Chase Utley impersonation in the 4th inning when they hit back to back home runs. 3. Man-child Jay Bruce continues torrid hitting 3 Down: 1. Kendrick has a weak outing 2. Howard strikes out two more times 3. Lidge fails to strike out the side in the 9th So I am grasping for another negative here, but in picking up his 14th save of the season, Brad Lidge only struck out two batters in the 9th instead of all three. Get it together, Lidge! Click the link for more on the game, including video highlights of Utley's homer and the back-to-back shots. Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:57:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/273596 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/273596 Wake up party people, it's Saturday and the Phils are in 1st place in the NL East. Last night they triumphed over the previous holders of the top spot in the NL East, Florida Marlins, to the tune of 12-3...nice! Screw the Marlins, screw the Braves, screw the Mets, and screw the gNats; the Phils are in 1st and 1st is where they plan to stay (of course that means they must win tonight). Brett Myers gets scored upon more in the 1st inning (7 straight games) than a female dog in heat, but after surrendering the 3 runs last night he settled in nicely to end up going 8 strong with 11 k's and earning his first victory since April 17th. Still has horrible numbers on the year, but just like Eaton, we can only hope this game made it all "click". Chase Utley continues to be Mr. Awesome. I know that's a gay nickname, but it's very fitting because the man is simply awesome. Blasted MLB leading homerun 18 last night and is currently sporting these fantabulous stats: .312 avg, 44 r, 16 dbl, 18 hr, 48 rbi, and 1.041 OPS. Like I said, Mr. Awesome. Ryan Howard has his average up to .209, and pretty soon we'll be able to replace the Mendoza Watch (in the upper right sidebar) with something like Amazing Feats of Chris Coste. Shane Victorino is riding an 11 game hit streak, but apparently he's still not a "starter" because he never got the official vote of confidence from Manuel like Werth did. There's something to be said about comfort in consistency. Although the Phils pitching staff hasn't be lights out by any standard, they have been reliable in the fact that no member of the staff has seen DL time this year or been demoted. Phils are the only team in MLB to use only 5 starting pitchers this season. The bullpen, best in MLB, has been great too, even mop-up boy Clay Condrey (considering his role and all). Quick #'s: Phils are 2nd in MLB with 305 runs (Cubs 1st). Phils are 1st in MLB with 82 longballs. Phils 1st in stolen base success rate with 85%, thank you Davey Lopes! Staff era of 3.97, would have never predicted that entering the season. Cole Hamels (5-3, 3.18) vs. Ricky Nolasco (4-3, 4.70) tonight at the Cit, 7:05. Go Phils! Sat, 31 May 2008 07:30:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272711 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272711