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Friday, November 28, 2014

Philography: Dick Allen

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Dick Allen starred with the Phillies in the 1960's and returned in the mid-70's

Dick Allen belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Let's get that out of the way with right off the bat. I'm one of them, the growing list of supporters for this man to be enshrined there as a player.

He is a finalist on the 'Golden Era' ballot, which selects an old-timer once every three years. The results for that slot will be announced in a little over a week from now.

Allen was born on March 8th, 1942 in the middle of World War II out in Wampum, Pennsylvania, a tiny borough less than an hour from Pittsburgh, not far from the west-central state line.

Raised in a rural part of the state, Allen developed a love of horses early in life from his father. It would be a love that he would carry into and through adulthood, right up to the present day.

One of five boys raised in a mostly white town, he doesn't remember much personal experience with prejudice, despite the 1950's still being a time of segregation in much of the country.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Hanley and the Panda to Boston

The Boston Red Sox have agreed to longterm contracts with a pair of big name free agents, Hanley Ramirez and Pablo 'Kung Fu Panda' Sandoval.

MLB sources have told the Boston Globe that both deals are for 5 years, with Ramirez' in the $90 million and Sandoval in the $100 million range.

This is as clear a sign as any that the Bosox are not happy with having followed up their 2nd World Series title in 3 years in 2013 with their 2nd last place finish in 3 years in 2014.

While the adding of big name free agents is exciting for a fan base, the more important factors involve how those players will actually fit your current needs. The fact is that the Red Sox already owned a number of exciting offensive options, both in established players and in high-ceiling prospects.

The acquisition of both Ramirez and Sandoval brings a ton of risk to the organization at great monetary cost without addressing their most glaring need.

Friday, November 21, 2014

Philography: Jim Konstanty

Based on physical appearance, Jim Konstanty is one of the least likely looking winners of the National League Most Valuable Player award. But for the incredible ‘Whiz Kids’ team of 1950, that is exactly what the Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher became.
The right-hander pitched in parts of 13 big league seasons, 7 of those in Philly. The story of this bespectacled young man’s rise from the western New York farmland to MLB All-Star and MVP is worth knowing by any true Phils fan.
His real full name was Casimir James Konstanty, and he was born towards the tail end of World War I in the western New York farm country, raised there not far from Buffalo. In 1939 he graduated from Syracuse University, where he played basketball from 1936-39. His degree was in Physical Education, and so he then went to work as a P.E. instructor.
In 1941, already aged 24, the newlywed Konstanty tried out for and made the roster of the unaffiliated Eastern League baseball team in Springfield, Illinois. He didn’t have a lot of success as a pitcher, but showed enough that he was given a chance the following season with the Cincinnati Reds AA farm team in Syracuse.
Over the next couple of seasons his pitching improved, and in 1944 he was called up to Cincinnati. He had a nice rookie season with the Reds at age 27, going 6-4 over 112.2 innings spread over 20 games, including 12 starts, with 5 complete games and a 2.80 ERA.

Philography: Jim Konstanty

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NL MVP as the key pitching cog for the Phillies 'Whiz Kids' 1950 NL champions

Based on physical appearance, Jim Konstanty is one of the least likely looking winners of the National League Most Valuable Player award.

But for the incredible 'Whiz Kids' team of 1950, that is exactly what the Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher became.

The right-hander pitched in parts of 13 big league seasons, 7 of those in Philly. The story of this bespectacled young man's rise from the western New York farmland to MLB All-Star and MVP is worth knowing by any true Phils fan.

His real full name was Casimir James Konstanty, and he was born towards the tail end of World War I in the western New York farm country, raised there not far from Buffalo. In 1939 he graduated from Syracuse University, where he played basketball from 1936-39. His degree was in Physical Education, and so he then went to work as a P.E. instructor.

In 1941, already aged 24, the newlywed Konstanty tried out for and made the roster of the unaffiliated Eastern League baseball team in Springfield, Illinois. He didn't have a lot of success

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Phillies, Red Sox, Hamels

Cole Hamels traded by the Phillies to the Boston Red Sox for a package of young players and prospects.

It's a story that has been percolating for at least weeks, ever since Phillies acting President Pat Gillick publicly stated that the club likely would not win in 2015 or 2016.

Gillick has also publicly stated that everything is on the table. No player is untouchable. The Phils will explore every avenue in order to turn over the remainder of the holdovers from the recent era of excellence in hopes to move towards a bright future.

The Red Sox story has gained traction because it is true. Boston frankly is in desperate need of a starting pitcher of Hamels caliber. They have the pieces that it would take to get such a deal done. But getting the Phils and Bosox together

Friday, November 14, 2014

Philography: Placido Polanco

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Placido Polanco was the Phillies starting 2B and 3B at various points

An important cog in the Philadelphia Phillies lineup for 7 of the 11 seasons between 2002-2012, Placido Polanco can nonetheless be considered the hard-luck player in the Phillies decade of winning excellence to open the 21st century.

His two stints as a starter with the ball club, first in the early part of the decade when he was mostly used as the starting 2nd baseman, and then at the end as the starting 3rd baseman, sandwiched the 2008 World Series victory, of which he was not a part.

But Polanco's excellent play for the team in that long stretch cannot be overlooked. He brought steady professionalism, along with both winning play and a positive attitude. In the beginning, he helped the team realize it could compete with anyone. In the end,

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Top 10 Clutch Hits in Phillies History

Both of these sparkplugs made the "#Clutch10" cut
The game on the line. The series on the line. The season on the line.

These are the moments when not only talent, but mental toughness are required.

Facing the other team's ace starting pitcher, or lock-down setup man, or flame-throwing closer.

Whether their hits came with the Phillies backs to the proverbial wall, or a postseason series needing to be turned, or a Pennant needing to be clinched. Barely ahead and a nail needing to be put in the other team's coffin.

These are the Philadelphia Phillies franchise top 10 "clutch" hits. The biggest rips, the most key bloops and blasts, the cracks of the bat that brought Philly fans to their feet, whether in a ballpark or in their homes.

To reach a final Top 10 from among hundreds of big hits, there had to be a few basic criteria set. To even be considered, the hits had to come in either a postseason series or a pivotal game towards the end of a regular season.

Also, this is not necessarily a list of the most important hits in Phillies history. To me, such a list would absolutely include Pedro Feliz' single to drive in the winning run of the 2008 World Series, and Mike Schmidt's home run in Montreal to clinch the 1980 National League East crown.

Those two big hits made the list of about two dozen finalists for this Top 10. But I was looking for something more than the obvious big moment. The 10 who made the cut all had even more of an edge to them. More of that "we might not actually win this thing" feel prior to the hit.

Any list of this type is going to be subjective. Your own list will undoubtedly have a handful of different hits on it. The two just mentioned by Schmidt and Feliz will be there for many. There were so many clutch moments in 1980, 1993, 2008 and across club history. I hope this spurs your thoughts, comments, and some conversation.

There are hits here on my own list from 1950, 1981, and 2009. There are two each from 1993 and 2008. And there are three from the 1980 postseason. 7 of the 10 hits came on the road in 5 different cities. At home, two came at Citizens Bank Park, and one at The Vet.

And perhaps as a testament to the ability of a player to rise to the moment, the hits were registered by 10 different players. That was not contrived. I didn't realize it until I had settled on the final 10.

So here we go, one man's take on the all-time top 10 clutch hits in Philadelphia Phillies history, all but one of which I had the pleasure to experience as they happened during my lifetime:


10. George Vukovich: Saturday, October 10th, 1981
In 1981, a work stoppage had caused MLB to conduct a split-season format for the only time in history. The first half was won by the defending World Series champion Phillies in the NL East, the 2nd half by the young and talented Montreal Expos. The two teams then faced off in a National League Division Series at a time when normally no such series existed. Montreal had won the first 2 games of the best-of-5 series at home, putting the Phils in a desperate situation, backs to the wall. But the team played well in Game 3, winning back at Veteran's Stadium to stay alive. Now in Game 4 at The Vet, the Phillies needed to again win to stay alive and force a decisive 5th game. They built an early 4-0 lead, but the Expos came roaring back, and the game went to extra innings tied at 5-5. In the bottom of the 10th, George Vukovich stepped to the plate. No relation to Phillies Wall of Famer John, the left-handed hitter had just 91 plate appearances spread across parts of the 1980 and 1981 seasons to that point. Vukovich was leading off as a pinch-hitter for Phils closer Tug McGraw, facing Expos closer Jeff Reardon, who would be in his 4th inning of pitching, having set down 8 batters in a row. With the season hanging on the line, Vukovich came up big in his clutch moment. He blasted the only walkoff postseason homerun in Phillies history, winning the game and tying the series.

9. Lenny Dykstra: Monday, October 11th, 1993
The Phillies had gone worst-to-first from 1992 to 1993 in winning the NL East in wire-to-wire fashion. The "Macho Row" gang of mulleted misfits was still a heavy underdog to the 104-win Atlanta Braves. But this tough group, who had over the previous 6 months put on the single most consistently exciting and fun regular season that I still to this day have ever experienced, had typically battled Atlanta hard, confounding the experts in splitting the first four games of the best-of-7 NLCS. The Phils took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the 9th at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, and appeared poised to go back home up 3-2 in the series. But the Braves roared back to tie it up, nearly won it, and had all the momentum as the pivotal game moved to extra innings. With one out and nobody on in the top of the 10th, the man alternately known as "Nails" and "the Dude" stepped in against Atlanta's young fireballing righthander Mark Wohlers. Dykstra drove a supremely clutch homerun to steal away all the Atlanta momentum and put the Fightin's on top 4-3. Veteran Larry Anderson then came out of the bullpen in the bottom to shut the Braves down and win the game. Now up 3 games to 2, the Phillies would return home to complete the stunner and advance to the World Series for the first time in a decade.


The Flyin' Hawaiian delivered off C.C. Sabathia in 2008 NLDS
8. Shane Victorino: Thursday, October 2nd, 2008
At first blush, this might not appear to be such a clutch situation. The Phillies were on top of the Milwaukee Brewers already 1-0 in the NLDS. They were playing in front of a raucous home crowd at Citizens Bank Park. But they also were facing the Brewers hired gun, ace lefty C.C. Sabathia, who was obtained in a July trade for just such big games. Sabathia had gone 11-2 after coming from Cleveland to Milwakee in that deal. Coming into this game, the Brewers had every reason to expect to ride C.C. to the series-tying victory, heading back home all even and with all the momentum. The Phils had been swept out of the NLDS the year before by Colorado, and as yet had proven nothing in the postseason. The Brewers took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the 1st, and then Sabathia struck out both Chase Utley and Ryan Howard with Victorino in scoring position to end the Phillies half of the 1st. It looked like it might be a long night. But then the first piece of 2008 magic happened. With one out, the Phils got to Sabathia for the tying run, and then pitcher Brett Myers battled him hard for the most electrifying walk in club history. After another walk, Victorino stepped up with the bases loaded. If the Phils were going to ever get to Sabathia and win this key game, they could not afford to squander this opportunity. They wouldn't, as "The Flyin' Hawaiian" drove a grand slam to put the Phils on top 5-1 and send the crowd into a state of delirium. Myers would pitch a gem, and Victorino's slame would prove clutch, holding up for a 5-2 victory. The Phillies went up 2-0 in the best-of-5 series that would prove to be the first step on the road to a world championship.

7. Kim Batiste: Wednesday, October 6th, 1993
It was the opening game of the National League Championship Series between the upstart, worst-to-first Phillies (same team as the earlier Dykstra homer here), and the Phils were considered big underdogs to Atlanta by most observers. Curt Schilling pitched fantastic, and the Phils took a 3-2 lead into the 9th. However, the effort was squandered as the Braves tied it off closer Mitch 'Wild Thing' Williams, sending the game into extra innings. It appeared that the Phillies had wasted a golden opportunity to get a jump on the favored Braves. Williams was still in the game, and in the top of the 10th had a typical tightrope walk. He got the first two hitters easily, then gave up a single and double to put two runners in scoring position, then got a strike out for the third out. In the bottom of the 10th, the Phils needed to make something happen. With one out, John Kruk lined a double to right field off Braves closer Greg McMichael. Up stepped reserve infielder Kim Batiste, who had a good season coming off the bench. Batiste had come in for defensive purposes at 3rd base for Dave Hollins in the top of the 9th. The move by manager Jim Fregosi backfired almost immediately, as Batiste made a key error that helped Atlanta tie the score. Presented with this chance to atone for the error and deliver a huge victory, he came up clutch, drilling a hot shot double past 3rd baseman Terry Pendleton. Kruk came rumbling around to score the game-winner, and the Phils had a confidence building 4-3 walkoff victory.


Pete Rose bowled over Bruce Bochy on The Bull's big 1980 NLCS hit
6. Greg Luzinski: Saturday, October 11th, 1980
The veteran-laden Phillies were most certainly feeling the pressure in Game 4 of the best-of-5 NLCS vs the Houston Astros. After winning Game 1 thanks in large part to a massive home run from Luzinski, the Phils had dropped the next two. Now the Astrodome was rocking, as the Astros took a 2-0 lead into the top of the 8th, and appeared poised to advance to the World Series for the first time in franchise history. But the Phillies vets would prove resilient this entire postseason, and they rallied to go ahead 3-2. Houston was tough as well, and in front of the increasingly roaring crowd, the Astros rallied to tie in the bottom of the 9th, nearly winning it as well. The game headed to extra innings with the Phils season on the line. With one out, Pete Rose singled, but then Mike Schmidt lined out for the 2nd out of the inning. With two down, the Astros looked to the tough Joe Sambito to get the 3rd out, hoping they could come to bat trying to win the series. But the man known as "the Bull" had other ideas. One of the most senior of Phillies, Luzinski came through in the clutch, driving a Sambito offering for a hit into the gap. Rose charged around the bases. Hustling all the way from 1st, Pete came charging around 3rd, and then bowled into Astros catcher Bruce Bochy at the plate, knocking the ball away just as the throw arrived. Luzinski's double and Rose's hustling score had put the Phillies ahead 4-3. They would tack on another run, Tug McGraw would shut down Houston in the bottom of the 10th, and the Phils would force a decisive Game 5 in a series in which the final 4 games all went to extra innings.

5. Dick Sisler: Sunday, October 1st, 1950
Over nearly the entire first century of Phillies baseball, this was by far the biggest, most important, most "clutch" hit in franchise history. For 93 seasons from the organization's founding in 1883 until 1976, the Phils would reach the postseason just twice. In 1915, they had lost 4-1 to the Red Sox in the World Series. The "Whiz Kids", as these young 1950 Phillies had become known, came down the stretch in September holding the lead in the National League. In those days there were no divisions. A team had to come in first place in the NL to reach the World Series. The Phils led the league by 7 1/2 games as late as September 20th. But in losing 8 of their next 10 games, the lead had collapsed to just a single game over the Brooklyn Dodgers with one left to play between the two teams. If the Phils won, they would win just the team's 2nd-ever NL Pennant and head to the World Series. Lose, and Brooklyn would have forced a tie, and a playoff for that NL Pennant. The two teams battled hard, each scoring just a single 6th-inning run. In the bottom of the 9th, the Dodgers nearly had won it. Their first two hitters reached base. Then Duke Snider delivered what looked like the game-winning hit. But centerfielder Richie Ashburn saved the day. He charged and threw a strike to backup catcher Stan Lopata, who tagged out the sliding Cal Abrams. Pitcher Robin Roberts then wriggled out of the jam, and the Phils stayed alive. They came up in the top of the 10th knowing that they couldn't give the Dodgers many more chances. Two hits and a sacrifice brought Sisler to the plate. In his historic clutch moment, the Phils leftfielder drove a pitch from Don Newcombe over the wall for a 3-run homer and a 4-1 lead. Roberts set the Dodgers down in order in the bottom of the 10th, and the Phillies had won the National League Pennant on the final day of the season.
Dick Sisler's homer won the 1950 NL Pennant for the 'Whiz Kids'


4. Matt Stairs: Monday, October 13th, 2008
The Phillies had won the first two games of the NLCS at Citizens Bank Park, but LA won big in Game 3 at Dodger Stadium. In Game 4, they looked to tie up the best-of-7 series, and would then hold the home field advantage for Game 5 as well. Los Angeles appeared well on it's way to accomplishing that goal, taking a 5-3 lead into the top of the 8th. The Phils got a leadoff single, and Dodgers manager Joe Torre brought in reliever Corey Wade to face a series of Phils righty hitters. He got Pat Burrell to pop up to 2nd base for the first out. But then Shane Victorino stepped up and smacked a line-drive, game-tying blast that was his own 2nd huge clutch homer of the postseason. Wade remained in the game, getting the 2nd out, but then yielding a single. With 2 outs, a man on first, and the game still tied, Torre  then called on his big, flame-throwing righty setup man Jonathan Broxton. Phils skipper Charlie Manuel countered with big veteran lefty hitter Matt Stairs as a pinch-hitter for reliever Ryan Madson. Stairs drove a Broxton fastball "deep into the night", a long home run into the rightfield stands that was as clutch as could be, putting the Phillies on top 7-5. A key double play helped keep LA off the scoreboard in the bottom of the 8th, Brad Lidge closed the game out in the bottom of the 9th, and the Phils had a pivotal 3-1 lead in the series. Cole Hamels put the final nail in the LA coffin the following day, advancing the Phillies to the World Series for the first time in 15 years.

3. Jimmy Rollins: Monday, October 19th, 2009
The Phillies were the defending World Series champions entering this rematch with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. Just as a year earlier, the Phils took 2 of the first 3. But this time, game 4 was at Citizens Bank Park. Having that home crowd didn't help. Just as a year earlier in the same pivotal 4th game between the teams, the Dodgers took a lead into the late stages looking to tie the series up. As the Phils came to bat in the bottom of the 9th, they would take their last hacks, the true benefit of the home game. As fate would have it they were facing Jonathan Broxton, the man who Stairs had omered off the previous year in our "Clutch Hit #4" above. Broxton had now become the LA closer. With one out, Charlie Manuel tried to see if lightening could strike twice, sending Stairs again in to pinch-hit against the big Dodger. But this time there was no key home run. The wily veteran Stairs did, however, work a walk. So the tying run was now on base. Manuel sent Eric Bruntlett in to pinch-run for Stairs, and after Carlos Ruiz was hit by a pitch, the tying run moved into scoring position. Broxton got pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs to line out to 3rd base for the 2nd out. The Phillies were down to their last hitter, still trailing by a run, with LA needing just this final out to tie the series and take the momentum. The only one standing in their way was the Phillies senior player and leader, shortstop Jimmy Rollins. Batting left-handed against the power righty, the switch-hitting JRoll shot a clutch double into the right-centerfield gap. Bruntlett scored the tying run, and as Citizens Bank Park erupted in a bedlam that was becoming almost commonplace in that era, Ruiz scored the game-winner. Just as the previous season, the Phils had a near-miraculous win and an improbable 3-1 lead in the series. Just as the previous season, they would wrap it up the following game behind Hamels to advance to the World Series.

2. Garry Maddox: Saturday, October 11th, 1980
For my money, the best-of-five 1980 National League Championship Series between the Phillies and the Houston Astros remains the greatest NLCS in history. The Phils won a tight opener 3-1 behind a Steve Carlton gem, and each of the next four games were decided in extra innings. The 4th game, in which the Phillies rallied from behind to gain a 2-2 tie, was the subject of "Clutch Hit #6" on this list from Greg Luzinski. Thanks to that hit, the Phils had forced this 5th and deciding game, one that would ultimately yield a handful of incredible clutch hits. But at the start, the Astros were sending power ace and future Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan to the mound. The Phils were countering with a rookie, Marty Bystrom. The matchup clearly favored Houston. Bystrom, as he did that entire September and October, battled into the 6th inning and kept the team in the game, leaving with the score still tied at 2-2. But Houston then roped around Phils veteran Larry Christenson in the 7th to set up the living legend Ryan with a 5-2 lead heading into the top of the 8th. That inning has become legendary in Phillies lore. The team managed to load the bases off Ryan without hitting a ball out of the infield. The events unfolded in such incredulous fashion as to seemingly unnerve the usually unflappable Ryan. It didn't help that the similarly unflappable Pete Rose was at the plate. Rose worked a based loaded walk, and the Astros lead was down to 5-3. Manager Bill Virdon took out the clearly shaken Ryan, who still had not been hit hard by the Phils, and brought in Joe Sambito. The reliever got pinch-hitter Keith Moreland to ground out, with another run scoring on the play. The chess game then continued with Virdon bringing in starting pitcher Bob Forsch to face Mike Schmidt. Forsch won, getting the Phils slugger to strike out looking. Now there were two outs, and the Astros still held the lead at 5-4. The Phillies were down to their final 4 outs. Phils manager Dallas Green then made his move in the chess game, sending up lefty pinch-hitter Del Unser to face the righty Forsch. Unser delivered a clutch hit of his own, singling to rightfield to score Greg Gross with the tying run. Up stepped Manny Trillo, who would be named the MVP of this NLCS for moments just like this one. The Phils 2nd baseman ripped a ball down the left field line for the 8th inning's umpteenth clutch hit. Ramon Aviles scored the go-ahead run, and Unser scampered all the way around from 1st as Trillo slid head-first into 3rd base. The 2-run triple had put the Phillies on top 7-5. Incredibly though, it wouldn't end up a game-winner. The Astros tied it in the bottom of the 9th, and the game entered extras. In the top of the 10th, Unser hit a one-out double, but when Trillo flew out easily to center there were two outs. One more, and the Astros would come up to try and win the series in their half of the 10th. That's when Maddox became a clutch hero. He roped a punch-shot base hit to centerfield, with Unser scoring the go-ahead run as the ball fell in, with Maddox running all the way and reaching 2nd for a double. Dick Ruthven, usually a starting pitcher, had come in and retired Houston in order in the bottom of the 9th to send it to extras. Now he did the same in the bottom of the 10th, and the Phillies were National League champions for the first time in 30 years.

Del Unser delivered the most clutch hit in Phillies history in the 1980 World Series
1. Del Unser: Sunday, October 19th, 1980
The events of the previous hit had put the Phils in the World Series for just the 3rd time in their franchise history. The first in 1915 ended in a 4-1 loss to Boston after winning the opener, and in 1950 the "Whiz Kids" had been swept out by the Yankees dynasty. These veteran, resilient 1980 Phillies quickly put an end to the franchise' Fall Classic losing skid by taking the first two games in Philly. But the talented Kansas City Royals led by Hall of Famer George Brett, slugging 1st baseman Willie Mays Aikens, speedster Willie Wilson, and unflappable vets like Amos Otis, Hal McRae, and Frank White then returned home and won the next two at Royals Stadium to even things up. This Game 5 would be the pivotal contest that would put one of these teams to within a game of their first-ever franchise championship. The Royals appeard to have it. They entered the 9th inning leading 3-2, and had side-arming closer Dan Quisenberry on the hill. Mike Schmidt led off with a hot-shot single off George Brett to put the tying run on for the Phils, and Green sent Del Unser up to pinch-hit for Lonnie Smith. As he had so many times that postseason, Unser delivered, ripping a ball down the rightfield line. Schmidt, an underrated baserunner, was off and running, never slowing as he rolled all the way around, sliding in with the game-tying run. On with his clutch double, Unser was sacrificed to 3rd by Keith Moreland. He had to hold there when Garry Maddox grounded out to 3rd base. But then with one out, Manny Trillo shot a ball right back at Quisenberry. The hotshot ricocheted off the KC closer and rolled away as Unser scored what would turn out to be the winning run. Tug McGraw, almost out of gas and pitching in this 3rd inning of relief, walked three batters in the bottom of the 10th. But when he struck out ex-Phil Jose Cardenal swinging, the Phillies had the huge 4-3 win, and a 3-2 lead in the series. They would now head back to Philadelphia for Game 6, and a date with history and destiny. Unser's hit was clutch in every way in it's own right in the course of a baseball game. But that it came in this game, with the Phillies never having won a World Series in their 98-year history, tying the pentultimate game in the final frame and leading to the winning run, makes it, for my money, the greatest clutch hit in Phillies franchise history.

What's yours?

Friday, November 7, 2014

Philography: Von Hayes

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Phillies obtained Von Hayes from the Indians in exchange for a five-player/prospect package

For Phillies fans who were around at the time, the rationale for the trade by GM Paul Owens with the Cleveland Indians that brought Von Hayes to town following the 1982 season seemed sound.

The Phils had been regular contenders for the better part of the period from 1975-1981, a seven year string of success that had yielded a World Series championship, 4 N.L. East titles, and even a split-season title in the work stoppage season of 1981.

In 1982, the Phillies had not been far off. They finished 89-73, just 3 games behind the Saint Louis Cardinals in the N.L. East. The Cards went on to win the World Series that season. But even prior to that 1982 season, the organization had begun the turnover from the 70's core to a new generation of players.

They said goodbye to 1980 World Series heroes Larry Bowa, Bob Boone, Bake McBride, Keith Moreland, and Dickie Noles as well as manager Dallas Green. Coming in to Philly were starting pitcher Mike Krukow and shortstop Ivan DeJesus.

Krukow joined with holdovers Steve Carlton, John Denny, and Dick Ruthven to give the team an enviable pitching rotation, but the team's offensive core was limited and aging. Mike Schmidt and Garry Maddox were 32, Gary Matthews and Manny Trillo were 31, and Pete Rose was now 41 years old.

So the deal with Cleveland was to land the Phils a near-ready, high ceiling offensive outfielder. Hayes fit the bill perfectly. At the time of the trade on December 9th, 1982 he was a 23-year old coming off his first full season in the Majors.

A 7th round pick of the Tribe in the 1979 Draft out of Saint Mary's (CA) College, he could run, hit, field, and hit for power. At the minor league level, he played 2 full seasons. As a 21-year old in his first pro season at A-Waterloo in 1980, Hayes hit .329 with a .405 on-base percentage. He showed his power/speed combo with 15 homers, 90 rbi, 51 steals, and 105 runs scored.

Hayes skipped AA completely, and in 1981 at AAA-Charleston hit .314 with a .401 on-base percentage, 10 homers, 73 rbi, and 34 steals in almost 120 fewer plate appearances than the year before. His performance resulted in a promotion to the Indians, and it would be a decade until, late in his career, he saw another minor league appearance.

After getting his feet wet over the last couple months of the 1981 season in Cleveland, his first full 1982 season resulted in 14 homers, 82 rbi, and 32 steals. The Phillies scouts had seen enough, and Owens pulled the trigger during the off-season in what would become one of the more controversial and discussed deals in team history.

The problem with the deal, at least as far as the media was concerned, was not with the player coming to the club, but in the price paid to land Hayes. The media hung the handle "Five-for-one" on Hayes to recognize that the Phils gave up 5 players in order to bring this one individual to the organization.

The package headed to Cleveland included longtime popular World Series hero 2nd baseman Manny Trillo, starting rightfielder George Vukovich, and a trio of prospects: infielder Julio Franco, pitcher Jay Baller and infielder Jerry Willard. To many, this seemed a steep price to pay, and the deal would be criticized for years. But the fact is, when evaluated fairly, the Phillies got the better end.

In his first season with the Phillies, Hayes split time at all three outfield spots, playing mostly in rightfield. He got just 392 plate appearances, stealing 20 bases, for a Phils team that put on a late charge to win the N.L. East and eventually reach the World Series. Hayes saw limited postseason action, going 0-5 as a pinch-hitter and defensive replacement. He appeared in the first four games of the World Series that was eventually lost to the Orioles 4-1.

In 1984, Hayes played his first full Phillies season. It was the first of four consecutive years, and five of six, in which he would appear in at least 152 games. He hit .292, stole 48 bases, drove 16 homers, and drove in 67 while scoring 85 times. He tailed off in 1985, with his average (.263), homers (13), runs (76), and especially his steals (21) all dropping.

Meanwhile, the Phillies were also collapsing. In 1984 the club finished exactly at .500, with an 81-81 record and in 4th place. In '85 they dropped even further, to 75-87 and 5th place. As the championship era faded further into the past, Von Hayes, who was supposed to lead the charge into the future, became a poster boy for the team's struggles with his own personal struggles. The nickname "Five-for-One" became a full-blown insult thrown in his face at every turn.

Hayes did have a bright moment in 1985. On June 11th that season, Hayes led off with a homerun against New York Mets pitcher Tom Gorman. The Phillies batted around, and Hayes came up again. In his 2nd at-bat of the opening frame, Hayes again homered, this time off Mets reliever Calvin Schiraldi. He thus became the first player in MLB history to hit 2 homeruns in the 1st inning of a game. The Phils won 26-7, the most runs scored by a team in MLB in more than 40 years.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

2014 Best of MLB Awards

Trout, Kershaw are AL and NL POY respectively
It's that time of year again, awards season in Major League Baseball. And this site will be no exception.

This year for the first time, with the renewed emphasis on baseball, I am announcing the first-ever "Best of MLB" awards honorees.

In all, honorees are being named for both the National League and the American League in each of 9 categories, one for each inning in a ballgame: Player of the Year, Starting Pitcher, Relief Pitcher, Offensive Player, Defensive Player, Rookie, Comeback Player, Breakout Player, and Manager.

For the most part, these awards were not subjective. I went to FanGraphs, looked up overall regular season WAR values, and gave the awards to the highest players in their categories. In 2-3 other categories, I weighted those numbers heavily in deciding the honorees. Remember, the honors are based on the regular season.

If you follow baseball, you already know these players and are well aware of the excellence of each of their 2014 season performances. So not much extra commentary is needed. But I did want to make just a few comments on some of the honors.

First, my selection of Cincinnati Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton as the top National League Rookie over New York Mets pitcher Jake deGrom. These were clearly the two most impactful rookies in the league this season. I chose Hamilton, who had a higher WAR value, feeling that his everyday impact as a centerfielder was greater than deGrom's weekly impact as a starting pitcher.

For the American League Starting Pitcher honors, Cleveland's Corey Kluber beat out a strong field that included 'King' Felix Hernandez, David Price, Phil Hughes, and Jon Lester. Kluber was the #2 player in all of baseball in individual WAR, while the others rated 11-14 respectively. All tremendous, but one clearly above the rest.

Corey Kluber, AL's top starting pitcher

At the A.L. Reliever spot, what a horse race. The honor went to Yankees RP Dellin Betances in a very close race with the Royals excellent setup man Wade Davis. While Davis rightfully received a lot of publicity due to KC's postseason run, Betances was every bit as dominant in the regular season, and simply finished with a higher WAR value.

Also, I wanted to single out the Breakout Player winners. What a season for both Michael Brantley and Anthony Rendon, 5th and 6th in all of baseball in overall WAR numbers. The 27-year old Brantley has been one of those "good not great" contributing types, and elevated his game. The 24-year old Rendon stayed healthy in his first true full season and served notice that he should be one of the game's best into the future.

On defense, Boston's Jackie Bradley Jr was the best defensive outfielder in the game this season, and that includes Lorenzo Cain. Only two facts: his poor offense, and that his poor offense kept him from playing every day, all year long with the Red Sox, kept him from what should have been an easy Gold Glove win. If you don't know, watch him closely. He's the kind of player who, with the right offense around him, impacts a game enough defensively to overcome the offensive shortcomings. He should be starting somewhere every day.

Finally, the NL Manager of the Year. Keep in mind, this was a regular season honor, so Bruce Bochy's great postseason run to a 3rd World Series did not factor. But the job that 'Donny Baseball' did in winning the NL West in LA with a frequently dysfunctional core under tremendous pressure to win got him the nod.

Don Mattingly skippered Dodgers to NL West crown


Without further ado, here are the 2014 'Best of MLB' awards honorees:

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
NL - Clayton Kershaw, SP, LA Dodgers
AL - Mike Trout, OF, LA Angels

OFFENSIVE PLAYER
NL - Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh
AL - Mike Trout, Los Angeles

STARTING PITCHER
NL - Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles
AL - Corey Kluber, Cleveland

RELIEF PITCHER
NL - Aroldis Chapman, Cincinnati
AL - Dellin Betances, New York

DEFENSIVE PLAYER
NL - Andrelton Simmons, SS, Atlanta
AL - Jackie Bradley Jr, CF, Boston

COMEBACK PLAYER
NL - Johnny Cueto, SP, Cincinnati
AL - Chris Young, SP, Seattle

BREAKOUT PLAYER
NL - Anthony Rendon, 2B/3B, Washington
AL - Michael Brantley, OF, Cleveland

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
NL - Billy Hamilton, CF, Cincinnati
AL - Jose Abreu, 1B, Chicago

MANAGER
NL - Don Mattingly, Los Angeles
AL - Buck Showalter, Baltimore

Monday, November 3, 2014

Ryne Sandberg: Hall of Famer

Sandberg became Hall of Famer with the Cubs
Many Phillies fans are not yet sold on the team’s current manager, Ryne Sandberg, as far as his ability to skipper a winning team. After all, his record as a manager at the MLB level is not impressive to this point.

Since replacing Charlie Manuel in August of 2013, Sandberg’s managerial record is 93-111. The team finished in last place in 2014, his first full season at the helm.

For Phils fans used to winning for more than a decade from 2001 through 2011, a last place finish is hard to swallow.

And in replacing the affable, down-home, World Series-winning “Uncle Charlie”, Sandberg’s more quiet intensity has been even more difficult for the fans to warm up to than were Manuel’s countrified stylings.

Younger fans, pretty much any fan below the age of 30 and most under-35, don’t remember Sandberg as a player. And many fans who were around may simply not remember just how good a player the man was during the 1980’s and much of the 1990’s.

With a greater appreciation of his background, perhaps we can give him a little longer leash in managing the club today.

Midwest Getting Managerial Gems

Molitor to Twins, Maddon to Cubs
Over the next two days, two of baseball's best, as well as two of my own personal favorite baseball people, will take over new challenges.

On Monday, the Chicago Cubs will introduce Joe Maddon as their new manager. On Tuesday, the Minnesota Twins will do the same with Paul Molitor.

The 60-year old Maddon is a former 2-time American League Manager of the Year while with the Tampa Bay Rays, whom he led to the 2008 A.L. Pennant. In 9 seasons under his guidance, the Rays accumulated a 781-729 record, winning the A.L. East crown in 2008 and 2010. The club also reached the playoffs as an A.L. Wildcard team in both 2011 and 2013 under Maddon.

Prior to Tampa, Maddon was with the Angels for over three decades, working his way through the organization as a coach and manager in their minor leagues, a scout, and finally an assistant coach with the major league club. He was a member of the Angels coaching staff during the 2002 season in which the team won the only World Series title in franchise history.

Molitor is a Baseball Hall of Famer as a player. The 58-year old is a Saint Paul native who was an All-American at the University of Minnesota, and who also played for his hometown Twins at the tail end of his career from 1996-98, then was a bench coach with the club for three seasons. He returned as an assistant with the Twins a year ago.

Molitor began his playing career with the Milwaukee Brewers, where over 15 seasons he had a career .303 batting average, amassing over 2,000 hits and helping lead the franchise to it's only-ever World Series berth in 1982. Moving to the Toronto Blue Jays from 1993-95, he was the 1993 World Series MVP as the Jays won their 2nd straight championship.

In 1997, Molitor was named to MLB's All-Time Team, and he was elected to the Hall of Fame on his first ballot of eligibility in 2004. In all he played 21 seasons between his Milwaukee, Toronto, and Minnesota years. He accumulated 3,319 hits, had a career .306 average, and stole 504 bases. Molitor was a 7-time All-Star and also a 4-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award.

Always two of my personal favorites, in the longtime fantasy baseball keeper/dynasty league that I have participated in since 1998 we name managers for our squad. Molitor was my manager from 1999-2002, the last two of those seasons reaching the Finals, and the 2002 team winning the league championship.

After getting off to a slow start in this past season, I replaced managers, naming Maddon to the post. The team took off, nearly winning a division crown and reaching the playoffs. He will be the manager now into the future for my Philadelphia Athletics.

The fans in both Chicago and Minnesota are getting men who have paid their dues as players and coaches. Both baseball lifers, they also bring strong communication skills as well as a high level of intelligence to their new teams.

They are also each going to organizations with highly skilled young players coming through their farm systems, and so should be getting good talent sooner rather than later in trying to turn around recently losing records at the MLB level.


Sunday, November 2, 2014

AJ & KK: Innings Don't Grow on Trees

Kendrick and Burnett were healthy rotation regulars in 2014
There has been a thought process floating around in some baseball circles that the more innings a team can get from it's starting rotation, the more likely the team will have success.

One school of thought has floated the number of 1,000 innings as a goal for a starting rotation. If a team's starters can accumulate 1,000 innings during a season, the team will usually win.

Most teams won't reach the mark. Per KC Royals writer Craig Brown, between 2003-2012 just 1 in 5 teams reached the mark. 34% of those teams reached the postseason. More importantly, those teams averaged 87.4 wins among them. Clearly, the more innings your rotation gives, the better your chance of contending.

In 2014, the World Series champion San Francisco Giants starting pitchers totaled 978 innings pitched. But remember, the Giants won 88 games in the regular season, finishing in 2nd place, 6 games behind the Dodgers and tied for the NL Wildcard spots. The Dodgers got 972.2 innings from their starters.

In 2014, in the NL East Division, among the Phillies rivals, the division-winning Washington Nationals had the best record in the entire National League, and totaled 1,019 innings from their starters.

The 2014 Phillies rotation, believe it or not, did indeed top the magic 1,000 mark. The Phils rotation members were able to go 1,014 innings for the team this season. That's with Cliff Lee injured and only able to make 13 starts, contributing just 81.1 innings himself to the effort.