Now that it has been I few days, I have been able to process my thoughts.  Not sure that is necessarily a good thing in this case…

Ok, I get that the Phillies needed a right-handed power corner.  Then Ruben Amaro Jr signed Delmon Young.  He is NOT the right-handed power-bat that was needed.

Photo Credit: Steve Trapani

There are a few reason why he is not:

1) A Power-bat was needed!

For the most people’s definition, a power-bat is someone that can hit a lot of homeruns.  Delmon Young hits some.  Last year he hit 18.  Umm…  Yeah, 18.  In 151 games.  Let’s put that into perspective: Ryan Howard hit 14 in 71 games,

Let’s look at his slugging next.  Young’s slugging was .411, Howard’s was .423.

Oh… umm… Ok.

How about On Base Percentage?  Young= .296,  Howard= .295.

So they are even there.

Walks?  Young = 20,  Howard = 25.

FUN!!

So why did I compare the two?  Ryan Howard is the epitome of a power-bat.  High strike-outs, but high power.  I used Howard’s numbers from last year because that was his worst year overall.

It was also to prove that a healthy Delmon Young does not even match up to an un-healthy Ryan Howard.

» Continue reading “Seriously Ruben?!?! Delmon Young?!?!”

Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay are pitchers on a level with very few other pitchers.

However, they can’t pitch every game so the rest of the pitchers in the Phillies starting rotation were   Kyle Kendrick,  Vance Worley, Joe Blanton and a variety of other pitchers.

Kyle Kendrick

Photo Credit: Steve Trapani

I have serious issues with Kyle Kendrick.  I mean, I have written often about my despise for him and well, it’s still there.

However, I have to give credit where credit is due:  Kendrick pitched pretty decently for the most part in 2012. (Pauses to stop the convulsions that accompanied with writing that statement.)

Ok, I’m back.  And still alive, I think.

Kendrick bounced between the bullpen and the starting rotation all season, finally solidifying a spot when Joe Blanton was traded to the Dodgers.

He finished the season with 3.90 ERA and stepped up at times when the Phillies had serious needs.  He pitched a couple of games with 5 or less hits including 1 Complete Game Shut-out.  He definitely had a career year and for that I congratulate him.

And I beg Ruben Amaro Jr to break whatever hold KK has over him and TRADE HIM!!!

» Continue reading “Reflection On 2012: Kendrick, Worley And Other Starting Pitchers”

The Phillies front office has been busy on this stormy day.  While the rest of us have been hoping and praying that Sandy will let the power stay on just a little longer, Ruben Amaro Jr has been sending players away from Philadelphia.

Earlier today, Carlos Ruiz’ option was picked up.  And that made Philadelphia cheer.

Then the cheers became even louder when Ty Wigginton and Jose Contreras (to be honest, I forgot that Contreras as a member of the Phillies this year) options were DECLINED!  Yes, they will not be back in Red Pinstripes next year and that automatically made the entire team better.

Later in the day, the Phillies then announced that Placido Polanco’s option will not be exercised.  This is another decision I agree with, but it’s kind of sad to me.  I really like Polanco, but he needs to go.  Unfortunately, it brings back into the light that we have no third baseman for next season.

Good-bye guys!  I really wish that I could get a severance check of $500,000 (Wiggy and Contreras) or $1,000,000 (Polanco.)

Danny gets the award for best tweet of the night:

i think the average age of the phillies went down 5 years today

— dmc (@dmc0603) October 29, 2012

Karilee Jeantet is Lead Contributor for A View From Section 116.  Follow her on Twitter @kjeantet and @viewfromsec116 and e-mail her AViewFromSection116@gmail.com.

Roy Halladay’s season was bad.

Cliff Lee’s was weird.

Thankfully, Cole Hamels’ season could not be described as anything but good.

Photo Credit: Steve Trapani

Cole Hamels was the center of many, many trade rumors going into Spring Training, then the season, and then going into the trade deadlines.

Those rumors were not fun for Phillies fans.  He COULD NOT leave and I never believed that he would.  My belief was based off of two reasons:

1) Ruben Amaro Jr is obsessed with high-end pitching. (See:  Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Jonathan Papelbon.)

2) Cole Hamels is the homegrown ace that the Phillies fans have been waiting for.

The kid that we watched develop from draft, through the minors (which included bar fights) and make his Major League debut.  Through his time in the majors, he quickly showed his talent and took his game to the next level during the 2008 World Series run.  We suffered with him in 2009 and watched him re-emerge and get better every year since.

Luckily Ruben played to those ideas (at least in my mind.)  He gave Cole Hames a ridiculous contract that I think will turn into a good deal by the end of it.

This year, he was the best of the Three Aces.

Hamels ended the season with a 17-6 record and a 3.05 ERA.  Included in those wins was 2 complete game shut-outs. (I was at one of them in Miami.  Yeah, he was good.)  I’m actually a little surprised to find out that he ended with an ERA above 3, but that’s just nit-picking.

Hamels struck out 216 of the 867 batters that he faced in 215.1 innings.  Yeah, that’s pretty good.

Oh and he hit his first home run!  I had been waiting for that for the last 3 or 4 years.

At 28, he already has 7 solid major league seasons under his belt.  He already has a World Series ring, a NLCS and WS MVP and 3 All-Star appearances.

Entering 2013, Cole Hamels will be 29 in the prime of his career and it will not be hard to say that he is only going to get better.

Cy Young winner 2013?  Yup, I can see it happening!

Karilee Jeantet is Lead Contributor for A View From Section 116.  Follow her on Twitter @kjeantet and @viewfromsec116 and e-mail her AViewFromSection116@gmail.com.

The Vet during a rain delay.

Do you remember those awful 90′s teams?

Teams that you never expected to win.

Teams that had a very few bright spots.

Years of being on the bottom and the laughingstock of the National League.

Do you remember when you learned about “addition by subtraction?”

When Scott Rolen was traded,

And the entire city seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

The Phillies started to play under a lot less stress.

» Continue reading “Do You Remember?”