Phillies Big Spenders, Big Playoff Pretenders?
2008 Phillies 98,269,881 13th Biggest payroll Won the WS against Rays
2009 Phillies 113,004,048 7th Biggest payroll WS lost to Yankees
2010 Phillies 141,927,381 4th Biggest payroll lost to Giants in the NLCS
2011 Phillies 172,976,381 2nd Biggest payroll next to the Yankees (who are first)
SOURCE: ESPN
2008 Phillies Playoff Roster
Catchers: Carlos Ruiz/ Chris Coste
Infielders: Ryan Howard / Chase Utley / Pedro Feliz / Jimmy Rollins / Eric Bruntlett / Greg Dobbs
Outfielders: Pat Burrell / Shane Victorino / Jayson Werth / So Taguchi / Matt Stairs / Geoff Jenkins
Starting Pitchers: Cole Hamels / Brett Myers / Jamie Moyer / Joe Blanton
Relief Pitchers: JA Happ / Clay Condrey / Chad Durbin / Scott Eyre / Ryan Madson / JC Romero / Brad Lidge
SOURCE: As Presented at Phillies Nation
2011 Phillies Playoff Roster
Catchers:Carlos Ruiz, Brian Schneider, Erik Kratz
Infielders: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco, Michael Martinez, Wilson Valdez, Ross Gload, Pete Orr, John Bowker
Outfielders: Hunter Pence, Shane Victorino, Raul Ibanez, John Mayberry Jr, Ben Francisco, Domonic Brown, Brandon Moss
Starting Pitchers: Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Vance Worley
Relief Pitchers: Ryan Madson, Antonio Bastardo, Michael Stutes, Brad Lidge, David Herndon, Kyle Kendrick, Michael Schwimer, Joe Blanton, Justin De Fratus, Joe Savery
SOURCE: philly sports central
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Bowa and Francona are managers....
So growing up I loved the Phillies even when they were horrible from about 98 or 99 when I watched yes Terry Francona lead my Phillies to no where. The likes of Matt Beech, Curt Schilling, and Scott Rolen were on this team. Then Larry Bowa came former Phillie great then came the likes of Robert Person, David Bell and who could not ignore the phenomenon Jim THOME! Some how in Bowa's tenure the Phillies always fell short of the playoffs Then Bowa got fired finally got rid of that pesky GM Ed Wade. Brought in Pat Gillick who then hired Charlie Manuel who in his second year got the phillies to the playoff and won the division (at that time the first time they won the divison and went to the playoffs since '93). 2008 was a magical year World Series win, 2009 lost to the big bad yanks....(Gillick retired in 2008, the GM is now Ruben Amaro Jr.)
Speak about the Yanks, is it just me but have the Phillies become like the Yanks. stats don't lie as you can see from up above the Phillies went from the 13th biggest payroll to the 2nd biggest payroll. And as there roster gets better and the records get better they seem to decrease in the advancement of the playoffs every year. Looking onto this year the Phillies have just lost game 4 of the wildcard against St. Louis a team who just squeaked by in the playoffs. They say anything can happen in the playoffs but there's a bigger picture here.
Phillies seem to be on a trend from year to year. There big Achilles heel? Hitting. Plain and simple. When the Phillies hit they seem to dominate teams and punish them. When they don't hit they struggle just like every other average team. We saw this in the 2009 WS when the Phillies were struggling to get people on base and hit, we saw it in 2010 when Cody Ross ripped Philadelphia pitchers and the two players who were hitting weren't even Philly's biggest stars. And today in St. Louis we are seeing the same thing with the Phillies struggling to get hits off of St. Louis relief pitchers. What is the remedy? Obviously it starts with the coach so they replaced Milt Thompson in 2010 with Greg Gross and what's the result? The same situation and problem they've had for the last couple of years. No doubt Philly has a monstrous hitting lineup but what will it take for them to wake up. I guess a game 5 elimination game will awake the bats of Philadelphia (a game where something is on the line!) or they will keep sleeping like they did in the 2010 postseason in SF. If the Phillies lose on 10/7 what will they do? Well there relievers are doing poor maybe they will upgrade there.... but, what about there hitting?
Good ole days of 2008 when the Phillies didn't have such a bloated payroll and big name players. When I watch the Phillies I am left to think, "How long will this last?" "will it be like the Seattle Mariners of yesterday (Griffey, A-Rod, E Martinez)" or will they become a dynasty. How will the team look in 5 years will they have enough talent to sustain a winning ballclub or will they have to rebuild in 5 years or less. Will I see the days of Terry Francona (losing ballclubs) again or the mediocre Bowa (talented ballclubs that fall short of expectations).
Yes I am one of those phew philly phans out there that think the Phillies have a chance to lose in the 1st round. Know that there only shot of winning this series is if there big bats wake up!
2009 Phillies 113,004,048 7th Biggest payroll WS lost to Yankees
2010 Phillies 141,927,381 4th Biggest payroll lost to Giants in the NLCS
2011 Phillies 172,976,381 2nd Biggest payroll next to the Yankees (who are first)
SOURCE: ESPN
2008 Phillies Playoff Roster
Catchers: Carlos Ruiz/ Chris Coste
Infielders: Ryan Howard / Chase Utley / Pedro Feliz / Jimmy Rollins / Eric Bruntlett / Greg Dobbs
Outfielders: Pat Burrell / Shane Victorino / Jayson Werth / So Taguchi / Matt Stairs / Geoff Jenkins
Starting Pitchers: Cole Hamels / Brett Myers / Jamie Moyer / Joe Blanton
Relief Pitchers: JA Happ / Clay Condrey / Chad Durbin / Scott Eyre / Ryan Madson / JC Romero / Brad Lidge
SOURCE: As Presented at Phillies Nation
2011 Phillies Playoff Roster
Catchers:Carlos Ruiz, Brian Schneider, Erik Kratz
Infielders: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco, Michael Martinez, Wilson Valdez, Ross Gload, Pete Orr, John Bowker
Outfielders: Hunter Pence, Shane Victorino, Raul Ibanez, John Mayberry Jr, Ben Francisco, Domonic Brown, Brandon Moss
Starting Pitchers: Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Vance Worley
Relief Pitchers: Ryan Madson, Antonio Bastardo, Michael Stutes, Brad Lidge, David Herndon, Kyle Kendrick, Michael Schwimer, Joe Blanton, Justin De Fratus, Joe Savery
SOURCE: philly sports central
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bowa and Francona are managers....
So growing up I loved the Phillies even when they were horrible from about 98 or 99 when I watched yes Terry Francona lead my Phillies to no where. The likes of Matt Beech, Curt Schilling, and Scott Rolen were on this team. Then Larry Bowa came former Phillie great then came the likes of Robert Person, David Bell and who could not ignore the phenomenon Jim THOME! Some how in Bowa's tenure the Phillies always fell short of the playoffs Then Bowa got fired finally got rid of that pesky GM Ed Wade. Brought in Pat Gillick who then hired Charlie Manuel who in his second year got the phillies to the playoff and won the division (at that time the first time they won the divison and went to the playoffs since '93). 2008 was a magical year World Series win, 2009 lost to the big bad yanks....(Gillick retired in 2008, the GM is now Ruben Amaro Jr.)
Speak about the Yanks, is it just me but have the Phillies become like the Yanks. stats don't lie as you can see from up above the Phillies went from the 13th biggest payroll to the 2nd biggest payroll. And as there roster gets better and the records get better they seem to decrease in the advancement of the playoffs every year. Looking onto this year the Phillies have just lost game 4 of the wildcard against St. Louis a team who just squeaked by in the playoffs. They say anything can happen in the playoffs but there's a bigger picture here.
Phillies seem to be on a trend from year to year. There big Achilles heel? Hitting. Plain and simple. When the Phillies hit they seem to dominate teams and punish them. When they don't hit they struggle just like every other average team. We saw this in the 2009 WS when the Phillies were struggling to get people on base and hit, we saw it in 2010 when Cody Ross ripped Philadelphia pitchers and the two players who were hitting weren't even Philly's biggest stars. And today in St. Louis we are seeing the same thing with the Phillies struggling to get hits off of St. Louis relief pitchers. What is the remedy? Obviously it starts with the coach so they replaced Milt Thompson in 2010 with Greg Gross and what's the result? The same situation and problem they've had for the last couple of years. No doubt Philly has a monstrous hitting lineup but what will it take for them to wake up. I guess a game 5 elimination game will awake the bats of Philadelphia (a game where something is on the line!) or they will keep sleeping like they did in the 2010 postseason in SF. If the Phillies lose on 10/7 what will they do? Well there relievers are doing poor maybe they will upgrade there.... but, what about there hitting?
Good ole days of 2008 when the Phillies didn't have such a bloated payroll and big name players. When I watch the Phillies I am left to think, "How long will this last?" "will it be like the Seattle Mariners of yesterday (Griffey, A-Rod, E Martinez)" or will they become a dynasty. How will the team look in 5 years will they have enough talent to sustain a winning ballclub or will they have to rebuild in 5 years or less. Will I see the days of Terry Francona (losing ballclubs) again or the mediocre Bowa (talented ballclubs that fall short of expectations).
Yes I am one of those phew philly phans out there that think the Phillies have a chance to lose in the 1st round. Know that there only shot of winning this series is if there big bats wake up!
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