Dutch Returns To Watch Phillies Lose

GAME RECAP: Reds Overpower Phillies 9-4

Eugenio Suarez and Adam Duvall each notched three hits while Jay Bruce reached base five times as the Reds won their third road game of the season on Sunday by taking a 9-4 victory over the Phillies, snapping a three-game losing streak. "Today is a big day, a different day," Suarez said. "We finally did good with men in scoring position." Duvall's RBI double and Tucker Barnhart's RBI single in the second inning off Phillies lefty Adam Morgan gave Cincinnati a 2-0 lead. Timely hitting and Philadelphia miscues opened up opportunities for the Reds in the fourth. The bases were loaded with one out when Morgan walked Reds starting pitcher Dan Straily -- hitless in his 12 career plate appearances -- on four pitches to force home a run. Next, Tyler Holt hit a potential double-play ball to first baseman Ryan Howard, who had trouble getting the ball out of his glove before making the force-play throw to second. That enabled Suarez to bat and drive a 3-2 Morgan pitch to center for a three-run homer and a 7-0 lead. Morgan allowed seven earned runs and eight hits over 3 2/3 innings with three walks and one strikeout. "Right from the gate, I felt like I was searching for the rhythm and the tempo and it was just one of those days where the command wasn't there," Morgan said. Straily flirted with danger all afternoon, as he stranded a runner in scoring position in each of his five shutout innings. While throwing 109 pitches, Straily gave up six hits and three walks with six strikeouts. "I think today was bend but don't break," Straily said. "I was fighting myself. I had developed a nice little blister [on my middle finger] and was fighting that. I just kind of made pitches when I absolutely had to. I try to do that every time but bases loaded and guys on third base in what seemed like every inning, I was able to find a way to get out of it." The chilly afternoon became a slog in the late innings as the pitching staffs combined for 14 walks over the three-hour, 52-minute game. Zack Cozart hit a bases-loaded single for two runs and 9-3 Reds lead in the ninth. But reliever Drew Hayes gave up three hits and a bases-loaded walk with one out in the bottom of the inning. It became a save situation for Tony Cingrani, who entered and got the final two outs for his third save.

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies had a chance to answer the Reds' five-run fourth in the bottom of the inning when Cesar Hernandez stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. Hernandez hit a shot that hooked foul down the right field line and eventually struck out. It was not the only time the Phillies failed to get runners home in the loss. Philadelphia went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position during the first five innings and stranded a total of 16 runners on base in the game. "We just couldn't capitalize with men in scoring position, men on base," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It is what it is. We've been playing so well up to this point and this was a hiccup."
• Maikel Franco broke the Phillies' runners-in-scoring-position slump in the sixth inning when he hit a two-run double with two outs. The hit, Franco's seventh double of the season, glanced off Holt's glove in center. Franco also had a run-scoring single in the eighth to raise his season RBI total to 22.
• Odubel Herrera earned his 28th walk of the season in the fourth inning on Sunday, matching his total from last season. The Phillies outfielder needed just 162 plate appearances to do so after totaling 537 in 2015.
• Reds first baseman Joey Votto was 0-for-5 with three strikeouts, snapping his streak of reaching safely at 20 games. Votto is also hitless in his last 14 plate appearances since hitting a homer on Monday. His recent funk didn't prevent him from having fun at the fans' expense. In the bottom of the sixth, he fielded a Hernandez foul ball and motioned that he would give the fans a souvenir. It proved to be a fake-out as Votto instead turned and tossed the ball back to Barnhart amid boos. Votto showed a sly smile and pumped his fist in jest. During his final at-bat, fans at Citizens Bank Park booed him lustily and cheered when he struck out for the third time. 

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies will continue their homestand when they open a three-game series against the Marlins on Monday night at 7:05 p.m. ET. Jerad Eickhoff will get the start for Philadelphia, which took two of three from Miami last weekend. .

PHILS PHACTS:

Lack Of Location – Adam Morgan had a tough time locating pitches in Sunday's 9-4 loss to the Reds. It caught up to him in the fourth inning. Morgan, making his fourth start of the season, came unraveled in a 39-pitch frame which featured five Cincinnati runs. The first run of the inning came when the lefty walked opposing pitcher Dan Straily on four pitches with the bases loaded. The last three came when Eugenio Suarez crushed a 3-2 changeup for a three-run homer. It would be the last pitch of Morgan's outing, the most trouble-filled of his short career. The second-year Major Leaguer allowed a total of seven runs in 3 2/3 innings. He gave up eight hits, including four in the Reds' two-run second inning and walked another three batters as 41 of his 87 pitches missed the strike zone. "Right from the gate, I felt like I was searching for the rhythm and the tempo and it was just one of those days where the command wasn't there," Morgan said. The 3 2/3 innings ties for Morgan's shortest start in the Majors, and the seven earned runs were the most he has given up in his 19 outings with the Phillies. The start raised Morgan's season ERA from 3.94 to 6.41. "It wasn't coming out of his hand real well," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It was uncharacteristic of Morgan because he normally has outstanding command and he relies on that. And when he doesn't have it, what happened today is likely to happen." Morgan, who made 15 starts last season and was promoted from Triple-A in late April after Charlie Morton suffered a season-ending hamstring injury, spent a lot of the day working out of the stretch. He allowed hits in every inning he was on the mound. In the second, Morgan gave up hits to the first four batters and Cincinnati got on the board thanks to back-to-back doubles from Jay Bruce and Adam Duvall. Walks hurt him in the fourth inning. Morgan issued a walk to Bruce to start the inning, and after intentionally walking Tucker Barnhart to load the bases with one out, Morgan threw four straight pitches out of the zone against Straily. Straily stepped to the plate 0-for-12 in his career at the plate, and Morgan said, "It's one of the loneliest feelings in the world, walking a pitcher and walking a run in." He's looking to put the inning and the outing behind him. "It goes back on trusting your stuff and trusting your routine," Morgan said. "You just keep going. There's 20-something more starts left. You can't really sulk over this one, and I know I need to be better."

Aftermath – A day after taking a game-winning blow at home plate, Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp's left leg was feeling sore Sunday. His status for the next few days was uncertain after the Phillies series finale against Cincinnati. Manager Pete Mackanin said after Sunday's 9-4 loss to the Reds that Rupp would be evaluated again on Monday morning, and the team may have to call up another catcher if he is unavailable for an extended period of time. "We're going to check him out early in the morning to see where he is and see how he is," Mackanin said. "If it's going to be three or four days, we're going to need to get a catcher up here. At this point, we're just going to wait until [Monday]." Rupp collided with Cincinnati's Eugenio Suarez on a play at the plate to end Saturday's 4-3 win. Suarez was thrown out by left fielder Tyler Goeddel and Rupp held onto the baseball to clinch the win. The 27-year-old -- who is hitting .238 in 22 games this season -- had his left ankle wrapped and did not play on Sunday. Carlos Ruiz, who has played in 16 games, is currently the only other catcher on the Phillies 25-man roster.

Dutch Returns – Darren Daulton made thousands of plays behind the plate in his Phillies career. On Sunday at Citizens Bank Park, Daulton got to be on other end of the battery in a special pregame ceremony. Daulton threw out the first pitch to breast cancer survivor Linda Duaime as the Phillies recognized those Going to Bat Against Cancer on Sunday. Daulton, the former All-Star catcher who spent parts of 14 seasons with the Phillies, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2013. After surgery and multiple rounds of chemotherapy, Daulton announced in February he had a clean brain scan. Since his diagnosis, he has founded The Darren Daulton Foundation, which provides financial aid to those who suffer from brain tumors, brain injuries and brain cancer. Duaime had her own fight against breast cancer, and the Northeast Philadelphia resident was diagnosed in September 2014. She was named the Phillies' 2016 Honorary Bat Girl. Both Duaime, who had about 100 friends and family on hand, and Daulton received an ovation before the Phillies' game against the Reds on Sunday.

Continuing The Tradition – In 1971, Philadelphia resident Jack Bradley took an idea to the Phillies: Let's hold a community youth home run derby. It would be open to children 7-12 from all over the Delaware Valley and the finals would take place at Veterans Stadium. Frank Sullivan, then the director of promotion, and the Phillies loved it. They'd make it an annual tradition. It has also become a family operation. Jack's son, Paul, has helped out since the inaugural edition -- he was 12 in 1971 -- but he took over as president when he graduated college. This year marks the 46th Home Run Derby, and the 40th Paul has been in charge of. Over the past four decades, Bradley has pitched to the preteen incarnations of Mike Trout, Jamie Moyer and Mike Scioscia. More than a dozen professional ballplayers have come through the Derby. "Probably the only one I saw coming was Trout," Bradley said. "As a 12-year-old, he hit the ball over a 290-foot fence." Trout didn't even make the finals, though. Because of the point system, Trout's 300-foot jacks counted the same as his opponent's 200-foot ones. On 10 swings, one point is awarded for any fair hit, two points for over 125 feet and five points for anything over 175 feet. The reigning American League MVP scored a 34, but it wasn't enough. "To this day, I think about trying to get in touch with that kid, tell him that's who you beat," Bradley said. "You beat Mike Trout." While the Bradleys have partnered with the Phillies since the start, this is the first year they've partnered with Major League Baseball. In addition to going to the finals at Citizens Bank Park, one participant will go on to represent Philadelphia at the All-Star Game in San Diego. Those types of opportunities offered to the kids of Philadelphia are part of what keeps Bradley going after the 46th year. And the operation is only growing. "There are kids who won home run derbies in the '70s call me now and say they want to have home run derbies in their towns," Bradley said. "Because of the experiences they had as kids." The Phillies celebrated Play Ball Weekend by hosting one of dozens local competitions. The top three in each age group -- 7/8, 9/10, and 11/12 -- advanced to regional finals, which then decide who gets to compete at Citizens Bank Park in September. And just like he's done for almost his whole life, Bradley fired up a pitching machine for about 50 kids in total. In the not so distant future, it could be a third generation Bradley in charge. Paul hopes to pass it down to his children when they graduate college, just like his father did for him. "I've seen a lot of good hitters, but I've seen even better memories in the 46 years," Bradley said. "Let's get into a third generation, go to 75 years."

Today In Phils History – After serving his country in the Army during the Korean Conflict, Curt Simmons was honored on this day in 1952 with gifts including a car, a TV, a refrigerator, and a gold watch. Exactly one year later, Simmons gives up a leadoff single, then retires the next 27 batters to 1-hit the Braves. Five years after Simmons dominated the Braves, Harry “Sparky” Anderson hit a long fly ball off the catwalk at Connie Mack Stadium which allowed him to circle the bases for an inside-the-park home run. The following year, the Phillies bid farewell to Granny Hamner who was traded to Cleveland. In 1967, the plans for Veterans Stadium became a reality as Philadelphia voters approved $13 million in bonds to pay for the project in South Philadelphia. 5 years later, Greg Luzinski hits a legendary 500-foot home run off the center field Liberty Bell. Steve Carlton has a grand memory on this day as well as he hit his only career grand slam off of Fernando Valenzuela in 1984. Pitcher Don Carman wasn’t as good a hitter but he did get his first career hit (his first in 49 career at bats) on this day in 1987. 2 years later, Juan Samuel hit his 4^th leadoff homer of the season setting a new franchise record. And finally, on this day during the 2008 season, Jayson Werth hit 3 home runs and collected 8 RBI in the win over the Blue Jays.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 22-16 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 48-46-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!

Phillies Avoid The Sweep In Extra Innings

GAME RECAP: Phillies Nab Nationals 3-2

Forget Bryce Harper for a moment. How about Freddy Galvis' heroics? After Harper ripped a solo home run to right-center in the top of the 10th inning Sunday afternoon to give the Nationals a one-run lead, the Phillies rallied to score twice in the bottom of the 10th in a 3-2 victory, ending Washington's seven-game winning streak. Peter Bourjos doubled and scored on pinch-hitter Andres Blanco's two-out single to left to tie it. And Blanco scored from second on Galvis' double to left field to win the game. "That's what the doctor ordered," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It was nice to salvage a win out of the series after not swinging the bats well. It was great. Guys stepped up in the 10th and came through for us. It was great to see, a lot of fun - that one inning." Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon blew his first save of the season. "We're in first place and we won the [hard-fought] series, man. You know?" Papelbon said. Charlie Morton allowed one run and struck out six over six innings for the Phillies. Carlos Ruiz drove in the Phillies' first run with a second-inning home run.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Harper has homered in six consecutive games at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, tying a Major League record held by Ernie Banks for Phillies' opponents. Harper has also homered in four consecutive games overall, which is a career high. "It's a pleasure to even be in the same sentence as Ernie Banks," Harper said. "At the end of the day, you want to win ballgames. Like I said, a series win is a series win. We take this into Miami and keep it going, hopefully." 
• Bourjos hit a one-out double into the left-field corner in the 10th to give the Phillies' a little life against Papelbon, who is the Phillies' all-time saves leader. After pinch-hitter Cedric Hunter flied out to center for the second out, Blanco laced a single to left field to score Bourjos to tie the game. "That ball was smoked to left," Bourjos said of Blanco's hit. "I just tried to get a good jump and run as fast as I can."
• Galvis' game-winning double was the third walk-off hit of his career. He is 3-for-3 with one double, one home run, one walk and two RBIs against Papelbon since the Phillies traded him to the Nationals last July. It also was the first time a Phillies leadoff hitter reached based since the first inning Wednesday against San Diego. They had been 0-for-19 since. "I played behind him for three years," Galvis said of Papelbon. "So I know the way he pitches, and maybe a little about what the ball does. He got the split and the fastball. I know he likes to throw the fastball. I think he threw me four, five fastballs so I was ready for it."
• "Personally, I like Pap. He is the villain; closers are villains to visiting teams. I like the guy, but it's good to beat any closer. I'm happy about that." -- Mackanin, on if beating Papelbon is a little sweeter.
• Papelbon is 1-2 with a 12.27 ERA and two blown saves in four appearances against the Phillies since they traded him to Washington.
• Despite playing 10 innings, the Phillies had fewer than 10 hits in a game for the 13th consecutive game. It is their longest streak without double-digit hits to start a season since at least 1913, according to Baseball Reference.
• Harper appeared to hit a two-out double in the first inning, narrowly beating a throw to second from Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera. But the Phillies challenged the call from second-base umpire Joe West. Replay showed Harper slid past the bag as Galvis applied the tag and the call was overturned.
• The Nationals lost a challenge in the sixth, when Galvis threw out Harper at first base. The call stood. It was a big play because the Nationals had a runner on third, and he would have scored to give Washington the lead.
• The Phillies won another challenge in the eighth, when Maikel Franco's throw to first pulled Darin Ruf off first base. The call was overturned as replay showed Ruf tagged Chris Heisey for the out.
• The Nationals finally had a replay go their way in the ninth, when the Phillies challenged Herrera being called out at first base. Replay showed Drew's throw beat Herrera to the bag.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies open a three-game series Monday night against the Mets at Citizens Bank Park at 7:05 p.m. ET. Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff (1-1, 1.50) faces Mets right-handerNoah Syndergaard (1-0, 0.69 ERA). The Phillies took two of three from the Mets in a weekend series in New York earlier this month.

PHILS PHACTS:

Galvis’ Streak Continues – There must be something about Freddy Galvis and closers. He hit a two-out double to the left-field wall against Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon in the 10th inning Sunday to score Andres Blanco from second base in the Phillies' 3-2 walk-off victory at Citizens Bank Park. Galvis pulled to a stop at second as Blanco crossed home plate. He lifted the helmet from his head, looked toward the Phillies' dugout and slammed it into the dirt in a moment of celebration. His teammates mobbed him seconds later. "I was just waiting to see if Jayson Werth could get to that one," Galvis said. "Thank God he didn't get it." If only Galvis could face Papelbon more frequently. He is 3-for-3 with one double, one home run, one walk and two RBIs against him since the Phillies traded him to the Nationals last July. Galvis homered against Papelbon on Sept. 14 to give him his first blown save with the Nationals. He singled against Papelbon on Sept. 26 and then walked on four pitches against him on Sept. 27, when Papelbon suffered a five-run meltdown in a game made infamous when he grabbed teammate Bryce Harper by the neck in the dugout. "I played behind him for three years," Galvis said about Papelbon. "So I know the way he pitches and maybe a little about what the ball does. He's got the split and the fastball. I know he likes to throw the fastball. I think he threw me four, five fastballs so I was ready for it." Galvis hit a 1-2 fastball to left, giving the Phillies their first hit in the leadoff spot since the first inning Wednesday against San Diego. A one-out double from Peter Bourjos, who scored on Blanco's two-out single to left to tie the game, set up Galvis' dramatic at-bat. Papelbon made it clear afterward that blowing the game will not ruin him. "We're in first place and we won the [well-fought] series, man. You know?" he said. Papelbon is 1-2 with a 12.27 ERA and two blown saves in four appearances against the Phillies since they traded him. "They're just another team for me," he said. "I'm going out there trying to do the same [things] I am against any other team. Makes no difference to me." The game made a difference for Galvis. It was the third walkoff hit of his career. He had another memorable one May 19, 2013, when he homered against Reds closer Aroldis Chapman. "I just try to get focused a little bit more," Galvis said about facing closers. "I know the situation. I just want to concentrate and try to put the ball in play. I had a lot of fastballs to hit today. He threw me fastballs and I put a good swing on that one." Galvis is hitting .222 (10-for-45) with two doubles, one home run, four RBIs and a .583 OPS in 13 games this season. He is 4-for-12 in his last three games. "I think it's something to maybe get me going," he said.

Setting The Table – As Andres Blanco crossed home plate to score the winning run in the Phillies' 3-2 walk-off win over the Nationals on Sunday afternoon, he looked back over his shoulder and expected to see Freddy Galvis close behind him. But instead, Galvis was on second base -- or at least near it -- awaiting his teammates, who had begun rushing out of the first-base dugout to celebrate behind the bag. "I thought he hit a home run," Blanco said. The ball landed at the foot of the wall in the left-field corner. Nationals left fielder Jayson Werth picked up the ball and tossed it toward the infield. Even though Galvis didn't put it over the wall, the game was over. Not 20 minutes later, Galvis and Blanco were celebrating together in the locker room. "Nobody got down today," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "The guys are just playing inning by inning, and when it's a one-run game, there's no reason to be down. Guys just stepped up in the 10th inning. It was great to see." The offense had been among the worst in baseball through the first 12 games -- and through the first nine innings on Sunday. Philadelphia's one run over the first nine innings came on a Carlos Ruiz solo homer. But something clicked in the 10th inning -- after Bryce Harper hit a home run to give the Nationals a 2-1 lead in the top half of the inning -- against former Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon. It was Papelbon's second appearance at Citizens Bank Park and fourth against the Phillies since the team traded him in July of last season. He's twice blown a save and three times given up go-ahead or game-tying runs. Galvis and Blanco were at the heart of all three. In his first game back in Philadelphia, Galvis homered off him to tie the game. In Washington two weeks later, Galvis walked and Blanco homered right after. "I think we're familiar with him," Mackanin said. "We know he's the villain and we know he means business." For a moment, it seemed as though the Phillies would again rely on the long ball for their offense. On Papelbon's third pitch of the 10th inning, Ruiz hit a ball to deep center that the entire dugout thought was gone. But Matt den Dekker caught it near the warning track, and then the real rally started. Peter Bourjos doubled down the left-field line, and Cedric Hunter popped out to center for the second out. Without there being two outs, Bourjos doesn't know if he would have scored on Blanco's line drive to left. "That ball was smoked to left," Bourjos said. "I just tried to get a good jump and run as fast as I can. You obviously know with two outs, you're going to be sent." Because there were two outs, he didn't have to worry about getting doubled off if Werth caught it. Mackanin thought the Phillies were fortunate to have Bourjos on second. "I don't think anybody else would have scored except for him," Mackanin said. "And that was still close." Then, with Blanco standing on second, Galvis poked a high-and-outside 95 mph heater over Werth's head in left. For the third time, Galvis and Blanco had toppled their teammate-turned-rival.

Today In Phils History – First let’s begin with the long list of debuts on this day beginning with Red Dooin (1902), Lefty O’Doul (who hit 2 homeruns in his opening day debut in 1929), and Eddie Waitkus (1949) in the first half of the 20th century. The after 1950 crowd is varied as well beginning with Harry “Sparky” Anderson in 1957 (Jim Eisenreich was born two years later in 1959) followed by a small 60’s contingent in Rick Wise (1964), Bo Belinsky (1965), and Tito Francona (1967). Following the deluge of debuts we have a Hall of Fame matchup in 1970 (the same day Rico Brogna was born) when the young Mets flamethrower Nolan Ryan 1 hit (and 15 strikeouts) the Phillies in opposition to an aging Jim Bunning. However, what this day is best remembered for came in 1987 when Mike Schmidt sealed the win for the Phillies in the top of the ninth at Three Rivers Stadium with his 500^th career homerun… a Harry Kalas call that every Phillies phan knows by heart.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 6-7 this season putting them on pace to meet most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 39-46-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!

Phillies Looking To Fill A Multitude Of Roles

PHILS PHACTS:

Who Will Get The Call In The 9^th? – The Phillies opened last season with Jonathan Papelbon, Ken Giles and Jake Diekman in the back end of the bullpen. Fast forward one year. Nobody can say with any certainty who the team's closer will be Opening Day, much less hit the trifecta and name the seventh-, eighth- and ninth-inning guys. "We've talked to half a dozen potential closers for us," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Sunday afternoon at Bright House Field. "Without naming names, one guy said he would probably be more comfortable as the seventh- or eighth-inning guy. So that tells you right there that might eliminate him." There figures to be six legitimate candidates to pitch the ninth inning for the Phillies this season. There is right-hander David Hernandez, who signed a one-year, $3.9 million contract in December. There is right-hander Luis Garcia, perhaps the only returnee with closer's stuff. There also are four non-roster invitees with extensive experience closing or pitching in the back end of the bullpen: right-handers Andrew Bailey, Edward Mujica and Ernesto Frieri and left-hander James Russell. "Some guys want to be in that high-leverage situation," Mackanin said. "They thrive on it. You've seen enough closers. They're kind of an odd duck. They're all a little funny those guys. They have to have a certain type of attitude that gets them through those last three outs." Mackanin said plenty of factors will go into the decision to name the Phillies' next closer, but Hernandez has an edge to pitch the eighth or ninth because he is the only pitcher on a guaranteed contract. "It helps," Mackanin said. "It certainly helps. Once again, we're going to evaluate everybody and see how they play here. Not specifically Hernandez, but if somebody doesn't play well, we're going to try to keep the guy who's better. But it certainly helps. It would give him an edge, I would say. "I certainly won't base everything on how well a guy pitches here. Because we've seen guys have great springs. I always hit great in the spring. I always hit four or five home runs and tore it up and I was a .226 lifetime hitter. So I'm smart enough not to go by that." But there seems little question the back end of the bullpen is the team's biggest question with the Grapefruit League opener just nine days away. "We traded Diekman, Giles and Papelbon. There went the seventh, eighth and ninth," Phillies president Andy MacPhail said. "We did that to strengthen every other area, but the good news is it's an area that's very erratic and you can find guys out of nowhere to perform at a high level."

Looking For A Leader – Pete Mackanin has talked a little bit about the importance of leadership in the Phillies' clubhouse this season. Do they have any vocal leaders in there? "If you have a young team, it would be nice if we had that guy," Mackanin said. "We don't know if there's anybody in-house that can be that guy." The front office said it values the importance of a good leader, too. "There is no greater influence on players than their peers," Phillies president Andy MacPhail said. "I think the coaching staff and manager can be immensely helpful, but the guys that often have the most impact on players are their teammates. Kirby Puckett made everybody around him better just by Kirby being Kirby." Mackanin cited Darren Daulton and Jimmy Rollins as former leaders in the Phillies' clubhouse. Jeff Francoeur served that role remarkably well last season, guiding a young team through a 99-loss season. Francoeur said he wanted to return to Philadelphia, but he got squeezed out once the Phillies signed Peter Bourjos and selected Rule 5 Draft pick Tyler Goeddel in December. Francoeur remains unsigned. "Having good players is more important than having that [leader], but in the long run, especially when you get down to the nitty gritty, it's nice to have that guy like Dutch [Daulton] who can rally the troops," Mackanin said. Freddy's the guy: There is plenty of interest in top prospect J.P. Crawford, who is in big league camp for the first time. But Phillies fans should not hold their breath and expect Crawford to challenge Freddy Galvis to be the Opening Day shortstop. Galvis has the job locked up and Crawford will open the season in the Minor Leagues, either at Double-A or Triple-A. "I feel like he deserves that chance," Mackanin said about Galvis. "I'm real high on J.P. Crawford. I haven't seen him a lot, but I know he's highly touted. I want to concentrate on our big league guys. If Freddy Galvis is hitting .280 and everybody is playing like we hope they can, then it gives us more time for the Crawfords and the [Nick] Williamses and so on and so forth, so we won't have to rush them." Of course, if Galvis struggles, Crawford could push the issue with solid play in the Minors. Crawford is the No. 5 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. Extra bases: Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff remains day to day with a non-displaced fracture on his right thumb, which he injured bunting last week. Eickhoff said he believes he has plenty of time to get ready for the beginning of the season; Right-hander David Buchanan took a line drive off his right triceps during a live batting-practice session. Buchanan seemed to think he should be OK.

Are The Phillies On A Good Path? – The Phillies are not expected to challenge for a National League East title anytime soon, but it does not mean team president Andy MacPhail doesn't expect to see some improvement in 2016. He does. MacPhail mentions the Phillies' 34-37 record following the All-Star break last season (with Maikel Franco missing 46 of those games) as evidence they are on a good path. The Phillies entered the break 29-62, easily the worst mark in baseball, but the arrival of young talents such as Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff and Aaron Altherr, and the continued development of others like Franco and Odubel Herrera put a more competitive team on the field. "In my view, there are a lot of positive things going forward," MacPhail said. MacPhail is entering his first full season as team president. He returned to the game after a 3 1/2-year hiatus to focus on his personal life, where he traveled the world (China, Vietnam, Thailand, Turkey, Greece, Ecuador, Honduras, Brazil, etc.) and did the things everybody does in the summer when they don't work in baseball. "I never grilled when I was a GM," he said. "I had a beautiful grill. It was still clean. You can grill all summer in your shorts. It was a lot of fun. I had 3 1/2 years to get that out of my system." But now MacPhail is back at work, entrusted to lead the Phillies' rebuild. The Phils followed arguably their greatest run in franchise history (one World Series title, two National League pennants and five consecutive NL East titles from 2007-11) with a .500 finish in 2012 and three consecutive losing seasons, including the worst record in baseball in '15. "You can't get better unless you take a good hard look at where you are," MacPhail said. "We're going to make some mistakes. But we're going to keep our eye on the prize and we're not going to deviate. The teams that get themselves in trouble are the ones that try something for two years, it doesn't work, let's try something totally different. Name a team that embarked on a legitimate, honest attempt at a rebuild that didn't in the end profit from it? Kansas City. Pittsburgh. Tampa Bay. Baltimore. You name it. As long as they stay with it, they are going to be rewarded in the end." But that doesn't mean the Phillies don't want to win this year. They do. They just don't believe being in the market for high-priced free agents makes sense for them right now. "This year we spent $15 million on [Charlie] Morton and [Jeremy] Hellickson," MacPhail said. "That's $15 million to stabilize the rotation. If we wanted to lose 120 games, we wouldn't have spent that $15 million. But we want Nola and Eickhoff and whoever else comes along to be able to play in an environment where it's not all on their shoulders." MacPhail hired Matt Klentak to be his general manager, and by all accounts MacPhail has let Klentak run his show. They talk, obviously, but Klentak is not calling MacPhail every time he wants to claim a player on waivers or sign somebody. Together they already have made some changes to the front office, most notably building an analytics department. "But it goes so far beyond that," MacPhail said. "It annoys me when people think you've just got to go in one world or the other. Old school scouting or it's analytics. Show me the team that just doesn't have any more scouts, that has no scouting department. They don't exist. They all have scouts. Even whatever team you want to say is the most analytically inclined, they've got 20 or 30 scouts on the payroll. Why do you think that is?" The Phillies hired amateur scout Luis Raffan, who will handle South Florida and Puerto Rico. They hired a strength and conditioning coach for Class A Williamsport, and they are talking about possibly hiring another for the Minor Leagues. The Phillies made Ray Burris their pitching rehab coordinator in Clearwater. They added high definition cameras at Citizens Bank Park to improve their video coaching. The Phillies added TrackMan, the radar system that tracks pitched and batted baseballs, and CoachMePlus, which is a data management system that provides predictive performance analytics to help monitor players' health status. "Our payroll is down because we don't have [Cole] Hamels. We don't have [Jonathan] Papelbon. We don't have Ben Revere," MacPhail said. "We don't have a lot of guys we used to have. So we tried to take some of that money and reinvest it." If that combination of scouting and analytics continues to uncover good young talent for the Phillies, they could turn their fortunes quicker than maybe anybody expected. (MacPhail and Klentak have been careful not to predict when they expect to be contending for titles again, because they don't know how their top prospects will pan out.) "A market like Philadelphia, we're going to have more revenue at our disposal than we would say, in a small market where you're really scraping nickels together," MacPhail said. "Hopefully you don't stay down as long in a negative cycle."

Today In Phils History - With expectations high heading into the 1965 season Jim Bunning and Bo Belinski appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The following year, the Phillies parted ways with Dick Stuart. 4 years ago the Paul Owens bronze bust was revealed outside of the Phillies training facility in Clearwater. However, the most notable item of the day is the birthday of former Phillies player and Hall of Fame manager Harry "Sparky" Anderson who was born on this day in 1934.  

THE BEGINNING:

With the Phillies having finished the 2015 season with a spectacularly awful record of 63-99 it will be interesting to see what kind of team new President Andy MacPhail and GM Matt Klentak put on the field. At the same time I am definitely looking forward to the games against Boston with former GM Ruben Amaro on the field. Given the departures, lingering contracts, a history of injuries, bipolar performances, and unproven talent, it should, at the very least, be an interesting season for the Phillies. Who knows, maybe they can avoid 100 losses... hopefully by more than one game!

For The Phillies, No News Is Good News…

PHILS PHACTS:

No news coming out of the Phillies front office… I guess the holiday started early this year.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, at least Ryan Madson got another ring this year.

The Pitching Pain Of Rebuilding

PHILS PHACTS:

Filling Out The Rotation – If nobody is traded and everybody is healthy, Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg thinks four pitchers are locks to make the 2015 rotation. The foursome includes Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Aaron Harang and Jerome Williams. That leaves David Buchanan, Chad Billingsley and Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez competing for the fifth spot. Buchanan is the favorite, based upon an encouraging rookie season (6-8, 3.75 ERA in 20 starts). Billingsley missed most of the past two seasons because of right elbow problems, so he probably will not be ready to join the rotation until late April. Then there is Gonzalez. The Phillies signed him to a three-year, $12 million contract in 2013 after he originally agreed to a six-year, $48 million deal. Questions about Gonzalez's health cost him $36 million, but the organization's concerns proved valid when he battled injury issues last season as a starter. Gonzalez eventually moved to the bullpen, where he pitched with some success. But he enters Spring Training getting another shot to prove himself in the rotation. "Expectations are for him to complete a full camp," Sandberg said, emphasizing Gonzalez's health history. "Seeing what he can do and seeing how he progresses as camp goes along. As of right now, we have him slated in the starting role, allowing him to build up his arm strength a little bit. Work on pitches as a starter. That's the goal right now." If Gonzalez can stay healthy and he has a great camp, he could edge Buchanan for that fifth spot. But as Sandberg said, Gonzalez has to stay healthy first.

Trade Talks – Cole Hamels is stuck in the middle. Hamels has said for months he does not want to spend the remaining prime years of his baseball career playing on a losing team. He sharpened his words Wednesday, when he told USA Today he wants to win and "and I know it's not going to happen here." He likely feels that way because the Phillies have said they are rebuilding and unlikely to compete again until 2017 or '18. But Hamels also appreciates his time in Philadelphia. The Phillies drafted him in 2002. He won a World Series in '08. He signed a six-year, $144 million contract extension in '12. He lives in the area. He appreciates the fans. Hamels wants to be honest, but he also does not want to sound ungrateful. He does not want to offend. So Hamels backed away from his harsh assessment in a sometimes-uncomfortable 25-minute news conference Saturday afternoon at Bright House Field. He answered questions about his desire to remain in Philadelphia with members of the Phillies front office seated nearby, including team chairman David Montgomery. Montgomery handed Hamels the $144 million contract a few years ago. "You have to be accountable for what you do," Hamels said. "You know, I can't, I guess, be liked by everybody. You know, that's not the goal. You're not going to be politically correct any time you ever say anything. I think everybody learns that. You're not going to appease everybody. So this is who I am. "For what it's worth, I've always tried to be very honest with people in general. I don't cue-card it. I don't have my cue cards up here giving you the straight-laced answers that I know a lot of people have been able to get away with." Cliff Lee, Jonathan Papelbon and Hamels each addressed reporters this week. In the past, each has indicated or said flatly they would like to play for a winner or play elsewhere. But the trio followed the good teammate script. They said they are happy to be in Philadelphia. They said they believe they can win here. "You can't count us out," Hamels said. "We all have the opportunity to prove people wrong." Hamels deflected questions about his desire to be traded, because expressing those desires does not benefit one of the most popular and successful pitchers in franchise history. "I've made my home in Philadelphia since the very beginning," Hamels said, when asked if he would welcome a trade. "This is where I'm fully committed." Hamels said his comments in USA Today were a continuation from a conversation in January. The latest comments came Tuesday. He said his feelings expressed in the story followed stories from the winter about how the Phillies won't win in the future. So are those his feelings today? "At this given moment, I'm a Phillie," Hamels said. So does he want to go somewhere where he can win? "Right now I know that as we start, I think we're 0-0," Hamels said. "I think everybody's in first place. I don't think any one of you guys have written anything about how we're going to compete and win our division. So it's something for us to take as a group and to go out there and prove to people the type of players that we are." So how did he react when Phillies president Pat Gillick said it would take a few years to complete the rebuilding process? "I have no control over a certain direction," Hamels said. "An organization, they have a bigger picture that they have to worry about. As a player, we really have to take the straight-and-narrow approach. We have a job to do, people are counting on us, and I think that's kind of what an organization, an upper management, has to worry about, is what players are going to be accountable, what direction can we go with what we have. I'm just one piece of the puzzle, and as long as I can go out and do what they expect, then I'm fulfilling my end of the bargain." Trading Hamels would speed up the rebuilding process, because he is the only Phillies veteran relatively young and still in his prime. Theoretically, the club could get a load of talent in return. But it will not be easy. Philadelphia still has the unsuccessful 2009 Cliff Lee trade with Seattle on its mind, so it must get something it loves in return. The Phillies can't miss. Hamels also is owed $96 million, which includes $22.5 million in salary each of the next four seasons, plus a $6 million buyout on a '19 club option worth $20 million. They want Hamels' new team to pay the entire contract, or most of it. Teams might balk if they plan to give the Phillies the prospects they want. Asked if he would require the club option to be picked up to waive his limited no-trade clause, Hamels said, "That's a family decision." Hamels is in a tough spot. He wants to play for a winner, but at the moment, he does not want to upset or alienate the organization or fan base. "I'm very fortunate to be in the position that I am," Hamels said. "To be that player that's been able to win a World Series for a very historical franchise, and to make my home in Philly and see what sports really do mean to Philly fans, it's been nice. And being able to go out and represent not only the organization, but the city of Philadelphia, has been an honor. And I think I'll remain to do so until I'm told that I can't."

Hamels Reaffirms Commitment – What is Cole Hamels supposed to say? That he doesn't want to be here? Zero chance of that. Hamels' feelings for the Phillies run too deep. For the City of Philadelphia, too. He has come to love the place. "I've made my home in Philadelphia since the very beginning," Hamels said. "This is where I'm fully committed." Hamels is sensitive to his teammates, too, and he wants to make sure they know he's all in with them as long as he's still here. "My job is to be accountable for what the expectations that are put on me," Hamels said. "I only have one direction and one position, and that's to be able to go pitch and go win ballgames. That's all I can really do." So he will dance around the questions about the future, say what he's supposed to say and allow the thing to play itself out. Hamels already knows. He just has to. At some point this season, the Phillies almost certainly are going to trade him to a contender for some young talent. When that happens, both sides will be better off. The Phillies, in a full rebuilding move, will replenish their stock of young players. And Hamels will have another shot at the postseason. In a perfect world, it would have happened months ago, and both Hamels and Philadelphia would have a clearer picture of the future. So far, though, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. hasn't gotten an offer he's comfortable taking. Amaro sees Hamels as the definition of a No. 1 starter. In the last five seasons, Hamels has averaged 213 innings and 204 strikeouts. Among all National League starters, only Clayton Kershaw has more innings, strikeouts and quality starts. Hamels is also only 31 years old, and he is under contract for four more seasons at the relatively reasonable price of $23.5 million a year. Because of those factors, some have wondered if Amaro is asking too high a price for Hamels. "The perception is that we're overreaching," Phillies president Pat Gillick said. "I don't think we are. I think we're trying to be fair." Amaro is piecing together a complicated puzzle. He has already acquired pitching by trading Jimmy Rollins, Marlon Byrd and Antonio Bastardo. "We feel better than we did three months ago," Amaro said. "But you can never be satisfied. That's a constant battle." And he will listen on Hamels, Jonathan Papelbon, Ryan Howard and Cliff Lee. Injuries and/or salary make Papelbon, Howard and Lee less appealing than Hamels. It's Hamels who could bring the kind of young talent that could help the Phillies turn a corner. That said, the club doesn't intend to completely blow up the roster. As it deals away veterans, it wants enough talent in return to help remain respectable. "We want to rebuild, but we don't want to be embarrassing," Gillick said. "I don't think we want to embarrass the fans. We don't want to be embarrassed when we go on the field. Consequently, we have to put as good a product as we can on the field, and at the same time try to do what we have to do to get back to being competitive." On Saturday, Hamels met with reporters and essentially said he's fully committed to the Phillies as long as he's here. "I think you guys have seen how I play, the type of character that I have when I step out onto the field," Hamels said. "Go out there and be the best that you can, because at some point it's all going to end. So you at least want to know that you left everything out on the field." Rather than dwell on the possibility of being traded, Hamels said he will attempt to focus on preparing for his 10th big league season and nothing more. He's proud of what he has been part of, including five straight division championships, two NL pennants and especially being part of the team that won the World Series in 2008. Hamels was quoted by USA Today this week as saying the Phillies had no chance of winning in the near future. He would not deny those quotes on Saturday. Nor would he repeat them. "At this given moment, I'm a Phillie," Hamels said. "All I can do is get ready for the season. No matter ... the name on my chest, I have a job to do and I have to be accountable for it." As for the larger direction of the organization, Hamels understands. "An organization, they have a bigger picture that they have to worry about," Hamels said. "As a player, we really have to take the straight-and-narrow approach. We have a job to do, people are counting on us. I'm just one piece of the puzzle, and as long as I can go out and do what they expect, then I'm fulfilling my end of the bargain."

Hollands Looking To Improve – Mario Hollands is no longer one of the relative unknowns entering Phillies camp. Hollands is a favorite to win a bullpen job following a mostly successful rookie season, when the 26-year-old left-hander surprised people and made the Opening Day roster. He went 2-2 with a 4.40 ERA in 50 appearances, but he finished the season on the disabled list with an injured left elbow. An offseason of rest has him back on track and ready to compete. Left-hander Jake Diekman is a lock to make the bullpen. Rule 5 Draft pick Andy Oliver also is in camp, but other lefties in Spring Training seem destined to open the season in the Minor Leagues. "I'm not assuming anything," Hollands said Saturday morning at Bright House Field. "I'm pretending like it's last year and I'm trying to make the team out of camp. Nothing has been given to me. Nothing was given to me last year, and I don't assume a spot is going to be given to me this year." Hollands entered Spring Training last year in midseason form following a lengthy stint in winter ball in Venezuela. "If I wasn't season-ready coming from Venezuela, I don't think I would have made the team," Hollands said. Hollands went 1-1 with a 2.10 ERA in 32 appearances through June 28. He got hit in his right knee by a line drive on July 2, which forced him to leave the game. He had a 15.26 ERA in eight appearances that month before posting a 2.89 ERA in his final 10 appearances. Hollands' elbow injury forced him to miss the last month of the season. "I wasn't happy with that rough stretch where I was getting hit around a little bit," Hollands said. "I doubted some of my stuff a little bit. But I think I did OK. I could definitely improve. I learned a lot." The learning never stops for Hollands. He earned an associate of arts degree in merchandise marketing at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles in December. He previously earned a bachelor's in sociology from UC-Santa Barbara. Hollands hopes to intern in the offseason, perhaps in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco or Philadelphia. "I might be the only person in here with two degrees," Hollands said. "It gave me something to do in the fall, because I couldn't golf or really do any upper-body workouts because of the elbow." Hollands said the elbow feels fine. He has thrown about a half-dozen bullpen sessions already. "A little nervous," Hollands said about entering camp, "just because I haven't seen a batter in a while. Besides that, it's nice getting to throw a little bit more."

ON THE RECORD:

The Phillies will look to rebound this season from a 73-89 record last year. While uncertainty abounds, there is little question that the franchise is in rebuild mode based on the moves and statements that have been made during the offseason. The only question that remains is whether or not the young and veteran talent on the team can work together to disprove Gillick’s predictions either this year or next.