GAME RECAP: Phillies Best Braves 9-3
With all the moves that
happened in Philadelphia on Friday, it might've been hard to remember that the
team still had a game to play. But from the way the Phillies played, the trades
didn't seem to affect them. The Philadelphia offense erupted for nine runs and
11 hits in their 9-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. The
offense started early with the first five Phillies to come to the plate all
reaching base and four of them scoring. From there the offense didn't relent.
The win was the Phillies' 11th in 13 games since the All-Star break, continuing
the hot streak that has accounted for more than a quarter of the team's wins
this season. "I couldn't be happier," Phillies interim manager Pete
Mackanin said. "Everybody's playing pretty darn well." The loss was
Atlanta's fifth in a row. Though the offense showed some spark, the Braves
struggled to capitalize on the opportunities they made for themselves. The
Braves recorded double-digit hits for the second-straight night, but also for
the second-straight night they stranded a high percentage of those hitters,
leaving seven on base and going 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
OTHER
NOTES FROM THE DAY:
·
The Phillies cannot trade Hamels, Revere and Diekman and not make
some corresponding moves. The Phillies recalled right-hander David Buchanan from
Triple-A to take Hamels' spot in the rotation. They also recalled outfielder
Jordan Danks and right-hander Dalier Hinojosa to replace Revere and Diekman,
respectively.
·
The Phillies immediately placed left-hander Matt Harrison, whom
they acquired in the Hamels deal, on the 15-day disabled list with lower back inflammation.
He has made just nine starts the past three seasons because of a pair of back
surgeries. He felt some stiffness in his last start Monday. The Phillies
acquired Harrison because he is owed $33 million on his contract, which helps
the Rangers offset the $81 million remaining on Hamels' deal. "If he's
healthy enough and can bounce back to where he was before, it's a good risk
that can create some value for us to help stabilize our rotation down the
road," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "I'll know more
about his overall medical situation as soon as the doctors examine him
today."
·
Called up to start in place of traded ace Cole Hamels, David
Buchanan didn't disappoint in his return from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The
26-year-old tossed 7 1/3 innings of three-run ball, striking out four and
walking none. He also got the opportunity to show off his talents with the bat,
driving in a run in the fifth inning with a single and nearly beating out
throws from shortstop twice on grounders. With the win, Buchanan improved his
record to 2-5 and dropped his ERA nearly a full point to 6.44. "When Cole got traded
there was a spot that opened up and they called me up to fill it today,"
Buchanan said. "Every time I go out there I want to give the impression
that I'm good enough to be here and I have the confidence enough to take that
role. As long as the opportunity presents itself, I'm going to try to take
advantage of it the best I can."
·
Prior to this series with Atlanta, Domonic Brown's bat,
which had been cold all year, woke up this week, however, and he found his
power stroke. Brown hit his first home run of the season on Thursday night off
of Shelby Miller
then rocketed a ball into the Phillies' bullpen in the fifth inning on Friday,
scoring Howard from first. Brown's batting average has improved from .191 on
July 19 to .252 over his last nine games. "He seems to have been more of a defensive hitter and we've
been trying to get him to get more of a head out. He seems to be doing that
more lately. He's hit the ball out in front of the plate a little bit more
instead of worrying about the outer half," Mackanin said of Brown's
swings.
·
The Braves concluded Philadelphia's five-run fifth when a replay
review overturned an infield single that had been awarded to Brown. The replay
showed Matt Marksberry received Freeman's feed from the outfield grass and
tagged Brown's left thigh as they were both approaching the first base bag.
·
"I think everybody was confused. I don't know if it was a
slow-motion play or what it was." -- Mackanin, on the bizarre rundown
where instead of trying to get back to second base, Cesar Hernandez stared A.J. Pierzynski down
until the catcher made a decision.
NEXT
GAME:
Rookie Aaron
Nola will take the ball for the Phillies. He is 1-1 with a 3.29 ERA over
his first two career starts and has excelled in preventing runners from
reaching base, holding a miniscule 0.95 WHIP to start his career. Matt Wisler will take
the mound for Atlanta when this four-game series resumes on Saturday at 7:05
p.m. ET. Wisler has produced a 3.43 ERA through his first seven career starts.
PHILS PHACTS:
Buchanan Steps Up – David Buchanan isn't the kind of player who gets accused of
loafing. "I get kind of yelled at
sometimes, 'Take it easy, don't try to blow anything out trying to get to first
base,'" he said. "But that's just the competitive nature in myself.
I'm not going to hit a ground ball and not try to beat it out." After the
26-year-old right-handed pitcher tossed 7 1/3 innings, allowing just three runs
and earning his second win of the year in the Phillies'
9-3 win over Atlanta, he was
more animated describing his baserunning abilities than his pitching, adamantly
defending his opinion that he was safe trying to beat an
Andrelton Simmons throw
to first base. On a bigger scale, that kind of effort is what drives Buchanan
not just to be a Major League pitcher, but to remain one. Buchanan has
struggled at times throughout the season, is still carrying with him a 6.44 ERA
and has bounced between Triple-A Lehigh Valley and the Majors this season. But
always opportunistic, Buchanan seized the 21-hour notice he was given before
the start and performed well. "When Cole got traded there was a spot that
opened up and they called me up to fill it today," Buchanan said.
"Every time I go out there I want to give the impression that I'm good
enough to be here and I have the confidence enough to take that role." Confidence
is key for Buchanan, who spoke after his most recent demotion to Triple-A about
how confidence is normally the difference for him between a strong outing and a
weak one. And with all the circumstances surrounding Friday's start -- not only
was the importance of the night heightened by the Hall of Famers in attendance
for Alumni Weekend, but also because of the trades of
Cole Hamels,
Jake Diekman and
Ben Revere -- Buchanan
found confidence amid a whirlwind of events. Phillies interim manager Pete
Mackanin said he was impressed by the focus Buchanan appeared to exhibit
despite the events of the day. He also said he believed Buchanan looked like he
was motivated by his stint in Triple-A to prove he belongs in the Majors. "Like
I always say, I say it every day, you're constantly auditioning," Mackanin
said. "Your last outing is behind you. You've got to keep pitching well.
You can get a hit to win a game and the next day make an error to lose a game,
you've got to be constantly on guard and pushing forward and remaining
consistent. He's done that his last three outings for us." Buchanan
admitted that the day was a little bizarre. He said he was caught off guard by
the Revere trade and he was disappointed to see Hamels and Diekman, as well as
Jonathan Papelbon,
leave because of all the wisdom they had imparted to him. But as bizarre as the
day might've been, Buchanan gave off the vibe that he had no regrets about how
the day ended. Well, maybe one. "I'm always trying to do the best I
can," he said. "Thought I was safe [running to first], but it
happens."
Deadline Overview – The whispers were loud, persistent and anonymous. The
Phillies were asking too much, way too much, for their big-ticket items. As
good as
Cole Hamels
and
Jonathan Papelbon
were, there was no way they were worth the can't-miss prospects from the farm
system of whichever team was being rumored to be most interested at the moment. Or so the innuendo went. It could have been nothing more
than a calculated, covert attempt to drive down the price on both pitchers. It
forced a denial from the Phils. Now, there are two good reasons why it's
impossible to confirm or deny that accusation. One is that none of us is privy
to the back-and-forth discussions that went on, so we don't know with any
degree of certainty exactly what club president Pat Gillick and general manager
Ruben Amaro Jr. were holding out for. Then there's this: Value isn't a fixed
concept. A ballpoint pen, a steak, a car -- or a controllable ace left-handed
starter in the prime of his career or a closer who hasn't blown a save all
season -- is worth exactly what someone is willing to pay. Now we know. Now we
know what the Rangers would give up for Hamels. Now we know what the Nationals
were willing to part with to get Papelbon. Now (with the usual caveat that only
time will tell how these deals ultimately pan out) we can at least offer an
educated opinion on how the Phillies fared when they cashed in their two most
valuable trade chips just ahead of Friday's 4 p.m. ET non-waiver Trade
Deadline. All things considered, it says here they did pretty darn well. By
also sending outfielder
Ben
Revere to the Blue Jays for two Minor Leaguers shortly before the Deadline,
the Phillies added a total of eight prospects to their farm system. "These
are exactly the types of things we set out to do when we went into this
transition in the offseason," Amaro said. "We got a very good package
of players we think will help this organization in the future. We were very
happy with the return. What we get in this return is an unknown. Who knows
what's going to happen? But we believe the level of talent we received was
exactly what we were looking for. "We were looking for depth and we were
looking for quality, and we got both." Sure, it would have been great if
the Dodgers had been willing to trade
Joc Pederson for Hamels
before the season started or Corey Seager this week. Yeah, it would have been
exciting if the Rangers had made
Joey Gallo available.
Or if the Cubs had offered
Kyle Schwarber or the
Red Sox dangled
Blake
Swihart. In the bigger picture, though, it's useful to remember that this
isn't an organization that's just a player or two away. This is an organization
that is in the process of trying to restock a system that ran low after years
of trading prospects and giving up Draft choices as the front office tried to
win as many championships as possible around a core consisting of the best
first baseman the franchise has ever had (
Ryan Howard), the best
second baseman (
Chase
Utley), the best shortstop (
Jimmy Rollins) and the
best starting pitcher it had developed in more than 50 years (Hamels). From
that perspective, getting multiple prospects instead of one big-name player
makes sense. And it also demonstrated consistency on the part of the Phillies'
thinkers. Amaro, after all, pointed out more than once that potential is great,
but it doesn't mean much until a player proves he can produce at the big league
level. "The biggest risk is how these guys will continue to develop and
what they might be able to do here in Philadelphia," Amaro said.
"That's the risk, because they're prospects. But we think they're going to
be guys who are going to impact our club, hopefully in the near future." Financial
advisors warn against going all in on even the most attractive stock. Better to
hedge your bets by spreading the money around. And that, in essence, is what
the Phillies have done. Again, there are no guarantees that even the most
touted kid will develop into a star. So instead of holding out for one of the
very best Rangers prospects, they took Jake Thompson (ranked No. 4 by MLB.com),
Nick Williams (No. 5), Jorge Alfaro (No. 6), Jerad Eickhoff (No. 17) and Alec
Asher (No. 29). With one deal, the system was suddenly that much deeper. The
Phillies also got veteran
Matt
Harrison, an 18-game winner in 2012 who has been waylaid by injuries since.
The Phillies got only one player from the Nationals for Papelbon, and Amaro
even admitted that Nick Pivetta projects as a middle- to bottom-of-the-rotation
starter. Then again, trading Papelbon presented unique challenges. The trend in
baseball is away from paying top dollar to closers, and Papelbon is making $13
million this season, the final guaranteed year of what remains the richest
contract given to a reliever in history. Plus, he has a vestable option for
another $13 million in 2016. On top of that, he didn't make Amaro's task any
easier by making it clear every time he was within shouting distance of a
camera, microphone or notepad that he wanted out. The unspoken implication was
that if the Phillies didn't trade him, they'd wish they had. All of which only
increased the perception that as talented as the closer might be on the mound,
any team acquiring him risked adding a headache off it. Against that backdrop,
getting a prospect who has the chance to be a No. 3 starter in the big leagues
looks a whole lot better. And when all is said and done, the Phillies have
added eight young players. Probably not all will make it, but that's all right.
The organization is deeper now than it was a week ago and appears to be a step
closer to contending. And wasn't that the goal in the first place?
Deal Done – Cole Hamels said
farewell Friday to Philadelphia. He had a heck
of a 13-year run. It began in 2002, when the Phillies made him the 17th overall
pick in the Draft. He reached the big leagues in 2006 with plenty of fanfare.
He earned the National League Championship Series and World Series Most
Valuable Player Awards in 2008, when the Phillies won their second championship
in franchise history. He was part of a nearly storybook season in 2011, when he
joined
Roy Halladay,
Cliff Lee and Roy
Oswalt in a memorable rotation. "There's a lot to say and not enough
time," Hamels said about his Phillies career at Citizens Bank Park, where
he discussed his trade to the Rangers. "It is a part of who I am and what
I've become, with the opportunity I've been given to play baseball in the
historical city of Philadelphia. I've had some of the best memories I've ever
had." The Phillies traded Hamels,
Jake Diekman and $9.5
million to Texas for left-hander
Matt Harrison and five
Minor League prospects: outfielder Nick Williams, catcher Jorge Alfardo and
right-handers Jake Thompson, Jerad Eickhoff and Alec Asher. Thompson, Williams
and Alfaro are ranked 60th, 64th and 69th, respectively, among all prospects in
MLB Pipeline's Top 100. "We've
got a very good package of players that I think will help propel this
organization forward in the future," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro
Jr. said. The Rangers and Phillies agreed to the trade Wednesday night, but it
took until Friday to be finalized. Amaro said he and Rangers general manager
Jon Daniels had been working on the trade for the past six to eight months. It
actually extended further back than that. The Phillies and Rangers discussed a
Hamels trade in July 2012. "There was no shortage of suitors here,"
Amaro said. "We were not forced. We had no mandate. We just felt
collectively as a group that this was the right thing to do for our
organization. We were very happy with the return. What we get in this return is
still an unknown. Who knows what's going to happen with these guys? But we
believe that the level of talent we received in this deal was exactly what we
were looking for. We were looking for depth and quality, and we got both."
The Phillies and Astros actually agreed on a deal before the Phillies and
Rangers, but Hamels had Houston on his 20-team no-trade list and rejected it.
Texas was not on Hamels' no-trade list because he has family and friends in the
Dallas-Fort Worth area. It is unclear who Houston offered to the Phillies, but
the package was believed to be stronger than Texas'. "There were some
clubs that were aggressive," Amaro said. "Could we have gotten better
deals? I don't know that, but we did travel down a path even with some clubs
that he didn't have on his list. The fact of the matter is Texas' pieces,
depth, and the way we lined up really worked very well for us. That's the best
deal we felt we could make." The Phillies kicked in $9.5 million and took
Harrison's contract ($33 million) to get the prospects they wanted from Texas. "We're
in a world where teams are buying talent," Amaro said. "This is one
of the ways we can use our economic muscle to buy talent. I think in a lot of
ways that's what we did." Williams, 21, has some of the quickest bat speed
in the Minors. MLBPipeline.com said he could be a .280 hitter with the
potential for 20 home runs per season. "He's got a chance to be a real
impact offensive player," Amaro said. "The hit tool has really become
a bit of a separator for him amongst prospects out there." Scouts believe
Alfaro, 22, has the best combination of raw power and arm strength among all
Minor League catchers, but had season-ending ankle surgery in June. "We
know the information from the Texas folks about his injury," Amaro said.
"We felt comfortable that he's going to be fine. The beauty of Alfaro is
that this guy is so athletic he can play another position, if the catching
thing doesn't work out. But he's made great strides over the past few years,
particularly with his work behind the plate. And we think he can impact us
obviously behind the plate." Thompson, 21, has one of the best sliders in
the Minors and his fastball sits in the 90-95 mph range. He went 6-6 with a
4.72 ERA in 17 starts with Frisco. Eickhoff, 25, went 9-4 with a 4.25 ERA in 18
games (17 starts) at Triple-A Round Rock. Asher, 23, went a combined 4-10
record with a 4.43 ERA in 20 starts with Frisco and Round Rock. "The
pitching was very important to us," Amaro said. "They are all upper
level guys who will pitch in the big leagues for us at some time. We just don't
know how high. It depends how they will develop and develop here in the big
leagues." Hamels led the Phillies to a World Series. The Phillies hope
this group leads them to another. Time will tell. "I always wanted to be
here fighting," Hamels said. "I think that's always what the motto
has been: The Fighting Phils. I believed that and tried to live that. But I
understand that this is the nature and this does happen and you have to accept
it."
Phils Flip Revere – The Phillies acquired right-handed pitching prospects
Alberto Tirado and Jimmy Cordero from the Blue Jays on Friday afternoon for
outfielder
Ben Revere
in a move completed just prior to the 4 p.m. ET non-waiver Trade Deadline. Tirado, who slots in as the
Phils' No. 15 prospect
according to MLBPipeline.com, is a 20-year-old who has transitioned into the
bullpen over the past few years. He joined the Blue Jays' organization in 2012
as a 17-year-old starting pitcher. Tirado has spent this season at Class A
Advanced Dunedin, where he's 4-3 with a 3.23 ERA in 31 appearances. Cordero is
a 23-year-old reliever who has made 32 appearances combined at Dunedin and
Double-A New Hampshire this season. He's posted a 2.70 ERA and a mark of 8.3
K/9 in 50 innings. Cordero is still working on his control, though. He's thrown
23 wild pitches to go along with 80 strikeouts over the last two years. The
Phillies are losing a speedy outfielder with strong contact-hitting ability in
Revere. He batted .303 with 95 stolen bases and 157 runs scored in 335 games
with Philadelphia. "Everyone has been saying that [the Blue Jays'] lineup
is going to be real nice ... all I have to do is get on [base]. But like I
said, with the pitching, too, their bullpen is great, they have a great
starting staff -- adding [David] Price and everything," Revere said.
"It's going to be fun. It's going to be a lot of fun. I just talked to
[Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos], and he's really excited, and I'm
really excited, too."
Are They Done? – The Phillies might not be finished making trades. They could trade
Chase Utley,
Aaron Harang,
Jeff Francoeur and
others before the Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline. Utley has received interest
from teams, although he is on the disabled list with an injured right ankle. The
Phillies have traded
Cole
Hamels,
Jimmy
Rollins,
Jonathan
Papelbon,
Ben Revere,
Marlon Byrd,
Jake Diekman and
Antonio Bastardo since
the organization began its rebuilding process in the offseason. Those seven
veterans have netted the Phillies 13 players, including 12 Minor Leaguers (10
pitchers, one outfielder and one catcher). Utley will not get the Phillies the
prospects he might have a year ago, but he could get the Phillies somebody of
value. Of course, Utley would have to waive his no-trade rights to make it
happen. He said in Spring Training if the Phillies started trading its core
veterans he might have to rethink things and consider a trade. Maybe he will.
Prospects Offer Bright Future – The Phillies have waited and waited and waited to get the
best deal possible for
Cole
Hamels, one that could help restock an organization thin on talent in the
Majors and Minors. They finally did so on Friday, consummating an eight-player
deal with the Rangers. Philadelphia sent Hamels,
Jake Diekman and $9.5
million in cash to Texas for
Matt Harrison and five
prospects: right-handers Jake Thompson, Jerad Eickhoff and Alec Asher,
outfielder Nick Williams and catcher Jorge Alfaro. Thompson (No. 60), Williams
(No. 64) and Alfaro (No. 69) all rank among
MLBPipeline.com's
Top 100 Prospects. The
Phils' system, which had
fallen on hard times before the team began trading veterans for prospects last
offseason, now has six Top 100 farmhands. Shortstop J.P. Crawford (No. 6) and
Philadelphia's last two first-round picks, right-hander
Aaron Nola (No. 22) and
outfielder Cornelius Randolph (No. 99), already were on the list. Thompson, 21,
has been traded twice in the last year after the Tigers shipped him and
Corey Knebel to the
Rangers for
Joakim Soria
last July. A second-round pick from a Texas high school in 2012, Thompson has
one of the best sliders in the Minors and pairs it with a hard sinker that
ranges from 90-95 mph. Thompson has gone 6-6 with a 4.72 ERA in 17 starts at
Double-A Frisco this year, with a 78-30 K/BB ratio in 87 2/3 innings. Williams,
21, also was a second-rounder out of a Texas high school in 2012. He has one of
the quickest bats in the Minors and has made huge strides with his plate
discipline this year, giving him a chance to become a .280 hitter with 20
homers per season along with solid speed and defense. Williams batted .299/.357/.479
with 13 homers and 10 steals in 97 games at Frisco. Alfaro, 22, signed for a
Colombian-record $1.3 million in 2010. No Minor League catcher can beat his
combination of raw power and arm strength, though his hitting and receiving
skills still need a lot of polish. Alfaro hit .253/.314/.432 with five homers
in 49 games at Frisco before season-ending ankle surgery in June. Eickhoff, 25,
went from a 15th-round pick from Olney Central (Ill.) JC in 2011 to leading the
Double-A Texas League with 144 strikeouts in 2014. His best pitch is a 91-97
mph fastball and he'll also flash a plus curveball and solid slider. Eickhoff
has spent most of this season at Triple-A Round Rock, going 9-4 with a 4.25 ERA
in 18 games (17 starts) with a 107/36 K/BB ratio in 111 2/3 innings. Asher, 23,
was a fourth-round choice out of Polk (Fla.) CC in 2012. He can hit 96 mph with
his fastball but usually operates at 89-93 mph, backing it up with an average
slider and changeup. Asher has split this year between Frisco and Round Rock,
compiling a 4-10 record with a 4.43 ERA in 20 starts and a 97/37 K/BB ratio in
107 2/3 innings. All five prospects could arrive in the big leagues before the
end of 2016. If they all reach their ceilings, the Phillies could have a No. 2
starter (Thompson), a pair of All-Star position players (Williams, Alfaro) and
a pair of workhorse starters for the back half of their rotation (Eickhoff,
Asher). Of course, not all prospects will fulfill their potential, but
Philadelphia has a lot more building blocks than it did before the trade and
also saves roughly $35 million in the difference between the commitments to
Hamels and Harrison. From the Rangers' perspective, Hamels gives them a
front-line starter who's locked up through 2019 and can headline what could be
a formidable long-term rotation should
Yu Darvish,
Derek Holland and
Martin Perez return to
full health. Texas was able to acquire the three-time All-Star and 2008 National
League Championship Series and World Series MVP without sacrificing either of
its cornerstone prospects, third baseman
Joey Gallo or
outfielder Nomar Mazara. The Rangers' impressive prospect depth allowed them to
retain Gallo and Mazara while still satisfying the Phils.
Looking Back At Hamels’ Legacy – The walls of the home manager's office at Citizens Bank
Park are dotted by pictures of special players and moments from Phillies
history. The photo that hangs closest to the desk was taken on the night of
Oct. 29, 2008. The Phillies had just beaten the
Rays to win the World Series. On the left is first baseman
Ryan Howard, holding
the trophy. On the right is
Cole Hamels, clutching
the Most Valuable Player award. In the background is the red sports car he
received for winning it. Hamels had also been voted MVP of the National League
Championship Series. So it's hardly a stretch to suggest that without him the
Phils would likely also be without exactly half of the World Series championships
they've won in 132 years of doing business. By itself, that's enough reason for
pause for a moment on the day Hamels was officially traded to the Rangers and
appreciate the impact he's had on Philadelphia since becoming the Phillies'
first-round Draft pick, 17th overall, in 2002. But there's more, much more,
than that. Hamels won over a blue-collar city despite his California upbringing
and surfer dude good looks. He was adopted, in a way, by a fan base who watched
him grow from a gangly teen to the best pitcher the organization has developed
since Hall of Famer Robin Roberts. Of course, it helped that Hamels was really
good, a three-time All-Star. It helped that he settled down in the area and
raised his family here and was generous in his charitable works. The biggest
reason Hamels was embraced, though, is that he was a lot more of a Philly guy
than he appeared at first glance. He earned the respect of the working-class
customers because he rarely let irritation or displeasure or frustration show
after his lineup, once again, failed to provide him with more than a run or
two. Philadelphia fans expect a lot of their highly-paid professional athletes.
They didn't expect any more from Hamels than he expected from himself. "One
of the things that I think was a little bit of his Achilles' heel was that he
expected perfection from himself every single time out. And when he wasn't, it
annoyed him. And you could tell on the mound that it bothered him. But if I'm a
fan watching a guy perform, that's what I'm impressed by," said general
manager Ruben Amaro Jr., a Philadelphia native. "A lot of people said
things about him being a prima donna and all this other business. Hollywood
Hamels. I will tell you this. We've had some very, very competitive players
play here in Philadelphia. I would put him up against any player we've had and
any athlete we've had here in Philadelphia." A favorite personal memory:
July 22, 2010, was a brutally hot and humid day at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
The temperature at first pitch for the afternoon game was announced as 92
degrees, and it climbed as the game continued under the harsh sun. The
Phillies, on the other hand, were ice cold. They'd lost four straight and six
of their previous seven to fall seven games out of first place, just two games
over .500. Despite the miserable conditions, Hamels was brilliant. He allowed
just one hit in eight shutout innings. The Phils eventually won, 2-0, in 11
innings. Then-manager Charlie Manuel pointed to that game as the launching pad
for all that followed. "I still go back to that real hot day in St. Louis.
I think that's the day that turned him around," he said. "It was
scorching. We couldn't get a run for him and he kept right on pitching. He
didn't say nothing. He wanted to be in the game. The success he had that day,
especially against that lineup, I think that brought him right back where he
wanted to be." It certainly was a turning point for the team, which went
49-19 (.721) the rest of the way. Hamels also showed that he was human,
something everybody can relate to. In February 2005, he got into a bar fight --
he said he was protecting his teammates who were also there -- and his
invitation to big league camp was revoked as a result. After Hamels'
breakthrough season, he went 10-11 with a 4.32 ERA in 2009. Late in the playoffs,
he said he couldn't wait for the season to be over. Since there was still the
chance Hamels might make another start if the Phillies staved off elimination,
it was misinterpreted by some to mean he hoped his team lost. Along the way,
Hamels became part of the tapestry of the city, like Billy Penn's hat and
Boathouse Row and Independence Hall. His departure leaves a noticeable hole in
that fabric. Hamels, Howard,
Jimmy Rollins and
Chase Utley were the
core of the Phils' teams that ended up winning five straight NL East titles
from 2007-11 and two pennants in that span. Rollins, the Phillies' all-time
hits leader and the best shortstop ever to wear the uniform, was traded to the
Dodgers last winter. Now Hamels is gone, too. They're breaking up that old gang
of theirs. Howard and Utley, the best first baseman and second basemen in team
history, could be next. It's necessary. It's time. Still, watching those who
played such an integral role creating the best run of sustained excellence the
Phils have had in their 132 years of business is jarring. And not just to fans.
"One of the difficulties in trading a guy like Hamels is what he's meant
to the organization over the years. There is nothing easy at all about these
decisions and trades. Rollins. Hamels. They're difficult because these are
iconic players for our organization," Amaro said. Later Friday night, Pat
Burrell was added to the Phillies' Wall of Fame. It won't be long after Hamels
retires before he's honored there, too.
Burrell Returns To The Bank – Pat Burrell's wit spared no one. He mocked his closest friends. He picked on his former
managers, juxtaposing the even-keeled Charlie Manuel against the quick-tempered
Larry Bowa. He even joked about the sometimes fractured relationship between
him and the media. But make no mistake. Friday night at Citizens Bank Park
wasn't about Burrell's friends or managers or flaws. Friday night was about
Burrell. Burrell became the 37th member of the Phillies' organization inducted
onto the Phillies' Wall of Fame on Friday night, following in Manuel's
footsteps as the second member of the 2008 World Series team to be immortalized
in Ashburn Alley. The first pick of the 1998 MLB Draft, Burrell finished his
career with 251 home runs as a Phillie, fourth all time only behind Mike
Schmidt, Del Ennis and former teammate
Ryan Howard. Despite
his high ranks on the all-time Phillies offensive leaderboard and the
instrumental role he played in the 2008 postseason, not limited to driving in
the winning run of the World Series, Burrell doesn't see himself as belonging
in the company he just joined. "I was here for a long time and every year
they put a new name up there: Steve Carlton, Mike Schmidt and all these
guys," Burrell said. "You just never think that you're in the same
group as them. To be in that group is a huge honor." Many members of the
group Burrell is honored to join were in attendance Friday night as Carlton,
Schmidt, Bowa, Manuel, Jim Bunning and more were in attendance to help usher
him into the Wall of Fame. Jason Michaels and former teammate
Nick Punto, his close
friends and roommates from his early playing days, both attended as well,
having the honors of revealing his plaque. Pre-taped messages from Royals
legend George Brett and former Giants third-base coach Tim Flannery were also
showed in honor of Burrell, with the latter of which memorializing Burrell's
bond with John Vukovich. After those messages, Vukovich's three granddaughters,
along with
Chase Utley,
came out to award Burrell with a miniature version of his plaque. Burrell also
thanked the San Francisco Giants, the organization that hired him to be a scout
after he retired. Recently however, Burrell stepped away from scouting, saying
he had grown tired of the grind of travelling and said he "needed some
time to figure out what [he was] doing." As many unknowns as there are
surrounding Burrell's future, there are far less surrounding the future of the
Phillies Wall of Fame. Many of Burrell's former teammates will undoubtedly join
him on the wall someday. And when asked what it meant to be the first of the
group to be inducted, Burrell scoffed at the idea of first meaning anything
other than age. "I'm just the first guy to retire," Burrell said.
"You have to wait four years. I don't think I'd be the first choice if all
those guys retired the same time I did."
THE BEGINNING:
The
Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the
NL east at 40-64. Given the departures, aging stars,
injuries, and performance so far this season, this could end up being the
worst team in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 63-42-0 on
this day.
