Q: On Spring Training in
Clearwater, Florida, from Ben Hancock, Columbia, TN
Hey! CD, I will be in Clearwater, FL. For spring training
and will see about a half dozen Phillie games. Do you have any special insights
as to what to look for? Thanks!
CD says...
Great
question, Ben, and welcome aboard the Pulse! I envy you, my friend… enjoy it and get
lots of autographs! As for what to
watch for, here are my suggestions.
I would certainly watch David Bell to see how healthy he appears.
Watch him in batting practice and see if he is driving the ball
normally.
I have commented before that when I saw the Phils play the
Angels in early June, I watched their batting practice and Bell was having
trouble hitting the ball out of the infield. I knew something was wrong, but it
wasn’t until later that we all realized his problems were back related.
I
would also look to see how the pitchers are throwing; does it appear free and
easy, and are they throwing breaking pitches. A pitcher with a tender arm
generally avoids throwing breaking pitches in practice.
Watch to see the
top of the order at the beginning of the games. It seems that there is still
discussion of having Jimmy Rollins bat near the top of the order. If he does,
watch to see if he makes a greater effort to stay away from the high pitch. This
has been his albatross.
I would also keep track of which Phillie player
look to be in good shape, and who appears in need of losing a few pounds. I
mention this because last spring Bobby Abreu reported to camp weighing 20 pounds
more than the previous season. He contended that it was muscle, but most Phillie
watchers were skeptical.
Abreu finally admitted that he was overweight
and has vowed to report to camp much lighter this spring. In fact, most of the
Phils seem to be very determined to report in tiptop shape. Such players as
Kevin Millwood, Jim Thome, Marlon Byrd and Abreu have made ‘being in great
shape’ a priority this year. This can only be good news for them… and the Phils.
One more suggestion… I would keep a little diary of observations. Get to
the park a good two hours before game time and take notes. You will be amazed at
what you see, what you feel, and how often your observations will later prove
correct.
Oh, and one more thing, Ben, have fun!!! Thanks for becoming the newest member of
the Phillie Pulse!
Q. On the Possible Acquisition of Catcher Ben Davis, from Pete Burns
Hey! CD, if we trade for
catcher Ben Davis, would this cause a playing time problem with three catchers
already on the roster? I am
including Shawn Wooten as the third catcher.
CD
says…
It’s
great to see you back to the Pulse, Pete, and thanks for the question on Davis.
First, let me tell the
readers where the Ben Davis talks started, and why. Actually, it started in my
newest Connect the Dots article, but I didn’t just pick his name out of the
sky!!
In reality, it began
late in December when the Phils announced the signing of Shawn Wooten. At the
signing, GM Ed Wade mentioned that the Phils might sign outfielder Doug
Glanville as a free agent. Word filtered out that if and when Glanville was
signed, the two players who would be affected by this signing were outfielder
Jason Michaels and/or second baseman Chase Utley.
The speculation was
that they would either be sent back to Triple A or traded. Rumors started that
if they were offered in trade, one possibility was to acquire a solid young
catcher in return. No names were mentioned.
Fast forward to this week.
The Mariners are now very much interested in signing World Series hero, catcher
Pudge Rodriguez, as a free agent. The interest is probably mutual, but the
Mariners must rid themselves of a catcher first. On their roster is the veteran
Dan Wilson and 27 year old Ben Davis. Wilson will be very difficult to trade, as
he is a 10/5 player, 10 years in the league and 5 years with the same
team.
This leaves Davis as the probable player to leave if the Mariners
determine they can sign Pudge. Now, Davis is still young, talented, and a local
product with strong Philadelphia roots. He also hits left-handed. It would not
seem unreasonable to assume that the Mariners might ask the Phils if they have
interest in acquiring Davis and they might accept Michaels and a second level
prospect in trade.
Before we dismiss this out of hand, consider this
point. While the Phils appear deep in catchers with Mike Lieberthal, Todd Pratt,
and Wooten, they are actually quite vulnerable. If Lieby goes down, they are
reduced to starting Pratt, who will be 37 years old in two weeks. Wooten’s
weakest position is catcher, the Phils signed him to play third, first and
pinch-hit.
Davis would give the Phils flexibility and some youth behind
the plate and would guarantee that a Lieberthal injury wouldn’t necessarily
derail our playoff hopes. I have
never said the Phils are interested in Davis, and they may not be. However, keep
one more thing in mind.
It does appear that Michaels is going to be
traded and we must ask ourselves the question… does it not make more sense to
acquire a player in a position of need than just bring in another middle inning
reliever, as the rumors indicate.
Acquiring Davis, who hit 6 HR and had
42 RBI in only 80 games last year gives us great strength behind the plate, both
for this year and in the future. This also somewhat solidifies a position that
is an organization wide black hole at the minor league level.
Again,
Pete, thanks for the question, and stay with the Pulse all season!
Q.
On the Phils Interest in Ben Davis, from Dazzie Vance, aka Quick
Comet
Hey! CD, I think the Phils have zero interest in
Davis. However, a good AAA or AA catcher might interest them. Pittsburgh has JR
House at the Triple A level and Ryan Doumit at Double A. Another scenario might
be to trade Utley and/or Michaels to the Red Sox for catcher Kelly Shoppach. What are your thoughts on
this?
CD says…
QC, you have a very thorough knowledge of
minor league players and your scenarios are very interesting. Frankly, I would
walk to Boston or Pittsburgh if we could pry any of the three catchers you
mention away from their teams. Especially for outfielder Jason Michaels, who
might look very good in Pittsburgh, but would not start in Boston.
I
might trade Utley for Shoppach, who is now rated Boston’s #2 prospect. He looks
like a solid young catcher for the future. However, it says here that Boston
would not dare trade him with incumbent catcher Jason Varitek primed for free
agency. Boston is already over 100
million in salary and must sign Pedro Martinez and Trot Nixon to extensions for
2005. Having a low cost, high return youngster like Shoppach is invaluable for
the Sox.
Looking at the Pirates, you present an interesting player in
House. He is no longer listed among the top 10 Pirate prospects, which leads me
to believe he is hurt. Doumit, a former high school teammate of Phillie draftee
Jason Cooper, is now listed as the Pirates #10 prospect.
If House were
healthy he would be a nice addition for the Phils. I doubt that the Pirates
would let go of Doumit, who seems to have great long range potential for the
Bucs. However, keep this one thing in mind when talking about the Phils making a
trade that involves Michaels, Utley or any other player in their
organization.
All teams have philosophies, things they believe in and
ways they conduct business. GM Ed Wade has done some remarkable things to make
the Phils a top rate team… but trading for young prospects is not one of them.
He always insists on acquiring major league ready talent.
In fact, the
only trade he has ever made where he sent a veteran to another team and acquired
a prospect was when he shipped lefty Omar Daal to the Dodgers for minor league
hurler Eric Junge. If history is
any indication, Michaels or Utley will not bring a prospect in return, but a
major league ready player.
This is another reason that I think Davis may
be a possibility. He provides the Phils with a major league ready catcher, as
opposed to Shoppach, House or Doumit. Nevertheless, QC, your grasp of the minor
league systems outside Philadelphia is quite impressive, and a future job as a
major league GM may be in the offing for you!
Take care, and thanks for
writing to the PhilliePulse.
Q. On How You Became a Phillie Fan, from
Thomas Boyd, Philadelphia, PA
Hey! CD, it’s good to see a
person who understands the passion, yet despair, of being a Phillie fan! Are you originally from Philadelphia,
and if not, how did the Phightins capture your heart?
CD
says…
Ah…
Thomas, I know Philly despair, though I am a California native. As a small child
my dad took me to my first baseball game between the hometown San Francisco
Giants and a team called the Philadelphia Phillies. At the time I knew nothing
of this team called the Phils, but I was told about the wonders of Willie Mays,
Sam Jones, Orlando Cepeda, Mike McCormick, Jim Davenport and Willie
McCovey.
I remember the game like it was yesterday. I was amazed by the
green of the grass, the smell of the stadium… and the red and white of the
Phillies uniforms! I was also
confused that no one was rooting for these Phils, and the crowd was happy with a
hometown victory for the Giants, 7-3.
I felt myself rooting for this
strange team; with players I had never heard of, players like Pancho Herrera,
Robin Roberts, Bobby Malkmus and Jim Owens. In fact, Owens had been the starting and
losing pitcher that day.
The next day, filled with the wonderment of
youth and the new discovery of a game I would grow to love, I convinced my dad
to purchase for me my first pack of baseball cards. For only a nickel, 5 cards
and a stick of delicious bubble gum was the prize!
When I opened the
pack, to my astonishment were not one, but two Philadelphia Phillies… Malkmus
and Owens! I took this to be a sign that this team and I would become
inseparable, and so we were. I vowed to follow their exploits for the rest of
the summer and my initial excitement turned to despair. Within weeks of my new
discovery, the Phils embarked on a losing streak that lasted nearly one
month.
My new team, the one to
which I had just pledged my undying loyalty, lost 23 straight baseball games
that summer. I remember how much I liked pitcher Johnny Buzhardt because he was
the winning pitcher in the game before the streak began, and the pitcher who
ended the streak.
So, my friend, I know despair, from the 10 game losing
streak of 1964 to the Black Friday when Greg Luzinski dropped a fly ball. And
though I am now in Southern California, my allegiance has never changed… a
Phillie fanatic forever, though I live 3000 miles away!
Hope this answers
your question, Thomas, and feel free to visit the Pulse anytime!
Q. On the Injury to
third Baseman Aaron Boone and its Possible Affect on the Phillies, from Dominick
Patrone, Richmond, VA
Hey! CD, now that Aaron Boone has injured
his knee and appears gone for the season, how does this loss for the Yanks
affect the Phils?
CD says…
Dom, my friend, the Pulse would not
be the same without a great and timely question from you! This is a question that is probably on
the minds of many Phillie fans and the answer lies in what you believe to be the
status of David Bell.
As you are well aware,
Bell remains an enigma after a back injury last year. He insists he is healthy,
and the Phils acknowledge the same thing. So, if we assume that Bell is healthy,
then the Phils may decide that they like the lineup of Bell at third and
Placido Polanco at second base.
Assuming this is the case, then the
Yanks loss of Boone affects the Phils not one iota. However, if the Phils feel Bell is
healthy, and they become convinced that youngster Chase Utley can
handle second base, then Polanco may look very enticing to the
Yankees.
Keep in mind that the Yanks have long been interested in Polanco
so they may well inquire as to his availability. My guess is that it would take
an Alfonso Soriano to interest the Phils and I do not see the Yanks
relinquishing him. So, it does not
appear that they would make great trade partners.
However, lets look at
another scenario, the one that theorizes that David Bell is not healthy and the
Phils are in the market for a third baseman. Having the Yanks suddenly
become a competitor for a player of the same position is never a good thing.
Remember, for the Yankees, money or price is never a problem.
I mentioned
last week that it would not surprise me if the Phils developed an interest in
Adrian Beltre, the young third baseman with the LA Dodgers. Not
surprisingly, Beltre was immediately mentioned as a player the Yanks might
pursue now that Boone is injured.
So, if the Phils are quietly in the
market for a third sacker like Beltre, the buyers list just got one team
larger, and the Phils chances of acquiring the player just got slimmer. The
Yanks are the 800-pound gorilla that no one cares to compete
with.
Stay tuned on this one,
Dom, as the Yanks are likely to act quickly, and it will be interesting to see
if the Phils get involved in any way.
See you again soon at the
Pulse!
To
My Co-Fans: Thank
you for your continued patronage and the undying interest on our beloved
Phillies. Keep the questions coming to connectthedots@earthlink.net and
I’ll keep responding. Until next time! CD from the Left Coast