2023 Phillies Regular Season Discussion

zambonir 2023-07-12 13:48:51 UTC #1309

I'm also not sure he was really throwing with maximum effort/high stress, even though it felt competitive. But what were you going to do, put a closer in the all-star game and then pull him with two men on and two outs? If it had been another manager we might be a little mad about it, but certainly Kimbrel's own manager wasn't going to deny him the chance to finish the game. Or lose it. Just like in real life.

zambonir 2023-07-12 14:57:08 UTC #1310

This is fun. Kimbrel says he certainly didn't want to throw that many pitches (obviously lots of fouls, a few too many balls). And then there are items on Castellanos:

Thomson brought the idea to Castellanos when the team was in Miami. He didn’t have any center fielders on his roster. Castellanos didn’t hesitate to give his manager an answer.

“He asked me if I’d be up for it because I guess Gurriel and [Juan] Soto were there and I guess, saying that I graded out better than them or whatever,” Castellanos said. “So he offered it to me, and I said, “Absolutely.’”

Unfortunately for Castellanos, he didn’t get many opportunities to flash his glove. No fly balls were hit his way, which he said was “frustrating.” But he enjoyed the experience nonetheless.

“I mean, I’m not going to be vocally lobbying to play center field,” he said. “If they ever ask me to do it, I’m too much of a kid to say no. But I am proud of myself that...if people would’ve seen me play third base in the big leagues, try to learn to play right field, what everybody has said about my defense, I can now say I’ve played center field in a major league baseball game. And I’m proud of that.”

And Gallen:

“It’s funny, all of my family and friends were more pumped that I got to ride in the car with Philly Rob than me actually being in the All-Star game,” Gallen said. “The city loves him. He’s a great guy.”

Gallen’s mother was born in South Philly. She was raised on the Phillies’ teams of Mickey Morandini and Larry Bowa. He said that his family is sports-crazy, as far as Philly fans go.

“She doesn’t call into WIP but other family members do,” he said. “I think my brother’s friend calls once a month. But I will say, whenever I go home, and she’s driving, WIP is on.”

phillychuck 2023-07-12 15:02:40 UTC #1311

Agree. I just don't like the wear and tear if we are going to be playing playoff baseball later.

zambonir 2023-07-12 15:37:07 UTC #1312

I'm starting to think the Phillies will end up adding a bullpen piece after all. Or possibly a depth starter who could also be a long man (if Sanchez just keeps doing what he's doing). We've now got both Seranthony and Alvarado on IL, and Strahm seems destined for an IL stint (and really, if he's even just a little sore, they would take opportunity to do it just to manage his innings). Kimbrel has been durable if not always effective the past three years so fingers crossed. Bound to be a few bumpy innings over the next two weeks with at least one of the mid/lower-end guys pitching for their job.

Philsmania 2023-07-12 15:39:44 UTC #1313

Phillies managers are now 6-1 all-time in the All-Star Game!

Eddie Sawyer, 1951 @ Detroit, W 8-3
Dallas Green, 1981 @ Cleveland, W 5-4
Paul Owens, 1984 @ San Francisco, W 3-1
Jim Fregosi, 1994 @ Pittsburgh, W 8-4
Charlie Manuel, 2009 @ St. Louis, L 4-3
Charlie Manuel, 2010 @ Anaheim, W 3-1
Rob Thomson, 2023 @ Seattle, W 3-2

Fregosi, Manuel and Thomson all halted lengthy NL losing or winless streaks (six years, thirteen years and nine years respectively).

Callison 2023-07-12 16:29:38 UTC #1314

Big Rob with the nerves of steel again. Kimbrel looked like he might not be up to it, but Rob doesn't blink.

California_Dreamin 2023-07-12 17:40:26 UTC #1315

Philsmania...Ah, make that 7-1. Gene Mauch managed the 1965 NL All Stars to a win. Even though the Phil didn't win the 1964 pennant [thats another story] Mauch was chosen to manage the team since Cardinal manager Johnny Keane had left the Cardinals and went to manage in the AL.

I suspect I am still a voice in the wilderness but I think Mauch has been short changed in regards to his not being on the Phils Wall of Fame. I know [I lived through it!] all about how he mismanaged the '64 team during that 10 game losing streak but to punish him entirely for that is short sighted and foolish. For 150 games that year he was brilliant and equally brilliant in 1962 [when he lead them to an improvement of 34 wins, from 47 to 81] and in 1963 when he not only coaxed an 87-75 fourth place finish out of the team but defeated the World Champion Dodgers 11 of 18 times.

One other thing Mauch never gets credit for was his leading the way in the Phils integration of African American players, something the Phils had been shamefully slow to incorporate. He fully embraced players like Dick Allen, Wes Covington, Tony Taylor, Tony Gonzalez, Johnny Briggs, Grant Jackson, Ruben Amaro, Alex Johnson, Pancho Herrera, Tony Curry, Ted Savage and Cookie Rojas. He rehabilitated the shattered career of Ryne Duren, a talented hurler who was almost ruined by alcoholism. He was the manager who transformed a very skilled pitcher named Jim Bunning into a Hall of Famer.

More than any other manager in Phillies history, he took the team into the 20th century, something he was NEVER given credit for. And he was a brilliant manager. Players like Bunning, Amaro, Rojas and Bobby Wine all said he was the best manager they ever played for.

But perhaps the greatest compliment he ever received came from an opponent, the respected and equally brilliant Joe Torre. He HATED Mauch when he played against him during the early 60's, absolutely hated him and said so. Then in 1965, when Mauch managed Torre in the '65 All Star Game [the 1 he gets no credit for winning] Torre said he LOVED playing for him, and found him to be kind, friendly and most accommodating. Apparently, Torre was going through some family issues in 1965 [very ill parent I believe] and Torre mentioned to Mauch that he would deeply appreciate if Mauch let him play more than the standard 3-4 innings at catcher. Mauch let him catch all 9 innings, something for which Torre never forgot.

Ron Santo, another Mauch target during their battles, said similar things. He found Mauch to be the most innovative minds he had ever met. Look, Mauch had his weaknesses [but so did Green, Manuel and Owens] but a strong case can be made that more than any other person who put on a Phillie uniform it was Gene Mauch who transformed the team from an absolute laughing stock of the NL to a well respected and formidable organization to this very day. If nothing else, the road was paved by him.

zambonir 2023-07-12 18:10:02 UTC #1316

I would not have guessed he wasn't! Far less deserving people on there. And now Quinn is going in. In all cases, to me, "fame" is about having an impact on the franchise and being part of its history, not just about winning pennants or championships (how could it be, for the Phillies)?

It is also always funny to me to think about what the fate of the 1964 team would have been a mere five years later (when both teams would have made the NLCS). Let alone 25 years later or now (with the various wild cards).

California_Dreamin 2023-07-12 18:37:37 UTC #1317

zambonir...I suspect you are not alone in failing to realize Mauch is not on the Phils Wall of Fame. I long ago gave up the ghost of trying to convince Phillie phandom of the miscarriage of justice in not having Mauch on the Wall of Fame. I often wonder how much long time Phillie historian, Larry Shenk, fought to have Mauch's name put on the Wall. Shenk started his Phillie career in 1964 [as a publicist I believe] and had a long and storied career with the Phils.

In fact, Mr. Shenk, who is now retired, still has a daily twitter account that continually and effectively waxes poetic about all things Phillie related. He even attended the famous 1989 Phillie 25 reunion of that team, a reunion that was so amazing in the recall from Mauch about that team and those players that Sports Illustrated wrote a beautiful article about that event, that team, that season and Mauch's influence on it.

And now to add injustice to irony, the Phils are honoring John Quinn with a hallowed place on the Wall when it was Mauch who orchestrated most of Quinn's artistry. Certainly, it was Quinn who saw the genius of Mauch and said so when he hired him in 1960 but much of the success Quinn had as GM was due to the efforts of the man who managed those clubs, Gene Mauch.

Much like the injustice I feel is due to Dick Allen who is still not in the baseball Hall of Fame, to Johnny Callison who was robbed of the 1964 MVP award, and to Mauch who is still not on the Phillie Wall of Fame, those terrible two weeks in September of 1964 have in many ways blotted out much of the greatness due some of Philadelphia Phillies greatest baseball heroes.

zambonir 2023-07-12 19:31:44 UTC #1318

Phillies placed Josh Harrison on 10-day injured list (retroactive to July 9) with a right wrist contusion. A corresponding move will be made prior to Friday’s game against the Padres.

Noah Song also had his rehab assignment transferred to Double-A Reading.
— Todd Zolecki ( @ToddZolecki ) July 12, 2023

julio 2023-07-12 19:39:21 UTC #1319

This was previously reported, made official today:

zambonir 2023-07-12 21:08:55 UTC #1320

So who comes up for Harrison, Ellis? Kingery? Weston Wilson? Not sure they'd really want to try to open a 40-man space right now and they do have both Sosa and Pache as RH bench bats, maybe Cave?

bkox 2023-07-12 21:56:37 UTC #1321

If Harper is going to start playing 1B this weekend like they were making it sound like... It has to be someone who can play OF . Because if Schwarber is DH.. then Casty, Pache and Marsh are the only OFers on the roster and we would lose the DH for a game if one gets injured.

allentown 2023-07-12 22:16:55 UTC #1322

Muzziotti or Cave.

andyb 2023-07-12 22:27:53 UTC #1323

Sosa can play outfield too.

VoteForKalas 2023-07-12 22:54:51 UTC #1324

Please no

bkox 2023-07-12 23:00:42 UTC #1325

Well.. in theory yes. But he has exactly 5.1 innings in the OF in his MLB career and exactly 1 game (7 years ago) in his minor league career.

bkox 2023-07-12 23:03:26 UTC #1326

Truth is.. there are probably two moves that need made.

If Harper is playing 1B... than there is no need for Hall. Hes redundant. So sending Hall down and bringing up an OF and and then an Infielder for Harrison.

BostonRoss 2023-07-12 23:28:54 UTC #1327

But now we have three centerfielders!

zambonir 2023-07-12 23:47:15 UTC #1328

I don't believe Harper is going to play 1B in the Padres series.

This is what he said on Saturday. Sounds to me like it will be another week, maybe a little less.

Harper is getting closer to playing first base, though.

“When I get back from the break, I know we’re going to do some more tags or cut stuff,” Harper said. “I’m not sure after that what their next plan is. I haven’t really talked to anybody about it, just trying to get the work done I need to. I think when we all feel comfortable, including Bobby [Dickerson] and [Rob Thomson], we’ll have that conversation about when I’ll start playing.”