Phightins

Yeah lol. "Diesel" texted me as soon as he was shown, no surprise there.

Everybody should be back. This team is in great shape for next year. The 2010 offseason will be the interesting one, since Cliff Lee, Jimmy Rollins, and Jayson Werth will be free agents, and they will have to seriously consider how to handle the Ryan Howard and Cole Hamels situations. Only thing that could happen this offseason is at third base. They have a team option for Pedro Feliz, and if they decide to go for more offense at third, they could let him go and try to get Dan Uggla, Chone Figgins, Garrett Atkins, or somebody else. Personally I hope Feliz sticks around. I could care less what he gives us offensively, we will not find a better defensive third baseman, and I think we can live with his offensive struggles with how deep this lineup is (and 82 RBIs out of the 7 hole is nothing to sneeze at, either). Also they will have to work out new contracts for Shane Victorino and Joe Blanton, but they are both under club control so they are not going anywhere. The bench will be retooled. It would not surprise me if Greg Dobbs and Ben Francisco are the only guys back from this year's bench (but they will need to work out a new deal for Francisco since he is still in arbitration). Francisco could also potentially be trade bait since I believe he could start for many MLB teams. Also, a couple questions in the bullpen, such as if Scott Eyre will retire, and also the closer situation. Chan Ho Park is also a free agent and obviously I'd love to bring him back. Also, the 5th starter's job will be up in the air. They will have to decide whether or not to bring Pedro Martinez back, but I doubt they will since they still have Jamie Moyer under contract for another year. Only big shakeup I could see happening is if they decide to sell high with either Victorino or Werth. I would only do this if they could bring in an absolutely massive haul. The Phillies would have to be blown away with an offer, clearly. I do not want either of them to go since I believe they are both reaching their primes right now, but I would at least listen to offers and see if somebody offers something spectacular.

Why do I have a feeling that this won't end well? Anyway, before this gets locked I will put my final 2 cents in. As I said I am very happy with the Phillies season despite losing in the end. I am happy for a lot of the players on the Yankees. I do not mind most of the guys on the team and am happy for the guys like Tex and Matsui who are getting their first rings. I already want Spring Training here.

Like I posted in the WS thread, great season. This team is not going anywhere anytime soon. Already excited for next year.

Great season Phils. No shame in taking a 103 win team that is clearly superior on paper to game 6 of the World Series, I guess.

Same. I think the matchup favors the Phillies tonight, but still, any time your team is facing elimination it is hard not to be nervous haha. I just want it to get going. Time has just dragged tonight.

He was taken off the roster so I am pretty sure that makes him unavailable for the remainder of the series.

Kewl

Lineups... Phillies: Rollins SS Victorino CF Utley 2B Howard 1B Werth RF Ibanez DH Feliz 3B Francisco LF Ruiz C Yankees: Jeter SS Damon LF Teixeira 1B Rodriguez 3B Matsui DH Posada C Cano 2B Swisher RF Gardner CF

Joe West has been consistently bad for years. The only reason he gets to be on the World Series crew is because he has been around forever (the amount of time he has been around is just mind boggling, considering how awful he is). If you were to ask me to name the three worst umpires in baseball off the top of my head, he would without a doubt be the first to pop into my head (along with CB Bucknor and Laz Diaz). Pretty much every Major League team has at least one Joe West horror story. I am just hoping that tonight is a rare Joe West umpired game where he does not become one of the story lines.

My biggest concern for tonight is that Joe West is the home plate umpire.

I would agree normally, but I am still not convinced that this is the case with Cole Hamels. He has been a Major League pitcher for three and a half seasons now. He has been strictly fastball-changeup for far longer than that. The scouting report and tape has always been there. I find it hard to believe that as sudden and sharp of a drop-off as he had this year has to do with the league catching up to him. It does not take Major League hitters over two years to figure a guy out, especially when they only feature a fastball and a changeup. He just suddenly went from World Series MVP and a guy who had consistently been putting up ace-caliber numbers to a guy who was as inconsistent as any MLB starter. It just so happened to occur the season after he shattered his personal innings pitched mark, and pitched deep into October and thus lost a month of his offseason. This is a guy who is as picky as they come. If he doesn't have exactly as much rest as he feels he needs, or if he doesn't have his chiropractor, or if he is not pitching in an environment that he likes, he pouts and lets it get to his head. That's why I tend to believe his rough season was due to things changing for him and his inability to react. I am obviously hoping that as he gets older, he will realize that he needs to be able to deal with this stuff and not let it get to his head. But as I said earlier, I am very happy that he will be working on more secondary pitches this winter, I think it makes him all the more dangerous. But I do not think that is why he struggled this season.

I am all for him developing a solid third pitch, but I don't think that is why he has struggled. He has always been strictly a fastball change pitcher. That got him a first round draft selection, nearly a free pass through the minor leagues, and a World Series MVP. Did he just forget how to pitch last winter, or forget what got him to where he is today? I doubt it, he has just been bad at adjusting to the league as they adjust to him, as many young pitchers are. But he is a rare guy who can do incredible things with just two pitches. I am convinced that all of his problems are between the ears, and recently, location issues with the fastball. Mechanically he has been off a bit this year, which some are blaming on his crazy innings spike last year (about 75 more innings than he had ever pitched before, including postseason) and his short winter combined with the sudden media frenzy around him and endorsement deals (in general, a lack of a good offseason conditioning program). But apparently he is going to work on a cutter and/or a slider this offseason. I personally just want him to chill out and stay away from the media circus and just focus on baseball.

Promising start, but that went down the [expletive]ter pretty quickly. At least nobody is there to see it.

Who knows. I will say that I think many Phillies fans are overreacting big time about him. I have seen quite a few people on the internet/talk radio who want him traded in the offseason. Most pitchers do not hit their prime until their late 20's at the earliest. Cole is 25. There is no denying his talent, and once he figures the game out mentally, he will be a 20 game winner and a Cy Young candidate. As for the here and now, should this go to game 7 I will be incredibly nervous with him on the mound, but I just think he is who Charlie is leaning towards.

After hearing Charlie talk today, I am willing to bet anything that Cole Hamels pitches game 7 should it get there.

One of the Phillies beat writers tweeted this. Kind of interesting haha.

Excited for this.

The more I am thinking about it, the more I actually wouldn't mind if Lee just started the game. He said he does not get sore after starts and barely has to ice his arm. Those are typically the kinds of guys who can pitch effectively on short rest. Two days rest is daunting but for game 7 of the World Series? I am actually thinking I'd let him start, and then go to Blanton should he get into trouble. I dunno, have to get there first. I love the matchup in game 6 but we have to win that before we even think about game 7.

Apparently Pettitte was gassed after his last outing. Hopefully the Phillies can get to him early tomorrow.

Happ is a disaster waiting to happen against the Yankees IMO. The only pitch he has confidence in is his fastball. He doesn't go to the secondary pitches at all. Against that lineup, with the DH, I don't think he can survive as a one and a half pitch pitcher (I say one and a half because he does throw a decent changeup when he wants to, he just rarely has confidence in it). Lee on the other hand has about five pitches in his arsenal and he can throw them all for strikes whenever he wants to. Happ's command has been incredibly spotty in the postseason, and he has gotten rocked every time he has taken the mound. Personally, I'd go with Blanton if it was up to me, and then the second he runs into any trouble I'd put Lee in.

Our good friend Matthew has unfortunately been banned, so he will not be replying.

I doubt he'd start but he'd definitely be available in relief.

Blah. Getting nervous. No matter what happens tonight, couldn't be happier to be a Phillies fan.

Haha that's true I guess. Some guys get a bit careless with the pitch outs on intentional walks and might just be better off doing that haha.