Oswalt Wants Out of Houston

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5209198

predictably, the head's response was both adversarial and pompous -- oh how i don't miss his gigantic misshapen head on the tv responding to phils issues:

"Roy's contract has a no-trade clause, not a trade-me clause," Wade said. "There is no rule that allows a player in his contract status to demand a trade. So demand, request, hold your breath until you turn blue, it's all the same. It's acknowledged and noted."

no trade clause, not a trade-me clause. that's cleverish there head. ranks up there with your all-timer "schilling is a horse every fifth day... and a horse's ass every other day".

the unfortunate part is that he can turn a phrase (the stuff he doesn't get paid for and the stuff that is inappropriate for his position) better than he can actually build a team.

the good news for the phils is that it looks like there will be more than one ace available at the deadline -- at least cliff lee and now oswalt -- which should drive down the asking price.

the phils gave up low potential but highly rated prospects to get lee and got lower rated prospects with considerably more potential in return when the traded him. i could see them getting either lee or oswalt back at the deadline for less than they received for trading lee... especially to houston where head wade is collecting failed ex-phillies (bourn, myers, michaels, pete happy) in the middle of his project to build the worst team in baseball.

what do you think head? oswalt for anthony gose straight up?

On Amaro and Halladay

this deserves its own post. ed's captured this in a much more articulate way than i have the time or (more importantly) the talent to produce. one of these days, maybe i'll be smart enough to learn that i need to give bumble the opportunity to vent rather than trying to counter his points. -- meanguy

from "ed wade"
-----

My first reaction to this trade tandem was "egad, this could have been a team for the ages, wish the Phils would go for broke in 2010 with this once-in-a-lifetime core." My rationale was simple. If the Phils win the WS, particularly in a rematch with the Yankees (my 2nd favorite team), I'd be set for life. It wouldn't matter to me if they ever won another title. I love the game so much that I enjoy even the down years. I told Bumble privately that I'd let my son worry about the next championship while I enjoyed shorter lines at Tony Luke's.

A part of me still feels this way. With Halladay and Lee at the top of the rotation, this would have been the best squad since the late 1970's, and perhaps ever (it still might be).

I started to calm down when I learned that the Phils were receiving prospects and $6 million in the deal. Remember, when the first reports came out, the Phils were identified as the team giving prospect to both Toronto and Seattle. Under that scenario, the trade made little sense to me. I saw it as the Phils upgrading their ace while adding payroll and subtracting youth. Their current ace (Lee) wasn't as good as the new one (Halladay), but this didn't seem important as we already knew Lee could beat the Yankees (with a dynamite team behind him). Regardless of how good Halladay could be, he wasn't going to improve on a 4-0 post season.

The problem the Phils had last year was that no pitcher other than Lee was good enough to beat the Yankees. As such, keeping Lee in addition to adding Halladay was necessary to affect a genuine, practical improvement.

This may still be true. I don't have a lot of faith in Cole. This isn't based on the fact that I think he is a cupcake, a quitter, etc. Rather, it is based on the belief that guys who top out at 92 and have only two pitches can't be effective starters in the Bigs over the long haul, no matter how good the second pitch is.

The Phils have a different opinion about Cole. After listening to Amaro, it is obvious that the baseball people in the organization honestly believe he can rebound and reestablish himself as a premiere starter. Assuming this is correct, and with the knowledge that Cole is under the team's control for two more years, the decision to trade Lee makes a lot more sense.

With respect to the Phils being cheap, that's just plain silly. Their payroll will expand to the north side of $140 million. That puts them right there with the Cubs, Red Sox, Cardinals, Mets and Dodgers. I'm okay with that. Without a regional cable company like YES, they can't spend the way the #1 market Yankees do. They also can't compete against a team that charges $1500 for dugout seats instead of $60. God bless the Phillies for keeping ticket prices WAY under value. Check out what the other big markets charge for comparable tickets.

Amaro said with complete sincerity that trading Lee was a baseball decision based on the premise that his job is to make sure the team can compete for the championship EVERY year. I'd argue that the willingness to spend $140 million speaks to that commitment. Amaro: "If I can't field a team that can compete for the Championship with $140 million, I'm not doing a good job."

I love Amaro. I love his intelligence, candor, and creativity. If Amaro likes the prospects he received for Lee, I like them. I haven't seen them play, but I have watched Amaro operate. The organization is getting things done right. They’re drafting well and developing prospects that other teams covet. Big-time players want to play in Philadelphia.

Something that has gone unnoticed by many in the "all in" camp: Amaro explained that he needed prospects for two reasons. First, to eventually restock the big team with new, price-favorable young players in the upcoming years (call this cheap if you want, smart if you get it), and second, to have trade bait available in the event THIS team (2010) develops holes it needs to fill to win right now.

In other words, Amaro makes a credible argument that trading Lee may offer greater flexibility to go "all in" this year. What if Lidge gets hurt at the all-star break? What if Rollins breaks his leg? After trading 7 of the organization’s best 10 prospects over six months, Amaro makes a fair point. The lack of additional prospects may hand cuff THIS year's team. I admit, I had not thought enough about this point.

For me, the bottom line is this: We don't have Lee, but we have a better pitcher in Halladay. We have a better third baseman, a better bench, and ironically, a better future.

Does everyone understand how big a coup it was to get Halladay signed for ONLY three years at $60 million? His market value was closer to $150 million for 7 years. Make no mistake, he gave the Phils a big-time gift, and this signing was brilliant, probably Amaro's best moment as a GM. I love Cliff Lee, but if anyone thinks a guy who has made "only" $15 million in his pro career would sign the same deal, he is smoking seriously good weed. Lee clearly wanted to stay in Philly, but I doubt he would have signed such a favorable deal.

The more I think about these moves in tandem, the more see that the Phils hit a home run.

I'm not unhappy at all anymore, even though I wish we had Lee for another year, just like everybody else.

I can't wait for the season to begin. After the last 3-4 phenomenal years, the team is poised for its best year ever. Will they win the World Series? You never know. If the Phils are right and Hamels can be a good #2 starter, I like their chances. If Hamels pitches like last year, they aren't as likely to win the WS as they would have been with Cliff Lee. You never really know what's going to happen, but I'm pretty sure this is a damn good team, and a damn good organization, even without Cliff Lee.

Right now, I'm confident the Phils know what they are doing. I’m a fan, but the guys calling the shots are professionals.

The “Total Package” (Amaro) has made one major mistake as a GM. He followed his heart and gave Jamie Moyer a two-year deal that pays him $8 million this year. Ultimately, this hurts the team’s ability to land late inning relief help. Pray that Chan Ho comes to his senses and returns to the fold. I think Amaro learned something from this mistake. This time, he didn’t follow his heart or popular opinion. He made a bold move based on what his head told him was the smartest decision for the long-term success of the team. After listening to Amaro describe his rationale, I’m “all in” with the General Manager.

Enjoy what you have Philly, and stop worrying about what you don't.

Ed Wade

Prospects Coming for Lee

for anyone who is interested, here are the baseball america scouting reports for the prospects coming for lee. i'm disappointed the phils couldn't find a way to keep both halladay and lee, but it seems to me that the prospects they're getting back for lee are way better than the prospects they gave up to get lee in the first place.

-----

Phillippe Aumont, rhp
Age: 20. Ht.: 6-7. Wt.: 220. Bats: L. Throws: R.
Selected by Mariners in first round (11th overall) of 2007 draft; signed Aug. 15, 2007.

The Mariners surprised Aumont in spring training with the announcement that he would continue his career as a reliever. He proceeded to save 12 games in 14 chances for high Class A High Desert before running into resistance in Double-A. After elbow soreness limited the towering righthander to 56 innings in 2008, the organization reasoned that not only would the move accelerate his readiness for the big leagues, but it also would help keep him on the field. Aumont throws across his body slightly, which gives his pitches above-average life but places additional strain on his shoulder. His heavy sinker ranges from 92-95 mph with plus-plus life down in the zone. He dials his four-seamer up to 98. His mid-70s curveball features occasional plus 12-to-6 break, especially when he repeats his high three-quarters arm slot and gets extension on the front side of his delivery. The biggest thing holding Aumont him back is an overall lack of command in the zone, but if he discovers it he has true closer potential.

Background: Aumont's Quebec high school didn't offer baseball, but he impressed scouts so much while pitching for travel teams that the Mariners selected him 11th overall in 2007 and signed him for $1.9 million. He signed late and made his pro debut in 2008, pitching just 56 innings as Seattle took a cautious approach when he developed a sore elbow.

Strengths: Aumont cuts an imposing figure on the mound, and his stuff is just as intimidating. He already throws 90-95 mph with plus-plus sink and boring action, and he may be able to throw even harder as he matures physically. If batters sit on his sinker, he can blow a high-90s four-seam fastball by them. Aumont's crossfire delivery and low three-quarters arm slot can make it tough for batters to pick up his pitches. His low-80s breaking ball has plus potential.

Weaknesses: For such a high pick, Aumont is quite unpolished, and now he has to prove he can stay healthy. His arm angle makes it hard to stay on top of his breaking ball, and he has a long way to go with a true changeup after using a splitter as an amateur. If he came up with a more balanced delivery, his secondary pitches and his command would benefit.

The Future: Aumont's physical presence and the natural movement on his pitches suggest that he can fill a role at the front of a rotation. He'll pitch at high Class A High Desert in 2009.

-----

Tyson Gillies, cf
Age: 21. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 190. Bats: L. Throws: R.
Selected by Mariners in 25th round of 2006 draft; signed May 30, 2007.

A Mariners' draft-and-follow find from Langley, British Columbia, Gillies skipped over low Class A on his way to the high Class A California League in '09. Despite his inexperience, he produced on a grand scale, ranking third in the minors in average (.341) and triples (14), fourth in runs scored (104) and fifth in on-base percentage (.430). Formerly the top athlete in Mariners system, he grades as an 80 runner on the 20-to-80 scouting scale by some evaluators, and he paced the Cal League with 44 stolen bases. Gillies' speed translates into well above-average range in center field, where he boasts of plus arm strength. His hand-eye coordination and feel for the strike zone give him a chance to hit .280 or better. Gillies hit only one home run away from the hitter's paradise that is High Desert, as his slap-and-run approach rules out power almost completely. Hearing deficiencies require Gillies to wear hearing aids in both ears, but he's adapted by learning to read lips proficiently.

-----

J.C. Ramirez, rhp
Age: 21.Born: Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 225. Bats: R. Throws: R
Signed as nondrafted free agent by Mariners, July 2, 2005.

High Desert is such a hostile pitching environment that you can largely disregard Ramirez's final '09 pitching line. He pitched much better in 11 road starts, compiling a 3.09 ERA in with just two home runs allowed over 64 innings. Ramirez has mid-rotation potential if he can improve his concentration on the mound and learn to repeat his delivery and arm slot. He's a physical, durable righthander who has proven capable of handling increased workloads each season. Though Ramirez's command wavers, his stuff is top-shelf, beginning with a lively 92-94 mph fastball that he also four-seams at 96-97 when necessary. He can spin a quality, high-70s slider, but the pitch lacks consistent tilt because he often drops his hands during delivery, which lowers his arm slot. His changeup has not made much progress three years of pitching in the U.S.

Background: The Mariners have as strong a presence in Nicaragua as any club. They have the nation's top minor league prospect in Ramirez, and signed its top 2008 prospect, righthander Francisco Valdivia, for $726,000 in July. Ramirez handled low Class A well for a teenager last season, showing dominating stuff and improved command.

Strengths: Tall, loose-armed and still projectable, Ramirez fires off easy 92-93 mph heat and can push his four-seam fastball to 97 on occasion. One scout lauded Ramirez for having a heavy ball, and all his pitches feature plus movement as the ball jumps out of his hand from a high three-quarters arm slot. Though he limited Midwest League batters to a .239 average largely on the strength of his fastball, he also throws a hard slider that has plus potential.

Weaknesses: Like most young flamethrowers, Ramirez lacks feel for his changeup because he's accustomed to blowing the ball past batters. He struggles to stay on top of his secondary pitches on a consistent basis. He needs to do a better job of pacing himself and holding his stuff deep into starts. He also needs to work on controlling the running game.

The Future: His build and delivery are reminiscent of former Mariner Rafael Soriano. Ramirez has the raw stuff to project as a front-end starter, but he also could follow Soriano into a role as relief ace.

World Series Scouting Reports

good scouting reports on the lineups at the ny daily news

JC Romero Thoughts

most of philadelphia is up-in-arms about the "injustice" of jc romero being given a 50 game suspension for "unknowingly" taking banned substances from a supplement he bought at a GNC.

i can certainly understand where people are coming from, because i was thinking the same way until i looked at the product he purchased. some facts, as reported, that would lead you to side with jc are:

- this product wasn't on the banned substances list

- jc asked multiple nutritionists if the ingredients in the supplement were ok to take

- jc asked the trainer if the supplement was ok to take (trainer said he didn't know)

- jc asked the union if it was ok to take (union said it was ok)

based on these widely reported facts, i initially thought that the suspension seemed unfair -- that he never intended to violate the drug policy and that he took the "supplement" in good faith.

then out of curiosity, i googled the product he supposedly took. here is the first google link that came up:

http://anabolicminds.com/store/1347.html

it's not a popular stance, but i'm on record as saying that i think this whole notion of cheating makes no sense to me. if a grown man wants to take something that makes him a better player -- thereby increasing my entertainment -- so be it. (note: i understand the argument that allowing pros to take steroids encourages kids to take it. it's potentially the only valid reason to ban the stuff.)

however, for good or bad, the rules are in place... and it's clear to me that romero's intent was to artificially boost his testosterone levels via these "supplements". so while in his mind, he may not have technically violated the doping restrictions. to me, his intent to circumvent the spirit of the rule is clear.

here is some text from the advertising for the "supplement":

We undertook the due testing to prove to ourselves that this product had the ability to stimulate testosterone levels beyond even the range of upper normal - indeed it stimulates levels well into the supraphysiological range.

i don't know. sounds like steroids to me.

Various Thoughts on Phillies

don't have a lot of time today, so i'll just throw out some things kicking around in my head

- charlie manuel -- i think his ability to bench rollins (reigning league MVP) without tearing apart the team or losing rollins was a significant contribution to this championship. the day he pulled that move off, he won me over as a fan forever. how many other managers could have pulled that off? bobby cox? maybe torre? certainly not bowa or leyland. in addition, virtually every button he pushed in the playoffs was the right one. it was uncanny.

- pat gillick -- i took some heat last season when i mentioned that gillick is one of the biggest reasons why i got my love of baseball back (that he had turned a sour and grumpy team into a team that genuinely enjoyed each other and the game), and i stand by that. he may not have made a ton of big ticket moves during his time here, but boy did he fill the roster with guys who got the job done.

- head wade -- head is going to get some credit for the nucleus of this team, but there is no chance that the phillies would have one a series if head was still the GM. first of all, head wouldn't have been in houston to give away brad lidge for nothing. second, there is no way that head would have given away bobby abreu for nothing (which i still maintain was critical to changing the team personality). third, head could never have assembled this pitching staff, and pitching is the biggest reason why the phillies won this title.

- jamie moyer -- instrumental to helping cole reach his potential. another move head would likely not have made.

- cole hamels -- did cole mention that his wife just turned 30? cole is what, 24? is there a story there? was she his babysitter as a kid or something?

- jimmy rollins -- thank you to whoever got jimmy to stop swinging for the fences every at bat. big difference between falling off balance and over home plate after every swing and his balanced line drive swing.

- this core is young enough that they should be contenders for 4-5 more seasons!

- hopefully this opens the floodgates and some of the other teams start winning. the 1980 phillies were part of the golden age of philadelphia sports. dare we hope for the start of another golden age? am i being greedy?

- the heads up play by chase utley should go down as one of the greatest postseason defensive plays ever

wow. i can't stop smiling.

At Last Our Long Regional Nightmare is Over!

philadelphia phillies -- 2008 world series champions

feels pretty good to say.

Pinch Me

up 3 games to 1 with hamels coming up? is this really happening?

Jamie Moyer!

the combination of a clutch start by jamie moyer and some really good fortune (perfect umpire assignment and a miraculous fly-out that was a home run off the bat) has the phillies leading two games to one in the world series. wow!

how is it possible that they're leading this series when the team is 1 for 953 with runners in scoring position with the 1 being an infield single that didn't actually score a run? that has to be a good sign, right? it can't continue forever.

ryan howard finally starting to look like he's getting his timing back.

jimmy rollins finally starting to take good swings and no longer taking huge off-balance hacks.

carlos ruiz staking an early claim for world series mvp.

keeping my fingers crossed, but things are looking ok so far. i mean, the phillies haven't even played well yet.

i'm not even that upset by the bad call on the crawford bunt because i feel like it only evened out the fact that the rays didn't score two on the longoria non-homer. how the heck did that ball not go out of the park?

three am and i'm too wired to sleep... go phillies!

World Series!

huge game tonight. if the phillies are to win this series, i believe hamels must win tonight's game. it feels odd to say that considering it's only the first game of the series, but the nights that hamels pitches will be the only games of the series where the phillies have the better starter on the mound. (you could argue that myers is more talented than shields, but he certainly hasn't pitched better than shields).

i think the phillies definitely have a shot at this, but they have to get off to a good start tonight.

go phillies!

Scrapplelog on Hiatus

scrapplelog is on hiatus for a couple of weeks due to overseas travel for work.

go phils!

Rating Pat Gillick as GM

i'd like to explore this fairly popular notion that pat gillick hasn't done a good job as GM of the phils. i hear it all the time on the radio (of course that moron in the morning angelo cataldi is leading the way with his nonsensical bleating and whining) and our own bumble has weighed in with his opinion -- "sad to say that Pat Gillick makes Ed Wade look like a genius. Gillick is a fraud."

i believe people have come to this conclusion primarily on two factors:

1) this is still head wade's "team" because the best players -- rollins, utley, howard, myers, burrell, and hamels -- all joined the team when wade was GM

2) pat gillick wasn't able to "fix" the pitching problem last offseason therefore he stinks as GM

on the surface, it seems both of these notions have some basis in fact, but with some deeper thought, i don't know that they're fair or accurate.

regarding point 1, while it is true that the core of the phillies current team were all drafted under the head's watch, i'm not sure he should get any credit for that, just like i don't think gillick should get any credit should kyle drabek, adrian cardenas, or joe savery turn out to be stars. everyone knows that mike arbuckle runs the show when it comes to the draft and scouting amateur players. i don't think the fact that the phils have drafted some "high ceiling" players who panned out should be a factor in grading either of the phils' recent GMs.

regarding point 2, i think this is as much grandstanding as anything else. could gillick have done more to fix the pitching situation? sure, i'd agree with that. i can't name any particular thing he should have done that he didn't do, but there probably is something. was adam eaton a terrible signing? yes, i thought it would be before it happened, i thought it was when it happened, and i think so now that eaton has flopped. still, looking at it realistically, who else was available? i'm not sure who else i would have signed. gil meche turned out to be arguably the best of last year's free agent pitchers, but the royals were ridiculed when they signed him. barry zito? should the phils be stuck with his 7 year contract instead of the giants? the fact is that 90% of the teams in the majors are looking for pitching help. there simply is not enough pitching to go around. i'm not saying this to defend pat gillick on this point, because i do believe he could have signed better relievers, but i don't believe this is a strong enough point to be the basis of earning a negative performance assessment. remember also that gillick was getting criticized for going into the season with a *surplus* of starting pitchers.

i'm in the minority, but i submit that pat gillick has actually done a *good* job as GM of the phillies -- not great but better than we've seen on the phils in 20+ years. while i was certainly skeptical when they first hired him, he's won me over. i'll explain why below.

the single biggest reason why i think he's done a good job is that he seems to understand how to build a team. this is not rotisserie baseball. it's not as simple as putting a bunch of numbers together, which is how mr. "if the team would just play to it's potential" approached it. i love the statistics of baseball, but there is more to putting a team together than that. personalities matter. attitude matters. mental makeup matters. head never got that.

this is a *likeable* team. for me as a once rabid, but now casual fan of baseball. i can't emphasize enough how much this impacts my enjoyment of baseball. i found virtually all of the teams built by head to be unlikeable. full of dour, sour, or mean-spirited guys who cared little about winning and cared less about the fans. in less than two seasons, gillick has completely changed the persona of the team. this is invaluable to me. this team *loves* to play baseball. this team is starting to build a relationship with it's fans. except for the guy who beats his wife and attacks reporters, there's not a bad guy among them. i like this team and just as importantly, this team likes itself. compared to where we came from just two seasons ago, how can you not give gillick some credit for that?

has he been perfect? heck no. has he made more quality moves than bad moves? i say absolutely yes.

- dumping david bell - good move and one that head wade would not have made

- dumping bobby abreu - good move, even though he took some heat for the move, especially from our own "ed wade" who took pat to task for not getting phil hughes. as it turns out, it really does look like the yankees would not have traded phil hughes. this move paid immediate karmic benefits.

- strengthening the bench - good move - would a team GM'd by head wade have been able to survive the injuries? little chance since we'd likely still have tomas perez as our top bench player. gillick should get credit for guys like dobbs and werth.

- wes helms and rod barajas - definitely not a good move - however, would head wade have been able to admit his own mistake and then stash a 3 million dollar player on the DL? almost certainly not. should rod have been dumped faster? probably, but gillick should get some credit for fixing the problem.

- kyle kendrick - good move - would head wade have trusted an unproven AA guy like kendrick?

- freddy garcia - good move at the time - hindsight may tell you there were warning signs, but garcia had been a steady workhorse for a long time and the phils gave up very little for him.

- not selling pat burrell for pennies on the dollar - as it turns out, a good move - even his sour demeanor has changed recently. did you see the little hops he was taking toward first on his almost grand slam? last time i saw excitement like that from him was his rookie season.

- jamie moyer - good move - for nothing

- tadahito iguchi - good move - for nothing

i'm sure i'm missing a ton of moves gillick has made, but i guess overall my impression of him is positive -- and this is what i think is the important point -- regardless of whether the phils make the playoffs or not. i like what pat has done because he's brought the joy of baseball back into my life, and i was not expecting it to happen prior to getting new ownership.

thank you pat gillick.

edit - forgot about turning the untradeable contract of jim thome into aaron roward

Dr. Jeckyll and Pat Burrell

not sure how it's possible considering the start he got, but with his uber-hot july, pat burrell's season-to-date numbers are looking pretty good compared to his recent performance and more than respectable on an absolute scale.

for reference, here's his current stat line:

AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
303	46	80	17	0	17	58	0	0	79	76	.264	.418	.488	.906

- burrell's ops ranks 15th best in the NL and 25th best in the majors. this ranks him above manny ramirez (.904), justin morneau (.904), carlos lee (.900), and the overly hyped david wright (.897)

- his SLG ranks as a mediocre 27th in NL (49th in the majors), but his OBP is a terrific 5th in the NL (10th in the majors)

- he sits at 32nd in the NL for runs created, but sits at a more than respectable 12th in the NL for RC/27 outs (22nd in the majors)

- he's 2nd in the NL for BB/PA behind only barry bonds (3rd in the majors)

- he's 7th in the NL for BB/SO ratio (15th in the majors)

- he's 10th in the NL for AB/HR (22nd in the majors)

interestingly, his power numbers were at about the same (18 2b and 18 hr in 324 AB last season, 17 2b and 17 hr in 303 AB this season). the difference is in three areas:

- BA - his .020 increase in batting average accounts for all of the difference in his slugging improvement over last season

- BB - he's taking walks at a rate that's over 30% greater than last season

- SO - he's striking out at a rate that's almost 20% less than last season.

where the heck has this guy been? any chance he's going to stay awhile?

Wednesday Links

- nice win by the phils last night, beating up on some awful marlins pitching. injuries continue to be a bugaboo for the team, but they certainly haven't been as impactful as they could have been considering the team is 7-4 since utley went down. probably squashes utley's MVP campaign, but i'm sure he cares more about the team remaining in contention.

- les bowen says last year's potentially dominating defense was derailed by lack of depth (most notably by jevon kearse's injury), but this year's team has considerably greater depth and should be able to absorb the usual attrition better.

- my biggest concern with reggie brown continues to be his hands. in his rookie season, reggie was third worst in the nfl in drop percentage according to kc joyner, and unfortunately it didn't appear to get much better last season. now a note from training camp indicates that he is continuing to show inconsistency in catching the damn ball. even worse, according to garry cobb, it wasn't limited to just reggie.

After Reggie Brown dropped a pass from quarterback Donovan McNabb, coach Andy Reid uttered the words, "Way too many drops." Brown, wide open in the middle of the field, dropped another pass right in his hands on the next play.

- matt mccoy is trying to get back into the mix at linebacker. while we all remember how horribly he played right before he got benched, he did play pretty well prior to getting hurt last season. i recall that mccoy did seem to have a lot of speed and was especially good at breaking up screen passes to his side. however, i also recall that we had another undersized linebacker that played well for just about half a season before wearing down -- mark simoneau.

- seems odd that ryan moats is reducing his role on special teams as he's in a similar position to greg lewis -- a veteran with inconsistent performance history. seems like he should be doing everything he can do to make the roster as he certainly is no lock. it's unfortunate for him that he's so mistake prone because he can really run the ball.

- garry cobb wonders why trotter is still doing two-a-days. could it be because he's still fatter than the eagles wanted him to be?

- seems odd that a redskins team with santana moss, antwaan randle el, brandon lloyd, and clinton portis had a noted lack of offensive big plays. let's hope they don't fix this problem any time soon. i'm a big fan of gibbs 2.0.

- interesting article by rick gosselin comparing the eagles under big red to a college football factory

- concern in dallas about the age and health of their wideout corps

Phillies 2007 Draft

not sure what is going on with phuturephillies.com (seems to be down), but here is what baseballamerica.com has to say about the phils picks:

19. Joe Savery, lhp
School: Rice Class: Jr.
B-T: L-L Ht.: 6-3 Wt.: 215 Birthdate: 11/4/85
Scouting Report: Area scouts have projected Savery as a 2007 first-rounder since he came out of Lamar High in Houston three years ago. He was the top two-way player in the state, but it would have taken a $1 million bonus to dissuade him from following Jeff Niemann's path from Lamar to Rice. As with Niemann in 2004, Savery hasn't been 100 percent in his draft year following offseason surgery. He didn't pitch for the Owls last June, then had minor surgery to shave down a bone growth in the back of his shoulder that was causing some fraying in his labrum. Savery has taken a regular turn in the Rice rotation this spring, but he has been less than dominant, as his 44-30 K-BB ratio through 68 innings would attest. Savery's velocity was improving in early May, as he was showing a 90-94 mph fastball for a couple of innings and still touched 90 after 100 pitches. In his initial starts this season, he worked more often at 85-89 mph. His changeup is a plus pitch, and his hard, slurvy curveball can get strikeouts when it's on, though he hasn't used it as much as in the past. Savery has continued to pull double duty for the Owls, playing first base and leading the club with a .353 average and 43 RBIs through 52 games. Once he regains full health, he could take off after he focuses his energy and efforts on pitching. The recent litany of Rice pitching prospects who have needed surgery after turning pro concerns scouts, but Savery could be a steal if he slides into the second half of the first round.

club could be trying to hit the lottery again and see him as another cole hamels (top flight talent dropping in the draft due to injury concerns)? difference here is that hamels was a consensus "can't miss" prospect if healthy. reviews on this guy seem mixed. apparently, the player the phils really wanted was kevin ahrens, who went at 16.

37. Travis d'Arnaud, c
School: Lakewood (Calif.) HS Class: Sr.
B-T: R-R Ht.: 6-0 Wt.: 180 Birthdate: 2/10/89
Scouting Report: In several ways, d'Arnaud resembles his older brother Chase, a two-year starter at third base for Pepperdine, and Travis has also committed to play for the Waves. Chances are he won't get to school, though, because he's a more athletic version of his brother with premium catch-and-throw skills behind the plate and a more advanced bat. While he's still a streak hitter, d'Arnaud has showed an improved ability to stay inside the ball and drive it to all fields. It's a quick, line-drive swing for the most part, but he has shown some loft power, with seven home runs, and he ranked among state leaders in RBIs. Defensively, he grades as above-average as both a receiver and thrower, with a plus arm, soft hands and quick feet. While he's athletic enough to play an infield spot, he's too good behind the plate--consistently getting his throws to second base in 1.9 seconds--to move.

the good news? seems like the phils have their first real catching prospect in years. the bad news? the last real prospect was mike lieberthal. this guy's scouting report looks very similar to how lieby was described as a prospect. hopefully this guy doesn't come with lieby's "whatever" attitude.

83. Travis Mattair, ss/3b
School: Southridge (Wash.) HS Class: Sr.
B-T: R-R Ht.: 6-5 Wt.: 215 Birthdate: 12/21/88
Scouting Report: While Washington prep righthanders Greg Peavey and Julien Sampson (breaking ball went backward) vexed scouts this spring, Mattair came off the basketball court and onto the baseball diamond and emerged as the state's top high school prospect. He's athletic to a fault, in that he's never focused on baseball, and he was good enough as a basketball point guard to attract Division II scholarship interest. His power potential makes him a much better prospect in baseball. He has leverage and obvious strength in his swing and has shown power to all fields. His lack of experience was exposed at showcase events by pitchers with consistently better stuff than any he had seen in southeast Washington, but scouts are confident his athleticism will allow him to adjust once he focuses on baseball. He's a shortstop now who profiles as a third baseman as a pro. He's committed to Oregon State.

107. Brandon Workman, rhp
School: Bowie (Texas) HS Class: Sr.
B-T: R-R Ht.: 6-4 Wt.: 195 Birthdate: 8/13/88
Scouting Report: On the right day, Workman can look like a first-rounder. He'll show a low-90s fastball that tops out at 95 mph to go with a plus 12-to-6 curveball, and that stuff comes from a projectable 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame. He's still growing too, having added two inches and 20 pounds since last summer. But the problem is poor arm action that scares scouts and robs Workman of any consistency. His mechanics will need an overhaul, and though he has enticing raw arm strength, it's going to be difficult to draft him high enough to lure him away from Texas. He's a top student and scouts don't think he'll sign for less than third-round money.

113. Matt Spencer, of/lhp
School: Arizona State. Class: Jr.
B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 225. Birthdate: 1/27/86.
Scouting Report: In terms of tools, Spencer is the same player who was part of a banner 2004 draft class in his home state of Tennessee. He went to North Carolina for his first two college seasons and helped the Tar Heels reach the College World Series last season, often playing center field despite his 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame and finishing second on the team with 15 stolen bases. Spencer returned to UNC for his junior year after a poor performance in the Cape Cod League (.197, one extra-base hit) and lost his job, so he transferred between semesters to Arizona State. He burst back on the prospect scene with a pair of homers at an early-season tournament in Houston with most of the industry's scouting directors in attendance, but his season was plagued by as much inconsistency as his Tar Heels career. Spencer has above-average raw power and profiles as a right fielder if he can make consistent contact. After pitching just five innings for North Carolina, Spencer had worked into a set-up role with Arizona State. Though he lacked command (16 walks in 10 innings), he has hit 94 mph, and some scouts who doubt his hitting savvy like him better on the mound. Either way, he's still far from a finished product, just as was the case out of high school.

Friday Links

- some notes of interest from the inquirer eagles blog:

Today, wide receivers Jason Avant and Kevin Curtis both appeared ready to step into starting roles. Avant made two spectacular catches in tight coverage, while Curtis showed speed and talent throughout the drills.

New linebacker Takeo Spikes continued to spend time learning the Eagles' defense. Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson was complimentary after the practice, calling the 10-year veteran "a pro's pro."

McNabb shows no signs of a limp or any other impairmant as he jogs around the field and jokes around with teammates. He looks physically fit and his spirits seem high. McNabb, who missed the second half of last season after knee surgery, has said that his recovery is ahead of schedule.

Assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg agreed with that assessment yesterday, saying that if he hadn't known McNabb had knee surgery, he wouldn't have been able to tell by seeing him around the practice facility.

- garry cobb stirring things up a little. he wonders if JJ knows how to play run defense. he predicts that mike mccoy, jerome mcdougle, and darren howard will all be cut from the team. he rightfully questions why the media isn't toasting trotter for his lack of "leadership" skills. he also posts his take on mini-camp.

- if thomas and runyan can maintain their level of play, this eagles o-line will probably be the best group i've seen. it's easy to forget that they have two high draft picks sitting on the bench behind the starters.

- b-dawk gets a nomination as the "best leader" in the nfl. interesting to note that the guy who pick dawk is a cowboys beat writer.

- courier post eagles blog notes that saverio rocca is outpunting dirk johnson so far

- prompted by trotter's claim of having made 160+ tackles last season, derek at igglesblog analyzed the difference between the tackle stats published by the nfl and the tackle stats published by the birds

- phils continue their up and down play, but fortunately were in a up cycle during their 3 game series with the mets. watched the final innings of all three games, good stuff. pat burrell came out of his drunken stupor long enough to have a couple of good at-bats

Phillies Win!

phillies win... yet still make us sweat. the phils left 14 men on base yesterday. 14! gadzooks.

what this team needs to do is start acting like dave hollins at the plate. start turning into rather than jumping away from pitches.

Miscellaneous Items

- i don't have much to say about the phils' rough start but i do have a couple of thoughts. most people are focused on the bullpen, but i think the biggest problem is once again their lack of clutch/timely hitting. leading the league in men left on base is not a good thing. it's a tough way to start the season, but the team has too many good players not to turn it around and at least be competitive. it's frustrating, i know, but it's still early.

- for any NFL draftniks out there, rookiepedia is a great site for draft prospects. they've consolidated scouting reports from a number of sources and have links to all the major draft sites.

Lack of Activity

sorry for the lack of activity lately, i'm bombed at work. transitioning a couple of my clients to someone else and taking on some new clients.

here's what is bouncing around in my head:

- superbowl - both superbowl teams play straight up defense. no gimmicks, no blitzing. for me, it reinforces the notion that JJ's scheme is flawed.

- signing day - penn state managed to eek into the top 25 (24) in rivals.com's rankings for their recruiting class, but this is how bad it's gotten for them: a) as big dog mentioned, joe pa is losing the battle in NJ to rutgers. RUTGERS! b) broderick green (rated the 14th best running back in the nation) chose USC over PSU even though USC also signed two guys who not only are the number 1 and 2 RBs in the nation but some also consider the two best players in the nation. meanwhile, PSU's RB stable is bare and green would have had a chance to start right away. gah.

- sixers - this is just awful. this team is just perky enough to get into the playoffs in the awful east. the sixers are blowing their chance at getting either difference making player. i can't stand it. billy king is on TV preaching some nonsense about not tanking because he has to be concerned about teaching the players how to win. hey billy, here's how you win. it's pretty simple -- have the best freaking players.

- phillies - still getting really excited about the team. watched the meet the phils show the other day. haven't done that in years. i'm with ben this year, win or lose i'm along for the ride. give pat some credit here, he's converted an unlikeable team into a likeable one pretty quickly.

Tuesday Links

- mark eckel seems to think that mcnabb may be the one who's going to go and identifies tampa and minnesota as possible destinations

- rich hoffman suspects that the stability of the eagles was one of the factors that pushed parcells to retirement

- the end of this article about steve spagnuolo being named the giants d coordinator mentions that jeff garcia will be a guest on the tonight show

- now that the phils have chase utley locked up, i hope the phils can agree to terms with ryan howard as well. randy miller thinks that howard and his dad want alfonso soriano money, which could make signing him a tricky situation considering his service time.

- andre miller is fitting in nicely on the sixers, which is exactly why he has trade value. get rid of him so the team can continue on its merry losing streak and get greg oden. there has to be some contender out there in need of a lead guard.

- so far so good on the AI/carmelo pairing. sigh. not having to carry the scoring load all by himself, allen shot a respectable 9 for 16 in their first game together.