Phillies could Use More ‘Small Ball’

I’ve had time to decompress.
Watching the San Francisco Giants continue with stellar pitching in the World Series has helped me accept that the Phillies were outplayed by a hungrier and grittier team. Philadelphia had decent pitching, but the hitters couldn’t solve the Giants’ hurlers.
That situation called for “small ball.” Dominant pitching does not permit an offense built around three-run homers to thrive. Bunting, stealing, hit-and-run, hitting behind the runner and taking pitches are keys when bats are outmatched by arms.
The Phillies and their manager struggle at small ball strategy. They choose to resist it, much like the Eagles could run the football more, but would rather not.
Catalyst shortstop Jimmy Rollins spent the majority of the season injured. As former manager and excellent commentator Larry Bowa put it the other day, Rollins should realize he’s older and needs to put in a more effective off-season work out plan.
Normally solid Placido Polanco played with a bum left elbow, which was recently operated on.
He’s a tremendous contact hitter who can move runners. He handled everything at third base with consistency and showed a nice arm from the hot corner.
Ryan Howard and Chase Utley were grossly overmatched by the left-handing hurling Giants. They swung defensively and whiffed at pitches down and away. It’s a true concern that these superstars failed miserably in the clutch. Howard has a monstrous long-term contract and it’s difficult to imagine that his numbers and defense will not begin a steady decline as he continues athletic life on the other side of 30.
Utley reminds me of Doug Collins when the Sixer coach was a player. Collins was an outstanding slasher, scorer, defender and shooter. He could do it all, but his body could not withstand the grinding season, especially the way he played the game.
Utley, as great as he can be, isn’t built for the grinding season and with the Phillies going to postseason in each of the last four years, the long haul has been that much longer. Utley needs more strength and a 162-game and beyond pace.
I’m not going to shed tears when Jayson Werth departs in free agency. He’s a superb athlete who can hit for average and power, throw rockets and aggressively run the bases. But Werth is 31 and will command six years of huge guaranteed money. Now that the steroid era has abated, player production is once again declining after age 30.
As mentioned with Utley, the unforgiving baseball season takes its toll, even if you fly first class and stay in nice hotels. It’s still a grind of constant travel, sleeping in someone else’s bed and having to re-energize for each and every inning of each and every game.
The team will miss Werth but the same was said three years ago when hard-charging Aaron Rowand took San Francisco’s long-term big bucks and departed The City of Brotherly Love. Now the Giants would love to unload the last two years of Rowand’s whopper deal.
I’m OK if Ben Francisco or John Mayberry Jr. can manage to platoon with young Dominic Brown. All three of those guys are hungry and will play hard to earn the elusive big money.
The reason I’m OK with the right field platoon is because I’d prefer to spend any available cash on pitching. As the Giants and most champions have shown, the playoffs are won in the 60 feet, six inches between the pitching plate and home plate.
My dream would be to have Cliff Lee return to form the most fabulous foursome since The Beatles, but I can’t imagine that happening. It’s more likely and almost as desirable that the team open its wallet for quality, hard-throwing middle relievers. We should get one more year out of Brad Lidge as closer.
Ryan Madson is the best eighth inning guy in the business. A flame-throwing middle reliever who has the mental make-up to step in for Lidge would be number one on my Christmas list.
Carlos Ruiz is a stud at catcher with reliable Brian Schneider in the back-up role. Center field is covered by Shane Victorino who covers the ground even when his slap-hitting style isn’t working. He and Rollins could benefit from more bunting.
We’ll probably have to live out Raul Ibanez for one more season, although I’d platoon a right-handed bat with him as well. It’s tough to imagine anyone willing to take the $11 million left on the Ibanez contract but stranger things have happened, especially if you throw in Joe Blanton in exchange for a quality reliever and a right-handed stick.
It is regretful when high expectations fall short because you never know if and when a team is going to return to the postseason. The Phillies won a baseball-high 97 games but all that matters is post-season production.
The mound nucleus, bolstered by Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt should keep them highly competitive for another year or two, but the offense needs more contact and small ball capability.
Reach Rossi at joerossi61@comcast.net