Does the Phillies Offense Always Stink in April?

by dajafi on Apr 18, 2008 2:46 PM EDT

Given yesterday's 10-2 thumpin' of the Astros, this article isn't as timely as it might have been a day or two earlier: following that offensive outburst, the Phils are a more than respectable fourth of the 16 NL teams in runs scored, with 74, and tied for fifth in OPS, with a .796 mark. Still, the bats have been quiet relative to last year's league-best excellence, and the Phillies already have been held to two runs or fewer four times in their first 16 games, a pace that would come out to a fraction over 40 times in a full campaign. By contrast, the team scored two or less 25 times in 162 games last season.

We all know that April hasn't been a whole lot of fun for the Phils or their fans over the last few seasons, and I was wondering if perennially quiet bats might bear some responsibility. That's not exactly right, however: if anything, they've been better the last couple years... and truly atrocious in the last Bowa/first Manuel seasons.

Year/ April record	Runs (rank)	OPS (rank)	10+ run games
2008 (thru 4/17): 8-8	74 (4)	.796 (t-5)	1
2007: 11-14	123 (4)	.789 (4)	1
2006: 10-14	108 (t-12)	.757 (7)	1
2005: 10-14	93 (14)	.698 (14)	2
2004: 10-11	88 (14)	.742 (13)	0

Among the big bats, the trend is to fare slightly worse in April than overall--though that's entirely Ryan Howard. If you're confident that the big guy will step it up as the weather warms up, then you're confident that the Phillies will fully revert to form by summer.

Name	April OPS	Career OPS	Difference
Chase Utley	.901	.901	--
Jimmy Rollins	.745	.773	-.028
Ryan Howard	.837	.999	-.162
Pat Burrell	.884	.855	+.029

Now if there's only something we can do to maintain that 3.45 team ERA...

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Comments

Yeah, there is, continue to have shit defense.

For Who? My teammates.

For What? To Win.

How Much? Where do I sign?

by jonk on Apr 18, 2008 4:08 PM EDT reply actions

Now that was insightful there Jonk..wink wink.

by Steve-O- on Apr 18, 2008 5:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Something institutional?

I’ve looked at this in the past too (can’t find the stories right now). It seems that the team just doesn’t perform up to par in spring training or April. The personnel has changed significantly, but it doesn’t seem to work until late April or May. So, is it something institutional in terms of how the organization prepares its guys?

by David S. Cohen on Apr 18, 2008 4:42 PM EDT reply actions

Very interesting point to ponder.

Perhaps I am giving my age away but growing up in LA I remember the Dodgers ST and the vast majority of the ST infield line up was Cey, Russell, Lopes and Garvey…Gosh the same lineup as the regular season. Now I look at the Phillies boxscore and the and the 5-4-3 DP is Donald, King and Who’s on first.

The only question marks of the position players this year was 3rd and RF. So what’s wrong with the rest of the regulars playing perhaps 6 innings together? You can then bring in the double A no names against the double A no name pitchers since 90 percent will never see a big league clubhouse anyway.

There is an old adage from my car selling days that says ” If you want to keep getting what you have been getting then keep doing what you have been doing” That said I feel ST should be played with the intensity the Ray’s played it this year. This loosey goosey bullshit approach doesn’t work.

No more waiting to ‘flip the switch’ (Rollins quote). I’m still waiting for Ruiz, Howard and a few others to flip the switch.

Thank You all, I feel better now.

by Steve-O- on Apr 18, 2008 5:42 PM EDT reply actions

I think there’s something to be said for that, Steve-O. Though I guess it’s also possible that Manuel’s easygoing approach in ST pays off in August/September when his Phils teams have played their best ball.

What’s annoying is that this is an impossible premise to test. We’re just guessing.

by dajafi on Apr 19, 2008 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Woah...

Steve, you should let that stuff out sooner, it isn’t good to keep that all boxed up inside. Anyway, It seems to me like our offense is perfectly, absolutely, one-hundred percent, a-ok. 4th in the league is good, especially when looking at each player in a case by case basis. The only player I feel that is surpassing his career norms and will regress back to those norms is “The Machine”. However, Jenkins, Howard, Ruiz, and to a lesser extent, Feliz, should improve as the season continues. Also, our number one and two hitters have both missed significant amounts of time now. Take the top two hitters out of any lineup in the league and you will see a significant drop off in production. Finally, we are also talking about a sixteen game sample size. Go Phils.

by Neduol Caz on Apr 18, 2008 6:31 PM EDT reply actions

REYES INJURED?? AND BOOED!!??

Reyes sliding into second and almost injuring his neck and a large amount of cheers from the Phillie crowd…and then when he gets up off the ground…BOOS???!!....half your fans at tonight’s game are @#$HOLES!!...THEY CAN ROT IN HELL….DISGUSTING!...and don’t even argue it!

by NYMETS on Apr 18, 2008 8:01 PM EDT reply actions

No argument here

Don’t pretend that this is unique to Philly, though.

by phatj on Apr 19, 2008 8:50 AM EDT up reply actions

yeah, that was

Disgraceful. I live in Brooklyn and was watching the game with a friend who’s a huge Mets fan and his wife, and I was embarrassed for my hometown. Not for the first time.

But phatj is absolutely correct that no town has a monopoly on bad behavior. Weren’t the fans at Shea cheering the other night when one of your relievers plunked Milledge?

by dajafi on Apr 19, 2008 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions