Thoughts on Pat Burrell

by WholeCamels on Jan 7, 2009 8:31 PM EST Comment 22 comments

With Pat Burrell's departure to the Tampa Bay Rays this week, we're truly seeing the end of an era for the Philadelphia Phillies. Ever since the day he was picked first overall in the amateur draft in 1998, Burrell was something of a blank slate on which fans and the team could project their neuroses and expectations.

After the J.D. Drew Troubles in 1997, the Phillies badly needed to make a statement, as a claim to legitimacy if not a gesture toward playing winning baseball. Burrell -- the University of Miami slugging legend -- was that statement. The Drew Drama inflicted some serious wounds on the team's psyche. It often seemed like Burrell, probably unfairly, was expected to fix all that.

And it wasn't fair. I always felt like the Phillies braintrust, be it Monty, Wade, Gillick, Schmidt, or their collective G. Gordon Liddy Dallas Green, always kind of resented Burrell for not living up to his "first pick potential." Yeah, he wasn't Chipper Jones or Ken Griffey, Jr. ... but he wasn't Shawn Abner or Matt Bush, either. It was a classic case of letting perfect be the enemy of good. Burrell wasn't a perfect player, but he was very, very good and very reliable.

He loved Philadelphia. Loved it. How many professional athletes can you say that about? He took endless shit from the fans and the press and rarely complained. And the Phillies repaid that loyalty without even a good faith offer of a new contract, opting instead for the older, left-handed version of Burrell in Raul Ibanez.

It's been a sad week, I'm just glad that our last memory of Pat will be seeing him on the carriage with his dog, Elvis*, leading that parade down Broad Street.

Thank you, Pat. And good luck with the Rays.

* My wife made me put this part in. I think she'll miss that dog almost as much as she'll miss Pat.

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Right on.

Seeing Burrell leave is hard to swallow. It would be one thing if he was at the end of his career, didn’t know it and wanted to keep playing. Like Carlton. But to lose such a good soldier when the guy they bring in is either no better, marginally worse, or just marginally better (and 4.5 years older) is tough to take.

I’ll never forget how he handled the crap the fans gave him in ’03 when he really slumped. He never bitched. And went up there hacking everytime, trying to will himself out of the slump.

With Pat leaving and Romero being suspended, this is the first crappy week in a long time.

by matt2 on Jan 7, 2009 9:02 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I think Pat Burrell’s time in Philadelphia can be used as a ‘template’ as to why the fans of Philadelphia have a negative perception – rightly or wrongly – I’m not sure whether it was he or Abreu who took more unnecessary abuse from the ‘vocal minority’ that embarasses the majority

by jemagee on Jan 7, 2009 9:02 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

As much as Burrell has been mistreated around here, Abreu had it a LOT worse.

by taco pal on Jan 8, 2009 11:17 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Well Pat got it longer by virtue of being here longer and I think expectations were higher on Pat from day one – not to mention his bizarre (i never understood) loyalty in turning down (reportedly) trades because of his NTC never made sense to me…why did he stay? (yes, make the jokes about the nightlife all you want, but most cities have nightlife)

by jemagee on Jan 8, 2009 12:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I share the sadness at Burrell leaving, as well as the dismay at how the organization filled his spot. He was one of my favorites pretty much from the day he was called up through Game Five.

Part of me does think, though, that Pat is leaving not just, obviously, on the high note of being a world f’n champion, but also after the almost unimaginable redemption drama that played out over what wound up being his last eighteen months in red pinstripes.

At the beginning of July 2007 there were a lot of people who wanted him straight-up released—this when the team still owed him something like $20 million. What he did in a stretch of one calendar year, from July 4 of 2007 till this past July 3, actually was the superstar career year they’d been waiting for: 531 at-bats, 154 hits, 96 runs, 42 homers, 116 RBI, 112 walks. His OPS during that stretch was over 1.000.

Obviously he cooled off a lot in the second half of ’08 (.220/.317/.414 from July 4 on). My guess is that he was bothered by minor injuries, though whether these were the sort of things that every player deals with over a long season or ailments that will bother him going forward, no idea. But in addition to the big double in Game Five, his two homers were the biggest reason why they closed out the Brewers in Game Four of the NLDS… which was pretty important since it saved them from Sabathia in an elimination game and set up Hamels to start the Dodgers series.

Another thing that’s at least somewhat comforting is that the parade not only was the town’s lasting memory of the player, but presumably his of Philadelphia.

by dajafi on Jan 8, 2009 12:25 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Losing Pat is like having your grade school girlfriend move across the country. Neither of you have anything but love but due to circumstances beyond either of your control you can’t be together. The only difference is that in 6th grade you know you’ll eventually find another girl but I’m not so sure I’ll ever find another Pat the Bat.

Oh and Elvis is going to HATE Florida. Bulldogs don’t do to well in hot humid conditions.

by Capt Murdoch on Jan 8, 2009 9:00 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I agree wholeheartedly

Watching the arc of Burrell’s career with the Phillies was a great ride. There was the excitement of watching his first couple of years and thinking we had a potential superstar in the making, only to be dashed by a few disastrous years when he appeared on the verge of flaming out. But best of all was watching him modify his game by developing incredible plate discipline which turned him into an above average offensive player and a very steady presence in the lineup over the last 3 or 4 years. It was also great watching him morph from a callow selfish kid into a true team player and great bench presence. I simply do not understand the Phillies thinking in signing Ibanez , if Pat would have taken the same contract he accepted from the Rays. I hope Ibanez plays well and contributes next year, but I doubt I’ll ever warm to him the way I warmed to Burrell after watching his career from the start.

by MJW on Jan 8, 2009 9:44 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

This is the part I found most amazing

“He loved Philadelphia. Loved it. How many professional athletes can you say that about? He took endless shit from the fans and the press and rarely complained.”

I have to disagree with taco pal – you may be right, maybe you were listening to talk radio or some other outlet where they were going after Abreu, but I always had the distinct impression that Burrell got it much worse. (For one thing, a strikeout is just a more obvious, natural moment for booing than a failure to catch a ball at the wall, regardless of whether either legitimately merits boos.) And yet, not only did he not utter a word of complaint, he clearly wanted to stay here. You know sportswriters – they see it as part of their job to bait players into saying unpopular things and then blaring those comments all over the airwaves/sports pages/series of tubes. So if Burrell had so much as said peep we would’ve all heard about it a hundred times – instead, whenever they tried to bait him, he reiterated his love for Philly. And appears to have meant every word. Quite a guy.

"I am the Walrus?..... I am the Walrus." - Donny Kerabatsos

by The Navigator on Jan 8, 2009 10:56 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I think Burrell’s relationship with the fans was more “love/hate.” Some loved him, some hated him, some fluctuated between the two. He was booed a lot, but he was also cheered a fair amount. During his terrible season in ‘03, he was booed, but my perception was that the boos were a bit slow in coming, and were balanced out somewhat by some vocal "We Still Love You Pat Because We Know You’re Trying"-style support.

Abreu may not have been booed much, but there was a consistent and unmitigated feeling of ugly discontent in the air whenever the focus was on him during a game. Let me put it this way. Burrell was very underappreciated in this town, yet I personally know lots of Phillies fans (even some of those who wanted him gone this offseason) who will say they love him, and would have said it even before the championship this year. I’ve never met a Phillies fan (in real life, not talking about online) who ever said that he/she loved, or even liked, Bobby Abreu. Nor have I ever heard one on talk radio.

by taco pal on Jan 9, 2009 11:58 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Well said.

I basically agree. I do recall a brief Bobby thaw towards the end of his stay here, though – there was the campaign to get him on the AS squad, and I was there on the day when he reached 30-30 for the second time and got a very rousing ovation when this was noted by Dan what’s-his-name the PA guy. But I concur that there was never the affection for him that there was for Burrell.

BTW I liked Abreu a lot and told more than one person that he was my favorite player. But I don’t believe we’ve me in person, so your streak holds.

"I am the Walrus?..... I am the Walrus." - Donny Kerabatsos

by The Navigator on Jan 9, 2009 4:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

don't believe we've >met<,

that should be.

"I am the Walrus?..... I am the Walrus." - Donny Kerabatsos

by The Navigator on Jan 9, 2009 4:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Bye, paddy.

You know, before the playoffs I was thinking to myself what off season moves we should make for 2009. The one answer I kept coming back to was not resigning Burrell and picking up a young left fielder. A guy who could hit, but keep up with the rest of the squad in a foot race. I actually feel guilty about that now. I want Pat back. I hate this decision. I’d take Burrell over Ibanez any day of the week and twice on Sunday. (Ibanez’s glove sucks.) So, I won;t take it out on Ibanez. I’ll give him a shot to win our hearts as the rest of the Phils have in 2008. But I’ll always feel bad about Pat. I agreee with the sentiment. Thanks for everything, Pat. Your a class act.

by The DH on Jan 9, 2009 1:38 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I don’t think wanting a younger left fielder who could hit and keep up with the squad in a foot race is a bad desire, it just would have been difficult to find – and raul ibanez doesn’t fit said category in any way possible.

by jemagee on Jan 9, 2009 11:43 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The deals that Rivera and Baldelli signed suggest that this really was achievable. Or they could have traded for Hermida if the lefty aspect wasn’t as troubling to them as it was (and is) to me.

Add in that the difference between Rivera’s deal and Ibanez’s deal probably would have meant a serious shot at Lowe, and it really becomes clear just how deeply Ruben screwed this one up.

by dajafi on Jan 9, 2009 4:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

he may fit our power lineup perfectly...

i’m just as upset about p the b’s departure as the next guy but… i’m still holdin positive feelings towards raul… i think his average won’t go to waste here like it did in seattle. stick him towards the bottom half of our lineup and i think he’ll help be a catalyst similar to what the hawaiin did throughout the year… u know, turn it over, have a baserunner for the top of our lineup in the middle innings… we’ll see how this thing plays out, and if one or a few of our young guns makes some strides (OF’s turner and brown) that will soften the blow of the 3 year contract…
philliesnation.com posted this…
A somewhat surprising move by Baseball America in its annual ranking of Phillies prospects:

1. Dominic Brown
2. Carlos Carrasco
3. Lou Marson
4. Jason Donald
5. Kyle Drabek
6. Michael Taylor
7. Travis d’Arnaud
8. Zach Collier
9. JA Happ
10. Jason Knapp

by PHIGHTINPHILS on Jan 9, 2009 12:24 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I think that if one of the young guns makes strides, it will make the Ibanez move feel even worse. If we had just offered arbitration to Pat, there’s a good chance he would have accepted. Then after 2009, we could have let him go and gone with an outfield of Vic, Werth, and Young Gun. Three guys all under the age of 30, none of whom have reached free agency. (Plus we would have kept the first-round pick we gave up for Ibanez.)

Now, we can’t do that. We’re more or less committed to Ibanez – so if the young gun plays his way into the lineup, we’ll have to make room at the expense of Vic or Werth, or the young gun himself.

I expect Ibanez to be ok next year, though somewhat less productive than Burrell. Even if he outperforms my expectations, he still will not be worth the money, the three-year commitment, the pick(s).

by taco pal on Jan 9, 2009 12:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with most of this, but I’m not that concerned about there not being a place for Taylor to play for 2010 if he’s as good at AA this year as he was in the lower levels last year.

First of all, right now the Phillies’ relationship with Werth will end after 2009. But even if he’s re-signed, as my hunch is he will be, he should be eminently tradable. Same with Victorino.

There’s also the not-unimaginable scenario in which the Phils trade away Ryan Howard in a year or two and Ibanez shifts to first base… where presumably his lead glove wouldn’t hurt quite as much. Admittedly, this probably would indicate that something else went horribly, horribly wrong.

by dajafi on Jan 9, 2009 4:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Fair enough. We discussed this before in another thread, I think. To clarify, I’m not concerned that we won’t be able to make room for Taylor. I’m concerned that we won’t be able to do so in an optimal manner, i.e. by dumping our oldest outfielder. Given a choice, I would much rather keep Werth around than either Burrell or Ibanez. Not being able to do that is a real loss for the team.

by taco pal on Jan 9, 2009 5:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And now I remember we did write about this before. My bad. We’re in the repeating-ourselves stage of the offseason, I guess…

by dajafi on Jan 9, 2009 9:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i do love taco's...

sadly, i agree. but we let adam eaton rot in AAA why not ibanez if our young gun does well?
what really upsets me is that Milton Bradley got a 3/30 (a million cheaper that raul) and he’s a switch hitter w/better defense… phillies kinda got phleeced on this one…

by PHIGHTINPHILS on Jan 9, 2009 1:04 PM EST reply actions 0 recs