Phillies Breakfast Links, July 13, 2009 - Pedro-palooza!, Kyle Drabek shines, Cole Hamels and the Burrito of Death

by WholeCamels on Jul 13, 2009 7:48 AM EDT

Sources: Pedro Flying to Philly
Pedro Martinez may be touching down in Philadelphia Monday to meet with Phillies officials, sources told NBC10's John Clark Sunday.

When he was still Pedro | Philadelphia Daily News | 07/13/2009

But there were seasons, including 1999 when he went 23-4, when he was among the game's best.

Uh, how about arguably the "greatest season ever for a pitcher"? With the only argument being whether he was better in 2000?

Phillies Notes: Cole Hamels remains an enigma
And here come the "Cole Hamels is a space cadet" stories.

Burritos aren't safe on their plate

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels, a Rancho Bernardo High School graduate who was last year's World Series MVP, has a ritual whenever he returns to town. "When I get off the plane, I go get a burrito," Hamels said, adding that his favorite spot is El Indio in San Diego.

And now there's a cause! Cole, stop eating burritos!! Sincerely, The American Hamburger Institute

Kyle Drabek throws well at Futures Game
Prospect throws ten pitches in a perfect 2nd inning. Yohan Flande allows two hits and no runs in his frame.

R-Phils' Michael Taylor is more than star power
Bill Conlin is in looovvvve... but now so am I.

John Smallwood: Halladay would equal World Series titles for Phillies
Wow, let's get ahead of ourselves just a little bit...

Paul Gutierrez: Midseason awards intentionally give snub to the East Coast
Great story... (rolls eyes)

Schmidt the best ever?
If you don't agree, you don't know Michael Jack Schmidt.

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Zo says the same thing…

http://twitter.com/ToddZolecki

For Who? My teammates.

For What? To Win.

How Much? Where do I sign?

by jonk on Jul 13, 2009 9:34 AM EDT reply actions

Among the game's best

Wow – what an understatement. Unless he was talking about “best ever.” Check out Pedro’s card at Baseball Reference. Check out his ERA+ from 1997 to 2003:

219
163
243
291
189
202
210

1998 and 2001 look pedestrian only because he was so damn unbelievable the other years, particularly 1999 and 2000.

by David S. Cohen on Jul 13, 2009 10:20 AM EDT reply actions

It is exciting to read and hear about our minor league stars. It also makes my stomach uneasy to think many if not most of them could be traded away for 1 pitcher. I down deep think we should wait and try to build a long term champion in town than to sacrifice the future on the altar of the immediate. But, as many will point out, they are prospects, not stars. But, I think if it was my choice, I would not trade away the future.

by DeanH on Jul 13, 2009 10:26 AM EDT reply actions

Ugh, that Smallwood column is horrible.

As I see it, the main benefit to acquiring a bigname starting pitcher is in ensuring that you get to the postseason. Banking on your new starter to win short series for you in the postseason is foolish because it’s dependent on so many variables.

- That he doesn’t have a bad game and pitch worse than your original option
- That you don’t score so many runs in his game(s) that his performance doesn’t matter
- That you don’t score so few runs in his game(s) that his performance doesn’t matter
- That the series are close enough that the differences he makes in his games matter
- That all of the above hold up for three consecutive series.

Over the regular season, these things even out and you can count on your guy making a big difference for you. But in the postseason, things are too volatile. You’re talking about a very small handful of games that could be impacted.

If the Phillies are likely to make it to the postseason regardless, then picking up Halladay won’t benefit us that much. There’s a benefit, and it would be worth something, but it isn’t worth it to just “give the Blue Jays what they want.” That’s ridiculous.

by taco pal on Jul 13, 2009 10:59 AM EDT reply actions

On Schmidt

The author writes: “And he did it all, as he did not hesitate to remind us in his book, before the age of chemical enhancement.”

Well, except for those little green pills, and white powder, and alcohol, etc.

by David S. Cohen on Jul 13, 2009 11:07 AM EDT reply actions

alcohol?

If anything, I say you should get extra credit if you can perform well while drunk.

by taco pal on Jul 13, 2009 11:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, but Schmidt was hitting against a TON of drunk pitchers. It’s not always about performance enhancing for you, but also about performance declining for them…

For Who? My teammates.

For What? To Win.

How Much? Where do I sign?

by jonk on Jul 13, 2009 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions

Yes, alcohol

Players have their performance enhanced not just by using substances before a game to make them play better in that game. They also are enhanced by using a substance that helps them deal better with stress in their lives.

by David S. Cohen on Jul 13, 2009 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions

I dunno, that seems like a stretch to me. Jonk’s point is well taken, however.

by taco pal on Jul 13, 2009 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions

Really?

Don’t you think there would be some changes in performance for some players if alcohol were banned (effectively) for all players at all times during the season? I’m sure some are able to get by because of alcohol. Of course, it’s not illegal to do so, nor is it against the rules, but it’s a chemical that is helping them. Just like some do it with caffeine. Or cortisone shots. Or aspirin. (You get my point.)

by David S. Cohen on Jul 13, 2009 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes, really. First, in the specific case of alcohol, I doubt that it actually helps anyone. Alcoholics certainly become dependent on it emotionally, and it might make them feel better internally, but I’ve never known any alcoholic to actually perform well at work because of his/her drinking.

The argument would be stronger with something like, say, Xanax. But there’s still a difference there because, I would say, Xanax only helps you if something has gone wrong with your psyche to begin with. If you’re already a mentally healthy person, Xanax isn’t going to benefit you very much. In that sense, it’s more analogous to medicine than to a PED. Of course, you can always slice the salami thinner and thinner between those two poles, but there’s an intuitive difference between them and just because there are difficult borderline cases doesn’t mean that the broad differences between the poles do not exist.

Another reason why the distinction between medicine and PEDs is intuitively attractive is that the reason why PEDs are problematic isn’t that they’re “artificial” or “chemical” as such. It’s because they cause health problems and so, allowing them to be used by some would necessarily force everyone else in the sport to face a sort of Hobson’s choice where they have to choose between either sacrificing their careers or sacrificing their health. That isn’t the case with something like Xanax, to go back to that example, where the drug only benefits one’s career if it also benefits, rather than detracts from, one’s health. Certainly it wouldn’t be the case with alcohol: even if alcohol use does help alcoholic ballplayers perform on the field, which I doubt, it certainly wouldn’t tempt a non-alcoholic ballplayer to drink more in order to “keep up.”

by taco pal on Jul 13, 2009 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Taylor

Time to move him up to AAA? Doesnt seem like theres much left to prove down at AA (unless he wants to go after some AA career records or something).

by philiafan14364 on Jul 13, 2009 1:44 PM EDT reply actions

I am guessing the plan has been to move him up after the Eastern League all star game.

by taco pal on Jul 13, 2009 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Keith Law evaluates Futures Game Performance

Drabek, son of former major leaguer Doug Drabek, was 91-93 with a hard curveball at 79-80 that had a slider-esque horizontal break. His delivery is still rough, with some head violence at the end, and he commanded his fastball to his glove side but less so to his arm side. Drabek’s name has come up as the potential anchor of a stretch-drive trade for the Phillies, but he’s not that kind of impact talent — just a very good pitching prospect with a chance for two above-average pitches.

Don't frack with me or you'll get a punch in the kidneys...you've been warned

by jemagee on Jul 13, 2009 2:01 PM EDT reply actions

Hmmm.

Well there’s a slightly different take on Drabek than we hear coming from Phillies’ quarters. I know nothing about judging minor league talent, so I have no idea whom to side with on this one. And I wonder if this is info/evaluation that he’s getting from friends he might still have with the Blue Jays?

by David S. Cohen on Jul 13, 2009 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Sounds like Sickels was pretty impressed.

by taco pal on Jul 13, 2009 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions

He was at the game, and I’m not sure he gets much info from his blue jays friends any more to read his chats – i mean he mocks their screw ups more than anyones.

Don't frack with me or you'll get a punch in the kidneys...you've been warned

by jemagee on Jul 13, 2009 2:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Hamels' burrito

I cannot blame Cole for his love of El Indio. I live about a mile away in downtown San Diego and that place is amazing. Their homemade tortilla chips are out of this world, but I’d kill for a Dalessandro’s mushroom prov wit

by graveyardmachine on Jul 13, 2009 2:35 PM EDT reply actions