Hoffman might be overstating the differences a bit between the Phillies’ approach and the “Moneyball” approach. The Phillies certainly aren’t what you would call a hardcore Moneyball team, but they do seem to value things like on-base ability, taking pitches, etc. They also do use some statistical analysis, albeit not exclusively. It’s not like it’s a binary issue – there’s a continuous spectrum between the two poles.

My daily rant, condensed:

1. Playoff series are crapshoots.
2. Roy Halladay doesn’t increase our odds of winning playoff series that much.
3. We are fully capable of losing with Halladay and winning without him.
4. We have more than just a short window of opportunity to win.

Thanks, I’ll be here all month!

By the way, Peter Gammons was so, so awful in his commentary on Baseball Tonight last night. First, I thought he strongly implied that the Phillies should offer to trade Happ, Drabek, and Brown. Second, he strongly implied that the Phillies will win the 2009 and 2010 World Series if and only if they make the trade, but will have no chance if they don’t (though he used some weaselly language that would allow him to deny that implication if he had to). Third, he framed the whole issue as a question of whether the Phillies had the guts to “take the pain” they would need to feel to get the Halladay trade done. All done in his horribly pompous voice, attitude, etc.

“But there never has been the electricity, top to bottom, every level, almost every position. There have never been enough diamond-quality prospects to make a Halladay a reasonable possibility.

“There’s as much excitement right now as there’s ever been in the system,” Callis said.

And trading a good chunk of that excitement away for a pitching rental could cripple them for years. * IN DAILY NEWS ARTICLE ABOVE.

Why, for 1 player, would we take the excitement out of our farm system. I know, I go back and forth on the trade but the more I consider it, the less desirable it is to me.

I think we should hold, try to upgrade our bullpen and bench (ie Blunlett) and do some minor trades w/ out giving away the system.

Joking, btw

Incidentally, I totally remember that 1991 streak. Actually, I don’t remember any of the wins but I know it came to an end in Pittsburgh when they had the Bonds-Bonilla-Drabek powerhouse. Phils were losing late but had the bases loaded with one out. Ricky Jordan came up as a PH, but the ball ticked his bat on either a pitch he was trying to get out of the way of or a check swing, and rolled right to the pitcher for a 1-2-3. Weird what you remember from your childhood.