Some Phillies Links For You - April 12, 2010: Home Opener, First Place, Howard and Bonds

by WholeCamels on Apr 12, 2010 7:39 AM EDT

HOUSTON - APRIL 11: Raul Ibanez #29 of the Philadelphia Phillies high fives Jimmy Rollins #11 after they defeated the Houston Astros 2-1 at Minute Maid Park on April 11, 2010 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Bozied, Flande Shine As R-Phils Win Third Straight - Sports News Story - WFMZ Allentown
Excuse me waitress, I'll have the Yohan Flande, please. LOLOLOLOOLOLOL

Howard thanks Bonds for hitting tips | MLB.com: News
Good job, Ryan, for picking a player whose approach to hitting should be emulated.

Fortuitous tweet, ballplayer's story put an end to wrist pain - USATODAY.com
Read the article you sick ghouls.

Lidge's health, not stats, important to Phils | MLB.com: News
Yeah, results and healing/progress aren't the exact same thing, but wow he got pummeled.

New memorial gives Harry K the final word | Philadelphia Daily News | 04/12/2010
I honestly don't know how to feel about this.

Mariners don't expect LHP Cliff Lee back until May
The Ruben Amaro Jr. Smug Advisor System is officially broken.

Chan Ho Park explains his ineffectiveness... (h/t FuquaManual)

Giants 6, Braves 3
Young Tim Lincecum strikes out 10 Braves but Jason Heyward takes him deep.

Washington Nationals 5, New York Mets 2: Josh Willingham's Grand Slam, Livan Hernandez's 7.0 Scoreless Win it. - Federal Baseball
Let's just repeat: Livan Hernandez outpitched Johan Santana.

Fish Wrap - Marlins 6, Dodgers 5 - FishStripes
The Dodgers aren't off to the best start.

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Comments

The Chan Ho video was one of the greatest things I have ever seen.

The Harry story made me a bit uncomfortable, kinda creepy in a stalker sort of way.

If Bonds helped Howard with his swing and we’re seeing the fruits of his labor than I’m all for it, I just hope he didn’t supply him with any medical “advice”.

Scar tissue is stronger than muscle tissue. Realize the strength, move on.

by JCB79 on Apr 12, 2010 8:27 AM EDT reply actions

Well, the “lost in translation” expression on Park’s face was priceless, though honestly, it remains distressing to see that “diarreah is funny” exists in some of the highest-paid lockerrooms in the world. I dunno, maybe I’m sensitive because my 6-year-old is going through this scatalogical comedy phase, and for the life of me I fear it may never end, ever.

So I’ll start: Guess he let out a lot of runs. bwaha. Ha.

Oh and BTW, I’ve read the FuquaManual, and I still can’t get the goddamned thing to work.

by Wet Luzinski on Apr 12, 2010 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions

Worry not, Wet. Many have tried, few have succeeded.

by FuquaManuel on Apr 12, 2010 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions

wow

Between this and the Heyward/Lincecum thing I really sucked today.

http://www.thegoodphight.com

by WholeCamels on Apr 12, 2010 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Is that video funny? I sorta see it as a group of reporters grilling him about why he pitched poorly and asking him to elaborate on his illness, then giggling when he says a funny poop word. Seems like an especially childish reaction to a guy who has been open about how he feels extremely alienated by his language barrier in almost every MLB clubhouse.

Classy response from Mo, too, laughing at him in the background.

by Steve J on Apr 12, 2010 11:05 AM EDT up reply actions

I thought it was intended as deadpan humor. We can’t see the context from the video though, so that assumption may have been mistaken.

by taco pal on Apr 12, 2010 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions

If so, then I’ll give Park great credit for the comedic value of his expressions. He looks genuinely bewildered to me.

by Wet Luzinski on Apr 12, 2010 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions

That was my assumption too, especially given that Mo was laughing behind him. I got the sense that CHP had a quirky, deadpan sense of humor last year (possibly spurred by how ridiculous that Victorino-for-All-Star-Game sign board looked), but perhaps I was mistaken as well.

by PhillyFriar on Apr 12, 2010 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions

true, I had forgotten about that!

by Wet Luzinski on Apr 12, 2010 11:17 AM EDT up reply actions

I don’t think the reporters were laughing, I think it was whichever teammate has the locker to the right of him.

by FuquaManuel on Apr 12, 2010 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions

Also, I have heard Chan Ho give more extensive English interviews and I would say that he is well ahead of the curve compared to other players for whom English is a second language.

In other words, there is a relatively small language barrier for him. I mean, he has to have a pretty decent vocabulary if he knows the word “diarrhea”.

by FuquaManuel on Apr 12, 2010 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions

You know who else is in first place? The Blue Jays of all teams…. who would’ve thought. Of course, that won’t last for long…

by Boundforbeach on Apr 12, 2010 9:11 AM EDT reply actions

They got off to a fast start last year too, if I recall. But hey, I’ll be rooting for them. To have an AL East champion that isn’t the Yankees or Red Sox, and that actually has fans (i.e. not the Rays)? That would be awesome.

by taco pal on Apr 12, 2010 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions

I realize Cliff Lee getting hurt is nothing but bad luck, but for once, it’s nice to have a GM who appears to have a horseshoe up his rear.

While we all thought the Ibanez and Moyer signings were disastrous, they both did better than expected, and the Phils haven’t given away anybody who’s exceeded expectations yet.

by Bilzo on Apr 12, 2010 9:29 AM EDT reply actions

Moyer did not do better than expected. But I’ll agree that the signing wasn’t “disastrous.” He did better than feared, put it that way.

by taco pal on Apr 12, 2010 9:51 AM EDT up reply actions

Phils haven’t given away anybody who’s exceeded expectations yet.

Gavin Floyd is the only one that comes to mind who we gave away and is exceeding expectations but, I don’t remember if this was under Gillick’s tenure or RAJ’s. We have been fortunate eventhough Ibanez and Moyer both had Sportsman’s Hernias…Moyers had no effect on last year because it was late in the season, however Ibanez playing though this injury was assuredly a big reason for his drop off more so than his typical streakiness. He should have undergone surgery then, Franciso is a more than capable replacement whose numbers may not have matched Ibanez’s insane april to june output but would have exceeded the ones made while Ibanez battled thru pain.

by j reed on Apr 12, 2010 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions

Garcia/Floyd trade was Gillick’s.

Ibanez’s injury was in June. Francisco wasn’t acquired until July 29.

by taco pal on Apr 12, 2010 11:02 AM EDT up reply actions

The injury didn’t go away once he came off the DL. It required surgical repair. He played thru it and it could only get worse. This was dumb and irresponsible of the trainers and coaches. Maybe it was because we only had Brunlett at our disposal which is a poor excuse, but even then, once they acquired Francisco who is a decent enough replacement they should have shut down Ibanez who was a liability. Just like they should have done with Lidge or did he spontaneously develop bone chips in his elbow in a month after the season was over ? Moreover, obviously Lidge’s knee was alot worse then we were lead to believe because he needed surgery after all. When an athlete plays with a serious injury their body will compensate for weakness with the adaptive shortening of supporting musculature and /or over using other muscles to do the work the damaged muscle. This result is in new neuromuscular patterns that imprint over the healthy ones which do not simply return when the damage muscle his repaired. Because baseball is a technical/ speed sport , it puts alot of strain on the "flight or fight " neurochemistry (think adrenaline) which will in a sense etch muscle memory more deeply much like what occurs with PTSD. So, playing someone every day or putting them in high leverage stituations only fortifies these problematic compensatory measures. Basically your body picks up bad habits that are incongruous with proper healthy athletic form (as per each athlete’s physiology and sport)., and are hard to kick because the body assumes these unwanted patterns are normal as a consequence of their strong reinforcement .

by j reed on Apr 12, 2010 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Maybe. Considering the circumstances, I think I’ll give Phillies management a pass on this one. Also worth noting that while Raul slumped badly in August, he finished strong over the last 30 games of the season and had an OK postseason.

by taco pal on Apr 12, 2010 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions

They get no pass. Playing athletes who need surgery is inexcusable..it’s abusive.

by j reed on Apr 12, 2010 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions

This is also a two-way street. In both Ibanez’s and especially Lidge’s case the athletes were the ones doing some of the sandbagging, even in the midst of guaranteed contracts. Lidge abused the team and his manager’s confidence in him in 2009.

We are dealing with hyper-competitive, aggressive personalities here. Shutting them down on what they’ve excelled at all their lives is a Herculean psychological task.

by Wet Luzinski on Apr 12, 2010 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions

I actually have a good deal of sympathy for guys in Lidge’s position. I think the thought process for a hurting athlete goes something like this:

1. I cannot be objective about my own injury. There’s a side of me that will always want to take the easy way out and avoid playing through pain. That side of me must be suppressed.

2. I can be “honest” and admit that I’m hurting, but how do I know that my honesty is really honest? It feels like I’m hurting, but how do I know that this isn’t a level of pain that other players are expected to play through and do play through?

3. The person who’s in the best position to determine whether I’m hurting the team or whether 75% of me is better or worse than 100% of someone else is my manager. My job is just to play whenever I’m asked to.

4. Even if I’m right about my own injury, my manager may still believe that I’m behaving like a quitter, so there is no guarantee that I’ll be treated fairly even if pulling myself out really is doing right by the team.

It’s a difficult set of circumstances for everyone involved. There are some extreme cases where the right answer is obvious, but more often than not the answers are murky.

by taco pal on Apr 12, 2010 1:32 PM EDT up reply actions

This is kinda like the 5 stages of grief.

by FuquaManuel on Apr 12, 2010 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions

Another way they might think about is:

“Whether I’m performing as well as I’m capable of performing due to my injury is irrelevant. What matters to the team is how well I’m performing in absolute terms, and on that point, my performance speaks for itself. Management will shut me down if they feel like there’s a better option, whether I admit my injury or not. If they haven’t tried to shut me down, then my duty is just to go out and play as well as I can.”

That thought process is not entirely correct, but I think it’s understandable.

by taco pal on Apr 12, 2010 1:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Floyd was also not doing well at that point. Even after the ChiSox got him, he bounced between MLB and AAA for two years; it wasn’t until 2008 that he stuck as a bottom of the rotation guy, and last year was his first year as a true go-to guy. If we had gotten a healthy Garcia (instead of crippled shoulder Garcia), I don’t think it would have been a bad trade.

"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"

by The Dark on Apr 12, 2010 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Who did the exam of Garcia? I thought it was a bicep. Just wondering if it was a team doctor or someone outside the org. which is the best way to do it. I didn’t think the trade was bad necessarily, though I ‘d rather not as a rule trade young pitchers for older ones though obviously that is different when you get into top flight aces provided they don’t have injury histories like Chris Carpenter.

by j reed on Apr 12, 2010 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Flande

In this month’s issue of Philadelphia magazine, Ryan Howard identified Flande as the teammate that one least wants to see unclothed. Most of the readers probably saw that and were like “Who the f*** is Yohan Flande?”

I think I also read somewhere else that Flande was “beloved” within the organization. He must have really made an impression this spring, personality-wise.

by taco pal on Apr 12, 2010 9:47 AM EDT reply actions

The video linked to that “wrist pain” article is pretty neat.

by taco pal on Apr 12, 2010 10:20 AM EDT reply actions

I have 1 extra ticket for today. My wife does not want to go. I will sell it to whoever contacts me first at njbankowned@verizon.net at my cost. Must be a Phillie fan of course. I know I can sell it for a profit later but would enjoy a real fan w/ me.

by DeanH on Apr 12, 2010 10:29 AM EDT reply actions

btw, section 422

by DeanH on Apr 12, 2010 10:30 AM EDT up reply actions

Werth

Great story. Now if he’d just re-grow the beard, hit some HRs and steal some bases, I might like him even more. Step 1 might be taking place now.

by Wet Luzinski on Apr 12, 2010 11:26 AM EDT reply actions

Despite its magnificence in other respects, I fear the beard may slow him down on the basepaths, so achieving Step 1 could hinder Step 3. It’s a matter of weight and air resistance.

by taco pal on Apr 12, 2010 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions

he’s running the bases, not challenging Michael Phelps in the 400 butterfly.

by Bilzo on Apr 12, 2010 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Beard increases the width of his face so more air to go around it – tp’s point is very valid

by jemagee on Apr 12, 2010 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions

aren’t we neglecting xBInt (Expected Basepath Intimidation)?

xBInt = 1.5*(SB-CS) – 0.3*(Length of Beard x Drag Coefficient) + 600*(Grizzly Adams Effect)

by Steve J on Apr 12, 2010 1:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Hm…i had forgotten that consideration…i grew a beard once in college, and grizzly adams is what i was called…

by jemagee on Apr 12, 2010 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions

In the spirit of correctness...

McCann took The Freak deep. Heyward homered off of Affeldt in the 9th…

by fphjr01 on Apr 12, 2010 12:51 PM EDT reply actions

Effing Heyward...

(I have Affeldt in the TGP Fantasy League)

"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"

by The Dark on Apr 12, 2010 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions

5 most under appreciated athletes in Philadelphia history

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/377230-the-five-most-under-appreciated-athletes-in-philadelphia-history#page/2

by jemagee on Apr 12, 2010 1:30 PM EDT reply actions

McNabb is a pariah, but he’ll be fondly remembered in time. I think it’s a stretch to argue that Cunningham (a/ka/ “the ultimate weapon”) was not appreciated. Any franchise QB in this town who fails after a period of years to deliver a Lombardi trophy invariably pays a price for the team’s historical absence of hardware. But it’s just a bigger sign of the City’s ongoing heartbreak.

And Mike Schmidt huh? Not buying it. If anything, he suffered from the “not philly enough” syndrome during his playing days, but to call him unappreciated is a joke given that every kid in Philly had his trading cards, dreamed of playing third base, and bristled at the thought of Dave Kingman being as good of a HR hitter because he played at Wrigley.

by Boundforbeach on Apr 12, 2010 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, Cunningham is an odd choice. Cunningham was rarely booed and rarely trashed by talk radio callers. (Eskin used to trash him, but that was done to provoke his audience. It worked, precisely because a substantial majority of fans were pro-Randall.)

While it might be hard to believe today, Ron Jaworski was actually less appreciated during his playing days than Cunningham was in his.

I think Schmidt qualifies though. The list is for underappreciated, not unappreciated, Philadelphia athletes. I do remember lots of kids on the school bus being fans of his. But I also remember lots of other kids on the bus repeating statements from their dads about how Schmidt struck out too much and would come up small in big moments. He was booed a lot. I don’t think the anti-Schmidt crowd was anywhere near as hostile as the anti-McNabb crowd, but (a) you can’t really draw direct comparisons between the pre-talk radio era to the post-talk radio, and (b) Schmidt was a better player than McNabb and deserved somewhat better treatment as a baseline.

by taco pal on Apr 12, 2010 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions

So I’d probably go:
1. McNabb
2. Schmidt
3. Abreu
4. Iguodala
5. Allen? not sure about this one
Hamels would be honorable mention.

by taco pal on Apr 12, 2010 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions

Lindros has to be on that list somewhere

"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"

by The Dark on Apr 12, 2010 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, i noticed there were no hockey players on thie list – but know nothing about hockey so couldn’t really say.

I’m curios though – a more interesting list would be ‘over appreciated’ players

Guys like REggie Evans or possibly Aaron Rowand

by jemagee on Apr 12, 2010 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions

hah i just began this comment and got distracted:

Eric Lindros probably gets honorable mention too, though he a) had a lot of respect at one point and b) was at least partly responsible for the shit-storm he got caught up in.

How about an OVER appreciated list?

Can Brett Myers make it? Pretty please?

by Steve J on Apr 12, 2010 3:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Nah, Myers was hated when he was here mostly and no one misses him.

Over appreciated are guys like Reggie Evans – who basically suck at their chosen profession but ‘run around a lot’ so they’re seen as blue collar effort guys who are missed when they are gone even though their net impact is zero (at best) on a team…reggie evans is the epitome of the over appreciated player to me :)

I would think rowand comes close – but it’s the one incident – wasn’t here very long – and wasn’t really missed when Victorino was available to take over.

Larry Bowa over appreciation let him manage much longer than he should have?:)

by jemagee on Apr 12, 2010 3:08 PM EDT up reply actions

but he lunch pails. how can a basketball player who has a verb made up for him POSSIBLY be over appreciated

by Steve J on Apr 12, 2010 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Ugh, don’t remind me

I think David Eckstein would be the epitome of the ‘over appreciated’ baseball player – no?

by jemagee on Apr 12, 2010 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions

In heaven, it’s not cheating, it’s just trying

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5079064

by jemagee on Apr 12, 2010 6:29 PM EDT reply actions

well, I saw him single-handedly stand in the dugout last night while his students slugged it all the way back against the Brewers. If he were pitching coach, they would have won.

by Wet Luzinski on Apr 13, 2010 12:39 AM EDT up reply actions