Sure the Phillies Are 2-0, But I'm Still Worried

by David S. Cohen on Apr 8, 2010 12:43 PM EDT

Things seem good. The Phillies won their first season opener since 2005. They're 2-0 for the first time 2003. Their new ace looked like a real bona fide ace. And Ryan Howard is on pace to hit 162 home runs this season.

But it's not all wine and roses here in Phillies-fandom. There's lots to be concerned about as the team tries to go 3-0 for the first time since 2001. Here's a partial list:

They've scored 19 runs in 18 innings. Do you realize that they're just barely over the 1 run per inning mark? How are they supposed to thrive if they can only slightly eclipse that mark?
Ryan Howard's power is diminishing. In game 1, he hit his home run into the second deck. In game 2, he could only manage hitting the facade of the second deck. If his home run tonight just reaches the lower deck, watch out. You might as well ask him to retire after the game.
Placido Polanco is cooling off. He started the season batting .600 with 6 RBI. He now has played twice as many games and his RBI total is . . . still 6. And don't get me started on his batting average. It's plummeted 44 points. How bad do you have to be to lose 44 points in batting average?
20% of the runs the team has allowed are unearned. Last year, they only gave up 36 unearned runs all year. Those 36 runs accounted for only 5% of the team's 709 runs allowed. The team defense really needs to improve.
Chase Utley is in a career-threatening power outage. All of his hits are singles. In fact, you have to go back over six months to find his last regular-season extra-base hit.
Jimmy Rollins is averaging 2 walks per game. Now, I'll give you this is a huge positive . . . normally. However, the Phillies have never before thrived with Rollins walking at that clip. This is obviously the sign of the end of times, and last I checked, it's very unlikely the Phillies would reach the playoffs, let alone get another World Series trophy, if time were to end.
Roy Halladay let the Nationals score a run.

I'm sure this list is incomplete, as I'm so distraught I can hardly think straight. Bottom line: I'm worried. Aren't you?

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Comments

Hahahaha!

Loved it!

"Red, it took me sixteen years to get here. You play me, and I'll give ya the best I got."

by Touchdown on Apr 8, 2010 12:46 PM EDT reply actions

Three batters into the season, so-called “ace” Roy Halladay had an ERA of 27.00!!!

At that point I pretty much gave up on 2010.

by dajafi on Apr 8, 2010 12:49 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Cole Hamels still stinks?

by jemagee on Apr 8, 2010 12:51 PM EDT reply actions

Bam. Back with a vengeance.

by Steve J on Apr 8, 2010 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions

None of this would have happened if we’d kept Cliff Lee!

by taco pal on Apr 8, 2010 1:01 PM EDT reply actions

I’m worried about Doc’s bat, he only got on once and only one RBI. Either his bat needs to heat up or I’m calling the season a bust. We didn’t sign the dude to 20 million a year just to throw pitches, he needs to put runs up as well.

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

by JCB79 on Apr 8, 2010 1:02 PM EDT reply actions

With Milt Thompson at first base, the Phils have a 100% success rate stealing bases. While Davey Lopes is on leave indefinitely, he could come back at any moment.

by Steve J on Apr 8, 2010 1:03 PM EDT reply actions

Lopes left? I didn’t notice that. Darn I liked him.

by MalibuLSV23 on Apr 8, 2010 4:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Only left to attend to family issues, he should be back – there was a tragic accident involving his brother last weekend.

by Steve J on Apr 8, 2010 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions

oh wow, hope all is well with his fam

by MalibuLSV23 on Apr 8, 2010 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Chooch is hitting .500 with an OBP of .700, and that’s fine and good, but his defense has been atrocious. He’s 0/3 throwing out base runners. At this rate, we can expect our opposition to steal 243 bases this season.

by JimmyK on Apr 8, 2010 1:05 PM EDT reply actions

Sure, Ruiz is hitting .500, but he’s on pace for 0 RBIs! How good can the Phillies be when their second-best hitter isn’t knocking in any runs? Especially when their best hitter has already lost 44 points off his batting average in just a couple days?

Ruiz’s walk rate has also declined by 67% over the last week, and his strikeout rate increased 100%. These sorts of numbers aren’t sustainable in the long run, and bear watching over the short term.

"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 8, 2010 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions

I think it’s time to swap Ruiz and the pitcher spot…

by jemagee on Apr 8, 2010 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions

The starters are on pace to bat .333 with 162 RBIs this year…

by taco pal on Apr 8, 2010 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions

See…I was just going with my gut – but the numbers back me up – larussa like

by jemagee on Apr 8, 2010 10:56 PM EDT up reply actions

I love fun with small sample size.

by PhillyFriar on Apr 8, 2010 1:16 PM EDT reply actions

And what is up with Werth? No home runs or RBI on the season and he’s batting a pathetic .125. Time to bring up Dominic Brown. I’m tired of this crap.

Let the beasting begin.

by TransplantedFan on Apr 8, 2010 1:18 PM EDT reply actions

Does the fact that Ibanez (a/k/a the Pretzel) did not make your tongue-in-cheek “still worried” list actually mean that you’re worried about him? I know I am.

by Boundforbeach on Apr 8, 2010 1:34 PM EDT reply actions

howard's 2nd homer

landed in the 2nd deck. it hit an empty chair about 5-6 rows up, and then bounced high in the air and back out from the 2nd deck. on the replay it looked like it hit the facade because the lady in black in the front row reached out to try to catch the ball on it’s way down. but if you watch closely, she’s trying to catch it after it bounces in the chair and it takes a long, loopy flight down to the lower level.

had it hit the facade directly, it would have shot straight down. this homer may have actually gone further than his first.

by hoboken_dukes79 on Apr 8, 2010 3:49 PM EDT reply actions

The end is nigh!

by Cormican on Apr 8, 2010 4:04 PM EDT reply actions

I'm really concerned now

If this recent trend continues, we’ll end up with a record of 2-160.

"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 9, 2010 7:12 AM EDT reply actions

And you don’t think Selig will overturn our first two wins stating that Howard’s two home runs were influenced by lizard people aliens and that it resulted in our wins?

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

by JCB79 on Apr 9, 2010 9:17 AM EDT up reply actions