Rise and Phight: 6/2/2023

The Phillies are a bad baseball team right now.

Let’s get that out of the way, first and foremost. That doesn’t make them any less talented. It’s just undeniable that they are bad right now. Will they continue to be? Probably not. What they cannot do is keep sleepwalking away the days on the calendar.

Now, there have been some online polls, chats, and discussions that are centered on Rob Thomson and his job security. That is probably the wrong move. Thomson clearly has the confidence of the team, so firing him at this point would be a mistake.

The hitting coach though? I’m not totally on board with Kevin Long’s dismissal, but the argument to do so can be made. Would it be an overreaction? Again, probably. That’s not to say that the move would be difficult to justify. Personally, I’d still exercise some patience with the team. Time is starting to be the enemy, so they need to start stringing some wins together soon.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• So much for Alec Bohm not needing to go on the injured list, I guess. Drew Ellis - come on down!
• The team needs a spark to get things started, so they’re looking to....last year’s team?
• <record scratch> Yup, that’s me. This might look familiar since the Phillies did this exact same thing last year. Can they fix it yet again?

MLB news:

• Turns out, MLB and Diamond Sports really, really don’t like each other as the bankruptcy hearing showed.
• Now that we’re in June, we’re going to hear a lot more about the Angels trading Shohei Ohtani.
• Guess what, pitch clock haters? More fans are coming to the ballpark, which means the clock is here to stay.
• Speaking of the trade deadline, here’s a preview of what might happen this year.