Much is being made about the offensive struggles of this team this Spring but the reality is if you remember Ben Francisco that nothing in the Spring is as it is come September. Ben had a torrid Spring a few seasons back and many got really excited and thought Ben was an everyday player.
We all know how that turned out. I personally don't get excited when a guy like John Mayberry Jr. has a great Spring. We know track records and sample sizes and all of those hitting stats seem to normalize over the course of a season. Now, I am not oblivious to the fact that Howard has not performed well in a very long time and Rollins has definitely regressed and Utley doesn't seem to have the power he once had.
The key to any post season is a teams ability to pitch and the ability to remain healthy so I am more concerned about Hamels at this point than anything else. I remember watching the game when Lackey went down against the Jays last year. He came right off the mound after throwing a pitch clutching his right arm. I honestly did not believe Lackey would pitch again let alone pitch that season yet there he was in November taking the hill in the WS.
What is my point-It's that Hamels and the Phillies seem to be snake bit by bad luck and it would not surprise me if Hamels is down for an extended period of time. I honestly believe they could go Biddle to start the season in his absence and he would be just as good. New pitchers generally get the benefit of not being seen so as long as they can be around the plate with decent stuff they tend to fare very well.
MAG's is another problem. Again they appear to have missed on his abilities, well maybe not missed but rolled the dice and lost. I won't fault them for trying and spending money.
Roberto Hernandez is your classic Livan Hernandez or Bronson Arroyo or a box of chocolates. You can't ever count on anything from game to game. One outing he can get lit up like a Christmas Tree and not make it through 4 and the next he darn near no hits the other team. Bundle him with Kendrick and you pretty much have the same guy. Fine if Hamels-Lee-Burnett are Hamels-Lee-Burnett but if not they are quickly staring down the barrel of a 90 loss season.
In a microwave society, a tweet society, an instagram society the media and the course of fantasy nerds will like a reflex over-react. They will over react again May 1, June1 and so on. They won't be able to contain themselves and see that a team with good pitching can work out the kinks before it is too late a la the Dodgers of last season.
They won't see at some point this team could look drastically different. They won't really see Giles coming, they won't see a number of moves that are possible at the trade deadline to get this team younger and better.
So while things again look bleak for the upcoming season I am going to chill and say we'll be ok. There are some things I do like. Byrd brings his track record of hitting every where he has been. Revere can play. Chooch is still a fine defensive catcher and he can swing the bat. Dom Brown and Cody Asche are having tough Springs but they have minor league track record and they won't be this bad once the season breaks. Ruf has track record and he has right handed power. Mind you he is not an MVP nor is he an All-Star. He is a decent every day player that would compliment a team that has stars else where in the field.
Remember this. You need stars to get your club to the post season but when the lights come on and the weight of that championship rests on the shoulders of a single star he often comes up short. Often times it is the Cody Ross's of the world, Scott Brosius, David Freeses of the world that bring home the prize. Very few Big Papi's exist in sports.
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