Week Five: Joe Blanton and Bobby Muñoz

The Phillies had another inconsistent week.  The inconsistency seems to be partially caused by their struggles in extra inning games.  They lost two more games which went longer than regulation. 

In a somewhat amazing turn of events, they even lost a game in which ace Roy Halladay was given a six run lead.  But they were able to rebound from that loss thanks to the efforts of this week's featured Phillie.

Featured Phillie of the Week: Joe Blanton

After Roy Halladay was roughed up in Wednesday night's extra inning loss, the Phillies needed a strong performance from the man affectionately known by some as Fat Joe.

What they received on Thursday afternoon was better than they could have ever hoped for.  With both sides tired from the night before, Blanton threw strikes, and simply shut down the Braves' hitters.

Blanton shut out Atlanta and the Phillies won by a score of 4-0.  This was Blanton's first shutout since June of 2007, and his first complete game as a member of the Phillies.

For a man considered to be the 5th starter, it would be a huge boost to the team's chances if he can continue to deliver performances like that.

Ghost of Phillies Past: Bobby Muñoz

In the early 90s, Phillies general manager Lee Thomas was obsessed with finding large bodied pitchers.  Thomas believed that larger pitchers were capable of greater velocity and less prone to injury.

Whenever Thomas sought to acquire a pitcher, it seemed like the first thing he checked was the man's size.  Fitting with that profile, when the team traded Terry Mulholland to the Yankees following the 1993 season, the prize prospect they received in return was the 6'7" Bobby Muñoz.

In 1994, Muñoz showed some signs that he would live up to his potential.  He compiled a 7-5 record, and seemed to be hitting his stride just as the strike ended the season.  Unfortunately, that success did not carry over to the next season.

Muñoz did his best to disprove Thomas' theory that large pitchers were less likely to suffer injuries.  Throughout his career, Muñoz was simply unable to stay healthy.

A variety of injuries cost him most of the 1995 season.  He made sporadic appearances over the next few seasons, but even when healthy, he failed to pitch very effectively.

Muñoz's failures meant that Thomas had essentially shipped out a key part of the 1993 Phillies for nothing.

Pennant Year Song of the Week

The Phillies travelled to Washington this past weekend to take on the Nationals.  And according to the marketing done by the Nats, the series was a VERY BIG DEAL.  The team was going to "Take Back the Park" and show the Phillies that they weren't going to be the doormats of the National League East anymore.

To the Nats and their fans, I'm sure that winning two out of three was indeed very special.

To the Phillies and their fans, the series felt a little less important.  After watching so many postseason games over the past years, it is hard to get that worked up about a series in May.

In that spirit, this week's song is So What? by Pink.

Random Phillies Image Found on the Web

Someone showed both Phillies and Halloween spirit with this Phillies jack-o-lantern.

Final Analysis

It is probably unfair to compare Joe Blanton to Bobby Muñoz.  While both are large bodied pitchers, the comparison really ends there.

Blanton is an established major league pitcher who has had a successful, if unspectacular career.  Muñoz was a prospect who never panned out.

The Phillies have to hope that Blanton continues to perform at a high level.  If he does, the games they play later in the season - unlike this past series with the Nationals - will indeed have great importance.