All-Star Break: Cliff Lee and Kyle Abbott

Sorry for taking last week off.  I was left without electricity until Tuesday, so I was unable to do much on the computer.  Sadly, in my absence, the 2012 Phillies season took a turn for the worse.

Wasn't the return of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard supposed to make everything better? 

The Phillies certainly weren't doing all that well before Utley returned, but since he has come off the disabled list, the team has been a disaster, losing 10 out of 11 games.  I suppose that it was unrealistic to expect Utley to immediately perform at his former All-Star level, but the way the team has collapsed is inexplicable.

Many thought that with the return of the team's stars, supporting players like Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino would be able to settle into their more familiar roles, and as a result, they'd perform as they had in years past.

That has not been the case.  The starting pitching remains inconsistent, the lineup is still failing with runners on base, and the bullpen has been a complete mess.  It has gotten so bad that even one of the team's dependable pieces - closer Jonathan Papelbon - has had some poor outings.

So was there any good news this week?

Featured Phillie of the Week: Cliff Lee

It may have taken longer than expected, but Cliff Lee finally earned his first win of the 2012 season.  I'll admit that pitcher wins might be overrated, but it certainly seems ridiculous that Lee only has one win at this point in the season.

I think some sabermetrics experts are understating the disappointment that Lee has been this season.  Maybe his peripherals indicate that he's performing as well as ever, but the results simply haven't been there.  He's blown leads, given up poorly timed home runs, and basically he has not come through when the Phillies needed him most.

As one of the five highest paid players in baseball, you'd expect Lee to be one of the players the team could depend on to help lift them out of their malaise.  You certainly don't want to hear excuses about how the team isn't supporting him well enough, or how he's the victim of bad luck.

When Roy Halladay went on the disabled list, it was clear that they would need to rely heavily on the rest of the team's star pitchers.  But instead of stepping up his game, Lee has seemed to sag under the pressure.  Instead of being one of the players to help step up in his absence, Lee has been part of the problem.

If most of his problems were indeed due to luck, maybe this week's win is a sign that his fortunes are turning around, and we're going to see the type of results that we are used to.

Ghost of Phillies Past: Kyle Abbott

In 1992, the Phillies had another pitcher who had to wait quite awhile before he earned his first victory of the season.

Abbott didn't pitch horribly in the 1992 season.  He often delivered performances that given a little more run support, or a little better defense behind him, might have resulted in a win.  But he did not win.  And neither did the Phillies.

The Phillies lost the first 13 games that Abbott started that season.  The team hoped that a demotion to the minors might help get him turned around.  But those hopes proved unfounded, as he resumed his losing ways upon returning to the majors. 

Finally, on July 18th, Abbott had the breakthrough he was looking for.  It was far from a brilliant performance, as he gave up three runs in 5.2 innings.  But he was finally the recipient of some good luck as the Phillies scored 14 runs.  I can remember an overjoyed Abbott receiving a Gatorade bath after the game.

Unfortunately, the win did not signify a change in his overall fortunes.  After losing two more games, the team dropped him from the rotation.  He didn't fare much better as a reliever, losing yet another game to end the season with a 1-14 record.

Abbott was sent to the minors the following season, and only had a couple of brief major league cameos as a reliever before his career came to an end.

Pennant Year Song of the Week

The Phillies are mired in last place.  The reinforcements have arrived, and sadly they don't seem to have made much of a difference.  This song from 1993 describes their situation perfectly:

Phillies Related Tweet of the Week

From Phils-ville (@phillsville):

Overheard in the press box: "What's Pridie's first name?" Ladies and gentleman, your 2012 Philadelphia Phillies.

Final Analysis

What a difference a year makes.  Last year, the Phillies were dominating the National League en route to an easy division title.  This year, the Phils will have to have a historic second half just to reach the playoffs.

If Cliff Lee truly has turned around his season, then maybe they've got a chance.  If like Abbott, he only earns one victory this season, then they will definitely be sitting out the 2012 playoffs.