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.

Week 12: Jimmy Rollins and Steve Jeltz

The past week was almost a positive one for the Phillies.  Things started off well enough when they won the first two games against the Rockies.  But then they lost the series finale in a familiar fashion: A decent outing by the starter, but the offense struggles to score, and the opponent adds some late runs against the bullpen to put the game away.

After Jim Thome's walkoff homer secured a win against the Rays on Saturday, they failed to capitalize on the momentum, and suffered a very disappointing sweep on Sunday's doubleheader.  Setup man Antonio Bastardo blew the game in the opener, and Cliff Lee gave another subpar performance in the second game.

So despite the potential for a big week, the Phillies had to settle for a 3-3 record.  Considering their position in the standings, they're going to have to do much better than that if they want to contend.

On the positive side, one of their stalwarts does appear to be heating up after a season-long slump.

Featured Phillie of the Week: Jimmy Rollins

When Rollins re-signed with the Phillies in the offseason, most people praised the deal.  The Phillies were able to retain one of their franchise's all-time greats for a reasonable price.

While Rollins wasn't the same offensive player he had once been, he was still an excellent defender at shortstop, and still more than capable of doing some damage with the bat.

Heading into the 2012 season, the team hoped that with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard injured, Rollins would be able to help compensate for their absence.  He started off hitting third in the lineup, but after beginning the season in a deep slump, he was moved to his more familiar leadoff spot.

He didn't fare much better at leadoff, and the usual complaints that people have voiced about his offense over the years - mostly his lack of plate discipline - resurfaced.  Rollins was pointed to as a major reason why the Phillies were doing even worse than expected in the absence of Howard and Utley.

Recently, Rollins has shown signs of improvement.  In the past week, he hit .391 and hit home runs in three straight games.

There's no question that when Rollins is hot, the Phillies offense looks a lot better.  If his recent hot hitting is indicative of how the remainder of the season will go, then the Phillies might have a very dangerous offense soon.

Ghost of Phillies Past: Steve Jeltz

The Phillies once believed that Steve Jeltz would hit well enough to be a regular starter at shortstop.  They were wrong.

To his credit, Jeltz was a strong defender.  And in the 1980s, shortstop was generally thought of as a position where teams emphasized defense.  If they received any offense out of the position, it was considered to be a bonus.

But even according to those lower standards, Jeltz was a poor hitter.  He didn't hit for average, and he didn't have much (any?) power.  He was a switch hitter, but that just meant that he hit poorly from both sides of the plate.

He bottomed out with a .182 average in 1988, prompting the team to replace him as the starter with Dickie Thon.

Oddly enough, the move to a backup position somehow inspired a modest offensive surge from Jeltz.  Despite having one career home run entering the 1989 season, in one memorable contest against the Pirates, Jeltz somehow homered from both sides of the plate.

The power surge was not enough to convince the Phillies to keep him for another season.  Somewhat miraculously, they actually got a decent prospect from the Kansas City Royals in exchange.

Jeltz did have one positive going for him: He rocked one of the best jheri curls ever seen in the game of baseball.

Pennant Year Song of the Week

The Rays weren't satisifed winning just one game on Sunday.  They topped off their emotional victory in the early game by taking it right back to the Phillies in the late game.

And so this week's song comes from 1980.  It is Do That to Me One More Time by Captain and Tannille:

Phillies Related Tweet of the Week

From Phils-ville (@Phillsvilleblog):

Juan Pierre has a home run before Cliff Lee has a win. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2012 Phillies!

Final Analysis

The Phillies have come to expect more offense from Rollins than what they've received this season.  They are not in a position where they can have a good fielder who can't contribute much with the bat.

If they are to make any sort of move, they have to hope that the past week was representative of what they can expect for the rest of the season.  Otherwise, the team will likely continue to have some trouble scoring runs.

Week 11: Jim Thome and Mike Easler

Have the Phillies hit rock bottom?

This weekend's series against the Blue Jays might have been the worst series for the Phillies in quite some time. 

In Friday's game, the opposing starter had to leave with an injury in the first inning.  Naturally, the Phillies took full advantage, by accumulating only five hits in the shutout loss.

On Saturday, the team once again provided Cliff Lee with a three run lead.  And once again, the opponent came back to tie the game.  It certainly wasn't all Lee's fault.  Jimmy Rollins committed an error, and Chad Qualls did what he does best: Allow inherited runners to score.

After blowing the lead, the team found itself in a familiar position: An extra inning game on the road.  The result was also familiar: Their opponent celebrated a walkoff victory.

In Sunday's game, starter Kyle Kendrick never really gave the team a chance to win.  But when Kyle Kendrick is the team's hope for avoiding a sweep, something has gone dreadfully wrong.

We can only hope that the Phillies have hit bottom.  Because while I've given up hope of this team contending in 2012, it would be nice if they could avoid embarrassing themselves.

Featured Phillie of the Week: Jim Thome

Thome was last week's featured Phillie, but considering how he's continued to hit well, (along with the lack of better options) he seemed like the best choice.

Thome continued to assault the Phillies' American League opponents.  He hit three homers this week, including his 100th in a Phillies uniform.

That made him the fourth player in major league history to hit 100 with three different teams.  That's a testament to his greatness and longevity.

It also shows just how well-liked Thome is.  After homering against the Twins, their fans gave him a hearty round of applause.

Ghost of Phillies Past: Mike Easler

In 1987, the team brought in another accomplished, but past-his-prime slugger. 

While Mike Easler was far from a future Hall of Famer, the "Hit Man" had been a feared hitter throughout his career.  He had twice hit over 20 home runs in a season, and was named to the 1981 All-Star team.

The Phillies thought that he might be able to help them in a part-time role.  At the very least, they figured his power bat would be a good addition to their bench.

Unfortunately, by 1987, Easler didn't have much left.  He struggled with the limited playing time, and only hit one home run.  The team quickly traded him to the Yankees so that he might play more often as a designated hitter.

Awesomely Obscure Song of the Week

This week, I'm bringing you another great, yet largely unheralded song: Spanked by Van Halen:

The song was on the band's For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge album, and has largely gone unnoticed in favor of more popular hits like Poundcake and Right Now.

Perhaps if Crystal Pepsi had used Spanked as the center of their marketing campaign, both the song and the beverage would be remembered more fondly today.  But probably not.

Regardless, this is one of my favorite songs from my favorite Van Halen album.

Final Analysis

Thome's two week outburst has been a pleasant surprise, but now that the games in the American League parks are done, will he still be able to help the team? 

So far, he has not done well as a pinch hitter, and he doesn't appear to be able to play first base without his body breaking down.

He has said he has some ideas about how to stay sharp during games in case he is called upon as a pinch hitter, but it is far from a certainty that he will be any more successful in that role going forward.

Sadly, much like Easler, there is a good chance that Thome will soon be traded to an American League team where he could serve as a designated hitter.

Week Ten: Jim Thome and Eric Valent

When I started this blog, my goal was to illustrate how good the current era of Phillies baseball is in comparison to the franchise's mostly horrific past.

But what do you do when the present turns out to be much worse than you had expected?

While it was clear from the beginning that the 2012 season wasn't going to go as smoothly as 2011's "Season of No Angst" I certainly didn't forsee the team falling apart.  Coming off of a 102 win season, there was no reason to expect the team to look so bad.

While the Phillies are far from eliminated, I think I've lost hope for them.  The team, as currently constructed, just does not look like a playoff team.

Is there anything about the current Phillies roster that should make me believe otherwise?

While they still have two ace pitchers in the rotation, neither has been performing at a top level over the past few weeks.  Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee have both been victimized by poor defense and poor run support, but they also haven't gone out and delivered the type of dominating gems that we saw so often in 2011.

Maybe those guys are feeling too much pressure, especially without Roy Halladay.  But if the team has a strength, it is the top of the rotation.  Those two have to perform accordingly, and start lifting the team rather than getting dragged down by it.

Aside from the aces, the rotation has one mediocre starter (Joe Blanton), one fringe starter (Kyle Kendrick), and one wild card who is working his way back from an injury. (Vance Worley)  While they all would be nice complements to a rotation headlined by three aces, none of them are the type of pitcher who will help carry a team to the playoffs.

Of course, the struggles of the rotation are nothing compared to what we've seen from the bullpen.  The relief corps currently consists of Jonathan Papelbon, Antonio Bastardo, and a whole lot of hopes and prayers.  Aside from the closer and setup man, they don't have any pitchers who can be brought into a tough situation and expect success.

The lineup is full of supporting players who look like they're either pressing too hard...or aren't that good to begin with.  Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino are great guys to have in a lineup, if they're your third and fourth best hitters.  They certainly don't seem to be capable of carrying the offense.

Even Carlos Ruiz, who had been the team's best hitter so far in 2012 seems to be coming back down to Earth lately.

And the bench would look pretty good...if most of the guys they had projected for reserve roles weren't being used in every day roles.

With the returns of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Roy Halladay still weeks away, the team might be too buried in the standings by the time they rejoin the team.  And that's assuming that they can come back and play anywhere near their old levels.

So yeah, there's not much reason to hope.

While the past week was mostly horrific, there was one positive that emerged: One player who many (including myself) thought was finished experienced a bit of a resurgence.

Featured Phillie of the Week: Jim Thome

In the past, Jim Thome has struggled when used as a pinch hitter.  The general rule was that if he wasn't getting regular at bats or playing time, he would struggle.

The Phillies hoped that he might be able to change that this year.  They also hoped that he might be able to play a game or two at first base each week.

Neither of those happened.  Thome's back didn't hold up well enough to play first, and he's looked awful in his pinch hitting appearances.

But in this weekend's series against the Orioles, he got to serve as the designated hitter, and he looked rejuvenated.

On Friday, his three hits helped fuel a nine-run outburst by the Phillies offense.  He followed that up with his first homer of the season on Saturday, as well as a late game-tying RBI.  On Sunday, he added another RBI double.

With more interleague play coming up, Thome should have plenty more opportunities to continue his hot hitting.

Ghost of Phillies Past: Eric Valent

After the Phillies drafted and were unable to sign J.D. Drew in the 1997 amateur draft, they were awarded a compensation pick in the 1998 draft.  They used the pick to select UCLA outfielder Eric Valent.

Valent steadily rose through the Phillies minor league system.  In 2001, with the team in need of a designated hitter in American League parks, the team called up Valent to serve in the role.

Valent failed to make much of an impression.  In 41 at bats throughout the 2001 season, he batted a measly .098 with no home runs.

In 2002, he made another cameo appearance on the Phillies roster, and once again, he was unimpressive.  By the middle of the 2003 season, the team gave up on him and traded him to the Reds.

He eventually rejoined the major leagues as a member of the Mets, and actually hit for the cycle in one game.  Despite that brief flash of ability, Valent's career never amounted to much, and he soon retired and began a career in coaching.

Pennant Year Song of the Week

The Phillies keep slipping further behind the pace in the National League East.  And to reflect that position, this week's song comes from 1993.  It is Deeper and Deeper by Madonna.

In theory, Madonna has produced a lot of hit songs since the 80's.  But I could probably only name one of two of them.  I'll give her credit for somehow managing to stay relevant as a musician.

Random Phillies Tweet of the Week

From Matt Gelb (@magelb):

Right now, Phillies are worst situational hitting team in at least 64 years. This will blow your mind: http://bit.ly/JX82PB

Final Analysis

This was a bad week for the Phillies.  They're falling further and further behind in the standings, and the rallying cry of "Wait for Howard and Utley" is starting to ring hollow.

Even the resurgence of Thome doesn't provide much hope.  Even with him hitting well, the team still lost two out of three in Baltimore.  And he won't have too many more opportunities to serve as the designated hitter going forward.

Unless something changes dramatically, 2012 is looking more and more like a lost season.

Week Nine: Ty Wigginton and Randy Ready

In the first week since Roy Halladay was lost to injury, the Phillies' starting pitchers have been somewhat inconsistent.  Cliff Lee is still winless, Joe Blanton's struggles continued, and even Cole Hamels had a subpar week.

Unlike last season, it has become clear that the team can't simply depend on their starting pitcher throwing a gem each and every night.

If this team is going to return to the playoffs, they are going to need more contributions from the offense than they have gotten so far.

It remains to be seen if that is going to happen, especially with the continued uncertain status of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.  But one hitter did have a solid week, and he is this week's featured Phillie.

Featured Phillie of the Week: Ty Wigginton

In the series against the Mets, Wigginton got a chance to face one of his former teams.  And he came through in a big way.

In Monday's game, the versatile Wigginton went 3-3 with 6 RBIs to carry the team to victory.  He had another big game on Wednesday with his home run powering the Phillies to victory.

In a perfect world, Wigginton would be serving the role that the Phillies had envisioned for him when the signed him: A utility player who can fill in at multiple positions and provide a dangerous bat off the bench.  But due to injuries and the ineffectiveness of others, Wigginton has essentially become a regular for the Phillies.

If he continues in this semi-regular role, delivering more big weeks like this one will be crucial for the Phillies' postseason chances.

Ghost of Phillies Past: Randy Ready

In June of 1989, the Phillies decided to break up their struggling team.  In three separate transactions, they acquired players like John Kruk, Terry Mulholland, and Lenny Dykstra.

In the Kruk trade, the Phillies also acquired a player who would have a much less prolific major league career: Randy Ready.

Ready was considered a utility player in that he could play multiple positions.  The problem was, he couldn't play any of them especially well.

He made appearances at second base, third base, and the outfield.  And he played poorly at all of them.  While he was a decent enough hitter, the Phillies soon realized that his contributions with the bat weren't enough to overcome his shakiness in the field.

Ready eventually settled in to the role he was best suited for: Utility bench player.  When left in that role, he was an asset.  But if he was given too much time in the field...that usually didn't  turn out so well.

Pennant Year Song of the Week

Without Roy Halladay, the team is missing a player who might be considered the team's heart and soul.  In that spirit, this week's song is from 2009.  It is Heartless by Kanye West:

This is from the album 808s and Heartbreaks in which Kanye inexplicably thought he could sing well.

Even more inexplicable was the way critics applauded this effort.  I was a big fan of Kanye's rap albums, and I absolutely hated this album.  But for some reason, the mainstream media acted like this was a masterpiece.

Naturally, the album was a huge seller, which means we'll probably get more of this from him in the future.

I'm just happy that on his next album - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - he went back to his specialty and started rapping again.

Random Phillies Image Found on the Web

I assume that this image was in reference to the 2009 controversy where the Phillies were supposedly stealing opponents' signs.

You know, considering how the Phillies offense has declined since that controversy, maybe they had a point?

Final Analysis

Much like Randy Ready, Ty Wigginton would probably be better served as a bench player who might get a couple of starts each week. 

But until the team regains full health, Wigginton is going to be counted on as a regular.  The team just has to hope that he gives them more weeks like this one.

Week Eight: Roy Halladay and Ken Howell

The week was going rather well for the Phillies.  After taking the first three games against the defending World Series champions, they had Roy Halladay set to face the Cardinals in the series finale on Sunday.

In the past couple of seasons, sending Halladay out to complete a sweep was about as sure a thing as there was in baseball.

But instead of ending the week with a happy feeling, Phillies fans were left with a feeling of despair.  The Phillies lost the game thanks in part to a first inning grand slam surrendered by Halladay.  But the truly bad part was that Halladay left the game in the second inning due to shoulder soreness.

 

Featured Phillie of the Week: Roy Halladay

There were rumors during Spring Training that there might have been something wrong with Halladay.  He was struggling a bit in the exhibition games, and his velocity was decreased slightly from last season.

Halladay and the Phillies both maintained that he was fine, and when he pitched eight shutout innings on Opening Day, all of the concerns seemed unfounded.  He continued to pitch well throughout April.  He suffered some losses, but those were due more to lack of support rather than any great failing on Halladay's part.

But since the beginning of May, Halladay has not looked quite the same.  In his start on May 2nd against the Braves, he blew a six-run lead, an event that most Phillies fans would have thought was impossible.

Over his next several starts, something seemed a bit off.  Halladay certainly wasn't pitching poorly, and given a little bit more run support, he probably would have won most of the games.  But this also wasn't the dominating Roy Halladay that Phillies fans had come to expect.

Phillies fans don't expect Roy Halladay to need a lot of run support.  If the team can only score two runs behind him, then he only gives up one.  That's how it has worked for most of his Phillies tenure.

When he faced the Nationals and gave up five runs in six innings, the level of concern rose.  The velocity on Halladay's pitches was still down from previous seasons.  Could Halladay be suffering from an undisclosed injury?

When he had to leave Sunday's game after two innings, Halladay confirmed that there were indeed physical issues behind his (relatively) poor performance.  Apparently he has been suffering from a sore shoulder.  It isn't clear how long that his shoulder has been bothering him, or how much it has affected him.

What is clear is that if Halladay is going to miss much time, or if the injury will prevent him from pitching like the Roy Halladay of the past two seasons, then the Phillies may be in trouble.

 

Ghost of Phillies Past: Ken Howell

In the 1989 season, the Phillies took a chance on quite a few reclamation projects, such as their Opening Day starter Floyd Youmans.  While Youmans might have been a failure, they had much better luck with another starting pitcher.

Ken Howell had been a decent prospect for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the mid-80s.  He had talent, but his mental approach wasn't where it needed to be.  When faced with adversity, he reacted by just trying to throw the ball past hitters. 

When an arm injury forced him back to the minors, Howell used the time to actually learn how to pitch.  His improved mental approach paid dividends for the 1989 Phillies.

Howell became the leader of the Phillies pitching staff, winning 12 games with a 3.44 ERA.  His success continued into the early part of the 1990 season, when his progress was halted by injury issues.

Unfortunately, the injuries never went away.  It felt like every season, the Phillies would be counting on Howell to come back and lead the staff, only to have him hit a snag in his rehab.  As a result, Howell was never able to return to the majors.

I doubt Howell's presence would have made those early 90's Phillies teams into contenders.  But not having the guy they counted on as their ace certainly didn't help.

 

Pennant Year Song of the Week

The Phillies are designed to win with elite starting pitching.  Unfortunately, without Roy Halladay, the rotation is missing its most important piece.

Therefore, this week's song is Biggest Part of Me by Ambrosia.

Random Phillies Tweet of the Week

 

From Base'Ball (@BASEBAAL_GOD):

I am preparing to judge your Roy Halladay and am accepting burnt offerings. The aroma pleases me.

Final Analysis

Ken Howell was a good pitcher.  But with or without him, those Phillies teams likely weren't going anywhere.

On the other hand, Roy Halladay is on the short list of the best pitchers in baseball.  If he has to miss a significant amount of time, the 2012 Phillies might be in real trouble.



Week Seven: Jonathan Papelbon and Heathcliff Slocumb

Despite two weekend losses to the Red Sox, the Phillies have looked better this past week than at any other point in the 2012 season.  They won six straight games, and have played more like the winning team that we've come to expect over the past few years.

Despite the strong week, injuries continue to create an aura of uncertainty around the team.  There have been inconsistent reports about the health of injured stars Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, and when the team expects them back in the lineup. 

Adding to the injury woes is the news that pitcher Vance Worley has bone spurs in his elbow and was placed on the disabled list.

But throughout all of the uncertainty, one thing that the Phillies have not had to worry about thus far has been the closer role.  Thus far in 2012, if the team has had a lead entering the ninth inning, they have come away with a victory.

Therefore, this week's featured Phillie will be the team's closer.

Featured Phillie of the Week: Jonathan Papelbon

I'll admit that I was skeptical when the team signed Jonathan Papelbon to a four year deal that would pay him over 50 million dollars.  That is a lot of money to pay any pitcher, especially a reliever.  Relief pitchers are generally not known for their consistency from season to season. 

I was also a big fan of the team's former closer Ryan Madson, and was unhappy that they didn't bring him back.  As it turns out, the Phillies might have dodged a bullet there.  After signing a one-year deal with the Reds, Madson suffered an arm injury in Spring Training, and will miss the entire season.

While it is still early in his Phillies tenure, so far Papelbon has lived up to expectations.  Despite performing poorly in a couple of outings where he didn't have a lead, (which is not all that unusual for a closer) so far he has been perfect in save situations.

The series against the Red Sox was a big one for Papelbon.  Facing his former team, you know he would have loved the opportunity to have closed out all three games in the series.  Unfortunately, the Phillies were only able to present him with one save opportunity.  And like all the other save opportunities he has faced this year, Papelbon closed it out successfully.

Despite his perfection in save situations, there has been a feeling that Papelbon has been under-utilized this season.  There have been multiple extra inning losses in which Papelbon wasn't used, despite the situation calling for the Phillies' best reliever. 

Manager Charlie Manuel doesn't believe in using his closer unless his team is leading and the other team is in their final inning.  Personally, I feel that a manager needs to identify the "key" situation in the game, and use his best reliever then.  Conforming to the "closer pitches the final inning" rule is too limiting.

Ghost of Phillies Past: Heathcliff Slocumb

The Phillies closer role has been a mixed bag over the years.  They've had absolute perfection, (Brad Lidge in 2008) as well as absolute disaster (Lidge in 2009).  And in 1995, they had the inconsistency of Heath "Heathcliff" Slocumb.

Acquired in 1994 (in exchange for the team's current General Manager Ruben Amaro) Slocumb served as an effective setup man for ancient closer Doug Jones.

When Jones became a free agent after the 1994 season, the Phillies - as was their custom in that time - went with the much cheaper option and promoted Slocumb to the closer role.

In the first half of the 1995 season, the Phillies were a first place team, and many a Phillies victory was capped off by a Slocumb save.  His performance was so good that he was even named to the All-Star team.

However, in the second half of the season, both Slocumb and the Phillies fell on hard times.  The Phillies didn't have many leads to preserve, and when Slocumb was presented with a rare save opportunity, he tended to blow it.

At the season's end, the Phillies once again decided that the younger, cheaper setup man would make a perfectly good closer, so they traded away Slocumb and made Ricky Bottalico their closer.

Slocumb went on to have uneven success in the American League, eventually having one of the worst seasons for a reliever ever for the 1997 Mariners.

Pennant Year Song of the Week

Since the Phillies finally worked their way back to a winning record, for this week's song, I went with The Spinners' 1980 hit Working My Way Back to You:

The Spinners' version is a cover of the song originally performed by the Four Seasons in 1966.

Random Phillies Tweet of the Week

Instead of finding a random Phillies related image, this week, I'll look through Twitter and find a Phillies related tweet.

This week's tweet is from Delaware County Times beat reporter Ryan Lawrence (@ryanlawrence21):

Current tally, extra-base hits: Freddy Galvis, 15. Albert Pujols, 11.

Final Analysis

If the 2012 Phillies are going to reach the postseason, they'll need Papelbon to continue to excel in the 9th inning.  If he has a second half collapse similar to the one suffered by Slocumb in 1995, they not only will likely fall short of the postseason, but they will be hampered by his immense contract for years to come.