Jamie Moyer collected his 249th win on April 26th, 2009 against the Marlins. It would take him more than a month and 6 more starts to become the 44th pitcher (and 11th lefty) in MLB history to reach 250.

On May 31st, en route to a three-game sweep of the hapless Nationals, Moyer would pitch 6 full innings, giving up 3 hits and an earned run (on a Willingham solo shot, his first of 2) while striking out 4, improving his season record to 4-5 while whittling his ERA down to a svelte 6.75.

What made this all the more exciting was the unforgettable post-game quote from the Undisputed King of Soundbites himself:

“It’s not about the personal things, I’m more excited about us winning,” Moyer said. “I really haven’t thought about [winning 250]. It takes so much effort to prepare and play. I was taught to play the game as a team, not as an individual. When you play 20-some years, some of these things can happen.”

This game was loaded with all sorts of unlikeliness: Moyer went 6 strong innings and won, Chris Coste hit a home run, Pedro Feliz collected an RBI (on a very likely fielder’s choice), Ryan Howard tripled and Brad Lidge pitched a scoreless 9th.

Even though I stopped buying tickets to Moyer’s starts after the May 25th loss to the Marlins, I’m glad he did win it at home, because of my favorite things in the world is fan-made stadium cellphone videos on YouTube, complete with disembodied attempts to sound like Harry Kalas:

May 31st Recap | ESPN.com

Look, people — I know it takes some getting used to when a guy just all of a sudden springs something on you like, “Hey, you’ve been spelling my name wrong. Would you mind spelling it Domonic — with an “o” — from now on?” I mean, I remember back in ‘91 when Akeem Olajuwon told everyone he wanted to be known as Hakeem and it took me until about ‘97 to get it right, but he was already an established player. This is Domonic’s first bit of national exposure with the major league club. The spelling of his name should not be an issue. But then, on myphl17’s coverage of the Phillies/Twins game on Saturday, this happened:

GRRRRRRRR

In unrelated news that doesn’t anger me, I’d just like to publicly congratulate the fellas over at The 700 Level on their new partnership deal with Comcast SportsNet. When I was a wee blogger with zero internet connections on a startup baseball website, the people who helped me out the most — BY FAR — were Enrico and Matt P. They are stand up gentlemen who run an incredible website, and I wish them nothing but the best.

Not only is this move well deserved, but it’s long overdue.

So congrats Enrico, Matt P, Kulp, and Andrew. I’m looking forward to the next time I see you so you can buy me a bunch of beers with your new Comcast money. SHOTS ON ENRICO!

Look at this abomination of a t-shirt please:

Dear Lord, where to begin?

First off, that’s the same Chase Utley picture that we use in The Fightins banner at the top of the site (meaning, it’s old), the singular usage of “cheesesteak” is utterly fascinating, Chase Utley isn’t even a Philadelphia export (we got him from Cali), and I don’t know what the fuck they’re so excited about using that exclamation point. Seriously, I’d be offended if those bootleggers outside CBP tried to sell that garbage to me for $5, but Modell’s? They should be ashamed of themselves.

(I want it soooo bad.)

I have four sisters, and I love each and every one of them. That being said, Becca is my favorite today. She’s down in Clearwater this weekend to get an early Phillies fix. I asked her if she could get me a box of Turkey Hill ice cream autographed by Carlos Ruiz, but she did me one better – a copy of Wheeler’s View from the Booth: Four Decades with the Phillies, personally signed by the man himself along with this ringing endorsement:

Tug

The Fightins is a great site. Good job. Thanks for being a Phillies fan.

Best Wishes

Chris Wheeler

3/13/2010

So thanks again Beck, and thank you, Muffins, for being such a good sport. Keep on rockin’ around the COCK.

No, not that Eaton. You might remember hearing the uproar about Romero hitting some guy outside of Tropicana Field after a game last year. The guy claimed Romero punched him in the neck after he heckled Romero about his steroid suspension. Basically the guy is a dick and now wants to get paid for being a douche so he is suing Romero:

Robert Eaton, 26, of New Port Richey, has filed a lawsuit in Pinellas County, claiming that Romero caused him serious and permanent injury on June 25, 2009, according to a report in the St. Petersburg Times.

Romero denied these accusation when they first arose and probably will continue to do so. I think we all remember the shocking 911 call recording that was recovered by us here at The Fightins. Eaton is seeking $15,000 in damages and, from the realm of shit you don’t care about, he recently failed to become a firefighter because he couldn’t pass a physical.

Romero being sued for alleged altercation l The Phillies Zone

The lovely Nicole Brewer (journalist for CBS3 and Miss Pennsylvania 2005) was kind enough to invite me to a Skype chat over the intranets last week for a little interview about this here website and what type of thing one could expect if they came here.

If you click on Nicole’s picture up top there, you’ll be whisked away to the video page on CBS3’s website where you can watch our two-and-a-half minute convo, OR you can click on the first link below the text for the written portion of our Q&A, OR do both. Preferably both.

Thank you.

Behind The Blog: TheFightins.com | CBS3.com
VIDEO: meech.one and Nicole Brewer talk Phillies | CBS3.com

I’m sure everybody here know Danny Bonaduce, star of hit shows such as The Partridge Family and Breaking Bonaduce, and host of his own morning radio show right here in Philadelphia on 94.1 WYSP.  Well then, I’m sure you’re also aware of his anger issues and penchant for beating people up for even the most trivial of reasons.  It is because of those reasons that I will now present to you without comment pictures of Danny throwing out the first pitch of the Phillies/Tigers game this afternoon at Bright House Field.

And remember Danny, I didn’t take these pictures. David Swanson of Philly.com did:

The Phils and Fish played the first game of their 2009 series on April 24th of that year, with the Marlins sitting in first in the NL East, 4 games ahead of the 3rd place Phillies. I don’t know about you, but even 16 games into the season, I thought this first series would set an important tone for the rest of their head-to-head season. And I was…wrong. The series ended tied 9-9. But in terms of the Phils’ overall season, the 9^th inning of the first game proved to be a big wake up call.

After a 3-run homer by Dan Uggla in the top of the first against Ed Wade loverboy Brett Myers (a play in which current Brian Bocock loverboy Ross Gload scored on), there was 8 innings of pitching dominance and boringness from young Marlins ace Josh Johnson. But Brett and the bullpen kept the team in it, not giving up any more runs.

Matt Lindstrom jogged in for what should have been an easy save with the way the Phillies were playing, but there was a weird vibe as the team realized Matt Lindstrom was pitching. But the last chance for the Phils started depressingly enough, with The Big Piece grounding out to the aforementioned Dan Uggla (not to overload here, but another loverboy)  at second. But Jayson Werth (circa BB 2009) hit a one-out double to center, followed by a RAUUUUUUL walk. First-half sensation Matt Stairs got the scoring going with a single to right, scoring Werth and making it a 3-1 game. Lou Marson then walked to load the bases for… Eric Bruntlett to strikeout on 3 pitches!

But Bruntlett doing his thing actually helped the team, as Marlins skipper Fredi Gonzalez was confused into thinking Matt Lindstrom was still effective. This allowed Jimmy Rollins to walk, forcing in RAUUUUL to make it 3-2. And as everybody in the stadium but Fredi knew, Matt Lindstrom was in Broxton-like “this guy’s going to lose this game” mode. So of course, Shane Victorino came through with a pond-clearer to right that put the Fightins up 6-3, and to add insult to injury and destroy Lindstrom’s ERA even more, Chase Utley went backsies with Shane down the right field line to end the scoring, 7-3. Gonzalez gained some sense, put in Reynel Pinto, and, after allowing Howard and Werth on base, got RAUUUUL to strike out swinging. Ryan Madson got the save.

The Phillies went on to win 8 out of 10 (albeit with a 2-game losing streak consisting of the Nationals and Mets to split 4 game winning streaks), and Shane was relieved he didn’t have to get hit in the ribs to get the run in.

“I said, ‘OK, let me not get hit in my ribs, but somewhere else,’” Victorino said. “I’m just trying to get a hit, walk, whatever.”

Good times, Shane. Good times.

When the confetti from the World Series parade was collected and the streets were cleared, the Phillies knew they had very little work to do. After all, the championship team that brought the first title to Philadelphia in over two decades was largely intact heading into 2009. There were two notable exceptions, however, as Pat Burrell and Jamie Moyer were both heading towards free agency.

Burrell, among the longest tenured Phillies on the roster, was likely out the door from day one. His ride atop the Clydesdale-drawn wagon was to be his last moment as a member of the Phillies, and it wasn’t long after that newly crowned General Manger Ruben Amaro, Jr. signed veteran Raul Ibanez to a three-year deal, severing Burrell’s ties with the club.

Moyer, despite his advanced age at 46 years, wasn’t a sure-bet to follow Pat out of town. Although he was the oldest player in the majors in 2008, he was effective and among the best pitchers in the Phillies rotation, so it was not a huge surprise when he was re-signed for the 2009 season. What was surprising, however, was the length of the contract, which ensured Moyer would remain in red pinstripes until the end of the 2010 season. While Moyer put up a solid 2008 season and the fact that he is a feel good story of a local kid, it didn’t necessitate the a two-year deal. After all, the man is in his mid-40s, and sooner or later, the hitters catch up.

Sooner appeared to be in 2009, when Moyer finished the season with an ERA just under 5.00 and a seat in the bullpen by September before an injury ended his season. And now, after multiple surgeries, Moyer is back on the mound. And like two years ago, the question is: What do the Phillies do with Jamie Moyer? And because of that two-year deal, there is only one option: He has to pitch.

But where? Do they put him in the rotation and hope that he matches up against the Florida Marlins or Washington Nationals every fifth day? Or do they stick him in the bullpen and hope he can serve as a lefty specialist and long man until J.C. Romero is back?

I hate to ruin the mystery, but it’s the first one. Barring an injury or an exceptional run by Kyle Kendrick, Jamie Moyer will be starting the fifth game of the season for the Phillies in 2010. Despite his struggles in 2009 and the early spring success of Kendrick, Moyer has more or less “earned” the position, at least by baseball standards, due to his age, pedigree, and paycheck.

Even though most of us will agree with The Daily News’ Paul Hagen’s assessment that “Sports…is a strict meritocracy…Whoever pitches best wins the job,” that’s not how things tend to work out. Even in light of Kendrick’s new approach and tutelage under Roy Halladay, the spot is still Moyer’s to lose.

Unfair? Perhaps. Kendrick has shown a lot of promise and improvement in his appearances in the spring, and despite my mantra of “it doesn’t matter,” there is a lot to be said about the kid. He has yet to allow a run or a walk this spring, and his secondary pitches have vastly improved from two years ago.

Ultimately, the direction that the team takes on April 5^th should not be considered the final say in the matter. Just last year, the Phillies were faced with a similar situation in which the veteran Chan Ho Park was vying for a starting rotation spot with the rookie J.A. Happ. Although they both pitched very well in the spring, Park earned the rotation spot in April, but relinquished it by May when he and Happ flip-flopped positions. The result? Park went on to be one of the best relievers on the team, while Happ finished second in N.L. Rookie of the Year voting after posting a 12-4 record to go along with a 2.93 ERA.

Here’s my take: Like Hagen, it is my opinion that the fifth spot should be determined by who pitches the best, and not other outside influences like tenure or salary. It’s quite possible that Moyer could return to form, but the opposite is just as likely. That being said, Moyer deserve a fair shake at the spot, just the same as Kendrick or anyone else.

UPDATE: Now, here is why this is important:

Originally, this article was about examining the usage and effective of the “number five” starter. My brief research led me to the fact that a number five starter is usually a high ERA guy whose primary duty is to not be awful, and barring injury, he won’t see any starts in October, so they are nearly irrelevant, at least in the grand scheme of things.

However, the Phillies do have a few question marks in the rotation this season. Namely, Cole Hamels and J.A. Happ. It’s rather obvious that Hamels has to bounce back from a disastrous and uncharacteristic 2009, and while all indications this spring are pointing in that direction, none of us will know until the games count.

And although it is blasphemy to suggest that Happ, who was arguably the best pitcher in the rotation last year not named Cliff Lee, would be a question mark, we’ve all seen the advanced metrics that point out the apparent root of his success. Namely, that luck played a bigger part than skill. Now, this isn’t meant to turn into a debate against the virtues of Sabermetrics, but for now, the stats speak for themselves. If anything, Baseball Logic 101 tells us that while Happ had an extraordinary year in 2009, his first full season as a starter, it isn’t prudent to think that he would repeat such success. That is not to say that he won’t, but consider Kendrick’s first season in 2007 (10-4, 3.87 ERA) compared to 2008 (11-9, 5.49). Ignoring his record (which you should, anyway), Kendrick was a much worse pitcher in his second season, which is not uncommon with young pitchers because opposing teams have had more looks at them.  There are exceptions to the rule (Tim Lincecum), but the second full season in the rotation can often summon the sophomore slump monster that can make or break a young pitcher. Is Kendrick really a fair comparison for Happ? Probably not, but it is worth noting that they are in similar situations.

The reason that I bring Hamels and Happ into the discussion is because they are both fixtures in the 2010 rotation, and if they can produce at reasonable levels, then there is no reason why the Phillies shouldn’t be on their way to their fourth straight N.L. East title. However, should Hamels struggle or Happ regress, then the need for a solid fifth starter becomes greater. Despite my earlier assertion that the guy at the end of the rotation is basically a punching bag, you can never have too much pitching depth. And while the debate between Moyer and Kendrick may appear to be a superfluous one, it can have far reaching implications.

What say you, Fightins Dot Com readers? Who starts the season as the fifth starter? More importantly, who finishes it?

The day was April 19th and Chan Ho Park was on the mound. The game was going like most of Park’s other starts, him pitching relatively crappy, and the Phillies so far after five innings couldn’t muster any offense. So as Adrian Gonzalez hits his fifth homer of the year off Park and balloons his ERA to 8.68 things were not looking good. Park would be done after five innings, four earned runs, and dreams of  Happ being the 5th starter dancing in Phillies fan’s heads. Instead, it would be Happ entering the game to try to limit the damage Park had done so far. Happ went the next three innings surrendering only three hits and allowing no runs, followed by Condrey pitching a scoreless ninth to keep our Fightins in the game.

Up to this point in the sixth inning Josh Geer, a relative unknown at this point and maybe still now, was shutting the Phils down but the Phils would now show some signs of life. It all started with an errant throw that allowed the former beard Eric Bruntlett to reach second base which Utley promptly followed with a homer to right field. Fast forward to the 8th inning. With Geer out of the game the Phils would strike for another run off of a lead off homer by Jimmy. The game was now 4-3 setting up a chance for magic in the bottom of the 9th.

Fat ass closer Heath Bell was not available today because he had pitched the previous four days and needed rest, which led to Edwin Moreno coming in to try to finish this one off. Howard would lead off the inning with his 3rd hit of the day, a flare to center field that excited Wheels with its flareness. This of course brought Raul to the plate. Now Raul was still settling in as a Phillie, but he had given us a couple other reasons as to why he might become a fan favorite ’round these parts. Such as the two run homer in the ring ceremony game come back. So after working the count 2-0 in his favor, and sticking the end of his bat in his crotch once,  Raul launched a high breaking ball into the right field stands for a Phillies victory.

I mark this as the day that “RAUUUUUUUUUUL” was born.

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