So you’re the general manager of the new Las Vegas Craps team and baseball commissioner Bud Selig comes to you with the offer of all offers.

He says, since the Craps are going to struggle this year offensively with a lineup comprised of over-the-hill veterans and unproven rookies, you get your pick of stealing either the Phillies or the Giants’ starting rotation.

“Sweet mother of all that is holy,” you say to Selig. “Those are the best starting rotations in the game!”

“Yes they are, Craps owner,” Selig says. “But you have to choose one right now.”

So which rotation would you rather have? Let’s take a look at the deets first.

Philadelphia Phillies

Roy Halladay
Age: 33
Salary: $20 million in 2011; $20 million in 2012; $20 million in 2013; $20 million option in 2014.
Career Stats: 169-86, 1,714 Ks, 3.32 ERA, 58 complete games, 19 shutouts
Accolades: Two-time Cy Young winner, two-time wins champion, seven-time All-Star.

Cliff Lee
Age: 32
Salary: $11 million 2011; $21.5 million in 2012; $25 million from 2013-2015.
Career Stats: 102-61, 3.85 ERA, 1,085 Ks
Accolades: Cy Young winner, two-time All-Star, 7-2 postseason record, 2.13 postseason ERA.

Roy Oswalt
Age: 33
Salary: $16 million in 2011; $16 million w/ $2 million buyout in 2012.
Career Stats: 150-83, 3.18 ERA, 1,666 Ks
Accolades: 2005 NLCS MVP, three-time All-Star, 5-1 postseason record, 3.39 postseason ERA.

Cole Hamels
Age: 27
Salary: $9.5 Million in 2011, Free agent in 2012.
Career Stats: 59-44, 3.53 ERA, 887 Ks
Accolades: 2007 All-Star, 2008 NLCS MVP, 2008 World Series MVP, 6-4 postseason record, 3.45 postseason ERA.

Joe Blanton
Age: 30
Salary: $8.5 million in 2011; $8.5 million in 2012.
Career Stats: 70-60, 4.32 ERA, 765 Ks
Accolades: World series champion in 2008.

San Francisco Giants

Tim Lincecum
Age: 26
Salary: Signed a two-year, $23 million contract extension in 2010; arbitration eligible in 2012-2013.
Career Stats: 56-27, 3.04 ERA, 907 Ks.
Accolades: Two-time Cy Young winner, three-time All-Star, led majors in strikeouts in 2008, led NL in strikeouts in 2008, 2009, 2010, World Series champion 2010, 4-1 postseason record, 2.43 postseason ERA.

Matt Cain
Age: 26
Salary: $6.25 million in 2011; 2012 free agent.
Career Stats: 57-62, 3.45 ERA, 906 Ks.
Accolades: 2009 All-Star, 2010 World Series champion, 2-0 postseason record, 0.00 postseason ERA in 21.1 innings.

Madison Bumgarner
Age: 21
Salary: Unavailable
Career Stats: 7-6, 2.90 ERA, 96 Ks.
Accolades: World Series Champion 2010, youngest left-hander ever to pitch eight shutout innings in a World Series game, 5th youngest pitcher ever to start a World Series, fourth youngest pitcher ever to win a World Series.

Jonathan Sanchez
Age: 28
Salary: $4.8 million in 2011; Arbitration Eligible in 2012.
Career Stats: 34-39, 4.26 ERA, 634 Ks.
Accolades: Pitched a no-hitter in 2009, World Series champion in 2010, struck out 11 postseason batters in one game in 2010.

Barry Zito
Age: 32
Salary: $18.5 million in 2011; $19 million in 2012; $20 million in 2013; $18 million in 2014 with club option $7 million buyout.
Career Stats: 142-120, 3.86 ERA, 1,651
Accolades: 2002 AL Cy Young winner, three-time All-Star, will be known for having the least-deserving contract in baseball history…oh, sorry. These were supposed to be positives.

Before we go on, let’s say that the Craps have an average-sized ballpark. It’s neither the Little League stadium the Phillies call home, nor the pitcher-friendly AT&T Park. It’s just average. (If you really need to know the dimensions before you make your decision, then leave now and go pour yourself a beer because you need one.)

Most prospective Crap owners would undoubtedly take the Phillies, and why not? They have four aces in Halladay, Lee, Oswalt and Hamels, as well as a fifth starter in Blanton who helped them win them a World Series in 2008. That group has won a combined 550 games, has struck out a combined 6,117 batters and owns a combined three Cy Young awards and two postseason MVP awards (one NLCS, one World Series).

If you’re looking for the best rotation in baseball, it resides in Philadelphia. No question, period, end of discussion.

But that isn’t the question now, is it? The question is which rotation would you rather have if you were starting a new organization tomorrow (or were the GM of this new organization, or what have you). And in that scenario, the Giants may be able to balance the scales in their favor.

The average age of the Phillies’ starters is 31. The average age for the Giants’ starters is 26.6. That’s a momentous difference to factor into your decision, especially when you consider everyone’s salaries, the fact that the Giants’ starters have already proven that they can win a World Series and given how Lincecum, Bumgarner and Sanchez still have eligibility left on their current deals (thus, are under team control for the time being).

Lincecum, Cain and Sanchez (the rockiest of the three, but still loaded with talent) have just reached their prime, while Bumgarner’s career has only begun. Zito is the trump card, but you could certainly do worse than having a former Cy Young winner as your fifth starter. Halladay and Lee don’t appear to be slowing down, but Oswalt showed some decline last year and who knows if the Phils will be able to keep Hamels and Blanton past this year because of how much money the top 3 are making.

Granted, Zito’s contract would hamstring a young organization like the Craps, but it’s nothing compared to what Halladay, Lee and Oswalt are making over the next four or five years. Eventually, the Phillies will have to make multiple decisions about what to do with their aging roster. They may win a World Series in the meantime (and they better given the expectations, which is another reason to consider the Giants’ starting five), but is it worth the future financial hell that the situation will undoubtedly create?

Maybe it is. For me, I’d take the Giants’ rotation if I were starting an organization tomorrow. I think Lincecum will eventually be talked about as one of the best ever, while Cain is a future Cy Young winner in my eyes and the sky’s the limit for Bumgarner. Again, this group has already won a World Series so they know what winning a championship demands and four out of the five starters are all under the age of 30. Nobody outside of Zito is making ridiculous money, which means I have financial flexibility when it comes to not only re-signing my starters in the future, but putting together a decent lineup as well. I want a bright future, which the Giants’ rotation provides. Lincecum and Cain (who becomes a free agent in 2012) will eventually need new deals, but only Lincecum will command Halladay/Oswalt/Lee-type money to retain.

That said, I wouldn’t bemoan anyone who would choose the Phillies’ starting five given how that’s the best collection of starters we’ll see in a longtime. And if you win one World Series as a GM, that buys you job security for years to come. Just be prepared for what happens next when you have to juggle all of those salaries while trying to fill holes at other positions (like right field for instance).

So I’ll throw the question out again: You’re the GM of the new Las Vegas Craps baseball team and you have the opportunity to steal either the Phillies or Giants’ starting rotation and not have to give anything up in return. Which rotation do you lift?

I’m not a pitching coach and my hectic sports blogging schedule prevents me from ever becoming one, but if I may offer up some advice to the Phillies’ starting staff: Figure out a way – someway – to get Cody Ross out. Because dude is killing you.

Once again, Ross donned a red cape and an “S” on his chest for the Giants, as he singled home Edgar Renteria in the fourth inning to give his club a 1-0 lead. Aubrey Huff followed through with another single off starter Cole Hamels later in the inning and the Giants went on to beat the Phillies 3-0 to take a 2-1 lead in the 2010 NLCS.

Ross, who has to be the most unlikely postseason hero for the Giants (outside of Eugenio Velez – now that would be something), is now hitting .348 in the playoffs, with four home runs, seven RBI, eight hits, three runs scored and three walks. It’s amazing to think that he probably wouldn’t even be playing right now if it weren’t for Jose Guillen’s back injury.

Of course, if not for Matt Cain’s dazzling pitching performance, Ross’ latest heroics may not have mattered.

I’m running out of adjectives to describe the pitching that we’ve seen so far in the NCLS. Cain limited the Phillies to just two hits while pitching seven scoreless innings to pick up the first postseason win of his young career. He threw 119 pitches and while he walked three and hit two batters, he also struck out five and got in and out of jams all afternoon. It was also his first career win against the Phillies, who were shutout in the postseason for the first time since the 1983 World Series.

On the other side, it was a tough day for Chase Utley. Not only did he go o’fer gofer at the plate, but he also got his glove on two hits that led to a pair of Giants’ runs. He came up just short of gloving Huff’s RBI single in the fourth (it would have been a tough play even if had fielded it cleanly) and then Freddy Sanchez’s single took a wicked hop off his glove in the fifth to score Aaron Rowand.

Routine plays, they were not. But I can guarantee you a standout player like Utley will tell you he should have come up with the ball that Sanchez hit, whether it was a bad hop or not.

Now the Phillies have their work cut out for them, as manger Charlie Manuel said following the game that Joe Blanton will start Game 4 – not Roy Halladay. Blanton hasn’t lost since July 21 but he also hasn’t started a game since September 29 (a 7-1 win over the Nationals).

If the Giants can win Game 4, then they’ll be in great shape for the deciding Game 5 with Tim Lincecum on the hill. Granted, Halladay will once again be his opposition, but the Giants have already beaten “Doc” twice this season so apparently they have no idea he’s Roy Halladay.

It won’t be a “must win” for the Phillies on Wednesday night, but it’ll be as close to one as a team can get.

After the club acquired Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays over the offseason, there aren’t too many (if any) media publications that are predicting against the Phillies in the NL East this season.

But with Joe Blanton, J.C. Romero and Brad Lidge set to start the season on the disabled list, should the Phillies be concerned?

Blanton has never been an overpowering pitcher, but he’s been a rock in the middle of the Phillies’ starting rotation since he was acquired from the A’s a couple years ago. He’ll miss anywhere from 3-6 weeks after tweaking his oblique muscle during a recent throwing session and now Kyle Kendrick (who lost out to Jamie Moyer for the club’s fifth starter spot) will take his place.

Romero underwent surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in his elbow last October and isn’t ready to return, although he is progressing faster in his rehab than Lidge. Both pitchers aren’t expected to return until mid April at the earliest.

The Phillies have to be at least a little concerned about the state of their pitching staff, because GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said today that he has maintained contact with Pedro Martinez’s agent. That said, Jarrod Washburn is available and Amaro noted that the Phils have not been in contact with him, so the club clearly isn’t in desperation mode.

The 25-year-old Kendrick won’t strike many batters out, but then again he doesn’t have to in order to be affective. The Phillies have the best offense in the National League and if Kendrick can keep the ball down and get ground ball outs, then he should be able to bridge the gap until Blanton returns. He pitched well through mid-March, before finally giving way to Moyer in the race to the be the club’s fifth starter.

While these injuries are certainly cause for concern, as long as Blanton, Romero and Lidge don’t battle nagging issues throughout the season, then there’s no reason for the Phillies to panic. It’s certainly not ideal timing that all three of these pitchers will be out at the start of the season, but at least it’s early enough in the year that Philly can bounce back if they come out of the gates slow.

Photo from fOTOGLIF
]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/04/01/with-injuries-to-blanton-romero-and-lidge-are-the-phillies-in-trouble/feed/ 0 http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/10/30/blanton-to-start-game-4-for-phillies-%e2%80%93-not-lee/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/10/30/blanton-to-start-game-4-for-phillies-%e2%80%93-not-lee/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:00:25 +0000 Anthony Stalter http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=27870

Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has decided to start Joe Blanton in Game 4 of the World Series instead of ace Cliff Lee on short rest.

What this means is that Lee won’t be available for a possible Game 7 because he’ll pitch Game 5 now. Considering Lee has never started on short rest in his career, Manuel may have had little choice but to pitch Blanton in Game 4.

Blanton started Game 4 against the Tampa Bay Rays in last year’s World Series and combined with four relievers on a five-hitter in a 10-2 Philadelphia win. So he has World Series experience and shouldn’t be fazed by the pressure, although he did allow four runs in six innings against the Dodgers in his only postseason start this season.

It’ll be interesting to see how New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi counters the move. There was talk that CC Sabathia would start Game 4, but Girardi may decide to save his ace to face Lee again in Game 5. Considering several Yankees (including Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez) have had success off Blanton in the past, Girardi might want to save Sabathia in order to go toe to toe with Lee.

The chess game begins…

Any time a team can add a three-time Cy Young winner who has a World Series ring and can still throw 90 mph as a fifth starter, it’s usually a good thing. And when that three-time Cy Young winner only costs the club $1 million, it’s a great thing.

The defending World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies signed Pedro Martinez to a one-year, $1 million contract on Wednesday in hopes he can rekindle some of the magic that has made him an eight-time All-Star over his career. While they did have to immediately place him on the 15-day DL with an shoulder strain, the club thinks that Martinez might be ready to pitch on July 30 when the Phillies open a series in San Francisco.

This was a low-risk, high-reward signing for the Phils. Given Philly’s offensive firepower, Martinez essentially just has to give the club quality outings. They don’t need him to strikeout 10 batters a game or work into the eighth inning every outing, they just need him to stay healthy and keep them in ballgames. And even if he doesn’t stay healthy, then the Phillies would be in no worse shape then they were before they signed him.

If Pedro pitches well and the Phils can hold off the Marlins, Braves and Mets in the NL East, then the Phillies will have a starting postseason rotation of Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ and Martinez, with Jamie Moyer moving to the pen to provide some long relief. That’s not a bad rotation, especially if Happ (6-0, 2.90 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) can continue pitching as well as he has up to this point in the season.

Again, if Martinez’s arm or shoulder craps out again, then the Phillies essentially waste $1 million this year. But if he pitches well, then he was worth the investment – especially considering he wanted $5 million for one season (or so reports claim).

Even though Tampa isn’t used to the weather they’ve seen the past two games, the cold had nothing to do with why they lost 10-2 Sunday night. Philadelphia was just better and Joe Blanton (a castoff in Oakland before he was traded at the deadline) deserves a ton of credit for mixing up his pitches and keeping the Rays’ hitters off balance the entire night. Tampa just has to tip their hats to the Phils tonight for knocking around Andy Sonnanstine, who is a young, developing pitcher who had won each of his previous two postseason starts.

There’s no other way to put it – the Rays are in major trouble. Not only are they down 3-1 in the series, but they also have to face Cole Hamels – who has been nothing short of sensational – on Monday night. Crazier things have happened, but playing at home and with Hamels on the hill, the Phillies seem destined to close this thing out.

Leave it to the well-read Rays manger to come up with such a profound statement. Chances are this saying is nailed up in his teams’ clubhouse alongside others from the likes of Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre. Maddon’s right, and he’s used this pitching-first philosophy to propel his team into the ALCS.

If there’s one quality that ties each of the remaining four teams together, it’s that each of them can hit. They each have at least two big bats, lead-off men that can hit for average, and a bottom of the order that can consistently do some damage. When teams are this evenly matched at the plate, it’s often a single blunder on the part of a pitcher that can decide a game. As we’ve seen in the Division Series between the Angels and Red Sox, it comes down to the pitching. Both teams boasted fabulous rotations and excellent hitting, but it was the Red Sox middle relief and closer that really won the games.

The same will go for both matchups in the Championship Series. The Phillies, Dodgers, Rays, and Red Sox all have three starters who can win games at home and on the road. However, these series are best out of seven games, which creates a dilemma for each of these ball clubs as there isn’t a strong fourth starter to be found. Subsequently, these teams might start their aces after three days rest, or even force them to pitch for a third time if the series extend to seven games. This will be a test of player’s stamina and sound decision-making on management’s part. While managers struggle with whether to start a tired arm or an unpredictable one, a bullpen becomes even more valuable. They can come to the rescue (Matsuzaka in the ALDS), consistently put the lid on a victory (Papelbon and Lidge all year), or sometimes pitch the majority of the game after a starter bombs (Wade, Park, Kuo, and Saito of the Dodgers).

These games are going to be decided in the late innings, and this factor alone will make watching them gratifying. Here’s the breakdown:

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies

At their healthiest, the Dodgers have a better pitching staff than the Phillies. If set-up man Hong-Chi Kuo and closer Takashi Saito hadn’t injured themselves at the end of the season, this series would undoubtedly favor the Dodgers. As a result, they need their starters to go as long as possible. If Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley, and Hiroki Kuroda can each go seven innings in all of their starts, I think the Dodgers can rely on their bullpen to pull through. Chan Ho Park and Cory Wade are both capable of maintaining a lead. The problem lies in the intimidating left-handed Phillies hitting. The Dodgers only have three southpaws on their roster: starter Clayton Kershaw, reliever Joe Beimel, and the aforementioned Kuo. Word is that the left-handed Kuo has been comfortable in recent simulated sessions. The Dodgers have said that Kuo might pitch an inning per game. A successful eighth inning with Kuo in relief opens the door with recent go-to closer Jonathan Broxton. Of course, this is idealistic. Yet, the fact remains that the Phillies cannot match this formula. It’s true that Brad Lidge outshines any of the Dodgers relief, but he’s only as good as the lead he’s protecting. The Dodgers dominated the opposition’s starting pitching better than any other team in the Division Series. They pounded Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano, and Rich Harden of the Cubs, a rotation far more intimidating than the Phillies’. During the regular season, the clubs were evenly matched, with each sweeping the other at home and splitting their decisions. What’s important now is how late into the game their starters can pitch before handing it off to their relief.

The Dodgers have a couple advantages over the Phillies. The first lies in Derek Lowe. He’s thrown “Cy Young” quality pitching for the past two months and has more playoff experience than the Phillies starters combined. The Dodgers can pressure Lowe into pitching Games 1, 4, and if need be, 7. With a two or three run cushion, Lowe can hold steady into the eighth inning, even on three days rest. Given the Dodgers recent activity at the plate, they should be able to support their ace. If Lowe isn’t given the reins in Game 4, the Dodgers could either go with Clayton Kershaw or Greg Maddux. Both can outduel Joe Blanton of the Phillies. Kershaw, the likely choice, has pitched capably against Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard who have struggled against left-handed pitching.

Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays

The two best teams in the American League advanced. This statement is obvious as both the Red Sox and the Rays made due with critical injuries that severely altered their team’s chemistry. Josh Beckett’s recent injury was visibly apparent in Game 3 against the Angels, as he gave up three runs on eight hits in five innings. Still, Jon Lester, the strongest pitcher in the postseason, led the Red Sox to a Game 4 clincher. The Rays will likely be without veteran closer Troy Percival, who had a magnificent first half. With Percival gone, they’ve moved Dan Wheeler into his spot. Wheeler blew five out of 18 chances during the regular season. Even without a strong closer, the Rays offense produced a large enough lead for their starters to secure wins against the White Sox.

Tampa Bay enters this series with the third best team ERA in baseball. Though they finished 10-8 against the Red Sox, both teams were swept twice at home. James Shields, Scott Kazmir, Andy Sonnanstine, and Matt Garza are a very good rotation, and they’ve proven they can hold a lead when given it. Nevertheless, Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Tim Wakefield stack up better pound for pound—when they’re injury-free. And they’re not. The Rays need to win all their games against an ailing Josh Beckett and a struggling Tim Wakefield. Also, it’s essential to build a lead substantial enough to render Papelbon useless. If Shields, Kazmir, or Garza can outpitch either Lester or Matsuzaka in at least one decision, the Rays have a very good chance.

For Boston, Papelbon is just as key now as he’s ever been. Of the teams that remain, no other closer is as valuable. While the Rays have a fairly talented set-up in Grant Balfour, J.P. Howell, and David Price, Dan Wheeler doesn’t bring the sense of security that comes with Papelbon. If he’s on the mound, the Red Sox are going to win—there’s just no way around it. To advance to the World Series, the Rays need to get to Lester or Matsuzaka in one of their starts. It’s difficult, but not impossible.

Any way you slice it, this year’s World Series is going to be entertaining. Each of these teams carry their own unique story. Whether it’s Manny and Torre in L.A., Charlie and the Phillies, the Red Sox domination, or the endearing Rays, whoever wins will be a deserving champion.