ATLANTA -- Ryan Howard made a rather interesting observation after yesterday's sweep-clinching victory over the Braves at Turner Field."I think our best ball is still ahead of us," he said.
Really?
OK, the Phillies have won four straight games and 15 of their last 19. They're in first place in the NL East, 3-1/2 games ahead of the Marlins, 6-1/2 ahead of the Braves and 7-1/2 ahead of the swooning Mets. They're a season-high 13 games over .500 at 39-29, and they haven't had a better record through 65 games since 1993 when they went 45-20 en route to the World Series. They're averaging 5.29 runs per game, second-most in the NL behind the Cubs (5.50), and they're allowing 4.12 runs per game, third-fewest in the NL behind the Braves (3.97) and Cubs (4.08).
So, yeah, I'd say they're playing pretty well right now.
Maybe Howard meant that his best ball is still ahead of him, and of that, there's no dispute.
Charlie Manuel likes to say that the sweltering summertime weather is "hitting season" for Howard, and the numbers back that claim. Howard is a .280 career hitter, but after June 1, his average rises to .298. In April and May, he bats only .241. That dichotomy has been on display this season. Howard endured a dreadful six-week slump to start the season. He was batting .163 on May 7 and .183 as recently as May 20. But his three doubles and four RBIs yesterday hoisted his average to .214, the highest it has been since April 5. And over the past 18 games, he's quietly batting .290 (20-for-69) with 24 RBIs.
Can you imagine how much better the Phillies can be if The Big Man gets as hot as the weather?
The rest of the NL trembles at the very thought.
***
Adam Eaton pitched OK yesterday, and with the Phillies' offense behind him, OK usually gets the job done. But the Phils don't sweep the Braves without Chad Durbin pitching a scoreless seventh and eighth. Durbin told me yesterday that he's finally becoming familiar with being a reliever.
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Here's how the 1993 Phillies compare to the 2008 Phillies through 65 games. Just something for you to chew on while we travel today from Atlanta to Miami:
1993
Record: 45-20
NL East standings: First place, 8-1/2-game lead over St. Louis
Team batting average: .267
On base-plus-slugging: .785
Runs scored: 357
Home runs: 71
Team ERA: 3.37
Runs allowed: 255
Opposing batting average: .236
2008
Record: 39-26
NL East standings: First place, 3-1/2-game lead over Florida
Team batting average: .263
On base-plus-slugging: .795
Runs scored: 344
Home runs: 93
Team ERA: 3.84
Runs allowed: 268
Opponents' batting average: .258
So, through 65 games, which team is better?
6 comments:
I appreciate the comparisons to '93 but it just doesn't work. '93 was so special - it really wasn't about the numbers. It was about a team that stunk the year before and the years after but had one great year with a group of misfits. It was a special year. As much as I think Chase Utley is the best Phillie this side of Mike Schmidt, the '93 team was the last of the old school teams.
There is the potential that we could be as good as the '93 team but we're not there yet. If I remember correctly the 93 started off on fire and then cruised to the NL East title. I think this year's team will have to fight all the way through to win the NL East. I'm still concerned about our starting pitching and we need another (Good) lefty in the bullpen. Lets spend some of those prospects in the minors to make it happen.
It would be nice to see him heat up, which I think he is, and then sustain it. Also nice to see a few doubles thrown in between the the homers and the strikeouts. If he can figure out how to become a more balanced hitter in that regard, look out. The other guys need to stay relatively hot too, but i think there is plety of pop in this lineup to sustain his slump and other injuries.
What a good weekend. Sweeping one division rival and having the other swept.
I think if they can play each month at 5-6-7 games over .500, theyll be in great shape to take the division. I think.............
And another thing, are you hearing any rumors around the clubhouse on a trade for Bedard? I hate rumors just as much as the next guy, but I cant tell if this one has any weight or not. Taking into account Gillick's Seattle ties, it might hold water.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/mariners/story/384295.html
According to Mr. McGrath the Phillies have a deep and talented group of minor leaguers and he didn't even mention the guy I thought was the Phillies top prospect, Carlos Carasco.
I'd love to get Mr. Lauber's opinion on not only the possibility of a trade, but also his thoughts on the players Mr. McGrath mentioned: Adrian Cardenas, Jason Donald, Michael Taylor, Dominic Brown. He's calling them farm system gems, why?
Paul W.: At the winter meetings, I raised the idea of trading for Bedard (when he was still with the Orioles) to a high-ranking front-office member who, for obvious reasons, shall remain nameless. His response went something like this: "To get Bedard, we'd have to trade our entire farm system, and, even then, we wouldn't have enough."
I can't see how the situation has changed.
The Mariners are having a terrible season, but they certainly aren't going to trade Bedard for nothing. And while the Phillies' farm system is getting deeper, there still aren't any major-league-ready prospects that usually are required to get a deal like this done. The Tigers, for example, couldn't have gotten Miguel Cabrera without giving up Andrew Miller. There's no Andrew Miller in the Phillies' farm system. If the Mariners want Class A prospects, guys like Adrian Cardenas and Michael Taylor and Dominic Brown and Joe Savery and Drew Naylor, who won't be ready for the majors until 2010, then, yeah, I think a deal could be discussed. But I'd have to think the Mariners would be looking for major-league-ready players if they have any interest in trading Bedard, which I don't believe they do.
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