PhillyFrontrunner

My Comment on a Mets Blog

2008-12-11T16:08:00.002-05:00

This a comment I left on mets.lohudblogs.com: Met Fans were not happy about it, I however was delighted in their venom:

Well, well, well. You stinkin Mets fans are pumping your chest hard after signing K- Rod and Putz. Well, let me a Phillies fan remind you that your starting rotation after Santana is garbage. Your bullpen still sucks before the 8th inning. Jose Reyes s still a Jack-ass who will always talk as big as Rollins, but will never be able to hold his jock strap. Delgado will not produce the midseason numbers he did last year, and Beltran will come up small for your club once again. Go ahead and trade your prospects for Marquis, he will just be another piece of litter in the trash heap that you call New York. Come September, you will again be looking up at the Phillies in the standings, as we will be on top once again. But rumor has it, David Wright prefers his men to be on top.

Keep Cying

2008-12-10T22:35:00.003-05:00

Well, the New York Metropolitan's have signed K-Rod, baseballs save leader and record breaker, from the Angels. Mets fans, calm down. Yes, K-Rod is undoubtedly the best closer on the market, and perhaps the American League. However, the Phillies have the best closer in all of baseball. K-Rod had 7 blown saves last year. Lidge had zero. Also, consider this, most of your blown saves last year came in the 7th and 8th innings last season. Unless you expect K-Rod to pitch three innings per outing, he is pretty ineffective. Sure, he'll get his saves, and the Mets will get their wins. The bullpen is still terrible and unless Minuya does something, you will once again be looking up at Phillies in the standings, crying for a third straight September. David Wright jerks tears. Better have your Kleenex ready.

2008-12-10T18:06:00.002-05:00

Again, been a while since i have posted anything, there will be more to come in the coming week. This is a video from the Birds- Cards game on Thanksgiving Day. It was awesome and I can thank the Philligerant Phrontrunner for the tickets. The birds won big that day and won the following week over the Giants, placing them in a good spot to get into the playoffs. Go Birds!

2008-11-18T15:38:00.007-05:00

Well, It's been a few weeks since I've posted anything to the blog. The Semester is in the closing weeks at school and I have been pretty busy, however, keep checking as there will be a sporadic post and or video to hold you over. Also, for more up to date stuff, check out my friend Rich's blog, Philligerent Phrontrunner.

Frontrunner Jay

Frontrunner Jay and Rich go to the NLCS

2008-11-11T17:53:00.003-05:00

Today in Philly Sports

2008-11-03T22:04:00.003-05:00

Sixers -125
Kings - 91

- The Sixers seem to be finding thier chemistry with thier shiny new toy Elton Brand. In all eight players hit double figures in points as the Sixers absolutley smacked the Kings 125-91. Thadeus Young led all scorers with 18 points and "Sweet" Lou Williams followed up with 17. Elton Brand finished with 15 points as the Sixers finished the game shooting 59% from the field and 76% from behind the arc.

How Do They Do it Again? The Infield

2008-11-03T21:21:00.004-05:00

Well, the positions for the infield are pretty much a lock. Chase Utley is signed through 2013 and Jimmy Rollins through 2011. Ryan Howard is arbitration eligible again this year and will probably fetch somewhere in the 13-15 mil range. Third base will once again be anchored by a platoon of Pedro Feliz and Gregg Dobbs. All is well in these regards.

Catcher is a little trickier. Carlos Ruiz will undoubtedly be the everyday starter in the 2009 season. After having an outstanding post season, "Chooch" has more than earned that role. Furthermore, Ruiz seems to call a good game and defensively, he may well be one of the tops in the league. With Lidge making his money throwing a nasty slider that often finds the dirt, Ruiz is a valuable commodity in late inning situations. The trickiness comes on the depth chart.

The 33 year old rookie, Chris Coste, is getting another year older, and one has to wonder if all of the years spent jumping around the minor leagues has taken a serious toll on him. Kept on the team as a consistent bat in the line-up, his offensive numbers were down this year and his defense leaves very little to be desired. Coste has certainly earned another year in pinstripes, but I can not imagine using him for anything more than another bat coming off of the bench. With Dobbs and Stairs batting from the left side, Coste gives them a nice right handed option for Charlie Manuel to bat against lefties. There are two X-factors, Lou Marson and Jason Jaramillo.

Lou Marson seems to be ready to make the 25 man roster come spring, and Jason Jaramillo appears to be only a year or two away himself. Marson is also a right handed hitter who shows he may have a little pop in his swing. He loses points for lack of experience, but as a back up, that's not a terrible thing. He is too good to keep in the minors and a little big league experience would do the youngster good. Also, if Ruiz has the ability to call a well pitched game, Marson needs to be there to learn that skill for himself. This presents a problem for Coste. Coste has no upside. He is in the twilight of his career and has made the most of the opportunity given to him. He deserves to make the roster come spring but there may be no more room for him. I doubt Coste would accept a minor league assignment again and there may not be any teams willing to take a shot at a career minor leaguer. This could spell the end of the catchers inspiring career. It is a shame. Coste, as he says is taylor made for this city, and the city certainly loves him back. But business is business and the Phillies have to give the rookie a shot. Jason Jaramillo on the other hand is pretty far from making the major league roster and could be a nice cog in any trades the Phillies decide to make over the off season. It should be a nice battle for the back up catcher position this upcoming spring training.

Prediction:

As much as I am pulling for him, I don't think Coste has what it takes to regain the back up position on the roster. Unfortunately, the Phillies will move forward and go with Lou Marson. If Coste does make the team, he will not finish the season with them. With his major league service time piling up, the Phillies just will not want to keep moving in this direction. Although not a sure bet, I do not believe the Phils will keep Coste on strictly as a pinch hitter. If Coste does make the roster, it's only because Marson's inexperience shows it's face too often in spring training. Also, do not look for the Phillies to make any moves for the other infield positions. With Eric" The other guy in the Lidge trade" Brunlett and Tadahito "don't call me So" Iguchi on the bench, the Phillies are more than stacked in the infield barring serious injury to the big three. One more thing, although he is still arbitration eligible, don't be surprised if the Phillies try and sign Howard to a long term deal. On the other side of that coin, don't let it surprise you if Howard turns down an offer and opts to go back to arbitration. If this is the case, it may be a sign of things to come when Howard becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Today in Philly Sports

2008-11-02T22:43:00.002-05:00

Today in sports:
Oilers -5
Flyers -4
-The Flyers netted 3 power play goals but it wasn't enough as Edmonton topped the Flyers 5-4. Jeff Carter, Braydon Coburn, and Mike Knuble all scored on the man advantage.

Eagles -26
Seahawks -7
- Donovan McNabb exploded for 349 yards and two touches as the Birds roll the Hawks 26-7. It was a rough first quarter for Donovan who threw a pick in the enzone. Donovan rebounded nicely and the Eagles eventually prevailed. Notable in this game, Todd Heremanns was introduced as the eligible tackle and caught his first of the season. Also, Kevin Curtis and Brent Celek had monster games.

Phillies Win The Series: How Do They Do it Again? A Look at the Outfield

2008-11-02T22:19:00.001-05:00

Well, the baseball season has officially ended with the Phils standing on top of the world. According to phillies.com, the Reuben Amaro Jr. era will begin at 10a.m. tomorrow. Amaro has been with the organization since his childhood, and believe me, he has never seen the out pouring of support he sees right now. Concievably the Phillies could get a pass for the next decade. Hey, they could finish in last place next season and people will probably be willing to forgive. So with the winter meetings and free agency looming, how do they maintain thier status as the "Beast of the East?" Remember, no Philadelphia team has achieved repeat titles since the 1974-77 Flyers. Let's take a look at Reuben Amaro's options and try to piece together the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies.

It's no secret that LF Pat Burrell will be defending his title in another city next season. According to reports, Pat the Bat stands to receive in the vicinity of 3yrs, 45 mil in free agency. Although a beloved Phillie, those who watch him everyday realize that he isn't worth the steep price tag. According to Paul Hagen, Burrell has already rejected a Phils offer of 2yrs, 22mil. In my opinion, 2 years sounds about right, though I would have offered 12 or 13mil. The Phillies ultimately will not pay Burrells asking price. Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth are arbitration eligible and will be mainstays in the line-up. The Phils also have Jenkins, Stairs, and rookie Golson, but none of these players are starting quality. With names like Rocco Baldelli, Carl Craford, and Manny Ramirez on the market, the Phils have an opportunity to make quite a splash. Matt Holiday may also be on the trading block and with a decent farm system, they may have trade options. Golson is a promising minor leaguer and may be a great bench option, but he is not an everyday player, and won't be for another two years. The Phillies are gaining 14mil a year if Burrell walks, so a big name free agent is not out of the question. More realistically, look for a mid level veteran to be on the roster next year, but don't be surprised if a big name dons pinstripes next spring.

Prediction: The Phillies may try and sign Holiday. Manny Ramirez will be way too expensive. Baldelli is an idea, but there may be worry about his ability to play an entire season. Crawford is another name, but the Rays will use some of their newly generated revenue to re-sign him. They may also re-sign Baldelli. Also, keep an eye on names like Scott Podsednik and Adam Dunn. Podsednik's asking price may not be as steep as Burrells while Dunn will make a substantial amount of money, but will surpass Burrell's power numbers.

Hello to All

2008-11-01T10:46:00.000-04:00

Well, as this my first blog post, I feel as if i should explain why it is I am posting a blog. I absolutley bleed for Philadelphia sports, and now, we are CHAMPIONS!!!! I am 27 years old and have waited for this my entire life. I will keep this first post short and sweet. I ask you to bear with me as I am trying to figure out the formatting of this page. I will be writing about anything Philly sports, political commentary, current event commentary, and perspective of life. So I hope you enjoy. Thank you.