2021 Phillies Thread
- Thread starter Tom McAndrew
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Mets teeing off on Wheeler. Up 4-0 heading to the bottom of the first.
Interesting stat I heard on the radio pre-game show. Last season, the Phils were 3-20 in games where they scored 3 or less runs. This season, they've already won 5 games where they scored 3 or less runs. While it was probably a combo of things that effected last season's results, and a combo of things that have effected this season's results, I think this season's bullpen improvement is the primary reason for the increased success in winning low scoring games.
In today’s WaPo: Major league batters are hitting just .232 overall through April, down from .252 two years ago and below the record low of .237 set in the infamous 1968 season that resulted in a lower pitcher’s mound. Strikeouts have averaged 9.06 per team per game, on pace to set a record for the 13th consecutive full season - up from 8.81 two years ago and nearly double the 4.77 in 1979.
Edit: There have been 1,092 more strikeouts than hits, just three years after the first time strikeouts exceeded hits for a full season. I needed to check to see that this wasn’t a typo (1.092?). It’s not a typo.
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Thanks for the info.
Strike outs exceeding hits is a bad trend IMO for the game. Just going back to 2005 for example, there were considerably more hits than Strike outs:
Seasons totals in 2005 for all teams:
Hits -- 43,991
Strike Outs -- 30,644
Maybe a rule change like moving the pitcher's mound back a foot or foot and a half should be considered.
I think the issue is how batters are being instructed to hit. All this bs with launch angles, exit velocity, etc is ruining the game and hitters as they are just swinging on a certain plane. Pitchers can find the holes in the swing plane with good pitch placement. Watching the Phillies they always appear to be late on their swings.
Players in general are bigger. Pitchers are probably on average six inches taller with concomitant longer arms than they were 60 years ago. Back in the day, Don Drysdale was huge at 6'4". Today there are a bunch of guys who are 6'8" and even a 7 footer out there. So when they stride to the plate and release the ball, they're probably one to two feet closer to the plate than they were in the 1950's. That gives the batters less time to react.
Of course, batters have responded by putting on a lot of muscle (one way or another). Added muscle generally leads to bigger swings and less contact hitting.
I've heard talk of moving the mound back.
I remember the 1968 season. There was huge concern that the AL batting champion would have an average under .300. Yaz wound up with a .301 average and the runner up was Danny Cater at .290.
Conversely, in the NL, the top two were singles/contact hitters Pete Rose (.335) and Matty Alou (.332).
Today, no one wants to be Pete Rose or Matty Alou. They all want to be Barry Bonds or Pete Alonso.
Better living through chemistry rules the day. More homers, more strikeouts, but not necessarily better baseball.
Of course, batters have responded by putting on a lot of muscle (one way or another). Added muscle generally leads to bigger swings and less contact hitting.
I've heard talk of moving the mound back.
I remember the 1968 season. There was huge concern that the AL batting champion would have an average under .300. Yaz wound up with a .301 average and the runner up was Danny Cater at .290.
Conversely, in the NL, the top two were singles/contact hitters Pete Rose (.335) and Matty Alou (.332).
Today, no one wants to be Pete Rose or Matty Alou. They all want to be Barry Bonds or Pete Alonso.
Better living through chemistry rules the day. More homers, more strikeouts, but not necessarily better baseball.
damn, I changed to the Sixers game after the Phightins went up 4-2. Appears that only lasted for an inning, as the Mets put up 6 in the top of the 8th to take an 8-4 lead. smh
The Phillies are a bad team. Quinn is hitting .077 as your center fielder. How do you expect to win with that kind of production and Cutch, although he’s had a few timely hits, isn’t that much better at the top of the lineup. So 2 of your 3 outfielders are unproductive. This lineup is not going to scare anyone. It’s not the formula for winning baseball and the last two nights their relief pitching cost them the games as well.
I rewatched the ESPN replay and it looks like the ball hit twice so it had to hit the seat arm and then the rail..
Had the lead. Blew it.
Every stiff out of the pen is good for a few walks, several HBP....then the big bomb. The team is a mirage. If it isn't blowing games tonight it will be tomorrow night.
Look at the years they won. Nobody like that in the pen anymore. They can't win. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Lidge, McGraw, hell I'd take Billy Wagner. Joe Table. Pap. There's nothing here. Nothing. I'd take Gomes.
Every hitter is 2-0 or 3-1. Flirtin with disaster.
Every stiff out of the pen is good for a few walks, several HBP....then the big bomb. The team is a mirage. If it isn't blowing games tonight it will be tomorrow night.
Look at the years they won. Nobody like that in the pen anymore. They can't win. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Lidge, McGraw, hell I'd take Billy Wagner. Joe Table. Pap. There's nothing here. Nothing. I'd take Gomes.
Every hitter is 2-0 or 3-1. Flirtin with disaster.
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Cutch looks well past his prime. He zooed some plays in the outfield that should have been made the last two games. Harper is hurt again. JT has a bad hand. Bohm is good for one bad play per game. Kingery is over the hill at 24. Hoskins is playing well.
This does not look good.
What the heck happened with Hasely?
This does not look good.
What the heck happened with Hasely?
Ball hit the railing. It’s was pretty obvious in the replay and there are still pictures confirming it. Game of inches sometimes
You know, I was never more than a CYO player so that says it all.
So, the Phillies had a GM from Stanford, Reuben Amaro, Jr and followed him with Matt Klentak from Dartmouth. Under their tenure, the organization has prospects such as Quinn, Kingery, Hasely, Knapp? One pitcher, Nola, who is a #3 on a quality pitching staff? Corner infielders who are defensive liabilities and will turn out to be average players at best?
Those GMs have produced no outfielders, no catching, no pitching, and less than average infielders.
The moral of the story is keep Ivy League people as far away from your baseball organization as humanly possible. 🤨
Well it’s another episode of the VV S**tshow tonight. Man he blows! Why is he even on the roster?
his 1st inning was a struggle. But he's up 4-1 through 3 1/2. He's thrown 78 pitches, so I don't expect he'll be around too much longer.
there have been stretches in his career when he was great the first two times through the batting order, and would just implode his third time through the order. In short, he's a never ending puzzle, with a lot of talent, yet he's lacked consistency. I used to think it was mostly mental with him, but I've given up trying to figure him out. The good VV is an asset to the team. The bad VV drives the manager and the fans crazy.
It's never easy with Hector, a 40 pitch 5 out save. So frustrating when he gets up 0-2 and ends up walking the batter.
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