As pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater, Florida, the Phillies are looking to make a little club history.
If the 2010 season goes according to plan, the Phils can win their fourth straight Eastern Division title for the first time ever, and three-peat the National League Pennant, for the first time, as well.
The last time the Phillies won three straight division titles took place in 1976, 1977 and 1978. None of those teams made it to the World Series, however. That would have to wait until the breakthrough year in 1980.
From a pitching standpoint, Ruben Amaro Jr. has made a few moves to shore up the pitching staff by trading Cliff Lee and acquiring the coveted Roy Halladay.
The right-handed ace, Halladay, will join Cole Hamels (lefty), J.A. Happ (righty), and Joe Blanton (righty), in the rotation. Candidates for the fifth starter position are: Jamie Moyer (lefty), Kyle Kendrick (righty) and Antonio Bastardo (lefty). Don't count out Pedro Martinez, however. The Phils are still considering bringing back Pedro in case of injury, etc.
Of the expected seven bullpen positions, six spots are pretty much filled. (The only exceptions would be through injury or if Brad Lidge or J. C. Romero are not ready for the start of the season.) Those six are: Ryan Madson, Danys Baez, Chad durbin, Jose Contreras, Lidge and Romero.
Contreras was signed Jan. 28 to sure up the pen. The right-hander signed a $1.5 million deal. He was 6-13 with a 4.92 era in 28 games last year combined while pitching for the White Sox and the Rockies.
Most notable, was the the fact that he was 1-0 with a 1.59 era with the Rockies in two starts, with 17 strikeouts in 17.0 innings. He also made two postseason starts last year vs. the Phils.
Contreras was signed by the Yankees as a free agent in 2003, and in 2005, he was 15-7 with a 3.61 era with the White Sox.
The 33-year-old, right-handed throwing, Baez, signed a two-year deal with the Phillies.
Filling the last spot in the pen, that's where it gets interesting!
Six other hurlers are in the mix for the final spot. They are: Scott Mathieson, Sergio Escalona, Drew Naylor, Drew Carpenter, Mike Zakurski, and Eric Gagne.
Mathieson and Gagne, while both longshots, are also both quite intruiging.
Both hurlers are trying to comeback from Tommy John surgery.
Gagne is 34, and was deemed, at one time, to be one of the best closers in baseball. He saved 55 games for the Dodgers in 2003.
Mathieson, on the other hand, will turn 29 years old on Feb. 27. He was one of the Phillies top pitching prospects, but has had three elbow surgeries in three years. He started in the Phils' farm system in 2006. Although he was not given a contract last year, he has been invited to Spring Training in 2010, and reports are that he looks good, and he has been throwing in the 92 mph range.
Gagne was given a look by the Phillies and the Colorado Rockies in January, but as of right now, he is still unsigned. The former closer stated that he would be willing to accept a minor league contract.
So, as those of us up here in the Northeast prepare for a few more weeks of snow and winter weather, we can only hope that Punxatawny Phil saw another World Series appearance for the Fightin' Phils, in addition to his shadow! - Tom Schalata
While Phillies write checks to players, Jamie Moyer banks on fans to do same for Haiti
The Philadelphia Phillies spent the best part of the day, Thursday, writing out checks, and inking Shane Victorino and Joe Blanton to new deals, securing them in the team's future, at least for the next couple of years.
Victorino, the fleet-footed, Golden Glove center fielder, is reportedly locked up for three years at $22 million, while Blanton, the 29-year-old bulldog of the pitching staff, also signed a three-year deal, said to be worth $24 million.
Both players were major contributors for the Phillies' back-to-back National League Pennants in '08 and '09. Victorino hit .292 with 62 RBIs and 25 SBs last season, while Blanton, a right hander, was 16-8 with a 4.09 ERA, since joining the team in '08. He has averaged close to 200 innings a year over the last three seasons.
Blanton, a Kentucky native, gave an interview on Sirius/XM's Major League Home Plate Thursday, and reiterated how happy he was to be in Phillies pinstripes, after being traded from the Oakland Athletics roughly a year-and-a-half ago.
Meanwhile, 47-year-old left hander, Jamie Moyer, was also a guest on Major League Home Plate on Friday, and his main concern, in addition to getting ready for the 2010 season, was to raise $50,000 to help those in need in Haiti through his Moyer Foundation.
The Moyer Foundation (www.MoyerFoundation.org), founded by the Phillies' pitcher, Jamie Moyer and his wife, Karen, announced that the organization will match up to $50,000 in donations through their “Helping Hearts Campaign” that was created to support emergency relief efforts specifically targeted to helping child victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti.
In a statement released by the non-profit organization, Moyer noted, "We are all human beings with compassion, and we need to end the suffering."
MLBs winningest active pitcher and Co-founder of The Moyer Foundation, continued, saying, “As an athlete, I hope that my fans, Phillies fans, Moyer Foundation fans and anyone who supports our mission will team up with us on this effort to help children in Haiti.”
The Moyer Foundation was established 10 years ago to help children in distress, and its mission statement further notes that the organization's purpose is to offer encouragement, comfort and support to children enduring a time of profound emotional, physical or financial distress.
In the meantime, the ageless veteran prepares for another baseball season, with 258 victories under his belt, and he can only guess whether his career will take him to age 50.
Jamie Moyer apparently, is up for the challenge. For the sake of the children in earthquake-ravaged Haiti, he hopes that Phillies fans are, too! - Tom Schalata
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