Welcome New Guys

The Phils traded for a catcher from Florida on Tuesday, but it wasn't the coveted JT Realmuto. They acquired Tampa catcher Wilson Ramos for a player to be named later. Reports say the player won't be any of Philadelphia's top 30 prospects.

If this is the case, this is a great deal for a rental who becomes a free agent at season's end. Ramos is hitting .297 with 14 home runs and an .834 OPS and is an upgrade both offensively and defensively from Jorge Alfaro. The only downside is that Ramos is recovering from a hamstring injury and won't be available right away.

What remains to be seen is the fate of backup catcher Andrew Knapp. I can't see the Phils carrying 3 catchers when Ramos is healthy, so Knapp probably gets sent down and returns in September when the rosters expand.

Ramos missed the All-Star game because of the injury and has been on the 10-day disabled list since July 15. He'll probably return to action in a week or so.

The Phils also got left-handed reliever Aaron Loup from the Blue Jays for minor leaguer Jacob Waguespack. Loup has a 4.54 ERA in 35.2 innings this season. He's walked 13 and struck out 42 and has a WHIP of 1.598. Loup will probably be the designated LOOGY–left-handed one out guy.

To clear roster space, the Phils have designated infielder Trevor Plouffe and reliever Zac Curtis for assignment.

Be Bold and Get this Guy

If the Phillies really want to make an impact at today's trading deadline, they really need to "Be Bold." And I can't think of anything bolder than offering the Miami Marlins a huge package for All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto.

Realmuto is hitting .309 with an .887 OPS. The 27-year-old has 13 homers and 52 RBIs. And he'd be a huge defensive upgrade over both Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp. I don't care how amazing Alfaro's arm is–he doesn't block enough pitches in the dirt and leads the league with 8 passed balls. Knapp has 5 passed balls to his credit.

I'd offer the Marlins a package including Alfaro, minor league outfielder Adam Haseley (team's 4th-ranked prospect), and minor league pitcher Adonis Medina (3rd on prospect list). I'd even add top pitching prospect Sixto Sanchez to the deal instead of Medina to get it done.

The Marlins don't need to trade Realmuto–he can't become a free agent until after the 2020 season. That's why the Phils need to make the Marlins an offer they can't refuse.

No Moral Victories

Aaron Nola pitched one of his best games of the season against the Red Sox last night, but it wasn't enough as the Phils fell to Boston 2-1 in 13 innings to extend their losing streak to 4 games. Their lead in the National League East is down to 1/2 game.

Nola allowed 1 run on 6 hits over 8 innings against the best offense in baseball. He walked 1 hitter and threw 105 pitches, 73 for strikes.

Speaking of offense, it was nonexistent again for the Phils. They managed 10 hits (2 doubles, 8 singles) in 13 innings and scored just 1 run. Since hitting 7 homers against the Reds on Thursday night, the Phillies have scored a total of 7 runs.

When the offense is scuffling, mistakes are magnified. And they had a doozy of a mistake in the third inning. With Rhys Hoskins on third and Odubel Herrera on first, Carlos Santana hit a ground ball to third. Hoskins, who was running on contact, froze between home and third when Eduardo Nunez charged at him. Nunez threw home to catcher Sandy Leon, who chased Hoskins back to third. The thing is, Herrera was running full steam and was nearing third base when Leon threw back to the bag. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts tagged out Herrera and chased Hoskins toward home. Bogaerts threw it back to Nunez who was waiting to tag Hoskins out. It was not pretty.

Jake Arrieta will try to end the losing streak tonight. Scheduled Red Sox starter Drew Pomerantz has lost 3 of his last 4 starts and hasn't pitched past the fifth inning.

Something Stinks Around Here

The Phillies acquired Asdrubal Cabrera from the New York Mets on Friday. The Phillies have not won since Friday. Coincidence? I think not. The stink from the putrid New York Mets has obviously been transported to the Phillies along with their new infielder. 

Cabrera started today and Saturday, and has yet to reach base. I'm sure this 3-game losing streak isn't his fault. He seems like a nice enough person. But it's a case of guilt by association. The stank that is the New York Mets is hard to shake. And having that stank firmly in place when headed to Boston to play the best team in baseball is not a good thing.

The Phillies need to pull Cabrera aside and distract him. Then they need to burn EVERY SINGLE THING he brought with him from New York–bats, gloves, cleats, batting gloves, sunglasses, whatever. Get him all new equipment. A whole new wardrobe as well. New watches and necklaces if need be. Nothing, and I mean nothing, that was associated with the god-awful, evil, pathetic, icky New York Mets can be a part of this organization. 

I'm serious. Destroy everything he owns. Call an exorcist. Call Jobu. Call somebody, anybody who can help. Do something to get rid of the stank. Do it now before things get worse. The baseball gods must be appeased. 

Hunting for Relief

When the Phillies signed Tommy Hunter over the winter, they envisioned a veteran shutdown reliever. I mean, that's not too much to ask when you give a guy $18 million over 2 years.

Hunter, 32, had ERAs below 3.00 in his last 2 seasons with the Orioles and Rays. His career ERA is 4.15 with a WHIP of 1.256.

It hasn't gone as planned. After starting the season on the disabled list, Hunter has allowed runs in 14 of his 41 appearances, including last night, when he took the loss against the Reds. Hunter has allowed 2 runs 6 times this season. For the season, Hunter's WHIP is 1.391, his highest since 2012, and his ERA sits at 4.66, again his highest since 2012. The opposition is hitting is hitting .293 against him with a .795 OPS.

He's actually pitching better this month than in June. In June, he appeared in 13 games with a 5.25 ERA. In July, he's been in 12 games with a 3.86 ERA. He's not being overused; he seldom appears in back-to-back games. He's only pitched 36.2 innings this season.

It's time to use him in lower-pressure situations and hope his confidence returns. Because in the middle of a pennant race, you can't afford to get these kinds of results.

Farewell to Arms

With two big names now off the trading block, will the Phillies do anything to supplement their pitching staff before Tuesday's trade deadline?

A pair of ex-Phillies were dealt on Thursday, both of whom had been linked as trade possibilities. The Rangers traded 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels to the Cubs for prospects, and JA Happ was traded by the Blue Jays to the Yankees.

Aaron Nola has been excellent. Jake Arrieta has been good. Zach Eflin has been a revelation, while Vince Velasquez has showed promise. That leaves tonight's starter, Nick Pivetta, who has had a rough go of it in his last 8 appearances. He's 2-3 in those starts going back to June 13, and he's allowed 45 hits in 34.2 innings while compiling a 6.49 ERA. In those starts, opponents are hitting .308 with an OPS of .897 with 8 home runs. One bright spot is that he has struck out 46 in those appearances.

Pivetta's future in the rotation probably hinges on how he does tonight against the Reds. There are options in the minors, including last night's starter, Ranger Suarez, who won his MLB debut, along with Ben Lively, Enyel De Los Santos, and Cole Irvin. One big league name to keep an eye on is Tampa starter Chris Archer. Archer is 3-4 with a 4.30 ERA for the Rays, with a WHIP of 1.378, a career high. Pivetta's WHIP for the year is 1.328, but Archer has allowed 10 homers compared to Pivetta's 14. Another thing to consider is that Archer competes in the AL East, home of the Yankees and Red Sox, which could be responsible for some of those inflated numbers.

Archer is also under contract through the end of 2021 and he's owed $24 million over that time. That's a pretty reasonable deal, and the Phils would probably have to give up a couple of decent prospects and maybe someone like Pivetta or Lively.

One reliever the Phils could target is Rangers closer Keone Kela, who has stuck out 43 in 35 innings to go along with a 3.28 ERA and 23 saves. Kela's four-seam fastball is in the high 90s and has touched 100 this year, while his curve and changeup come in around 85 mph. But if the Phils decide to go to the farm, there's always Yacksel Rios or (gulp) Hector Neris. 

Little-Known Facts with Cliff Clavin, Vol. 1

Just stumbled across something on Baseball-Reference.com that I found to be kind of interesting. BR is the place to go when you're searching for anything from the mundane to the sublime.

Anyway, the Phillies have the highest number of successful challenges in MLB when contesting umpires' calls. The Phils have been correct in 19 of 27 challenges this season, good for a 70 percent rating. That percentage is tied for third in MLB, behind the Royals (75 percent) and Yankees (73) and tied with the Giants. The Cardinals have challenged the most (34) but have only been successful 41 percent of the time. The Orioles have only challenged 13 calls all season and have been successful just 3 times.

You have to give credit to manager Gabe Kapler and his coaching staff for this and the team's overall success. We hoped the Phils would somehow manage to win 80 games this season. The fact that the Phillies hold a 1-game lead in the National League East on July 23 is absolutely astounding. And Kapler, even with all the heat he took in the season's first week, deserves to be National League Manager of the Year. He's done a great job with the team with the youngest offense in baseball and the second-youngest pitching staff.

The Phils have 55 wins and are 12 games over .500. Last year's team didn't win its 55th game until Sept. 12. Absolutely astounding.

K is for Kingery

When the Phillies announced they had signed Scott Kingery to a 6-year, $24 million contract this spring, I was ecstatic. The young infielder was tearing the cover off the ball in spring training and looked to be a star in the making, or at least a solid major leaguer.

Fast forward to today and Kingery is hitting just .237 with more than 80 strikeouts. He doesn't seem to have the bat speed to hit the ball hard. According to Statcast, Kingery's exit velocity is 85.5 mph, slightly below the MLB average of 87.3 mph.

I know he's a rookie and I know he's playing an unfamiliar position. But after he hit .411 in 59 plate appearances in Clearwater this spring, I expected a bit more. Between that performance and the contract, I guess expectations were unrealistic. He's struck out 2 or more times in 20 games this season, and 7 of those games have come since June 19.

Kingery was a .284 career hitter in the minors. He only has 321 big-league at-bats. He's hitting .261 in July. Here's hoping he figures it out and becomes the player everyone thinks he can be.

Freddy's Back!

Our old friend and former shortstop Freddy Galvis and his San Diego Padres teammates return to Philadelphia for a weekend series with our first-place Phillies. Writing that NEVER gets old.

Freddy was hitting .316 through the San Diego's first 17 games of the season. And a lot of the talk-radio crowd was saying that trading him away was the worst move ever because of the struggles of JP Crawford and Scott Kingery.

Galvis is hitting .228 for the season as of today. He's a career .243 hitter. By contrast, Kingery is hitting .237 and has his whole career ahead of him. At age 28, Galvis is what he is–an elite defender who can occasionally help out at the plate.

The Phils got Enyel De Los Santos in return when they traded Galvis back in December. De Los Santos was pitching really well in AAA and has done OK in his first 2 starts with the big club.

So the Phils open the second half against the Padres, owners of the National League's worst record. The Phils will start Jake Arrieta on Friday night against Clayton Richard. Vince Velasquez starts Saturday night, with Nick Pivetta starting on Sunday. The Padres have yet to name their starters for the rest of the series. This is a very good chance for the Phils to come out hot and sweep the Padres, while the Nationals and Braves beat each other up. Best case scenario? Phils take 3 against San Diego and the Nats sweet the Braves.

And on Monday, the Dodgers, with their shiny new toy, Manny Machado, come to town for a 3-game series and Chase Utley's last appearance in Philadelphia, barring a playoff matchup.

And for the love of god, Phillies fans, don't boo Machado. He was traded to LA. He had no say in the matter. He didn't choose LA over Philly. He's a free agent at season's end and if he gets booed next week, it might be the one thing that keeps him from signing here after the season. So shut your pieholes.

Manny Unhappy Returns

The Los Angeles Dodgers gave up a staggering 5 prospects for a 3-month rental of superstar shortstop Manny Machado, a clear indication the Dodgers are going all-in to win their first World Series since 1988.

Machado becomes a free agent after the season. Maybe the Dodgers are hoping a deep playoff run will help Machado decide to stay in Los Angeles.

I think my head would have exploded if the Orioles accepted 5 top Phillies prospects for a Machado rental. This rebuild, which is way ahead of schedule with the Phils in first place this season, has been all about restocking the farm system. But with Machado's free agency looming, there's no way I'd give up that much for a 3-month rental. Seems like the Orioles got the best possible deal, and I applaud them for that.

Look for Phils owner John Middleton and GM Matt Klentak to pursue Machado with wheelbarrows full of cash this fall. They'll chase him all over the country to get him. The Phils have money to spend. How much? They have just $68.9 million in payroll committed for 2019.

And don't forget about Mike Trout. Did you see his interview from the field at the All-Star Game that he ended with "Go Eagles"? The South Jersey native is a Philadelphia fan through and through and was at CBP as a fan for the 2008 World Series. If the Angels keep being the Angels, and there's no indication that's going to change, Trout might (hey, wishful thinking, but it could happen) ask for a trade to the city he loves, the city whose team's he grew up watching. Trout is signed through the end of the 2020 season. If he said he wants to be traded and only wants to go to the up-and-coming Phillies, I'd drive to the airport and deliver him to CBP myself. But when he hits free agency, he's likely to command more than $500 million. And for the best player in a generation, pay the man.

And speaking of free agents, I just want to reiterate a firm "NO" over Bryce Harper. He's overrated, overhyped, and having a lousy year. And he's been doing stuff like not running out ground balls. The only thing I ever saw him do that I liked is when he choked Jonathan Pappelbon in the dugout.

This and That

I can't believe ESPN still televised the Home Run Derby last night WITHOUT A SINGLE MEMBER OF THE YANKEES OR RED SOX!

I'm sure some chucklehead is looking for work today because there were no representatives of the worldwide leader's favorite two teams. But that's OK. Golden Boy Bryce Harper won this thrilling exhibition in front of his hometown fans. Yay.

But Rhys Hoskins of the Phillies held his own, thank you very much. Mr. Hoskins clubbed 17 homers in the first round to defeat Jesus Aguilar, but was bounced by Kyle Schwarber in the second round even though he smacked 20 more.

According to philly.com, Hoskins' homers average 403.1 feet in the first round, and 412.5 feet in the semifinals. His average exit velocity was 102.35 mph in round 1 and 102.6 in round 2. His longest blast traveled 466 feet.

----

Today is very likely to be Manny Machado's last day in an Orioles uniform. The superstar shortstop, who can become a free agent at the end of the season, will dealt by Baltimore so they don't lose him without getting anything in return.

Your Philadelphia Phillies are considered to be front-runners for Machado. A number of minor league prospects are rumored headed to the Orioles, including pitcher Adonis Medina and shorstop Arquimedes Gamboa. I'd hate to lose guys with such amazing names, but Machado is worth it.

Will the Hall Call Chase?

Almost immediately after Chase Utley announced this past week that this would be his final season as a player, talk sprang up considering his place in Cooperstown. Will Chase Utley get voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame?

One of the key sabermetric stats used today is WAR, or Wins Above Replacement. WAR represents the number of wins a player is worth if he was replaced by a bench player or minor leaguer. Utley's career WAR as a second baseman is 65.6, which ranks 15th all time, ahead of Hall-of-Famers Craig Biggio, Jackie Robinson, Joe Gordon, Billy Herman, Tony Lazzeri, Nellie Fox, and Johnny Evers. 

So that means he's in, right? Not so fast. Utley has 1,882 career hits, which puts him 38th all-time among second basemen. Placido Polanco has more career hits than Utley, as does Tony Taylor. But there are 5 guys in the Hall with fewer hits than Utley. 

Utley is a 6-time All-Star. But he's never won a Gold Glove. He's an elite baserunner and has a career success rate of 87.4 percent stealing bases. The highest he ever finished in MVP voting was 7th. Since becoming a part-time player in 2015, he's hitting .236 with a .688 OPS. But in his prime with the Phillies, from 2005 to 2014, he hit .288 with an OPS of .866, which would be 5th-highest among all second basemen in history. His career OPS now stands at .825, which is 10th highest in baseball history for second basemen with at least 9 seasons played.

There are other Utley-esque players with similar numbers who haven't made it to the Hall of Fame–guys like Lou Whitaker, Bobby Grich, and Willie Randolph. 

According to sabermetric guru Bill James, Utley has a Hall of Fame Monitor score of 94, which ranks 191st in history. Stan Musial is first with a score of 452, followed by Ty Cobb and Hank Aaron. Grich is at 43, Whitaker 93, and Randolph 92. 

Utley had a phenomenal run in Philadelphia and might be the most popular athlete ever to play here. He's definitely in the top five. Thinking with their hearts, most would say Utley is a first-ball cinch for Cooperstown. But the numbers say he's just a hair shy. Maybe sometime down the road the Veterans Committee will select him.  

Utley to Call it a Career

Beloved former Phillies second baseman Chase Utley announced today that this will be his last season and he will be retiring at the end of the year.

Utley helped lead the Phillies to 5 straight National League East titles, 2 National League championships, and the 2008 World Series championship.

Utley was a fan favorite for his hair-on-fire, all-out style of play. As a Phillie from 2003 to 2015, Utley hit .282 with an OPS of .847 to go along with 233 home runs and 916 RBI. His first big league hit was the stuff of Hollywood. In the bottom of the third inning on April 24, 2003, Utley came up with Jim Thome, Mike Lieberthal, and David Bell on base. Utley hit the first pitch he saw from Colorado Rockies starter Aaron Cook and launched it into the right field bullpen at Veterans Stadium. As Utley sprinted around the bases, Harry Kalas told the TV audience, "Welcome to the Show, Mr. Utley."

Utley was a 6-time All-Star with the Phils and was all business on the field. He wasn't fond of talking to the media. He let his play talk for him. Utley's best years with the Phils were from 2005 to 2009, when he OPSd .922, averaging 29 home runs and 102 RBI. In the 2009 World Series against the Yankees, Utley hit 5 home runs and knocked in 8 runs. 

There are so many Utley moments worth remembering. There was his throw home after looking to first in the 2008 Series that got Tampa Bay's Jason Bartlett at the plate. Or his Aug. 9, 2006 double against the Braves that cleared the bases giving the Phils a 5-3 lead. But that wasn't the end of it. Ryan Howard was the next hitter and chopped a ball high off the plate. Braves pitcher Macay McBride waited for it to come down and threw to first to get Howard. But Utley was running at full speed and by the time the throw made it to first, Utley was halfway home. The second baseman fired home, but Utley slid under the tag, and Harry Kalas remarked "Chase Utley you are the man!"

But what absolutely cemented Utley's rock star status happened at the World Series victory parade on Oct. 31, 2008 at Citizens Bank Park. After being introduced by Kalas to a thunderous ovation, Utley uttered a 5-word, NSFW statement that summed up the feelings of every single Phillies fan.

Utley was traded to the Dodgers on Aug. 19, 2015. He returns to Philadelphia on July 23 for a 3-game series. He's going to feel the love from the fans all over again. Make a point to be at the ballpark, or watch on TV. It's going to be a special opportunity to say goodbye to a Philadelphia legend. Unless of course, the Phillies and the Dodgers meet in the playoffs.

The Old 5-3-4-6-4 DP

And the Phillies executed it perfectly, just like they drew it up in the locker room.

Nothing to see here ... Just your everyday 5-3-4-6-4 double play.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/DoFDylAgqg

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 12, 2018

I know it's said often, but one of the most beautiful things about baseball is that on any given night, you're likely to see something you've never seen before. This was one of those plays. Good lord, I love this game. Even though they lost to the stinkin' Mets. Still in first place, though, which is nice.

And the Phils have 4 games coming up with last-place teams (Orioles, Marlins) before the All-Star break. The Braves, meanwhile, host the National League West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks for 3 games this weekend. Looks like a great opportunity to make a move in the standings for the Phils. 

So Many StriKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKouts

Your 2018 Philadelphia Phillies are tied for first place. They've been doing it with an offense that's been sketchy, at best. They're hitting .234 as a team (18th in MLB) with an OPS of .712 (20th). They are second in MLB in walks with 352 and fourth in strikeouts with 858. Seventeen other teams have scored more runs than the Phils.

The pitching, led by All Star Aaron Nola, has led to the resurgence. The Phils are 10th in MLB in ERA, 13th in Batting Average Against, and 10th in OPS allowed. Phillies pitchers have struck out the seventh most hitters in baseball this season. So a combination of great pitching and timely hitting have put the Phils where they are.

But strikeouts are up in baseball and have been increasing every year. Last season, hitters struck out 21.6 percent of the time. This year, it's closer to 23 percent. Hitters struck out more times than they got hits in both April and May this season.

Another reason players aren't getting on base is the increased use of defensive shifts. Teams often put all 4 infielders between first and second base to defend against pull hitters. So instead of trying to hit the ball on the ground, players are trying to beat the shift by hitting the ball into the seats. And big swings are often accompanied by big misses.

Pitchers are bigger, stronger, and throw harder than ever before. Pitchers who could throw 100 mph used to be a novelty. Now every team has one. Nobody wants to see teams combine for 25 strikeouts every night. So what is baseball to do?

Back in 1968, MLB decided to change the rules and lowered the pitcher's mound from 15 inches to 10 inches. The strike zone was also reduced to cover top of the knees to armpits–but you hardly ever see high strikes called any more. These moves added more than 1 run to every game.

Why did MLB act? Bob Gibson had one of the most dominant seasons ever for a pitcher, when he recorded a 1.12 ERA, the lowest ever for a starting pitcher in the modern era. Six other starting pitchers had ERAs below 2 in 1968.

Offense was way down as a result of all that great pitching. Carl Yastrzemski led the American League in hitting at .301, the lowest average ever for a batting champ. Seven teams hit .230 or less.

Maybe baseball needs to lower the mound again. Lowering the mound would also relieve stress on pitchers' arms, reducing injuries. Maybe MLB needs to do something even more radical, like move the mound back. Sixty feet, 6 inches is one of the best-know measurements in sports. Move the pitching rubber back 5 feet. What would happen? This calls for math. I can't math. But Alan Nathan, who researches the physics of baseball and is a professor emeritus at the University of Illinois, can. He explains it:

"Suppose a ball is released a distance Y from home plate at speed V and it takes a time T to get to home plate. Now compare with a pitch released at speed V1 at 55 ft that takes the same time T to get to home plate. Then V1=V*55/Y. For example, suppose the mound is moved back a whopping 5 ft, so that Y is 60. The V1 (the "perceived velocity") is V*55/60, so that a fastball released at 95 mph "looks like" only 87 mph, in the sense that flight time is the same as a pitch released at 55 ft at 87 mph. That's a very big effect, corresponding to a ~10% increase in flight time, or about 40 ms. And it's even [more dramatic] than that in that the amount of time the batter has to observe the pitch is, say, only about half the flight time, or about 200 ms. Now add 40 ms on to that and you get a 20% effect. Huge!"

If MLB wants more offense, moving the mound back might be worth considering. Anywhere between 2 and 5 feet should mean more runs. Or hitters could try to the old Wee Willie Keeler method and "hit em where they ain't" to beat the shift.

Aaron Nola is an Ace

If there was any doubt, Aaron Nola proved he was a true ace tonight. Coming off a soul-crushing walkoff loss in the first game of a doubleheader, the 25-year-old right-hander held the New York Mets to just 1 walk and 1 hit over 7 innings while striking out 10.

And he happened to knock in all 3 runs for the Phils when the Mets had the audacity to walk Maikel Franco to load the bases in the 5th inning. Nola bashed a double to right for the Phils' first hit of the night.

Nola did what aces do. He stopped a losing streak. He didn't just stop it, he left it dead in its tracks. Jake Arrieta may be the one making $20 million a year, but Aaron Nola is the ace of this pitching staff and one of the best pitchers in baseball. He is now 12-2 on the season with an ERA of 2.27 and a WHIP of 0.98. Dare I say–he is the man.

Let's Fix the All-Star Game

The All-Star Game is stupid. There. I said it.

If MLB truly wants to showcase its best players, the game need serious adjustments. First off, let's get rid of the "every team must be represented" rule. It ends up costing a deserving player a spot on the roster. And speaking of rosters, how about if we make it 25 players per team, just like the regular season. Have 9 pitchers (one per inning) and 16 position players. 

UPDATE: At least MLB pulled the plug on the moronic notion of having the winning team get home field advantage for the World Series. Home field advantage goes to the team with the best record, as it should.

And if MLB really wants to go nuts, make the All-Star Game U.S. against the World. That matchup would fit perfectly in the current political climate. It would be a great way to generate more interest in the United States and around the world.  Let's look at the roster for Team USA based on yesterday's announced roster:

C - J.T. Realmuto, Buster Posey

1B - Freddie Freeman, Paul Goldschmidt

2B - Scooter Gennett, Jed Lowrie

SS -  Manny Machado, Francisco Lindor

3B - Nolan Arenado, Alex Bregman

OF - Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez, Aaron Judge, Matt Kemp, Nick Markakis

P - Aaron Nola, Jacob deGrom, Ian Snell, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Jon Lester, Craig Kimbrell

World Team Roster

C - Wilson Contreras, Wilson Ramos

1B - Jesus Aguilar, Joey Votto

2B - Jose Altuve, Javier Baez 

SS - Jean Segura, Andrelton Simmons

3B - Eugenio Suarez, Jose Ramirez

OF - Shin-Shoo Choo, Nomar Mazara, Odubel Herrera, David Peralta, Nelson Cruz, Marcell Ozuna

P - Luis Severino, Eduardo Rodriguez, Carlos Carrasco, James Paxton, Edwin Diaz, Kenley Jansen, Aroldis Chapman, Felipe Vazquez, Raisel Iglesias

And no more DH. For anyone. Anywhere.

First Time for Everything

For what is believed to be the first time in franchise history, a catcher will hit leadoff for the Phillies today. 

With Cesar Hernandez still out after fouling a ball off his foot, Andrew Knapp will hit first today. Knapp has hit .400 with a 1.404 OPS in his last 8 games, with 3 HR and 8 RBI.


Here’s there rest of the lineup:

Rhys Hoskins LF

Odubel Herrera CF

Carlos Santana 1B

Nick Williams RF

Scott Kingery SS

Jesmuel Valentin 2B

Maikel Franco 3B

Drew Anderson P

Anderson is up from the minors to make a start because the Phils have a doubleheader against the Mets tomorrow and Vince Velasquez is still out with a forearm contusion.   

Where is Everybody?

The Phillies are 10 games over .500 for the first time since 2011. They're playing some of their best baseball in years. The team is full of young, exciting players. So how come nobody is going to the games?

Through 46 homes games, the Phils have drawn 1.2 million fans, or an average of 26,000 and change per game (61 percent full). They're 18th in MLB in attendance.

Last season, they drew 1.9 million fans for the season. Which was understandable, because the team stunk. The low point was 2015, when 1.8 million fans attended games at CBP. Here are the figures since 2008:

2008 - 3,422,583
2009 - 3,600,693
2010 - 3,647,249 (2nd in MLB)
2011 - 3,680,718 (most in MLB)
2012 - 3,565,718 (most in MLB)
2013 - 3,012,403
2014 - 2,423,852
2015 - 1,831,080
2016 - 1,915,144
2017 - 1,905,354

Maybe fans haven't bought into the team yet and don't think they're a legitimate playoff team. Maybe it's the weather. The early part of the season was miserable, cold, and wet. And this most recent homestand has featured some of the hottest weather since 2012.

But they're watching on TV and streaming online. The Philadelphia Business Journal recently said TV ratings were up 5 percent from last season. And streaming had increased by more than 100 percent.

The Phillies have 3 weeks to convince the fans they're for real. Because after the Eagles report to training camp on July 25, it's pretty much a sure thing the Birds will have the complete attention of the region's fan base.

10 Games Over and Counting!

The Philadelphia Phillies are 10 games over 500 for the first time since 2011. That's 7 years. Savor this, fans. The rebuild appears to be way ahead of schedule.

Worst Free Agent Signings

With Manny Machado and his impending free agency in town, I thought this was as good a time as any to look at some of the worst free agent signings in Phillies history.

Free agency is a way to help your club by adding a player without losing a player in return. Machado is almost guaranteed to help whatever team signs him. But the Phillies have a somewhat checkered history when it comes to free agency. There have been the good (Jim Thome), the bad (David Bell), and the downright ugly. Here are my worst 5 Phillies free agency signings.

5. Adam Eaton
He went 14-18 in 2 seasons (2007-2008) with the Phils with a stratospheric 6.30 ERA. He also was the losing pitcher when the Phillies lost their 10,000th game. His Phillies earnings topped $15 million.

4. Danys Baez
Baez saved 41 games for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2005 with a 2.86 ERA. But over his next 4 seasons, he posted marks of 4.53, 5.40, 6.44, and 4.02. So of course the Phillies signed him. In 80 games in 2010 and 2011, he logged a 5.81 ERA, allowing 98 hits in 83.2 innings with 40 walks and 11 home runs.

3. Lance Parrish
Parrish was an all-star catcher with the Tigers and the Phils tried to build a winner around him. They even used "Lance Us a Pennant" as a marketing campaign. More like lancing a boil. The slugging catcher hit 32 HR with 127 RBI. That's combined in his 2 seasons with the Phils. He hit .215 in 1988 and somehow managed to make the NL All Star team. I guess the rest of the catchers in the league REALLY sucked.

2. Paul Abbott
He was released by Tampa in 2004 and signed by the Phils 4 days later. For some reason, the Phillies let him start 10 games. In return, Abbott went 1-6 with a 6.24 ERA. He gave up 14 HR in 49 innings and didn't last longer than 6 innings in any of his starts. He was released nearly 3 months to the day that he was signed.

And the worst Phillies free agent signing of all time is...
1. Danny Tartabull
Tartabull was a power-hitting outfielder who had good years with the Mariners, Royals, Yankees, and White Sox. He even had the distinction of being baseball's highest-paid player in 1992 when he signed with the Yankees. After hitting 27 HR with 101 RBI in 1996 for the White Sox, he became a free agent and signed with the Phils for the 1997 season.

In his first at-bat of the season, Tartabull fouled a ball of his foot. He played through the pain for 3 games, going hitless in 7 at-bats with 4 walks and 2 runs scored. After the third game of the season, he went on the disabled list with a broken foot and never played again. He made $2 million in his 3 games with the Phils.

Happy 4th of July.

Manny Watch

The Phillies will get to see the object of their desire up close for the next couple of days. Orioles shortstop Manny Machado will be in town for a 2-game series.

Machado would be a perfect fit in the Philadelphia lineup. He's hitting .310 with 21 home runs and 59 RBI and a .941 OPS for a terrible, awful, really bad Orioles team. How bad? The Orioles are on pace to win 47 games this year.

Production from shortstop has been bad in Philadelphia this season. JP Crawford struggled before getting injured and Scott Kingery hasn't exactly been tearing the cover off the ball. Combined, Phillies shortstops are hitting .226 with a .630 OPS with 6 HR and 22 RBI.

Machado could slot into the cleanup role in the lineup, moving on-base machine Carlos Santana to the No. 2 spot. Rhys Hoskins could drop to 5th.

Would what it take to get Machado? Anything the Orioles want, with the exception of Aaron Nola, Hoskins, Odubel Herrera, and probably Seranthony Dominguez. Anyone else is available, even minor league sensation Sixto Sanchez. The Phillies have plenty of arms in the system and should be willing to deal.

The big negative is that Machado becomes a free agent after the season. It says here that it's worth making a trade for him, making the playoffs, and then making him an offer he can't refuse to sign in Philadelphia for the long haul. Let Manny find out what a great place CBP is for hitters. It's worth the risk.

Dumbest Play in Baseball

Any hitter who slides headfirst into first base trying to beat a throw should be benched immediately. It's the dumbest play in baseball. You're allowed to overrun first. Sliding slows your momentum. I'm talking to you, Aaron Altherr.

Halfway There, Livin on a Prayer

The Phillies have reached the halfway point of the season and find themselves in the thick of the playoff race. Did anyone really see this coming before the season? Come on, show your hands and be honest.

The Phils are now 44-37 and trail the division-leading Atlanta Braves by 3 games. Right now, they're a Wild Card playoff team. And as a barometer of how far this team has come since last year, they didn't win their 44th game until Aug. 19. Yeah, they're a little ahead of schedule.

Last night's win over the Nationals guaranteed them at least a .500 record in this 10-game stretch against the Nats and Yankees, 2 teams considered by many to be World Series favorites. The Phils started the month 1-7, but rebounded and finished with a 13-14 record. And one my favorite parts of the month is realizing that the Mets are behind the Marlins in last place in the division.

And in case you missed it, Phillies starter Vince Velasquez made one of the best plays of the season last night. Nats outfielder Adam Eaton was the batter and smoked a 96 mph line drive off Velasquez's right arm, which happens to be his pitching arm. VV recovered, picked up the ball and fired it LEFTHANDED to get Eaton at first. Velasquez then crumpled to the turf in a heap of pain and left the game. The injury is being called a right forearm contusion for now. We won't know if VV will be able to make his next start or not. But holy moly, what a play.