Notes On A Dismal Season

In an alarmingly short time, the Phillies have gone from being a perennial contender to a very bad team.  Consider that they finished next-to-last in a very weak division.  Consider that the Braves, riddled with injuries and with two high-salaried everyday players hitting under .200, won going away.  Consider that the Phils could not even stay with the disappointing Nationals or inept Mets.  Consider that the Phillies finished just 11 games ahead of the Marlins, one of the worst teams in baseball and one of the worst franchises in all of pro sports with no money, no players and no fans.  Consider that only four teams in baseball had worse records than the home team.  They can no longer  be regarded as just underachievers or even mediocre, they are officially a bad team until they prove otherwise. 

Outside of Hamels and Lee, the pitching staff is in shambles.  The hitting may be worse.  Chase Utley barely hit over .280, the only regular to do so, and he accomplished much of that after his team was out of the race.  Jimmy Rollins had a singularly unproductive year.  While his average has been anemic for years now, at least he had some pop.  This year he had 6 long  balls in 600 at-bats.  As recently as last year he had 23.  Watching him at the plate, he looked totally lost.  Ruff and Asche are still huge question marks.  Dom Brown may be an emerging star but the jury is still out and he still demonstrates frustrating inconsistency and mental lapses in the field and on the bases and it's well past time when you can blame that on youth or inexperience.  A healthy Ben Revere should be a plus but Ryan Howard's status is an unknown. 

The Phillies are not the first team to fall from grace precipitously.  Look no farther than the Giants of 2013.   Sandberg and the front office have work to do but given that there are no apparent nascent dynasties in Atlanta, Washington, New York or Miami, it may not quite be mission impossible, but its close. 

Phillies Post-Mortem

That the Phillies got eliminated early in the playoff process was a huge disappointment, but it should not have been shocking, or even particularly surprising. 

It should have been recognized going in that the Cardinals were a dangerous team.  This is a team that was hot going into the playoffs with lots of momentum, having come from way back to catch the Braves.   St. Louis has three of the best hitters in baseball in Pujols, Berkman and Holliday as well as some key role players, particularly one of the best catchers in the game in Molina.  Their relief pitching had been their prime weakness all year but their starters had been adequate.  And when Chris Carpenter is healthy, he is one of the best in the game.  Moreover, the Cardinals had taken the season series from Philadelphia so they had no reason to believe they didn't match up with the Phils. 

The conventional wisdom was that it didn't matter whom the Phillies played in the first round.  The home team's overwhelming starting pitching would trump all.  But the conventional wisdom was probably misplaced.  The Cardinals hit better than the Braves who have nothing to compare with St. Louis' Murderer's Row.  Of course, the irony is that the Phillies were instrumental in helping the Cardinals pass the Braves on the last day of the season.

When Cliff Lee was re-acquired, the mantra all year was that the Phillies were pre-ordained for a World Series victory.  Yes, they were the favorites and the 102 regular season wins seemed to confirm that.  But in the past 20 years, the history of the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees provides numerous examples of regular season dominance failing to translate into post-season gold.  There are just too many vagaries in short series, particularly of the five game variety, to contribute to unpredictability.

As good as Halliday, Lee and Hamels are, they don't throw shutouts every night.  And as Phillies' fans know too well, their team's offense has a tendency to shut down for long stretches.  When Hunter Pence was acquired, it looked for a while that this might have been remedied but the last few weeks of the season punctured that balloon.   Victorino's average fell 35 points in a few weeks,  Utley finished with a batting average of .259 and  Howard .251.  Polanco appeared to be barely able to hold a bat in his hand.    Utley and Rollins hit well in the playoffs, but it wasn't enough.

But the reality is, no matter how much Ruben Amaro wheels and deals,  there is no sure-fire formula for post-season success. 

Domonic Brown's Lack of Hustle

Domonic Brown was roundly criticized by announcers Tom McCarthy and Gary Matthews for not running out a ground ball to second base which turned out to be misplayed by the infielder. Brown probably would have been safe had he busted it down the line. Manager Manuel is supposed to have expressed his own displeasure to the young outfielder, as did the fans.

McCarthy and Matthews sermonized at some length about a player's obligation to go all out at all times. But interestingly, after concluding that Brown had indeed learned his lesson, Domonic hit another routine ground ball late in the same game and again loafed down the first base line and there was no mention of it. This time, the second baseman handled it cleanly so apparently it was not worth noting.

More interestingly, Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard, and some others, have made a career of not running out ground balls. Rollins frequently fails to even make it all the way to the first base bag. And yet it's almost never newsworthy. Rollins and Howard are probably heroes to Brown so can he be blamed for emulating them?

Is The Big East As Good As Advertised?

Conventional wisdom has it that the Big East Basketball Conference is the most formidable in the country and has been at least for several years. But the Big East has also underachieved in the Big Dance and the conventional explanation for this is that the conference members beat each other up during the regular season and end up running on empty as they enter March Madness.

On opening day, 2011 Madness continued this trend. Louisville, an elite team in the conference, was knocked out by a low seed. And St. John's, coming off a cinderella renaissance season, was thrashed by Gonzaga. West Virginia and Pittsburgh beat teams they were supposed to beat.

But it's time to reconsider the theory that the Big East devours itself during the regular season. It may have more quality teams than any other conference, but there are at least a dozen teams around the country that are at least as good as the best the Big East has to offer.

Fire the Trainers

One of the more classless actions of the Phillies' organization in recent years was the firing of Milt Thompson as hitting coach in mid-season. The notion that the team's extended hitting slump could be attributed to one man is absurd. And to throw a coach overboard in the middle of the summer for anything but the most egregious of actions (say, stealing the Philly Phanatic's costume) is particularly insulting. If a change needs to be made, it is more appropriately done in the quiet of the off season.

But if you must find a scapegoat, how about the Phillies' training staff. With Jimmy Rollins and Brad Lidge down again, and the innumerable other injuries this year throughout the roster, one has to question the overall conditioning of this team.

Phillies Should Forget the Swagger and Try Hustling

Two years ago, Jimmy Rollins was benched by Charlie Manuel for not running out a fly ball. Earlier this year, Shane Victorino was benched for failing to run all out after a third strike passed ball. These incidents were supposed to show that Manuel, for all his player's manager reputation, was not afraid to come down with the hammer when needed. This fit in nicely with the media-perpetuated myth that Manuel had this mystical ability to press all the right buttons at the right time.

But the Philly hitters fail to run out grounders and pop-ups all the time. In the week before the All-Star Game, on at least two occasions, Rollins failed to run out ground balls to first base. In each instance, they were slowly hit balls where the pitcher had to cover first. In these situations, there's always the chance of a bad exchange and the pressure of Rollins' speed should increase the odds of a fielding miscue. But in each case, J-Roll broke into a trot halfway down the first base line.

Rollins' defenders might counter that he is gun shy about re-injuring his leg. One response to that is that if he is that tentative, maybe he shouldn't be in the lineup at all. Another is that he has been doing this for years.

Jimmy Rollins hit .250 last season and is currently barely above .230. You might think that he would want to run out every ball as if his life depended on it. He is not the only culprit on the team but he is supposed to be their leader and spokesman.

This issue of course is hardly unique to this squad. But that shouldn't make it acceptable. We are repeatedly told that Philadelphia fans hold their teams and players to a higher standard. Right now, too many Phillies are playing like spoiled millionaires who think that if they just show up, great things will happen. The reality is that this team is posing a serious challenge to the title the Sixers currently hold - The Most Boring Team in South Philly.

Hiring Doug Collins Is No Reason to Break Out the Champagne

There are not many lines of work where someone fired three times in 8 years is considered a hot commodity. But such is the case with Doug Collins. In his brief coaching career, he was let go by the Bulls, Pistons and Wizards before he went into broadcasting. He also has the distinction of being the only NBA coach to fail to win a championship with Michael Jordan. Now we're told he has a brilliant basketball mind and is the man best suited to lead the Sixer franchise back to the glory days.

For a while, it seemed that it was the beautiful and complicated mind of Larry Brown the Sixers coveted, but perhaps because of Brown's age and assorted personal baggage, the Philly franchise opted for a younger version of their former coach. Like Brown, Collins is also described as a consummate teacher. And while Collins is a fast and glib talker, he, again like Brown, has been to known to antagonize quite a few people along the way. Ironically, it is this latter trait which is supposed to have led to the foreshortening of Jim O'Brien's tenure in South Philly.

At his first press conference at the Wachovia Center, Collins singled out defense as priority one. Whether that was an indication of brilliance I'm not sure. Anyone who saw the Sixers for more than 5 minutes in the last couple of seasons should have been able to identify the team's defense as porous at best.

But the question is what do you do about it. This is not plugging an oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. This is convincing highly paid young athletes to contest the other team's jump shooters. In other words, running at a shooter with your arms in the air. Very sophisticated stuff.

Why these players should pay more attention to Doug Collins than Randy Ayers, O'Brien, Mo Cheeks, Tony DiLeo or Eddie Jordan is not immediately obvious and we should not be surprised if down the road Collins becomes another ex-coach still on the team's payroll. Larry Brown may end up running this club after all.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of all of this is that Ed Stefanski still has a job with the franchise. Harry Houdini would be impressed.

Ryan Madson Owes Us A Refund

Back in the 1940's, Ted Williams insisted on taking a salary cut of more than 25% after having what he considered a subpar season. Of course, what Williams considered subpar was Hall of Fame-worthy for most everyone else.

While the great Red Sox left fielder's temper was legendary, we are not aware of any instance where he inflicted injury to himself during one of his frequent tantrums. Certainly not enough to lose playing time. But if he had, there can be little doubt that because of his integrity and high standards, he would have refunded any salary to management for time lost.

Which leads of course to Ryan Madson. Madson saw fit to kick a metal folding chair after a blown save. Unfortunately, he was more accurate with his foot than he was earlier in the evening with his fastball. A broken toe and subsequent surgery have now left Madson unavailable to the Phillies for at least two months. And this is with a bullpen which was already leaking oil.

Madson issued a public apology (which really made my day) to Delaware Valley fans but presumably he continues to collect his $4 million a year salary without interruption. At the risk of generating apoplexy at the players' union, Madson should return his pay checks until he returns to active duty. Or, at the very least, donate them to a Philadelphia-based charity. If it was good enough for one of the greatest icons of American sports, it should be good enough for Ryan Madson.

Lidge Is Not Yet Money in the Bank

Brad Lidge had two encouraging one-inning stints against the Cardinals but questions remain. A rejuvenated Lidge would be huge for the Phillies but there is still that uneasy feeling that his margin for error is razor thin.

While his slider looked tight and continues to be the go-to pitch, it is the right-hander's fastball that is of concern. Against the Cards, one Lidge fastball was clocked at 95 mph, but it was 2 feet out of the strike zone. Otherwise, it measured in the low 90's and was without much movement nor was Lidge able to spot it. Big league hitters have little trouble with that kind of pitch.

Brad Lidge needs his fastball to set up his slider, but if it's 92-93 mph in the middle of the plate, he won't get a chance to use his money pitch. Lidge's fastball may well improve as his arm strength progresses with more appearances, but this is far from a forgone conclusion. The psychological damage from the reliever's 2009 nightmare season will be difficult to undo.

The Indispensable Larry Brown

The word on the street is that Larry Brown's return to the Sixers in one capacity or another is a foregone conclusion now that his Hornets have been summarily eliminated from the playoffs.

The conventional wisdom seems to be that Brown is the pre-eminent turnaround artist. He is the man who knows exactly what buttons to press to turn a loser into a winner. Perhaps.

Over his 35 year career, coach Brown has certainly achieved noteworthy successes including an NCAA championship at Kansas and NBA championship at Detroit. But he has also left at least three franchises in shambles - New Jersey, Indiana and New York - two more if you count Philadelphia and Detroit. He also seriously underachieved with the U.S. basketball squad at the 2004 Olympics. And he certainly didn't perform any magic with the Charlotte Hornets - making the playoffs in the mediocre Eastern Conference and getting swept in the first round are not going to inspire a remake of "Hoosiers".

Moreover, Brown has a history of unreliability, having left teams with seemingly no warning and inadequate explanation. We are now told that the coach really loves Charlotte and Michael Jordan but he would really like to be with his family in the Delaware Valley. Would Jordan have gone out of his way to recruit Brown if he knew this was in the back of the coach's mind all along?

Larry Brown had one tour of duty in Philadelphia and that was enough. It's time for the Sixers to start fresh with a relatively young crew in the front office and on the bench and start building a team brick by brick. But the indispensable one, coach Brown, wants to be closer to his family so naturally he will be returning to Philly, until he is struck by another whim - like coaching the Ukrainian national team.

THE SIXERS: A CASE STUDY IN MISMANAGEMENT

If the Harvard Business School were to offer a course in sports franchise mismanagement, the current Sixers' regime should be a prominent case study. In the spring of 2008, the team galloped into the post-season, threw a scare into the Detroit Pistons, and appeared to be a team on the make. Last year was disappointing, but it still was a .500 team that made the playoffs. But in this just-concluded campaign, the Sixers finished almost 30 games under .500 and in the last few months appeared to be in complete disarray. Eddie "Princeton Offense" Jordan has already been asked to walk the plank and others are bound to follow.

So how did management allow this to happen? Let's count the ways.

1. THE COACHING MERRY-GO-ROUND. Mo Cheeks was fired after only 23 games of the 08-09 season, a most bizarre move. Removing a coach early in a campaign should be done only under the most extreme circumstances. None such existed. Even more bizarre, Cheeks was replaced by Tony DiLeo from the front office who hadn't coached in 10 years. And while everyone insisted DiLeo was not an interim coach, he turned out to be just that. And then DiLeo was replaced by Jordan, an NBA lifer with a system profoundly unsuited for the Sixers' personnel.

The key point is not the competence of Cheeks, DiLeo, or Jordan but the lack of continuity. The Sixer organization should emulate the enduring success of coaches like Jerry Sloan or Greg Popovich who have had time to establish a culture over time.

2. THE POORLY CONCEIVED ACQUISITION OF ELTON BRAND. The Sixers of 07-08 had established a nice chemistry with a special affinity for the running game. It's hard to see how Brand could fit into that scheme even if he were at the height of his skills. Actually, since Brand labored for so long in the obscurity that surrounds the Los Angeles Clippers, one wonders if anyone actually ever saw him play since he left Duke.

3. THE FAILURE TO RE-SIGN ANDRE MILLER. If there was any doubt before, it now crystal clear that Miller was the most important player in the Sixer offense. Of course he had some liabilities, but he was and is one of the elite point guards in the league, someone who can run the fast break and create in the half court as well.

Now it may be that Miller could not have been persuaded to stay at any price, but it does not appear the front office made a concerted effort to retain him. And this leads to #4.

4. THE MISPLACED NOTION THAT LOU WILLIAMS COULD REPLACE MILLER. Williams is one of the team's most valuable assets, a potent scoring guard coveted around the NBA. Point guard skills are not that easily acquired and they do not play into Williams' strengths. Jrue Holiday played well and may be the Sixers' point guard of the future but he too is a long way from replacing Andre Miller.

5. THE SIGNING OF ALLEN IVERSON. This was truly a side show and distraction. It probably significantly slowed the development of Holiday and Williams as it cut into their minutes. Sixer fans have to hope that Williams' confidence, which at times seems fragile, was not permanently damaged by this forgettable season.

To be sure, this team has other issues which have festered for years. But this list is directly attributable to management decisions made in the last two years. Ed Stefanski has a lot of explaining to do.

Ryan Howard's Extreme Makeover

Going into last season, Ryan Howard, for all his impressive power numbers, had two glaring weaknesses - his penchant for strikeouts and his all-to-frequent defensive lapses. He went a long way toward addressing the latter in 2009 and he continues to show improvement in the early going in 2010.

Regarding the K's, the jury is still out. But through 7 games this spring, in addition to hitting for power and average, he has only 4 strikeouts, about half his historical pace. It's way to early to conclude that there has been a sea change. There may well be a reversion to the mean as the season progresses. But Howard's unwillingness to rest on his laurels and his fat contract is impressive.

Is Jamie Moyer The Right Man For The Job?

The reports out of Florida are that Jamie Moyer is a lock as the 5th starter in the Phillies' rotation. Now it may be heretical, sacrilegious, or un-American to even pose the question, but here goes - is Moyer the right man for the job?

In his three years with the locals, the now 47 year-old left-hander has made major contributions. In the world championship 2008 season, Moyer was 16-7 in 200 innings with an ERA of 3.71. On an age-adjusted basis, this approached Cy Young Award quality. For limited periods during his tenure in South Philly, Moyer may have even been the team's most consistent starter.

In addition to his on-the-field work, the Souderton native has been a model citizen, philanthropist, valuable clubhouse presence, and mentor to young pitchers (which can include anyone under 40).

But none of this should assure Moyer a spot in the rotation and management has indicated this to be their position. Last year, when the veteran struggled, he was in fact removed from the starting core, and in one of his rare ungracious moments, he went public with his displeasure.

But Moyer's demotion in 2009 was a no-brainer. He was being hit hard and Charlie Manuel's hand was forced, his pitcher's protestations not withstanding.

This spring, Moyer has been competing with Kyle Kendrick and by all accounts, there is little daylight between them. Both pitchers have been solid. So now the choice is not so clear-cut. If there is no appreciable difference in performance, wouldn't it make sense to go with the 25 year-old, who presumably is the future and would benefit from the added experience? Or do Moyer's elder statesman status and lofty salary (some $7 million more than Kendrick's) tilt the scales in his favor?

It is an interesting dilemma, but one which could be rendered moot. The defending National League champions are hardly overloaded with starting pitchers and it is not hard to envision a scenario where Moyer or Kendrick are needed quickly to plug leaks in the rotation due to injury, sore arms or ineffectiveness.

What Does Tiger Owe Us?

Stephen A. Smith writes that Tiger Woods has been cowardly in his approach to facing the media. According to Smith, Tiger owes us the answer to a number of questions while conceding that Woods' private life is none of our business. Come again? What are these burning questions that inquiring minds want answered that don't concern the golfer's personal life? Where does Tiger stand on steel tariffs, or funding the United Nations? McDonald's or Burger King? Paper or plastic? Smith and his brethren, in playing the public's "right to know" card, are putting the arrogance and self importance of the media front and center.

Tiger Woods parlayed his wealth and fame into a life of personal excess. Maybe there are complicated Freudian explanations for his descent. Maybe the devil made him do it. Who cares? But he was hardly breaking new ground. Many athletes, past and present, have gone down the same path, as have nonathletes, perhaps even some sportswriters. Numerous politicians have made a second career of it.

Woods is one of the most recognizable celebrities in the world so everything he does is, not surprisingly, put under a microscope. But why his transgressions should merit lead story status on the evening news, as opposed to just "Entertainment Tonight", is puzzling. The irony of the mainstream media piggybacking on the reporting of "The National Inquirer" is more newsworthy than the story itself.

We may be disappointed with Tiger's behavior, we may choose to root against him. Those who have elected to make Tiger a hero may feel angry or betrayed. Corporate sponsors who feel Woods' tarnished image redounds to their products or services have every right to pull the plug on promotional contracts. And Tiger's family clearly is due a big fat mea culpa, and a whole lot more. But he certainly doesn't owe the general public an apology, nor do I want one. And, aside from a few comments on his golf game, he doesn't owe the media anything.

Brad Lidge's Popular Mechanics

In his annus mirabilis of 2009, Brad Lidge would usually attribute his struggles on the mound to poor pitching mechanics brought on by his various injuries. This was echoed by pitching coach Rich Dubee. Lidge in no way meant this is an alibi. He is a humble, stand-up, no excuses type of guy. After some of his most horrific outings last season, he faced the music and accepted full responsibility. Because of his admirable character, you can't help rooting for the guy. But there were a number of occasions in '09 when Lidge and Dubee expressed confidence that the mechanical issues had been corrected, whereupon the reliever would go out and blow another save.

Now fast forward to spring training 2010. The right-hander is coming off post-season elbow and knee surgery and once again Lidge and the coaches are convinced that the faulty mechanics are a thing of the past now that the physical issues have been addressed.

Now it entirely reasonable that Brad Lidge's mechanics were indeed disrupted by his physical ailments. But the nagging suspicion here is that a bigger factor in Lidge's ineffectiveness is that batters started laying off his strikeout slider, the one that's way out of the strike zone. How he deals with that is what really may determine whether he can become an elite reliever again.

Sixers Flirt With Respectability

The Sixers may be on the verge of, dare I say it, respectability. Almost immediately upon his return, Marreese Speights has had a major impact. Jrue Holiday is making impressive strides as a playmaker. For the first time, Elton Brand is showing signs of life. Willie Green is making solid contributions. Thad Young and Andre Iguodala are not living up to expectations, perhaps they never will, but they are talented athletes who can be counted on for at least 35 ppg. Lou Williams is about to return. And as for Sam Dalembert, well every team needs at least one French existential philosopher king.

But where does Allen Iverson fit in all of this? Unless, he is willing to reduce his minutes and his field goal attempts, all of the positives noted above could be transitory. He wasn't willing or able to make these concessions when he was with the Pistons. Will he be more conciliatory in the twilight of his career in Philadelphia?

When the Sixers signed Iverson, it seemed innocuous enough. The franchise was dead in the water and at least the Georgetown great could put some fans in the seats of the Wachovia Center. Unfortunately, the ever complicated Mr. Iverson has the potential to disturb the makings of some good chemistry within the young Philly squad.

Perhaps Iverson's current injuries will serve to limit his playing time and render the above discussion moot. Otherwise, he may have to display a degree of maturity and selflessness which have not been his hallmark.

One thing that hasn't changed, however, amid all the personnel turmoil is a very porous defense. Until that is addressed, this will never be a good team. Is there a Princeton defense?

Sixer Notes - The Ghost of Andre Miller

The Sixers are fading fast with a 4-6 record in an anemic division. When you consider that three of those wins were at the expense of the winless Nets and 1-9 Knicks, there is little to be encouraged about.

Any day now, we might expect Ed Stefanski to announce he is replacing Eddie Jordan with non-interim coach Tony DiLeo so the team can move in a "new direction". So far, the Princeton offense has been about as effective as the Maginot Line was in keeping the German army out of France in World War II.

Andre Miller was recently moved into Portland's starting lineup and coach Nate McMillan is pleased with the results. The Trailblazers are 8-4 and in second place in their division. This serves as an unpleasant reminder for Philadelphia fans of how important Miller was to the offense of the South Philly squad - and how ill-equipped Lou Williams is to replace him.

Who Is the Real Raul Ibanez?

While pitching would seem to be the most pressing issue for the Phillies, the offense is by no means without issues of its own. Ruben Amaro deserves credit for hitting the ground running in search of a new third baseman with a more potent bat than Pedro Feliz. One problem with the hitting has been its inconsistency and strengthening the bottom of the lineup would surely alleviate this.

But there is another potential soft spot in the starting lineup which, at least to date, has not been much discussed - Raul Ibanez. Ibanez' 2009 season was a tale of extremes. In the first half of the season, he looked like the re-incarnation of Ted Williams. He was among the league leaders in batting average, home runs, and rbi's - a triple crown threat. He was talked about - no, he was probably the prohibitive favorite in the MVP race. And he was playing solid, if not spectacular, defense in left field. Never was a popular player like Pat Burrell forgotten so quickly.

But after the All-Star break, Ibanez' numbers went into a nose dive. He hit .232 with 67 strikeouts, 12 homers and 33 rbi's vs. .309, 51 k's, 22 hr and 60 rbi's before the break. Initially, the fall-off was attributed to missing several weeks with a leg injury and never regaining stride. This is certainly plausible although he actually hit quite well immediately upon his return.

Then late in the season, it was reported that Ibanez was hampered by a stomach injury which was subsequently treated with post-season surgery. So it may well be that the left fielder's production was seriously impacted by these physical ailments and that next year a fit Ibanez will return to his early 2009 form.

But will he? His pre-Phillie career gave no hint of what he delivered last April, May and June. He had been a career .290 hitter with moderate power numbers. To what extent was he just playing over his head, or perhaps National League pitchers just hadn't figured him out. Moreover, he will be 38 next year. Will he play like his age, or will his age make him more susceptible to injury?

Ibanez deserves the opportunity to show what he can do in 2010, but he should not be an untouchable either, despite his 10 million dollar-a-year salary. At the very least, after, say, the first two months, if he is not producing consistently in the 5 or 6 spot, Charlie Manuel should consider platooning him in left field, even if it means using another lefty swinger such as Greg Dobbs on occasion. In any case, Manuel needs to find a way to get Dobbs more at-bats.

Drop Howard in the Batting Order

With Ryan Howard mired in a hitting drought, Charlie Manuel has a dilemma. Howard was outstanding in the latter stages of the season and in the first two rounds of the playoffs. And he is a superstar, perhaps the premier power hitter in the game.

But when he does goes into slumps, they can be long and excruciating, like now, when he is on the verge of smashing a World Series strikeout record. But given Howard's resume, and Manuel's well-known loyalty to his players, the first baseman is not about to be shown the bench, or even pinch-hit for.

However, the Phils' manager should consider dropping Howard a few places in the batting order. Let Jayson Werth bat cleanup and move Ryan to five, six or even seven. It might take a little pressure off Howard and Werth has certainly earned it with his post-season work. Morever, the Yankees will be starting southpaws in game 6 and a potential game 7 and against lefties Howard has been AWOL all season. Werth, on the other hand, has feasted on lefties.

Phillie Notes - Failure to Capitalize on DH

The Phillies were unable to get much mileage out of the DH in the first two games. Francisco and Stairs combined for one single, a marginal one at that. Greg Dobbs has become odd man out. Manuel should have used Dobbs as DH and held Stairs for pinch-hitting. The Phillies have a dearth of contact hitters and could use Dobbs in the lineup.

Ryan Howard has had an exceptionally productive stretch at the plate going back to August. Since he started crouching more in his stance, he seems to be seeing the ball better and swinging at fewer bad pitches. However, he is long overdue for a slump and in Game 2 last night he struck out four times and looked badly out of synch. If this is the beginning of a trend, it couldn't come at a worse time.

Pedro Feliz currently seems lost at sea at the plate. He seemed to fade a bit late in the regular season after a hitting well for most of the season. Right now he is a liability on offense, prone to the double play or strikeout. At what point does Manuel consider starting Dobbs in his place?