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Looking Down the Stretch: Matt Stairs

Written by Mike Mariano | 14 September 2009

Matt StairsFrom here on out, I'm taking a look at each player of the Phillies and what sort of impact the Phillies will need and the impact they will get from each guy.  I'm going to start with the bench and then move my way into the starters and eventually the pitching staff.

First up, Matt Stairs.  The husky bomber of the bench hadn't had a since seemingly last years playoff homer, until he hit a pinch hit, game-tying grand slam against the Nationals the other night.  That pretty much sums up everything we know and love about Matt Stairs and his role on the Phillies.  We all know that Stairs is not an everyday player, those days are long behind him.  Also, Stairs is only at the plate to do one thing, demolish baseballs and do everything he can to hit a home run.  He's not moving runners or working counts, he's looking for a ball he hit and trot.  It's that simple.

So come playoff time, expect Stairsy to be sleeping on the bench for the first 7 innings of every game because Charlie knows he won't need him until the very end when a home run is needed to make or break a tie game.  And that's the beautiful thing about Stairs' job -- we all know how hard it is to hit a home run, so no one really expects him to get it done.  But when he does, the stadium goes ape-shit and rightfully-so.  Add-in his newfound World Series ring, years of experience, and happiness with his role and Matt Stairs is one of the better bats off the bench in the NL.

Is the Lidge era over in Philly? Or just as closer?

Written by Mike Mariano | 10 September 2009

If last night's game was the end of Lidge as the closer in Philly, then the night before was definitely the closing action.  Lidge has been slowly losing his grip all season and his grasp on his mental and emotion abilities has severed completely.  As we all know, this has happened to Lidge before, that's the only reason we got him.  In Houston, Lidge lost his mechanics and his mind and got dealt for Michael Bourne.  That's how low things had gotten.  In Philadelphia, Lidge rediscovered himself and his slider and we wouldn't all still have a fresh World Series ring to be thankful for.  However after his perfect season and playoffs in '08, Lidge is out as the go-to closer.  And you can't blame Charlie, it's been a long time coming.

So Ryan Madson is apparently the guy and he should be.  He was dominant as the set-up guy last season and has been dominant at times this season.  More simply, Madson is the best available.  The only other real option is Brett Myers, but he's just off rehab and a headcase of his own.  Madson was great last night and picked up a save with a strong performance.  He is and should be the closer of the immediate future.  Let him do the good as long as he can possibly do it well.  As for Lidge, he should work the 7th or the 8th with Myers getting whatever inning Lidge doesn't.

Actually, I think Lidge needs time off.  Give him a fake DL stint and some time at home with his family, 15 days would be fine.  Brad needs to clear his head and pitching more is not the way to do that.  The bullpen needs a healthy and dominant Lidge to carry us again and it's on Charlie to find a way to get that guy back again.

5 Homers = Win, Or at least I hope so

Written by Mike Mariano | 09 September 2009

Hitting 5 homers in a game doesn't go as far when they're all solo shots.  Raul hit two of his own (Phew! it's been a while), Chuuch jacked one, also Jay Werth and Chase hit bombs of their own.  Werth, Raul, and Chuuch almost went back-to-back-to-back if it wasn't for a Pedro Feliz ground-out mixed in.

More homer notes from the game, Raul and Chase reached 30 homers tonight, making the Phillies the second team in NL history to have 3 left-handed hitters with 30 home runs in a season.  Stuff like that is going to happen when you lead the league in home runs and play in a ballpark that certainly isn't taking them away.

Thoughts from the mound in last night's win, Pedro was good again.  He's looking more and more like a great investment every time that he comes out.  Home runs to Willy Harris make me want to rip my hair out, but he's been more than capable in his starts thus far.

Looking into the bullpen it was a story of beautiful and ugly and no in between.  Brad Lidge was a complete disaster last night.  Before he came in, I joked with a buddy that we should take one out and put two guys on and start from there.  Sure enough three batters later it was first and second, one out.  Not a good start.  After loading the bases, Brad got yanked and things look realy bleak for Lidge's immediate future.  Now for the good, Ryan Madson came in and made swift work, getting two quick outs in a brilliant fashion.  Also nice from the pen, Brett Myers looked great in 1.1 innings before the near implosion of Lidge... More talk about closers and who it should be today or tomorrow.

Inconsistency nothing new for Phillies

Written by Mike Mariano | 08 September 2009

ColeHamelsStanceFlash-back to a week ago, Cole Hamels throws a complete game shut-out against the Giants and the Phillies take 2 of the 3 in the series.  The team is looking fantastic and the pitching staff is coming together nicely.  This week, the Phillies get swept by the Astros in a four-game series and the pitchers are all over the place again.  Every team goes through the rises and pitfalls over a baseballseason, but it has seems even wilder here in Philadelphia.  At any give time half the team is slumping and the other half is on fire.  The only time the whole team clicked at once, we won the World Series.  So the ceiling is there and the floor, well the team appears to be on cruise control to the playoffs, but anything is possible here.  At this point, it doesn't matter what happens during the regular season, so long as the team gets into the playoffs.  From there, who knows?

Brett Myers is back, where does he fit in?

Written by Mike Mariano | 04 September 2009

He's back.  Brett Myers is recoverd and rehabed from his torn hip labrum and was just activated.  So... where does the former No. 2 starter fit in for the 2009 Phillies team?

Not as a starter.  Not even in a pinch.  Jamie Moyer is the spot starter on this team and there is no reason to put Brett Myers in a situation where he will overuse his arm after an extended period off.  Brett Myers is a bullpen guy and a bullpen guy only.  He's not a closer.  He's not a set-up guy.  Not on this team, at least.

However, Brett Myers can be a great pitcher and will go a long way towards boosting a sagging bullpen this season.  Condrey has been hurt and is likely a non-factor the rest of the way.  Lidge and Madson have had their struggles.  Myers is back just in time to turn a potential weakness back into a strength.  Myers is especially valuable with a shaky back-end rotation.  If Pedro or J.A. or Blanton can go a solid six, a 7-8-9 of Myers-Madson-Lidge is going to be tough to crack.  Brett Myers is a good teammate and longtime Phillie, he should be a boost to the clubhouse from the moment he returned.

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