Why?

So Long Suckas!

 

Why would Ryne Sandberg, the manager of a big league ball club, “resign” mid-season? 

He has to know this means he will most likely never get a chance to manage in the big leagues ever again. Any General Manager now has to see him as an unreliable guy who may leave them hanging when the going gets tough.  How comfortable would the players on a team with a losing record feel with him as their manager?

Could be he would wanted leave on his own terms rather than being unexpectedly fired like his predecessor Charlie Manuel. Ryne’s big day came at the same time Phillies Favorite Uncle Charlie was blindsided.

For a manager to quit mid-season is a clear lack of respect to the leaders above him.  Maybe Ryne wanted to let Ruben know exactly what he thought of him.  Sure, Ruben hired him but afterwards what did he give him?  All Sandberg has had since he took the job is a disaster of a roster.  No manager could win with this group of players.

It had to be frustrating when The Big DomBrownski was promoted from a lackluster minor league showing to being the right fielder again.  It’s pretty clear, Ruben is determined to prove Brown is an everyday player.  Ruf demoted and Brown promoted.  As a manager with no say over the team he fields, this had to be infuriating.

(Did you see the end of the Friday night game? Way to be a coachable player Dom!  Mackanin, please bench him for Sundays game. I have tickets)

It’s possible the final straw was being forced to start Phillippe Aumont.  Everyone said the same thing when they heard he was being promoted to the big leagues again – Seriously!?!?  He has never produced in the Majors and his performance in the Minors has been underwhelming to say the least.  This guy is not and will never be a Major League Ballplayer.  Admit it was a bad trade and move on.  The fans and Sandberg knew when he was named the starting pitcher the game would result in a loss and an unnecessary burden on the bullpen.

Or maybe...

As a Hall of Fame player, from the Chicago Cubs, who endured many losing seasons he got to see firsthand what a manager losing respect of the club house was like.  It is more than reasonable to assume that Ryno saw the players no longer listening to him and playing their way rather than his.

Anyway...

It was pretty clear Sandberg would not be back next season as manager.   It was more than possible he would have been dismissed before the end of the season.  With rumors of Andy MacPhail being hired, changes are sure to be made.  First move would hopefully be a new General Manager immediately followed by a change at manager.

But....

No matter what the reason, Ryne Sandberg is a great baseball man.  He is a Hall of Fame player who worked his way from the lowest level of the Minor Leagues to realize his dream of managing a big league ball club.  Good for him.  How many people his age and with his resume are willing to start on the bottom and work their way to the top. 

At this point, the only R(h)yno my son will ever care about is the villain from the Spider-Man comics but I hope he gets the same drive and determination as the Hall of Fame Second Baseman.

Who will be the next full time manager of the Phillies?  I am still predicting Chase Utley will be filling out the lineup for the 2016 Philadelphia Phillies.

I will watch the Phillies so you don’t have to!

Erik Whitacre  @erikwhitacre

The Good, The Sad and The FIRE RUBEN

The Good, The Sad and The FIRE RUBEN.

At this point it is obvious there will be no playoff baseball for the Phightin Phils this season.

There has been some good.  Not a lot. Just some.

Mikael Franco is finally here.  He brings something the team hasn’t had in a long time – Personality. He looks happy when they are winning and mad when they are losing.  It’s a big change for the “baseball is a business and show no emotion” team we have watched the last few seasons.  Franco has a ton of potential. If he lives up to the hype, he is going to be the new favorite player for many Phillies fans.

Get your Franco T-shirts or jerseys and wear them to the games.  Don’t boil your kids hot dogs for lunch make them Phillies Francos. 

Cole Hamels looks great every time he takes the mound.  He is the definition of an Ace.  When he is pitching the Phillies have a chance to win.  It’s a shame the offense refuses to score any runs for him.

Remember in the 90’s when Curt Schilling was pitching lights out baseball every fifth day and the team wasn’t scoring?  Had they scored a few runs and added some wins to his lifetime record he would have easily been a first ballot Hall of Fame player.  He should have been elected first try anyway and it’s just wrong the he still missed on his second try.

When Hamels retires, and voters are on the fence about his career, the way he has pitched these last few seasons won’t be remembered but the losses will be.

On the rare occasions Papelbon gets the ball, there is confidence he will get the job done.  The Pirates loss wasn’t his fault.  He hasn’t even done or said anything stupid in a while.

Asche looks like he is ready for his opportunity to be the everyday left fielder and do his best with it.  He is a Phillies player to follow and root for.  He loves the game and works hard at it.  That’s a guy who could be exciting to watch over the next few years.

There has been plenty of sad.

Back to Cole Hamels who will miss his Friday night start with a strained hamstring.  It isn’t certain if he will need to go on the disabled list.  What a hit to his trade value if he goes on the DL.

One wild thought - is he is being shut down while some negotiations take place over the weekend? Doubt it but have we seen the end of an era?  That truly would be sad.

Utley and Howard are still every day players in Sandberg’s line up.  It is time for them to sit more than they play.  The Phillies will owe them both huge salaries next year no matter what happens for the rest of this season. If the team really is trying to see what young talent they have to build around for the future it is time to stop worrying about hurting feelings and letting someone else try to get a hit.

Darin Ruf was sent back to the minors to work on the game he was never allowed to work on in the majors.  What a shame.  He should have been given the opportunity to play every day to see what he could do.  Mike Schmidt is a big fan of Ruf and spoke of this on every Saturday and Sunday home game broadcast.

The Big Dom Brownski was called back up to the big team to take his place.  It seems pretty obvious at this point his six week tear last season was primarily due to big league pitchers not knowing how to pitch him.  As soon as teams got an accurate scouting report, pitchers and defenses made adjustments, his numbers decreased and he became the below average player we all know he is. Dom Brown is a 3 time loser – 1) He took his time reporting to the minors because he was upset he wasn’t going to be with the Phillies.  2) He is a Cowboys fan and not afraid to let Philly know it. 3) HE CAN”T HIT!  How many opportunities will this guy get? 

There has been plenty of FIRE RUBEN

Ruben needs to be fired before the trade deadline.  The opportunity to move Hamels, Papelbon, Francouer, Harang or anyone else who can bring a return of some young talent is too important to be lef to a GM who has proven beyond a reasonable doubt he doesn’t have a realistic strategy or vision for the future of this team.

The great GM’s have a strategy.  Billy Beane finds a way to get young players with massive potential. Because the A’s have a low budget he plays them until they are on the verge of costing too much and then trades them for more low priced young players and starts all over. The A’s may be in the AL West basement but Oakland fans have confidence it will only be a matter of time before they are contending for the division again. Are there any Phillies fans who think Ruben has the skills to build a team this way?

Jeff Luhnow (who replaced Ed Wade) and the Astros have built a team from the ground up. They are young, fun to watch, and have a real chance to hold on and win the AL West.  Do any fans think Ruben has the skills to build a contender in the next few years via the draft? With the Phillies unwilling to bring up young players, it might take 10 years.

Remember when the Red Sox had a fire sale of high priced players and finished last in the division only to be followed by a rebuild that led them to a World Series the following year?  The Red Sox knew when to unload their high priced players while they still had something to offer.  Do any fans have confidence Ruben could turn a team around in 1 season?  (To be fair the Red Sox tried to do an extensive rebuild again and this time it looks like they made some bad choices. Pablo and Hanley should have stayed out west.)

Not only has Ruben failed to make one trade this season he has created a massive jam for the outfield position.  The remainder of June and all of July should be Asche in left, Herrera in center and Brown (because it obviously won’t be Ruf) in Right.  Let Francouer play once or twice a week as a gift to the fans who don’t want to watch Brown underwhelm every night.

It was a smart move to release Sizemore.  He never added anything to a team in a rebuilding mode and not many fans were buying tickets just to see him.

Revere needs to be traded for someone with potential. There is no future for him in a Phillies uniform.  Ruben should have looked for a trade in the off season when he actually had value. He hit well last year and on a team that could use a fast center fielder who can slap the ball he might have been worth a decent player. 

Sandberg was Rubens pick for manager.   All time Phillies fan favorite Charlie Manuel was fired mid-season to give Ryno his shot.  Hiring the right manager is just as important as choosing the right players.

When Ruben goes Sandberg needs to immediately follow.

Let Larry Bowa manage the team for the rest of the year.  He will sit the players who aren’t playing and light some fires under the ones who need to be doing more.

The Phillies need to do something to show the fans they care.  The longer Ruben stays in charge and continues to underwhelm the more fans they will lose.

If you stopped watching this team don’t feel bad about it.  The bandwagon has been destroyed.  It’s not being a fair weather fan to have given up at this point. The players have given up on us and the GM thinks we are idiots!  When the wagon is rebuilt and ready to roll again there will be plenty of room.

Yes, I’m still watching the Phillies so you don’t have to! 

Ugh!

Erik Whitacre 
@erikwhitacre

A Different Black and Yellow

THE PIRATES ARE NOT THE PENGUINS OR THE STEELERS

The Phillies and the Pirates meet for four games this week at Citizens Bank Park.  While the best case scenario is the Phillies win the series, it is then O.K. to begin rooting for the fans of Pittsburgh to hope their hometown Pirates regroup and begin their journey to an N.L. Central Championship.

Besides the Pirates basically owning the Phillies over the last several seasons there is no real rivalry here.

Flyers vs. Penguins, now that is a hope for multiple 5 minute majors, a few misconducts and Flyers must win rivalry.  Sidney Crosby is the most irritating Canadian to come to the USA since Caillou.  If you have kids and watch hockey, you can appreciate why they are both awful, lame and should be deported!!

Eagles vs. Steelers, this is an every few season match up where Philly fans hope we win so we don’t have to hear and be jealous about their 6 Super Bowl rings.  Enough! We Know!  We all watch and enjoy Terry Bradshaw, the greatest Steelers quarterback ever, on Sunday mornings and his countless ridiculous commercials.  Have Pittsburgh fans taken notice of the Eagles best quarterback ever also working for Fox?  Never mind.  Let’s hope they haven’t.  Keep reading.

Who else is there to cheer for in the Pirates division?

Does anyone really want to see the St. Louis in the playoffs again?  Ever since that horrible 2011 October night with the Chris Carpenter shut out and the awful Ryan Howard Achilles injury the Cardinals have to be among the most hated teams for Phillies fans.  Let’s not forget J.D. Drew deciding against signing with Philadelphia to go on and become an underwhelming over paid Cardinal. Not enough reason for ya?  ROLEN!! (I was a big Scott Rolen fans so I won’t rip him)

How about the Cubs? The only thing in Philly more irritating than meeting a “life-long Cubbies fan” is a Red Sox or Dodgers fan. Sure, the Cubs are finally building a team that will eventually contend for a series but rooting for a Pennsylvania team is way better than a team from IllAnnoy.

The Reds are fine.  They do a good job of trying to win every year but boring is boring and the Reds are boring.  Griffey left years ago and they’re still in search of a personality. (Homer Bailey is the best name in baseball and one time he did get me a free Dominos pizza with his no-hitter.)

Who is left?  Oh yeah, the Brewers.  Eww.  Ever since Burger Prince Fielder went to the Tigers this team has gone from “I don’t care” to “Nobody outside of Wisconsin cares”  Ryan Braun used to be a great player and an even better role model until he got outed as a cheater and now the Brewers shouldn’t win anything until he retires.  Once again – Eww!!

Let’s be honest – the Phillies are tough to watch. 

There is still a lot of great baseball being played around the league. The Pirates started off a bit slow but are picking things up and have a real chance to be the National League representatives in the 2015 Fall Classic.  Root for them.  If you have the chance watch them.  They are an energetic team that loves playing baseball.  Remember when the Phillies were like that?

The Pirates have great uniforms and the second most awesome stadium in the league. AAARGH!!!

Chances are this won’t be a Red October so why not cheer for Black October?

On a related note – Phillies fans have not jumped off the bandwagon.  While the fan turnout at Citizens Bank Park is not overwhelming, each night it looks similar to many other teams around the league.  The White Sox, who are hoping to win the A.L. Central, played to an almost empty stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Phillies rank 19th in the league for fans in the stands. Washington and New York average about 4,000 more a game and the Braves about 4,000 less and the Marlins 6,000.

Every fan that has attended a game this season knows the organization goes out of their way to make it a great time and even with a last place team it is a fun night at the park. 

If you haven’t been to a game this season, get some tickets.  Even if it is just for the Phillies Bunts Meet and Greet on June 28th. If you want I will sign your ticket and you can show it to your friends and they can make fun of you!

I will watch the Phillies (and Pirates) so you don’t have to!!Erik Whitacre



@erikwhitacre

Best Ticket in Town

FRIDAY NIGHT BASEBALL IN PHILLY

If you’re only planning to watch one Phillies game this season make it Friday Night.

Phillies. Mets. Citizens Bank Park.

 Cole Hamels. Matt Harvey.

Forecast is for a perfect night.

 

The best pitcher in Phillies recent history versus the best pitcher in all of New York.  This has the makings of a one hour fifty five minute duel for the ages.

Sure, Hamels has had his ups and downs so far this season but against the rival Mets he is sure to bring his A Game. The biggest problem Cole has had this year is losing focus and making the mistake pitch. For those of you who have been watching, his mistakes have been big ones.  When he’s not making mistakes, he looks like a legitimate ace.  For most teams in the league, he is better than their current opening day starter.  His name is mentioned daily on MLB Network Radio as the top available pitcher who will be traded this season.  This week they’re thinking Red Sox or Blue Jays but knowing he can and most likely would decline a trade to Toronto, they are predicting Boston as his landing spot.

Matt Harvey, coming off Tommy John surgery, is 5-0 and has to be considered one of the best pitchers in the game so far this young season. Last week he outdueled the 200 million dollar man from the Nationals. He is legit and a lot of fun to watch. A New York without Derek Jeter is looking for a fan favorite and I predict Harvey will be the newly crowned King of New York Baseball by seasons end.

The best chance either team has to win this game is to take advantage of a mistake and hit the long ball.

Hopefully, the Phillies will realize this and start all their power hitters.  Sure, there haven’t been many long balls this year but Howard is starting to heat up while Ruf and Francouer have the ability to pop one at any time. Utley will be back from his benching and you can rest assured he will get at least one hit. This is a guarantee.

It is going to be a long summer for Philadelphia baseball fans. The opportunity for a great game won’t come around that often which is why this Friday night should be Baseball Night in Philly!!

Let’s Root Root Root for the Phillies!!

On a side note – even though we hate the Mets and hope everything they do turns out poorly they should be commended for their salute to the fallen NYPD officer on Tuesday Night.  Brian Moore, a lifelong Orioles fan (so much cooler than being a lifelong Mets fan) had tickets for the Tuesday game. His family attended for him.  The Mets flew all flags in the stadium and half-mast, wore NYPD hats during batting practice and a moment of silence for Officer Moore took place before the game. Some things are bigger than baseball and good for the Mets for being a class act and honoring a fallen hero.

I will watch the Phillies so you don’t have to!! Even though you should watch the Phillies even if it’s just this one time.

Erik Whitacre   

@erikwhitacre

AT LEAST THE WEATHER IS NICE

AT LEAST THE WEATHER IS NICE

Bill S watches this Weather girl everyday. He know ZERO Spanish

It’s good to start with something positive.

Saturday afternoon the Phillies lost another one.  For those counting at home, this is the 8th road series they have lost and brings them to a 5 game skid mark.  So far, this season has been full of embarrassing streaks.

I was lucky enough to not watch the game on TV.  Instead of sitting inside on a beautiful Saturday, I took the kids into the back yard and listened to the radio broadcast.  It is really nice to sit outside, have a beer and watch the kids play all while listening to a ball game. 

Baseball is the only sport that is just as good to listen to as it is to watch.  If you haven’t, or it has been a while, give it a try sometime.   The Phillies radio broadcast is a fun listen – even for a team that can’t find many wins.

Larry Anderson calls the Phillies hitters 1 dimensional.  Opposing defenses set their players up in perfect position for each hitter because they know where the ball is gonna be hit.

Ryan Howard could be batting .400 if he would only smack a ball down the 3rd base line every now and again. Friday night the Marlins had 4 infielders on the same side.

Chase Utley is hitting the ball hard and has nothing to show for it.  He hits the ball hard to the same places all the time. 

Darrin Ruf still gets to sit on the bench and have an at bat here and there.  It’s a shame he’s not allowed to play every day.

What does Grady Sizemore’s bat bring to this team or lineup?  Why is he even here?  

Cole Hamels didn’t do much to help himself get out of Philadelphia.  A strong outing versus the Marlins would have had Rubens phone ringing off the hook.  Instead, once again, he made the big mistake pitch prolonging his quest to break free to the land of a contending team. 

A strong outing by Cole could have led to a big offer. 

The Red Sox lost their everyday catcher on Friday night.  Their everyday catcher who is not really an everyday catcher.  A team looking to win a World Series needs an ace on the mound and a solid catcher behind the plate.

The Red Sox have a lot to offer.  Hamels and Ruiz could bring a nice return.

At this point, Ruben would be smart to make a Hamels deal happen now just in case his May, June and July aren’t as strong as the Phillies hope.

What if his trade value goes down?  Rubens has said all along he needs a big win from the Hamels trade. What if by holding on to him too long leads to a big loss?

I like Ruben as a guy but as a GM I am not sure he has the vision to know when to make the deal and who to take in return.

The biggest thing we’ve learned this week is that while the Phillies haven’t been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention theoretically they have been.

The best part about baseball is another day another game.  Even though this Phillies team is tough to watch I still find myself tuning in.

I will watch the Phillies so you don’t have to!

Erik Whitacre

@erikwhitacre

Puzzling Dilemma

So Saturday night is Autism Awareness night at Citizens Bank Park. We were thinking about taking our daughter and discussed it for a few weeks.

As a lifelong Phillies fan it has always been my dream to take my daughter to her first Phillies game.  Maybe she could see the Phanatic and go home and sleep with her Phanatic doll instead of the stinky dog she has slept with for the last few years.  We could get her a hot dog (which she wouldn’t eat) and a cotton candy.

Emma knows the Phillies.  She knows it is on our TV every night during the season.  She would probably recognize the field from all the times Caillou has been vetoed and we have turned on baseball.

Ultimately, we decided not to go. We were fearful the large crowd and cheers when the Phillies did well might lead her to meltdown.

Maybe we were wrong.

 The stadium is less than half full.  The Phillies offense has brought little to no cheers.  Perhaps this Autism Awareness Night would have been the perfect night to take her to her first game.

It is kind of sad.  Having attended many Phillies games in my life I am certain they will go out of their way to make it a fun night for all fans who attend the game and take extra care to assure those there for Autism Awareness Night have everything they need.

I doubt we will but maybe it is time to consider getting walk up tickets for the game.

What’s the worst that could happen?  She may go home wondering why fans in the stands started chanting E.A.G.L.E.S. EAGLES!!!

On a related note I can’t stop thinking about how my son wore a hand me down Victorino shirt on opening day.  My favorite Phillies player is Cole Hamels.  How much longer will he be here?  If I bought my boy one of his jerseys will he still be here when the shirt no longer fits?  What player on this team is worthy of the $20 bill for their name on the back?

On an unrelated note – why can’t they play Ruf every day for a month? Let’s see what he can do with a regular start.  Switch his position but daily at bats may show us what he can do. 

On a similar unrelated note – why is Franco still in the minor leagues?  Is anyone on the big club doing better than the players on the smaller club?

On a horrible note – The Mets are in first and the Phillies are in worst.  That’s sad.

As I finish typing this the Phillies beat the Braves 1-0.  SWEET!!!

Erik Whitacre 

 I will watch the Phillies so you don’t have to.

@erikWhitacre on Twitter.

No Hope. No Fear.

A Team Without Hope Is a Team Without Fear.

So Daredevil made its debut on Netflix Friday preventing a few nerds from tuning into the Phillies game.  While the Daredevil reviews are awesome, the Phillies looked great.

This season has been referred to by many as hopeless. Well, a team without hope is a team without fear.

A 7th inning 4 run offensive explosion led to a fun Friday night victory over the ugly uniformed probably won’t go very far in the playoffs again this year Nationals.

If Howard, Ruf, Utley, Ruiz and Francoeur can get hot, this team will score a lot more runs than the experts predicted. 

Minus the leadoff hitter, Jerome Williams looked like a good #4 pitcher.  The bullpen shut a potential playoff team down for a second night in a row and Papelbon pitched a perfect 9th for his second save of the season.

 

So Papelbon made another dumb comment the other night and he is even more hated now than he was on Tuesday (if that’s even possible) but he still goes out on the field and brings it every time he gets the ball.  The two things Papelbon does best:

save ball games and say stupid things.

Jimmy Rollins is too smart to be suckered into answering such a question but don’t we all hope he will always consider himself a Phillie?

The Phillies found a way to win the game and every player on the field did their part when the game was on the line.

Maybe it is silly to be optimistic for a team in the process of a tear down and rebuild but why not?  Make the season fun.  Find positives in every game.   I know it is fun to goof on them when they lose but they are still the Philadelphia Phillies and we are lucky to have them.

I know it may not happen that often this year but I love it when the Phillies win. 

With Hamels on the hill for Saturday Night there’s a good chance for 2 in a row.  Go Phillies!

Erik Whitacre 

I will watch the Philles so you don’t have to!!

Follow me on Twitter @ErikWhitacre

5 for 2015

5 for 2015

1) Jimmy Rollins and Cole Hamels will be playing in the World Series this year.

Jimmy Rollins was traded to a team ready to finally win the series. Leadership and experience is what the Dodgers have been missing all this time. Say what you want about J‐Roll but he has
seen it all and knows the game top to bottom. If it wasn’t for him, I question whether the Phillies
would have won in 2008. He has seen the horror of the 90’s and early 20’s and the
awesomeness of being on a contender. In the twilight of his career surrounded with All‐Stars, he
knows time is running out and there is a chance for a second ring. Yasiel will be Yasiel but
Jimmy will help him do it in style. Hamels WILL be traded. When the trade deadline approaches, I see 3 teams calling the Phillies –the L.A. Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and the San Diego Padres.

Based on what I have read the likely spot is the Red Sox. The Sox have put together a major
renovation and are only missing a legitimate #1 starter. Put Hamels on that team and they are
right at the top of the American League. The Padres have shown interest and want to win now. They may put together the best package for a #1 like Hamels.

The Dodgers will see the Padres have interest in Hamels and put together their own offer. Even
if the offer is not as good as San Diego Ruben will take it because the idea of being in every Los
Angeles newspaper and mentioned on L.A. talk radio will be too much to pass up on. The name
Ruben likes to hear most is Ruben!

So let’s forget the Padres. The Red Sox and Dodgers have legitimate chances to be in the 2015 World Series and Cole Hamels (my favorite Phillies player ever) puts them front and center to achieve this goal.

2) Papelbon will save 10 in a row and be booed mercilessly when he blows number 11.

So maybe Papelbon is a jerk. Maybe he is just a guy who with talent who doesn’t fit in and is always misunderstood. Who am I to judge?

In 2014 I think he was the MVP of the Phillies team. The bull pen was the bright point and I believe that his guidance to the young pitchers was a big part of it. How many saves did he have last year and how many losses did he have? Do I really need to look it up and add it? When I started writing this I didn’t realize this would actually take work. 39 Saves 3 Losses. 2.04 ERA. I threw in the ERA because I looked it up.
The Phillies won 73 games!! Had they been a contender he would have saved more. Maybe save the boo’s for a guy who isn’t trying 100% every time he takes the field.

3) Ryan Howard will hit 30 home runs and have 120 RBI’s and still be hated.
 

Somewhere along the way Phillies fans turned on Ryan Howard. The Ryan Howard who has that
nasty reputation of being one of the nicest professional athletes in the history of Philadelphia.
The same Ryan Howard who has awed Citizens Bank Park with monster home runs. The same
Ryan Howard who filled Philly with pride when he won the Home Run Derby. Remember that
night? It was awesome. Ryan Howard earned a monster contract and in my opinion had and still has every intention of living up to it.

Is it really his fault he tore his Achilles? I bet he would have preferred to not tear his Achilles. I
had inflammation in the bursa sac in my knee and didn’t even want to take out the trash. Ryan
Howard tore his ACHILLES and worked and worked to come back sooner than expected all to
become a villain who stole the big contract.

Last season, we saw flashes of the old Howard and this season I think I have confidence he will show that power again all the way up to the point when he is traded to an A.L. contender who
needs a DH. (Side prediction – Seattle Mariners – not sure why just a hunch.)

4) Dom Brown will not start the season or end the season on the Phillies roster.

The Dom Brown experiment is done. He just doesn’t get it. Being a big leaguer is not the most
important thing in his life. You can say he is full of talent and I will disagree with you. Talent
comes with knowledge and respect for the game. Raw talent comes with ignorance and a sense
of entitlement.

I see The Big Dom Brownski on a career path similar to Marlon Byrd. Marlon Byrd has had a nice
career but it has taken until its twilight for him to realize how special being a big league baseball player is. The big difference between Brown and Byrd is that Byrd has always been a likeable guy.

5) If Ruben goes Sandberg follows.
 

Ruben fired Charlie. Ruben promoted Sandberg. In my opinion, Ruben was afraid Sandberg was
going be taken away by another team and if he didn’t promote him when he did the Phillies
would miss out.

If this season turns into disaster and a new General Manager is hired, the first move to be made

is hiring a new manager. I like Ryne Sandberg. I hope he succeeds. I am old enough to remember how awesome it was to get a Sandberg card when I bought my Burger King meal or when a pack of Topps was still affordable.

I also respect how a Hall of Fame player was willing to start at the lowest level of the Minor

Leagues and work his way all the way to becoming the manager of the big club. How many
people these days have the patience to start at the bottom and stick it through to get to the
top?

My Prediction – Chase Utley will be the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016. Players

with no managerial experience is happening now and the Phillies won’t want to let Chase Utley
get away.

Hope you’re still reading. If you are I plan to write more this year.

I will watch the Phillies so you don’t have to!
Erik Whitacre