Kuzul

Since the end of the regular season, Phillies fans have bantered back and forth on the blogs about what would be the best line-up come next April. That’s not unusual, however; every passionate baseball fan does that. 

Sometimes we lose our minds in our quest to make our team the World Series Champions.  Perhaps I, too, have lost my mind, but I think for the Phillies to win it again with their aging nucleus of players, they have only one option: sign Josh Hamilton!

Alright already, I can hear all those brave bloggers bowing up behind their computers saying I must be crazy or I don’t know anything about baseball.  But I will try to make my argument.

The Phillies have two glaring weaknesses heading into the next season.  Third base and center-field.  With the sudden demise of Placido Polanco and the departure of Shane Victorino those positions are unoccupied.

Going after a third basemen free agent would be a mistake because of the mediocrity of those available.  Kevin Youkilis is declining in production; he is not a great clubhouse guy and is injury prone.  Do you really want to invest in him for more than one year?  The Mets will have difficulty parting ways with David Wright and will probably resign him.  The rest of the free-agent pool for third basemen is not worthy of discussion. And forget a trade for A-Rod—he is a risky investment for many reasons beyond just money. Also forget the idea of playing Utley at the hot corner; he cannot handle it.

The Phillies should stick with Kevin Frandsen for a year until Cody Asche is ready.  He will give more than 100 percent and, although he may make a few errors, he also can make some big-time game savers as well. His .338 average was impressive although he only had 195 at bats.

Enter Josh Hamilton.  The multi-talented outfielder may already have made up his mind to stay in Texas but considering the way the fans treated him at the end of the year and Nolan Ryan’s obvious frustration, the Rangers might just let him walk. Now I know everyone will be saying there is just no way Ruben Amaro will convince the ownership to cough up the big bucks.  And there will be the detracting element that will say ”no thank you, too much drama.”  But despite the drama, he still puts up huge numbers and plays an awesome center field.  

Can you imagine how much better Utley and Howard will be with him in the middle of the lineup? For Hamilton, leaving Texas may be difficult; getting his wife Katie to commit to Philadelphia might be even harder.

In all probability the Phillies ownership will not deal with Scott Boras, so Michael Bourn might not be an issue.  Charlie Manuel’s lack of tolerance for clubhouse disruptions may disqualify both of the Upton brothers. Victorino? I doubt if Amaro will give him what he wants. Forget John Mayberry—he can’t hit right-handed pitching. Dom Brown, no way.  Josh Hamilton? The only choice.

The Phillies will be able to handle the contract despite everyone’s disapproval of another big multi-year fiasco.  Amaro said he thought Halladay, Howard, Utley and Rollins were still capable of another championship. They will save money with Ruf in left, who will prove himself like ‘The Bull” Greg Luzinski did back in the early seventies, and although it may be difficult to watch defensively, they could also go cheap with a platoon of Brown and Mayberry in right field. They have a worthy nucleus of young relievers with Horst, Aumont, DeFratus and either Stutes or Friend. They are as capable as most of those available.

In 2014, the Ryne Sandberg led Phillies will bring up Tyson Gillies and Cody Asche.  Asche will take over third and Gillies center. Hamilton can play right. Hernandez or Galvis could play second.  By that time there will be a changing of the guard with the starters as May, Pettibone, Martin, Morgan and maybe Biddle will be ready for their shot. With all those young stars in 2014, the money situation should not be an issue.   

So a lineup of Rollins, Utley, Hamilton, Howard, Ruf, Ruiz, Mayberry/Brown, Frandsen looks very impressive.  I may be dreaming, but I am sure I am not the only one who has detached himself from reality on this one. Now all we have to do is convince Hamilton and Amaro.  Oh yeah and all you bloggers as well.  

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Jim Leyland is heading back to the World Series. Already sporting an elusive World Series ring, could it be possible he will soon have one for each hand? No other current manager has more than one. With Tony LaRussa stepping down last year (he has three) and Joe Torre’s retirement after the 2010 season (he has four), Leyland can become the only active manager with more than one. But does that make him an elite manager?

To be a member of the club you not only need lots of wins, but you absolutely must have at least one ring. Still there are some managers who own a ring but do not have a great number of wins. So what about two championships? Is that enough for elite status?

Rating managers can certainly be subjective. Wins and championships make it easy, but other factors like game strategy, likeability, evaluating player talent, winning in clutch situations and discipline can be up for discussion. Some managers are task oriented; others are passionate instrumental leaders. The great ones are both, and they win with great players or mediocre teams.

Let’s take a look at the great baseball managers based simply on wins and championships.

Connie Mack, John McGraw, Tony LaRussa, Casey Stengel, Bucky Harris and Joe McCarthy combined many wins with championships. Mack has the most wins with 3,731 and has five championships, but he also has more losses than wins. McGraw is second in wins (2,763) with three championships. McGraw, who was a great player, also had a .586 winning percentage. LaRussa is third in wins with 2,728 and has won three championships. Old timer Bucky Harris, with 2,158 wins and three championships, is right there at the top.

Perhaps the greatest manager ever was Joe McCarthy, who is eighth in wins (2,125), owns a .615 winning percentage and won seven championships. Lefty Gomez once said that after he had pitched a four-hitter in the front end of a double header, he pulled out a fifth of vodka in the bullpen and was almost through it when “Joe Mac” came out to talk to him. He didn’t care if Gomez had guzzled the vodka. He told him “the other starter had hurt his arm and you have to pitch the second game as well.’  Gomez said “there was just no way he could that man down.” The Hall of Famer went out and pitched another four- hitter. Joe McCarthy had that respect.

What about the charismatic Casey Stengel? He may be eleventh in wins (1,905), but he won seven championships. Stengel was such a colorful character that his personality alone made him a great manager. His players loved him.

Miller Huggins only has 1,413 wins but has three championships.

You can’t overlook the great Dodgers managers. Walter Alston has 2,040 wins and four championships, Leo “The Lip” Durocher has 2,008 wins and four championships and Alston’s protege Tommy Lasorda has 1,599 wins and has won three championships. The Dodgers have their very own elite club of managers.

The late Sparky Anderson is sixth on the list in wins (2,194) with three World Series rings. The late Dick Williams won two championships and is twentieth in wins (1,571). Both elite managers.

Recently retired managers LaRussa and Torre are right there with the elite, with Torre having 2,326 wins and 4 championships and LaRussa 2,728 wins and 3 championships. LaRussa coached for 33 years. Torre struggled early as a manager but proved himself in the late1990s, winning three World Series championships in a row from 1998-2000.

We must measure an elite manager by wins and championships, but what about one of the best player’s manager ever, Bobby Cox? He only won one World Series but has 2,504 wins and five pennants. Most baseball people would say he is an elite manager.

As Jim Leyland waits for his attempt at his second World Series ring, he also awaits his shot at history. Leyland is fifteenth on the list of victories with 1,676. He has one World Series ring. The Detroit Tigers are poised to win the championship. Standing in their way will be either the Cardinals or the Giants.

The Giants have their own great manager in Bruce Bochy. With his Giants teetering on elimination, Bochy has 1,454 wins and one ring. He will be a formidable opponent should they get to the Series.  He too would then be poised to accept elite status, but the elder Jim Leyland will be waiting.

Should the Cardinals get there under Mike Matheny, he will have his work cut out for him as a rookie manager. Leyland will be waiting for him too.

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According to Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro has stated that there is no No. 1 priority for next year.  With no talk of improving the outfield and an obviously shallow free-agent pool at third base next year, Phillies fans may not be so enthusiastic about jumping into the 2013 season next year. 

Phillies fans have been mired in disappointment this season after the last five.  A team that had all the makings of a dynasty was only able to secure one World Series championship in that time.

This year, the reasons were quite obvious: poor situational hitting, an inept bullpen in the first half of the season, injuries to marquee players, a weak defense and an ineffective manager who could no longer ride the train once the wheels were no longer going “round and round.”

Charlie Manuel and his hitting coach, Greg Gross, have done nothing to improve the hitting issues.  Perhaps the team has aged to a point where it’s not about situational hitting, but bat speed. 

The team’s top players—Rollins, Utley, Howard and Victorino before he was traded—struggled to keep their averages above .250.  The bullpen was atrocious, as Chad Qualls, Antonio Bastardo and a combination of young arms proved unable to hand the ball over to closer Jonathan Papelbon. 

Injuries to Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, the demise of smooth-fielding third baseman Placido Polanco and the trade of Shane Victorino weakened the offense, and the defense significantly.  

When this concoction of unsavory ingredients was added to the stew, the odoriferous mixture fouled the air and the manager struggled to “stir the pot.”

It certainly is unfair to place the entire blame on Charlie Manuel; after all, it was Amaro who helped stock the provisions on the pantry shelf.  But both men had a hand in fostering the disappointment.

When Amaro said there was no No. 1 priority, I am sure he meant there were several problems all of equal weight.  

The outfield, in my opinion, should be their No. 1 priority because Brown and Mayberry are nothing better than bench players.  Ruf has to prove he can hit major league pitching and play left field.  It is obvious now that Victorino and Hunter Pence are sorely missed despite all their fan detractors.

The Phillies’ front office cannot be serious that the outfield is not a top priority. A trade for a strong defensive center fielder who can hit for average is an absolute must. Signing Josh Hamilton is a pipe dream, but if you want to restore the team to a higher standing, that would certainly work.  Since that is probably not going to happen, though, signing Michael Bourn is a possible solution.

Unfortunately, the corner outfield positions would still be in flux.     

Amaro could trade for Padres third baseman Chase Headley, but that might require trading one of their young pitching prospects. And minor league youngsters Cody Asche and Maikel Franco are turning some heads at third, but both are still at least a season away. 

The Phillies absolutely must improve the overall defense, but how that can be done without a trade or a free-agent signing is anyone’s guess. Utley and Howard hopefully will see a return to good health next year, but can they improve those mediocre averages, or is Father Time creeping up on them early?  

The Phillies brass has remained steadfast in their defense of Charlie Manuel.  With that commitment, maybe principle Phillies owner David Montgomery should promote a “prozac night” at Citizens Bank Park.  

Or should a managerial change be made now rather than later?

When the time comes and Manuel does hand over the spoon to Ryne Sandberg, let’s hope the ingredients are such that he can mix up a fragrant bouquet and not be tormented by an odoriferous blend of bad ingredients.

In addition, let’s hope that the keys to the train Ruben Amaro hands over to Hall of Famer Sandberg fits the ignition. Phillies fans deserve to shout “Whoo, Whoo!” when the wheels start turning.

All aboard!      

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