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18 Responses to “Is The Fastball Gone? No, Myers Is Being A Baby”

1. Tim Malcolm Says:
   April 28th, 2008 at 2:32 pm

   Personal update: I’ve been getting tremendous help from friends, family and my workplace. I’m taking the week off work (for the most part) while I get my life back. But I’ll be here as usual – the Phils are a nice therapy, somehow.

   Thanks to all for the kind words and well wishes. They’re all very much appreciated. Let’s talk some Phils.

2. Mike W. Says:
   April 28th, 2008 at 3:27 pm

   Good luck with everything Tim.

   Let’s talk about this Bastardo kid in Clearwater. These numbers are almost unbelievable. He is now 12-0 in his career (10-0 last year, 2-0 this year with 1.17 era). He’s also thrown 47 Ks in 30 innings. It’s time to talk about this kid being the next absolute real deal (not durbin).

3. Geoff Says:
   April 28th, 2008 at 3:44 pm

   If Myers cant be consistent this team is in trouble unless they replace him with a better starter or unless he starts taking his work seriously again. If he doesnt want to be a starter here then trade him to somebody that needs an bullpen arm for a starting arm. Youd probably be able to get a decent haul for myers actually if you bargain properly. Brad Lidge is a WAY better closer when hes healthy and hes on which he has been this season.

4. ryan Says:
   April 28th, 2008 at 3:49 pm

   you guys are completely overreacting. obviously myers has been disappointing so far this year, but he will get his things together. his arm probably is hurting a little but he’ll be alright in the long run. i still expect 15 wins and an ERA around 3.8 for Myers this year

   its seems obvious to me by this point that he will never live up to his full potential as a true ace in the majors. he’s a classic example of a million dollar arm and a ten cent head. but i don’t think we’ll ever change that. if anything he should take an example from the younger Cole Hamels who has an absolutely outstanding work ethic.

5. The Big Irish Says:
   April 28th, 2008 at 3:53 pm

   There are so many normally reliable, even strong, players across baseball not currently performing “up to par” that to worry too much about Brett Myers at this early stage is ridiculous. If he were not healthy, that would be completely different, but that does not seem to be a concern.

   I am about as worried about Brett Myers, either physically or mentally, as I am about Ryan Howard. Both guys are tremendous talents who have proven so over a period of time. Both will right the ship. Both will prove key contributors to a contending ball club before much more time passes.

6. Geoff Says:
   April 28th, 2008 at 4:23 pm

   It is mildly encouraging to see that they did better this april than last with myers and howard and other key players struggling. still, i expect howard to get out of his slump and start mashing to increase his trade value for november. i also expect myers to improve himself as well to be a solid starter who you can reply on for 16 wins per season. hes not an 18-20 game winner yet but he can be if he ever lives up to his potential. myers will win 20 games at some point in his career, though i dont know when or if he will ever repeat the task. hes a third starter though, not an ace and not a 2. they dont have a two and cole is obviously the ace when hes on (which is like 8 or 9 out of 10 starts). theyre missing a two, they really are. because myers is a three due to his inconsistency. moyer is a 5, eaton is a 5, kendrick is a 5 given their current states of performance.

7. Mike W. Says:
   April 28th, 2008 at 4:32 pm

   Also as of now, if we assume no injuries, we are going to have to decide who Benson replaces in the rotation, if anyone. Hopefully that will sort itself out, but we definitely can’t say he’ll replace eaton the way the season has started.

8. Mike T. Says:
   April 28th, 2008 at 5:05 pm

   Mike W: Bastardo should be up at some point this year.

   And on Myers. Like I said, let’s package him and Howard up and get them out of here. This team is so likable – except for Myers. I don’t want a personality like that on my team.

9. Bill Says:
   April 28th, 2008 at 10:48 pm

   Sounds like Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn. I hope he doesn’t start naming a pitch the eliminator! Seriously I hope he gets his act together because without him we will have a hard time repeating in the east.

   I think Benson will still replace Eaton. Even though he has been better he is the weak link in the staff. Especially if Kendrick continues pitch better, Eaton will be the one who goes.

10. Geoff Says:
    April 28th, 2008 at 10:54 pm

    If the Phillies were smart they would make Kyle Kendrick learn how to throw a better curve and a slider that doesnt get drilled out of the atmosphere when he throws it over the plate. make him take a few starts in AAA when benson comes up. i would let kendrick spend june resting and working on his new pitches in starts in AAA while benson gives you innings. by then itll be july and moyer will have gotten shelled in the first or second inning at least 5-7 more times so itll be time to shift kendrick into moyers vacated slot and reshuffle people a bit by giving spot starts to chad durbin and maybe someone lik ehapp or carrasco or bastardo here and there to give the other starters an extra day off when needed whihc i believe you must do. castro was ok in his time in the big league last year. so by the end of the season your rotation is hamels, myers (assuming he doesnt go barry zito or matt morris on us), benson, eaton, kendrick. thats presuming eaton remains fairly decent. im presuming moyer will be done by then, but i could be wrong. when he starts tiring and getting litup again and again in mid to late season like he did last year before recovering itll be time to cut your losses and ask him to be the pitching coach. anyways, myers needs to get right fast…

11. Geoff Says:
    April 28th, 2008 at 10:56 pm

    thats assuming they dont make any trades. id prefer to add another starters to go between hamels and myers if theyre actually serious about a pennant push.

12. Bruce Says:
    April 29th, 2008 at 12:48 am

    Latest team report:

    “RHP Kris Benson (right rotator cuff surgery in March 2007) had a setback late in spring training and was diagnosed with biceps tendinitis. His first start in extended spring training on April 26 was cut short due to a strained right groin. He will be down from throwing for a few days.”

    It now appears that the injury proned pitcher may not be ready till sometime in June at the earliest.

    As I mentioned in a recent post, Benson is not an automatic for the Phillies rotation once he is done rehabing (likely includes stints with the Phillies’ AAA farm club where he can continue to strengthen his arm and fine tuning his repertory of pitches). If and when he does join the Phillies, he probably will be relegated to the bullpen for a period of readjusting to MLB hitters. If he proves to be consistently effective in the bullpen, he may get first call as an emergency starter to replace another in rotation that is injured or struggling.

13. Geoff Says:
    April 29th, 2008 at 8:26 am

    People are all hoping he comes sometimes in June. If hes delayed, theyre going to have to go get somebody or call somebody up because I cant see this rotation holding up. Brett Myers has a dead arm right now (88mph), and you cant have that from your opening day starter. moyer is moyer, if he doesnt get the calls hell give up 5 runs in the first two to three innnings and get pulled. every quality start from eaton is a plus, and kendrick, in the time since i said this yesterday, still hasnt learned to throw a curveball. Theyre gonna need help in may and june.

14. Don M Says:
    April 29th, 2008 at 12:45 pm

    To say that you can rely on Brett Myers to win 16 games is just incorrect… the MOST he’s won in a seson his entire career is 14 games, in 2003. He won 11 in 2004, 13 in 2005, 12 in 2006… He has a career ERA of 4.37… doesn’t look like he’ll win a CY Young anytime soon. He has great potential, but the bullpen flip-flop sure didn’t help…neither does the fact that Lidge is most likely gone after this year, and Myers will probably be moved back to the closer-role… no wonder he doesn’t want to spend a year getting his arm strecthed out, if he won’t need for next year. Meanwhile.. I can’t believe that some things aren’t “mandatory or you get benched” ….Manuel wants Howard to move up in the box to protect the plate… he doesn’t want to, so he doesn’t. Rich Dubee has wanted Brett Myers to throw long toss to strengthen his arm.. Myers doesn’t want to, so he doesn’t… If they are going to act like stuburn little kids, then they should be treated as such.. give them a “timeout” sit their asses on the bench and make them abide to the instructions their coaches give. The same thing happened before with Myers when Joe Kerrigan was the pitching coach.. I think JK said something along the lines of Myers being the most spoiled and immature pitcher he’d ever been around???

15. Geoff Says:
    April 29th, 2008 at 1:12 pm

    I said, either said or meant, that you SHOULD be able to get Myers to win 16 games with his talent. If he wants to be in the bullpen then put him in the bullpen, closer or not (as long as lidge is here..not). Lidge is a far better closer right now but myers can setup if hes complaining so much. of course, they would have to then go out and get another starter (shudders to think what they would come back with if they got another starter) and gillicks record isnt as hot on that. If he gets shelled a few more times they will move him to the bullpen like barry zito and either go get somebody or start calling people up to audition for the 5th starter role. (hamels as ace, moyer – ugh – as the 2, eaton the 3, kendrick the 4). thats scary, theyd have to go out and get somebody because thats all screwed up. moyer as 2 doesnt look right. theyd need to go get a 2.

16. Lewisauce Says:
    April 30th, 2008 at 8:53 am

    Unless something catastrophic happens to Lidge, Myers is not leaving the rotation (at least not this year). Whiner or not, his job is to pitch seven innings or so every fifth day, and that will be his job until the autumn. He isn’t going anywhere.

    They need to find a way to fix him — or more accurately, he needs to find a way to fix himself. That is the only option.

    (And even if something catastrophic happens to Lidge, I would think they’d try to give the job back to Flash before they moved Myers. The starting rotation is just too shallow to justify moving Myers to the pen unless Lidge and Flash both get DL-ed for an extended period of time.)

17. Geoff Says:
    April 30th, 2008 at 9:51 am

    Sure but you cant keep sending someone out there that is ineffective. Myers was dominant in like one start this whole season. some hes done ok in, and like 2 or 3 of them he has been terrible. if something is wrong with him you have to fix it before you sttart throwing away games. See Barry Zito and Matt Morris: when your velocity goes youre done unless you know how to adjust like the guys that last past age 35. Myers is 27 though, so if hes not hurt than he is just really mentally not there (which is what i think). When he gives up a hit or walks somebody he starts breakthing fast and heavy and begins overthrowing and it eventually will often lead to him giving up a homerun and getting pulled.

18. Monthly Monday MLB Report Card: Philadelphia Phillies « Them’s Good Eaton: Philly/New York sports with a “PC twist” Says:
    May 6th, 2008 at 1:39 pm

    [...] Myers preferred to close, he’d do whatever he needed to help the team. Gee, Brett, how about listening to your pitching coach so your fastball doesn’t top out at 88? The Phils will gladly take a 4.70 ERA from many of [...]

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