Phillies Nation

27 Responses to “Sizing up the Arms of the National League”

1. Jeff Says:
   September 10th, 2009 at 3:35 pm

   Cards vs. Phillies in the NL Championship. The Phillies in gave 7 have a 5-4 lead in the 9th inning. Ryan Howard just it a bomb to put us ahead. Who will Charlie go with in the 9th inning to close. Here come Ledge. He gets to quick outs. Then gives up a single. Here come Albert. Round 2. Here is the pitch,,,,,,I woke up at 3:45 am. WOW…It was just a BAD BAD BAD DREAM. OR WAS IT?????

2. wes Says:
   September 10th, 2009 at 3:41 pm

   what do you think of the addition of garland and padilla for the dodgers?

3. Pat Gallen Says:
   September 10th, 2009 at 3:43 pm

   Wes, it certainly helps but they are back of the rotation guys. And if the front of the rotation isnt healthy, it’s not going to do them much good. I still fear the Dodgers a bit though, no doubt.

4. Morris Buttermaker Says:
   September 10th, 2009 at 4:02 pm

   The Cardinals are the best team in the NL right now. They are playing great ball. Something like 33-11 since trading for Matt Holliday. But the Phillies always play well against them.

   The Dodgers seem to have the best overall pitching. On ESPN today, they claimed the Dodgers have not given up more than 4 earned runs in 29 straight 9 inning games. But their hitting is still in a funk, and they once again are just not built for the playoffs.

   The Giants have two of the best pitchers in the league, too bad they can’t score more than 2 runs, and need a 5 man rotation. They seem to be quietly fading away.

   And it is finally time to give props to Joe Blanton, the man has had a mighty fine year. It’s not always pretty, but the man knows how to get a win.

5. psujoe Says:
   September 10th, 2009 at 4:14 pm

   cards rotation is excellent and they really helped thier line up by adding Holliday and Lugo. How about Ryan Franklin’s turn around. Man. 37 of 40 SO.

6. Jon Says:
   September 10th, 2009 at 4:35 pm

   I take it “arms” doesn’t include bullpen arms?

7. Pat Gallen Says:
   September 10th, 2009 at 4:35 pm

   PSU – Ryan Franklin makes me sick. He STUNK here. He wanted to be a starter, too, which he wasnt very good at either.

8. Pat Gallen Says:
   September 10th, 2009 at 4:39 pm

   Jon – Negative. But that’s not bad, thanks for the idea later in the week.

9. hotstove Says:
   September 10th, 2009 at 4:47 pm

   In my opinion the NL isnt as good as it is being made out to be. The Coors bombers in colorado pitching isnt that great and the Dodgers can add every broken down old or mediorce pitcher out there and they wont be anybetter. The Phillies and Cardinals have very good pitching. Lee/ Hamels/ Blanton/ Happ is up there with Wainwright/ Carpenter/ Pinero/ Smoltz. As of right now we should play st.louis in the NLCS after we beat LA and they beat colorado or reversed pending if the Dodgers choke. The Phillies should split wainwright and Carpenter and win the next to vs Pinero and Smoltz and its like the dodgers last year. Lee or Hamels on the mound in game 5 to close it out. World Series vs yankees its anyones game I wont lie.

10. phils_ftw Says:
    September 10th, 2009 at 4:52 pm

    Pat, I know what you mean. Though I bet that is how Astros fans felt when they watched Lidge last year.

11. Baseballbriefs.com Says:
    September 10th, 2009 at 4:58 pm

    Baseballbriefs.com tracking back Sizing up the Arms of the National League…

    Baseballbriefs.com tracking back Sizing up the Arms of the National League…

12. Pat Gallen Says:
    September 10th, 2009 at 4:58 pm

    PHILS_ftw: At least Lidge was great for 2 seasons before his implosion. When was Ryan Franklin ever great? And now all of the sudden?

13. Chuck Says:
    September 10th, 2009 at 5:17 pm

    I like our pitching……or rather I should say….the POTENTIAL of our pitching…..in the playoffs a lot. BUT…..it’s not gonna be easy against the Cards or the Giants. Period. Expect low scoring games, much like what we saw last week with the Giants series here.

    We CAN get to the Series again….but does anyone realize just how hard it is to repeat? Just ask the 2001 Yankees (a VERY good team) when they went up against the buzzsaw of Schilling and Randy Johnson in the WS.

14. j reed Says:
    September 10th, 2009 at 6:03 pm

    One of the things we need to remember is Happ might be questionable. The recovery rates from obliuque injuryies are notoriously slow which considering that this is the same injury he suffered a ways back only augments the concern.

15. Morris Buttermaker Says:
    September 10th, 2009 at 6:04 pm

    I hate Ryan Franklin too. One of my least favorite Phillies ever. He probably went out to St. Louis and got some of their new steroids. Ohh wait, are we not allowed to mention the high number of roiders and HGH’ers who have played for Tony LaRussa?

16. j reed Says:
    September 10th, 2009 at 6:21 pm

    Pat Gallen -haven’t you noticed there’s quite a few ex-Phillies pitcher success stories out there and it aint due to our pitching program….Remember Hamels was a gift from Baby Jesus, and Happ has done well considering his stuff isn’t spectacular but a true measure will be how well he does once the league adjusts to him.

17. dodger fan Says:
    September 10th, 2009 at 6:29 pm

    Good list. Although including the bullpens would change the list.

    Also important to note that the Phils and Dodgers starting pitching are the more uncertainty right now than the Cards, Giants and Rockies.

    Is the old Lee coming back and how is Happ’s health? How is Hamels going to pitch in October? (Who would start game 2 for you?)

    Is Billingsley coming back and are Kershaw and Wolf healthy for October?

    I would rank the bullpens: LAD, SF, STL, PHI, FL, COL.

18. j reed Says:
    September 10th, 2009 at 6:29 pm

    Morris – Someone there improved his cutter…that’s it. That’s all he throws now. The Rivera formual i suppose. He looks like the Heat Miser.

19. The Original Chuck P Says:
    September 10th, 2009 at 6:31 pm

    I think that Happ will be alright… he did it during batting practice so hopefully it won’t be something that he’s going to reaggravate on the mound (it’s not due to throwing).

    The Cards will be tough… would love to see the Giants/Cards match-up in the first round. Give me the Dodgers or the Rox. Would love a chance to sweep the Rox in the first round. Don’t look now but the Rox are only 2.5 GB the Dodgers. Where’s that dodgersfan twit?

20. j reed Says:
    September 10th, 2009 at 6:31 pm

    We don’t have a bull pen, maybe you confused it with the MASH unit that’s there now

21. j reed Says:
    September 10th, 2009 at 6:35 pm

    are you kidding me about Happ? they are flirting with a sportsman hernia…where’d we get our trainers from – frigging Ballys Total Fitness

22. j reed Says:
    September 10th, 2009 at 6:36 pm

    Pray for Rox

23. Manny Says:
    September 10th, 2009 at 6:40 pm

    I’m satisfied with the reigning AL CY Young and the WS MVP… thanks.

24. j reed Says:
    September 10th, 2009 at 6:50 pm

    Original ChucK – the issue isn’t whether he was batting or pitching…Granted there are neuromuscular pattern specfiic to each activity but the oblique is a very important muscle used to rotate the torso. Rotation is the principle movement in both batting and pitching. Besides this is the NL: if he pitches, unless in relief, he bats.

25. Pat Gallen Says:
    September 10th, 2009 at 6:54 pm

    Love the conviction of that statement Manny.

26. Manny Says:
    September 10th, 2009 at 6:56 pm

    Forgot to add the likely NL ROY….

27. phil Says:
    September 11th, 2009 at 11:08 am

    that ranking sounds about right.

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