Behind the mask and the plate, the man who earned the starting gig will take his position to call the game on Opening Day for the 2018 Philadelphia Phillies; however, general manager Matt Klentak has yet to decide between his three possibilities.
The Tools of Ignorance:
If a person has the right combination of talent, ability, training, effort and dedication, then all that remains is handling the internal and external pressures of their chosen path.
With rebuilding in its third year including the trades of aging veterans in 2015, the Phillies are in their deciding season regarding the competition for 2018’s regulars, starters and back-of-the-bullpen arms. And although some spots already have the winning candidate, some players currently with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs are also in the mix. That stated, when the calendar turns to June, the front office will evaluate everyone vying for the rotation, the starting lineup and the top slots in the relief corps. But the total numbers aren’t the only statistical consideration if a player rebounds from a slow start or cools off after an early April hot streak.
By comparison, the 1950 Phils were 88-55 before they faced a reversal of fortune and finished at 91-63. Firstly, southpaw Curt Simmons missed September after the National Guard activated his unit due to the Korean War. Health-wise, two right-handed starters had campaign-ending injuries: Bob Miller slipped on wet stairs resulting in back trouble, and rookie Bubba Church took a comebacker off his face, which ricocheted in the air to right field.
Wins through August:
- Roberts with 17 victories.
- Simmons with 17 victories before missing September.
Facing a three-game playoff if they lost their final contest, the Philadelphia Phillies entered the clubhouse in Brooklyn without knowing the starter tabbed by manager Eddie Sawyer. Did skip say who’s pitching? No! But a little while later, Sawyer walked over and put the ball in his ace’s hand: Robin Roberts.
With such an important game ahead, no moundsman had time to think about it. Was Sawyer still making up his mind? On the other hand, maybe he didn’t want any hurler losing sleep with this critical outing weighing on him. Or he didn’t want Roberts to know until the last minute.
"NICE CATCH: “No one ever grew up intending to be an umpire, except perhaps my friend Billy Haller. His brother Tom wanted to be a catcher, so an affinity for masks must run in that family.” – Ron Luciano"