Phillies: Hit-or-sit questions and answers
Unless the Phillies can avoid the fatigue of baseball from mid-February into October, the clamor for the traditional way of active roster construction is questionable.
Collision of beliefs:
Since the introduction of analytics, fans on both sides of the argument can endlessly debate the pros and cons of its value–or lack thereof. And the Philadelphia Phillies faithful are no exception, especially when the first sign of trouble “begs” for advice from the stands.
IN OTHER WORDS: “Well, there are three things that the average man thinks he can do better than anybody else. Build a fire, run a hotel and manage a baseball team.” – Rocky Bridges
In 1914, major league baseball instituted the 25-man roster with decreases coming only from the demise of the Federal League in 1915, the Great Depression and two world wars. But the possibility of expanding the active 25 for an entire campaign never came to fruition.
Despite the difficulty assembling a roster, the MLB has resisted an increase to it. And even thought it makes the final cuts challenging, those last decisions are there by design.
While many locals can remember a game-winning homer, a spectacular defensive play or a brilliant tactical move by a skipper, execs have their moments as well. For instance, general manager Matt Klentak’s 25th man was a long reliever to protect the question marks in his rotation. Will this be his slam dunk?
Years ago, a third catcher was the usual selection for the last slot. But Klentak did not opt to carry a third receiver: An extra bat off the bench wasn’t his preference. However, most franchises only have two backstops these days.
During the postseason, some organizations add a speed merchant to their active 25 because a pilfered bag or a dash from second base can determine the deciding run. So, Roman Quinn was a consideration with his wheels, glove, and bat. Cut!
The 13th position player usually is a pinch-hitter, a fifth outfielder or a utility infielder. Additionally, a late-game defender is an ideal replacement for a slugger with below-average fielding. The reason is to cover a weakness.
Embrace the change:
As for the 25th man, an extra reliever is the eighth arm in the Phillies’ pen, and right-handers Mark Leiter (the favorite), Jake Thompson and Drew Hutchison were the candidates. For now, Thompson is adapting to that role with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. And Leiter is on the DL.
On the other hand, Hutchison’s longest outing was only for two innings on March 30 with two disappointing efforts out of four appearances. But he’s probably just keeping the bullpen seat warm for Leiter due to his 5.79 ERA. Or does management go back to the norm of seven hurlers?
With three starters who could have a short outing at any time, Klentak wanted a long man to salvage an abbreviated performance, begin anew the contest after a lengthy rain delay, or pitch multiple frames in an extra-inning game. But if that happens now, what reliever will be able to handle four or five frames?
Double D, a poster from a Phillies site, asked about playing time for Nick Williams and felt it would benefit him starting every day. Well, Aaron Altherr averaged .272 with 19 home runs in 2017. What would his position be? That stated, no player can guarantee initial or repeated success and good health.
Is J.P. Crawford the everyday shortstop? Well, Double D, he must earn his starts like everybody else, but he’ll have enough at-bats to thrive in the majors. And his defense is a valuable commodity; however, Cesar Hernandez and Scott Kingery can both handle short, if necessary.
FROM AN ANALYTICAL MIND: “There will always be people who are ahead of the curve, and people who are behind the curve. But knowledge moves the curve.” – Bill James
Maximizing talent:
In the past, teams had an everyday eight, and some stars appeared in every contest and started most of them. The problem is that many players suffer from fatigue in September. To illustrate, Rhys Hoskins and Crawford each had a noticeable drop-off in their stats.
After August as Phillies:
- Hoskins: 28 Gms., 91 AB, 20 H, .220, 7 HR and 23 RBI.
- Crawford: 23 Gms., 70 AB, 15 H, .214, 0 HR and 6 RBI.
The days of the 2011 Phillies with four aces are over. Because even though they had 102 triumphs, they didn’t advance to the NLCS. The St. Louis Cardinals hit two of their four studs. Worn-out?
For recent summers, decision-makers have been creative regarding the 25-man roster: The trend is toward versatility. In other words, one player can handle many roles: pinch hitter, a defensive replacement for two or three positions, designated hitter for interleague play, a pinch runner and/or a substitute for an injured regular.
Klentak has taken things one step farther with 10 regulars to prevent the tiredness of September during the 162 grind. Ergo, a playoff advantage. But it’s only workable if all 10 contribute to the offense.
Hit or sit! Yes, it sounds arctic but is just chilly. For example, having to produce is a constant for every player. But staying fresh helps the good guys have more success, not less.
Evaluating the plan:
The Phillies faithful are experiencing confusion regarding a concrete starting eight: moving a player to another position to accommodate a fan favorite. However, trading one or two –some believe– is another way to make room for a preferred hitter.
Many locals have stated things would be smoother for a regular to learn one position and play every day. But which youngster do you give up on? For instance, Domonic Brown after his huge May would have been a keeper on June 1, 2013.
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Since only armchair GMs can make hasty decisions, 10 players will continue with Klentak’s strategy. But keep in mind, these men are not chess pieces. They are human beings, and the higher-ups must treat their employees fairly. But guess what workers do on this job too? Complain!
In the outfield, Williams and Altherr were the strugglers through April 6. But Williams has eight hits in his last seven contests for a .364 mark. Yes, he was unhappy about his playing time, but he didn’t waste the opportunity he got.
Around the horn, Crawford was off to a slow start like last year for Lehigh Valley. He was batting .043 on April 10, but recently he plated the go-ahead run with a seventh-inning knock. Including that, he’s hit in four consecutive games to bat .385 for those contests.
Next: Phillies starting to gel
To sum up, manager Gabe Kapler gave at-bats to Williams, Crawford, and Altherr as a get-them-started incentive. But he only sat one productive bat per contest: Maikel Franco on April 10, Hoskins on April 11 and Franco on April 13. But what did that motivation produce? Winning!