Phillies: Hit-or-sit questions and answers

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.