For many Phillies fans, perception has clouded reality from game one through the present, and they have a fault-finding litany of complaints from the managing partner down to lack of performances from injured players.
Today and tomorrow:
If questionable expectations were a virtue, the Philadelphia Phillies faithful –many but not all– would qualify for sainthood. Basically, an organization invests millions of dollars to develop pitchers and hopes a few will be in their five-man staff for multiple 162s, and they exhaust every option before abandoning their effort.
"IN OTHER WORDS: “There are more teams looking for pitchers than there are pitchers. That’s why it’s pricey.” – Brian Cashman"
The belief here in early April was a four-team race for the National League East pennant with health being the determining factor. Without it, each franchise would have a shot at an NL Wild Card berth, so the standings aren’t a total surprise if you consider the Fightins’ rotation and the others’ bullpens on Opening Day.
If you heard a win-now stance and saw it as a goal instead of a guaranteed NL pennant, you wouldn’t be bitter and scapegoat the entire club for not strongly contending for the divisional title. You saw what you wanted to see. Realistically, wishful thinking doesn’t lead to a well-thought-out conclusion.
To illustrate, many expect a reliever to retire the batters he faces. So, he records the outs and he does his job with an occasional hiccup. Translation: If one run allowed in one inning is a poor outing, four bad performances at 93.3 percent for 60 appearances are tolerable: Management expects 80 percent or 12 unacceptable results.
To me, fans are just being fans, and I expect the complaints after their emotional investment in the Phils. But if you look at this like 2007, a Wild Card Game will prepare you for next season regardless of the outcome or an NLDS exit at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In the next free-agent class of top starters, organizations will have four southpaws and four right-handers to bid on for their rotations. Some are aging veterans, two- or-three-slot hurlers and one ace, but many fans have a downside to consider other than bullets left in their arms.
As for the red pinstripes, they have Aaron Nola at the head, Jake Arrieta in the four spot, and four pitchers competing for the bottom rung of the five-man staff. Plus they have Drew Smyly as the potential left-handed starter if he has fully recovered from the TJ surgery that cost him two summers.