It wasn't so long ago that I used to write about baseball pretty often, or at least make facebook and twitter posts about it. This foul season (pun fully intended) I've had plenty of time off because I have been able to disengage. My hometown Phillies just haven't been the reliable sideshow they have in years past; this time around, they're the train wreck you CAN look away from.
Their fall from grace, from the commanding top position in their division to one of the worst records in major league baseball hasn't even been interesting. Their lackluster playing makes it seem like just another day at work for them. They can't even flame out spectacularly. But for some strange reason, the front office thinks there's still a championship team there. The evidence was in the Tuesday trades - getting rid of Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence, seemingly at a loss, while holding onto players who are clearly underperforming and who represent clear weaknesses. For instance--
Ryan Howard. It's time for Reuban Amaro and everyone else in the organization to just admit that Howard's career as a daily player in the National League is over. Send him to the AL where he can serve out his time as a DH and be done with him. His career has been in decline since he signed his multi-year deal and since his injury, he simply can't move at major league levels.
Roy Halliday. The great pitcher is in decline. His ERA is bad this year and his mental grip seems to be shaky at best. Get rid of him while he's still worth something.
Chase Utley. I understand he and Howard were key elements in the 2008 season, but that season is long gone, as are his knees. You're either creating a championship team or you're trying to jerry-rig a championship team from the past. Only one of those options leads to new championships.
Charlie Manuel. He may be a great hitting coach, but it's not showing in the offense. He may be a great manager, but they're not winning games. The blame can't all be found in the outfield. Manuel needs to retire gracefully, before it's clear to everyone that his taciturn press conferences aren't revealing homespun wisdom but a detachment from reality.
The flip side to clearing space is developing new talent. That, of course, implies there's new talent to develop, or that your scouts and minor league managers are able to spot it. The solution is not to spend more time on guys like Dominic Brown, who have already had more than one shot at the show and been unable to cut it.
I'm going to miss Shane Victorino, who was a bit of heart and soul on the field. He always brought his A-game, and he always had a smile while doing it. He may be the only guy to be happy playing. He was certainly more happy than I've been watching.
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