The Awards Banquet

High schools, colleges, boy & girl scouts, and youth athletic leagues (see little leagues) are all big in having a post season function. Some have full fledged banquets with everyone involved with the organization in attendance. Professional teams that lose, generally just go quietly home. Teams with a nearly 150 million dollar payroll that are the heavy favorites to win their respective championships,well they offer up some cliches and try to slip away.

Our Philadelphia Phillies managed to hit a pathetic .215 in the post season and had a dismal .309 on base % in the post season. When the rare Phillie was in scoring position the best they could muster up was a .186 with only 3 extra base hits. This was the same team that the concerns over the past few years was not hitting - but pitching. All year they have struggled at the plate while being carried by excellent pitching. What's a long suffering fan to do but scratch his head over this turn-around in performance?

Some have said, including Charlie Manuel, that Howard never regained his stroke after being injured making a great defensive play. Howard has disagreed with that, saying that he thought his stroke and his numbers were good all year. Hmmmm. The average and HR totals were fine considering the time missed, but no RBI's in the post season are a matter for concern. You may argue that the pitching is better in the post season, and that makes it harder to deliver the goods. Yes the pitching is better. It is big boy baseball time in October and the year's cream-of-the-crop-teams are playing for the parades. I don't accept that as an excuse for the offensive lack of production at crunch time. I don't accept any excuses of that kind to explain the Phillies demise to the Giants. This Phillies team certainly found a way to hit their way to the divisional title when they were 7 games back in late August. Howard found a way to propel balls into the seats, and the team in general found a way to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat on many a late summer evening.

I'll say this about our hometown guys. They did everything as a team.When they hit, everyone seemed to hit - and at critical times. When they slumped, all of their bats with one or two exceptions went comatose. They found a way to win 97 games - the most in baseball -, but did the hitting swan dive thing in the playoffs. As a result our hearts were broken and a collection of cast-offs, misfits, and great pitching will be in the World Series. Instead of white rally towels those of us who watch the series will see orange thongs being waved. That is a site to see.

And what of the future? Well, the facts are simple. Offensively the team is on the downside of the bell curve. Offensive production up and down the line-up has been slipping. Utley as an example is a far cry from the guy who hit well over .300 a couple of seasons ago. Victorino, Ibanez, Rollins, (who didn't hit well even when not hurt), and Howard all underperformed their best efforts of the recent past. Both Ruiz and Werth were exceptions to this offensive slide despite Werth's woes in driving in runs during the second half of the season.

The offense will need some tinkering with during the off-season. Amaro will have his work cut out for him considering that Werth is all but gone. Werth apparantly would like to stay here, but would have to leave a lot of money on the table to do so. The likelihood of that happening is remote considering that Scott Boras is his agent. Payroll considerations being what they are with this team it isn't going to be easy for Amaro to provide Howard with a good right handed hitter to protect him and keep pitchers honest. Having Ruiz bat 5th could be the best option - but I don't see Charlie doing that - do you?

The free agent market doesn't offer Amaro a lot of options either to find help especially when you consider that Jayson Werth is the best available RH free agent on the market. So what about Domonic Brown? Well for a start he hits left handed and has not yet proven to this long suffering fan that he is capable or ready to do the everyday thing for a team that still believes it can win the big prize. Perhaps Francisco can contribute if he gets enough playing time, but Ibanez's 11.5 million may keep him on the bench. It will be tough, but Amaro will have to do something after the press conference showing Werth in a Yankee uniform. (Maybe Boston, or maybe even a west coast team)

We go into the off season with pitching being the least of our problems, although middle relief is a concern. Durbin has performed well during his tenure here, but is a free agent. Management may not want to fork over the bucks it will take to keep him here. I think they should, but they don't ask me about these matters. Contreras may not be an option either since he came here on the cheap and his performance this season could command offers from other teams that Amaro is not willing to match. Bastardo will be here next year because of his contract, but we can wave good-bye to Romero. Herndon is still a work in progress so it would be nice if Amaro can pull magic out of his hat and bring in someone who will surprise us. (Think along the lines of Javier Lopez - a cast-off who served the Giants well)

The banquet hall is filling up so I'll make a last comment before the awards presentation. We are all bummed out at the loss to the Giants. We are all bummed out at the seemingly heartless way the Phils played, and I am personally offended at Howard not swinging at two pitches during his last at bat. Having said that, I must say that I would rather have this team as "My Guys" going into the 2011 season than the fans in Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Arizona, KC, Miami, Baltimore, Cleveland, and especially NYC where Met fans have nothing to look forward to at all! The pretender contender Mets suck big time and should suck again next year as they begin their transitioning from bad to worse.

And now the awards:

1. The Dick Stuart Dr. Strangeglove Defensive Futility Award - For their conspicuous piss poor fielding and throwing throughout the post season the award is given to the entire infield. (All former gold glove winners must return those awards).

2. The Mike Schmidt Lack of Clutch Hitting Award - This award is given to Ryan Howard who drove in not one run during the playoffs and, as previously mentioned, DIDN'T SWING!

3. The Terrell Owens Playing Hurt With Heart Award - If you've ever had a groin pull you know how amazing it was for Roy Halladay to do what he did in game 5. (Owens, you may remember, played in the Super Bowl with a cracked bone in his ankle - while his QB was puking in the huddle - thus the sport crossover award).

4. The Adam Eaton Comeback Player Of The Year: (Eaton has yet to make a comeback, but you have to name it for somebody) This hurts me to have to do this, but the award has to be given to Cole Hamels. He rubs me the wrong way for a lot of reasons, but the guy manned up and did a superb job for the team all year. Had some timely hits come his way his record would have been much better. I hate being objective.

5. The Pete Rose Team MVP Award - Rose was the MVP of the 1980 team and this year it is none other than our catcher - Carlos Ruiz! The guy handled the staff brilliantly all year while hitting around .300 with some timely clutch hitting. He is a perfect example that hard work can pay off. When he came here you might remember that he was a decent defensive catcher who was a light hitter. Through hard work he has become a very good defensive catcher and a good hitter. Way to go Chooch!

That's about it for this long suffering fan. I'll probably watch the series but have not and probably won't root for anybody. I'd like to see Cliff Lee do well, but I can't root for any team representing Dallas Texas. As for the Giants - well given different circumstances I could cheer for them, but I can't root for the team that beat my guys - and made them look bad doing it. A fast ball to Cody Ross's nose would be delightful to see, but aside from that I can't think of much else that would keep me glued to the set.

It's time to move on for me, so I've put my red long suffering fan shirt away and have put on the green one. Now is the time of the year when I focus on the many different ways Fat Andrew can say - "We've got to do better". I'll resurface to comment on Amaro's moves during the off-season - most of which I won't like, but all will be forgiven when I hear the crack of the first ball being hit in Spring Training 2011. I can't wait!