The Abreau-less Phils are KILLING me

[Patiod]

Okay, so they putzed around all season, broke their fans hearts, and (just like last year) get their act together in late August and now the team is right into an extraordinarily tight race for the wildcard slot. If they played like this all year, it wouldn't be so damned scary every night.

What happened? Why, as soon as Abreau (who is SMOKIN' for the Yankees) goes, does the team pull together and starting playing like winners? Wouldn't you think losing a player as good as Abreau would hurt?

Geez - if we had any relief pitchers, we might even be contenders....

[BOSSHOG]

1. I think it was a plus for the Phillies

when Abreu left. The team has a great defensive nucleus, a peppy offense, and yet the Phillies haven't had a pitching staff since 1963. I'm having flashbacks to 64 now. Will the Fighting Phils wait til the last day of this season to blow their wild card chance and break my heart yet again? Will Gene Mauch haunt the bullpen and wear out the starting pitching? Lord don't let tonights game be the last home game for the Phils this season. I have moved my Bobble head Phillie my Grandad got me at Connie Mack Stadium in 1960 to a prominent location in my office; right next to my scale model of Connie Mack (Shibe Park.) I'm sending good vibes to the Phillies on a daily basis.

[burythehatchet]

2. This is what makes baseball such a complex game

Team dynamics and chemistry are so crucial, and so difficult to manage. Sometimes the addition or subtraction of a player completely changes a team.

I haven't read it, but the book Moneyball, about Billy Beane's Oakland A's offers an interesting perspective on how to assemble a team without buying big name free agents.

Omar Minaya's decision to remake the Mets into a Latino team has been an interesting case study.

Personally I'm glad the Mets don't have to play the Phils in the WC.

[nickgutierrez]

3. 'Moneyball' has little to do with personality and chemistry

He believes - and I'm inclined to agree - that chemistry comes from winning, not the other way around.

His idea is to develop talent, and acquire free agents whose skills are underrated by the market. A few years ago, those were high-OBP hitters with mediocre defensive abilities. Now, the market has changed, to the point where good defensive players are now slightly underrated, and he's pounced on the opportunity and built his team accordingly.