It's been a while. And although we sometimes get together during the winter if something big happens, I've been quiet — even during one of the busiest offseasons in years — because of a complex situation that began to unfold last year and has just been sorted out. Thus the late start this season. For what it's worth, I'll give you my take on some of the past issues.
I was not happy with the selection of Pat Gillick as the Phillies' new general manager. I was leaning heavily toward former Houston GM Gerry Hunsicker for a few reasons, one of which was an advantage toward re-signing Billy Wagner. The reliever was one of the best acquisitions the club had made, and one of the few players who generated real excitement upon entering a game.
Wagner is off to a pretty good start in New York, but there's talk that a finger injury could affect his pitching this year. Still, none of this was known at the time. Losing Wagner was a big public relations blunder for this club. The Phillies didn't want to commit four years to a pitcher Wagner's age (34), but then they signed 38-year-old closer Tom Gordon for three years. You figure it out.
Getting back to Gillick, my original thinking was that he got the job by simply telling the front-office people what they wanted to hear. I no longer think so. After observing his moves over the last few months, I think Gillick has a plan that's not thwarted by tight spending as much as it is by the over-inflated prices of marginal pitching that dominated the winter trading and free-agent signings. Also, Gillick has been successful in other cities, and that's the bottom line. We all want to see the Phillies in the playoffs. Let's give him a chance before passing judgment.
The Jim Thome trade was a huge disappointment to me, although everyone could see it coming. Perhaps it's best for the big guy to be in the American League so that he can continue to do what he does best — swing a potent bat — as a designated hitter. In the National League, he would have to play in the field, and an elbow injury still prevents him from throwing.
I still think that more of an effort should have been made to turn first baseman Ryan Howard into an outfielder. He's much faster and more agile than most men his size (6-4, 230 pounds), and he's nine years younger than Thome. He could have handled a few years in the outfield before moving back to first base.
Getting back to Gillick, one thing that I didn't like was signing Ryan Franklin for the starting rotation. When a new GM is hired, a lot of old friends come with the deal. Franklin had not fared well in his last two years in Seattle. I had no hope that he could revive a rotation that desperately needed a veteran starter. He since has turned up in the bullpen. I'll address that later.
If I may digress for a moment, I'd like to share an opinion about the World Baseball Classic. The timing stunk, and I think it was a factor in determining the outcome.
The best players in the world are supposed to be in the American major leagues, so why not have the tournament when those players are at their best? Like around the All-Star Game break?
The National Hockey League suspends action for two weeks every four years so that the world's best players can represent their respective nations in the Olympics. Why can't baseball do the same? A two-week break once every four years is a workable solution. What do you think?
As for this year's Phillies. I'm comfortable with the team's offense and defense at every position except third base and catcher, although I like Sal Fasano as the backup backstop. It appears that he'll probably get at least two starts every week, and the days off could help starter Mike Lieberthal.
The bench is a little better, particularly with Fasano and outfielders Shane Victorino and David Dellucci. Backup infielder Abraham Nunez could be a valuable asset whenever he starts hitting.
The pitching is another story. I can't summarize the rotation or the bullpen in the few lines that are left. Let's just say that there's plenty of room for improvement. I'll address this issue in a future column.
There's one more thing that I will say. Marketing this team looks like a problem. Attendance was down 600,000 last season compared to 2004. Without marquee players like Wagner and Thome, it's going to take a pennant race to keep anyone but the diehards coming out as this season progresses.
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