If you watched last night's duel between the Phillies and Rangers you were exposed to The Good, The Bad, The Ugly. It was a back and forth shoot-out akin to the classic movie (one of my personal favorites) with the same title.
The Good: The Phillies offense woke up from it's two-week long slumber. Sure, they had just one hit after scoring their first five runs and four of them came on Pedro Feliz's grand slam, but they managed to score seven runs overall in last night's shoot-out.
The Bad: Brett Myers looks lost, dazed, confused, dejected, and broken. It's time to move him to the set-up role.
Sure, he made the declaration before the season that he didn't want to be yanked back and forth, but it's clear that he's just not cut out as a starter at this point.
The Ugly: The Phillies found a way to lose their 8th in 9 games. After being 13 games above .500 a few weeks ago, they are now five games above .500 and on pace for 86 wins.
This team that once looked like a World Series contender looks just like the same old Phillies from years past, from the Larry Bowa years. Yep, that same old team that couldn't get over the hump because of pitching or strikeouts in the lineup, or Bobby Abreu's unwillingness to lay it on the line.
The story with Philadelphia teams is a broken record. The Eagles can't make it over the hump. The Flyers always seem to run out of gas in the playoffs. The Sixers are stuck in mediocrity. And, the Phillies always have issues with their starting pitching.
The answer to this problem is simple; their talent evaluation on pitchers isn't good enough. There's a reason why teams like the Red Sox, Angels, and now the Devil Rays come up with a bevy of young studs on the mound. They put the money into their minor league systems and they have plenty of top-notch scouts who bring in the best talent they can find.
The Phillies on the other hand skimp on their farm system budget because this ownership group is habitually locked into a budget. And, we the fans are left screaming at our TV sets or if you're me-cursing up a storm in a way that would rival Tommy Lasorda's post game meltdowns.
It's beyond time for this team to make a major move. But, can we expect them to ante up with Carlos Carrasco and to take on extra salary? More importantly, is it in their best interests to get a rent a pitcher? I'm not sure C.C. Sabathia is the answer. I'd prefer they go out and get Roy Oswalt, who still has a few years left on his contract. And, I'd love nothing more than for the Phillies to get over on Ed Wade again. Just like they did in the Brad Lidge deal. Or, maybe Carrasco is the answer and they should call him up.
Pat Gillick has come up with some good moves during the season. Jamie Moyer was an excellent in-season acquisition. Let's see what he has for an encore...if the owners let him.
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