Post by Bish on Dec 12, 2023 0:37:28 GMT -5
Phillies 2008 August Report
Record: 21-8
Home: 10-4
Road: 11-4
Positive Team Stat: ERA–2.38 (1st)
Notes: The Atlanta Braves have been the best pitching team in HOFFBL for an eternity, right? Not anymore. This Philadelphia Phillies pitching staff has simply been the best from start to finish. They now can line up their four best guys for the remainder of the season which will give them a chance at all reaching 20 wins apiece. Impressive stuff there. The best guy on this rotation is undoubtedly Ben Sheets who legitimately could win the Cy Young award missing an entire month (3.1 innings in June) essentially. He’s 21-1 in 200 innings with a 1.39 ERA. Bonkers. The thing that’s elevated this team is Cole Hamels and Chris Young have quite simply been dominant. They both are under a 2.51 ERA and have a WHIP under 1.00. So good. This doesn’t even account for how awesome John Thomson and Brad Radke have been, too. Stellar rotation from top to bottom. Did we mention the terrific bullpen arms? Oh, we haven’t? Alrighty then. Chad Cordero has 35 saves with a 0.88 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP. Mike Adams the set up man…1.25 ERA with a 0.81 WHIP. This doesn’t even mention the quality arms that Veras and Harper present in middle relief.
Negative Team Stat: Runs Scored—762 (6th)
Notes: Hard to be negative, but like I said I gotta nitpick, so this is the category I picked on this go around. I remember us being 3rd or 4th, and so dropping a few spots is truly unacceptable! Get it together ya knuckleheads! I still believe Chooch and J.J. Hardy has another gear to get to. Hardy won MVP last year, and isn’t close to those numbers, and Chooch was an MVP candidate a couple seasons ago. He also was damn good last season, too. I believe both these guys can give way more, but if they’re saving it for the postseason, then I can get behind that idea! I also think Granderson can get to another level, and with the recent upgrade to hits (he’s now brilliant), I think he can truly bring his offensive game to a new level. Let’s see what the boys have in store on the offensive end…especially when Larry Walker comes back!
Major League Spotlight
Best Hitter: LF Matt Kemp
Stats: .309/.373/.649/1.022 OPS 4 2Bs 4 3Bs 7 HRs 20 RBIs 22 Runs 11 BBs 26 Ks
Notes: Matt Kemp truly has been incredible the past three months…especially the prior two months. He got off to a slower start in the first two months. Lack of steals, and the bat wasn’t very good. Not anymore. He is a legitimate MVP candidate with this recent run. His blend of patience, power, and speed have been special thus far. 63 extra base hits on the year with 38 stolen bases. He’s also getting on nearly 35% of the time. He’s been a terrific leadoff hitter, and the Phillies are extremely excited to see him grow into that role. I’m very interested to see if the Phillies try to lock him up next season. Matt Kemp has won a ring in his rookie year, but he was truly trying to figure things out. Now he’s the leadoff hitter of the best team in baseball.
Best Pitcher: SP Ben Sheets
Stats: 7 Starts 7-0 1.84 ERA 58.2 IP 39 Hs 12 ERs 17 BBs 55 Ks
Notes: Ben Sheets is just absolutely insane. His numbers make zero sense, and I’ve already kinda highlighted his regular season numbers up to this point, and so no need to go over them again, but can he really win the NL CY Young award missing nearly a month? He’s certainly going to try and accomplish that feat! Ben Sheets is looking to finish his 2008 regular season strong, and then truly bring it come playoff time. His last postseason was epic until of course he got hurt in an unfortunate matter. He only gave up one earned run in 30.1 innings. Filthy. Last time around, he wasn’t able to pitch in the world series, and so he’s hoping he will get that opportunity this go around…
Minor League Spotlight
Prospect: C Jeff Mathis (AA)
Notes: Jeff Mathis has truly made progress this season, and he’s starting to become on the Phillies radar as a potential future piece down the line. I don’t know if it’ll happen soon, but if he works hard enough and keeps at it long enough, then I think we could see him on the big league roster soon enough. Either way, the Philadelphia Phillies have liked what they have seen from him down at the farm. Hitting nearly .300 with an on base over .400 and slugging over .500 is certainly promising. He almost has 50 extra base hits as well from the catcher position.
Record: 21-8
Home: 10-4
Road: 11-4
Positive Team Stat: ERA–2.38 (1st)
Notes: The Atlanta Braves have been the best pitching team in HOFFBL for an eternity, right? Not anymore. This Philadelphia Phillies pitching staff has simply been the best from start to finish. They now can line up their four best guys for the remainder of the season which will give them a chance at all reaching 20 wins apiece. Impressive stuff there. The best guy on this rotation is undoubtedly Ben Sheets who legitimately could win the Cy Young award missing an entire month (3.1 innings in June) essentially. He’s 21-1 in 200 innings with a 1.39 ERA. Bonkers. The thing that’s elevated this team is Cole Hamels and Chris Young have quite simply been dominant. They both are under a 2.51 ERA and have a WHIP under 1.00. So good. This doesn’t even account for how awesome John Thomson and Brad Radke have been, too. Stellar rotation from top to bottom. Did we mention the terrific bullpen arms? Oh, we haven’t? Alrighty then. Chad Cordero has 35 saves with a 0.88 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP. Mike Adams the set up man…1.25 ERA with a 0.81 WHIP. This doesn’t even mention the quality arms that Veras and Harper present in middle relief.
Negative Team Stat: Runs Scored—762 (6th)
Notes: Hard to be negative, but like I said I gotta nitpick, so this is the category I picked on this go around. I remember us being 3rd or 4th, and so dropping a few spots is truly unacceptable! Get it together ya knuckleheads! I still believe Chooch and J.J. Hardy has another gear to get to. Hardy won MVP last year, and isn’t close to those numbers, and Chooch was an MVP candidate a couple seasons ago. He also was damn good last season, too. I believe both these guys can give way more, but if they’re saving it for the postseason, then I can get behind that idea! I also think Granderson can get to another level, and with the recent upgrade to hits (he’s now brilliant), I think he can truly bring his offensive game to a new level. Let’s see what the boys have in store on the offensive end…especially when Larry Walker comes back!
Major League Spotlight
Best Hitter: LF Matt Kemp
Stats: .309/.373/.649/1.022 OPS 4 2Bs 4 3Bs 7 HRs 20 RBIs 22 Runs 11 BBs 26 Ks
Notes: Matt Kemp truly has been incredible the past three months…especially the prior two months. He got off to a slower start in the first two months. Lack of steals, and the bat wasn’t very good. Not anymore. He is a legitimate MVP candidate with this recent run. His blend of patience, power, and speed have been special thus far. 63 extra base hits on the year with 38 stolen bases. He’s also getting on nearly 35% of the time. He’s been a terrific leadoff hitter, and the Phillies are extremely excited to see him grow into that role. I’m very interested to see if the Phillies try to lock him up next season. Matt Kemp has won a ring in his rookie year, but he was truly trying to figure things out. Now he’s the leadoff hitter of the best team in baseball.
Best Pitcher: SP Ben Sheets
Stats: 7 Starts 7-0 1.84 ERA 58.2 IP 39 Hs 12 ERs 17 BBs 55 Ks
Notes: Ben Sheets is just absolutely insane. His numbers make zero sense, and I’ve already kinda highlighted his regular season numbers up to this point, and so no need to go over them again, but can he really win the NL CY Young award missing nearly a month? He’s certainly going to try and accomplish that feat! Ben Sheets is looking to finish his 2008 regular season strong, and then truly bring it come playoff time. His last postseason was epic until of course he got hurt in an unfortunate matter. He only gave up one earned run in 30.1 innings. Filthy. Last time around, he wasn’t able to pitch in the world series, and so he’s hoping he will get that opportunity this go around…
Minor League Spotlight
Prospect: C Jeff Mathis (AA)
Notes: Jeff Mathis has truly made progress this season, and he’s starting to become on the Phillies radar as a potential future piece down the line. I don’t know if it’ll happen soon, but if he works hard enough and keeps at it long enough, then I think we could see him on the big league roster soon enough. Either way, the Philadelphia Phillies have liked what they have seen from him down at the farm. Hitting nearly .300 with an on base over .400 and slugging over .500 is certainly promising. He almost has 50 extra base hits as well from the catcher position.
