Happ to the bullpen? Are you kidding me?

How do you take J.A. Happ out of the rotation? He hasn’t pitched poorly all year and tonight was just lights out. Charlie Manuel said the only way he could have done better was the throw a no-hitter. Let me state this right now – J.A. Happ needs to stay in the rotation. How do you take Happ who is 8-2 out of the rotation with an ERA of 2.74 and a WHIP of 1.12 and keep in Jamie Moyer (10-8, 5.55, 1.47)?

Add to the mix that Pedro Martinez struck out 11 in 6 innings and while he gave up 3 runs, looked like a guy that could help this team now. I don’t know how you do it, but if there is a 5 man rotation, it should be Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ, and Pedro Martinez.

Another thing – I really think if the Blue Jays had said they’d take either Happ or Kyle Drabek instead of both, that deal could have been made. They must be kicking themselves.

I don’t envy Charlie Manuel, Ruben Amaro Jr., and Rich Dubee – but they better get this right.

Take a deep breath Phillies fans

I want to point Phillies fans back to last August 11-14 when the Fightens visited Los Angeles to play the Dodgers. They were swept in four heart breaking games; Jimmy Rollins gave an interview criticizing Philly fans and we were headed to New York to face the Mets. We all know what happened afterwards. It’s a long season and over the course of the season a team is going to lose a series like that, even eventual World Series Champs.

This past weekend’s games with Giants were demoralizing for many, not for me. The Giants played well in San Francisco, in a series that at the end of the day, doesn’t mean a whole hell of a lot. The Giants are a good team, but what they’re not is playoff tested, and they can’t hit their way out of a wet paper bag. The other thing to remember is that unless the Phillies falter over the next month, their road will be easier than the one the Giants face to get to the playoffs. The Phils need to play strong down the stretch to make sure that they can set up their rotation going into the playoffs.

Folks – the season only just beginning. You won’t remember what happened prior to today, you’ll remember what happens between now and October 4th.

Take deep breaths, buckle your seat belts – it’s going to be  a bumpy ride.

Trade: Phillies bolster the rotation with Cliff Lee

Let me come out first and say this right off, I love this trade. The Phillies traded Triple-A right-hander Carlos Carrasco, Class A righty Jason Knapp, catcher Lou Marson and shortstop Jason Donald will be sent to Cleveland. Carrasco is behind J.A. Happ and Kyle Drabek, Knapp is a stud, but is 18 and 2-3 years away, Marson is behind Carlos Ruiz, and Donald behind either Chase Utley or Jimmy Rollins. The Phillies didn’t lose any crucial parts for their future. Whereas Drabek could be in the rotation next year and Dominic Brown could be in the outfield in the next year or so.

That said…

There is a little less than 48 hours left in the trade deadline an the Phillies have some major tradable pieces to go out and strengthen the bullpen. Hell, Cito Gaston even joked that the Phillies could still get Halladay – they still have the pieces to get him.

Cliff Lee is the reigning AL Cy Young winner, has been pitching really well, and is half the price of Halladay. Everyone in this city has been going crazy demanding only one player thinking that this was a guarantee of the World Series but remember this – the Brewers got C.C. Sabathia last year and the Cubs got Rich Harden and neither team made it past the first round. Roy Halladay guaranteed nothing.

Outstanding questions:

• Who is the odd man out of the rotation? Pedro Martinez or Happ?
• The Phillies picked up Ben Francisco, a right handed batting outfielder, so who’s out? John Mayberry Jr or Eric Bruntlett?
• Are there other trades in the offing?

It’s a great time to be a Phillies fan. Not only are we buyers, but we’re buying five star properties and have minor league prospects that other teams covet. Gotta love it. Great job Rueben.

R.I.P. Jim Johnson

This has been a tough year for the Philadelphia Sports community – first Harry Kalas, then Danny Ozark, Gary Papa, and now Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson. Johnson lost his battle with cancer yesterday less than 3 months after taking a leave of adsense with the team to focus on his health. The loss is a big one. I have faith that Sean Mcdermott  will follow in the footsteps of other Johnson disciples such as Ron Rivera, Steve Spagnuolo, and John Harbaugh, but Johnson brought 50 years of experience to his role. While the others may be able to match intelligence, they can’t match the experience.

sNever has a coach been a better match for this city. While Buddy Ryan was beloved, his teams were short on results. Ryan also had better talent. Johnson had the knack of understanding the strengths of his players, and maximizing those strengths. Year after year, Johnson made do with whatever talent was provided to him, and year after year Johnson posted one of the leagues best defenses, and that consistency led to results that Ryan could only dream of.

The only regret is that the Eagles couldn’t pull it out for him last year. Instead his in his last game, the defense let him down. Regardless – it’s those 10 years of consistently outthinking the opposing offenses that I’ll remember.

Thank you Jim, you’ll be missed.

Maybe the Phils should let Roy Halladay get away

I’ve been rethinking the Philies possible acquisition of Roy Halladay. By all accounts, it will take a lot of good talent to get Halladay. And being one of the best pitchers available, it might be worth the risk. But as J.A. Happ continues to make a case for Rookie of the Year honors, you have to wonder if keeping Happ, and finding another, less expensive option would make more sense. In today’s Inquirer, Phillies beat reporter David Murphy discussed the options of going after Dan Haren of the Diamondbacks or Cliff Lee of the Indians. Either would be less expensive (in terms of prospects), younger, and in contract for longer. The other issue with trading J.A. Happ is that it assumes that Martinez fills the 5th spot well. If he doesn’t, then even with Halladay – we still have a problem at 5.

Of course the Phillies are not thinking of that 5th spot and the rest of the season if they trade for Halladay – they’re thinking of the playoffs and having a Cole Hamels/Roy Halladay one, two punch.

I just keep thinking about the Phillies attempting to trade Ryan Howard in 2004 to add an additional piece for that year’s playoff run. Thank god they didn’t. It’s easy to forget that prospects can become important players in the future. Don’t forget that three fourths of the Phillies infield, plus Cole Hamels, Carlos Ruiz, Shane Victorino, and Ryan Madson all came through the Phillies farm system. I’m glad I’m not Reuben Amaro Jr. This is as big a decision as you can make – and either way it may be a huge mistake.

Pedro is ok – but Roy Halladay is better

So today the Phils signed Pedro Martinez. That’s fine – he fills a spot that was going to hurt us come playoff time. What bothers me is that there is a big hole in the rotation between Cole Hamels and Cole Hamels. Roy Halladay would fit that hole nicely. What I don’t like is the idea of them trading J.A. Happ for him – especially if that trade also includes Kyle Drabek.

I know that everyone thinks that with the core of the Phillies line-up in their prime, it makes sense to try and win now. I agree somewhat – but I think about how the Braves dynasty was built – Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz. Halladay would be a great addition for the next year or so, but Drabek and Happ along with Hamels could be great for the next decade. I know the old saying about potential – it’s a word that means you ain’t worth a damn yet. But there’s an awful lot of potential going to Toronto if this happens.

Thoughts?