Ryan Howard has ruptured Achilles, will need surgery

A day later and it still hurts, especially for Ryan Howard.  The Phillies confirmed today that Howard ruptured his left Achilles tendon on the final out of the season and he will need surgery.  He can't have surgery right away because of the swelling and he figures to miss at least 6 months, putting to doubt whether he will be ready to start the 2012 regular season.

It's a good bet that Howard won't be ready at the start of the next season but it is nice to know he will likely suit up for the Phillies at some point next season.  Barring any offseason moves, that could mean John Mayberry gets a chance to play every day at first base.  As good as Mayberry was against lefties last year, let's hope Howard has a speedy recovery, especially considering that his new contract starts next season.

Phillies eliminated as offense fails

That was certainly a disgusting way to end the season.  Once again, Ryan Howard made the final out to end the Phillies season, this time grounding out and injuring himself as he ran up the line.  The offense failed to do anything against Chris Carpenter, picking up just three hits as they looked completely over-matched.  Roy Halladay did everything he could but his one "bad" inning just couldn't be overcome by the Phillies pathetic offense.

I have plenty of other thoughts on the game and this team but I don't have the energy to write them out tonight.  The pitching will still be there for the next few years but something has to be done to shore up the bats.  With several veterans already locked in and Jimmy Rollins possibly leaving via free agency, its hard to see how things get better.  Add in that Ryan Madson is probably gone and its even more depressing.  In Ruben we trust, I suppose.

With the Eagles in disarray the city now turns their hopes to the revamped Flyers.  It's going to be a long offseason, Phillies fans.

Bloody Sunday: Phillies blow 4 run lead in Game 2

That was a rough day to be a Philly sports fan.  After jumping out to a 4 run lead, the Phillies couldn't put the Cardinals away and lost 5-4.  The Cardinals bullpen deserves a ton of credit for completely shutting the Phillies down for the final 6 innings.  Here are my thoughts on Game 2:

-The Phillies offense looked locked in right off the bat, working the count and getting solid hits off of Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter.  Carpenter was fortunate to get out of the first without allowing too much damage when he got Polanco to ground into a double play.  Think the Cards will ever use him on short rest again?

-After the second inning, the Phillies offense went into a coma and never woke up.  Tony La Russa trotted out pitcher after pitcher and the Phillies couldn't muster any kind of offense.  Only Jimmy Rollins managed a hit and he was promptly picked off trying to steal second.

-The Phillies looked especially clueless against Jason Motte.  I hope they don't need a key run against him in an elimination situation.

-That wasn't quite the Cliff Lee we've all come to expect.  Though he gave up a few hits early, he looked good through the first three innings.  The Cardinals starting tagging him after that, though, picking up a string of cheap hits to get themselves back into the game.  He wasn't helped by the wildly inconsistent strike zone but Lee is going to have to pitch better than that next time around.

-The Phillies bullpen was tremendous, allowing just one hit in three innings.  That was one big positive to come out of the game.

-Ryan Howard continued his great postseason with 2 big RBI's in the first inning.  He is putting that nightmare of a 2010 postseason behind him though it would have been nice if he came through in the 8th inning.

-That Jon Jay hit on Carlos Ruiz at the plate was the biggest hit of the day in Philadelphia.  Yeah, I'm looking at you, Eagles.

The Phillies still have another ace to turn to so there is no reason to panic.  What a horrible Sunday to be a Philly fan, though.

Phillies-Cardinals NLDS Game 1 Thoughts

One down, 10 more wins to go.  After a sluggish start for both Roy Halladay and the offense, the Phillies woke up in time to pound the Cardinals, 11-6, and start off the 2011 playoffs with a win.  Here are some of my thoughts on the game:

-Who else had a sinking feeling in their stomach after Halladay gave up the 3-run homer in the first inning and when the Phillies offense looked impatient and inept against Kyle Lohse in the early innings?  You had to figure that Halladay would settle in and he certainly did, retiring 21 straight and looking dominant from the 2nd inning on.  Take out that one swing by Lance Berkman and we'd be talking about another amazing Halladay playoff outing.

-With one swing, Ryan Howard already has more homers and RBI than he did in the entire 2010 playoffs.  We've all seen Howard come up small with runners on in close games before but he stayed patient and waited for Lohse to make a mistake.  If that's the Howard we get for the next few weeks, another title is just a formality.

-The rumors of Raul Ibanez's demise have been greatly exaggerated.  These could be his last few games with the Phillies and Ibanez has already made a huge impact.

-The bullpen still might be something to worry about.  The fact that they had to turn to Ryan Madson just to put the Cardinals away was disheartening.  Although the starters can be expected to go deep in nearly every game, someone besides Madson has to step up and get batters out.

-Albert Pujols is good and all but how about they don't basically intentionally walk him in the first inning?  Berkman and Matt Holliday (when he's healthy enough to start) can really rake so there is no reason to give them extra runners to drive in.

-Hunter Pence looked comfortable in the playoffs, picking up a big hit before Howard's homer as well as the single that put the game out of reach in the 8th inning.  He continues to be exactly what the Phillies needed to add to the lineup.

With Cliff Lee going against Chris Carpenter tomorrow, Game 2 should be a great matchup.  Expect the first team to get to 2 runs to win.

Phillies offense disappears as Astros sweep them out of town

With Ryan Howard and Chase Utley returning to the lineup, it wasn't supposed to be like this. With arguably their two best hitters coming back from injury, the Phillies offense was supposed to explode and it was only supposed to be a few days before they took the division lead away from the Braves. After a four game sweep at the hands of the lowly Astros, however, the Phillies find themselves sputtering at the wrong time.

The main culprit for the poor showing against the Astros was the offense that, with everyone healthy and back in the lineup, managed to score only 7 runs in 4 games, an average of 1.75 runs per game. While the Astros do have some decent pitching, the Phillies just couldn't get anything going against a team that has given up 4.65 runs per game this season. What made the series even more frustrating was that the Phillies wasted strong outings from Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton because they were so inept with bats.

It's hard to place the blame on any one individual player for the Phillies when really no one is swinging the bat well. Fueled by their below-normal production, there has been some speculation that both Howard and Utley rushed back from their injuries and are not healthy enough to contribute at this time. Howard for sure hasn't been himself since coming back, going 3 for 20 with only 1 RBI and no extra base hits.

What makes the 4 losses against the Astros even more frustrating is that the Phillies now have to travel to San Diego to take on the best team in the National League. With the Padres having one of the best pitching staffs in the league and the Phillies offense currently flailing, things could get ugly fast on the West Coast trip. Of course, knowing the Phillies, they could easily flip the switch and turn everything around in their very next game For the sake of their 3 game deficit in the division, let's hope that's the case.
(AP PHOTO)

All hands on deck: Ryan Howard activated

The Phillies are getting healthy at just the right time. Ryan Howard, who has been out since August 1st with an ankle injury, was activated from the disabled list. The return of the Big Piece means the Phillies can finally put their entire Opening Day lineup back on the field for the first time since late May.

The Phillies placed Ross Gload on the DL with a groin strain to make room for Howard. While most figured Domonic Brown would be sent down, the injury to Gload likely means that Brown is here to stay for the rest of the season. Perhaps the Phillies will start rotating in the rookie and getting him a few more at bats. The return of Howard also pushes Mike Sweeney into a bench role where he can be a solid right-handed pinch hitter.

With all hands on deck, the Phillies are now poised to make a run on the Braves, who still remain 2.5 games ahead. Expect some big fireworks from a lineup that no longer has to deal with any fill-in players.

Phillies acquire first baseman Mike Sweeney

With Ryan Howard out for at least the next two weeks, the Phillies made a move for a new first baseman, acquiring Mike Sweeney from the Mariners in exchange for a player to be named later or cash. Sweeney, a 16 year MLB vet, spent most of his career with the Royals but played the last two seasons with Seattle. A 5-time All-Star back in the early 2000's, Sweeney still has some pop in his bat but has dealt with a number of injuries in recent years that have kept him from playing consistently. In this season alone, Sweeney has had back problems that have limited him to just 99 at-bats, though he does have 6 homers and is hitting .263 for the season.

Sweeney will step right into the lineup and be the every-day first baseman for as long as Howard is out. When Howard returns, Sweeney will slide back to the bench and will be a nice right-handed pinch-hitter. While he is far removed from his 20 homer, .300 batting average heyday with the Royals, Sweeney is a professional hitter who will contribute a key hit here and there.

Another solid August pickup for the Phillies, who have made a habit of acquiring players after the July 31st trade deadline (Jamie Moyer, Matt Stairs) that have made a significant impact down the stretch. Sure, Sweeney won't put up numbers similar to Ryan Howard but he will be a solid upgrade over the Ross Gload/Cody Ransom platoon at first. Sweeney is a strong low-risk pickup by the Phillies.

Phillies place Ryan Howard on the DL

After the news came out that he was going back to Philadelphia to be evaluated, we knew this was coming: Ryan Howard has been placed on the disabled list. While the initial reports were that Howard's ankle sprain wouldn't keep him out for long, apparently it was severe enough to keep him out for at least 15 days.

John Mayberry has been called up to replace Howard on the roster. Mayberry is an outfielder so he won't likely be playing first base, meaning Ross Gload and Cody Ransom will likely platoon at first for the next two weeks.

Howard is just the latest in a long line of Phillies players who have spent time on the disabled list. It's amazing this team has even been able to stay in the race with most of their starting lineup having been out for weeks at a time.

Ryan Howard injures ankle in Phillies win

The Phillies may have beaten the Nationals 6-4 in 11 innings but they may have paid quite a price: Ryan Howard injured his ankle on a slide into second base in the first inning of the game. While Phillies fans all feared the worst due to how Howard's leg appeared to buckle against the base, the initial reports are all positive as X-rays came up negative and the Phillies are calling the injury a sprained ankle.

After the game, Charlie Manuel speculated that Howard wouldn't need a DL stint but "might miss a day or two". Howard also so that he's in a lot of pain and he was seen on crutches as he left the park so it's probably still to early to judge whether he will miss an extended amount of time. You can bet the Phillies will take a close look at the ankle on their off day tomorrow and then proceed from there. Judging from their bad luck with injuries this season, don't be surprised to hear that Howard is placed on the disabled list tomorrow.

Should Howard miss extensive time, look for Ross Gload and Cody Ransom to play first base. Yep, that's quite a drop-off.
(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Charlie Manuel manages NL to All-Star victory

Leave it to the genius of Charlie Manuel to finally break the stranglehold the American League has had on the All-Star Game. Okay, so Manuel really didn't have that much to do with it and probably over-managed the game if anything, but he is the skipper behind the first National League win in the All-Star Game since 1996. While it wasn't a particularly thrilling game, the NL did win 3-1 and therefore have earned the home field advantage in the World Series.

As for the rest of the Phillies at the game, neither Ryan Howard nor Roy Halladay did anything of note. Howard started the game at DH and ended up 0 for 2 with a strikeout and a groundout. Given that both of his at-bats were against lefties, including one against former Phillie Cliff Lee, you couldn't really expect much from Howard. As for Halladay, he pitched 2/3rds of an inning and gave up a pair of hits before being pulled out of the game by Manuel. He only threw 17 pitches but that was plenty in a game that means almost nothing.

As a Phillies fan, I have always rooted for the NL in the All-Star Game and I am therefore thankful that the American League's long winning streak is finally over. While I also think that making the game count for something is beyond stupid, it's nice to know that the Phillies will get home field advantage if they get to their third straight World Series.

(Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Back to back walk-off homers for the Phillies!

Brian Schneider! Ryan Howard!! It's amazing what a pair of walk-off home runs can do for team morale. Let's hope the Phillies finally have their "swagger" back!(AP Photos)

Three Phillies named to 2010 All-Star Game

The All-Star teams were announced today and three Phillies are going to Anaheim: Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Roy Halladay. Utley was voted in as a starter at second base but will not be playing due to injury, Halladay was voted in by the players and Howard was added to the roster by NL manager Charlie Manuel.

While it's hard to argue with the inclusion of Utley or Halladay to the roster, you can bet plenty around baseball will complain about Howard's selection. With Manuel having a say in who makes the team and Howard's power numbers being down this year, many will argue that Manuel just picked his own guy, especially when you consider that Joey Votto, who has better numbers than Howard in nearly every category, was left off the team.

Placido Polanco almost made the All-Star team as well but was beaten out in the final stretch of fan voting by David Wright. It's just as well, Polanco wouldn't be able to play due to injury, anyway.

Click here to see the full rosters for both leagues.

Ryan Howard gets paid, signs 5 year, 125 million dollar extension

It looks like Ryan Howard will be a Phillie for his entire career as the slugger signed a 5 year, 125 million dollar contract extension with the club today. The contract, which runs through 2016, includes a limited no trade clause and a team option for a 6th year.

This is excellent news for Phillies fans that feared Howard would bolt to the Yankees or Red Sox after his contract ran out in 2011. While there should be some trepidation about whether Howard will be worth the 20+ million dollars he will be earning at the tail end of the deal when he is in his mid-30's, the Phillies have made a statement with this huge investment in one of the best power hitters in the league.

While I personally love the Phillies forking over a ton of money for a great player, I have to wonder what it means for someone like Jayson Werth, who will be a free agent after this season. Do the Phillies have enough money left over to pay Werth, too, or will they be scaling back the salaries for other positions? Can the Phillies still invest in a solid pitching staff with all of this money sunk into Howard? I guess we will just have to trust that Ruben Amaro has thought of these things and has a plan.

Congrats to Ryan Howard for getting paid. I'm going to love seeing him hit bombs for nearly the rest of this decade.

Phillies discussing Howard for Pujols swap. Wait, what?

This one comes from out of nowhere: Buster Olney of ESPN is reporting that the Phillies are having internal discussions about swapping first basemen with the Cardinals, trading Ryan Howard for Albert Pujols. Phillies GM Ruben Amaro has already stepped up and denied this rumor, but Olney must have a pretty reliable source to float out a crazy rumor like that.

Despite what we all think about Ryan Howard, if the Phillies actually made this deal happen it would be tremendous. Pujols, who will be a free agent after the 2011 season, is the best hitter in the modern era and brings much more to the table than Howard. If the Phillies somehow acquired him and signed him to an extension, he would an anchor in the middle of the Phillies lineup for the next decade. Of course, because he's the best hitter in the game, the Cardinals would be foolish to trade him because they could never get equal value in return. It would take much more than just Ryan Howard in a trade to pry him from the Cardinals, who will be doing everything they can to sign Pujols before he becomes a free agent.

Will this trade ever happen? Nope. Despite Howard's ties to St. Louis and his impending free agency in 2012, this kind of trade only happens in fantasy baseball. While we know Amaro is willing to be aggressive in the trade market, don't hold your breath waiting for this one to happen.

Who needs a closer? Ryan Howard saves the day!

It looks like Ryan Madson isn't the answer at closer, either. One day after Phillies fans called for Brad Lidge's head after he blew his 9th save of the season, Madson proved that he wasn't much better in the role after he blew a 1 run lead against the Pirates on Wednesday. Madson, who got the save opportunity because Lidge was unavailable after pitching four days in a row, entered the game with a 1-0 lead in the 9th inning before blowing the save by giving up a homer. It was the 5th blown save in 9 tries this season for Madson.

Of course, who needs a closer when you have Ryan Howard? Howard, clearly annoyed by the inability of his pitchers to close out games, crushed a 3 run homer in the top of the 10th inning to give the Phillies a 4-1 lead they would never look back from. The homer, his 9th in the last 13 games, was further proof that Howard is warming up with the weather. The Phillies went on to win the game as Madson pitched a second inning in the 10th and "earned" the win.

Lost in all the closer craziness is the fact that Cole Hamels pitched a solid game for the Phillies. Hamels pitched 8 shutout innings, and although it was against the lowly Pirates, it was still a better effort than he has shown in quite a while. Hamels allowed runners on base all night but kept finding a way to pitch out of every jam he found himself in. We will see if this is a turning point for Hamels or if it was just the result of Pirate terrbileness.

So, those that want Brad Lidge out, if Ryan Madson isn't the answer at closer, who do the Phillies turn to? Some have suggested Chan Ho Park, who saved 2 games for the Dodgers last season. Others point to Brett Myers and his outing in Double A on Wednesday, where he struck out 5 batters in two innings of work. If Myers is healthy in the coming weeks, he is certainly an intriguing option.

Myers is still a few weeks away, however, so Phillies fans need to make their peace with Lidge closing games for the immediate future. Of course, if Howard continues to rake the way he is right now, having a closer might not really be necessary.

Lee leads Phillies to sweep

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

This Cliff Lee guy is pretty good, huh? In his 3rd start with the Phillies, Lee continued his dominance over the National League, giving up one run just as he had in his previous two starts. This time, Lee went 8 innings, scattering 6 hits and 3 walks and struck out 8 to lead the Phillies to a 6-1 win over the Cubs. The win gave the Phillies a sweep over the Cubs, quite a turnaround for a team that was just swept themselves by the Marlins.

One can't understate how dominant Lee has been with the Phillies. He has pitched 24 innings for the Phillies and allowed only 3 earned runs, an ERA of 1.13. Lee has also struck out 23 batters in that span and only walked 6. He's been everything the Phillies could have possibly hoped for when the traded for him back at the trade deadline. He's been an absolute horse, eating innings and pitching deep into every game. I don't think anyone is still pining for that Roy Halladay guy anymore.

The Phillies did make some noise offensively in this one, too. Ryan Howard led the way with a 3-run homer, and, perhaps more impressively, a stolen base, his 5th of the season. Howard's stolen base prowess this season has been remarkable, he only has stolen only 7 career bases, with 5 of them coming this year on 5 attempts. Pedro Feliz also homered on the day and had 2 RBI on 3 hits.

With the sweep, the Phillies put the pressure back on the Marlins to keep up. Just when Florida thought they had a shot at catching the reeling Phillies, the lead looks like it is going to open back up. Of course, the Braves are also tied with Florida, and they will face the Phillies in Atlanta for a three game set this weekend. Hopefully the Phillies respond better this time, they aren't used to being chased after being the chaser all these years.

Old Man Moyer mows down Marlins

(AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Recognize the headline? I'm pretty sure I've used it before, possibly every time Jamie Moyer has faced the Marlins, a team he is now 13-2 lifetime against. Moyer once again led the Phillies past the Marlins in a 4-0 Phillies win.

Who needs Old Man Pedro when you still have Old Man Moyer, anyway? Moyer got his 255th career victory by pitching 7 innings of shutout ball, allowing only one hit and one walk and striking out 4 Fish. He just simply owns the young Marlins, who just aren't patient enough to wait out his pitches.

Offensively, the Phillies had a few fireworks. Raul Ibanez hit a pair of homers and Ryan Howard hit his 200th career shot, which turned out to be an historic one. Howard became the fastest player to reach 200 home runs when he did it in his 658th game, crushing the previous record of 200 homers in 706 career games by Ralph Kiner. Howard isn't the youngest player ever to 200, but this milestone is still quite an achievement.

The Phillies won their 6th straight, and their 10th of their last 11, and now have a commanding 5 game lead over the Marlins. With three left against Florida, the Phillies could really open things up in the NL East.

POLL: Don't forget to vote to the left for how many wins you think Pedro Martinez will have with the Phillies. For the record, I think he'll end up with 4.

Three Phillies named to the 2009 All Star team, Victorino needs our help

The World Champs will be well represented at the 2009 All Star Game. Two Phillies, Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez, were voted in as starters to the game, while Ryan Howard was added as a reserve by NL All Star manager Charlie Manuel.

Utley and Ibanez are certainly more than deserving, but Howard's selection came as a bit of a surprise. The National League will have four first basemen at the game, which is definitely more than enough, but I guess Manuel wanted to make sure he got one of his players in there.

It is unknown as of now whether Raul Ibanez will be healthy enough to play in the All Star Game.

Shane Victorino also has a shot of making the All Star team, but he needs our help! He is in the Final Vote, where the fans get to pick the final player to make the All Star team. Click here to vote and get Victorino to the All Star game!

Fun with Phillies Projections, Hitters Edition

Now that we are more than a quarter of the way through the baseball season, the season is really starting to take shape. The quarter pole is the time to start looking at numbers to find the trends and the flukes. Let's take a look at some of the actual projected statistics for a selection of Phillies hitters and see if there is any chance they can meet these numbers:

Raul Ibanez
Current: 17 HR, 43 RBI
Projected: 64 HR, 162 RBI
Considering his career high in homers is 33, there is little chance that Ibanez will continue to be this hot, although he still seems a likely candidate to get a least 40 homers and 120 RBI. Ibanez has to be loving the transition from a pitchers park in Seattle to Citizens Bank.

Chase Utley
Current: 11 HR, 31 RBI
Projected: 43 HR, 121 RBI
While those numbers pale in comparison with Ibanez, Utley is crushing the ball this season. Those totals would dwarf his previous career high's by 10 homers and 16 RBI. Of course, with Utley, it's all about staying healthy. If he can remain in the lineup every day and close to 90%, he should at least get to 40 homers.

Jimmy Rollins
Current: 6 steals
Projected: 23 steals
A lot has been said about J-Roll's slump this season, and he can't steal bases if he doesn't get on them. Rollins hasn't stolen under 30 bases since 2003, and he has already started turning things around (4 steals in the last 10 games), so expect him to get close to 40 again.

Jayson Werth
Current: 8 HR, 8 steals
Projected: 31 HR, 31 steals
Werth was a 20/20 guy last year, can he make the leap to a 30/30 guy? I say doubtful, especially when you factor in that half of his steals came in one game. Werth has a shot at 25/25, which is still a darn good season.

Ryan Howard
Current: 51 strikeouts, 2 steals, 0 errors
Projected: 192 strikeouts, 8 steals, 0 errors
Howard had 4 career steals entering this season, he's absolutely tearing up the base paths this year. Those strikeouts are in line with his career averages, so expect the big man to continue K'ing at least once a game. The fielding seems like a legit turn-around, he had 19 errors last season and has made a concerted effort to become a much better fielder.

John Mayberry
Current: 1 HR, 3 RBI
Projected: 61 HR, 183 RBI
Small sample size be damned, those numbers seem about right!

Check back later for a look at projections for the Phillies pitchers.

Phillies win one for Harry

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The Phillies lost their voice today but it didn't stop them from winning against the Nationals. The Phils used three "It's Outta Here's", one each from Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez and Shane Victorino, to squeak out a 9-8 win. It was the first of the season for Howard, who belted a 3-run shot that gave the Phils a cushion to work with in the later innings. For Ibanez, it was his team-leading 3rd homer.

It was an emotional game for the team as they paid respects to Harry Kalas. Before the game, several Phillies were seen smoking in the dugout in homage to Kalas and Victorino pointed to the broadcast booth after he rounded the bases following his home run.

Jamie Moyer turned in another mediocre performance for a starting pitcher this season, giving up 4 runs over 6 innings, but the Phillies offense did plenty to mask the poor pitching. Even Brad Lidge, who still hasn't blown a save as a Phillie, came dangerously close to losing the game after he gave up a 2-run homer to Ryan Zimmerman with no outs in the bottom of the 9th. Luckily, Lidge straightened up and got the next three batters out to preserve the win.

The Phillies now get an off day, a day that was supposed to be spent in the White House with President Obama, but after cancelling the visit, it will instead be a day to reminisce about all things Harry Kalas. Rest in peace Harry, everyone in Philadelphia mourns your passing.