The absence of his power from the right batter's box will definitely be noticed. There is currently only one starter in the lineup that bats righty, assuming Dom Brown moves to the outfield, and his nickname is Polly! Yes, Rollins and Victorino can switch it up, but is that enough? It would serve the NL East well to stock up on left handed pitching to face the Phils. As a starter, Werth provided great power from the right (87 HRs), tore up the base paths (53 sb, 7 cs), but most importantly, he saw a TON of pitches. Werth was third in baseball and first in the NL at 4.37 pitches per plate appearance. He was seventh with 2849 pitches thrown. He wore a lot of pitchers out, and frequently made them pay. There are not a lot of adequate replacements for what Werth offered.
But he is friggin' loaded now. He was given a contract so far beyond what people expected that his agent/super villain Scott Boras didn't even ask for other clubs to match it. There is NO WAY the Phillies would have tried to match it. Say what you will about him: "He is only about the money", "He is a traitor". The reality is he is a very rich, above average outfielder with a World Series ring.
So my question is this: is anyone really upset that he's gone? Did he have the personality, or work ethic, or body language that this city loves? Because he didn't. He was always kind of a douche that just happened to be a good fit in the lineup. Besides, we don't even know whether this team will suffer without him. It won a world series with Pedro Feliz and Pat Burrell in the lineup AND Adam Eaton tainting the red pinstripes. It has a significantly better pitching staff, not to mention the recent unmasking of Ruben Amaro in the Cliff Lee bidding war (more to come). If the Phillies are smart, they won't go after a superstar to fill the hole that Werth is leaving, but a reliable right handed bat that can start 130 games (see: Matt Diaz).
I don't believe in the whole "protection for Ryan Howard" aspect in the equation. Howard will hit 40 HRs in any spot on any team. I also don't believe that this team will see a noticeable drop in production from the lineup. It can't get a whole lot worse than last year anyway. And I don't believe that anyone will truly miss Werth, and if there is a silver lining, this city could always use another pariah.
So here's to you Werth. You've accomplished what every kid wishes they could do: win a world series, make a shitload of money, and *giggle* play for the Nationals. LOL
Speaking of Pariah, has there ever been a reversal of social opinion for an athlete so sudden? I'm talking about a guy that was universally shunned, then raised to the highest peaks of the sporting world in such a short time. There was Kobe with the whole unwanted penetration thing. Ray Lewis stabbed a guy. And now there is Vick. Blah blah blah we know the story. I know that's what you are thinking, so I'll focus on something else.
Vick is taking hits. Much hits. And we have to face the facts: Vick is not Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. When Vick takes a hit after the whistle, or going out of bounds, we can not use the Brady/Manning argument for penalties. Vick is a different type of quarterback and should be looked at differently by the refs. I'm not saying that all of these hits are clean, because there are dirty hits every game on him. However, Brady and Manning get calls because they are smart, efficient passers. The ball is snapped, and is generally out of their hands within seconds. When Vick gets the ball, he holds it for much longer. You don't see Brady or Manning tucking the ball and running when there is pressure too much. Vick makes the defense work hard for an extended period. And when Vick is running to the sideline, there is a VERY good chance that he'll try to fake out the defender and cut it up field. When Brady and Manning are hitting the sideline, you know exactly what their motives are.
Vick presents a different sort of circumstances for the refs that already face a challenge in simply keeping track of him. Perhaps he is taking harder hits, but he is also trying harder to escape the hits and it only makes them worse. Perhaps there is favoritism in the NFL towards the superstars of the league, but how many primetime games has Vick starred in this year? He is certainly a superstar. Sure he was hit arguably late going out of bounds in Dallas, but he was also working for any extra yards the defense would give him. Theoretically, a blanket set of rules regarding the quarterback's protection would be ideal, but realistically Vick will always suffer these consequences. Either he turns into a pure pocket passer and gets the calls, or he sucks up a couple of bruises and plays the way that made people forget he spent two years in jail.
Also happening:
- The Sixers are quietly playing very well, and in a weak conference anything is possible. Willie Green's return to Philadelphia was spoiled when the Hornets shot .304 for the game. That's a good number in baseball...
- The Phillies are serious contenders in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes. Remember, Lee liked it in Philly and would likely take less dollars and years, though the Phils will have to come close to what the Rangers and Yankees are offering. Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, and Hamels would certainly solve the offensive woes.
- I'm over Chris Berman.
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