Phillies Phatigue

Did somebody say Red Sox?

I watched maybe 15 pitches of the All-Star Game when it was 5-2 AL in the 8th. I saw the Dozier fellow homer for the Twins, is he on the Twins? Can’t even remember, doesn’t matter. I didn’t see one pitch let alone a long ball in the Home Run Derby. I’m suffering from a serious case of baseball apathy.

When the hometown Phils are 29-62 at the break, their most losses ever at the break, it’s hard to give a shit about baseball. I’ve written a mid-season report every year four years running on the Fightins, literally every year has been more depressing than the next. Let's pour one out for the 2015 Phillies and pray this is rock bottom. I couldn’t bring myself to look up the numbers this year. Let my readers know that starters have X wins or their ERA is 6.XX since the 6 game winning streak in May. Might as well be 6.66.

It would be one thing if the Phils didn’t seemingly botch every major personnel and contract decision since the fateful day of the 5 year $125 million contract doled out to Ryan Howard in 2010, but that’s where the apathy part really comes in for me. They are fielding a team that can’t hit, can’t pitch, and certainly can’t compete but everybody aside from the guy who quit still has their job. What reason is ownership giving Phillies fans to come out to the ballpark or change the channel on their TV to TMac and Ben Davis?

The reasons are few and far between. Maikel Franco has fizzled a bit after winning Rookie of the Month honors for a torrid June. Ken Giles is good but he’s just a setup man on a team that doesn’t win; he’s also proven to be a bit of a head case as evidenced by his blow up with pitching coach Bob McClure that aided in Ryne Sandberg’s departure. Don’t worry, I’m sure having Jonathan Papelbon mentor him on the ways of the bullpen world has been just the thing he needs..

My frustrations really still like with Ruben Amaro Jr. and the fact that he’s still employed by the Phillies. He’s the face of the steep, rapid decline and regardless of anything he pulls off at the trade deadline he has to be shown the door during the offseason or whatever fans are left will revolt. He’s done next to nothing positive for the team since he took over and with two weeks left to make non-waiver deals it feels like he’s losing his leverage on making something happen for the long term betterment of the ballclub. Cole Hamels, Jonathan Papelbon, and Ryan Howard (if possible) need to see their way off this roster before August. While it isn’t necessarily Rube’s fault that Howard and Chase Utley became shells of the superstars they were seemingly overnight, it is his fault that he gave them such player friendly contracts. Howard’s essentially dead $100 million and Utley’s never ending vesting options have  helped sour the fan base against the best 2^nd and 1^st baseman in team history.

For a 10 year old fan, Howard and Utley have never been anything but has-beens and that’s just sad for me and anybody who cares about this team. Ruben has been so goddamn gun shy on making these trades it’s astounding. For the 3^rd summer in a row the Phillies should clearly be sellers at the trade deadline and during the past two they have stood pat and finished in next to last and last place. It’s been past time to cut the cord on this era but Ruben is doing his best Rose from Titanic and never letting go.

It’s (been) time to let go Rube.