The news of Roy Oswalt retiring yesterday brought back many memories of the good times of Phillies baseball. R2C2, the Pistachio Girl, when the stadium was sold-out every night no matter who they were playing, or even when the team didn't need to sell 50/50 raffle tickets to draw fans to weekend games.
Well, let's put nostalgia aside and get excited for the return of Phillies baseball, as today marks the reporting of pitchers and catchers to Clearwater, Florida: the official start to Spring Training. Today, players will get their physicals in preparation for their first official workout tomorrow.
There are a lot of question marks going into this season, which may lead fans into criticzing GM Ruben Amaro Jr and the higher-ups, but there are reasons to be optimistic about the 2014 team.
Here are a few things you should watch for this Spring Training:
5. Clubhouse Chemistry
Many reports throughout this offseason have revealed that Jonathan Papelbon was a voice in last year's clubhouse who said whatever was on his mind. He had no restaint in singling out players, causing some strife in the clubhouse. So much strife that the Phillies tried their best to trade him away this offseason to teams like the Detroit Tigers, but no one was willing to eat the remaining $20+ million on his all-time high contract for a reliever.
Anyone knows that for a team to be successful, they must gel and get along. That is exactly the atmosphere that Charlie Manuel created here from the get-go during the early years of his managerial stay in Philadelphia.
4. Domonic Brown: One and done?
The once top-rated prospect in baseball finally lived up to potential last season, at least for a few months anyway in the first-half of the 2013 regular season.
Brown had a 2006-Howard type month of May, where he hit 12 home runs, brought in 25 RBIs, and batted .303 in just 109 plate appearances. He was also productive in the month of June, hitting six home runs and 21 runs batted in, and batting .278. Brown's great start last season earned him a trip to Citi Field for his first ever All Star Game appearance.
After that, things went downhill for the left-hander. In the months of July and August, his production declined hitting a combined six home runs and 24 runs batted in. September and the last series in October was the worst month of all, where in 59 plate appearances he batted .255 with 0 home runs and just two runs batted in.
Brown needs to produce his May and June 2013 numbers again this season, hopefully consistently throughout 2014's entirety. Hardly any power production will come from center fielder Ben Revere, and Marlon Byrd, while having a good run with the Pirates last season, is a huge if right now.
What Brown does in Spring Training may be a telling sign if this will occur.
3. New Broadcasters, New Vibe
News broke out yesterday that 2008 World Series champions Jamie Moyer and Matt Stairs will join the Phillies broadcast booth this season to replace Chris Wheeler and Gary Matthews.
Even if the Phillies are terrible this season, at least there will be a sense of freshness during the broadcasts, as with new broadcasters come different stories and different ways to express the game to the audience.
Moyer and Stairs will be with the team in Florida for Spring Training broadcasts. Their first broadcast will be the 1:05 game on February 26 against the Toronto Blue Jays.
2. Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez: Can he be trusted?
As of this post, A.J.Burnett has not signed with the Phillies. UPDATE: A.J. Burnett signs 1 year, $16M deal with the Phillies. This HUGE signing changes the whole outlook for the rotation. With Cole Hamels out for Opening Day due the injury woes, the rotation call fall either way with Lee or Burnett being the Opening Day starter, followed by potentially Hamels, Kyle Kendrick, and either Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, Chad Gaudin or Jonathan Pettibone.
Thus, their rotation is slated so far to be the following:
- Cole Hamels
- Cliff Lee
- Kyle Kendrick
After the third spot in the rotation, there are huge ifs for the remaining two. Jonathan Pettibone put up respectable numbers in his rookie season, 5-4 with a 4.04 ERA, and the signings of once-starter Chad Gaudin and Jeff Manship to minor league deals will provide competition this Spring.
Then, there was Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez. There's no other way to put it but he puts the capital 'I' in "If". He's such a big if, that the team hadn't even seen him throw yet! Scouts are labeling him as a maybe-3, likely 4 starter in the rotation.
Allegedly, his repoirtore consists of a curveball, change-up, cutter, splitter, sinker, and even a knuckleball.
Gonzalez originally signed a large-contract with the Phillies, but issues regarding his elbow delayed such talks, and a subsequent contract was signed for much less money soon thereafter.
If MAGs can connect and be a game-changer like other Cuban-turned-MLB players have done thus far like Cespedes and Puig, his presence in the rotation could be huge.
1. Ryan Howard: Beware of Fool's Gold
You know the deal. Whatever we are told, believe exactly the opposite. Ever since the horrifying end to the 2011 season in Game 5 of the NLDS, where Howard went down in the last at-bat of the elimination game and injured his left Achilles, he simply has not been the same. Time and time again since that moment we have been told Howard is ready to go, but set-backs soon arose for the 2009 National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player.
Even if Howard puts up numbers this season in the realm of a .265 batting average with 25 home runs and 90 runs batted in, that will surely be an improvement to the offense of last year where power was hard to come by.
If Howard shows this Spring that he has plate discpline against lefties, avoiding a platoon situation with Ruf in the process in games where an opposing starter is left-handed, that would be great for the Phillies.
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Matt Rappa is a contributor to Philliedelphia. Follow him on Twitter @mattrappa
