Morning Phil-Up: Cole Hamels’ Mind Elsewhere On Opening Day?

Cole Hamels’ Mind Elsewhere On Opening Day? – Philly.com

Cole Hamels made it clear over the off-season that he wants to play for a winning team, and that he knows that isn’t going to happen in Philadelphia.

Rob Torne of Philly.com wrote a piece which questioned whether or not Hamels’ desire to pitch for a good team could impact his results on the mound while he’s still a Phillie.

I think it’s a fair point to consider. Cole has been a guy who has by his own admission lost focus in the past.

During the 2009 season, Hamels regressed considerably from his World Series MVP form of 2008. He let all kinds of outside influences impact how he threw on the mound, and as things went wrong on the hill, Cole’s game would slip even worse.

While Hamels has certainly matured considerably since then, I can’t help but wonder whether or not he’s all that dialed in right now. He knows the Phillies are a sinking ship, and he’s clearly been as wrapped up in the trade rumors as anyone. With nothing to play for in the meantime, I think it’s very possible that Hamels could underperform in the early part of the season.

Phillies’ Shutout Fitting For Long Season – NJ.com

In many ways, the Phillies’ Opening Day loss to Boston was very appropriate.

Many fans except this to be one of the worst seasons in recent history, and the Phillies only managed to reinforce those beliefs on Monday.

With an offense that managed just three hits, it’s difficult to picture this club doing anything other than finishing in the basement of not only the National League East, but all of the majors as well.

When the Phillies put out their lineup card, even the optimistic of followers can only cringe. There’s absolutely no power to be found anywhere in this batting order.

The team starts with a pair slap hitters in Ben Revere and Odubel Herrera. The heart of the order consists of Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Carlos Ruiz, all of whom are cooked. And the order is rounded out with an average third baseman in Cody Asche, and another powerless switch hitter in Freddy Galvis.

The only hope the Phils have to cling to is their pitching staff, and even that group disappointed. Cole Hamels gave up a run after just five pitches, and went on to allow four homers. While Cole has traditionally been a slow starter, it was the nonetheless disheartening to see the team’s ace come out and suffer a let down to start the season.

The Top 10 Worst Eagles’ Draft Picks Of All Time – Bleeding Green Nation

Dave Mangels of Bleeding Green Nation wrote a piece looking at some of the worst draft moments in Eagles history, serving as a cheery reminder of how badly this team has missed as the NFL Draft fast approaches.

What’s particularly disturbing about this piece is how many of the worst moments have occurred within recent history.

Remember when the Eagles spent a fourth-round pick on kicker Alex Henery?

Remember how the entire 2011 draft was an utter disaster? With Danny Watkins in round one, Jaiquawn Jarrett in round two, Curtis Marsh in round three, and Casey Matthews in round four, this was likely the draft that really set the stage for Andy Reid’s fall. If not for Jason Kelce in the sixth round, that entire draft would have been a waste.

There’s a good chance that when this list is redone in a year or two, we could see Marcus Smith’s name fall somewhere into that top 10.

Opening Day A Reminder Phils Are Stuck In Past – CSNPhilly

The Phillies opened their season with a wretched 8-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox.

All of the negative from this team were on full display.

The Phillies are an old team with bad contracts and little hope moving forward. Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Carlos Ruiz all continue to age and look like shells of their former selves, and are all locked in to contracts for at least the next couple of years. The team continues to trot out these old names as some of the only remaining links to the 2008 World Series Championship team.

Cole Hamels received no run support, as the new pieces in the lineup Odubel Herrera and Freddy Galvis offered very little to help the team’s anemic offense.

And worst of all, some of the club’s key figures made things worse by offering very poor or limited insight into the club’s issues.

Manager Ryne Sandberg commented that the team could have used “better offense”. Sandberg didn’t impress anyone with his managing style last year, and he’s not off to a great start in 2015. I’m expecting a full summer of a puzzled Sandberg struggling to come up with answers for why his team can’t put runs on the board.

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