GaryMrMets
07-28-2004, 10:37 PM
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/sports/9259817.htm
Posted on Wed, Jul. 28, 2004
Fishing hole
Bowa hammers his players as Phillies lose again to Marlins
By MARCUS HAYES
hayesm@phillynews.com
MIAMI - As screams for a trade echo through the Delaware Valley, the Phillies founder not because of what they need, but rather because of what they have not produced.
That glares sharpest against the Marlins.
They lost again last night, 5-2, their 12th straight here and their 21st in their last 24 against the Marlins. The reason the Phillies are 52-48 after 100 games? The reason they can't beat the Marlins?
It isn't because of players they don't have.
And the players on hand, said manager Larry Bowa, his door open to the clubhouse at large, "should be embarrassed."
"As a manager, I'm not even playing and I'm embarrassed," Bowa said, getting up, ready to eat a late dinner and forget for a night.
"Bleeping embarrassing."
It's not bad luck - not last night's ground-rule double that would have meant another run, not Jim Thome's flu that kept him from starting.
"We're getting beat," Bowa said. "There are no excuses.
"We're getting beat."
And it's mostly front-line players who are getting beat, all the way back to last year and through this year's first 10 games, of which the Marlins have won nine.
Examine the first two games of this four-game set.
All-Star third baseman Mike Lowell hit a solo home run in the Marlins' eighth that made it 3-2.
That gave the loss to Rheal Cormier (4-4), the $3 million reliever the Phillies retained in the offseason by exercising a team option.
After a 58-minute deluge delay, Marlins All-Star rightfielder Mi-guel Cabrera and Phillies killer Jeff Conine doubled and shortstop Alex Gonzalez completed the winning rally with an RBI single.
Cormier spoke of atmospheric conditions that had nothing to do with precipitation during the delay.
"Just the atmosphere when we play these guys - it's just brutal," Cormier said. "I really felt the clubhouse was dead ... We're walking on pins and needles ... Stuff takes place that isn't positive ...
"When we lose one or two games, it feels like we've lost 12. It shouldn't feel that way."
Asked whether he was referring to Bowa or the coaching staff, Cormier wouldn't be specific.
"Now's not the time to point fingers. This is the time to do something positive," closer Billy Wagner said.
"This is not a one-man show. People have to realize that. He's got to realize that."
So, no, nobody felt embarrassed. Some players - Placido Polanco, Bobby Abreu, Mike Lieberthal - shrugged and smiled at Bowa's comments.
When thick-skinned shortstop Jimmy Rollins said, "That's fine. That's how he feels. It doesn't bother me," he spoke for most of the clubhouse - a clubhouse in which the players are very close. They aren't the sort to get embarrassed, or, as Cormier, said, "panic" with 62 games left.
They just can't beat Florida.
The Phillies never led. Former All-Star lefthander Randy Wolf put runners on first and second with a one-out double and walk in the third inning, got another out, then gave up a two-run double to Cabrera.
In the top of the third, All-Star starter Carl Pavano had loaded the bases with one out for Abreu, the Phillies' All-Star rightfielder, who grounded softly into a doubleplay.
Pat Burrell, cornerstone of the Phillies franchise, flied out to center to finish the first with a runner on second. After Abreu grounded out with a man on second in the sixth, Burrell repeated his first-inning feat.
At least they saved Wolf a loss and kept Pavano from winning. The Phillies didn't score until Lieberthal drove in Chase Utley from first in the seventh with a long, 3-2, two-out single.
That ended Wolf's night because the flu-ridden Thome came off the bench to pinch-hit for him. Thome walked and speedy Doug Glanville pinch-ran for him. Rollins ripped a bad-luck double to right-centerfield - bad luck, because it hit the Tartan warning track and bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double, allowing only one run to score. Polanco further worsened his average with runners in scoring position to .150 by quickly, weakly grounding out to first.
Last night's loss followed a distinct pattern.
"The bottom line is, when they need two-out hits they get them. When they need to make a pitch they make it," Bowa said. And his team? "I'm not saying anything against us."
He didn't need to.
Monday night, No. 1 starter Kevin Millwood gave up a first-inning, bases-loaded rocket to Conine, right after team leader and clutch hitter David Bell ended the top of the inning with a bases-loaded flyout.
So, yes, the Phillies could upgrade themselves in centerfield, and yes, an extra bullpen arm or second-tier starter might help, but they're not only four games above .500 because of deficiencies.
They're 1 ½ games behind the Braves in the National League East mostly because they played themselves there.
Brett Myers and Paul Abbott, Exhibits 1 and 1-A in the case made for acquiring a starter, finish the series today and tomorrow.
With Wagner unavailable and Ryan Madson on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right pinkie as of yesterday, the other exhibits reside in the bullpen: Triple A call-ups Geoff Geary, Brian Powell and Josh Hancock, Madson's replacement. All five could play significant roles the next 2 days.
Neither their absence nor presence lost either of these first two games.
http://www.philly.com/images/philly/dailynews/9262/85793228874.jpg
Phillies second baseman Placido Polanco bobbles a ball after a force out of Marlins’ Luis Castillo.
Posted on Wed, Jul. 28, 2004
Fishing hole
Bowa hammers his players as Phillies lose again to Marlins
By MARCUS HAYES
hayesm@phillynews.com
MIAMI - As screams for a trade echo through the Delaware Valley, the Phillies founder not because of what they need, but rather because of what they have not produced.
That glares sharpest against the Marlins.
They lost again last night, 5-2, their 12th straight here and their 21st in their last 24 against the Marlins. The reason the Phillies are 52-48 after 100 games? The reason they can't beat the Marlins?
It isn't because of players they don't have.
And the players on hand, said manager Larry Bowa, his door open to the clubhouse at large, "should be embarrassed."
"As a manager, I'm not even playing and I'm embarrassed," Bowa said, getting up, ready to eat a late dinner and forget for a night.
"Bleeping embarrassing."
It's not bad luck - not last night's ground-rule double that would have meant another run, not Jim Thome's flu that kept him from starting.
"We're getting beat," Bowa said. "There are no excuses.
"We're getting beat."
And it's mostly front-line players who are getting beat, all the way back to last year and through this year's first 10 games, of which the Marlins have won nine.
Examine the first two games of this four-game set.
All-Star third baseman Mike Lowell hit a solo home run in the Marlins' eighth that made it 3-2.
That gave the loss to Rheal Cormier (4-4), the $3 million reliever the Phillies retained in the offseason by exercising a team option.
After a 58-minute deluge delay, Marlins All-Star rightfielder Mi-guel Cabrera and Phillies killer Jeff Conine doubled and shortstop Alex Gonzalez completed the winning rally with an RBI single.
Cormier spoke of atmospheric conditions that had nothing to do with precipitation during the delay.
"Just the atmosphere when we play these guys - it's just brutal," Cormier said. "I really felt the clubhouse was dead ... We're walking on pins and needles ... Stuff takes place that isn't positive ...
"When we lose one or two games, it feels like we've lost 12. It shouldn't feel that way."
Asked whether he was referring to Bowa or the coaching staff, Cormier wouldn't be specific.
"Now's not the time to point fingers. This is the time to do something positive," closer Billy Wagner said.
"This is not a one-man show. People have to realize that. He's got to realize that."
So, no, nobody felt embarrassed. Some players - Placido Polanco, Bobby Abreu, Mike Lieberthal - shrugged and smiled at Bowa's comments.
When thick-skinned shortstop Jimmy Rollins said, "That's fine. That's how he feels. It doesn't bother me," he spoke for most of the clubhouse - a clubhouse in which the players are very close. They aren't the sort to get embarrassed, or, as Cormier, said, "panic" with 62 games left.
They just can't beat Florida.
The Phillies never led. Former All-Star lefthander Randy Wolf put runners on first and second with a one-out double and walk in the third inning, got another out, then gave up a two-run double to Cabrera.
In the top of the third, All-Star starter Carl Pavano had loaded the bases with one out for Abreu, the Phillies' All-Star rightfielder, who grounded softly into a doubleplay.
Pat Burrell, cornerstone of the Phillies franchise, flied out to center to finish the first with a runner on second. After Abreu grounded out with a man on second in the sixth, Burrell repeated his first-inning feat.
At least they saved Wolf a loss and kept Pavano from winning. The Phillies didn't score until Lieberthal drove in Chase Utley from first in the seventh with a long, 3-2, two-out single.
That ended Wolf's night because the flu-ridden Thome came off the bench to pinch-hit for him. Thome walked and speedy Doug Glanville pinch-ran for him. Rollins ripped a bad-luck double to right-centerfield - bad luck, because it hit the Tartan warning track and bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double, allowing only one run to score. Polanco further worsened his average with runners in scoring position to .150 by quickly, weakly grounding out to first.
Last night's loss followed a distinct pattern.
"The bottom line is, when they need two-out hits they get them. When they need to make a pitch they make it," Bowa said. And his team? "I'm not saying anything against us."
He didn't need to.
Monday night, No. 1 starter Kevin Millwood gave up a first-inning, bases-loaded rocket to Conine, right after team leader and clutch hitter David Bell ended the top of the inning with a bases-loaded flyout.
So, yes, the Phillies could upgrade themselves in centerfield, and yes, an extra bullpen arm or second-tier starter might help, but they're not only four games above .500 because of deficiencies.
They're 1 ½ games behind the Braves in the National League East mostly because they played themselves there.
Brett Myers and Paul Abbott, Exhibits 1 and 1-A in the case made for acquiring a starter, finish the series today and tomorrow.
With Wagner unavailable and Ryan Madson on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right pinkie as of yesterday, the other exhibits reside in the bullpen: Triple A call-ups Geoff Geary, Brian Powell and Josh Hancock, Madson's replacement. All five could play significant roles the next 2 days.
Neither their absence nor presence lost either of these first two games.
http://www.philly.com/images/philly/dailynews/9262/85793228874.jpg
Phillies second baseman Placido Polanco bobbles a ball after a force out of Marlins’ Luis Castillo.