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Monday, July 28, 2008

Daily News: Happ pulled from game early.

Earlier in the day, down in Richmond, Lehigh Valley IronPigs lefthander J.A. Happ was lifted from the game by manager Dave Huppert after just 2 2/3 innings and 41 pitches against the Triple A Braves. He hadn’t allowed a run, giving up two hits and a walk while striking out three. There were reports that he received high-fives from his teammates when he came back to the dugout.

I guess I’m hoping that he’s the LHP reliever the Phils are going to get. Beats the hell out of trading away prospects for something you already have….

Harris Posted: July 28, 2008 at 02:41 PM | 47 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: phillies

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1. flournoy Posted: July 28, 2008 at 03:04 PM (#2877729)

Bah, why call him up when you can trade for Royce Ring instead?

2. Crispix Attacks Posted: July 28, 2008 at 03:09 PM (#2877742)

I do wonder why the Phils never seem to use their starting pitching prospects as relievers with the idea of hopefully putting them in the rotation when they're acclimated to the big leagues, but getting use out of them in the meantime. It seems like most teams have started doing that by now, but the Phils just have starting pitching prospects who they don't trust enough to put into the rotation for more than a spot start, or relief pitching prospects who are always the first to be demoted to the minors in favor of a veteran reliever.

On the other hand, the Brett Myers situation is pretty much the worst case scenario for what could happen if a starter is put in the bullpen "temporarily".

3. Toby Posted: July 28, 2008 at 03:31 PM (#2877785)

Odd that the second item in this news article is that there is "no indication" that the Phillies are interested in Manny, and that Manny would have to play RF because of Burrell.

Couldn't this move of Happ be related to the Phils acquiring Manny for, say, Burrell and Myers? With the Sox probably sending along some Manny money and a prospect?

4. shoewizard Posted: July 28, 2008 at 03:41 PM (#2877799)

I just dropped him in my NL only league last night!!! Grrrrrr.......

5. UCCF Posted: July 28, 2008 at 03:45 PM (#2877809)

IronPigs? Awesome.

6. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:04 PM (#2877835)

IronPigs? Awesome.

I just figured out Lehigh Valley is AAA. Usually, I think of cities I have heard of when I think of AAA. Now there are places like Lehigh Valley, Round Rock, and soon Gwinnett County. I find this trend disturbing.

7. Dr Stankus and the Semicolons Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:05 PM (#2877836)

IronPigs is a totally awesome name, and reflects the major industry.

8. Paul The Paranoid Android Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:17 PM (#2877852)

IronPigs is a totally awesome name, and reflects the major industry.

They make robot pigs?

9. Crispix Attacks Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:18 PM (#2877855)

Lehigh Valley = Allentown
Round Rock = Austin
Tri-City = Troy
Quad Cities = Davenport
Mahoning Valley = Youngstown

I know they aren't technically located in the major cities, but neither are the New York Giants, the New York Jets, the Detroit Pistons, et cetera. Why do all these new teams keep using these obscure geographical regions instead of naming themselves after cities? It doesn't exactly help the public profile of Niles, Ohio, since the team isn't named after Niles, Ohio, it's named after a "valley" that nobody more than thirty miles away has ever heard of.

The Frontier League is especially bad, because there are two teams based in what is basically St. Louis, one called the "Gateway Grizzlies" and one called the "River City Rascals".

10. Vaux, A.B.D. Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:24 PM (#2877864)

I guess they're trying to have local appeal at the expense of national or even regional profile. That makes a tiny amount of sense, I suppose; not all that many people outside the northeast have necessarily heard of Allentown anyway, or know where it is, and not many are going to drive more than 75-100 miles to go to a minor league game.

It still seems sort of undignified, though, like when Disney changed the name of the Angels to Anaheim, and tried to claim they were a small-market team. (I've since learned, on this site, that the city of Anaheim was behind that, forcing the change in return for ballpark funding. But the company's small-market claims trying to take "advantage" of it were embarrassing.)

11. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:26 PM (#2877867)

not all that many people outside the northeast have necessarily heard of Allentown anyway

Really? Are they not Billy Joel fans?

12. Tom Nawrocki Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:26 PM (#2877868)

Quad Cities is a better geographical name than Davenport. The name Quad Cities is probably better known than any of the individual towns, and you wouldn't want to make people from Moline, Bettendorf and Rock Island feel left out.

13. SoSH U at work Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:28 PM (#2877872)

I guess they're trying to have local appeal at the expense of national or even regional profile. That makes a tiny amount of sense, I suppose; not all that many people outside the northeast have necessarily heard of Allentown anyway, or know where it is, and not many are going to drive more than 75-100 miles to go to a minor league game.

I suspect Allentown is known beyond the NE, if only because of the Billy Joel song. Troy, however, could be just about anywhere.

14. Tom Nawrocki Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:29 PM (#2877873)

Everybody and their dog has heard of Allentown.

15. Crispix Attacks Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:29 PM (#2877875)

I don't think people living in Kutztown or Wind Gap are going to be less likely to go to an "Allentown Iron Pigs" game just because the team is only named after the area's largest city instead of after a vague geographical area that technically also includes Kutztown and Wind Gap.

And if people more than 100 miles away don't know where Youngstown is, they certainly don't know where "Mahoning Valley" is. I didn't know there was a minor-league team in Youngstown until I'd lived in Pittsburgh for like 5 years, because they're called the "Mahoning Valley Scrappers". Knowing there was a team there (~75 miles away) would have made me likely to go see them.

16. Vaux, A.B.D. Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:31 PM (#2877878)

Allentown was no doubt the worst example of the names given.

Maybe Austin would have been the worst. I think most people know where that is, though of course there are other Austins.

17. Harris Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:32 PM (#2877881)

suppose; not all that many people outside the northeast have necessarily heard of Allentown anyway

Billy Joel fans would beg to differ.

I guess they're trying to have local appeal at the expense of national or even regional profile.
It's just a way to not alienate semi-local fans and get an area rather than a small city to support a team.

The "Carolina" Panthers are a prime example. They are located in Charlotte NC which has a large suburb in Rock Hill, SC. Call them the Charlotte Panthers and some of the SC people might feel a bit slighted. Call them the Carolina Panthers, and two whole states share a team. I think it's rather intelligent. Most of the SC population would still likely support the Charlotte Panthers, but more will if they're the Carolina Panthers.

Lehigh Valley get Allentown, and Wilkes-Barre as well as a bunch of other local small towns nestled in the hills.

18. Padraic Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:32 PM (#2877882)

Very interesting. I would have thought that maybe Eaton's struggles yesterday would force a cut or even a move to the DL, but the article makes the specific point that Happ was pulled before Eaton appeared.

My theory: Happ to the rotation, Myers to the pen, Eaton to the DL. Happ just doesn't seem like a good fit in the pen. He has control issues, has been a starter in 92 of his 95 minor league appearances, and has a reverse platoon split (this year at least), with lefties hitting .263, righties 232.

Now, those are all arguments why it would be a bad idea to move him to the pen, which of course means nothing when guessing what the Phils would do. I would love a Hamels/Blanton/Kendrick/Moyer/Happ rotation, but I'm not getting my hopes up yet.

19. Harris Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:34 PM (#2877886)

wow - a bunch of people slammed Vaux as I was writing my response.

20. Dan Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:35 PM (#2877888)

Phillies optioned RHP Adam Eaton to the Minor Leagues.
They haven't decided to which level. The worst starter in the majors last year, Eaton actually got off to a solid start. He posted an 11.93 ERA in July, though, and had been moved to the bullpen following the acquisition of Joe Blanton. The team is expected to call up J.A. Happ Tuesday to pitch out of the bullpen.

From Rotoworld.

21. Crispix Attacks Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:35 PM (#2877889)

Troy, however, could be just about anywhere.

Ah, but the Troy in the New York-Penn League could be in only one place, whereas "Tri-City" in the New York-Penn League could be just about anywhere. I thought it was the team located near Poughkeepsie until I did the research for my earlier comment.

Lehigh Valley get Allentown, and Wilkes-Barre as well as a bunch of other local small towns nestled in the hills.

Hey, hey, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre gets Wilkes-Barre. (two cities together is fine, if the stadium isn't technically located in either one, which that team is not. If they were called the "Wyoming Valley Yankees" it would be dumb.) Lehigh Valley gets Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton. And of course Wind Gap and Pen Argyl. And Macungie. Mahanoy City is kind of in between.

22. RJ in TO Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:38 PM (#2877892)

I must say that I'm somewhat baffled and terrified by the number of people here who seem to like Billy Joel.

23. Harris Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:38 PM (#2877893)

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre gets Wilkes-Barre. Lehigh Valley gets Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton.

Thanks for the correction - my bad. Mixed up Bethlehem and Wilkes-Barre in my head.

24. Crispix Attacks Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:39 PM (#2877895)

Wow, I thought the Carolina Panthers were located in the Raleigh area. Good thing I didn't look into buying tickets in anticipation of visiting my cousins there in November.

Are the Carolina Hurricanes still in Greensboro? I'll go find out.

25. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:44 PM (#2877903)

The "Carolina" Panthers are a prime example. They are located in Charlotte NC which has a large suburb in Rock Hill, SC. Call them the Charlotte Panthers and some of the SC people might feel a bit slighted. Call them the Carolina Panthers, and two whole states share a team. I think it's rather intelligent. Most of the SC population would still likely support the Charlotte Panthers, but more will if they're the Carolina Panthers.

I think its kinda silly though. I doubt Covington, KY residents feel slighted at the "Cincinnati Reds", Loudon County, VA residents feel slighted at the "Washington Nationals", or Overland Park, KS residents feel slighted at the "Kansas City Royals".

I guess I kinda understand if you're dealing with two largish cities like Minneapolis/St. Paul, or Tampa/St. Pete, but otherwise, we should all understand who the big dog of a metro area is.

26. SoSH U at work Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:44 PM (#2877904)

Ah, but the Troy in the New York-Penn League could be in only one place, whereas "Tri-City" in the New York-Penn League could be just about anywhere. I thought it was the team located near Poughkeepsie until I did the research for my earlier comment.

No, that would be the Hudson Valley Renegades, who play their games in Wappingers Falls. And if you've heard of Wappingers Falls, it's probably not for a good reason.

27. Greg Franklin Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:48 PM (#2877913)

They make robot pigs?

Pig iron. Didn't the team hold a voting contest for the name?

The clumsiest -- perhaps you could call it the most bush-league -- application of the regional-naming concept, in my opinion, was the late Southwest Michigan Devil Rays. Now there was a name guaranteed to stir regional pride.

28. Padraic Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:49 PM (#2877915)

The team is expected to call up J.A. Happ Tuesday to pitch out of the bullpen.

Well, who needs logic? The Phillies currently have:

- A hole in the rotation (Myers)
- A hole in the 8th inning
- A solid minor league starter with excellent stuff, no real history of relieving, and no platoon advantage (Happ)
- A pitcher in the rotation who has been better in recent years in the pen-and LIKES pitching in the bullpen-in the rotation.

So what to they do? Of course, they make the career minor league starter into a LOOGY! (Ok, maybe Happ to the bullpen is just reporter BS, but it won't surprise me at all. Myers is scheduled to pitch Tuesday, and if they were planning Happ in the rotation, he wouldn't have started at all yesterday.)

29. Harris Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:54 PM (#2877925)

I think its kinda silly though. I doubt Covington, KY residents feel slighted at the "Cincinnati Reds", Loudon County, VA residents feel slighted at the "Washington Nationals", or Overland Park, KS residents feel slighted at the "Kansas City Royals".

I admitted that most of them would support the team and the name, but more would support a more generic name. Local rivalries can be weird like that.

Are the Carolina Hurricanes still in Greensboro? I'll go find out.

No - they're in Raleigh now, after a one or two year stint in G-boro to get an area ready for them. Been in Raleigh 10 years now. Carolina Hurricanes flows better than Raleigh Hurricanes, as the coast gets the brunt of the storm. I guess you could have called them the Raleigh Tropical Depressions, but that's not nearly as cool.

30. Designated Sitter (GGC) Posted: July 28, 2008 at 04:58 PM (#2877931)

BTW, I'd like to take this opportunity to complain about the Connecticut Defenders name. There are three minor league teams in CT. I don't think the defenders really draw from anywhere north or west of Willimantic.

31. Harris Posted: July 28, 2008 at 05:06 PM (#2877945)

Is Connecticut still a state? Weren't they just parceled out to NY and MA?

32. Mike Emeigh

Posted: July 28, 2008 at 05:11 PM (#2877958)

Good thing I didn't look into buying tickets in anticipation of visiting my cousins there in November.

Good thing.

Are you going to be here for a while? We should schedule a meetup.

-- MWE

33. Biff isn't really an apt handle anymore Posted: July 28, 2008 at 05:15 PM (#2877965)

Tri-City = Troy

I mean, this is an obvious move. Why would you willingly want to be associated with Troy?

(We are talking Troy, NY here, right?)

34. Devin has a deep burning passion for fuzzy socks Posted: July 28, 2008 at 05:16 PM (#2877971)

This isn't much data, but I know when I've driven through that area and had the radio on, I hear them talk about the "Lehigh Valley" a lot. People may know of Allentown from Billy Joel, but not everyone knows where it is.

35. Designated Sitter (GGC) Posted: July 28, 2008 at 05:17 PM (#2877972)

Is Connecticut still a state? Weren't they just parceled out to NY and MA?

I can have Dial make your life miserable if you do that again ;).

36. Crispix Attacks Posted: July 28, 2008 at 05:19 PM (#2877979)

No, not for long. Just before and after Thanksgiving.

The Phillies currently have:

- A hole in the rotation (Myers)
- A hole in the 8th inning
- A solid minor league starter with excellent stuff, no real history of relieving, and no platoon advantage (Happ)
- A pitcher in the rotation who has been better in recent years in the pen-and LIKES pitching in the bullpen-in the rotation.

So what to they do? Of course, they make the career minor league starter into a LOOGY! (Ok, maybe Happ to the bullpen is just reporter BS, but it won't surprise me at all. Myers is scheduled to pitch Tuesday, and if they were planning Happ in the rotation, he wouldn't have started at all yesterday.)

And of course they also have a LOOGY in the minors, whom they brought up, used twice as a long reliever and once as a LOOGY, and then sent down again for who knows how long. Note that his LHB/RHB splits became apparent even in that short stint.

If Myers is in the rotation next week and Happ is brought in to pitch to two batters in the 7th inning, I will be annoyed.

37. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: July 28, 2008 at 05:40 PM (#2878026)

I mean, this is an obvious move. Why would you willingly want to be associated with Troy?

I think "Troy Haymakers" would be an awesome name. Why don't they bring that back?

38. Harris Posted: July 28, 2008 at 05:58 PM (#2878052)

I can have Dial make your life miserable if you do that again ;).

Well played...

I've updated my profile info appropriately, as he's no longer my boss.

39. Cabbage Posted: July 28, 2008 at 06:20 PM (#2878080)

I think "Troy Haymakers" would be an awesome name. Why don't they bring that back?

I would prefer the "Horses" or "McClures"

40. jwb Posted: July 28, 2008 at 06:56 PM (#2878125)

I see a SWB line in a player's stats and I think "Swabia." And I hunger for zwiebelkuchen.

41. Petuniaviles Posted: July 28, 2008 at 06:57 PM (#2878128)

I think its kinda silly though. I doubt Covington, KY residents feel slighted at the "Cincinnati Reds", Loudon County, VA residents feel slighted at the "Washington Nationals", or Overland Park, KS residents feel slighted at the "Kansas City Royals".

I admitted that most of them would support the team and the name, but more would support a more generic name. Local rivalries can be weird like that.

Funny. The first example that came to my mind was the Tennessee Titans -- I know people living in the areas surrounding Nashville that specifically dislike Nashville, Nashville residents, going to Nashville, and Nashville teams. All of them, every single person I know from that area, loves the Titans. I'm almost certain that had they been named the Nashville Somethings, or really after any geographical region other than the state of Tennessee, they'd have been less quick to adopt the team. Only about half the hockey fans I know from that group care at all for the Predators; most of them prefer other teams.

/anecdotal evidence presented as fact

42. Chase Utley, Shooty's Favorite Robot (Joey Belle) Posted: July 28, 2008 at 08:22 PM (#2878285)

Only about half the hockey fans I know from that group care at all for the Predators;

Why must you turn this board into a house of lies? Everyone up here in Canada knows that there are no Predators fans. Move the team to Winnipeg already.

43. Mike Emeigh

Posted: July 28, 2008 at 08:43 PM (#2878325)

I've updated my profile info appropriately, as he's no longer my boss.

Just because he's no longer your boss doesn't mean that he can't make your life miserable.

-- MWE

44. Random Transaction Generator Posted: July 28, 2008 at 08:51 PM (#2878342)

Why must you turn this board into a house of lies? Everyone up here in Canada knows that there are no Predators fans. Move the team to Winnipeg already.

Why must you turn this house of lies into a bigger house of lies? Everyone up here in Ontario knows that there is no other place in Canada that can support hockey. Move the team to Hamilton already.

45. Harris Posted: July 28, 2008 at 09:33 PM (#2878387)

Just because he's no longer your boss doesn't mean that he can't make your life miserable.

yeah - but now he has to try harder.

46. Steve Sparks Flying Everywhere Posted: July 29, 2008 at 06:49 AM (#2879708)

IronPigs? Awesome

Wasn't there some big controversy about the name awhile back? Something to do with people being offended about pigs? Maybe it was something else. I can't remember

47. ColonelTom Posted: July 30, 2008 at 11:32 AM (#2881780)

From today's Philadelphia Daily News:

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel later informed reporters that he views Happ as a starter. And while he acknowledged that the lefthander would begin his second big-league stint of the season in the bullpen, he left open the possibility that the arrangement would be short-lived.

Is there a chance Happ, who allowed four runs in 11 innings in two starts earlier this season, will get another shot at starting this season?

"Without a doubt there's a chance, yes," Manuel said. "We liked what Happ showed us."

I wouldn't be surprised to see Myers back in the bullpen soon.

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