Top Ten Moments of the 2016 Phillies' Season

Going into the 2016 baseball season, we all knew that the Phillies were not likely going to be competitive. The fact is that neglect of the farm system from the front office combined with the aging of the star players from the 2008 World Championship team left the Phillies depleted. A sad comment on the organization was that the highlight of the 2015 season was the firing of Ruben Amaro, Jr. as the General Manager. Although there was a degree of optimism when Andy MacPhail and Matt Klentak took over the front office, the amount of damage done to the Phillies organization meant that there would be no quick fix. Many pundits picked the Phils to lose 100 games in 2017.

 

Surprising many, the Phillies not only avoided losing 100 games, but also climbed out of the basement of the National League East, finishing with a better record than the Atlanta Braves. Along the way, the Phillies showed signs of improvement, giving their fans hope for a better future.

This season may not have been filed with moments that make the highlight reel. Still, what follows are my choices for the top ten moments of the 2016 Phillies' season.

 

10. Zach Eflin's July

 

With Aaron Nola, Vince Velasquez and Jarod Eickoff, the Phillies went into the season with a young rotation. The grueling schedule took its toll as Nola and Velasquez, neither of which had pitched a full major league season, were plagued with arm trouble and injuries. During the season, the Phillies had to reach into their minor league system and rely on young arms who could very well play a major role in the club's future.

 

Zach Eflin made an auspicious debut against the Blue Jays on June 14, when he gave up 8 runs, including three home runs, in just 2 2/3 innings of work. But Elfin worked through his early jitters and made a bigger impact in July. On July 5th, Eflin earned his first win as a Phillie, a 5-1 defeat of Atlanta, and pitched a complete game. He tossed only 92 pitches and became the first Phillie to throw a complete game for his first major league win since 1992. Eflin threw his second complete game, a shutout of the Pirates, on July 22nd. Unfortunately, Eflin's season was cut short by a patellar tendinopathy in early August.

 

9. Jake Thompson Strikes Out Four in One Inning

 

A second young gun to emerge from the farm system this season was Jake Thompson. Like Eflin, Thompson was rocked in his major league debut. He allowed six runs in 4 1/3 innings of work on August 6th against the Padres. But on August 12th, he performed a feat the Phillies had not seen since 1902. He struck out four batters in one inning.

 

Baseball rules provide that if the third strike is not caught by the catcher, the batter may run to first base. The Rockies left fielder Darren Dahl swung at, and missed a wild pitch. The result was that he reached first base before Cameron Rupp could throw him out. Dahl would later score on a Ryan Howard error. But Thompson got out of the inning with three more strikeouts. Thompson wound up with the win, and will likely be the answer to a Phillies trivia question for years to come.

 

8. The Pitcher Bats Eighth

 

April and May were weird months for Phillies fan. The Phillies offense was pathetic. And yet, against the law of statistics, the Phils found ways to win games.

 

One thing Manager Pete Mackanin tried to shake things up was to put the pitcher eighth in the line-up. The logic was that the best hitters tend to be at the top of the line-up. By putting someone who could hit better than the pitcher ninth, you give the top of the line-up a better chance to knock in more runs?

 

Did it work? Well, the Phillies' offense remained anemic. But, at the time, Peter Bourjos, who was brought in mostly as a one-year outfield fill-in, was batting below the Mendoza line. He was the player most often slotted to bat ninth. The Phils abandoned the strategy in June. By early July, he raised his average to the .270s and was legitimate trade bait before a shoulder injury put him on the disabled list. Was he motivated by the embarrassment of batting below the pitcher? Who knows.
7. Odubel Herrera Makes the All-Star Team

In 2015, the Phillies hit Rule 5 gold. Selecting Odubel Herrera out of the Rangers' organization, he batted .297 and found himself as the starting center fielder.

 

In early 2016, Herrera showed greater discipline at the plate. His patience generated more walks and earned him the lead-off spot in the line-up. When the All-Star break came, Herrera was the only everyday player hitting over .300.

 

6. Tyler Goeddel Hits His First Major League Home Run

 

Would the Phillies hit Rule 5 gold again? In the winter meetings, with the first pick of the Rule 5 Draft, the Phillies selected Tyler Goeddel from the Rays' organization. Goeddel hit .250 in Spring Training. Early in the season, Goeddel was used in an outfield platoon, hitting mostly against left-handers. During this time, he struggled to get his footing.

 

With low expectations for the season and injuries to both Cody Asche and Aaron Altherr, it was rumored that Klentak whispered in Mackanin's ear that the team had nothing to lose by playing Goeddel every day.

 

Given the chance to see major league pitching regularly, Goeddel's hitting improved. On May 18, 2016, Goeddel hit his first major league home run in a 4-2 victory over the Marlins. By the end of May, Goeddel had raised his average to the .270s.
Goeddel has always been a streaky player throughout his minor league career. His hot streak eventually ended. By then, Mackanin and the Phillies were more interested in seeing if Cody Asche could be an every day outfielder. Deprived of regular playing time, Goeddel lost his groove and ended the season batting .192. But for one month, Tyler Goeddel showed he could hit major league pitching.

 

5. Tommy Joseph Plays Well Against the Marlins

 

First Baseman Ryan Howard's season started off miserably. By mid-May, Ryan was only batting .174, contributing little to the sputtering offense.

 

The Phillies responded by calling up Tommy Joseph from AAA. The Phils had acquired Joseph by trading Hunter Pence to the Giants in 2012. Originally a catcher, injury had plagued Joseph's minor league career. When he was moved to first base, Joseph began living up to his potential with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, hitting .347 with 6 home runs before being called up in May.

 

On May 17, 2016, it seemed that the Phillies may have found a new first baseman. That night, Joseph went 3 for 4, and hit his first major league home run.

 

Joseph ended the season platooning with Ryan Howard at first. He hit .257 with 21 home runs in that part-time role.

 

4. Vince Velasquez Shuts Down the Padres, April 14, 2016

 

The Phils acquired Vince Velasquez in the winter from the Astros in a trade that involved popular reliever Ken Giles. In Spring Training, Velasquez turned on the heat and earned a spot in the rotation with a fast ball in the mid to upper nineties.

 

On April 14, 2016, Velasquez baffled Padres' batters with his fast ball and a mean curve. Striking out 16, Velasquez threw a three-hit, complete game shut-out. Velasquez personified the Phillies' improbable early season success.

 

3. Ryan Howard's Last Grand Slam as a Phillie

We all knew this was Ryan Howard's last year with the Phillies. His career started off hot, when he earned Rookie of the Year in 2005 and followed up with 58 home runs in his MVP year of 2006. Ryan was named MVP of the World Series in 2008. But an Achilles' tendon injury in the 2011 play-offs had a major effect on his career.

 

In 2016, Howard was forced to accept a platooning role with Tommy Joseph. However, with his Phillies career nearing an end, Howard turned it on at the end of 2016. On August 12th, the day the Phils honored his predecessor, Jim Thome, on the Wall of Fame, Howard hit a 455 foot grand slam in a win over the Rockies.

 

But Howard was not finished. On September 27, 2016, Howard came to the plate in the first inning in Atlanta with three men on and one out. Howard hit the first pitch from Julio Teheran for a grand slam. Although the Phillies lost the game 7-6, Howard's grand slam was a fitting finale for Philadelphia fans.

 

Howard ended his career with the Phillies in second place for all-time team home runs and third in RBIs. His 382 home runs stands at 67th all time. His 15 grand slams is the most for a Phillie, and 13th among major leaguers, just behind Babe Ruth.

 

2. The Phillies Are in First Place!

 

For one brief, shining moment, the team that had been picked by many to lose 100 games found itself in a statistical tie for first place. The date was May 18, 2016. The Phillies played an afternoon game, beating the Marlins. In doing so, the Phils found themselves seven games above .500, and in a statistical tie with the Nationals for first place. The moment lasted only a few hours, as the Nationals beat the Mets later that night. But given the improbable start, Phillies fans could briefly celebrate the team's early success.

 

1. Tyler Goeddel to Cameron Rupp for the Out!

 

The May 14, 2016 game against the Reds seemed to epitomize the Phillies early season success. Despite a poor offense, the team found ways to win games, particularly one-run games.

The Phillies' early season success was fueled mostly by solid relief pitching. But on May 14th, it looked like the bullpen was about to blow a late inning lead.

 

The Phillies entered the ninth inning with a 4-2 lead. David Hernandez came in to relieve Andrew Bailey. Hernandez walked Jay Bruce and gave up a single to Eugenio Suarez. A double by Adam Duvall scored Bruce and moved Suarez to third. A groundout to first by Tucker Barnhart held the runners. When Jordan Pacheco hit a fly ball to left field, it looked certain that Suarez would score on a sacrifice fly. Tyler Goeddel caught the ball and fired a bullet to Cameron Rupp. The throw was dead-accurate, placing Rupp right in the way of Suarez as he approached home. The players collided, knocking them both to the ground. Laying on his stomach, Rupp raised his hand showing that he had hung on to the ball. The play withstood a replay review, and the game ended on an amazing double-play.

 

Sadly, the Phillies went into a tail spin in June and never recovered. But for observant fans, the season was entertaining and gave hope for optimism for the future.

 

By:  William J. Kovatch, Jr.