Philadelphia Baseball History

Philadelphia sports fans are not the most patient fans in the world.  After the Phillies won the World Series in 2008, returned to the Series in 2009, and posted the most wins in team history on the backs of the four aces in 2011, it is understandable that Phillies fans got, well, frustrated as the team slid into the bottom of the standings for the last few years.  The frustration level had reached such a low that the fans demanded, and received, the dismissal of then General Manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. But while a new era was ushered in under  President of Baseball Operations Andy McPhail and General Manager Matt Klentak, fans were advised to show patience.  Building a new team that could contend would take time.  The team embarked on a strategy of dismantling the remainder of the championship team, slashing the payroll and obtaining as much young talent in trades as was feasible.  The ultimate goal was to develop a cadre of young players in the minor lea...

In last night's game with the Braves, Phillies outfielde, Tyler Goeddel went 1 for 4 with a single. While his sixth hit of the season was encouraging, his other three at-bats, despite being outs, were equally encouraging. That is because he put the ball in play all three times.  Goeddel came into the game last night having only played in 17 other games, and striking out 11 times. Early in the season, Goeddel was only being used in games against left-handers, which severely limited his playing time.  More recently, Pete Mackannin has given Goeddel more playing time, including the last game against the Marlins, where Goeddel had a double and 2 RBIs. Goeddel is hitting .167, and for a team that is having its offensive struggles with outfielders, it may seem strange to say he needs more playing time. But the Phillies picked up Goeddel in this winter's Rule 5 draft, and he is still a player in development.  In the Rule 5 draft, any team can pick any player from another team's ...