Age Battles Youth

After another solid start from pitcher Kyle Kendrick on Thursday against the Astros, the competition for the 5th starters spot is getting more interesting by the day.  Kendrick pitched 5 2/3 innings allowing just 1 earned run on 5 hits and 2 walks.  His spring ERA stands at 1.37.

 


Moyer J.jpgJamie Moyer has only pitched in one “A” game so far and a bunch of “B” games, but he will face the Yankees tonight in his final bid for the 5th spot.  Moyer’s one regular spring outing ended with a 1.80 ERA for 1 run over 5 innings of work.  Tonight’s game then will likely be the deciding factor.

 

If Moyer does well, it looks like the spot may be his.  However, if he gets beat up by the Yanks, he still may get the nod anyway.  Although Kendrick has more than earned the spot and personally, I feel it should be his, the Phillies will probably go with experience over youth.  Poor Kyle has all kinds of factors working against him; his youth, Moyer’s huge $8 million dollar salary and the fact that Moyer has never been a bullpen pitcher.

 

Moyer did work from the pen a little last year when Pedro Martinez arrived, but only for extended innings, like after rain delays.  So essentially, he was still being used more as a starter than a bullpen piece.  Manager Charlie Manuel seemed very hesitant to put Moyer in for only a few batters which tells you that they were not confident about his ability to pitch out of the bullpen.

 

My prediction is that the Phillies will go with Moyer and put Kendrick in the pen.  After Moyer has a few bad outings, they will probably switch, just like Chan Ho Park and JA Happ did last season.  Then again, as with most predictions, anything can happen.

 

Reunion

 

The Phillies were reunited yesterday with former teammate Brett Myers who was the starting pitcher for the Astros.  Myers made Philly his home for 11 years, with the same team who drafted him. 
myers phils.jpgSeeing him another uniform was strange.  Then again, considering how many ex-Phillies are with the Astros, including Myers, Pedro Feliz, Jason Michaels, Michael Bourn, and Gary Majewski, maybe we should all be Astros fans too?  Or maybe not…

 

Myers left the game early with a strained left groin, but it appears to be minor.  Afterwards, Myers spoke about the Philly fans saying, “I felt appreciated when I came out of the game and they all stood up and clapped for me. That was very respectful. Philly fans get a bad rap, but they’re loyal to the guys that played there and have done things for the organization. I really appreciated that. That was classy.”  Myers will be missed by many Philly fans and we wish him well…unless he is playing against the Phillies, of course ;o)

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Photos by Jenn

 

*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin’ Phils Phorum in the My Team Rivals network*

 

5 comments

  1. rrrt

    I really like Jamie Moyer, but I wish the Phillies hadn’t signed him to that 3-year deal a while back. Now they’re kind of “stuck” with him in the rotation. Based on the spring so far, I think Kendrick looks better. We’ll have to see how Moyer does tonight.
    Sue
    Rants, Raves, and Random Thoughts

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  5. devilabrit

    I still think Moyer gets the 5th spot…. and whats with the Astros and the cast-off Phillie players, does Ed Wade really believe he can prove he chose the right guys by re-inventing them as Astros…
    ~peter
    Outside the Phillies Looking In
    http://devilabrit.mlblogs.com

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