Archive for March 11th, 2010

Also donuts. OM NOM NOM

The major angles being covered on the Phils’ rotation in spring training are Roy Halladay being ridiculously good at baseball, Cole Hamels’ return to form after a nightmarish postseason, and the competition for the final spot. Receiving minor attention is J.A. Happ’s quest to build on his overachieving rookie year. Nobody is really talking about Joe Blanton, however. I understand why: He’s viewed as a steady workhorse, a guy who will give you a solid, unspectacular 200 innings every year. Guys like Blanton are sort of like oxygen – it’s important, but you generally don’t notice it until it’s gone. As our third starter, he’s a pretty vital cog, and will be through 2012, thanks to the extension he signed  in January – and a close look at his 2009 performance raises a lot of interesting questions about what we can expect from our favorite Kentucky-fried righty going forward. Check it out after the jump.

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Fail

Well, since I promised to cover ALL the NL East teams, I suppose I have to take a trip down I-95 to cover the Nationals.  They’re like the fat kid you grew up playing sports with.  Bless their hearts, they try their best… but you know eventually they’re going to be sucking wind within 5 minutes, or blowing chunks on the side of the field.

Granted, they are getting better.  They have the tools to possibly pull 70-75 wins out of their collective asses.  But will that be enough to drag them out of the NLE basement?  Did Grizzly Adams have a beard?

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