Phillies season 11

[stillupfront]

C'mon.....it was a great month of baseball. So we are out. Big farging deal. Sure if we take 2 out of 3 from the Mets last week we are in, but the Phils played their asses off the last month and I had a blast following it. Can't wait for the hot stove league this winter to see how we will try to get over the hump. I am deadly serious. To see the Phil's home grown talent moving them ahead the way they are maKES ME HOPEFUL YEAR AFTER YEAR.

I was glad they made it interesting, but in the end it's the same old story with them. 

It's like watching a good movie and the hero gets killed at the end for no reason.

Yeah, but you expect the hero to get killed because he was killed in the previous ten installments of the franchise.

Just add Wo;fe to that staff and they win at least three more. I will have a big problem if they fail to sign Wagner.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Me too. I love Billy Wags.

But he's going to be a Met.

[MDS]

Well hopefully we get a gm with some brains

[PhillyGirl]

Time for Phillies to address Wagner's future

By Jeff McLane
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

WASHINGTON - Now that another Phillies season has come to an all-too-familiar conclusion, it's time to start addressing the top-priority off-season personnel decisions.

Most likely at the top of the list is whether closer Billy Wagner's perfect 1 1/3 innings in the 9-3 win over the Washington Nationals were the last that the flame-thrower will play in a Phils uniform.

After the World Series, the Phillies have 15 days to work out a deal with Wagner before he can test the free-agent waters.

The question is: Will the 34-year-old lefty - whom many consider the MVP of this year's team - rejoin the Phils or will he shop his 284 career saves elsewhere?

The usually outspoken Wagner was uncharacteristically absent from postgame questioning. He was last seen exiting the parking lot at RFK Stadium in his white BMW.

Phillies general manager Ed Wade said he hoped the Wagner situation would be among the organization's main concerns.

"I hope Billy will be here," said Wade. "We've had a lot of discussions and then sort of set it aside because we didn't want it to interfere with the pennant race."

The Phils opened talks with Wagner and his agent before the trading deadline in July and met as recently as two weeks ago.

Wagner wants a three-year contract worth in the neighborhood of $27 million to $30 million. He had privately said that he offered to take a three-year deal at $8 million per year around the time of the all-star break. The Phils appear reluctant to offer a third year and may not bid as high because of payroll commitments next season.

They have $77.75 million committed to 11 players for next year, and with a significant drop in attendance from last season - nearly 600,000 fans worth - there is good reason to suspect that the front office won't be able to afford Wagner's price tag.

For Wagner to stay, he may have to accept a contract below his market value for next season. The Phils' budget is more flexible in the following year, 2007.

This is all assuming Wagner wants to stay in Philadelphia. He's been very critical of the team's fan base, saying last week, "They're not there to support. All they do is boo us."

It wasn't too long ago that Wagner's emergence from the bullpen at Citizens Bank Park to the sounds of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" drew thunderous applause, as did his 100-m.p.h. scoreboard postings.

Wagner was dealt to the Phils before the 2004 season and was seen as a savior to a franchise that had seen its share of incompetent closers. Injuries interrupted his first season as a Phillie, but this year he came back with a vengeance.

"The bottom line is: Billy's the top free agent out there in my mind," Phillies pitcher Jon Lieber said. "I'd love to see him back, but I have no control over that."

The Chicago Cubs were rumored to be possible suitors, but they signed closer Ryan Dempster to a contract extension Saturday, ending that speculation. But Wagner should draw considerable attention from closer-desperate teams, like the New York Mets.

He was near automatic out of the bullpen this season. He converted 38 of 41 save opportunities and had a minuscule 1.51 ERA in 75 appearances. Only the New York Yankees' Mariano Rivera can boast of similar numbers. Rivera had 43 saves in 47 chances and ended his Cy Young-caliber season with a 1.38 ERA.

"It's really tough to find an inning-closer like" Wagner, Phillies catcher Mike Lieberthal said. "He and Rivera are the top two.

"Wagner is like playing eight innings. He's money when it comes down to the ninth inning."

[Geowhizzer]

PG, does that really give you confidence?

[BigEd76]

[MDS]

See you losers in February!

[Geowhizzer]

The Six Deadly Sins of the 2005 season:

1.  July 25:  Astros 7, Phils 1- Cory Lidle gets knocked around for seven runs in 5 innings.
2.  July 26:  Astros 2, Phils 1- Ryan Madsen surrenders a walk-off homer to Mike Lamb.
3.  July 27:  Astros 3, Phils 2- Clemens just one run better than Padilla.
4.  September 5:  Astros 4, Phils 3- Phils can't quite overcome four Houston runs in the first off Brett Myers.
5.  September 6:  Astros 2, Phils 1- How often does Wagner lose games?
6.  September 7:  Astros 8, Phils 6- The true heartbreaker.  Score 3 in the 8th to take a lead, and Wagner not only blows the save, but loses for the 2nd consecutive game.  Again- how often does Wagner lose games?

Six games.  Six losses.  Just one blowout.  The Phils could have won any of the last five.  If they did, they're in the playoffs.

Again, congrats to Houston.  You won the games that counted against the team that became your biggest rival for the Wild Card.

For the Phils?  Frustration and resignation once again rule in the kingdom of Bill Giles, Dave Montgomery, and Ed Wade.

[MDS]

I counted 44 games the Phillies should've won that they lost. 5 games to the Astros hurt, but there are plenty of ones you could look back on and wonder why they didnt win.

Hey remember Terry Adams? He cost us at least 5 games. He's retired now. But what happens in April and May matters.

[PhillyPhreak54]

What's this I hear about Wade almost crying during an interview yesterday?

Cataldi's talking about it...

[Dillen]

Lidge said farging on TV. Only the word that gets converted to farg.

So did about 300,000 people in the greater Philadelphia area.

He was talking in an interview.

[hunt]

karma is a mofo. 

[Rome]

karma is a mofo. 

I hope the Yankees charter crashes into your house.

[PhillyPhreak54]

karma is a mofo. 

Die.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

4.  September 5:  Astros 4, Phils 3- Phils can't quite overcome four Houston runs in the first off Brett Myers.
5.  September 6:  Astros 2, Phils 1- How often does Wagner lose games?
6.  September 7:  Astros 8, Phils 6- The true heartbreaker.  Score 3 in the 8th to take a lead, and Wagner not only blows the save, but loses for the 2nd consecutive game.  Again- how often does Wagner lose games?

This series cost them the playoffs.  Period.