MLB | Phillies rebuild process lacks pop? Say it ain’t so, Tommy Joe

by Jack Kerwin  |  [email protected]

Just a little dose of reality today …

With a legit, full-scale rebuild no longer an option but a necessity for the Phillies, the Band-Aid approach and “squeeze every ounce left outta Ryan Howard” attempt proving positively futile at best, the organization, its fans and even those who cover the team in professionally, at least in theory, seemed to have one thing in their favor:

Being able to watch the development of young players, with the hope they’d evolve into foundations for the franchise’s emergence.

Umm, at this point, with the team dive-bombing at the breakneck speed of 21 losses in their last 27 games heading into action against Arizona this afternoon, well, there ain’t much cause for hope.

Put it this way, Odubel Herrera remains a bright light in center field, but the rest of ’em, yikes.

Talk about an “oh-for” …

Maikel Franco, the reputed star-in-the-making to enter the season, has been mediocre at best. Aaron Nola, the likable but overhyped and over-drafted starter, has been uncovered by opposing lineups for lacking the stuff to be anything more than a back-of-the-rotation guy. Vince Velasquez, the one guy with serious stuff in the rotation, already has been placed on the DL with the ever-scary “sore biceps” label and the team doesn’t plan to rush him back.

Even the latest hastily anointed savior, Tommy Joseph, has started to show chinks in his armor. Big ones.

Say it ain’t so, Tommy Joe …

To all the geniuses who ripped the living bejesus outta Darin Ruf for having the audacity to be put into the Phillies lineup every so often way back at a time when they thought Howard was still a really productive player but wasn’t and then jumped the shark on supporting Joseph once the trend became to bail on Howard once and for all this season … get a clue.

Yo, Howard needed to be gone from the club and your clinging to a past never coming back years ago. Before the Phillies ever completely derailed any potential future Ruf had here or anywhere else with an embarrassing display of catering to Howard’s shaky ego and yo-yoing of a young slugger between South Philly, the Lehigh Valley and Reading, Pa.

Frankly, the only difference between Ruf then and Joseph now is that the latter is being given a legit shot … and, thus far, not producing as well as the former did out the chute.

Don’t think so? Check out these numbers.

In their first 95 plate appearances up with the Phillies ...

• Joseph, though Friday night’s loss, had 92 at-bats, 3 walks, 23 hits, a .250 batting average, a .268 on-base percentage, three doubles, seven homers, 12 runs scored and 12 RBIs.
• Ruf had 85 at-bats, 10 walks, 26 hits, a .306 batting average, a .379 on-base percentage, six doubles, a triple, five homers, 14 runs scored and 13 RBIs.

​Oh yeah, the latter always has been a much better fielding first baseman than Howard was, and likely better than Joseph ever will be.

On the bright side, the Phillies – and everyone else, apparently – have finally accepted reality on Howard being finished … and that alone is cause for hope.

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Put it this way, Odubel Herrera remains a bright light in center field, but the rest of ’em, yikes. Talk about an “oh-for” ... Maikel Franco, the reputed star-in-the-making to enter the season, has been mediocre at best. Aaron Nola, the likable but overhyped and over-drafted starter, has been uncovered by opposing lineups for lacking the stuff to be anything more than a back-of-the-rotation guy. Vince Velasquez, the one guy with serious stuff in the rotation, already has been placed on the DL with the ever-scary “sore biceps” label and the team doesn’t plan to rush him back. Even the latest hastily anointed savior, Tommy Joseph, has started to show chinks in his armor. Big ones. Say it ain’t so, Tommy Joe ...